smtucker's Profile
New Fuchsia Dunlop book
Email from amazon.uk estimates arrival on June 8th. I will be away on a small business trip so won't actually touch the book until the 10th. Should I cancel the trip?
Kid-friendly thing to do with radishes?
In France, I have had a radish dish which just seemed to be braised butter radishes. You might try a search for such a preparation. The braising minimized the peppery quality of the radish and brings out the sweetness.
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
Interesting. I am in Puerto Rico right now and have been cooking a number of things from this book. I am on the Southwest coast of the island and finding decent ingredients is not for the faint of heart. When I return to the states and a faster internet connection, I should do a thread with all of these recipes.
I can assure you that there are NO asparagus to be found and good quality ham is difficult.
The one thing I have found is the most delicious garlic. It is from the States, but is totally different than anything I have eaten there. The garlic is very juicy and has a strong garlic flavor, but also has some sweetness. Very appealing and I am using it whenever possible.
Cinco de Mayo 2012 - Want to cook from your Mexican books with me?
Our menu doesn't seem quite as exciting as yours!
I am going to try to create something my friend calls "pork bites." She has them at a restaurant. The restaurant's menu calls them Carnitas: pork with a chipolte sauce. So, I will be trying to recreate a flavor that i have never had. I have located four recipes that seem to mirror the flavors. I will combine them all together and hope for the best.
So, the pork bites will be an appetizer along with some avocado with pico de gallo. The main course will be chicken enchiladas with a salsa verde and Mexican crema, black beans with cumin, Mexican rice, and a cabbage salad.
Hornitas tequila will be poured liberally. No one has to drive home!
May 2012 Cookbook of the Month Winners: Food of Spain and Moro: The Cookbook!
Costco is now selling salt cod here in the Boston area. Of course, we can buy salt cod almost anywhere around here so I use my Portuguese fishmonger when I want to buy some.
I admit I consider salt cod to be a nod to a past when cod ran the world and much prefer fresh cod whenever possible.
Cinco de Mayo 2012 - Want to cook from your Mexican books with me?
Bayless calls this recipe "Chicken Enchiladas with tangy tomatillo sauce: http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/267310/chicken-filled-enchiladas-with-tangy
Having seen him make a lot of different tomatillo sauces on PBS, I used his recipe but instead of boiling the tomatillos, I roasted them with garlic and onion in a dry pan. The stock I used was an odd one I had made earlier in the week with roasted chicken bones and raw lamb bones simmered with star anise [no vegetables.] Whatever I did, it was really good in this sauce!
The chicken was poached per Jacques Pepin's method in "Julia and Jacques at Home."
And because I was in overdoing mode, I made the tortillas at home.
Cinco de Mayo 2012 - Want to cook from your Mexican books with me?
Lately, I have been cooking a lot from Bayless Authentic Mexican Kitchen. We had a birthday celebration this week where the birthday folks wanted Chicken Enchilladas with salsa verde, but in the Suisse style. Making these, since I made all the needed stocks, took two days. The results were indeed fantastic! [NOTE to self. Must do some notes on EYB.]
We are traveling to see friend next weekend and have already decided that something from Bayless' book will be on the menu. Just haven't decided on what.
My other Mexican cookbook is a funny old Better Homes and Garden soft cover from the early 80's that I bought when we lived in Texas. I pulled this book out recently and was astonished at how good it is. Clearly written before cookbooks went for the short-cuts and Americanization of "ethnic" foods.
Two New Boards: Vegetarian & Vegan and Special Diets
I find this move discouraging. Finding recipes, tips, ideas will now mean three searches. I am fairly well-versed on some special diets, though I don't have to use them right now. I suspect that I won't make it over to this new forum to help with chemo and lowered immune-response queries.
I rather thought we all played pretty nicely together on the homecooking board.
To play the devil's advocate, what if we pick a Vegetarian book for COTM, do we move it to one of these forums?
Just one [limited] viewpoint.
Celery plus a lot of leaves!
The leaves are the only part of celery I actually like. I have always wished that they sold them as a separate item at the market. They add a lovely flavor to stocks, soups, and salads. Love the other ideas on this thread, and can't wait to try some of them.
March 2012 COTM: The Olive and the Caper: Fruit as Finale; Sweets
Baklava with mixed nuts and Mahlepi Syrup [page 503]
I had a bunch of extra phyllo in the fridge and had used all the spinach last night making the spanikopitas. So why not make baklava, my eating companions favorite dessert; one he has not eaten in at least 6 years.
This was simple to assemble if you have already gotten past your fear of phyllo. Nuts are finely chopped, and layered with buttered phyllo. I did, however, take some liberties with the recipe. My walnuts and sliced almonds are already bagged into 1 1/2 cup bags in the freezer since that is the amount I use for our granola, so I increased the amount of nuts from 2 cups to 3. Though not specified, I decided to toast my nuts for 11 minutes before chopping them in the food processor.
The nuts are mixed with some cinnamon, two tablespoons of melted butter, and set to the side.
The baklava is assembled in four layers of phyllo and three layers of nuts. Cut the baklava into 12-15 pieces. Again, I cut it into 30 pieces since I know that I don't want that big a piece. The other eater can just eat two at a time! It goes into the oven at 350ยบ for 20 minutes. Then the remaining butter is poured over the dish, and put back into the oven for 25 minutes. Mine needed almost 50 minutes to get crispy and browned.
Meanwhile, you make the syrup with sugar, water, honey and Mahlepi. I didn't have the Mahlepi and instead simmered the syrup with a stick of cinnamon and some cloves. This is strained.
When the baklava has finished baking, pour the syrup down the cracks left by the cracks. Let the baklava cool and absorb the syrup.
In the future, I will not make as much syrup since the results are just a bit too sweet. I would stay with the same amount of nuts but I love nuts. There will be a future for this recipe. But next time, I need to have about 10 people to dinner so we aren't staring at a 9x13 pan filled with goodness.
Recommendations for non-red meat AND low carb cookbook?
I would actually recommend "Fish: Without a Doubt." Not only are the fish dishes delicious, the sides are really, really good. These recipes have a lot of flavor without being too time-consuming to make. This assumes you can get fresh fish of course.
Now I am making Chicken Soup/stock and am a little confuzzled!
Since the original post was from 2011, chances are, they have had some soup, enjoyed it, and then moved on.
Help!... attempt at blanching almonds is a BUST. skins won't come off
63 seconds might not be long enough if your almonds aren't fresh. I would try another batch, 90 seconds, then 120 seconds, etc.
When i do this and have found the right amount of time, I put the almonds on a dishtowel, roll it up , and then roll the bundle. This gets about 95% of the almonds peeled. And then I do what you are doing.
Good luck!
Baked Bean -- Failure
I have been making Boston Baked Beans for a very long time. My mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother all made baked beans and never once has anyone in the smtucker line boiled beans.
The salt pork needs to be washed and soaked to remove some of the salt. The rind should be removed.
Next time, try this recipe. Though not exactly how my family makes them, it is very good. [I actually prefer Northern beans to navy.]
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked-Beans-233992
April 2012 COTM: Melissa Clark Month, In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite: Chapters 9, 10. 11. and 12
Your pictures always make my mouth water, and I had a great dinner tonight!
May 2012 Cookbook of the Month Voting is Now Open!
:: BRAVO ::
Brilliant work L.Nightshade.
March 2012 COTM: The Olive and the Caper: Drinks; Small Dishes; Savory Pies
Little Skewers of Meat with Grilled Bread, Souvlakia
page 54
Lamb [in my case] is cut into cubes removing most of the fat. She suggests 3/4" cubes, but my resident grillmeister prefers 1 1/2" s so that is what I did. My meat was some on-the-bone leg of lamb steaks and shoulder steaks. The marinade is made with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh or dried oregano, crumbled bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
The bay leaf is an addition I have never tried before. I used Turkish dried oregano. And, then I just couldn't help myself, I added some crushed garlic.
The meat sat in the marinade for 4 1/2 hrs. The bay leaf adds an earthy element that we all enjoyed. I think that this will be a regular addition.
This is one of those recipes that is so simple that a review feels like overkill, but we liked it very much.
Need help making my own almond flour
I've tried using frozen almonds and the results were fundamentally the same.
Looking for simple scone recipe
I stand corrected Caitlin! Never seen a scones recipe without the egg, but I suppose the cream makes up for it.
May 2012 Cookbook of the Month Nominations are Open!
I have to agree completely with Joan. What differentiates COTM from so many other threads on chow is the specificity. When COTM is at its best, we all learn things as a group. An error in process? Someone else steps in. Think the spices can be more or less? Everyone is referencing the same source material and can adapt. How would we have assembled our Malaysian pantry without each other?
I don't really see where the community is when you have 12 people cooking from 11 books.
Looking for simple scone recipe
Without an egg, I believe you are actually looking for a biscuit recipe. That might help you search.
Need help making my own almond flour
They recommend that you order online and in the comments section put "will pick up." The online order will show the shipping cost, but they remove it when you pick up your order.
The parking lot [yes, there is one!] is just past the building on the right if you are on McGrath going from Cambridge to Somerville. Walk out to the sidewalk and the door is facing McGrath.
Need help making my own almond flour
I have never been able to get my almond flour as fine as King Arthur's, but the expense is an issue. When I make almond cookies, I have used the food processor and watched like a hawk so I don't end up with almond butter.
Lately, I have been ordering from this site. The company happens to be down the street from me so I can pick up my orders. I have ordered dried fruit, nuts and flour from them and they have all been terrific and well-priced.
http://www.superiornutstore.com/bulk-almonds.html
May 2012 Cookbook of the Month Nominations are Open!
That is where I will be.... doing a little house swap.
May 2012 Cookbook of the Month Nominations are Open!
I have chosen two books. The first is "Puerto Rican Cookery" by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli which was translated from its original Spanish. The second book is "Daisy Cooks" which is the companion book from her PBS show.
Since I don't speak Spanish, I thought I needed some books to help figure out how to cook some of the fruits and vegetables that are sold at the local market. [Wish I could ask the vendors how they would prepare, but it is a remote area so I don't expect a lot of English skills.]
Used pie weights
Nope. Not good eats after being baked. Better to save the beans in a container and reuse them for blind baking.
