superkatie's Profile
Knife sharpening
Thanks for all the recommendations! This is next on my "to do" list.
Knife sharpening
Just got my knives sharpened at a Sur La Table store and they came back duller than ever! Any recommendations for a place near NW DC/Bethesda? Will travel further if highly recommended. I searched the archives, but couldn't find anything recent.
Special diet - help with snacks!
Thanks for all your suggestions! At this point, I don't even have time to sit and eat at all, but once things calm down a bit, I will start bringing snacks. Also, these ideas have helped me spice up my lunches as well.
Special diet - help with snacks!
I am on a trial diet for food sensitivities and cannot eat gluten or casein for the next few weeks. I have been doing okay with both meals and snacks for the most part. Where I need help is that I return to work this week and I am a preschool teacher. My classroom has nut and egg allergies. So, I am looking for snacks that are gluten-, casein-, nut-, and egg-free! I do have access to a refrigerator to keep items cold, but I do not any on-site prep time (could do prep at home in the morning). Please help me with any ideas you might have!
Where to buy fresh grape leaves
Any updates on this issue? I am looking for fresh grape leaves to add to my homemade pickles to keep them crisp. Wonder if local vineyards would be willing to share...
David Chang's Lucky Peach Magazine in DC
Just saw a few copies at the Borders in Silver Spring!
Summer canning quandaries...post your problems and solutions here!
Thanks for the tips. I am trying to figure out how to use my dishwasher to sterilize! The only reason why I thought I would have to reheat the water is because after processing, the recipe says to let the jars sit in the pot with the heat off for five minutes. Your way sounds great!
Summer canning quandaries...post your problems and solutions here!
Last summer was my first summer canning, and I did the basics - pickles, tomatoes, jams, etc. Now I'm ready to experiment a little more and try to make the whole process easier on myself. My first question of the year: I am making a strawberry vanilla jam recipe that makes six 4 oz jars. Can I can three jars and then can another three right after? I would go through the entire process with the first three jars, then after they are removed from the pot, heat up the water again and go through the entire process for a second time. Common sense tells me it's fine, but you never know with canning... Thanks!
Please tell me if you have experience with a CSA?
I am in the DC area as well and have yet to try an CSA - overwhelmed by the options, I suppose. Can I ask which one you belong to??
Orange marmalade/jam/jelly question
After considering the pros and cons of using conventional rind for marmalade, I have decided to go the jelly route. Considering both recipes below:
http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/03/orange-jelly-recipe/
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/orange_jelly_spiced.html
Getting my ingredients and equipment ready today!
Orange marmalade/jam/jelly question
I just received two dozen oranges from Florida as a holiday gift and am interested in making some sort of marmalade/jam/jelly. How much juice do two dozen small-ish oranges make, if I go the jelly route?
Also, this recipe for marmalade intrigues me:
http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/02/three-citrus-marmalade-recipe/
Can I substitute oranges for the grapefruit and lemons? How many do I use?
I will be canning the finished product in a water-bath canner. Any other tried and true recipes appreciated as well! Thanks.
Help with no-sugar, low-carb pregnancy diet
Thanks for the suggestions. If my friend receives an official diagnosis, she will be referred to a nutritionist who will help her even further. But if not, she still wants to stay on a healthier diet - hard to do when her pregnancy cravings are pasta and sweets!
Help with no-sugar, low-carb pregnancy diet
My friend, who is 6 1/2 months pregnant with twins, was just told by her doctor to go on a no-sugar, low carb diet to help prevent gestational diabetes. She told me she is allowed to have fresh fruit and some complex carbs. She is supposed to eat a lot of protein. She does not like fish and has to be careful about eating beans (not much space in her belly!). I have given her some ideas - eggs, lentils, etc - but need more! Ideas for quick breakfast, heat-up lunches, and easy dinners? She is also feeding her husband at dinner, and it is difficult for her to stand up for long periods of time to cook. I would also love to bring her lunch. I live about 1 hour away, so it must reheat well or be something I can cook quickly at her place. Having never been in her situation, I need your advice! What do you recommend? Recipes, prepared foods, cookbooks, anything! This is for the long haul - and I'm sure she will need more help once the babies are born!
First canning batch of tomatoes - are they okay?
Yes, the tomatoes and juice were floating above a layer of water at the bottom of the jar. From the replies, it seems as though I should have used a slotted spoon to place tomatoes in the jars, filling them as full as possible, and then added any liquid needed. I used a ladle instead - oops! Also, is there a variety of tomato that is better suited for canning? Thanks! Now I know that while the tomatoes may not be pretty, they are edible!
First canning batch of tomatoes - are they okay?
I canned a small batch of tomatoes today - just four pint jars - using this recipe:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_03/tomato_crushed.html
When I pulled the jars out of the canner, there was a one-inch layer of water at the bottom of the jar. I assume it separated from the tomatoes, but I'm not sure. Is it normal? Did I do something wrong? So far, the seals on the jars are intact. Those of you who have more experience, please advise.
Trip to Staunton, VA
I am traveling to visit Polyface farm in Swoope, Virginia and I plan on staying overnight in Staunton. I am traveling with a vegan, which makes food decisions slightly more difficult. Looking for suggestions for a dinner (not too expensive since we're teachers!), a breakfast the morning before the farm tour (early), and a lunch, perhaps to take in the car or on the way home to DC. Thanks!
ISO Your Most Tried-and-True Healthy Vegetarian Weeknight Staples
Do you have a recipe/link for the chickpeas in broth??
first time baking bread!
So I made the Lahey/Bittman bread in my pot. Even though the handle melted off (oops - they told me it was oven-safe!), the bread had great flavor. Two issues - the bottom was slightly burned and the "crust" disappeared within a few hours of cooling (got soft). How do you store the bread? Can I freeze it??
Restaurant Supplier in DC area that allows the public?
Do you know the hours of operation? Or a phone number where the store can be reached?
first time baking bread!
Already two great recipes to try! Does it matter that my pot is much smaller than the ones called for in the original recipes? Should I decrease cooking temperature or time? Thanks!
first time baking bread!
I've never made bread in my life (beyond banana bread/pumpkin bread). The first recipe I tried was a slow-rise, no-knead light wheat bread recipe by Nancy Baggett. Basic ingredients - mix of white flour and whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, yeast, a bit of melted butter, and water - as well as a standard no-knead recipe. The first rise is in a bowl, the second in a greased loaf pan. The bread had great flavor, but was pretty dense and had no crust to speak of. I just received a 4 1/2 quart Dutch oven (9 inches wide) from greencookingpots.com for the holidays and was hoping to use it for a simple recipe But which one? Jacques Pepin (even though my pot is much bigger)? The original Lahey recipe (how do I get around not using a floured towel)? Another? Please advise!
Convention Center - nearby eats
I will be attending a conference at the Convention Center next Thursday and Friday. I'm looking for food nearby that's relatively cheap (I'm a teacher going with group of teachers). I've heard the conference center food is overpriced and tastes horrible, so I'm looking for alternate options. I'll have about an hour for lunch. I'm open to many different kinds of food. Thanks!
Help converting a recipe to convection oven
I have a pumpkin muffin recipe that I will be baking with my students (preschoolers) this week. The recipe makes mini muffins that cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. At school, I will be using a convection oven, which I have never used before! Do I adjust the temperature? Time? Tips, please!
Falafel help!
Thanks for all the suggestions. I don't need the recipe to be vegan, so I can try anything! Also, I know it's not a real falafel (being that it's not fried and has different texture), but I loved the flavor of this recipe and thought it would work better if it held together.
Falafel help!
I used the following recipe for a "baked" falafel. The flavor was great, but my falafel didn't hold together into flattened balls. Help! How can I adapt this recipe? Or do you have a great recipe for falafel that is not fried? Thanks!
Baked Falafel
(recipe Chow Vegan)
Makes about 10 balls
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2 in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan.
Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
Mark Bittman's Cornstarch Ice Cream
Just made this. I followed the recipe, with the addition of about 1 cup of blackberry/peach/sugar puree (used the immersion blender and then put through a sieve). I mixed everything together, chilled it for about 3 hours, and popped it into my Cuisinart ice cream maker. At soft serve consistency, the ice cream was delicious. A bit of a chalky aftertaste - perhaps from the cornstarch? I froze the leftovers, but when I ate the ice cream later, it had formed ice crystals that were too dominant for my taste. Overall, supereasy, and yummy. Can't wait to try more variations - the coffee one looks good!
first visit at Something Sweet
I took a visit to my new neighborhood shop, Something Sweet yesterday. It's across the street from Two Amys, in Cleveland Park, at Wisconsin and Macomb. Among the offerings were cupcakes, baked goods (apple galettes, brownies), ice cream, frozen yogurt, milkshakes and other drinks. I went with the cupcakes, getting six to try some of the different flavor offerings. I requested a sample of the frozen yogurt, but the saleswoman told me that they didn’t have anything to give out samples in as it was their first day. She assured me that the frozen yogurt, although labeled “tart and tangy,” was sweet. As a self-professed chocoholic and owner of a sweet tooth, here is my humble opinion:
Red velvet with cream cheese icing – very creamy frosting but not too sweet, cake was slightly dry and crumbly, the cake and frosting worked well together
Lemon (the flavor of the day) – great pound cake taste, moister than the red velvet, tart lemon frosting, good combo of cake and frosting
Strawberry – actual berry chunks in the cake, tastes like strawberry ice cream, very sweet cake with less sweet icing
Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting – deep chocolate taste, but not too rich
Yellow cake with chocolate frosting – nice balance of flavors, “light” chocolate taste in icing (milky), cake not super sweet
Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting – flavor in icing was slightly cloying, cake was dry, chocolate flavor flat
Which would I eat again? Even though I usually go for the chocolate, I love the lemon and strawberry flavors! Great fruity tastes, with the strawberry on the sweeter end and the lemon a more “adult” taste.
How much? Cupcakes are $2.75 each, which works out to about $18 for six cupcakes.
I’m definitely going back to check out the other treats and support this local business!
breakfast off the New Jersey Turnpike
My family is headed on a road trip from DC to Maine. In an effort to get to an early start, we are leaving at 6 am and plan on having breakfast on the road. We're looking for a spot about 2 to 3 hours from DC, so New Jersey seems like it would fit the bill. We'll go anywhere from a greasy spoon to a more upscale place (not too expensive), but would prefer something on the faster side (table service is fine, though). Thanks!
chicken place near union square
When I was living in the city for a few months in early 2006, I heard about a new chicken place opening up about 5 blocks west of Union Square. It sold only chickens and side dishes. I can't remember the name for the life of me! Is this place around, and if it is, is it any good? Thanks!
