Schmitt's Profile
Canelé Misadventures Part IV
Today at a conference there were trays and trays of things that looked like lovely caneles, which I know about because of reading your amazing thread. However, they were savory. One type had PEAS baked into it. Does anyone know if the savory version has a name? I can't find anything relevant on Google.
How old is the average supermarket egg?
Two weeks is practically fresh around my parents' house ;)
I think it has to do with the little rubbery skin between the shell and the egg - in older eggs that seems more separated and then the shell peels right off with it. If I can get a handle on that thing with a fresh egg, it peels pretty easily too.
How old is the average supermarket egg?
Pfeh, that sounds crazy. Eggs /will/ hold a good long time, but here's the test:
Fill a tub with water and put your egg in.
If it lays flat, it's pretty fresh and should have the best taste for fried/scrambled/etc.
If it stands up a little at one end, it's starting to get a bit stale and is best boiled or used in baking/cooking.
If it stands vertically but is still touching the bottom, use it pronto to boil or bake; if using in cooking, break it into a separate bowl and check for green yolk or weird smell. (it's the worst to ruin your cookies by breaking a rotten egg into them.)
If it floats, it is quite old and probably rotten.
Also, older eggs are really easy to shell after you boil them.
Pureed blackberries in baking?
Well, it turned out rock-solid, so I sawed it into chunks & just had two brandy with blackberry ice cube drinks. They were yummy!
Your best clafoutis recipe?
I simply used the Julia Child recipe posted elsewhere here with blackberries instead of cherries.
Attempt 1: It was great. I wasn't sure how long to leave the bottom to set up so it turned out a wee bit chewy.
Attempt 2: I forgot to sprinkle the sugar over the berries before pouring the rest of the batter in. I sprinkled it on top instead and it made a nice little crunchy crust.
Attempt 3: My blackberries were REALLY ripe and I think I used too many - it still tasted fine but half the dish was blackberry juice and the custard was too soft and bright purple. I forgot the sugar again, but since the berries were so ripe that was okay.
I do not own a pie pan so just baked it in a tall oval glass baking dish.
Pureed blackberries in baking?
Ooh! How long does it usually take for a sorbet to start to freeze up? Do you just put it back in the freezer to finish freezing after blending it?
your one kitchen design tip
We just got a flat top stove a couple months ago. Ours comes with warning lights that show which burners are hot (not on specifically, just if they are hot) and two burners which can be switched from a small cooking space to a large cooking space. We got a metal scraper and cleaner designed for it and it cleans up quite nicely.
Pureed blackberries in baking?
It looks like I'll have ample blackberries any time I want for the next month. I can make stuff for myself with them, no problem. But my wife won't eat them whole because of texture issues; she likes the taste though. Last week we made a no-bake cheesecake with blackberry puree in it, which was tasty, but what else can we do that she might eat? I was thinking banana bread with blackberry puree substituted for some of the banana, but am not sure what ratio might work - or if it would even taste good.
Any ideas?
Home Alone for a Week, What To Cook For One?
If you have time on Sunday afternoon, roast yourself a small chicken with a few veggies. You can use the leftover chicken in chicken&gravy, have some of the breast meat on a sandwich for lunch or dinner, and make a great soup with the rest of the carcass. And there's nothing like the smell of roast chicken!
Portuguese in Krefeld
Went out for dinner tonight. The restaurant was Portuguese & I am not so the name fails me. The place was cute, with a billowing fabric ceiling, and we ordered a kilo of calamari with fries & rice (I'd been eating vegetables all day & was in the mood for heavy food!). The calamari was tender and divine, the fries were like little pillows of mashed potatoes, everything washed down well with a Pilsner & there was complimentary port afterwards. I'd never had port before & I think it's my new favorite thing ever.
What's your favorite quick dinner fix?
Scrambled eggs - throw in frozen bacon bits, basil, S&P and sometimes some cheese - eaten plain or served on toast or between a bagel: enough variety that we have it once a week without getting sick of it.
My other go-to for weekday nights is stuffed mushrooms. Pull the stems out & chop, mix them into soft cheese/yogurt/sour cream/whatever is in the fridge with bacon bits (my wife loves bacon bits...), top with a slice of fresh mozzerella & a leaf of basil (I love basil...) and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes.
What to do with 2lb of cherries
So according to Wikipedia I am baking a flognarde, not a clafouti - mine with blackberries is in the oven right now :)
What to do with 2lb of cherries
I've just tossed my jar in the fridge - picked blackberries yesterday: 3 cups for clafouti, 2 1/2 cups for cheesecake, all the gorgeous ones that were left for breakfast & the others in brandy. I had a couple inches and some not-quite-ripe apricots left over so they went in as well. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!
Fresh Basil
I made meatballs a while back that called for a loooot of basil, I think.
Have a party and serve mozzerella/tomato/basil appetizers? That should decimate your plant pretty quick!
Surprise "Indian" Dessert
I happen to live right in the Turkish section of our city. It's awesome! Two doors down is a Turkish bakery where we get flat bread for 50 cents a loaf, great döner (yesterday's dinner), and occasionally we treat ourselves to baklava (an assortment!)
There's also a Turkish restaurant here in town where I had delicious eggplant something a couple of years ago (too many restaurants, not enough time, MUST go back). A Persian place was up the street (I had something with lots of bones) but it closed; there are lots of Greek places, mostly cut from the same cloth and named the Acropolis, though there's a more authentic one here where we had lovely baked feta & free dessert (mmm). The best Chinese takeout ever is a few blocks away & are willing to call us when they deliver since our doorbell's been broken for months. Thai is also pretty prevalent although our town doesn't have its own; we have to go a little further afield for that & decent Indian. The Italian population here runs ice cream parlors & pizza places with delicious results. I've also seen a Russian place and a few Japanese restaurants in the area though haven't been.
And about half a block up the street is a traditional German brewery/restaurant. I do have it made!
Surprise "Indian" Dessert
I live here & have for about five years now. I love the various ethnic foods I'd never gotten to try before, having come from small-town Indiana. I even eat sauerkraut....
Last Minute Dinner Challenge: a Pound of Ground Meat - Now What?
but never, ever put it in your coffee. I was desperate one morning, out of milk & creamer & there was leftover coconut milk in the fridge....
ew.
Surprise "Indian" Dessert
Went out last night to Ganesha in Düsseldorf for an Indian dinner. We settled on one of the specials for two people (about €50) & in due course received our soup, appetizer, & main course. It wasn't the best Indian food I've ever had but it was adequate & we're going to try a spicy spinach curry at home soon, because yum.
They clear our plates and we're leaning back with full stomachs relaxing and waiting for dessert. Our charming waiter comes over with two plates, smiles and says, "My ladies" graciously as he sets down in front of us...
two Neopolitan ice cream sandwiches. With spoons.
We proceeded in fits of giggles to clean our plates and ask for the bill.
Anywhere Good/Fun to Eat in Dortmund?
http://www.bartime.de/locations.restaurant-dortmund.17.1.4.html
http://www.mittagstipp.de/restaurants/restaurant-dortmund.html
I've had some good Indian and Greek in Dortmund. If you haven't tried döner before (Turkish fast food) the ones in Dortmund aren't bad (Krefeld's are much better!)
Sadly we were scraping the bottom of the poor barrel when I lived there so I can't recommend much in particular.
Did you try searching from google.de? "restaurant dortmund" is fine in German. If you're looking for homestyle German cooking add 'gutbürgerlich'.
And drink a local beer!
What's for dinner?
Grilled mini turkey sausage, bell pepper & eggplant & small new potatoes. Heaven! I think grilled eggplant is a new favorite - just cut in 4ths lengthwise, seasoned with salt & pepper 15 minutes before going on the grill & I ate half of the sticks cold & they were also delicious.
What do Chowhounds do for a living (besides eat of course)?
Programmer! Love it. Only a baby chowhound... since I'm sadly a not-very-well-paid programmer.
Foods you love at Trader Joe's that got discontinued? [OLD]
Those are probably German Spekulatius cookies, a Christmastime specialty here. Maybe you can find them somewhere else.
Just bought a Meat Grinder - what now?
Ground raisin cookies! I'm sure you can find a recipe somewhere online - need to get my grandma's recipe. So moist & chewy & delicious.
German food - undeserved bad reputation
The first time I got it was pretty exciting, they warned us to open the cap every half hour or the bottle would explode :)
