eamcd's Profile
First trip to the Atlantic Bar & Grill in Seaside Park this year....and learned something new about one of the specials that was offered.
My husband and I will never eat escolar again -- it's sometimes also known as Hawaiian butterfish. It was not a pleasant experience and every time I see it on a menu or in a recipe, I really wonder why there isn't some note that -- at least for SOME people -- it causes an unpleasant reaction.
It was only after searching that we found the cause.
Extra "greased" flour from pan on bundt cake
I guess I overdid the "grease and flour" step of the bundt pan preparation... I really thought I'd tapped all the extra out well enough. The cake came out of the pan perfectly, but there are small areas of greased flour baked into what's now the top of the cake.
I'm brushing as much as I can off as carefully as I can with a pastry brush. But some is stubborn, and I'm trying hard not to wreck the top of the cake.
I already know that I'll increase the volume and thickness of the caramel glaze I'm topping it with to help hide it. But I'm hoping no one will get the taste of oily flour. Not a good addition to Easter dinner at the in-laws!
Any suggestions? Any tips for next time for how to prevent cake sticking to the pan but also avoid these pockets of flour?
Ever have ham loaf?
During some great family vacations in "PA Dutch Country" (mostly Lancaster County), we were introduced to ham loaf. Sometimes we can get it at the local "Dutch" market that has some Amish bakers and butchers come out.
One year we stayed on a farm B&B. The owners weren't Amish, but had lived in the area all their lives. One morning the abundant "country breakfast" spread included ham balls -- which were the same ham loaf mix formed into balls. Then they were baked with a syrup over them. That particular meat mix had a little extra ground clove in it and it was wonderful!
I haven't tried making either myself yet, although I did pick up a local cookbook. So I may just have to dig it out and try some of our favorite treats!
where to buy "O" shaped pasta
I'd try an Italian market if you have one. You made me curious though, so I had to look. Ronzoni and Barilla don't list it as one of their shapes. But Creamette makes it:
http://pasta-products-creamette.newworldpasta.com/Rings-ZX1510000019ZX15
Don't know if htey still have them, but apparently Trader Joe's did: http://www.thekitchn.com/trader-joes-pantry-anelletti-p-47644
Or online:
http://www.amazon.com/Anelletti-No-Tomasello-16oz-1lb/dp/B000LRKPRA
Good luck!
Silicone cake pan -- tips or tricks?
Thanks! We did spray it well and had absolutely no problem getting it out of the pans/molds.
We did lower the temp, but maybe need to lower it even further.
I did check out the reviews, but unless I missed one, I wasn't clear on the strange hill forming in the center of both pans. So I thought there might be other tricks to using the silicone.
It does turn out cute, even without doing any fancy frosting or decorating. Just buttercream and sprinkles and it looks like a giant cupcake.
Silicone cake pan -- tips or tricks?
My daughter got one of the "as seen on tv" giant cupcake pans for Christmas. Tomorrow's her 11th birthday and she wants to make one for her friends.
We've used it once. While it worked overall (and looked cute), the center of the cake in both "pans" rose up into a dome and the edges were a little crispy. It took quite a while for the center to be cooked, so the edges got a little brown (not burnt).
She's using a cake mix, because these are her first tries at doing cakes completely by herself.
We trimmed off the "bumps" on both baked cakes so we could to assemble it. So it worked, but was a little smaller since the extra cake was trimmed off so the pieces could be stacked.
Any tips for baking in silicone pans? Do you adjust the temp or timing? Any ideas of how to keep the "mounds" forming in the middle?
Here's the pan:
http://www.amazon.com/Allstar-Marketing-BT011106-Big-Cupcake/dp/B002V0CBWW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329418157&sr=8-1
Pie crust - Evaporated milk - Cinnamon
Is it opened evaporated milk? Or you're just trying to get rid of it?
It sounds a lot like something my mom used to do. When I was a kid, when my mom made pies, she'd take the leftovers, roll them out, spread them with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Then she'd roll it up, slice it, and bake each "spiral" cookie until they were cooked through and slightly crisp. She always called them snickerdoodles, because that's what her grandmother called them. Slice them thinner though (not like sushi) so the crust cooks through.
I guess you could replace the butter with the evap. milk if it's opened and you just want to use it up. But I wouldn't do too much, just a coat for the sugar and cinnamon to stick too. Too much of the milk would leak and possibly burn to the pan.
Crazy chili
It all depends on how much cocoa (or chocolate, I'm sure) you add. I like to add the dark cocoa. If you add a good amount, it can get a little closer to a mole type flavor.
Every time I make chili, I kind of "wing" it -- in terms of ingredients and quantities.
Crazy chili
I was just going to say that I add some unsweetened dark cocoa to my chili. It adds some depth to it. It doesn't taste like chocolate, just a little "something."
Wherein We Beg For A Way To Unsubscribe From Posts
Thank you very much.
I know on many other boards/blogs I read/comment on, there is an option to "subscribe" or follow a thread when you first add a comment, and then still the option to unsubscribe or stop following a thread at any point later. It is VERY useful for just the situations described here.
(To be honest, I learned things from all of your comments -- having never really explored options after registering years ago. I don't think I need any more email notifications though!)
Super-Frugal Meals -- around $1 per serving -- Beyond Rice and Beans
Well, it helps if you're in an area with easily obtained and inexpensive Mexican ingredients!
I agree there are many Mexican dishes that can be made very inexpensively (and we make our share). But if you're not in an area where some of the ingredients are popular, chiles and avocados and cilantro can get more expensive.
I've never made a pie crust. Is there anything that intimidates you so much you won't try to make it?
Until I read "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" I was terrified of yeast breads. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea (slice of bread? ;), but it's allowed me to get over my fear and do lots of kinds of bread. Now we also make our own pizza dough every Friday (not from 5-a-day book) and it's easy!
Now, pie crust on the other hand, I'm determined to try one of the "sure fire" easy recipes people rave about and see if I can get over that fear too. Mom always used frozen, then the roll-out kind when they came out. So I learned young that it was hard!
ETA: I've never made my own cheese, worcestershire sauce, or pasta either. (Unless you count spaetzle as pasta!)
I've never made a pie crust. Is there anything that intimidates you so much you won't try to make it?
Watch for sales on pork shoulder. Around Easter or Thanksgiving, our supermarket has those "free turkey" deals if you spend enough in a couple-month period. It used to be easy for us to make the cut. BUT one year they allowed you to sub an alternative -- pork shoulder. I did it low and slow in the slow cooker (not having a smoker) and it was delicious. And I've seen it on special very, very inexpensively. So don't be afraid of it as an expensive cut!
I've never made a pie crust. Is there anything that intimidates you so much you won't try to make it?
Knowing the very Italian families I've grown up around, they didn't have the Italian desserts because that expected your failure, they had them because it wouldn't have been a holiday without them! I haven't been to an Italian holiday meal without an abundance of each course, and especially desserts!
Can you help me save this chicken dish?
See, I took so long to reply that I didn't even see the replies you got after I first read your post. So we have similar ideas.
Don't worry about "seeing it" so long on the stovetop. It shouldn't take too long to reduce (and yes, I agree to add seasonings) and keep the chicken separate while you do it.
Can you help me save this chicken dish?
Let's see. There are several ways you could go with this. These are off the top of my head -- literally thinking about what I'd try myself.
One problem may be the wine. Different red wines have such different flavors, that perhaps the one you used didn't work with the lemon. (It may just be me, but I can't figure why you'd need a half lemon in this particular recipe.) Also, sometimes I find I need to use less wine in a recipe I'm doing in the slow cooker than if I were baking it or even braising it on the stove top; so it doesn't really make sense to me that the instructions had the exact same measurements for both cooking methods. That's also a lot of vegetable oil. I never need to just add oil to a slow cooker -- and it even seems too much (to me) for a baked chicken dish. If you saute something in olive oil, it adds flavor of course. But this doesn't seem to add anything.
Were these boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bone-in, skin on? That make make a real difference, since boneless chicken breasts don't always work as well in the slow cooker (in my experience) and can get dry and overcooked.
You asked for suggestions -- here are some things I'd try myself. First, I'd separate the chicken from the sauce. If it's possible (if it's separated), I'd try to skim off some of the vegetable oil. If they are still in there, I'd get rid of the lemon slices.
If you want to try to keep the sauce at all, try reducing it on the stovetop. It may be that the wine didn't get to reduce at all in the slow cooker and the flavors didn't develop. As it reduces, taste to see if it needs a little more salt or more garlic or other seasoning.
IF you actually like the sauce once it's reduced, I'd cut up the chicken, add some sauteed carrots and (if you like them) mushrooms and heat in the sauce, to serve over noodles or rice.
If you don't like the sauce (or have more than you want to eat that way), even when it's purple, that chicken can be used in most other ways you'd eat cooked chicken -- on a salad, put it in a homemade soup, in a wrap, get creative. Once it's out of the sauce (if you need to, you can rinse off any remaining sauce if it's that bad), you can do anything you want that can tolerate (or cover) the remaining wine taste. Sometimes with leftover cooked chicken, we do "chicken stew" which is really kind of a like a leaner filling for chicken-pot pie -- simple gravy (even made from broth with a roux), carrots and celery sauteed, peas and any other veg, then cubed chicken -- all served over toast, noodles, or rice.
Good luck! There's always hope with chicken one way or another.
(Slow cooker recipes can be really, really delicious -- but as you've found, the just "dump and go" don't always work well for me.)
ETA: I had to look up "OAMC" to find that it's once a month cooking. Which explains the freezing directions before it's even cooked. I'm all for cooking ahead and reusing leftovers, but this recipe wouldn't entice me that this particular OAMC plan would give me a month of tasty meals!
Idiotic things you do in the kitchen
My grandmother always did that too. But once she had a dinner guest who took offense -- she thought my grandmother was checking to see if she'd stolen the silver! But it's a good habit to make sure silver didn't get accidentally dumped in the trash!
How Thick Is That Shake?
I worked at a Friendly's in NJ when I was in high school. We made the shakes on a traditional mixer in the metal can -- ice cream flavor of your choice, plus syrup (vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate), and milk. The Fribble was made with "Fribble base," which was basically a very solid ice milk (vanilla I think), which was much harder than the regular ice cream. This is what made the resulting shake thicker, and it was flavored with one of the syrups.
Inexpensive dinner rec WO/Montclair/Maplewood vicinity?
Thank you all! Now we have ideas for several more visits.
We ate at Stamna Taverna in Bloomfield (thanks for the rec Curlz) and enjoyed it very much. Not knowing how much food it would be (and having some gift $ to spend) we had the flambeed cheese and the zucchini fritters for appetizers. Fair warning -- all delicious, but we never expected SEVEN decent-sized fritters with the order. We decided to enjoy and just take home parts of our entrees. My husband had the rabbit stew that was on the special list and enjoyed it very much. We didn't stop to think about it until after we'd ordered, but I had the braised lamb -- so they were both "stew-like." But we both really enjoyed our selections. The lamb was incredibly tender and I pulled it all of the bones (even the different shaped bones) with just my fork. We each took home part of our meals, but still ended the meal with a shared baklava -- which was delicious.
The staff was all very friendly and helpful, and clearly knew many of the regulars. Wine glasses were brought over right away when they saw we'd brought a bottle and it was opened and the cork saved for us.
I like that it was casual -- some people were just having a gyro and fries, others were having full meals. They have an extensive menu:
http://www.stamnataverna.com/
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Stamna Restaurant
1049 Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
Stamna Taverna
1045 N Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
Inexpensive dinner rec WO/Montclair/Maplewood vicinity?
Thanks!
I have been browsing the board and following lots of links, but was having trouble narrowing it down to inexpensive but of almost any cuisine! There are lots of Montclair recs for higher end places or for specific ethnic restaurants.
So I guess I was hoping for some suggestions to narrow it down! Thanks for the Due Amici suggestion. I'll go check it out!
I haven't lived in the area for more than 20 years, so I'm out of touch with what's current.
Inexpensive dinner rec WO/Montclair/Maplewood vicinity?
Dinner out is a rare treat now -- financially -- but we want to mark our anniversary. We'll be visiting family in West Orange so we're open to towns around it in any direction. We enjoy all kinds of cuisine but we need to make sure that our treat to ourselves is worth it. We can't afford typical "occasion" place right now. Good food is more important than atmosphere or decor.
I don't know how common BYOBs are in the area, but that's an attractive option.
I know this is pretty open. Maybe you can suggest one of your favorite casual places. Or the place you think of as the best "deal" on great food.... I'm open to all suggestions!
Casual, fun dinner recs
I'll be visiting Chicago with my business partner. We're starting a new venture and will be in town for a conference staying at the Hotel Allegro.
We have some clients who are looking for a casual evening after a long day at the conference. By casual, we mean change into jeans and sneakers after a long day being "on." These are people we've known from past employers, so we'll enjoy some relaxed time.
I don't know where the clients are staying, but the conference hotels are pretty much downtown. We're hoping for something fun or different, something that makes for a fun experience hanging out together -- could be music, or creative atmosphere, or interactive food (tapas, Korean BBQ), etc. Or anything else to make the evening different from a standard business dinner.
Any other inexpensive recs in the general area for our non-client nights would be appreciated too.
Thanks!
Got panko, need ideas
Around here, our most common use for panko is "Daddy's special fish" -- don't remember anymore why they deemed it "special fish" but it's a hit, and very easy. Lightly grease or butter the bottom of a casserole dish or glass baking pan (we use a large Corning ware casserole). Lay in light fish filets (we usually use tilapia, but sole and flounder also work). Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice, lightly season with S&P, then sprinkle on a dash of your favorite seasoning mix (Old Bay, Tony's Creole, etc -- adjust for your salt additions if you have salted mix), sprinkle all with panko. Then add a dash more seasoning onto the crumbs, drizzle with a little melted butter or spray with oil, and bake at 400 until fish is cooked to your taste. The timing changes based on the fish and the thickness of the filets. Sometimes we finish under the broiler if the fish is nearly done and the crumbs haven't browned. (When I do it -- then I guess it's Mom's fish -- I toss the extra seasonings, panko, and melted butter together and then spread it on the fish. Either way works.)
Home Made Mustard
I was just going to post a similar question.
There are some great threads on this board:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/329834
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/760559
I'm planning to make mustards for Christmas food gifts this year. I'm hoping to try some variations -- whole grain & smooth, and would love feedback on different variations. I'm intrigued by some I've seen -- herbs, beer, etc. But I'd really love any feedback or recipe suggestions for a horseradish mustard.
I'm planning to get mustard seed from a local Indian grocery. But people have had luck with Penzey's and I've even seen them in the grocery section of Amazon.
Pretty, but affordable, canning jars?
I don't do much in the way of putting up -- yet. But I've been planning some homemade Christmas gifts (homemade mustard, etc.) and I'm looking at the "quilted crystal" version of the Ball jars. Budget is very tight, so price will trump pretty this year. But I like the look of these and I can even get them through Ace hardware for about $10 for a dozen of the 1/2 pint size.
But I understand the importance of properly displaying the fruits of your labor!
Indian cookbook?
Invitation to Indian Cooking was my first Indian cookbook, and I still turn to it for some favorite recipes. I find them easy to do, once you get past the initial adjustment of setting up all of the spices. Pre-measuring those that go in together into little bowls or ramekins greatly eases the process!
Dried beans -- split and broken after cooking!
Thank you all. They were a package of Jack Rabbit brand dried kidney beans.
I'd soaked them overnight in just water. I started to simmer them gently (in fresh water) then realized the pot wasn't big enough and I'd have to leave them unattended for a while. So I moved them to the crock pot. I did not add salt or anything else to the cooking.
I was dubious at first about adding them to my chili, but in the end I did because I was making a very large batch. I just added some extra canned beans for the "whole bean" component. The broken ones essentially disappeared and made a wonderful thick base for it. It took a little extra seasoning to bring it in balance, but I just might do the same in the future and mash some beans in even if they don't split.
Thanks all for the comments. I'm still curious about why it happened. But I saved it. I've used Jack Rabbit beans before (they are the standard option for most dried beans in my market) without similar problems.
Dried beans -- split and broken after cooking!
Thanks, I'll try it. But MOST of them are broken. I may do a mix of some of the split beans and add canned beans. I'm afraid if I use all of these beans, it will be too much mushy. But I'll balance it. I'll let you know how it turns out.
If anyone else has ideas on how to avoid this, I'd appreciate it. It was a bag of beans from the supermarket, but they were whole and looked like any other dried beans I've bought.
Dried beans -- split and broken after cooking!
I soaked a pound of dried kidney beans last night and cooked them today. Before I even cooked them, I noticed some were split, which I hadn't noticed when I sorted them.
I cooked them in the slow cooker because I didn't want them to overcook or boil up.
I checked them several times and they were quite firm for a long time. But by the time they were cooked (and still aren't mushy), many of them are split and/or just broken. Is it just the beans I had (maybe too old)?
I intended them for chili (yes -- I know many people abhor beans in chili....). Not sure I should still use them in that or come up with something else.
Any ideas of why this happened and how to avoid it next time? Also, any suggestions for something to do with them even in their fractured state?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Can I use yeast in a RVC?
I can't speak to the recipe definitively without trying it. But it seems as though they are using the beaten egg whites (stabilized with the cream of tartar) for the rise. I wouldn't think yeast would be the answer at all -- that's a whole different type of item and I believe spelt is low gluten and wouldn't hold a yeast rise.
