CuriousCat's Profile
any recent reviews of sushi couture's tasting menu?
Thanks everyone, we didn't end up getting omakase this time due to time constraints, but had a bunch of rolls and nigiri. Fresh and tasty, especially the Couture roll.
I had the omakase in Aug '11 when there were still some cooked courses, and thought it was a good value. The menu now does say "sushi and sashimi omakase" (I think), so it seems likely they've moved away from including cooked foods, or at least are freeing themselves to only do cooked courses when they feel like it.
Mint coming out my ears!!!!
Maybe Vietnamese style rice-paper rolls? I love a watermelon, mint, and feta salad in warmer weather. I worked at a place once where they habitually steeped mint in water, either with lime/lemon slices, or with cucumber slices. Really refreshing.
Mint coming out my ears!!!!
If you have an Asian grocery or Whole Foods, Konnyaku (also called Shirataki) noodles might work well here. They have a really "bouncy" texture, but for Asian recipes it's less weird than for Western-style pasta uses.
A Chicken Emergency.
I usually do a marinade of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregan, and S&P. Let it sit at least 30 mins and up to overnight. Then, grill on the grill pan (or bbq if you have) or bake in the oven at 350 (usually in the same dish I marinated along with the marinade, because I am lazy). I do stick an oven-proof thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and pull it when it hits 160-165F. I find if I don't let it get above that, the meat stays juicy. I slice the meat and use it in wraps or on top of Caesar or Greek salads.
Another thing to try is velveting, esp for stir-fries. (http://chinesefood.about.com/od/cookingtechniques/f/velvetchicken.htm)
Gonna try poaching a bunch of boneless skinless breasts in the next couple of days. Even if you overcook it a bit, if you shred it and mix it up in a sauce for sandwiches/wraps, you probably won't notice it.
Some ideas for what to do with poached meat (I usually do this with left-over roasted chicken, but it's the same idea). Basically you want to shred the meat or chop it fine, and put some kind of fat in the sauce, to help cover up any dryness in case you overshoot the temperature:
- Buffalo: mayo, hot sauce, shredded carrot, sliced celery, top with red onion & crumbled bleu cheese. Maybe in a wrap with some crisp lettuce.
- Chinese-style: hoisin, oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce, dash of soy sauce & sesame oil, wrap in lettuce leaves.
- Korean style: brown shredded cooked chicken in a little sesame oil, add some red pepper paste (gokuchang) thinned with a bit of water. Then mix it up like bi-bim-bap - a bowl of rice with julienned & sauteed veggies (I usually do carrots, spinach, mushrooms, but you can use whatever), drizzle of soy sauce, sprinkle of green onion, topped with a fried egg. Mix it all up before eating.
- Tarragon chicken salad: cooked chicken, halved grapes, diced water chestnuts, chopped celery, mayo, tarragon-steeped vinegar (I just steep dried tarragon in rice vinegar, then use the vinegar and a little more dried tarragon). Chopped walnuts are nice, if you like.
- Tex-Mex fajitas: lots of guacamole, some salsa, shredded chicken, shredded cheese, between 2 tortillas and toasted on a skillet.
- Orange ginger chicken pasta salad. (recipe from here: http://www.sunterramarket.com/st/default.asp?xsection=explore&doc_id=115)
How you use your immersion blender
I like to make green smoothies with mine ([soy]milk, frozen blueberries, banana slices, torn up baby spinach). I use it often to thicken up stew with potatoes -- fish out a bunch of potatos with some liquid, whizz until smooth, and a little corn starch slurry if necessary. Made a quick berry sauce for dessert/crepes a couple of times (frozen or fresh berries, a little water & sugar, heated on stovetop and then whizzed). I've also used it to make whipped cream in a pinch, but the texture wasn't ideal. Looking forward to trying mayo soon.
"Thin Crust" Sushi Pizza
Darn, that sounded good. Oh well. Do you like the place generally? (Just if I'm in the area and want random sushi/sashimi?)
"Thin Crust" Sushi Pizza
Nice, they're not too far from me either. Will have to check out, thank you!
"Thin Crust" Sushi Pizza
Sorry to bump such an old thread, but maybe it will end up being useful to someone. I'm now sure that the base in the Sushi Pizza of Dreams is not rice at all, but in fact a dough made from glutinous rice flour, then deep-fried. (Ah, how the internet changes over 4 years... search "ham sui gok dough" and recipes all over!)
Now to either be brave enough to deep fry, or somehow convince a Japanese restaurant owner to do this for me...
What's the best way to grocery shop cheaply?
Oooh, good point on resisting the 5 for $5 "deals". Not sure how it works in your state but in our stores, 5 for $5 also means you can buy 1 for $1 or 2 for $2, unless the price tag specifically says otherwise.
What's the best way to grocery shop cheaply?
Agree with everything hotoynoodle said.
I have spent a lot of time shopping and cooking for 1, and I think basic raw ingredients are almost always cheaper than their processed counterparts (even when just cooking for 1)*. It's best to be able to do one big shop at the start just to get the pantry stocked with spices, sugar, flour, etc., but then you only have to replenish things every other month or longer.
The main things are to look at your weekly flyer and plan out all your meals and shopping lists based on the big sale items. For ex., if whole chickens are on sale that week, I'll plan to have roast chicken, chicken topped salad, chopped chicken / broccoli (or whatever veg is cheap that week) / blue cheese omlette, chicken noodle soup that week. (Bonus of having only to roast a chicken once for all those meals!) The lettuce, cheese, broccoli, eggs go on the shopping list. Seems a bit boring maybe, but this way you buy what's cheap, and perhaps more importantly, you know exactly what you need and don't have the chance to get tempted by the pricier items.
Yes, learn to use the cheaper cuts. (I actually prefer them now, the recipes tend to be much more forgiving and adaptable.) Also, whole cuts are almost always cheaper than processed ones (e.g., I saw a striploin roast a while back, and cut it into 6 steaks for the price of 3 normal strip steaks. I was cooking for a bunch of people then, but could have easily frozen the excess had it just been for me).
Try to prep all your stuff right when you get home from the grocery store. Separate the bulk chicken thighs or ground beef into meal-sized packets and freeze. Wash and peel/cut up the broccoli and carrots. Peel and cube the squash. It's so much easier to use things throughout the week and prevent them from spoiling when it's all ready to go.
*For me, the exception to this is those pre-boxed mixed greens. I can go through one of those before they spoil, but to buy all the different greens and make the salad myself means a higher cost (for more portions, granted, but most of it will go bad before I can finish it).
Without appliances!
You can make a decent scrambled egg in the microwave. Just beat a couple eggs in a bowl or mug, microwave on medium-power for a min, then add some shredded cheese and/or ham, beat again, and microwave in 30 sec bursts until done to your liking.
I've also made (and this pains me to admit) chicken wings in the microwave. It's been ages, but I think it took on the order of 8-10 mins for about 8 wings? I tossed them first in a couple TBS of Thai-style sweet chili sauce, a bit of soy sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil. (You could use just about any flavouring you want.) Then just nuked them (cover the bowl/plate because it will splatter). Drain off as much grease as you can, then "enjoy". (No, really, I did think it tasted ok for the amount of effort involved, it's just the utter low-browness of it.) Alternatively, my mom makes wings on the George Foreman and she says it works great. (That's probably a way better idea, but I don't have a grill.)
You can find "fresh" asian style noodles pretty easily at the bigger grocery stores. Things like udon or ramen or thin yellow egg noodles. Heat up some water really hot in the microwave, add noodles, heat for another few minutes until done. Drain, then add to some hot chicken broth, add some baby spinach to wilt in the hot liquid, garnish with some sliced meat that you've grilled on the George Forman. Add an egg if you're feeling hungry -- it looks like you can hard boil eggs in a slow cooker (http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/hamine-eggs.html), or poach one in the microwave (http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2011/04/how-to-poach-eggs-in-the-microwave.html).
HELP! What do I do with all these turnips?
Do you like curry? A friend of mine had an abundance of turnip and said it went fantastically in an Indian curry. A lot of your other root vegetables could probably go in there too!
Braising in metal pot vs. slow cooker vs. enamel roaster?
Thanks for everyone's input. Due to time constraints, I ended up braising on the stovetop, over low heat. The range went low enough that I could maintain a bare simmer, and after about 1hr 45 mins, it was perfect. Won't hesitate now to try the crockpot too next time!
Please explain my pan with holes
I'm thinking maybe it is a steamer? (i.e., place inside another pan that has simmering water in it, and steam buns (asian-style) or a dish of fish or vegetables or what have you.)
Braising in metal pot vs. slow cooker vs. enamel roaster?
Hi Chowhounders!
I've got a boneless blade roast that I'm looking to cut up and braise, probably bourguignon style. Sadly, I don't have access to a dutch oven, nor will I be cooking in my own kitchen. What I do have are:
- a medium size metal pot (About 4-5 qt. I assume it's stainless steel - it's got a medium-heavy base with metal handles and lid)
- a smallish oval enamel oven roaster with a rounded lid (not the cast iron kind, just metal. It can just fit 1 whole chicken comfortably)
- a crock pot (5 qt).
What's the best way to go about this? Brown the meat, then ... stove-top in the pot? Deglaze the browning pan, then pour everything into the enamel roaster to go in the oven? Deglaze & do it in a low crock pot? I'm a little worried about putting the metal pot in the oven (it's not mine), though I suppose it won't be very high heat.
Oh, and the range is electric, if that matters. The lids on everything are normal-fitting, not especially tight, but they do fit. (The roaster lid probably has the loosest lid.)
Thanks in advance!
Best frozen grocery-store burger in Toronto?
Ha! That could explain why I liked 'em... I'm a total salt fiend. Good to know!
Best frozen grocery-store burger in Toronto?
Thanks everyone! Ended up getting the PC Prime Rib burgers this time, they were really good! Moist and flavourful. Look forward to trying the other suggestions as well!
Good Portuguese other than Chiado
Oh no! How recent is this? I ate there a couple of weeks ago for the first time and loved it. :(
Best frozen grocery-store burger in Toronto?
I know, I know. Frozen pre-fab burgers are probably the bane of all good summertime BBQs. But if you absolutely must, which brand of frozen grocery-store burger is the tastiest? Bonus marks for good grocery-store hotdogs / sausages. Thanks!
Turkey vs. Chicken Broth -- Is Turkey weaker?
Follow up:
So, I think there must be something special about backs/necks that aren't captured by using wings alone. (The increased number of small bones/cartilage?) The 2nd batch was much tastier than the first. I used a drumstick w/ some dark meat, the turkey neck, and whole carcass, and it turned out great. Being able to salt it properly (and possibly using seasoned as opposed to raw/unseasoned meat) also helped a lot.
I changed too many things from my first attempt to be able to suggest what exactly caused the difference. Bad experiment... but delicious soup! :D Thanks for all your help!
Turkey vs. Chicken Broth -- Is Turkey weaker?
Thanks everyone, for your responses! I'll be sure to save a drumstick to toss in there, and to season it well. (I did have to under-salt it this time, as I'm using the stock in other already-salted recipes.) I'll probably have time the next day to roast the bones, so that's a great tip.
Good point too about the neck... there are always necks in the chicken broth I make, and at Thanksgiving, when we boiled up the turkey neck (in a frantic last-minute attempt to bolster the watery-tasting gravy...), the liquid smelled amazing after just 20 minutes. I'll make sure to keep the turkey neck for the soup!
Turkey vs. Chicken Broth -- Is Turkey weaker?
(Bit of a long post, TLDR at bottom)
Last night, I made some turkey stock/broth for the first time, ahead of our Christmas Turkey dinner. I want to use this stock in the gravy and "stuffing" (which will cook outside the bird, but whatever). I used 2 whole turkey wings (like, drumette, wing, and wing tip), and, because I couldn't find any turkey backs/bones, added a chicken back + random chicken bones, and a handful of chicken gizzards I found on sale. (All parts were added raw; I was under a bit of a time crunch.)
I made this stock/broth the same way as I have done many times for chicken -- cover bones with cold water, add a tiny bit of salt, bring gently to just below boil, skim skim skim, add roughly cut up veg (carrot celery onion), bring back to almost-boil, skim skim skim, lower heat to bare simmer, and let it sit.
Normally, when I do this with store-bought kosher chicken backs, 2 chicken backs will yield a deeply flavourful liquid in about an hour or 2. I don't even need to add extra meat, as there's plenty clinging on the backs. But this time, even though I simmered for 7-8 hours, the liquid was ... kinda weak.
After removing the solids and straining, I reduced it a bit, and that helped. But not much. Upon chilling in the fridge, the liquid has set into a light-medium gel. So, I'm fairly certain I extracted all the gelatin/collagen from the bones and skin.
The lack of *oomph* doesn't really matter for this batch, as I'm just using it as a flavour helper. But when I make turkey soup out of the Christmas dinner leftovers... should I expect that the flavour will be weaker than chicken soup? (Esp. since it'll be cooked bones/meat going in!)
TLDR: Is turkey soup, all other things being equal, supposed to taste less rich/deep than chicken soup? And if not, what am I doing wrong?
Many thanks to all for your wisdom & expertise!
Cooking Prime Rib question
Possibly to soak up the fat/drippings, so your oven doesn't smoke as much? Though you shouldn't get much smoking at 350 anyway. Curious indeed... The only other reason I can fathom is to soak up the moisture in the drippings, to provide an extra-dry environment so as to crisp up the fat cap as much as possible. Though this seems like it would be more of an issue for poultry skin than roast beef.
Your favorite recipes using chevre / goat cheese
My favourite 30-second appetizer/hors d'oeuvre is to take slices of spicy calabrese or sopressata, and roll it around little (thumb-sized) logs of goat cheese. (The calabrese I get usually comes in longish strips, so I like to cut them in half lenghwise first.) The spicyness of the meat combined with the cool tanginess of goat-cheese seems to be a crowd-pleaser. It works well with the mild sausages too, I just prefer the hot for the contrast. I imagine it could only be improved by tucking a leaf of basil in each roll.
Turkey Tips?
To follow up: The turkey was lovely! After salting for 3 days, I let it air-dry uncovered in the fridge overnight. (There was still a good bit of liquid in the bag by the end of the 3 days, but no worries, we just tossed it and patted dry the bird as best we could.)
After letting it sit at room temp for 1.5 hours (didn't ice the breast this time), I brushed it with 1/4 cup of melted butter, popped it into a 425ºF oven for 30 mins, then down to 325ºF for the remainder of the cooking time. I wrapped the wing tips in foil after about an hour of cooking. I also didn't bother flipping it, the bird just sat in the v-rack the whole time, and we didn't baste. I covered the breast with foil for the last 30 mins of cooking (by then the meat was at the right temp, but the stuffing wasn't yet). We let it rest tented in foil for about 30 mins before carving.
By the way, the thermometers were driving me *crazy*. The oven-safe digital one that we stuck into the thigh read at 165ºF after ONE hour, which is impossible. We tried a metal probe in the breast, which read slightly lower, but still too high to be correct. I ended up sticking the digital one into the stuffing, and taking the bird out when the stuffing registered 160ºF (about 3.5 hours total time [including a lot of door-opening] for a 13.5 lb turkey), all the while checking sporadically with an insta-read. It was a fretful few hours for me. ;)
My friends really wanted to stuff the bird, so the meat was probably just the tiniest bit overcooked, but it was still really really good -- moist and flavourful. I somehow didn't get to try any of the skin (!) but it looked beautifully golden and I heard no complaints.
Thanks again to everyone for their help! This turned out so nicely and was so simple that I may even try to convert my turkey-hating mother this Christmas. Happy Thanksgiving!
Spreading more Weezie's love...
I am still dreaming of that mac 'n cheese! (And failing disastrously to replicate it at home.)
Good Food Box -- Reviews?
Thanks for the reviews! I never did try it out, but now that I'm back in Toronto I may give 'er a spin. Olivia, you're very right about the spinach, I think I just got spoiled once by a crazily-enduring bunch. It was probably mutated or something... ;)
Turkey Tips?
Spreadsheets for Thanksgiving kitchen-usage! Love it.
Sorry, to clarify: does it smoke even during the first 30 mins? If so, I might have to stick with a constant lower heat... there'll be a bunch of us hanging out in the kitchen, so plumes of smoke probably won't be appreciated.
