redthong's Profile
Which recipes (and ingredients) are, in your opinion, over hyped?
I wholeheartedly agree about the Marcella Hazan tomato sauce. I've had two different people who don't know each other tell me it was God's gift to pasta, and it's decidely "meh" to me. And I also don't care for smoked paprika. On the other hand, I could eat my weight in cilantro.
Need ideas for Cinco de Mayo cocktail buffet
Thanks for all the ideas! I think I'm going to do a burrito bar, totally inspired by an entry elsewhere on this site for a CHOW-hosted burrito bar that seemed to be something my husband would really like.
Need ideas for Cinco de Mayo cocktail buffet
I'm planning a surprise birthday party for my husband with about a dozen guests with a Cinco de Mayo theme. For various reasons, I've decided it will work better to have a substantial cocktail buffet rather than a seated dinner. Besides the obvious - chips, salsas, Margaritas, etc. - does anyone have any ideas? Rick Bayless has a Chipotle Shrimp recipe I thought I might try, and I thought of chocolate-pecan or Key Lime tarts as a dessert, but what else? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Uber Rich Chocolate Cake
I can't tell from your photo - did you have just two layers of cake, or did you bake two layers and then slice them in half to make four? I'm thinking of doing that but I don't want to make it so rich that even my husband The Chocolate Fiend won't be able to eat it.
Uber Rich Chocolate Cake
I'm thinking of making this cake for my husband's birthday in a few weeks. Can you tell me more about the "clunkiness" - i.e. did you change the ingredients or technique in any way? Any issues I need to look out for?
New to weight watchers, pointplus.
I am also doing Points+ (which I like the best of any of the various WW plans I've been on), and I've found several good recipes at skinnytaste.com. The writer of the blog is in the process of converting the old Points values on her older recipes to Points+. Take a look.
Help needed with rice krispies cheese biscuits, and a rant
I'm not where my recipe is, but I can tell you that I shape them into balls that are just a little over an inch wide and then flattened. I live in the South, where it's not uncommon to see a recipe called "cheese straws" that are round. Go figure.
Looking for recipe in december 1994 bon appetit
Just noticed this thread for the first time, and since people are asking for recipes, I thought I'd give it a try. Sometime in the mid- 1990s -- I'm almost positive it would have been between '93 and '96 - BA had a recipe for a really great salad dressing made with chutney. I'm pretty sure it was in the section where readers request restaurant recipes. I lost my copy, and the recipe is not on Epicurious. Does this ring a bell with anyone?
Need quick help with Alton Brown turkey brine
My bad!! I see that it tells me farther down in the recipe. It's too early in the morning and I just overlooked it. I will have to self-report to my kids that I didn't read the directions all the way to the end, something I always get on them about!
Need quick help with Alton Brown turkey brine
I am using Alton Brown's Good Eats turkey recipe. I have already made the brine and hope to start brining before noon today. The online recipe states that you mix the brine with "the water and ice" in a 5-gallon bucket and then add the turkey. My question is - How much water? How much ice? I did this same recipe last year, but I don't remember and haven't been able to find anything on the FoodTV Web site. Anyone know?
Need good lunch suggestion north of Phoenix
Thanks for all these ideas! (This is what I love about Chowhound.) I know I'm going to vote for Mexican, but my kids have heard about In-N-Out for years, so I suspect the writing's on the wall!
Need good lunch suggestion north of Phoenix
My family and I are flying into Phoenix in a few days, where we'll pick up a car and drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We arrive around 11 a.m., and with two teenagers, I suspect we won't make it all the way to Sedona before we have to stop for lunch. So I'm wondering if anyone can suggest something along our route in the area between the airport and whatever is about an hour or so north of Phoenix. Since I'm not expecting anything much foodwise once we hit the Grand Canyon, I'm really hoping someone can suggest something delicious for this first Arizona meal! Thanks.
Rec`s for Sarasota!
I haven't but will try it out on this trip. We are really in need of some fresh blood, restaurant-wise!
Rec`s for Sarasota!
Glad you mentioned Pho Cali - it's one of our favorites as well, but I forgot to list it.
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Pho Cali
1578 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Rec`s for Sarasota!
I've spent at least a couple of weeks annually in Sarasota, on Siesta Key, for the last 12 years. I'm headed there next week and am checking out Sarasota-related posts in hopes of finding some new places to eat. I've got some opinions about some of the recommendations and slams on this thread, so I thought I'd share them.
First of all, Sarasota is not a foodie haven. There are far better reasons to visit this area than the food. That said, there are some places you'll enjoy if you leave your four-star aspirations at home. If your vacation is intended to be all about eating - and believe me, I think that's a completely understandable goal - you probably should go somewhere else.
The Broken Egg on Siesta Key is overrated. The food is okay, but the service is not friendly; they want those tables turning over quickly. A FAR better choice for breakfast on Siesta Key is the Village Cafe, which is across Ocean Blvd. (cater-cornered) from the Broken Egg. Very good food and equally good service.
Columbia is okay, but it doesn't hold a candle to Habanero's, which unfortunately is closed. I do like Columbia's bread a lot. Otherwise, we go to Tampa (but not the Tampa Columbia's) for Cuban food.
Rico's Pizzeria is one of my favorite spots, in part because it's consistently good. We always go to Phillippi Creek, but it's for sentimental reasons, not because the food is that good. Captain Bryan's out near the airport has good fish but THE most depressing ambiance of any restaurant I've ever been to. One place I never see mentioned but consistently enjoy is Anna's Sandwiches on Siesta Key (there are also other locations). Enormous sandwiches; memorably good potato salad; cash only; lunch only.
Now, for my suggestions to avoid:
1. El Greco. Ate there in May for the first, and only, time. I can eat virtually anything, but I literally could not eat my entree, (some sort of chicken with a lemony artichoke filling) nor my son's entree (I think it was pastitsio). Yes, the Greek salad was pretty good, and the bread, but everything else was memorably awful.
2. Yoder's. The main meals are okay, but the pie - yuk!!!! I've lived my whole life in White Lily Flour territory and know some pie. I'd bet $100 that those legendary pies come straight out of a frozen food box. I'll never forget the time my mother and I ate there; saving room for the renowned pie, she had only cottage cheese as her lunch entree. I thought she would cry when she tasted what she'd sacrificed her lunch for.
3. In May, my son and I tried a tiny French place on Gulf Gate - I can't remember the name. The bread was Wonder with a crispy crust, and the desserts had clearly been there a looong time. Never again.
My biggest gripe about Sarasota dining is, frankly, Publix. Why, when I'm shopping in the middle of the summer in a Florida-based chain, are my produce choices primarily from California? I've begun bringing my own produce from Alabama, which is really sad.
Hope this helps someone.
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El Greco Cafe
1592 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Broken Egg Restaurant
140 Avenida Messina, Sarasota, FL 34242
Yoder's Restaurant
3434 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, FL 34239
Bored and burnt out
This happens to me this time of year and again in the late summer, usually August. I think it's when I'm stuck in a seasonal rut. I'm tired of heavy winter food right now but it's not consistently warm enough yet for me to be thinking about grilling, lots of vegetables, light stuff, etc. For me this condition always improves when the seasons have clearly changed.
What'll be on your table this Easter?
Would you share the lemon orzo recipe? Sounds like it would be great with lamb.
Will tomato paste + water = tomato sauce substitute
Thanks for all the answers. I'm making Cooks' Illustrated's chicken enchiladas - the ones with the red sauce - so I think I'll dilute it with chicken broth and season with salt and onion. Not sure on herbs, other than maybe the ones that go in the enchilada sauce. I actually hate the taste of plain canned tomato sauce, so maybe I can come up with a flavor I like better. Thanks!
Will tomato paste + water = tomato sauce substitute
My coupon-clipping teenager recently purchased 20 cans of essentially free tomato paste. So far I've used one. Tonight I want to make a recipe that calls for 2 8-oz. cans of tomato sauce. Can I water down some paste and use it instead?
SOS - need help with dessert for tonight (12/13)
At about 6 p.m. CST tonight, I need to leave my house with a dessert for a Christmas party. My plan had been to try to recreate an old family recipe for a sort of chocolate spice cake with fudge frosting. Because time was limited, I started with a German chocolate cake mix. In my rush to get the thing baked so that I could take a nap, I unfortunately left out all of the spices. That means in about 20 minutes I'm going to have two layers of plain German chocolate cake, which I consider the most boring of desserts. I'll be feeding some coconut haters, so I don't want to make a coconut-pecan frosting.. So does anyone have suggestions about what I can do to salvage this? I've got lots of whipping cream, various chocolates, and some walnuts around but absolutely no ideas or imagination (obviously I really need the nap!).
HELP?! Alton Brown Turkey Temperature
I went with 161 and the turkey triangle, then rested for 30 minutes with foil and a towel, and everyone was happy.
T-Day Postmortem: the good, the bad, and the ugly
I cooked a second turkey on Friday night for a different group of guests and had the same pink juice problem. I'd let the breast come to 161 and the thigh to about 165, then covered it with foil and two towels and let it rest 40 minutes before I carved. Despite the pinkness, it was thoroughly cooked all the way through - I'm sure because after dinner I carved up the rest of it and there was not even a hint of pink in the dark meat at the bone. I have posted earlier on this board about having this problem with chickens, and I'm still mystified as to what causes it.
T-Day Postmortem: the good, the bad, and the ugly
That's the one. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I made most of the vegetable stock from scratch instead of using the boxed type. From looking at various boards, apparently there is confusion about what temperature the breast should reach. I used his "turkey triangle" on the breast and cooked until that area was 161. Also, I had earlier raised a question on this board about which kosher salt to use since the recipe didn't specify. I went with Morton, used a scant 1 cup, and had absolutely no complaints about saltiness or the lack thereof from anyone.
T-Day Postmortem: the good, the bad, and the ugly
THE GOOD - Alton Brown's Good Eats Turkey! I've brined for the past several years but this is the first time I've tried his Food Network recipe and his roasting technique. Best turkey I've ever made. Now if only my husband and I could learn to carve.
Also great was the salad - spinach, chopped romaine, and sliced endive with balsamic vinaigrette (with a touch of honey), red grapes, Bosc pears, spicy candied walnuts, and Gorgonzola. And my pumpkin pie is fabulous, if I do say so myself. Both the crust and the pie come from Marcia Adams' Cooking in Quilt Country. I use her Pat-in-Pan crust and the base of her Praline Pumpkin Pie, then fill with the standard recipe from the back of the pumpkin can. Then I chill the pie until it's very, very cold and serve with lots of sweetened whipped cream. I also used a new apricot-cranberry sauce recipe from Dorie Greenspan that I, at least, really enjoyed
THE SO-SO - The dressing and gravy. We're Southern, and dressing to us is about two-thirds cornbread and one-third PF stuffing mix, plus poultry seasoning, more sage and thyme, lots of butter, onion, and celery, all held together with homemade turkey broth. I roasted a turkey breast and necks over the weekend and spent the entire day Saturday making stock from them. It was good, but for that much advance work I expected it to make this the first truly sublime pan of dressing ever. I was a little disappointed with both the dressing and the gravy I made from that broth.
THE B - I wouldn't say my green beans sauteed with shallots, lemon zest, and Italian parsley were bad, just boring. The green vegetable part of my Thanksgivings always suffers, in part because by the time everyone has helped themselves to all the other denser dishes, the beans or broccoli or whatever are stone cold.
Yesterday was family, today is a bunch of Japanese exchange students. I'm roasting them a new turkey but otherwise just reheating.
Alton Brown turkey brine - which kosher salt?
Thanks for all the input. Since my vegetable broth is homemade and has no salt, and since I'm not going to be leaving my bird in the brine quite the full time he advises, I'm going to go with 1 scant cup of Morton's and hope for the best.
Alton Brown turkey brine - which kosher salt?
I'm okay on how much sugar to use - it's just that his recipe from the Good Eats website calls for "1 cup kosher salt," and I'm wondering whether I should use less than that since what I have is Morton's.
Alton Brown turkey brine - which kosher salt?
I'm using AB's brine this year for the first time. The recipe calls for 1 cup kosher salt. I know Cooks Illustrated says Morton is saltier than Diamond Crystal and adjusts accordingly. Since I'm using Morton, can I safely use the full cup or do I need to cut back? Thanks!
Your best Sweet Potato Recipe
I have always gotten rave reviews for this sweet potato casserole recipe from Epicurious. The topping is definitely sweet, but at least it's not marshmallows. I use the topping as written but for the base I generally just roast sweet potatoes, peel and mash them, and add butter and seasonings to taste before stirring in the egg. That way, you can control the sweetness.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Whipped-Sweet-Potatoes-with-Brown-Sugar-Pecan-Topping-4668
Thanksgiving: What do you make ahead?
I'm doing the whole thing, and I need to do as much as possible prior to Tuesday, when everyone arrives and I have to start feeding pre-Thanksgiving meals. I've got two ovens and plenty of refrigerator space, but my refrigerator space is tight, so I was thinking it would be great to go on and get the sweet potato base out of the way and keep it in the freezer. But now I'm thinking what I'll do is roast the potatoes on Wednesday while I'm doing pie like you suggested. That at least gives me a bit of a head start, and I can store the roasted potatoes in a corner of the fridge - that will still take lots less space than a casserole dish.
Thanksgiving: What do you make ahead?
I do a sweet potato casserole with a streusel topping. The sweet potato base begins with mashed s.p. and adds butter, brown sugar, and egg. Can I go on and make that and freeze it this week, then that it, top it, and bake on T'giving? I've never tried freezing mashed sweet potatoes. Does anyone know what will happen?
