bebevonbernstein's Profile
Seeking the perfect make-ahead drunk food
I generally go with baconeggandcheeseonaroll (or a toasted bagel with cheese) -- but if you want to be fancier, perhaps a carbonara? Not make-ahead, but easily thrown together.
beyond oats--any hot breakfast grains ideas?
Anything oats can do, quinoa can do just as well or better.
Wasted Food - How to Stop This Horrible Habit
I would also suggest opening up yourself on two fronts: try different combinations (am eating peanut butter and sriracha on spelt toast right now -- delicious! -- because I wanted to use up the peanut butter) and realize that almost *any*thing can be made into a salad. I have become very astute at making salads, and I put pretty much everything in them but the kitchen sink (though they always include cheese and some sort of nut, be it walnut, pepita, or sunflower seed -- something for crunch). I also do the same with couscous or quiinoa -- you can mix pretty much anything in, and add vinaigrette, and it's pretty damn tasty.
Other thoughts: I tend to find it much easier to use things up when I buy less -- it's so much less overwhelming to have a half-empty refrigerator. As a single person, I also "trade" leftovers with various friends -- not on any sort of organized basis, but I've found that friends love having homemade soup, and I love getting pork tenderloin that I wouldn't necessarily cook for just me. I picked up a bag of basmati rice from a friend this morning who wasn't going to use it, because she doesn't eat rice (she'd bought it for a dinner party and had an entire bag left over).
Food waste in USA
For those of you interested in learning more about this topic, I noticed that Food Network is actually doing quite a bit on the subject, including this special, which airs tomorrow night: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-specials/the-big-waste/index.html.
Wasted Food - How to Stop This Horrible Habit
For those of you interested in learning more about this topic, I noticed that Food Network is actually doing quite a bit on the subject, including this special, which airs tomorrow night: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-specials/the-big-waste/index.html.
Food waste in USA
And a couple of additional thoughts: 1) Yep, carrots keep in water in the frig for WEEKs. And parsley makes an awesome salad -- I think it's generally overlooked for this purpose, but it's really, really good. I find that my herbs keep best wrapped in paper towels in a large ziploc bag -- they'll stay for at least a week this way, parsley sometimes for 2-3 weeks.
Food waste in USA
Hey, MVA --
You know, you can rehydrate lettuce by putting it in ice water for a few minutes. Perks up lettuce just fine. Depending on the lettuce, I also throw it on top of pasta with garlic and oil.
Food waste in USA
I posted this article on another thread about this topic -- thought this book might just come in handy for those looking to cut food waste.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/a-recipe-for-simplifying-life-ditch-all-the-recipes/?hp
Happy cooking!
Wasted Food - How to Stop This Horrible Habit
Thought ya'll might find the cookbook described in this article to be helpful on this topic -- sounds like a great read, and I think its message of simplifying cooking is one that everyone can get behind . . .
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/a-recipe-for-simplifying-life-ditch-all-the-recipes/?hp
Cheers!
Where do chefs buy cookware in NY?
I'd hit the Bowery -- absolutely *love* Chef Restaurant Supply on Bowery @ Houston (yes, opposite Whole Foods)!
However, I'll make that recommendation with this caveat: the places on the Bowery tend to have the kitchenware you'd find in *real* restaurant kitchens, so if you're looking for anything fancy (since you mentioned WS and SLT), you'd likely be disappointed in Chef and similar stores.
And finally, FYI: If memory serves, the Bridge in the city closed a while ago, so you might want to check that out before you make a trip there.
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Chef Restaurant Supply
294 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
meat addict goes veg... help!
I think big agra has sold us this bill of goods that we won't get enough protein unless we eat meat, but the reality is, I eat enough other healthy protein sources -- yogurt/milk, nuts, cheeses, eggs -- to get my daily fix. I *always* add cheese and nuts to a salad, for instance, because I like the textures and flavors, *not* because they necessarily add protein. I do the same with soups (might add a couple of shrimp to the gazpacho), or mix in some cotijo.
I don't necessarily go for those flavors that fall under the heading of "vegetarian," either -- by which I mean more the Moosewood type of thing. But damned if I can't find enough other things to eat -- it's never really a problem. I think cooking without meat has evolved so much over the last decade or so that most food magazines really do seem to be creating more non-meat options just as a matter of course.
One last note for the original poster: I don't know if you're giving up meat entirely, or for health reasons, but if you're jonesing for some (I am a particular fan of the pig), I do find that I can be happy with say, pancetta sprinkled on top of something (like mac and cheese) or on top of a salad. I haven't given it up altogether (last night I had the Black Label burger at Minetta Tavern, because, hey, I was at Minetta Tavern and it seems a shame not to) but unless I really know where it's coming from and how it was raised, I choose not to partake, and I also just find that I don't really miss it any more (on average, I'd say 95% of my meals are non-meat these days).
meat addict goes veg... help!
I am amazed at the number of great vegetable-based recipes I've run across in mainstream stories over the last year, including here on chowhound (shephard's pie and winter greens lasagna come to mind off the top of my head). I think you'll find that if you do away with searching for "vegetarian" recipes, you'll come across a lot of recipes that work simply because the stories that include them sound good to you (that's what works for me). I find that not only on Chowhound, but in pretty much all the food media I peruse these days (and believe me, I peruse a lot). I never use any of the meat substitutes, either -- just don't like 'em.
eating alone
Honestly, anywhere! Best city in the country for eating alone. You'll inevitably meet someone to talk to at the bar, and most of the bartenders are pretty awesome.
Vegetarian sheperds pie?
The Chow one is to DIE for. I used mushroom stock, and every time I've made it for guests, they love it.
Looking for salad advice... Alternatives to Caesar
I 50th the light . . .though I love coming up with new salads, when I'm serving a traditional baked pasta thing, I usually go with a traditional salad: escarole, black olives, VERY thinly sliced red onion, grape tomatoes, maybe some shaved parm or romano. Red wine vinegar dressing (lately I've been adding red wine to the dressing, which I quite like: when I don't want more oil or more vinegar, it adds something).
Gluten Free lunch in DUMBO
There aren't a ton of options in Dumbo -- there's Japanese (Miso), if that works for you, and Choice might have some options. Other than that, Foragers and Bridge Market probably have some packaged gluten-free meals.
Where to buy coriander, fenugreek, cumin and black mustard seeds for grinding into a curry mix?
If you're closer to Park Slope, I'd check out D'vine Taste on 7th Ave.
Or get a Coop friend to get them for you . . .
Best Cookbooks of 2010 - one writer's opinion...what do you think?
I bought the cookbook last Thursday, ate at Frankie's this weekend, not for the first time (I generally don't even try, as it's so popular. But more than any other restaurant I've been to, they've maintained their quality over the years). I was VERY happy to find that most of the recipes in the book were for dishes that appear on Frankie's menu -- and they're refreshingly non-intimidating. I haven't tried them yet (but did get in grapeseed oil and white peppercorns on their recommendation), but if they are half as good as the restaurant? I'll be one happy camper. This is the cookbook I will totally buy for all my non-cooking friends -- I think it's that good, and that friendly.
Another thing to know about Frankie's: since they opened, they've always been committed to making us want to eat our vegetables. Their salads are, quite frankly (ouch!), without compare. Those recipes alone make this cookbook worthwhile.
FYI: Here's the meatball recipe: http://www.chow.com/recipes/29105-frankies-meatballs?tag=search_results;results_list
I believe I also saw a video here on chow with the two Franks actually making those meatballs . . .ah, here it is! http://www.chow.com/videos?tag=ft_box1;ft_col4#!/show/my-go-to/67708/the-frankies-go-to-dish
Can you freeze cooked turkey?
I remember my mom just pulling the meat off the carcus and freezing it in freezer bags (no liquid). Worked just fine, though we usually had it in something "cooked," like tetrazinni.
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entree
One final recommendation: Food & Wine in particular seems to provide a LOT of great recipes every month that are suitable for vegetarians.
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entree
And perhaps last, but certainly NOT least . . .
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/11/swiss-chard-and-sweet-potato-gratin/
Skinny Girl Dishes - Any good?
It's not on my list of cookbooks to try . . .if you want to learn to cook, best thing to do is to get yourself a subscription to one or several cooking mags. That way, you get inspired each and every month anew.
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entree
If you have the book? The lentil-rice pilaf on page 104 is AWEsome (took that to the wedding, too) and lends itself well to additions like raw spinach. Everyone who's eaten it says it's amazing!
And while I'm on the subject . . .my very good friend says the lamb is super, too -- I'm just not such a fan of lamb.
Wedding
Just a thought? I went to a friend's wedding in a gallery space yesterday -- alot of their friends cook (though none of us are chefs, we just enjoy the whole dinner party thing on Friday nights), and they did an alternate registry, whereby we all signed up to bring a meat main (for 10), a vegetarian main, 3 bottles of wine, spirits and mixer, dessert, etc. Even though none of us knew what the others were bringing, the food was aMAZing -- best wedding food I ever had! Just gorgeous -- I have never seen such full plates. They did have staff to set everything up, provide plates and glasses, etc. but it was such a wonderful way to celebrate, and it really did contribute to making the wedding one of the most memorable I've ever been to.
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entree
Just sort of a follow-up to these posts: I'm a doc filmmaker, and a friend of mine did a doc on food. Yesterday she got married, and had a huge sort of potluck (they "registered" for 4 vegetarian mains, 4 meat mains, vegetarian sides, bottles of wine and spirits, etc., then we all signed up for what we wanted to cook). None of us had any knowledge of what the other was cooking -- I did a couple of Indian dishes from the cookbook 5 Spices, 50 Recipes, which has a TON of great recipes that don't include meat.
I have NEVER had better food at a wedding, nor have I see such crowded plates outside of Thanksgiving! The colors were absolutely gorgeous, and the food was amazing. Though there were meat options, there was simply no way anyone would miss it if it weren't served.
I am a dedicated carnivore (though I do strive for humanely raised, hormone-free meat), but there is so much out there for vegetarians other than faux turkeys!
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entree
Here's an article from last week's Times that you may find helpful: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/dining/10appe.html?scp=3&sq=puff%20pastry&st=cse
Thought these sounded amazing as well! They are on my list of things to try .. .
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entree
Two thoughts:
1) I thought so many of these sounded good, and many of them are vegetarian (I am not). http://www.chow.com/galleries/131/16-casseroles-for-cold-weather-dining/2035/chiles-rellenos-strata
2) Also, when you are talking vegetarian lasagna? most people think eggplant and marinara. However, I've found some awesome recipes (on here, for instance: Winter Greens Lasagna) for lasagnas made with other ingredients, like squash, which are downright awesome and would fit in perfectly with the autumnal theme. NOTE: Most of these use cream-based sauces vs. tomato-based.
If you don't think of vegetarian as a limitation, you'll find all sorts of great recipes on line at all the major sites, for recipes that use winter vegetables in amazing ways. In fact, most of the recipes that I find myself bookmarking contain no meat.
Bagel Hole-7th Ave.
I usually get my bagels there too, and they have been off over the last week or so, but I'm hoping it's a temporary (vacation?) situation, as they are usually amazing.
