giveittomikey's Profile
Are ox tails just not for me?
Don't give up, when prepared properly they are delicious. I grew up on them in the UK. They should be fall off the bone tender, this way the natural gelatin in the bone has also thickened the gravy. Normally I just prepare them in a stew with onions and root vegetables and serve them with dumplings or boiled potatoes. I have had them at some good restaurants where they were already removed from the bone and served in the gravy. When cooked properly there should not be any work involved in getting them off the bone. The problem seems to be that in some cases people do not allow enough time for them to simmer slowly. Try them again and good luck!!
Stand Mixer-Hamilton Beach 63220 or Kitchen Aid Artisan?
We purchased a KA Artisan a while ago and we are not at all happy with it. The mixing action is poor, particularly for bread dough and the gear reducer has developed a real whine and grind sound when you load it up. I cannot speak for the HB but I sure would not buy another KA.
brown basmati rice
We buy it at Woodman's on Randall Rd in Carpentersville. I believe it comes in 10 lb bags.
When you want to cook "Indian chicken", what combo/proportion of spices?
For a quick Indian Chicken I would suggest using either the curry powder or the garam masala and adjusting the heat to your own taste with the chili powder. Both curry powder and garam masala cover a wide range of spices depending on who blends them, and of course price, so it is difficult to give proportions for those. Garam masala in particular is very much a matter of personal taste so I tend to blend my own rather than purchase it. If I want to put together a quick spice blend for an Indian type dish I use 1 part each of ground cumin, cardamom and coriander, 1/2 part of ground fenugreek seed and 1/4 part of ground chili. Hope this helps.
Pies - Sweet or Savoury - Your Favourite
I have two big favorites when it comes to savory pies, Melton Mowbray pork pie and steak and mushroom pie. Both these have their roots in the UK.
Recent Duty-Free Visit Yields 190-Proof Grain Alcohol...Now What?!
I was thinking of trying it with sour cherries, did you ever try this with whole fruit rather than just the peel?
Recent Duty-Free Visit Yields 190-Proof Grain Alcohol...Now What?!
Limoncello is a great idea, I just made some a few weeks ago, if you can find Meyer lemons use those for a slightly different taste.
Nice dinner not far from Algonquin
I am in Algonquin as well. I think it is difficult to go wrong with Montarra. We have never been disappointed there.
Who loves TJ Maxx for discount kitchen stuff? I do.
We check them regularly not just for the cookware etc but also for the Keiller's Orange Marmalade in the white jar, which is close to half the price of other places. Occasionally you can also find the Keiller's Ginger Marmalade which is out of this world. But like Flourgirl says you have to be patient and check often.
Best 4AM after a night of drinking meal?
My favorite is a sort of hashbrown skillet.
In a heavy cast iron pan fry some bulk sausage, remove from the pan and set aside, add small diced potatoes and a little oil, salt and pepper, fry for 10 minutes until almost done. Add some diced onion and diced mixed peppers (red, poblano or any fresh hot pepper), mix together and fry for five minutes more. Add the sausage back in, mix and heat thoroughly. Break two eggs on top of the sausage/potato mixture, cover tightly and heat gently until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Scoop out with a spatula leaving the eggs on top. You can really add anything else you want, bacon, tomatoes or mushrooms. Must be all the oil that helps keep the hangover away.
Old Time Catalina Dressing Recipe Anyone?
We love Catalina Dressing as part of a shrimp and pasta salad dressing. We bought a bottle of Kraft Catalina this last weekend (as there was none other available and time was tight) and it was very disappointing. I should have known better when the color alone was almost painful to look at.
Does anyone have a good recipe for homemade Catalina? I have checked the web and there is a lot of contradictory stuff out there. Thanks!
when your spouse is out of town,
A seriously hot Rogan Josh with spicy red beans and naan. Steak with the moo just taken out of it. And finally, real kippers for breakfast.
Do wedding cakes ever taste good?
Yes, definitely. We did a triple layer cheese cake with a chocolate coating from Simma's in Milwaukee for all three kids weddings, the only things left were the tier supports, and these had been cleaned off.
I already hated McDonald's...
I haven't seen this ad, but it sounds pretty typical. The part I have a tough time with is "professionals", surely there is a good case for false advertising here? I don't think they know the meaning of the word.
Do you "cook" w/your microwave?
Artichokes are great in the MW. Much quicker and they turn out perfectly every time.
Need suggestions for a deep fryer
I totally agree, I have not found any home deep fryers that work well and are really worth the trouble. Additionally, they are almost impossible to keep clean. I have a cast iron Dutch oven I use for deep frying jobs, as you suggest, and it works very well. For smaller jobs I use a regular cast iron fry pan.
If you are invited over to friends' home for dinner...
Some really good posts and advice here, very CH. We always ask and always take something, usually wine but sometimes a hostess/host gift. We quit doing the flowers thing a few years ago when a hostess just tossed them to one side and left them there all evening, probably still there for all we know. I particularly like the post offering to pick up any last minute items on the way, we usually call just before we leave 1) to give warning of our impending arrival and 2) to offer to pick up any forgotten items on the way. We never take an unsolicited dish unless it is some kind of known favorite delicacy for the host/hostess which is not intended to be part of the meal and can be consumed at leisure after our departure.
Internal temperature of prime rib roast
I have the same problem when cooking a standing rib, I agree with the bulk of the posts suggesting removing it from the oven in the 130 to 135 degree range. One other thing I find that does influence how rare/bloody/done the roast appears when you cook it is the temperatures you use for cooking it. I usually start mine out for thirty minutes at 450 degrees, then, depending on the size of the roast I turn it down to 325 degrees for a larger roast or 350 degrees for a smaller one. This seems to give a more even internal color to the finished roast, rather than bleeding by the bone and brown on the outside. As a rough guide for when supper will be ready I use about 15 minutes per pound total cooking time and 10 - 15 minutes resting time. Just enough time to make your Yorkshire pudding and finish the veggies. Good luck!
What's cooking?
Actually nothing really exotic, baby back ribs, baked potato and asparagus. The ribs were fabulous, buried in onions and then baked slowly, brushed with a little barbeque sauce right before serving.
Fancy Dinner Party - Help with menu
I really have to agree with the lamb, our favorites are either lamb chops or a crusted rack of lamb. Home made mint sauce is a must, fingerling parsley buttered potatoes and a mixed veggy of brocolinni, green beans and sugar snap peas in the pod. Wonderful!!
Crème brûlée - which torch should I buy?
I vote for the cheap one as well. I have had a couple of the smaller ones, one didn't work unless you had hours to spare and the second leaked gas constantly.
Best range under $2k?
We went through the same experience just over a year ago. We ended up getting an upscale Kenmore Elite from Sears. We have been very happy with it. 5 burner top, convection/conventional oven, the self clean feature works very well, even on the porcelain racks. The oven has adjustable bias on the thermostat, just for grins I checked it out and as supplied from the factory it was only 4 degrees low. The bottom warming oven works well and is also set up for proving dough. In short it was good value with a lot of nice features. We were so satisfied we went back and bought a refrigerator to match!
What to make with stuffed pork-loin?
With a roast of this kind I usually make potato pancakes with a blob of sour cream on top accopmanied by either red cabbage or brussel sprouts.
Best bottled salsa?
I have to agree with you on Herdez, for a bottled/canned salsa it is very good when you cannot make your own. I like all of their varieties. I have noticed over the past few years, probably since Herdez became more popular, that the price has increased dramatically, however, it is still a steal, particularly when compared to the so called "gourmet" products being touted in the stores.
Gourmet Childhood Favorites
You have to do something with jello! Even it is only ornamental.
Quiche with shallots, what else?
Leeks are always good, maybe add some veggies like broccoli, spinach or cauliflower with a good sprinkling of gruyere and asiago. A little chopped up bacon or ham never goes amiss either.
Flour: Bleached vs. Unbleached
Whole wheat flours are generally not bleached in any way as the creamy yellow the carotins impart is not visible due to the high bran content in the flour.
Flour: Bleached vs. Unbleached
The short answer is no, as long as you select the right flour for the right purpose. Soft (low protein) flours are bleached with chlorine in order to stiffen the gluten and adjust the amount of spread you get when baking cookies. Higher protein flours are bleached with a powdered oxidizing agent which works on the carotins in the flour. Left to themselves the carotins will naturally oxidize over a period of time.
