Journey's Profile
Thank you gift ideas for hospitality?
* A cookbook produced by organisations or companies in your area. For example, my collection of books includes one by the Nashua (NH) Telegraph, which compiled the best recipes submitted by its readers, and another by Richland Washington Allied Arts Association, and a few gathered over the years from B&Bs.
* If your hosts are into genealogy, a gift certificate covering the cost of research at a local library or historical society.
* A locally-produced food item. Farmer's markets, small resturants, and smaller gourmet shops are good for finding unique items. (A local wine or beer from a micro-brewery, BBQ sauce, chutney/jam, herb or spice mix, etc.) My US friends always get a kick out of the unique flavours of crips/potato chips we get in the UK, just to live you an idea.
* Locally-produced soaps, lotions, etc.
* If they like antiques, maybe you could find a commerative paperweight or some other interesting item featuring the name or photo of your area.
* A CD by a local musician.
* Something made by a local craftsman or artist.
Yellow Loue Chicken?
Donald Russell (UK) sells Yellow Loue Chicken, which is supposed to taste "like chicken used to taste" and has no added water. At £8.67/kilo, a 1.5kg bird costs £13, which is rather steep. We normally buy free range corn fed chicken at the grocery store or butcher at around £4.99/kg and it's very, but I don't know if water has been added (though its probable).
Has anyone tried Loue chicken, and is it worth the price?
Potato salad secrets?
My mum made THE best potato salad, and while I'm sure there are others who made it like her, I've yet to see it.
Her "secret" ingredient was the addition of ketchup/catsup.
After boiling the potatoes (peeled), while still very hot she cut them into large chunks and marinated them in a mixture of mayo, ketchup, mustard, celery seed, vinegar, salt, pepper and a little bit of sugar. Taste as go until you get a ratio that pleases you. Mom's dressing was always a pleasant orange-pink colour, not too light but not too dark.
When cool, more of the mayo/ketchup sauce was added to make them creamy, and then she added chopped hard boiled eggs, onion, celery and green bell pepper.
Trio of dessert combination recommendations
Many thanks to everyone for your critique and suggestions. Our friends came over last night and I went with the panna cotta, brownie (without icing), and a stack made with shortbread, cream and strawberries. Everyone loved it, but I didn't actually care for the orange panna cotta. It seemed a wee bit bitter to me. Didn't think I caught the orange pithe when I grated the peel, but that's the only reason I can think would account for the bitterness. As I was the only one who thought that, maybe I just don't like orange panna cotta! Oh yeah...I didn't do the onion tart, at Jules' suggestion. Thanks again everyone!
Trio of dessert combination recommendations
I've never done a trio before, but what do you all think of these combinations:
* Orange panna cotta --OR-- orange posset (with a little cardamon shortbread on the side?)
* Chocolate brownie with chocolate ganache frosting
* Strawberry tart (uses marcapone and almonds)
OR
* Lemon posset (with a little cardamon shortbread on the side?)
* Rasberry sorbet OR strawberry sorbet
* Poppyseed cake OR cardamon cake
Please feel free to mix the two up for a different combination, or add something different altogether. The only requirement is that everything can be made hours or a full day before and fairly easy.
My main menu is:
* Appetiser: Individual onion tarts with greens (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe')
* Parmasan-crusted swordfish on a bed of home made linguine (sauce has white wine, lemon, capers, parsley)
* steamed sugarsnaps and asparagus
Everyone here always has such great advise, I'm looking forward to hearing your advice and recommendations!
Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon?
Many thanks for your recipes and tips, Tom. Ya know, I have that huge 12-qt. pasta All-Clad pot and insert given as a birthday present years ago. It's so big it's sat in the garage because I rarely have occasion to use it, so your tip to use it for stock will breathe new life into it.
Finding beef bones of any sort is proving to be more difficult than anticipated. Our local Tesco doesn't sell sirloin on the bone and all three butchers in our area don't stock marrow bones, beef ribs or any type of bones! Fortunately, one of them has kindly agreed to save any off-cut bones he can gather over the course of the week, so hopefully he'll have enough by Saturday. Can't wait to get started!
Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon?
That "wineyness" taste is one of the things I didn't care for the other times I've tried this dish (with a non-JC recipe). Before even tasting it, you could see how the meat and gravy was a deep wine-red, rather than a rich mahogany colour, which I believe a well-made BB should have. The addition of jam sounds quite nice, but wouldn't it add a tart-sweet note to the dish that shouldn't actually be there?
Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon?
Thanks for the advice on the meat, Mateo. I don't have enough of either the beef shin or ox cheeks and, after checking the packages, one takes 2½-3 hours, the other 2-2½ hours. I'm assuming, rather than cooking separately, I could add the shin first, then the cheeks after ½ hour, yes?
If using rump, would that be top rump silverside or a top side rump, or just a plain rump? (As you might guess, I'm not knowledgeable about beef cuts. Compounded with the fact I'm an American in England, I'm still trying to come to grips with English/UK cuts and the different terminology!
Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon?
Hi Tom and all. We don't have Trader Joe's in the UK, but I actually don't mind peeling little onions. For other recipes, I usually blanch them in chicken stock, peel, then saute in a little butter to brown them, so might do that with this dish as well.
I like the idea of making my own stock and would appreciate your recipe. If you use marrow bones, any recommendations for substitutes would be nice as it's really difficult to get them where I am; oxtail is a LITTLE easier to find, and veal bones are near to impossible.
I want to love my slow cooker, can you help?
One dish that is very successful in a crock pot is lamb shanks. I also use a timer if I'm going to be away for longer than 4 hours, and often have it start during the night. When I wake up, I uncover and let it cool and pop it into the fridge. It's then easy to skim off any fat, and then reheat with added carrots or potatoes, etc. before eating.
Coconut milk in the slow cooker?
I tried making Thai Massaman Curry in a slow cooker, thinking the lamb would benefit from a long, slow simmer. The coconut split and, while the lamb was nice and tender, we felt the dish was pretty much ruined.
Do you have a favorite I'm-alone-now-so-nobody-will-know favorite dish?
A stickler for presentation and cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients when others are around, left on my own I make up a batch of frozen mashed potatoes, some sweet corn and a pan of Bisto gravy granules (any flavour). Mix the lot together and then....blush...eat right out of the pan to save on washing up!
What was your favourite childhood concoction, which you now think is disgusting?
When my brothers and I were kids (under 10 I think), mom used to mix a tin of tuna with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and tinned peas, served bubbly hot on top of toast with crumbled potato chips on top, then some melted Velvetta or cheese curds. Sometimes she's throw in leftover Kielbasa or hotdogs, in which case we'd add catsup. It was yummy! However, when I recalled it after an absence of something like 30 years and made it myself, it was awful!
Perplexed by lack of food availability.
Supermarkets cater to their local clientel. We live in a very rural village and the nearest place to shop is a working-class market town where the local store devotes practically an entire isle to tinned beans in tomato sauce and carries lots of ready-made sauces and the like, but try to find a staple like polenta or even mustard seed and you're plumb out of luck! Go a few miles away to a more "up-market" town and the choice increases greatly, but still depends on the make-up of the population, i.e. ethic diversity, culture, etc. So, product availability depends on the client base served by the shops and what people cook (or don't). Shops carry what sells and has a good turnover. Speciality shops, markets and good-ol' mail order help us fill the many gaps...and it pays to plan ahead and be flexible!
Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon?
Silly me, Cantkick! Guess I'll have to drink more wine-LOL!
Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon?
Jay, why frozen onions? Surely you mean the frozen kind, which are chopped, for the braising part, and not the small white ones that go in later, yes?
What side dishes with scallops?
Gordon Ramsay does scallops over a bed of culiflower puree with a dressing of white raisins
and capers, which we really like. Serve with just wilted spinach done Indian style with toasted almonds. Ramsay's recipe is here: http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/11/09/2006/200458/gordon-ramsays-panach-of-roasted-scallops-on-a-bed-of-cauliflower-pure-with-white-raisin-vinaigrette.htm
Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon?
A late bloomer, I just saw the movie "Julie & Julia" on the telly. Although I've made Beef Bourguignon before, I've always found it too "winey", but that could be because I used the wrong/cheap wine or didn't cook it well or long enough. It's been okay, but nothing to write home about.
Inspired by the movie to give it another go -- in the hope of making something that will knock the socks off my hubby -- I did an internet search for Julia's recipe and was amazed to see so many recipes adapted from her original. This may be a silly question, but as the original goddess of French cooking, isn't Julia's version perfect as-is? Also, as it is called Beef Bourguignon, why does the receipe call for Beujolias, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeau- Saint-Émilion, Chianti **OR**Burgundy?
I have also seen comments from on-line posters who say they found the original recipe bland, and recommend using Pinot Noir and substituting dark chicken stock in lieu of brown beef stock.
Speaking of brown beef stock, short of making it from scratch (marrow bones are hard to come by), is fresh beef stock from the grocery store okay and/or would a bit of More Than Gourmet demi-glace give a better finish?
In case it matters, I'll be using a combination of aged beef shin and beef cheeks for the meat.
Any thoughts, hints and tips will be most welcome!
Cooking potato skins in advance?
Many thanks, Monavano and Lisavf. I'm so glad they can be made in advance as it will take lots of pressure off an already crammed cooking schedule!
"Sous vide" at home?
Hubby and I have never had anything cooked by this method before, so didn't know what to expect when we the recipe at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJQQPKLMwAg for "Chef John's" duck. It was easy and delicious with his peach sweet and sour sauce (http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2011/01/5-minute-peach-sweet-and-sour-sauce.html).
I'm not certain how or if the sous vide had anything to do with it, but that was the first time we (hubby and I) were ever able to get the skin so incredibly crispy, even though we've always scored the skin before when frying in a cast iron pan.
Cooking potato skins in advance?
I want to include loaded potato skins on a party menu but would like to do as much in advance as possible. I've thought about baking the potatoes and scooping them out a day in advance, but worry the skins might get soft and floppy during storage in (or out?) of the fridge.
Does anyone have any experience and some tips for doing them in advance?
Many thanks,
Christine
Can anyone identify this Thai appetiser?
Update. Well, I made the Hoy Jor recipes found on the internet, (http://www.ezythaicooking.com/free_recipes/hoy-jor.html and http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/deep-fried-pork-with-crab-meat-hoy-jor-fid-940667), using bits from both and substituting with what I had to hand. The final product used pork mince, shredded suet, tinned shreaded crab, hens egg, cornflour/starch, a bit of dried shrimp, Chinese dried mushroom, spring onion/scallion, cilantro/coriander, Chinese cooking wine, white pepper, and soy. Would not use the suet again. I served them with a sweet and sour sauce and a salad of bean sprouts, carrots, seseme oil and soy. See picture. The Hoy Jor is sitting on bamboo leaves used to line the steamer.
They turned out pretty tasty but weren't what I'd hoped for or remembered from so long ago. Shrimp would have been better in my humble opinion, perhaps with a 60/40 ratio to the pork, which me thinks would be better using hand-chopped pork vs mince. Duck egg may have produced a richer finish. I cut back on the recipe's recommended garlic, which may have been a mistake as well.
All things considered, they were nice all things considered, but not memorable. Next time, maybe following a recipe would be a good idea! I'm using the left-over mixture for wontons tonight with some added prawn/shrimp and ginger for wonton soup.
As for the dried tofu skin, they were much thinner than I had expected looking at the package: How on earth do they do that! Extremely fragile, they reminded me of pork cull, like you use for faggots/sausage. I see endless possibilities!
Can anyone identify this Thai appetiser?
Many thanks to alkapal and everyone who responded. Hoy Jor is indeed what I was looking for - yipee! I think the ones I had so long ago were made with shrimp, which is what I'm going to try first, and replace the plum sauce with a lighter sweet chilie sauce as we have a bumper crop of chilies in the garden now.
The only thing I'm unsure about is the wheat flour, which I don't normally have on hand. The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons, and it seems a waste to have to buy a large bag just for this as it goes stale so quickly. As it is used as a binder, do you think a bit of cornflour/starch, arrowroot or white flour would be the best substitute? (I'm thinking cornflour/starch would be the way to go.
Can't wait to give it a go. Again, cheers to all who came to my rescue!
Can anyone identify this Thai appetiser?
The other day I picked up a package of thin dried tofu sheets and went about hunting for recipes using it when I came across this unidentified photo on the internet.
It instantly reminded me of an appetiser I had at a Thai restaurant about 20 years (!!!) ago. (It obviously left a strong impression!) I seem to recall it had ground pork and maybe a bit of minced shrimp/prawn with very silky texture with a slightly crispy shell. The dipping sauce was slightly sweet and sour, just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
The picture looks similar to what I remember of the dish, and like it might have been steamed and then fried. I’ve never used tofu skin before and don’t know what it looks like cooked, but in the photothe casing looks like it might be too thin to be tofu skin.
Does anyone know what this is, and do you have a recipe? It’s driving me crazy!
Ideas for Japanese Dinner Party
Coincidently enough, I held a Japanese dinner party for six a little over a month ago. Japanese is our favourite! Following is my menu, along with a few options. It’s all very doable BUT prep work and organisation are critical, along with a helper. Much of the prep can be done in advance. I planned and laid out all the pans and little serving dishes ahead of time, labelled so my helper (husband) and I didn’t get confused. A microwave is handy for gently reheating sauces. Drinks; warm sake, Japanese beer, white wine (nothing too oaky).
This menu, as you can see, is served Japanese banquet-style, with each dish served alone and in little bites. Most recipes are from “Practical Japanese Cooking” by Shizuo Tsuji et al, though some are my own. If anything sounds good let me know and I’d be pleased to provide the recipes and pictures.
Appetizer (amuse-bouche): Jellied shrimp. A single steamed shrimp and 2 green peas suspended in a deep golden cube of jelly made with bonito stock, dark soy, sake, mirin. Make 1 day ahead.
2nd course: Sashimi or sushi. If making sushi, make rice ahead and cover with a damp towel. Don’t make the kind with the nori wrapper because the nori gets limp; some veg can be cut ahead..
3rd course: Vegetable tempura. Mushroom, sweet potato, green pepper, squid, etc. and mint leaves. Cut veg and make dipping sauce ahead.
4th course: Chawan-mushi (savory custard). A loose steamed egg custard with chicken, shiitake mushroom, spinach and ginkgo nuts. Can be prepared in morning; steams for 20-30 minutes**OR** Clear Soup with Chicken Balls and Cucumber. Make in advance, adding cucumber before serving.
5th course: Grilled Salmon or Sea Bass. Serve with lemon and sake, garnished with a few fine beans. Only takes a few minutes.
6th course: Shrimp Boats. Shrimp puree spread onto green pepper, steamed and drizzled with toasted sesame oil. **OR** Stuffed potato buns (mashed potato with shrimp, crab, beef or pork in a golden ginger sauce with green garnish. Unusual and very good, can be made ahead but steaming process must be carefully watched) **OR** Stuffed Cabbage (Chinese cabbage, ground chicken, ginger)
7th course: Something a bit acidic like Spinach Rolls, Marinated Watercress, or Simmered Bamboo Shoot with Wakame Seaweed.
8th (Main and most substantial) course: Tofu “hamburger. Tofu mixed with cloud ear mushroom, white miso, carrot, potato and scallion, lightly fried. Served on a pool of a red sauce made with onion, served with a little baby potato, steamed carrot and watercress garnish. **OR** Soba Noodles with Duck **OR** Chicken and Egg on Rice (Donburi) **OR** Pork and Egg on Rice (Katsudon).
9th course: Plain boiled rice served with pickled vegetables and miso soup. This combination is always served at the end of the meal. If serving the Donburi or Katsudon, you might wish it move it up the menu order of service so you don’t have two rice dishes served one after the other.
Other options:
* Iceburg lettuce with carrot-ginger dressing a’la Benihana.
* Tofu sandwiches. Multiple layers of tofu and shrimp simmered, served with spinach towers and a scattering of peas. (Really pretty!)
* Rolled beef and asparagus
* Shrimp and Leeks with Mustard-Miso Sauce
* Mushrooms Skewered With Pine Needs, served with Deep-fried Sardine Rafts
* Cold buckwheat (“Fox”) Noodles, served with spinach rolls and rolled omlet. Very good, but September is a little late as this is very much a summer dish. If you’d like a menu centred on this, let me know.
Planning a 50th wedding anniversary party for my Scandinavian parents - menu ideas?
No family get-together in our house was complete without Rullepølse (Norwgian meat roll). My grandmother was German, grandpa Norwegian. The version she made wasn't "traditional" but always pleased him and it was gobbled up by everyone.
Pound a flank steak very thin. Spread with a thin layer of veal or pork mince. Add lots of minced onions, torn bay leaves, pepper, allspice or other spices to suit. (Sometimes I swear she added a bit of powered ginger but can't swear by that.) Roll it up tight and wrap with streaky bacon. Tie with string and pop it into the oven until medium rare. Leave to rest, snip off the twine and slice thin. Serve warm or at room temperature with pumpernickel or rye bread, mustard or horseradish cream, and tart little pickles. Can be made well in advance.
Her cucumber salad was simple and really good: thinly sliced cucumber, red onion, soured cream, vinegar, bit of sugar and lots of dill.
Although perhaps not traditional, a salmon and leek pie in puff pastry goes well with the cucumber salad, and can be prepared in advance, served warm or room temp. See http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salmon-and-Leek-Pie-100934. (Dead easy; don't do the sauce; be sure not to overcook!) Steamed baby potatoes go well.
Smoked salmon blinis with a bit of soured cream, decorated with lumpfish caviar.
Smoked mackrel or trout pate with beetroot relish.
Skewered pork bites with a prune and creamy mustard dip.
Fill tiny crip tart shells (available at speciality shops) with smoked salmon mouse, sauteed creamed leeks, or chopped tomato - or even ground spiced meat.
Fennel and apple salad.
One of my all-time favourties: Fillet of Beef, Arugula, and Artichoke Crostini. Very easy, impressive, make in advance. See http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fillet-of-Beef-Arugula-and-Artichoke-Crostini-12035
The Bachelorette Themed Dinner
I've never heard of the show (in the UK), so can't comment on that aspect of it, but perhaps they don't touch the food because it's too fiddly and messy. If they enjoy dancing and partying, finger food might be the way to go.
Here are some ideas:
* Pork and pineapple skewers glazed with hoisin sauce, garlic, etc.
* Bacon-wrapped scallops
* Chinese pancakes, duck, scallion, hoisin, cucumber
* Spring rolls
* Sushi rolls
* Chicken sate
* Roti with coconut chutney
* Hawaiian meatballs
* Banana bread
* Salmon skewers with sweet chili sauce
* Chicken wings or small ribs with a 5-spice based sauce
* Selection of siu mai or other kind of dumpings
* Mango-shrimp salad rolled into lettuce wraps
* Selection of Japanese rice crackers, banana chips
* Hollow out a watermelon and fill it with fruit
* Coconut pie for dessert
Tropical-themed tableware is available at party shops. Use your existing serving dishes garnished with a few tropical looking flowers, banana leaves, baskets lined with cling film, beach buckets, plant pots wrapped with tropical wrapping paper, coconut shells. If you have seashells, sprinkle these on the table, using larger ones for sauces. String up lights, use candles with tropical scents. Spread decorative beach towels on chairs. Make a centrepiece using a hollowed-out pineapple, or use a really large glass bowl filled with water with floating flower blossoms and candles. Maybe you could get little single-flower tropical flowers for each girl to pin in their hair?
Hope this helps!
What to serve with Salmon, Spring Pea and Ricotta Tortellini with lemon?
Thanks for all the responses. Last night I did a trial run on the tortellini as the recipe is new to me. Here’s the link for anyone who’s interested: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/03/salmon-spring-pea-and-ricotta.html
The use of wonton wrappers is convenient, but the texture isn’t like the normal tortellini pasta: it’s more slippery and definitely has that distinctive wonton taste. For the next couple in the experiment, I simmered them in water spiked with a little More Than Gourmet Glace de Fruits de Mer Gold stock (made with lobster, shrimp, crab and fish). Liked that!
Now that I know the texture and flavour of the torts, that’s made choosing accompaniments easier. Everyone offered such good ideas, it was hard to decide, so I’ve come up with a menu using many of the suggestions and fresh ingredients from our garden. To start, chilled tomato-basil soup with an asparagus-prosciutto phyllo spear, followed by the torts, and then a spinach and strawberry salad with toasted almonds and a fig-based balsamic.
Again, thanks for all the great suggestions. Hope I’ve chosen well and that he’ll enjoy it!
What to serve with Salmon, Spring Pea and Ricotta Tortellini with lemon?
Can anyone suggest a good side to go with Salmon, Spring Pea and Ricotta Tortellini with Lemon? The torts will be swimming in a thin-ishsauce made with heavy cream and lemon. It will be sprinkled with a bit of parmasan.
I thought about grilled eggplant/auberine with garlic, parsley, olive oil and pepper, but hubby isn't overly keen on it. Maybe just some fresh broccoli lightly stirfriend?
Another idea is a spinach salad with ???, but what kind of dressing would go, considering the bit of acid (lemon) in the tort sauce? (Or is this over-thinking the acid?)
A little bowl of fresh green soup of some sort perhaps?
Any ideas will be greatly appreciated (including an appetiser) as this will be a special, romatic celebration meal for my man, as he's just completed a big project.
Thanks Chow friends!
Recipes for dried porcini and shitake mushrooms
How about wontons stuffed with the mushrooms and some chicken breast, potstickers or raviolli? Or a mushroom lasagne (there's a nice recipe at Epicurious.com).
