milklady's Profile
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
Eggplant. It's just not for me. I love brussels sprouts, beets, rutabga, swiss chard, squash, and nearly all of hte others mentioned.
What are you baking these days? May 2012 [old]
Big baking weekend, but I forgot to take pictures!
I made a riff on Rose Levy Berenbaum's Chocolate Featherbed for a friend's birthday. It consists of 4 thin layers of flourless chocolate cake. She fills and frosts it with whipped chocolate ganache. I made a burnt caramel filling by making a salted caramel, letting it cool, and whipping it into whipped cream. I made a chocolate ganache for the frosting. I also added some toffee pieces to the filling, for some crunch. The birthday boy absolutely loves caramel, chocolate and crunch, and his wife is gluten free, so it was well received. (My kids did report that they like the "just chocolate" version better - they thought that the caramel was too burnt for their tastes.)
I also made about 100 vanilla cupcakes for another birthday, some regular size and some minis. Due to the volume, I decided to use cake mix, but almost all the full size cupcakes fell! I ended up making white velvet cupcakes from scratch, and those turned out much better. They were frosted with a simple cooked buttercream, tinted pastel colors. These were nothing too exciting, but looked and tasted nice for a birthday.
Outdoor dining in Walnut Creek/Concord?
I love Tender Greens, and they have a nie outdoor patio.
Mollie Katzen Protein Bar Help Needed - [moved from Home Cooking board]
Have you every tried pea-based protein powder? I really like it. It might be a good alternative for you.
Best East Bay Bakery
Good reminder about Le Bedaine. It is always worth sampling what they have available.
I sometimes like La Farine's fruit tarts, but they're often made with underripe, out of season fruits, so I am careful with what I order there.
Best East Bay Bakery
Bread: Acme
Desserts, depending on desire/need: Masse's for cakes, cookies and very special treats; Crixa for some kinds of pie, chocolate mousse, rugelach and other selected treats, La Farine for morning buns and chocolate croissants, and perhaps Katrina Rozelle for reliably good cakes that can be decorated however you'd like (with a long lead time and high price).
Did anyone say HOME for Pesach this year? Highlights of your meals?
Sure. It was inspired by this recipe:
http://www.couldntbeparve.com/2012/04/meyer-lemon-raspberry-tart/
But, I could make it dairy, so I did!
I made lemon filling more like in this recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/meyer-lemon-curd-tart-recipe/index.html
I made a crust out of melted butter, a cup of matzo cake meal, sugar and grated dry (unsweeteened) coconut. I blind baked the crust, then put the raspberries on top, and then filled it with lemon curd. I baked it for quite a while, until it seemed set (like 30 min). It turned out delicious. People were saying that it didn't seem like the crust was K for P, which is always a compliment!
Did anyone say HOME for Pesach this year? Highlights of your meals?
We usually travel during Pesach (not to programs), but this year we were home the whole time, and it was really great. We did not host any seders, and kashered our kitchen dairy-only for Pesach, which ended up working out well. We tried to keep it really simple during hol hamoed (we had work and kids had school), and even during the last days.
- Vegetarian soup and matzo balls (brought to first seder)
- Meyer lemon raspberry tart (brought to first seder)
- Chocolate almond torte (brought to first seder)
- Chocolate Featherbed Cake (brought to second seder)
- Matzo lasagne
- Matzo pizza
- Lots of green salads
- Baked salmon
- Roasted veggies like asparagus, brocolli, cauliflower
- Quinoa, plain and mixed with veggies for salad
- Baked potato bar with veggies, cheese, sour cream, etc.
- matzo brei
- frittata
- lots of matzo sandwiches with cheese, cream cheese, turkish salad, almond butter, etc.
- Chocolate chip cookies (great in kids' lunches)
- Chocolate matzo crunch
- Flourless chocolate hazelnut cookies
The desserts, especially, turned out great. Dairy really works wonders!
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
I love that idea! They should also do a full Passover meal team-challenge for regular Top Chef...
Myers lemons...what should I bake
I have a nearly limitless supply of meyer lemons. I love them for their sweet, floral qualities. My favorite things to make with them are: lemon curd (amazing with scones), lemon bars (you must reduce the sugar unless it is a recipe specifically designed for meyer lemons), lemon tarts (I made a great lemon raspberry Passover tart) and the like. I also use the zest and juice in savory applications. A little bit brightens up cooked greens, lentils, pastas, etc.
Where in Oakland/Berkeley area to get fruit galette now that Cafe Fanny is closed?
The fruitt tarts at Masse's Pastries come in individual and 8" sizes and are seasonal and divine. They may meet your needs.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
Chocolate chip cookies:
http://theshiksa.com/2011/04/08/passover-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Chocolate hazelnut cookies:
http://www.couldntbeparve.com/2011/04/flourless-chocolate-hazelnut-cookies/
Passover desserts question
I think that this recipe does need subs for many people. I have never found K for P unsweetened chocolate. (Depending on where I'm going, Scharffenberger unsweetened purchased before Passover works for me, as it has 2 ingredients - cacao and whole vanilla beans, and a regular year heksher). Also, I was unable to find Passover cream of tartar (maybe it would be easier to find in bigger kosher markets) and so I used some lemon juice for the egg whites.
Anyway, this is a magnificent cake, and I hope that others make it!!!
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
More baking today - flourless chocolate hazelnut cookies, and Passover chocolate chip cookies. Delicious. Everyone was (jokingly) accusing me of making "hametz" (not okay for Passover) cookies!
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
Passover baking today!
Meyer lemon raspberry tart
Chocolate Almond Torte (from Alice Medrich's Just Desserts)
Chocolate FeatherBed (from Rose Levy Berenbaum's Rose's Heavenly Cakes)
I have some cookies and matzo crunch planned for later in the week....
Pesach brunch ideas?
I like the idea of farfal granola that's on the Chow site. That would be great with yogurt.
I think that lox, cream cheese, onions and tomotoes, served with matzo, would go over really well.
You could do a frittata (matzo free!) with lots of veggies.
People tend to like sweets at brunch, some kind of cookies or matzo brittle would be good.
gluten free meal for new mom
I think you should try to make something that is naturally gluten free - chicken, rice, salad. Most soups freeze really well, and you could give them a few small portions.
Passover dessert with unsweetened chocolate?
That is what I am planning to use as well!
Passover dessert with unsweetened chocolate?
If you make it, please report back. I think i will make it using soy-free dairy-free unsweetened chocolate, at least for one seder where that exceeds their kashrut standards.
Passover dessert with unsweetened chocolate?
Yes, I am talking about hard chocolate you need to chop. This recipe would not be the same with cocoa powder, as it relies on small bits of unsweetened chocolate, in a nut and meringue base, for its flavor and texture.
But, I do need to keep the cocoa powder substitution in mind for Passover. Great idea.
Passover dessert with unsweetened chocolate?
This is my very favorite recipe with unsweetened chocolate. I haven't been able to find any hekshered for Pesach, which is making me crazy!
http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2008/04/italian-chocolate-almond-torte/
Showstopper cakes Oakland/Berkeley/Albany
I really think you can't beat Masse's for a cool, modern look.
Valencia St. dining with kosher & gluten free restrictions
Is the kosher guy kosher style (perhaps vegetarian and fish are fine, but no meat or poultry or shellfish)? If so, that makes it much easier than needing to find some place kosher-certified (of which there are few in the Bay Area, and there none open Friday evenings).
It seems like there are plenty of choices nearby that would almost certainly work - Dosa, Udupi Palace, Herbivore, a couple sushi places, Cha Ya, Delfina, Commonwealth, Gracias Madre, etc.
I think the big questions are a) price point, and b) making sure you can find a reservation to acomodate 7 people.
Kosher lunch ideas for kids - 5 to 10 years old
I agree with queenscook. Also, you can post outside of the Kosher board; just ask about vegetarian lunches.
Cheap fun, dinner near a park for a pre-dinner picnic?
In San Francisco? Oakland? Marin?
Need Birthday Cake Bakery Recommendations for East Bay
I think Masse's is the best. But, if you have a very specific look in mind, Katrina Rozelle may be better able to exactly match for your vision. Check out both bakeries and see what appeals to you.
Need Birthday Cake Bakery Recommendations for East Bay
What is your usual place?
What flavors or styles do you like?
Do you have a budget?
My favorite cakes in the East Bay are from Masse's, Crixa, Katrina Rozelle and Sweet Adeline. They each have their own niche, but all make excellent birthday cakes.
