So much going on today! Welcome to Free Range, where we speak the language of food. In the house: Virginia Willis and her picnic prowess; David Hagedorn and his Process way of making a 6-inch cake with 5 components; Joe Yonan and Crescent Dragonwagon, who both know from beans; plus Tim Carman, Jane Touzalin; Becky Krystal; Jim Shahin and maybe Jason Wilson, too.
In honor of the great Nora Ephron, who died yesterday at age 71, and, according to the New York Times, ended her "what I'll miss most list" with one word -- "pie" -- we'll award prizes to two chatters with the best memories of her and her work. They are: a copy of "Jeffrey Saad's Global Kitchen" (source of the Dinner in Minutes recipe) and Crescent's "Bean by Bean" of course! We'll announce two winners at the end of the hour. Are you ready? We are.
We have a trio of quick-cooking freezer jams using a variety of fruits in our Recipe Finder. Check them out!
In addition, if you use commercial pectin, in the boxes there are plenty of recipes for freezer jam. (But, I have to say, when you get into the groove, canning is not that much trouble. Plus, you have gifts, something that looks beautiful on the shelf and will not spoil if the power goes out. Just sayin,...)
Not to dissuade you from jam-making -- it's one of my favorite pastimes -- but I've also been playing around with berry sorbet recently. Pretty amazing if you have amazing fruit. 2 pounds of fruit, start with 2/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of a fruity liqueur (framboise would be great with raspberries, natch), taste and see if you'd like it sweeter or add lemon juice to make it tarter, and freeze in an ice cream maker. Oh, you can strain it if you don't want the seeds, but I confess to never ever doing that with berries.
Food was central in her writing. Like Laurie Colwin, she saw the humor, irony, and little tragedies and triumphs in daily life, and the enormous role played by what we ate. It's too easy to underestimate a writer like that; she was always speaking directly to you, a rare gift. Started reading her as a teenager and always appreciated that she was there ahead of me in life's stages. So grateful she made Julia and Julia.
It's a great loss indeed.
If you want to understand how gracious and kind Nora Ephron was, just read Ed Levine's essay on Serious Eats today. It's a moving tribute to one of America's great auteurs, a woman who could seem to do everything and do it well.
I am so sorry I won't get to check out today's chat until later. Crescent Dragonwagon's Soup and Bread cookbook became my soup bible. Her Cuban Black Bean Soup is an absolute favorite for me and my family and friends. I have created countless bean soups since buying this cookbook and always use her Black Bean method of cooking onions, garlic, etc. separately in olive oil (a lot of oil!) and adding during the last 20 minutes or so of bean cooking. I also started ordering all my beans from Rancho Gordo (sounds like Joe does too) and they make any bean recipe even more outstanding.
Thank you, Crescent Dragonwagon. You always receive credit for the Black Bean Soup when I'm complimented.
Oh boy! THANK YOU! Yeah, I love that soup... it has been, I think, in every single one of my books. So increduible simple and so delicious. Ned and I served it as part of our wedding brunch! And, Rancho Gordo *rocks*.
Yep, I'm a Steve Sando devotee -- not to mention a Crescent Dragonwagon devotee, too! I still get beans from there, when I'm not cooking up the beans my sister and brother-in-law grow. I know Crescent grows a lot of her own, too...
Thank you so much for the thoughtful piece about making a Momofuku layer cake! I've made Christina Tosi's corn cookies before (which are insanely good) and I'm interested in attempting one of those cakes. Your piece actually gave me inspiration for something else I'm now planning to make this weekend: a baked Alaska with cereal milk ice cream (I'm thinking it will Cinnamon Toast Crunch) on top of browned butter cake.
You know what, I think that corn cookie is the best cookie I've ever tasted. That was the first thing I made from Tosi's cookbook, but I couldn't find freeze-dried corn that day. (And you know I didn't want to wait to receive them by mail.) So I tried to make them with cornnuts. Awful. Not completely disgusting (meaning I still managed to eat a few of them), but definitely not the same. The freeze-dried corn makes all the difference.
Your baked Alaska sounds terrific. Let us know how it turns out. (I have Tosi's grasshopper pie on my radar.)
I am resubmitting my question to find out where to buy the WaPo Beer Madness winner this year. I want to make that Coconut Porter cake and have not been able to find it anywhere! I live in MoCO, so I haven't even checked there since I'm pretty certain I won't find it. But I work downtown and have checked several local shops, including Bell, to no avail. Even requesting it to be brought in has not surfaced it yet. Also checked both Whole Foods, which usually does carry Maui Brewing Co, but not the Coconut Porter. That cake is on my short list to make for the 4th--please help a gal out?
Small brewery, big demand! It's going to be a haul for you, but we just tracked down a case of it last week at Planet Wine in Alexandria. Whole Foods Markets do carry but have been out, out, out of it.
First off, ALL beans have great health benefits and great lasciviously good eating benefits. Anasazis taste a little like pintos... great in chili, in soup, or, for first time use, to experience their anaszaitude, cook them very simply and taste them plain. Then marinate and use in a salad. I often do them in a bean soup with sweet potatoes; a fruit based salsa as an accomp.
I called Eric Ziebold to see if he'd cough up the recipe for us. But alas, he's not responsible for the egg salad. That falls on the hotel and Chef Anupam, who is supposed to give me a call later.
Stay tuned.
Well, while there are 'heavy' bean soups there are also vegetable-rich ones like minestrone, which is MADE for late summer...think about it. Base of dred cooked beans (usually cranberry or canellini) , but loads of tomatoes, sauteeed onion, garlic, green beans, squash, basil out the wazoo... You can also slightly warm a bean puree in gratin dish (say, white beans with garlic,olive oil, rosemary) and serve it as a spread... as is, or sprinkle with a little chevre or feta and gratinee it. Nice crisps of one sort another a go with...
Ruhlman's book is a go-to for far more than just standard charcuterie. He's good on smoking, too. But as I have found with lots of cookbook writers, even those specializing in barbecue, a book, even a good one, is often just a basis for further exploration.
That, I think, is the case here. Use what you can from Ruhlman's (or any writer's) book, then tweak to what you recall, prefer, or know.
For Jim - is there a way to smoke chickpeas - I don't want to start from scratch and soak, but can I use canned chick peas, rinsed then smoke them somehow???
Yes, you can use canned chickpeas. Most folks do.
As for smoking them, me, I use smoked garlic to flavor chickpea dishes, such as hummus. (Speaking of hummus, did you know that they recently had a big chickpea gathering in Beirut to celebrate the chickpea harvest, with lots of, shall we say, unconventional dishes - chickpea frosting on chocolate cake, anyone?)
You can smoke chickpeas by simply setting them in a vegetable basket or, with their water, in a pot, setting on the grate away from the fire (indirect heat) and adding a handful of hardwood chips to smoke for about 10 minutes or so. I'd recommend something light, like applewood. But if you like a stronger smoke, go with cherry or pecan.
I'm confused. The note for the recipe says not to use shredded cheese, but the recipe has four cups of cheese. Do you mean don't buy pre-shredded cheese?
Yep, we meant buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. The already-shredded kind can have stuff on it that keeps it from sticking together. We'll add a note to the headnote of that recipe online, thanks!
I've not heard that potatoes are "healthier" when they're cooled, but according to this exhaustive document on the potoato's chemical structure and its best cooking methods, some people find boiled potatoes difficult to digest.
Thanks to Joe for the article on beans. My legume cooking tends mostly towards lentil soup and black bean chilis, but I enjoy beans of all types. I was surprised that he said that he had not eaten beans for desert. One of the most popular sweets in Japan is called an or red bean paste, a paste made of azuki beans and sugar. The bean paste is usually served as the stuffing inside buns, rice cakes, or taiyaki (pancakes usually cooked in molds shaped like fish). I have seen some good recipes in Japanese cookbooks.
Hi, there --- recipe for sweet bean paste in Bean by Bean, as well as a pretty rockin' red bean ice cream. Also, chick pea flour is a magical ingredient to bake with --- the Rose of Persia Cake in BbB is fairly incredible. But Joe's mistaken --- if he's ever eaten a peanut butter cookie, he's eaten beans for dessert. Peanuts are beans!
Oh, I've had sweets made with beans. Very fun -- loved them on my trip to Japan. What I said was I haven't made bean desserts here in Maine... but now I must, mustn't I?
Honeychile, think BEANS! Really! Not just because I wrote a book about them! Easy, inexpensive, best way to fill many people for not much money. Don't mess with fussy stuffed mushrooms. Make a big pot of chili and then farm out the fixins --- ask one rfriend to bring grated cheese, another cornbread or tortillas, another guac, and so on. As a bonus: most beans (except chickpeas, lentils, and soy) are native Americans and perfect for fourth of July.
No sugar in this recipe?
Big yikes - my bad. There is a 1/2 cup of sugar in the Individual Cobblers recipe. I am so sorry for the error. They are really good and I hope you try them! Bon Appetit, Y'all! (The corrected recipe's online; give it a few minutes to re-load. Sugar goes in right after the milk.)
Let me add, though, that the cobblers tasted perfectly good even though the tester didn't add any sugar! A little sugar, however, might have made ours a little more golden brown on top, which is desirable.
What brand are you using?
We appreciate your interest! And your good taste. The list is there. Four of the recipes are in the "Featured" slot near the top, but if you scroll down about a half a screen you'll find the "More Recipes" section, and that has links to the rest of the new ones for the week.
Whoa, I love that you consider six hours a "short" smoke.
Wait for the charcoal to turn all gray, then add your wood chunks or chips. Prepare to replenish the coals roughly two and a half hours into your cooking.
Especially on such items as pulled pork, you'll cook indirectly - fire on one side, pork butt on the other. But, then, based on what you're saying, that part you probably already knew.
Couple of options -- Here's something that'll work either way (alcoholic or not): Backyard Blackberry Soda; you can make the fruit syrup part and then add to seltzer water or something stronger.
In the something stronger department, how about a Blackberry and Red Wine Caipirinha?
A Silver Mint Julep? A Ginger Peach Julep?
I'm not Jim, but I have thoughts nonetheless. Have you tried grilling cabbage? Everyone I know who has tried my suggestion here (see pic below) has fallen in love with the idea. I'll let Jim tackle sweet potatoes, but if you're doing them whole he's going to suggest a lower approach than grilling, I'll bet.
I second Joe's grilled cabbage love. I've been doing it this summer as a side dish and also as a coleslaw. It has been a fave around the house, besting the other vegetable contenders, like zuchini and onion (though last night we had some fab grilled eggplant that gives the cabbage a run for its money).
As for sweet potatoes, what I do couldn't be simpler: I scrub the skin (leave it on), wrap in foil, poke a couple of times, and put directly into the fire. Takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on how hot your fire is. But it you wait till its about medium-hot, you will get a nice, soft interior and the exterior will have a light char.
You could also oil the sweet potato and let is slow-smoke on an indirect fire. But I'd be careful about the amount of wood chips you use. Could overpower the spud.
By the way, a great summer side dish: grilled or smoked sweet potato salad. (To grill, boil till just tender, then chop and place in a vegetable basket over direct heat for about 15 minutes, turning now and again.) Add a little diced serrano pepper, some cilantro, olive oil, some lime juice, and salt and pepper, and you have your new favorite cookout potluck dish.
Nice! I'd be tempted to swap in minced or pressed fresh garlic instead of that powder for a little extra punch...
David, I want to thank you for your piece in today's paper; it was as if you were speaking to me directly when you wrote about home cooks reading recipes and why they decide not to make them. And here I thought it was my lack of experience and confidence in the kitchen that I read recipes and then end up not making them! It doesn't help that my kitchen style and my hubby's differ greatly--he is a "by the book the first time" and an excellent baker, while I like to substitute and make it an adventure.
That being said, the cake looks fantastic, but I am allergic to raspberries. My husband thinks the cake will not taste the same with any substitute (well, he's right in that regard) but I think it still can be done with another fruit, just not sure which one to select. Can't be a stone fruit or berry, other than a blueberry. Do you think it would be too much blueberry to use that in the topping as well? Or would another tart/sweet fruit be better, such as Mango, Passion Fruit, or Guava? Your thoughts are much appreciated for this hesitant cook...
I'm so glad you enjoyed this piece. I say you should mix and match the way you see fit. www.justtomatoes.com has all sorts of fruits that can be pulverized for frosting or dusting of the milk crumb (which is just fine naked and very dangerous to have lying around in your freezer). They have mango and pineapple, for instance.
I love passion fruit and would not hesitate to use passion fruit curd as a filling. (Tosi does in her book.)
Peach or nectarine filling would be wonderful. Here is a link to how to make various fillings, including stone fruits, but also peaches and blackberries. Blackberry filling and passion fruit curd with blueberry frosting and mango crunch? Sounds like a winner to me.
I loooooooooove those freeze-fried fruits from Just Tomatoes that David mentions. Among other things, I've been on a kombucha-making kick while I've been at my sister's in Maine, and my favorite way to flavor the stuff after the first fermentation has been with those freeze-dried fruits. The peaches are incredible -- they release so much flavor into the booch, and then their texture from being rehydrated in the stuff is is very interesting, almost like they've been pickled.
Do you happen to have low-fat milk on hand? I think it'd be better to use that than the half-and-half.
I'd say just go ahead and use the half-and-half. It'll just be creamier and richer. Remember, until milk was homogenized, and then divvied into percentages, it was just... milk. When we get raw local milk here in Vermont, we shake it up and just use it --- cream and milk and everything --- and all made with it tastes So. Much. Better.
Throw it in the food processor with silken tofu, a clove of garlic, some olive oil, a little dijon, if you have it some umeboshi plum paste (tart-salty-bitter umami magic), lemon juice, cracked pepper. Voila: use instead of mayo, on potato salad, etc.
You're stumping us, but we'll give it a try. Our butcher pal Don at the Organic Butcher in McLean gave his best guess: a top round roast that has been cut in half to create a "face" for slicing (as in, slicing for sandwich meat). Anybody have other thoughts? If there is a butcher near where you live and you can take it to him, perhaps he can identify it. Please let us know!
I comment in my video this week that everyone loves food on a stick! How about boiled potatoes, sausage, or even corn on the cob. I say go messy and relish the finger food!
I'd recommend kitchen tools, towels, pot holders, etc. Actually, I think that would be quite handy. I have to spin around to another counter to get my spatulas, ladle, etc., while I'm cooking. Would love to have them in reach.
I'm guilty of putting those into my last kitchen makeover. I think it'd be good for storage containers with dried pastas, rice and beans.
Sure --- just work out the measurements as if canned beans were cups of COOKED beans. (Soaked are still raw, and will continue to swell as they cook). I do offer many canned recipes as well. That said, soaked and slow cooked a) taste so much better, b) are way less expensive c) leave smaller enviro footprint d)can be cooked with seasonings so samy really soak in. That said, canned beans are great when you are in a hurry,
What about a tisane, or herbal tea that has no caffeine.
Mint, lemon verbena, and even chamomile would be lovely iced for tea. Refreshing!
I love Italian sodas. You can mix club soda or seltzer with a flavored syrup (I had a real weakness for the almond and hazelnut ones at my college library).
Dehydrating sounds cool. Freezing is really going to take the oomph out of such soft vegetables. They'd really only be appropriate for soup or casseroles, certainly not for a crisp stir fry.
Here is the link to the ridiculous story of how I got this ridiculous name!
That said, I'm glad you like it! It kind of more fits my life as a children's book writer (which I also am) than as cookbook writer... but there it is. (Of couyrse dragons can do the BBQ thing merely by exhaling... but don't let's go there...)
Thanks for noticing. It's fixed now.
Slice thinly. Saute quickly in butter-oil combo over high heat, not overcrowding the pan, stirring contantly. You want the slices to get a little browned, and be crisp tender and not sodden. Salt and pepper. You will be amazed at the sweetness and simplicty.
Of course, if you want a v main dish: onion sliced veritically and sauteed in oil, carrots on an angle, maybe a chile, the cabbage, and some pre-baked tofu --- glaze with your fave stor fry ingredients (tamari, honey, mirin, stock, etc)
Rimmed aluminum sheet pans are IMO one of the most useful kitchen tools -- cookies, roasts, vegies. Get a good sturdy one. I've seen at restaurant supplies as well as a wholesale store like Costco. Great value.
Ok gurus, our stove and microwave (directly above stove) have been neglected for WAY too long. There is a layer of grease/ick from all of the deliciously things we've made. However, enough is enough. Do you have any suggestions for getting that grease buildup off of our appliances? Do you think an ammonia/water solution would work or baking soda and lemons? We have standard black appliances. Thanks!
Points for delayed spring cleaning, and here's hoping you have a new set of gloves. Local Living/home guru Jura Koncius says she uses 409. She endorses dishwashing liquid and the lemon route as well. Not keen on ammonia (the smell). My mother raised me in the distilled white vinegar school; mix it into as water that's as hot as you can stand it.
Gardening columnist Adrian Higgins says:
Patience. Grow patience. Spend eight weeks building your garden and improving the soil, then sow lettuce, mesclun, arugula, kale, radishes and garlic. And then plan for next year. A garden requires at least six hours of afternoon sunlight to work. The flatter the site, the better, though drainage is key too. If that's a problem, build raised beds.
I can sympathize with the desire to make brioche in a breadmaker - the motor on my stand mixer has never been the same since it tangled with Thomas Keller's brioche! When I needed brioche recently for a fondue, I made no-knead brioche from the Ideas in Food cookbook, and it was stellar. What a perfect application for the no-knead technique. (I can't give a direct comparison between the two recipes because, since I wanted cubes anyway, I spread it into a rimmed baking sheet instead of a loaf pan - shorter bake time, less cutting later! But it was delicious.)
Sounds really interesting -- and much easier. Done in the traditional way, brioche can be a challenge.
Potatoes, if cured for about two weeks at the right temperature and humdity, can be stored for almost a year.
The eyes indicate that your potato, after prolonged storage, has started to sprout. The other potato, the soft one, has lost its nutrients.
The one with eyes should be safe to eat, as long as it's not soft, too. It could cause some mild digestive issues, but little more. The soft potato, however, should be discarded.
More information can be found here.
You should make like a Mexican jumping bean and leap to get this book, especially if you love Passionate Vegetarian (which is fabulous). I'll let Crescent weigh in if she wants on the breakdown of vegan/vegetarian recipes, but I see a lot of vegan ones, and the veggie ones look very veganizable. (The lentil salad in the section today, for example, has a little cheese, which would be easy to leave out, and it would still be delish.)
It's 5 days old now so if it was made with the roast chicken, I think it would be the safest to toss it out. Sorry about that... It's best to keep it safe. Next time, make sure to finish or freeze in 3 days? If it was "meat and stock free" you might could freeze for later, now.
I've never met anyone who didn't like a good bean dip (but then again, I've never met your husband). I like to make mine smoky (of course), blending cooked white beans, pimenton (smoked paprika), anchovy (unless you're trying to stay vegan), raw garlic, perhaps some caramelized onions, salt to taste...
I'm not finding a reference to any such study; do you have a link? I don't think the "scraps" part of the equation possibly would matter as much as the processing involved, or the fact that it's a saturated-fatty meat. Turkey bacon is leaner than regular bacon. Your kids eat it every day?
I do, and OF COURSE they will give you protein complementarity. Traditional Southern cornbreads (to my knowledge, rarely if ever eaten in Chilton) rarely include wheat flour, and spoonbreads --- very succulent, souffle-like, leavened with beaten egg whites... gluten free and remarkable. Don't forget, hot, hot out of the oven, and a big... dollop... of melting... butter...
No, not necessary! The only grilled pizzas I've made have gone on the grates. See our recipe.
I'm going to partially blame my cheapo gas grill for the inconsistent results -- sometime it's just too charred. So I've been tempted to go stone, but neither of my two (I know) are grill-safe. Just make sure yours is.
I am pretty partial to my recipe for Coca Cola Glazed Baby Back ribs... In terms of how many ribs I think a half rack is a minimum. Please try the Roasted Green Bean and Potato Salad in today's WaPo food section today along with them!
I agree that a half-rack is a minimum per person. As to where to get them, there is a lot of debate about that, actually.
I cannot tell you how many times I have taken pork ribs back to a store on the same day I bought them because they were spoiled or clearly on their way. Oh, and I am talking about high-end supermarkets.
I've actually had better luck at run-of-the-mill supermarkets, like Safeway and Harris Teeter. Their ribs often come frozen, and, when they do put them out, the turnover is fast. That said, the ribs generally carried there are only okay.
I like to go to a butcher shop, such as Union Meats at Eastern Market. A butcher knows his stuff and, because they tend to have a more personal relationship with customers, is very careful in tending his products. Plus, a butcher stocks higher-end meat.
As for dry rub or sauce, I prefer dry rub. But who cares what I prefer? Eat what you like. Or, better yet, make two racks, one dry, one wet, like in Memphis. Try both. If you can't decide, do it again. Worst thing that happens, you have lots of great ribs.
As for the oven versus the grill, no, they would not be as good in the oven. I hear ya about the 100 degree temp. But you know the old saying, Suffer for fashion? Same thing with barbecue.
Saveur's Chocolate Caramel Tart. Hands down the best thing I've ever had. You have to cut tiny slivers because it is so rich. I have to say that although I need quick recipes during the week, I really appreciate ones that take a little more time or effort, such as homemade read or pasta. It relieves some stress to have a project that takes your mind off of work, etc., and it always seems to taste better. It's also a way of showing someone you care and is a much more productive use of time than sitting on the sofa and watching tv.
Wow. I don't know if I should thank you or curse you for introducing me to that. It's already gone into my recipe folder in my e-mail.
First of all, YES, toss old beans --- they will never ever soften for you lustrously the way they should. I suspect age of beans has been your chickpea problem. That said, chickpeas are a very slow cooking bean, but assuming you get recent-crop ones, once you get them tender there is simply no comparison with the canned. NOW: I haven't tried this (and am unlikely to, because it would destroy some of the b-vitamins) but a friend just wrote me that she had tried a Paula Wolfert method in which a piunch of baking soda was added to the cooking water, which she said greatly assisted in shortening cooking time to complete tenderness. You are so welcome! P.S. You can try hummus with any kind of bean you like, too. I do a blackeyed pea hummus, subbing peanut butter for tahini... different idiom, but delish.
Well, it's Ephron-related. What a family of writers.
This is a controversial issue in seafood circles. Some swear that a circular mold is used to punch scallop-like rounds from a skate wing. But Santa Monica Seafood says these are "unfounded rumors":
"Skate has a flavor somewhat similar to scallops - a fact that seems to support unfounded rumors that round pieces cut from large skate wings use to be passed off as "scallops". It's hard to imagine the unique texture and striations of skate wings fooling anyone who knew their seafood."
The recipe that David Hagedorn wrote about today sounds great, and I am not put off at all by the multiple steps and multiple-day cooking and assembling. But with a very small apartment kitchen, I'm just not committed to buying a quarter sheet pan, cake ring, and acetate. So, help me out. Can you advise on cooking times or recipe adjustments using my standard 9 and 10 inch round pans? Can I use square pans and cut with a knife instead of a ring? Can I get away with parchment paper instead of acetate? Thanks.
By all means use cake pans, but I'm not sure if there is enough batter to make three 9 or 10-inch layers. I calculate the area of three 9-inch layers (3.14 x 3 x 4.5 x 4.5 = 190) to exceed the area of the pan called for (10 x 13 = 130) So make more batter if you're making a larger cake.
Cooking times for layers depends on how mauch batter you spread into each pan. I'd start checking at 15 minutes, first by looking at the layers through the window of the oven and see if they have puffed and fallen yet.
No reason not to use square pans if you want and make a square cake. Or use a knife to cut out layers, using a plate as a template.
I wouldn't use parchment paper for lining a ring or making a collar for this dessert; it is too flimsy.
I go for former WaPo food expert Kim O'Donnel for canning recipes - here's her recipe for Bread and Butter pickles. Yum....
Right on.
On stainless and other metals such as brass try cub soda. Old bartenders trick. I use club soda to clean my stianless fridges, range and dishwasher. One day when I design my kitchen I just go all stainless with the counter tops with a raised edge sloping into the sink. Forget granite and ktichen cabinets. Give me stainless shelves and a commercial floor with a drain.
Word.
I've got a few in "Serve Yourself" that I love, and have been having fun working on new ones for the vegetable-focused book that's up next. In SY, there's a cashew-tamari one that's super pungent and great; parsley-garlic that's sort of like a vegan green goddess (uses silken tofu); and a cilantro vinaigrette I got from the fabulous Pati Jinich.
The latter one, if you're not a cilantro fan, is simple and brilliant: 1/4 cup each cilantro leaves, olive oil, canola oil and red wine vinegar, blended with 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Ha! I failed you today, I'm sorry to say. Left out the step of adding the spinach and tomato once the eggs have been poured in. It's been fixed online... So there! :(
Clean-up in Aisle E6!
I had foolishly bought an enormous bottle of grapeseed oil at Costco—too much to use up quickly enough. (Plus, I'm not sure it was all that fresh to start off with or stored properly there, etc.)
I do love the grapeseed oil. I'm starting to detect slightly off taste in canola oil (is that just me?). The voscous quality of grapeseed oil makes it much better for cakes, as Tosi points out.
May I climb back up on that pedestal now?
Others here may have their own thoughts, but I don't oil the grates. And it is funny that this question comes up today because I just did a little experimenting last night.
Years ago I was in Tuscany where I was lucky to dine at a true master Tuscan pitmaster's rustic farmhouse restaurant. When I asked him later about grilling vegetables (his were divine), he said the secret was to never oil - not the grates, not the food. He believed that the foods should carry the flavor of the charcoal and wood and that the oil would not allow those flavors to pentrate properly or permit the food to cook right.
I've been going in and out of his method for years and never got it right. Just last night, I tried again. This time, I grilled half my zucchini strips and eggplant rounds without oil, and half with. My wife both agreed that the oiled vegetables were clearly superior.
Long way around the barn to say this: I don't oil the grates. I use a bristle brush on them, then wipe them clean with a rag. Then, if I am oiling, I take to heart an instruction I learned from another pitmaster years ago: oil the food, not the grate. Works for me. (Even if I do keep seeing if I can duplicate what I had in Tuscany.)
Thank you, dear friend/reader who I met once... MFK Fisher is the first... Of course, Laurie Colwin. Lately I am so enamoured of Michael Natkin and his new Herbavoracious... a strong, natural voice that comes through so clearly. Also loved Classic Home Baking by the late Richard Sax --- a great cookbook, with subtle but clear presence and voice.
I feel I don't write about food as much as I rwite about life THROUGH food.
Good to know! I'll talk to my people (read: me) about including it in the Washington Post cookbook!
I'd love to see this too. But, just to be contrarian I'll add, that while there may be best anythings in the known universe... remember there's always the UNknown (so far) universe. A lot of people tell me, I never got past the Skillet-Sizzled Buttermilk Cornbread" in Cornbread Gospels because it was too good. Well, yeah, it's good... but there are so many many many ways and styles of good. Trick is to have favorites to which you return over and over but keep trying new ways.
I was planning to do that with my next batch of cornbread! Can't wait.
I loved to grill eggplant, marinated, glazed when flipped with a miso-based sauce. Also (when ambitious) do okra, marinated in India spices and threaded on a skewer. Unbelievable good. Paneer, marinated tandoori-style and grilled, also rocks.
Oooooh! Thank you! I just love that masa bread, and I don't know how many people find their way to it, since it's outside the realm of what most consider cornbread (for the reast of y'all, this is a yeast-risen bread). Maybe your kind words will guide some more folks to it. (Joe? Bonnie? Can y'all put up the recipes people are mentioning for later use?)
I like that idea. We'll track it down.
That's awesome you are finding success. A work of caution -- make sure you google and find a trusted source. For example, if you aren't going to a trusted recipe source like WaPo food, epicurious, or cook's illustrated you might want to try say, the Lamb Board or the Beef Council. Sadly, a lot of recipes online aren't tested. Just like anything, you have to trust your source. Glad you are finding success!
Hope someone can refresh it for both of us! I remember drooling at the photos...I've been in a pie phase of late. Details soon.
I bought these recently, too, from the amazing Kalustyan's in NYC. I agree that I liked them even better than regular chickpeas, although only slightly because, well, I love regular chickpeas, too. If you love them, it sounds like you're not missing a thing! Although I bet Crescent has more specific ideas...
I once wrote a travel piece about "taking tea in London", and you're right. I'll just say, for the sake of repeating what I think may be the best throwaway line I've ever used in non-fiction, "And when it comes to caloric content, the traditional cream tea adds new meaning to the words, 'the dollar is weak against the pound.' "
Of course, many will pull off the foot before cooking the scallop.
Wow - that Lemon Berry Crunch cake looks fabulous. But the recipe is pretty intimidating. How hard is that to make ? Even the tools needed are intimidating . . . .
I think you can, I think you can...
In the piece that goes with the recipe, I explain that the components are easy to prepare and in and not that time-consuming, especially when spread out over several days. The actual assembly of the cake only takes a half-hour.
It's also worth investing in these tools, especially if you are a baker. Once you make a cake this way,I suspect it will change the way you approach cake-making. Just order everything from amazon.com and let it come to you.
It really depends on the status of your current kitchen, I'd say. Which bothers you more, your counters or your cabinets? For me, the counter is a priority, and if I had Formica or the like (actually, I do have it in DC and I'm dying to change it), I'd be inclined to do that first, because you can always repaint the cabinets and put on new hardware for now and then get new cabinets later if need be. But if it's more than the aesthetics of the old cabinets that bothers you -- if, say, you don't have nearly enough storage space and feel like that's your most pressing issue -- then do that first.
As for cleaning grease off wood, do you mean butcher block counters? If you mean wood trim or cabinets, and it's stained from wood, then it wasn't properly finished in the first place, and you should sand/strip/stain or paint. If you mean butcher block counters, try something like Bar Keeper's Friend, and then after they're clean follow up with Tree Spirit honey/beeswax wood treatment to seal them. You should put that stuff (or mineral oil) on anytime your wood countertops (or cutting boards) seem dry. If they're sealed right, they'll repel grease.
I'm with Joe. Go with the counters, especially if you're thinking of selling before everything is overhauled. We had the ugliest cabinets in the place we rented before we bought our condo, and only after we moved out did the landlord put a coat of white paint on them (which is what our current home has). Would have made a huge difference for me.
I'd typically agree with Joe and Becky on this one, but the earthquake apparently cause our kitchen cabinets to become unhinged. Literally. They started pulling away from the wall.
In such case, fix the cabinets first!
Skip the cabinets. Rip out a wall and find room for a walk-in pantry. Think about storing dishes in deep, undercounter drawers (with pegs to hold the stacked dishes in place). Makes for a nicer work space in the kitchen. Not sure why residential kitchens got away from them.
The reason for different colors in your flame has to do with gas pressure. If the pressure is inadequate, the color turns yellow (as opposed to blue with yellow tips).
Always pre-heat your gas grill. Turn it to high for a few minutes, then cook at the temperature your food requires.
The heat depends on what you are cooking. Generally, you want to cook a burger over high heat for only about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (depending, of course, on the thickness of your burger); obviously, for medium-well, you'll go a little longer, about 4-5 minutes per side.
For vegetables, use a lower heat. It not only will help the veggies cook more evenly, it will give them nice grill marks.
Sure nuff! I LOVE having deja food... I think I might saute an onion in butter... add, say, 1 1/2 cups of converted rice (assuming I didn't have any leftover brown rice or quinoa or something) and toss it around... throw in 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons or so water or stock, salt, a few cardamon pods and corianger seeds, handful of raisins, dried cherries, or apricots. Bring to a boil; lower heat; cover. Let simmer maybe 10 minutes. Lift lid, add leftover beans. Meanwile, rinse some frozen peas in a strainer under hot water. When rice is done, let it cool for a few minutes uncover, fluff with fork to combgine everything, add peas and some toasted nuts and... invite me to dinner!
Plants need room. I'm learning this firsthand on the homestead this year, where my sis and BIL have been changing how they do things to follow principles of biodynamic agriculture, which call for planting things MUCH farther apart than they had before. Tomatoes are 6 feet apart! We caged them but aren't pruning them, and they're going bonkers. And on the smaller scale, I planted a few containers of flowers from little seedlings my sister grew from seed, and she kept cautioning me to separate them into individuals, put them in one pot unless the pot was really big and then MAYBE put two in there. I did a little experiment with the snapdragons. In three pots of the same size, I left one with several little seedlings clumped together, in one I separated them a little but didn't prune, and in the other I took them down to just the three strongest stalks, pruning everything else. Guess which is twice as tall as the others?
You go, farmer Joe!
Thanks for the idea -- my mint plant is getting a bit bushy.
Curious: Do you use seltzer or still water? I'd almost go with the sparkling stuff.
The lemon curd recipe is included with the recipe for the lemon berry crunch cake. It is the best lemon curd recipe I've come along and always get raves for it whenever I use it. A jar of it is always a welcome hostess gift.
Good thing to wonder because the answer is no, mopping is not pointless. Depending on what we mean by mopping, that is.
Granted, it can be a little tough fitting a "mop" between the vertically stacked racks of ribs. So, mist instead. Use whatever you want - water, beer, apple juice - and spray some onto the ribs. Although it, too, is a little tricky, it can be easier than mopping.
I will ask WP to post my hummus after this. Meanwhile, I'd mention the following tricks... Fresh lemon juice! Magic in bringing out the flavor. Also, try cutting back the tahini and adding a teeny bit of toasted sesame oil (not traditional but raises sesame-ishness hugely without making it too tahini-ish). I also love any hummus layered --- layer of chopped tomatoes, radishes, scallions, layer of minced parsley, mint, dill, cilantro, layer of crumbled feta; "ice" the top with yogurt... even a so-so hummus sings with this treatment!
Cook em down on the stovetop on low heat with a little sugar and lemon juice into applesauce. They won't break down as easily as some other apples do, but they'll be better. Then you can spoon them on yogurt, etc... That's what I'd do.
Yep, zucchini and other squash get pretty bland in the dehydrator. My sister keeps trying it but not loving, either. But I think she's found them to be pretty good when rehydrated into soups.
awwwwwww... Ronni! I'm so pleased! Blowing hugs and kisses across the pond to you... xxxxxoooo. Hey - you coming to Fearless this year? We'll talk on FB...
Beans, like human beings, look very different in color, shape, and size, and are somewhat different in individual qualities, but are all, underneath, more alike than they are different. While adzukis are often cooked, then sweetened and made into a kind of jam which is used in many Asian desserts, you can cook them any way you would a lentil (they cook in just about that length of time) --- for a salad, in a soup, etc. You can also use them in chiles, hummus... all the good bean tropes.
Sure!
I'd go with a Pinor Noir.
The Baked Pasta With Vegetables and Cheese, which I have made many times, is delicious but not what I'd call a light summer dish. (When you do get around to making it, buy the fennel seed. It's sold in any supermarket, so you'll have no trouble finding it.) The Chicken with Rosemary and Lime is a good choice, as is my perennial favorite, Mango-Cranberry Chicken, which is also a make-and-take dish. You might have to go to Whole Foods for the dried mango, but that's not a stretch.
Use it instead of cooking fillet mignon in David H's fabulous Asian Beef Salad. Gorgeous and summery, don'tchathink?
Rimmed baking sheets come in essentially 3 sizes.
Full sheet - big for commercial ovens. 18 x 26
Half sheet - about the same size as a jelly roll pan. 18 x 13
Quarter sheet - 10 x 13
Man, I would love to know the answer, too, so I can steal some ideas. I hope others chime in.
As for me, I'm sorry, I don't know what answer to which question you just read, but I will say that meaty ideas abound, everything from the traditional burgers and dogs to pulled pork, ribs, pork chops. If you are looking for something phenomenal, slow-smoke a few beef short ribs. Amazing!
For quicker stuff, maybe go with steak or a sausage that you either like or that sounds interesting.
Start with one of the gluten-free baking mixes (in effect GF flours with leavening and salt). Follow any good Red Velvet cake recipe and use the GF mix in lieu of flour, salt & leavening.
Whew.
A friend who was in the midst of a divorce picked up my copy of "Heartburn" while staying with me on an out-of-town trip back in the 1980s. As a former Washingtonian, I had enjoyed the book, the witty takes on Washington life, the self-deprecating humor, and (if I remember correctly) the way Ephron included recipes -- something I had never seen before in a novel (and possibly a trope she invented).
But for Lois, the marvel of the book was finding herself in a Sisterhood of the Rude Awakening: She and Ephron and Ephron's alter-ego Rachel all had in common the discovery that their husbands were cheating, that the other woman (or women) were people they knew and even socialized with, that other people knew about the affair, and -- if all that weren't enough -- now that they thought about it, realizing there had been signs they hadn't picked up on (in the book, something like, "She had had her legs waxed. For the first time. And it wasn't even summer!"). In my friend Lois' case, what sent her from angry and humiliated to screaming mad was that her husband had had sex multiple times with one particular woman in their home, in their bed -- "IN OUR BED!" -- and she would then get home in the evening and go to sleep with him in that very same bed. And think it was nice that he had washed the sheets! So when she got to the part of the book where the fictional Rachel realizes what a cad her husband is, and starts berating herself in capital letters for not having caught on sooner -- "TALK ABOUT A FOOL!" -- Lois adopted it as her own. Over and over and over again during the week or so she stayed with me, she would suddenly say, very loudly, "TALK ABOUT A FOOL!"
Sometimes she said it to my face, sometimes she'd blurt it out while looking in the refrigerator, sometimes I'd hear her through the wall at night, other times when we were out somewhere, always shouting when she said it: "TALK ABOUT A FOOL!" Now, when I realize something's wrong in one of my relationships -- professional, social, or romantic -- and that I should have realized sooner -- I too say to myself "Talk about a fool!" But I tend to mutter instead of yell.
I devote eight pages to degassifying beans in Bean by Bean, dear Fearless One! Long story short... More water you soak 'em in, then drain off, the fewer of the indigestible sugars which cause havoc are left.
Kristen Hinman did a story for the Food section in December 2010 on the subject, complete with recipe. Check it out.
Just remember: Don't try to start your own SCOBY!
Note, grass fed meat needs less time and should be cooked to a lower internal temp. We regularly get lamb from Lave lake Lamb and they gave us that tip. Makes a huge difference. (as a side note, it is wonderful company--they are deeply into conservation and sustainable farming).
Okay I can buy frozen beef to make a steak sub but I am having problems finding chicken for a chicken steak sub. Wegmans has decent sub rolls and I can make a steak sub to rival Genos but I would like to see what I can do with chicken?
Marinate some thinly sliced chicken cutlets (or cut your own from boneless, skinless chicken breast halves), then treat them as you do the steak stuff. You can do it!
Of course... such beans are called "shell beans" or "shellies" --- you husk them (remove pods) and then cook. They are exquisite --- starchier than green beans, less so than died breans. Usually certain varities are prized for their toothesomeness as shellies: lady peas, cream pies, black-eyed peas, cow peas, french horticultural beans, tongues of fire... go to your local farmer's market in the fall and ask around.
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