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Originally posted by septembergirl:
Okay, I'm glad someone here could help you out, because all I had to offer was that Far Side where the guy opens his refrigerator to find a bowl of potato salad pointing guns at the ketchup and mustard bottles. It's called "When Potato Salad Goes Bad."

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Originally posted by crowjoy:
Hard boiled eggs.. don't know if this is the "correct" way, but it was the way I was taught in one of those cooking classes I took in HS. Start with cold water, put eggs in, heat until boiling. Boil for 2 or 3 minutes and then turn off heat and let eggs hang out in the hot water for 10 minutes or so. Run under cold water. Should have hard eggs that are still responsive, like not too hard, no green in the yolk and peel easily. I'm about to go make some devilled eggs so I'll edit if I'm totally blowing smoke.

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Ok, so I followed these instructions and realized that I never do, hahaha. The eggs came out fine though I did have a green line on the yolks and they were hard to peel, though that probably had more to do with me leaving them in the fridge unpeeled and without water all day. The first one had to be eaten out of embarassment but I peeled the rest under cold water and they were fine. I also thought the yolks were slightly gummy but they mashed up fine. The whites were perfect though.

1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water.

Rinsing quinoa is absolutly essential. It really is bitter and pretty bad if you don't rinse well. Rinse in a mesh strainer, or put it in a bowl and change the water until it is clear.
Put quinoa and water in 1 1/2 qt. saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until all water is absorbed (10-15 minutes). When done, the grain appears translucent and the germ ring will be visible.

Once cooked, I often use quinoa as I would couscous. It's cood by itself, or tossed with lightly sauteed veggies, in a grain salad with a light vinagrette. mmmmm. It's really a great food, very easy to prepare, high in fiber and an excellent source of protien.

*edited to add the link to a page full of Quinoa recipes. Hope it inspires you!
http://recipes.wenzel.net/newsite/display_titles.epl?title=quinoa

*edited to add that I just did a google search for "simple steak recipe" and half of the links have "Round Steak Recipe" in the title but are actually porn links. So frustrating!*

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Originally posted by becca11:
To judge how done it is touch each finger to the thumb and feel how firm the far side of the palm is (the little finger is well done, then meduim, then meduim rare, then rare). Then prod the steak and use that to work out how done it is.

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Where on earth did you get this gem, I'm sitting here with my digits in contortions trying out (sans steak) your tip.

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Originally posted by ralphyr:
Where on earth did you get this gem, I'm sitting here with my digits in contortions trying out (sans steak) your tip.

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Originally posted by BionicGirl:
But, but, my palm is meatier under my little finger, making it feel almost the same as the rare section. Do I just have bizarre hands? The middle part is so much less fleshy.

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How do you know when eggplants are ripe? What qualities/characteristics should I be looking for when I buy them?

Is there a secret for taking out bitterness in already cooked foods? Something along the lines of putting a potato in too-salty foods?

Generally look for eggplants that are smooth and plump, not wrinkly, with a deep purple-almost-black color. When you squeeze them they should be firm but yielding like...nevermind...and made a nice thunk when you flick them.

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Originally posted by Epicurus:
When you squeeze them they should be firm but yielding like...nevermind...

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Originally posted by EmmaNadine:
What is the difference between liquor and liqueur? Besides the size of glasses you drink it in?

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According to epicurious.com, "A sweet alcoholic beverage made from an infusion of flavoring ingredients (such as seeds, fruits, herbs, flowers, nuts or spices) and a spirit... Also called cordials and ratafias, liqueurs are usually high in alcohol and range from 49 proof for Cherry Heering to 110 proof for green Chartreuse. The crème liqueurs (such as creme de menthe) are distinguished by being sweeter and more syrupy. Liqueurs were originally used (and some still are) as a digestive."

However, liquor is "A distilled, alcoholic beverage made from a fermented mash of various ingredients including grains or other plants. Whiskey [my favorite - jz], gin, vodka and rum are among the most popular."

I'm not sure what you mean by the glasses. Often liqueurs are served in small, dainty chalices and cups, but they can also be served on the rocks, straight out of the bottle of course , and in lots of different kinds of mixed drinks. Offhand, some liqueurs include: amaretto, sloe gin, creme de cacao, curacao, Drambuie, Grand Marnier [mmm], and Kahlua.