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 everything you wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (volume 2) (Page 3)
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| Author | Topic: everything you wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (volume 2) |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 08-10-2004 04:32 PM
  
So, figs. I bought a bunch at the farmers' market today. I've only used them in cooked dishes before -- can I just eat them whole? any parts I have to avoid? IP: Logged |
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Lulue Housemate |
posted 08-10-2004 09:46 PM
Fresh figs you can pretty much eat whole, pull the stalk off if it's still attached. My favourite way to eat figs is halved, the outside wrapped in prosciutto, a dollop of soft blue cheese on the cut side and grilled lightly until the cheese melts and the top of the prosciutto goes crispy, mmmm. [This message has been edited by Lulue (edited 08-10-2004).] IP: Logged |
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Nieci Housemate |
posted 08-11-2004 04:42 AM
oooooh fresh figs are HEAVENLY. They never make it to my home tho. I buy them, scarf them down in the car and have none by the time I get home My grandmother used to have a fig tree in her backyard. There is NOTHING better on earth than fresh figs!! IP: Logged |
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geogirl Housemate |
posted 08-11-2004 01:39 PM
I have a rhubarb patch in my backyard. I've never been a big fan, but I have a recipe for rhubarb crumb pie that I'm willing to try. Anyone know when it's ripe? I know the leaves are poisonous, so I'm a little scared of using it too early. IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 08-11-2004 02:23 PM
no clue about rhubarb, geogirl, but I hope it turns out well once you use it. I've only had rhubarb a couple of times and I loved it. one more fig question: do they continue to ripen (like bananas or peaches)? in other words, if they're ripe and soft now, do I have to use 'em right away? [This message has been edited by jstrizzy (edited 08-11-2004).] IP: Logged |
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Henna73 Housemate |
posted 08-12-2004 02:57 PM
Well, I like to think that I am a fairly gourmet cook, but I got a recipe to test for the cookbook and I can't figure out one of the ingredients. It is Beau Monde and it is being used in a Dill Dip from Mariposa. Any ideas? IP: Logged |
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sassyllama Housemate |
posted 08-12-2004 03:24 PM
Beau Monde is a seasoning of some sort... I remember my uncle using it in Bloody Marys. It might be regional/specialty? I'm about to head to the grocery store, if I find a bottle I'll look at the ingredients so you can substitute! IP: Logged |
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EmmaNadine Housemate |
posted 08-12-2004 03:27 PM
Beau Monde Seasoning (Spice) Recipe Ingredients 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon ground bay leaf 2 tablespoons white pepper 2 tablespoons black pepper 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon allspice 1 tablespoon mace 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 tablespoon cloves
Yield: about 1/2 cup IP: Logged |
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Merimoo Housemate |
posted 08-12-2004 04:00 PM
Oh, that's cool. My mom always buys it at the store in the baking section. IP: Logged |
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Lulue Housemate |
posted 08-20-2004 12:05 AM
for any Australian/american bilinguals out there.... Is a broiler the same as a griller ie the pull out drawer under the stove top/over the oven that heats from above? What is "half and half"? IP: Logged |
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 08-20-2004 05:38 AM
quote: I think a broiler and griller are the same. In the US, some people have the broiler drawer under their oven, and some don't. There are also "broiler pans" that you can put in your oven. You would sit the meat on the top part, which has slits in it that allow the fat to drip into the bottom part of the pan, and then you set your oven to "broil." IP: Logged |
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geogirl Housemate |
posted 08-26-2004 02:13 PM
I just got a recipe for blueberry coffee cake that I'm dying to try. The recipe said to use a 9x13 baking pan, but I went out & bought a bundt pan for an earlier lousy recipe. Now I want to actually find something I can use the pan for. Is there any way to switch by increasing or decreasing the time baked? Is this just a bad idea? IP: Logged |
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yam Housemate |
posted 08-26-2004 04:16 PM
Heh, go look at a boxed cake mix in the store, and see how the suggested cooking times differ for the different kinds of pan. Or just try it and check it often for doneness. I bet it'll turn out just fine. IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 08-26-2004 04:52 PM
yeah, I know I've seen cake recipes that just give different baking times for different kinds of pans, including bundt pans. for example, this recipe for pound cake calls for 1.5 hours for a bundt pan and 50 min-1 hour for a pair of loaf pans. of course I'm not suggesting you use those particular times, since your recipe is different, but it does show that a bundt pan needs more oven time than a loaf pan. IP: Logged |
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quarkiegirl Housemate |
posted 09-01-2004 10:11 AM
is there a way to store plain, cooked rice? it always dries out and i can't use the leftovers. any tips? IP: Logged |
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 09-01-2004 10:21 AM
I don't have tips for storing but for reheating. My mom puts the leftover rice in a strainer and pours boiling water over it (whole kettleful). Seems to rehydrate it. IP: Logged |
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 09-01-2004 11:11 AM
I always store cooked rice in an airtight Tupperw@re-type container. I reheat it in the microwave, sprinkling it with water first. IP: Logged |
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noraneither Housemate |
posted 09-01-2004 11:56 AM
You can use it to make fried rice. Also, if the rice accompanied curry/stir-fry/beans/stew/etc. and you also have leftovers of that, you can put single-serving portions of whatever-on-rice in microwave-safe containers and store them in the refrigerator (few days) or freezer (quite a while) for quick meals later. Last time I went to Tr@der Joe's I saw cooked, reheatable plain rice in the freezer section, and I was trying to figure out if they'd done anything to it that would be different from just cooking a big pot of rice at home and freezing servings of it -- ?? IP: Logged |
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meggo Housemate |
posted 09-02-2004 11:04 AM
I have a smallish butternut squash & seem to have completely forgotten how to cook the thing. Anyone got any tips? IP: Logged |
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quarkiegirl Housemate |
posted 09-02-2004 11:08 AM
quote: i'll have to try that. my rubbermaid container just doesn't keep it moist enough.
quote: i got the trader joe's frozen fried rice, and it was so gross. the rice was really firm and had a weird texture. and there were too many onions in it. IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 09-02-2004 12:06 PM
quote: I think there's a thread or two on butternut squash. IP: Logged |
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ladi Housemate |
posted 09-03-2004 02:24 AM
You can freeze rice for a month or two - to reheat, thaw it out and throw it in a pot with a little water (just enough to generate some steam, and to prevent the rice at the bottom of the pot from burning - top up water as necessary) over a low flame. I freeze rice in 2-person portions, so that The Boy and I can have brown rice at a moment's notice (otherwise it takes a couple of hours to cook) - I don't always thaw it out before putting it in the pot; sometimes I let the heat and steam do that for me. Alternatively, you can fry frozen thawed rice, or use it in some sort of casserole, or porridge - fried rice is probably my favourite use for any sort of leftover rice. Edited to add that I freeze my rice in a Tupperw@re Freez3rmate, but any freezer-safe air-tight container ought to do the trick. [This message has been edited by ladi (edited 09-03-2004).] IP: Logged |
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noraneither Housemate |
posted 09-12-2004 09:56 PM
OK: pan-fried noodle cake. I keep seeing recipes for this, but I've never had it in a restaurant or at anyone's house. I tried it again tonight (cooked egg noodles put into a frying pan of hot sesame oil, no other ingredients). It's just a cake in the pan, yes? When I cut into it, I just got little bits of crispy noodles. This is what Yee-Fan describes in the "leftover makeovers" article here, I think. I guess, though, I was picturing the noodles sticking together and the whole thing being more like a pancake. IP: Logged |
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Andree Housemate |
posted 09-13-2004 03:08 PM
hey, nora, whenever I've had/made noodle cake, it looks like a pancake until you start to eat it, if that makes sense... it comes out of the pan as a round disc, which you can cut in half or into (messy-looking) wedges. The noodles sort of stick together, but tend to unstick, especially when they get wet (like from a stir-fry sauce or something). One thing I've noticed is that it takes far longer to cook than I expect it to, sometimes 10 minutes a side for it to get good and crispy. mmmm, I think I may have to make one for dinner now... IP: Logged |
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 09-16-2004 10:37 AM
Is there any specific reason why you shouldn't (supposedly) defrost frozen vegetables before preparing them? Am I the only one who's heard of this? IP: Logged |
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Jinxie Housemate |
posted 09-16-2004 10:48 AM
I think it depends on the veggie in question. Frozen spinach is better when thawed first, usually, because you can then drain all the excess water off [there's usually a lot]. Maybe with other veggies, it's something to do with keeping it crisp? If you thaw out, say, corn, before you cook it, maybe it gets soggy? Beats me. I'm sure you could thaw first without too many problems, so long as the veggies aren't sitting around too long before you use them. IP: Logged |
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 09-16-2004 10:52 AM
quote: Sounds right to me, but what do I know? But yeah, say you have some frozen broccoli (yuck) and you let it thaw before you cook it; that whole thawing time it's sucking in the water and turning into mush. IP: Logged |
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 09-27-2004 01:59 PM
I'm planning to make this recipe for Moroccan Lamb with Shiraz Honey Sauce. Two questions: can I make it with a leg of lamb (which I already have) or does it have to be a rack of lamb? What does "1 (7 bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched" mean? Sounds dirty.  IP: Logged |
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LazyGoddess Housemate |
posted 09-27-2004 02:39 PM
Must resist dirty thoughts about frenched racks But a trimmed and frenched rack means that the bone portion has been cleaned and is exposed, like...so. The rack comes from the back/rib area of the lamb, hence the 'rack'. As far as subsituting a leg of lamb for a rack, not a clue. IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 09-27-2004 04:03 PM
a rack is basically a bunch of chops all still stuck together, and each of those bones sticking out is one chop. so I'd guess a "7 bone" rack is one with 7 chops, or 7 of those bones sticking out. I don't have much experience cooking large cuts of meat like this, but since a rack has less meat and more bone, and a leg of lamb has that one big bone in the middle, the cooking times are going to be rather different. but since the recipe gives an internal temperature to look for, you might be able to do it anyway, realizing that it'll probably take longer to get to that temperature. IP: Logged |
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KirstenL4W Housemate |
posted 09-27-2004 08:23 PM
quote: We used to have rhubarb in the yard when I was a kid. It's ripe when the stalks turn red. We used to cut it, rinse it and dip it in sugar. Raw rhubarb is rather tart, but goes well as Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, which is the only way we've ever had it in a prepared dish. I found this for you online: Rhubarb I didn't look too much on this site, but if you have a question about rhubarb that can't be answered there, then I don't know what to tell you. IP: Logged |
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LazyGoddess Housemate |
posted 09-28-2004 07:05 AM
Actually there is also a green variety of rhubarb, so it may never turn red. I've always used any stalk that is at least 6 " tall and at least 1/4" diameter but as long as the leaf is fully open you can use it.If you let the plants go you can get stuff up to an 1"+, which isn't any good because it gets woody and is really bitter (it can be used in jams with oodles of sugar though, where boiling is required.) As for the leaves, just cut about an inch below the leaf and there are no worries, besides some weird dude I once worked with told me you had to boil the leaves to "release the poison"...but I think he's in jail now, anyway that's the rumor on the street. IP: Logged |
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noraneither Housemate |
posted 10-06-2004 10:48 PM
When a recipe says "put through a sieve," what kind of sieve is that? A mesh strainer? Or something else? IP: Logged |
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Merimoo Housemate |
posted 10-06-2004 11:09 PM
Sounds right to me. IP: Logged |
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Princessjeanne Housemate |
posted 10-07-2004 04:29 AM
Mesh strainer sounds like a good bet to me. If you want it really finely strained, you can line it with a tea towel also. Whacha making? IP: Logged |
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noraneither Housemate |
posted 10-07-2004 03:32 PM
I bought a prickly pear (fruit of a cactus) but it had lots of seeds. I was thinking if I could easily filter out the seeds, prickly pear margaritas might be my new cocktail specialty. IP: Logged |
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 10-08-2004 12:14 PM
Has anyone ever made/eaten baked grapefruit? IP: Logged |
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bali Housemate |
posted 10-08-2004 02:38 PM
I used to make broiled grapefruit. It was one of my earlier cooking ventures. Cut in half, top with cinnemon and brown sugar, broil for a minute or two. I am not sure it was good. But I loved the picture in the weird British cook book - so I insisted on making it for my family quite often. IP: Logged |
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Isabelle Housemate |
posted 10-08-2004 03:42 PM
Sort of related to cooking... What exactly is and isn't allowed to go down the garbage disposal? I grew up in a home without one, so I've been super-cautious with the one in our new house. I'm terrified I'm going to either break the whole thing or make our kitchen reek for weeks. IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 10-08-2004 04:01 PM
definitely don't put any bones in it. fruits, veggies, bread, pasta, are all ok. and pieces of citrus will make it smell nice. IP: Logged |
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