FoodCandy Discussion Posts

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Dennis Mai — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:45:04 -0400

Create your own recipe blog. Connect with other recipe bloggers and get updates on new recipes. Sign up on Flavoritup.com.

http://www.Flavoritup.com

The Ultimate laksa Guide

Paul — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:16:20 -0400

Welcome to The Ultimate Laksa Guide!

I love a good Laksa......What is a Laksa you ask?

Laksa is a popular spicy currynoodle soup from Peranakan culture also known as Baba and Nyonya, whichis a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Singapore, Indonesiaand Malaysia. There are many names for a Laksa. Some people call them acurry laksa, laksa noodles, laksa lemak and a host of other variations too.

Everyone has their favourite style of laksa. You could describe Laksaas a unique hot and spicy broth with a coconut cream base, filled withtofu puffs and selected veggies, chicken or seafood or both(combination) depending on where you are. It's usually garnished withspring onions and chili and as far as I'm concerned the hotter the better. I often ask for extra fresh chopped chili with mine.

This Ultimate Laksa Guide intends to discover and host everything about laksa. Why? Because I love it!

A friend and I often go out seeking the best or newest versions of Laksa we can find. We both love chili and often end up getting into chilibattles over our Laksa's which has ended in tears and laughter onseveral occasions. The lengths we'll go to to find a new Laska or aLaksa in a new place is quite amusing, I remember walking all of ChinaTown in Melbourne for at least 2 hours trying to find just the rightplace....... only to come up short in disgust, that's not to say youcan't get a good Laksa in Melbourne by the way.... Such was hisdisappointment, he fell on his sword and broke one of our golden rules:Never get a Laksa from a western airport. (It's inferior &dangerous) Well he did it anyway and had some interesting moments onthe flight home.....

So here we are - Urban Globetrotter's Ultimate Laksa Guide. It's jampacked with tasty bits of info for you like: laksa recipes, theultimate laksa photo gallery, all the laksa ingredients you'll need toknow, there's handy hints on how to make a better laksa, along withsome of the kitchen items you'll need too! It's meant to be a bit offun, so be sure to do the laksa poll to test your Laksa knowledge andplease feel free to add to this lens how ever you can as well. I'll putup what I find along the way and I'd love to hear from you too. Post alink, add a comment or drop me an email at: urbanglobetrotter@gmail.com

For even more unique travel stories & tips including a focus onfood go to: http://www.urbanglobetrotter.com.au, which should be upsoon. In the mean time swing by my Travel Blog at Posteroushttp://urbanglobetrotter.posterous.com/

Now I'm hungry!

Cooking School?

Brody Berg — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:47:46 -0400

I just went to the Cooking 101 class taught by the New School, it was pretty good, but definitely not something that would work for someone wanting to get into cooking professionally. Does anyone know of schools with classes for the novice making the transition to more professional cooking?

Link to the New School Recreational Cooking Courses:

http://www.generalstudies.newschool.edu/culinary/02b_upcomcourse.htm#Recreational

Danish Braid Bread

Nina — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:43:58 -0400

A quick review – Sherry Yard’s the Secret Books of Bakingis one of the finest books on Baking. She has created Desserts forGrammy Awards;Emmy awards and academy awards too.Even the mostelaborate pastry creations can be broken down to simple pastry thatanybody can master,that’s what Secrets of Baking is all about.Her bookis like a bible to me.Not only does she talk about how ingredients work she also talks about how recipes are interlinked. Her Deep Dark Chocolate Tart and Halsey tart is to die for.I tried the "Danish Braid Bread" from her book and I must say it was just perfect….simply outstanding!!! This bread is called the "Vienna Bread" in Denmark and in the rest of the world it’s the "Danish Bread".WhenI had decided to bake this bread,the looks of it made me a li’l nervousbut it wasn’t that difficult as I had anticipated it to be.Sherry madeit a lot easier .I tweaked the recipe a li’l to suit my taste.

Danish Dough-(called the D`etrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or a tbsp active dry yeast
½ whole milk
1/3 cup Sugar
Zest of 1 orange,finely grated
1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
2 large eggs,chilled
¼ Cup fresh orange juice
3 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp salt

For the Butterblock(called the Beurrage)
2 Sticks butter,unsalted
¼ Cup All Purpose flour

Filling –
3 Pears ,peeled and finely chopped
½ C Sugar
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
½ tsp Vanilla extract
¼ Cup lemon juice
2 tbsp butter

For the Egg wash –
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Dough – Combine yeast and milk in a bowl ofstanding mixer,mix on low speed.Slowly add sugar,orange zest,vanillaextract,eggs and orange juice and mix well.Combine flour and salt andli’l by li’l .Knead the dough for five mins more until smooth. Add ali’l more flour if its sticky.Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for30mins.

Butter Block – Combine butter and flour in amixer.Cream on medium speed until smooth and lumpy.Set aside at roomtemperature.You should it end up with fully creamy texture,which shouldbe easy to spread.
Once the Dough is chilled,transfer it to a work surface.Using a rollingpin,roll the dough into a rectangle (close to 18×13inches) and ¼ inchthick. L’il dough can help if its still sticky.Spread butter evenlyover the center and right thirds of the dough.Fold the left edge of thedough to the right, covering half of the butter block.Fold the rightthird of the rectangle over the center right.This is the first turn.

Place this on a baking sheet ,wrap in a plastic film and refrigeratefor 30mins.Place the dough again on a floured surface, the open endsshould be on your right and left.Roll again to a rectangle, fold theleft third of the rectangle over the center third and the right thirdover the center third.This is the second turn. Again refrigerate thedough for 30mins.Roll out,turn and refrigerate the dough two moretimes,for a total of four more times.Refrigerate the dough after thefinal turn for at least five hours to overnight.The Danish dough isready to use.

Filling – Toss the pears with all ingredientsexcept butter.Melt butter over medium heat.Saute the pear mixture intilsoft and caramelized.Cool it.(The original recipe called in for AppleFilling)

Make the Braid – Line a baking sheet with parchmentpaper. Roll the dough into a 15×20inch rectangle,1/4inch thick. Placeit on the baking sheet.Create a fringe down one long side of the pastryby making parallel,5 inch long cuts with a knife,spacing them 1 inchapart.Repeat on opposite side.Spoon the filling down to the center ofthe rectangle.Starting at one end,fold the strips of fringe over thefilling,alternating one by one,right,left,right and so on.When the laststrips have been folded,trim them neatly.

Egg Wash – Whisk together egg and yolk in a small bowl.Using a pastry brush,lightly coat the braid with the egg wash.

Bake - Cover the braid with plastic film and allowit for proofing for about 2 hours,or until doubled in volume or lightto the touch.Preheat the oven at 400F.Place on the center rack and bakefor 10 mins.Rotate the pan from back to front,turn the oven temperaturedown to 350F and bake for 8-10mins.The original recipe called in for15-20mins,but mine was done in less than 10 mins.Cool and serve thebraid.The cooled braid can be wrapped tight and stored refrigerated forupto 2 days or freeze for a month.

Verdict – Aesthetic looks makes it all the moreappealing.Good texture makes it all the more intriguing. This pastrytastes and looks best when it is filled with a fruit filling that isn’tvery juicy.I love love loved it. A must try recipe!

Tuscan kale soup

Kinni — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:01:47 -0400

The photo doesn't really do it justice, but this stuff rocks. I got the recipe from epicurious.

tuscan kale soup with chorizo Gourmet | January 2001

Caldo Verde

This soup may be made with regular kale, but lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan kale, cavolo nero, and black kale) has an artichoke-like sweetness that’s so flavorful, we even loved the soup without the chorizo.

Makes 6 servings.

1 large onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb boiling potatoes
8 cups water
1/2 lb Spanish chorizo (spicy cured pork sausage), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 lb lacinato or regular kale, center ribs discarded and leaves cut crosswise into thin slices

Cook onion in oil in a 5-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut crosswise into thin slices. Add to onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add water and salt to taste and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes.

Cook chorizo in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Coarsely mash potatoes in pot with a potato masher (do not drain). Stir in chorizo and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in kale and simmer until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt.

I've used this recipe twice now with a few changes and great results. Most importantly, I cooked the kale for about thirty minutes instead of five. Also, I didn't mash the potatoes. They looked so pretty in slices. If you cook the kale longer, don't stir it too often or you'll have mashed everything. The second time I made this, also known as last night, I used chicken instead of chorizo. I felt this warranted a few other changes in seasoning: sub shallots for onion; sub 4 c. chicken stock for water; add 2 crushed cloves garlic; add one sprig thyme, one bay leaf and a couple stems of parsley. Both times I used sliced red potatoes (skin on) instead of boiling potatoes.
With a bit of crusty bread, this is the perfect 'I just ate xmas now my pants don't fit' meal.

Play with your food!

Perfecting Meatloaf

steffi67 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:49:57 -0400

One thing i can't seem to do is get a fail-proof meatloaf recipe it is either to dry or it falls apart or it tastes funny i have made it with breadcrumbs , bread soaked in milk. if anyone can give me a great meatloaf recipe i would be so greatful

Best burger in alexandria,mn

christina petri — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:49:54 -0400

Whenever i want a good burger I go to travelers inn here in alexandria.The bacon cheddar burger is wonderful.

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dB. — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:39:05 -0400

Got photos?

Sweet Potato Fries Vs. Idaho

Chef D — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:03:45 -0400

I am a huge fan of Sweet Potato fries and always fine the excitement in finding a place that pairs their burgers with them.... I don't know if that is just the chef in me that likes to be a bit unique but sure do love those large hand cut sweet potato fries...

Although do loves those huge Idaho steak fries....

I am in the middle of pairing "the right french fry" with our Bison Burger (lunch menu) would appreciate all of your thoughts and opinions on this one!

Chef D
www.luqarestaurant.com

meatballs

misha — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:00:09 -0400

I forgot about these meatballs I made eons ago while pregnant and craving meat. I apparently had an iron deficiency while I was pregnant and became anemic hence, when the meat craving set in, I obliged. These are just some of the awesome meatballs I made.

mishamishka

Ice Cream!

Mrs_Doyle — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:43:52 -0400

Hi there - I am new to these forums.

I wanted to be upfront to let you all know that I’m working with Ben & Jerry’s - the Ice Cream makers.

I also wanted to let you know about a new initiative we are running called "Do the World a Flavour".

What we're doing is sending Arnold and Peter, two of our real life flavour gurus around the world, sampling local cuisine to try get some inspiration for a brand new ice cream flavour.

Have a look at the guys in Copenhagen this week: http://www.youtube.com/watch ...

Now as this is an ice cream related forum, I wanted to let you know that if you have any inspired ideas for a new flavour of ice cream - we'd like to hear from you! We are currently running a competition on our website, inviting you to submit your best flavour ideas.

http://www.benjerry.com/

The makers of the winning flavours will get flown to the Dominican Republic to meet Ben & Jerry and the other finalists from around the world. The final winner will then see their flavour made and sold globally in 2010.

What do you guys think?

Thanks for your time

Mrs Doyle

on behalf of Ben & Jerrys.

Mac and Cheese

Liv Norstar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:06:40 -0400

I love Mac and Cheese - homemade with lots of cream and fontina cheese.... YUM!

I'm also a sucker for that fake, processed cheese, like cheesewiz or nacho cheese at sporting events...

:)

turkey

misha — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:02:09 -0400

my mom gave me a 20 pound turkey AFTER thanksgiving. I baked it - it was awesome! Now what do I do with 15 pounds of cooked turkey meat? Besides enchiladas, pot pie, or soup. . .

mishamishka

Thanksgiving Traditional

AlmondAnn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:44:04 -0400

Thanksgiving Traditional

Eggs are yummy

Brenda Cope — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:22:04 -0400

I cannot tell you how much I love eggs. omellettes, curries, etc, yummy! My mom cannot even stand the smell of eggs, and that has led me to eat out at restaurants during the daytime to satisfy my eggy appetite! ;)

Untitled

Bailey — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:38:08 -0400

I have been wondering about all you foodies. Has the downward spiral of the economy across this country, coupled with the rising costs of food, effecting your eating habits? Are you eating out less? Skipping the high quality ingredients for your everyday cooking? Or has it not caught up to you yet? Are food expenses still a top priority for you?

Any restaurant owners/managers/chefs/ servers seeing any trends in your respective restaurants?

-Bailey

Pasta!

AlmondAnn — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:24:54 -0400

I always want to eat pasta but I try to cook it in different ways with lots of veggies and homemade sauces. I do a lot of experimenting when home alone so that I can find a yummy dish for people when they are over. This list of basic foods has helped me so much in my cooking: http://www.ranker.com/list/how-to-cook-like-a-king-in-an-apt--fit-for-a-bachelor/mollie

Meat Pirogies

TP — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 18:47:06 -0400

I and millions others used to buy them as a snack or lunch

many years ago in the old country. They were 4 kopeeks a piece.

I suspect they were made not from the wholesome products,

but back than they tasted really good.

Well, the ones we make now taste pretty good also.

And here is how we make "PIROZKI".

2 big onions chopped and browned. 1 can of buttermilk biscuits. Salt and pepper.

1 chicken breast boiled for 25 minutes grinded together with onion, salt and pepper.

Roll the daugh with a glass. Use some flower.

Put stuffing on the daugh, form pirogi.

Heat oil to boil at about 450. Drop pirogies into the boiling oil 3-5 at a time.

Bring the temperature down to about 350. Fry till they brown.

The chef

need egg ideas

Kinni — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:57:40 -0400

I'm currently getting 11-16 eggs per day out of my ladies. I sell some, but since farmers' market season hasn't yet arrived, I'm stuck with the rest. A lot of these get scrambled up and fed back to chickens. I need some good egg ideas for people feedin'. We've done frittatas to death. We've had every breakfast egg combo I can think of. I've made challah bread. I've made poached eggs with artichokes and holandaise. I've made egg burritos. I've poached eggs in tomato sauce and tomato soup. I very nearly tried egg pizza, but Mike stopped me. We've had egg salad, eggs on salads, eggs in tuna salad. What the hell can I do with these eggs that I haven't already tried?! Anyone in the ATL need some eggs?

Play with your food!

something simple... or clams!

Ladyberd — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:05:09 -0400

When I cook for myself, it's usually something simple becuase I like to put my energy into cooking for others. Pasta, salads, and the like. But, if I can get them... CLAMS! My husband is allergis to clams so I don't make them often. So if he's not around, I love to make steamed clams or pasta with white clam sauce! delish.

Ladyberd
http://ladyberds-kitchen.blogspot.com/

MMmm, Pasta

Liv Norstar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:13:28 -0400

When eating alone, I typically always make pasta, my own personal fave is pasta with sauteed spinach, garlic and ground beef. Though any variation of pasta, veggie and meat will do!

Homemade Marshmallows Dipped in Gourmet Chocolate

Sherry Smith-Noble — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:16:34 -0400

Last summer I decided to make homemade marshmallows. I dipped them in chocolate, and people loved them. I've been cooking, baking, and making candy for years, and decided I would take this creation and make it into a business -- thus was born Eutopian Chocolates. So when you discuss comfort food, this is it for me!! Now that I'm around it all the time I'm much more controlled, and I've ruined my family and friends from ever eating junk candy. There is nothing like really good chocolate around a creamy marshmallow center.

Israeli pita bread

misha — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:52:33 -0400

Anyone know where one can buy yummy authentic Israeli pita bread in the city?

Somewhere specific please!

mishamishka

split pea pilaf with meatballs

misha — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:16:21 -0400

This is the recipe I followed. . .
http://www.cooking.com/Recipes-and-More/recipes/Spiced-Chicken-Meatballs-in-Split-Pea-Pilaf-recipe-10702.aspx

But this is what they actually look like!

mishamishka

Any Body For Tapas ...

simon johnson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:04:17 -0400

Hi

My name is Simon im from London but have just moved to Seville in Spain , would like to trade food tips and tapas with anybody , a bit like snap or top trumps ( do you have tops trumps in the states )

anybody wanting to join in please contact me to trade ?

Simon

Crif Dogs vs Grey's Papaya for NBC 4 NY's 1st ever Golden Local award

Jon Hochstat — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:45:09 -0400

NBC 4 NY is holding it's first ever Golden Local award. The competition is between Crif Dogs (who I am working with) & Grey's Papaya for NYC's best hot dog.

Vote here NBC4NY http://tinyurl.com/amo2jn

Vote Crif!! Voting ends February 15th

Best mustard EVER!!! What's your favorite mustard?

dB. — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:12:37 -0400

While eating lunch at La Cupesse I discovered the absolute best mustard. It's made by Rochambeau. I couldn't find it in the stores in Samoens, nor could I find anything online about it.

Where can I buy this miracle? And what's your favorite mustard?

dB. - http://www.dblock.org

what sort of oeurves should i serve?

jadoreme — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:22:45 -0400

I'm planning a cocktail party-gift exchange for 5 people (including myself), and I'm wondering what hors d'oeurves I should serve because I already have a drink planned and I want the food to taste good together. I'm planning on making a candy cane cocktail (ingredients here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/candy-cane-cocktail-recipe2/index.html)

What sort of oeurves would go good w/that? TIA.

KillerStartups.com review

dB. — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:43:31 -0400

KillerStartups.com posted a nice FoodCandy review yesterday. All the press links are always on www.foodcandy.com/press.

There're also a bunch of blogs that picked us up (not sure in which order).

http://www.listio.com/web20/app/FoodCandy/
http://www.web2null.de/foodcandy
http://momb.socio-kybernetics.net/beta/foodcandy (this one is fun, it's the Museum of Modern Betas!)
http://siepeltje.blogspot.com/2008/11/17-bekijk-een-web-20-site-naar-keuze.html

dB. - http://www.dblock.org

Relatively New to Los Angeles and looking for yummy restaurants!

Kayla — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:32:49 -0400

Hello All!

After living in NYC for the last 11 years, we have relocated to wonderful Los Angeles last year. Can you suggest to me your favorite restaurants? We go to everything - from dives to 5 stars... we are not restaurant snobs, but we are foodie snobs! Just let us know what you love and why and the neighborhood! Thanks!

Peace out!
Kayla

Challah bread

Kinni — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:03:55 -0400

I have almost 3 dozen eggs in my fridge right now, and the day's not over, so I'm all about egg recipes. This one is from The Farmstead Egg Cookbook by Terry Golson.

Challah
4 tsp. (2 packages) instant yeast
7 to 8 c. bread flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. plus 1 tsp. water
3 large eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg yolk

1. Stir the yeast, 1 c. of flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.

2.Pour in the 1 3/4 c. water and combine [I heated my water just a little]. Add the eggs and oil. Mix until smooth.

3. Add the remaining flour, 1 c. at a time, untila sticky dough forms. Knead adding a little flour at a time, to forma smooth ball of dough. Err on the side of a moist dough. I use a stand mixer for the kneading, but it is an easy dough to work by hand.

4. Put the dough in a covered bowl (I use a large plastic tub with a lid) and let it rest in a warm place until double in bulk. This will take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending on the room's temperature. Don't rush it.

5. Punch down the risen dough and, if sticky, dust with flour so that it can be handled. Put on a floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Divide into 2 portions and then divide those into 3 parts. As they do in professional bakeries, I use a scale to do this, because strands of equal size produce a braided loaf that rises evenly and looks beautiful.

6. Roll each portion into a strand about 12 inches long. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

7. Take 3 of the strands and pinch the ends together. Braid them and then pinch the other end. Tuck the pinched ends under the loaf and place on the parchment. Repeat with the second loaf. Both should fit on the baking sheet or use two sheets. Give the loaves room to rise and spread.

8. Mix the egg yolk with 1 tsp. of water to make an egg wash. Paint the loaves using a pastry brush. Let rise until about double in size, about 1 hr.

9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Just prior to baking, brush the loaves again with the egg wash. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden.

This was a very easy bread to make and the flavour was excellent. Considering the price of fresh bread these days, I'll be making a lot more of this. I can't wait to make french toast with it. Last night we ate it with a lovely soup of boiled chicken with its broth, sliced fingerling potatoes and lacinato kale. We didn't even make it to the sofa (our usually eating place). We just stood at the couter with giant bowls and scarfed.

catfish poboys

Kinni — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:58:07 -0400

I made a couple of exciting discoveries last night. One is that good fish breading doesn't come from wheat flour, it comes from corn flour. I can't believe I've never tried it before. The crust was perfect. I'll be using it on chicken next. The other is that mayo can actually be made in a food processor without loss of integrity. I know some of you are laughing at me right now. I'm laughing with you. I won't be going back to a whisk. I get plenty of excercise tossing bags of feed. This was the first time I've made mayo with my own eggs and it really was quite good. I love the colour farm fresh eggs add to any dish.

Play with your food!

shrimpy noodles

misha — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:18:45 -0400

You might remember that New York Magazine had a recipe involving chick peas and pasta from last week. . .Well this is my interpretation. I didn't use panchetta, I used turkey bacon and I added shrimp and a bunch of other herbs to it as well. I also used whole wheat pasta for some added fiber (everyone has to poop!). The end result was a yummy, homey, comforting one bowl dinner. Totally recommended!

mishamishka

Cricket pie? Duck pie? Brooklyn Pie Social oozes creativity

Matthew Caldecutt — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:25:40 -0400

Thought that some of you might be interested in the Brooklyn Pie Social taking place in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood this Sunday, September 24. amNY freelancer Lisa Lacy wrote about it and included some suggested recipes in her article about it published today here: http://www.amny.com/entertainment/dining/am-pie0924,0,3382854,full.story

Best,

Matthew

Untitled

ChefWitch — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:38:59 -0400

I cook for myself the way I'd cook for someone else, there'll just be leftovers. Some days I'm just too tired to cook and then I'll make a salad or eat leftover whatever - there's always food in my fridge.

Untitled

misha — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:59:03 -0400

I love a can of baked beans (Heinz vegetarian)!

mishamishka

strawberry margaritas in Brooklyn

misha — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:28:35 -0400

Somewhere off the Atlantic/Pacific stop at an outside Mexican place that gives you the runs. I can't drink right now but everyone else seemed to like their cocktails! Wish I could remember the name!

mishamishka

Who says you can't eat good even if it's alone?

The Cookie Chew — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:54:27 -0400

These are such sad postings :(. I still love to cook even though it's for myself 90% of the time. Sometimes I can convince other people to join but it's difficult when gas prices are where they're at. Anyway, I love to make pasta just becuase it's one of those foods that'e even better the next day. I make this awesome goat cheese, cream cheese, spinach, artichoke, and mushroom pasta with a whole wheat penne. It's sooooo good.

Always a Surprise Inside
The Cookie Chew

Chili Frito Pie

The Chile Queen — Wed, 02 May 2007 04:31:34 -0400

My favorite guilty pleasure is Chili Frito Pie.
Basically, it is layered corn chips, canned chili, walla walla onions,green chiles, salt and pepper, dollops of yellow mustard, and lots of cheese. Bake and eat.

speaking of chickens . . .

foodannie — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:30:48 -0400

have you ever had egg whites by a brand called Eggology?? i believe the website is simply: www.eggology.com. i buy them at my local grocery - it is not your typical egg white - actually has flavor and i don't feel like i'm missing out on anything. have been substituting it in my recipes in place of eggs too to lowere the fat and cholestorol. anyone heard of it? i feel like i made this huge discovery bc in my circle of friends, no one had heard of them. they are sooooo good.

Pot Roast

SavoryTv — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:18:50 -0400

I love comfort food too. My sister calls it Mommy Food! I think my favorite has to be a nice juicy pot roast with veggies.

http://savory.tv

Good, But Wallet-Friendly Places

Jo Boston — Wed, 16 May 2007 14:11:17 -0400

Hey everyone, I am a college student in the middle of Downtown San Francisco and I was wondering if there was anyone out there who knows any good places to have lunch for under $10 a day. $10 is my budget, but I refuse to use it on Jack in the Crack or McD's. I may be broke, but I shouldn't subject my tongue to filth. I only work from 10 to 15 hours a week, so I don't make that much. =( My foodie-side is CRYING.

Please, please, please lemme know!
Jo

"My last name may be Boston, but I'm a Bay girl at heart."

Awesome cause

foodie321 — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:20:10 -0400

Just the other day, I was out to eat with my friends at Butterfly down on the piers, where I had the tender duck dish. Food was delicious, but what surprised me more was Butterfly’s partnership with StreetSmart4Kids. For those of you that don’t know, SS4K is a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to keep homeless teens off the street. The campaign they are running this year is called "Dine Out and Donate." All you have to do is visit one of the participating restaurants around the city (visit www.streetsmart4kids.org for a list) and give a donation when you pay the check (minimum $3). It’s a really great way to give back to the community without the stress of doing actual community service labor. So next time you’re going out for a night on the town, check out SS4K’s restaurant list and kill two birds with one stone—eat great and do it for a great cause!

Veg-o-rama!!

Kinni — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:02:07 -0400

This is what you get from a 4' x 4', minimal upkeep plot and less than $2 worth of seed potatoes-- about 25lb. of tasty, fresh taters. Incidently, I discovered that the potatoes I buy in the grocery store must be between 6-8 weeks old. That's how long it took these to reach a similar firmness and texture, and they were improperly store. I was truly delighted to find that potatoes straight from the ground bear no comparison to the lifeless, bland, mealy things marketed by grocery stores. These were very firm and had a creamy texture when cooked. The skin was tissue thin and tasted like a vegetable. I can't wait to plant more potatoes!

For all my Russian friends out there, you snowbunnies know how to make a damned fine tomato! These are Purple Russian paste tomatoes and some of the tastiest I've ever had. I gave a few away and got fantastic feedback, then I got greedy. I'm actually hoarding these now. They make a superior salsa. The flavour brings to mind sweet, smoked meat. I will be planting many of these next season and keeping them all for myself.

This is a sample of what I'm harvesting daily now. Don't let the green and yellow tomatoes fool you, they are ripe and they aren't tart. The curved zucchinis come from one of the weirdest most prolific plants I've ever seen. In a few weeks, my neighbors will be sitting in their backyards plucking zucchini off of my plant. This thing is positively Jurassic in its size, and it refuses to be detered by fences, just knocked it down and kept growing. That being said, the flesh is quite mild and the fruit itself is very delicate. The yellow tomato at the top of the pic was a freebie when I ordered seeds. It's a Furry Yellow Hog, and guess what? It's furry! The skin is similar to an apricot and just shy of being peach-like. Weird!

This is my carrot, radish and greens selection. It'll be winter before I can coax more carrots from the ground, but the memories of confetti slaw are still fresh in my mind. The slaw is actually a mixture of zucchini, multi coloured carrots and radishes, mmmm. The greens were great while they lasted-- not long enough. That nasty heat wave that came through made all of my greens and basil bolt so fast there was no stopping it. It stunted what was left of my radishes and utterly ruined my beets. They beets really hurt my feelings. I also grew some corn which the goats kindly pruned for me. I neve got enough to cook with, but I enjoyed a couple of fresh ears with my wild things. The flavour was top notch and the sweetness was just enough. The goats were also quite impressed.

In a couple of weeks, these will be making eggs.

In the meantime, this is the kind of dustbathing debauchery we have to endure:

Play with your food especially if it plays back!

Crazy redneck quesadilla

Kinni — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:50:12 -0400

Drunk and tired, last night I decided to just make something up using the pre-prepped foods in my larder. I used canned field peas, canned mustard greens, pre-shredded Mexican blend cheese and a couple of tortillas to make one of the best, weirdest quesadillas I've ever eaten. After cooking them up in a little Smart Balance, I topped them with the salsa I made yesterday afternoon and a pile of jalepeno peppers. Yeehaw, it was good!

Play with your food!

Dining Out to End Cancer

Rebecca — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:52:33 -0400

Here’s a great program that I heard about recently and thought you all might be interested in, from one restaurant lover to another! The Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation at UCLA has launched a new program called Dining Out to End Cancer. Beginning in August, the JCCF started selling $25 Dining Out to End Cancer cards online at www.diningouttoendcancer.com. These cards will be valid at participating restaurants during the month of October 2008. Anyone who presents a Dining Out to End Cancer card at a participating restaurant will receive a discount on their bill. Restaurants will be participating at the following levels:

15% discount on bill (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity)

20% discount on bill (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity)

25% discount on bill (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity)

So far some great Los Angeles area restaurants are lined up to participate, including Pastis, West Restaurant and Lounge, Il Carpaccio, Enzo & Angela The Italian Restaurant, Nirvana, Bombay Palace, Antonello Ristorante, JJ Steak House, Factor’s Famous Deli, Ita-Cho, Carousel and La Fonda on Wilshire.

I know I plan on buying at least a few of these cards for myself and my friends. Having had dear friends and family effected by cancer, this opportunity to give to a worthwhile cause while dining out seems like a no-brainer for me!

CJ Jacobson of Top Chef is hosting a BBQ in NYC!

Aviva — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:01:42 -0400

Hi all,

Chris "CJ" Jacobson is hosting a BBQ event on Sat, August 23rd in NYC. He designed the menu and will be grilling it up himself at this outdoor party. The Harlem Brewery will provide free beer all day, and the indie pop band Islands will give a concert.

There is also a $1,000 prize for the BBQ cook-off challenge! Details and tickets are at www.nymag.com/nyxny.

Foodcandy NYC Meetup?

Jon Hochstat — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:24:55 -0400

It has been quite a while since we had a meetup here in NYC. Just curious if anyone else is up for getting together somewhere maybe sometime in mid/late July.

Just tossing it out there...

Food and Wine din din -August 2008 issue

misha — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:19:28 -0400

I thought I'd commit to cooking dinner tonight and opted for inspiration from Food and Wine. I made the Sweet Corn Succotash, couscous, and
Moroccan Chicken with Apricot-and-Olive Relish. The only issue I had was that I didn't have a grill so the chicken doesn't really have that smoky flavor I was hoping to achieve. Maybe I'll invest in a grill soon. Doubt it though. Overall, the Succotash is my favorite and I used Turkey Bacon instead of the real thing. Organic ofcourse.

Yum!

mishamishka

Unfancy Food Show this Sunday in Williamsburg

Jon Hochstat — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:28:30 -0400

Unfancy Food Show Site

This year's show looks great, anyone else going?

Bronx Bee Honey- Local, seasonal, blow your mind honeys
Cut Brooklyn- Handcrafted, sharp, cool knives right here in Bklyn
Diner Journal- The thoughtful eater’s magazine
Gabriel’s Handmade- Transforming the Northeast’s best pork into pate
Hot Bread Kitchen- Tortillas from actual corn- nothing else, nuff said
Jasper Hill Farm- Some of the finest cheeses in the country, period. (and a cool, humongous project that you want to hear about)
Luminous Kitchens- Fantastic organic, handmade and local snacks
Mast Brothers Chocolate- Insanely good chocolate made by ridiculously nice people, in Williamsburg
McClure’s Pickles- Oh snap! Perfect pickles from the McClure family
NuNu Chocolates- Serious salted caramel chocolates- organic, Brooklyn, yummy
Salvatore Brooklyn- A dreamy version of ricotta made with local whole cow’s milk
Shameless Carnivore author Scott Gold- Signing copies of his meat manifesto
Sixpoint Craft Ales- Brewskies from Brooklyn- for realsies
Tamarack Hollow Farm- Mind altering meats- pork many ways plus real chickens
TastebudsNYC- Focused and fun social group sparking all kinds of conversations about food
Taza Chocolates- Organic stone ground chocolates- texture and taste revelations
Wheelhouse Pickles- Seasonal, fleeting, experimental and delicious pickles
Zippy Bee Kay Sera Honey- Golden NY honey from a flamboyant beekeeper

East River Bar
97 South 6th St.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718.302.0511