Archive for August 2017
Interrupt chicken brine?">Interrupt chicken brine?
Dear all, I've had a whole chicken soaking in a simple wet brine solution - a little less than 1 gallon water, 3/4c kosher salt, and 2/3c sugar - since this morning. (I usually like the amount of saltiness from 8-10h of brining but have been considering trying longer) Dinner...
Read moreTroubleshooting Scotch eggs - soft boiled eggs and duck eggs">Troubleshooting Scotch eggs - soft boiled eggs and duck eggs
1) Soft boiled - any tips to avoid breaking the white when wrapping? 2) Duck eggs - what's your preferred method to boil? I'm debating pressure cooker vs steamed vs sous vide. I usually steam chicken eggs, 12 minutes for hard boiled. What times would be recommended for soft and hard...
Read moreHelp for Winter Solstice (White Party?) Menu Planning">Help for Winter Solstice (White Party?) Menu Planning
The sweltering August heat is making me long for cool weather, and cooking for cool weather. I happened to remember an acquaintance of mine hosted a winter solstice party every year and I was thinking that would be something neat to plan for. Even though I can see the possibility of...
Read moreEggplant Rollatini, Baked or Not?">Eggplant Rollatini, Baked or Not?
http://www.nickstellino.com/Recipes/Menu/Recipe/?vrec=505b I was watching Nick Stellino on TV preparing eggplant rollatini, recently. He pan grilled the eggplant cutlets and made a fresh, uncooked tomato salsa. The stuffing included ricotta, pecorino and fresh basil. The roll-ups were served unbaked with the salsa on top. I've never eaten it this way but he's...
Read moreSEPTEMBER 2017 COTM: Nomination Thread">SEPTEMBER 2017 COTM: Nomination Thread
Here in the U.S. the football pre-season games have started, yet where I live, fall weather is still months away. So what do we want to cook in the liminal month of September? Shall we reach for a produce-driven book to get the most from late-summer bounty? Or shall we...
Read moreISO recipe for Amish-style tripe in aspic">ISO recipe for Amish-style tripe in aspic
Experiences? I too, like Pennsylvania Dutch Pickled Tripe (which is nothing like New England Pickled Tripe). Old recipe books that also have scrapple recipes should have this too. That being said, no Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch cookbook I have includes such a recipe. All is not lost though, there are dozens...
Read moreInduction Cooktop experience.">Induction Cooktop experience.
I grew up with a Miele Induction stove in the Netherlands 35 YEARS AGO in my parents' house. When I built a totally new kitchen in FL 4 years ago, I decided not to spend the money for Miele Induction since it seemed incomprehensible that anyone could screw up...
Read morebroken oven">broken oven
Hi Hounds! I'm staying in a friend's apartment and the oven is somewhat broken and unreliable. So all of my cooking needs to happen on top of the stove. I'm a big fan of roasting, especially meats and such, so this has me in a position to expand my repertoire....
Read moreCan you hot water bathe dehydrated tomatoes in oil?">Can you hot water bathe dehydrated tomatoes in oil?
So my bf has grown more tomatoes than I know what to do with and I started to put them in the dehydrator. I love store bought dried tomatoes in oil but it's expensive! I've read you can store dried/dehydrated tomatoes in oil in a mason jar and all the...
Read moreHow to make salty/salted fish fried rice?">How to make salty/salted fish fried rice?
Well as my Father was fading, he craved a salt fish that only his Grandma bought. Through my tedious, costly, search...FINALLY! In Cantonese, "mui heung ham yee." All Chinese salted fish are not equal. The "mui heung," variety is fermented first before salting. Most others are simply...
Read moreAbout Me
I love food. Unfortunately, I can't cook worth a damn. I've been known to even burn water.
When I watch chefs and good cooks on tv, I'm so envious of their skills. This blog is the closest I get to cooking, other than the microwave ;)
Try not to drool!
John, New Englander turned Cali dude