You are not logged in. Login Now
 0-19   19-43   44-68   69-93   94-118   119-143   144-168   169-193   194-218 
 219-243   244-253         
 
Author Message
25 new of 253 responses total.
slynne
response 19 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 4 14:46 UTC 2010

resp:18 I thought that part of the point of making meatloaf was to make
extra because when it comes to leftovers, meatloaf is pretty good :) 
mary
response 20 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 4 17:02 UTC 2010

20 people? ;-)
slynne
response 21 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 4 19:24 UTC 2010

No. Ten meals for two people :) 
mary
response 22 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 5 13:01 UTC 2010

Last night I made Pork Chops Marsala from this recipe:

http://tinyurl.com/24xhmhn

The only change I made was to use 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon 
olive oil to brown the chops.  I've never found "spraying the pan" to be 
enough to get a tasty browning.

The dish was wonderful, very tasty.  A keeper.
mary
response 23 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 7 17:10 UTC 2010

I just now made up a batch of this cranberry sauce.  Super easy and tasty 
- just the right mix of sweet and tart.  It comes from The Pioneer Woman, 
a blogger and cookbook author that seems to be wildly popular at the 
moment. As I spent about 15 minutes looking through her site I can see 
why.  Anywho, here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/23qnwq5
mary
response 24 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 7 17:11 UTC 2010

s/that/who
denise
response 25 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 7 23:47 UTC 2010

That looks like it's something even I can do... Let's see if I remember 
at Thanksgiving!
mary
response 26 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 8 00:58 UTC 2010

Well, after it had a chance to cool and thicken I served it with dinner.  
Next time I'll probably increase the sugar to 1 cup as it's on that edge 
of being too tart.  I'm going to freeze half of it and will let you know 
how that goes.
edina
response 27 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 8 19:38 UTC 2010

So yesterday's Sunday gravy experiment went *extremely* well, even 
though we didn't do homemade pasta.  The recipe can be found here:

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=20291

but you have to have a log-in to see it, so I just cut and paste it 
below:

Serves 8 to 10

We prefer meatloaf mix (a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal) 
for the meatballs in this recipe. Ground beef may be substituted, but 
the meatballs won t be as flavorful. Six tablespoons of plain yogurt 
thinned with 2 tablespoons of milk can be substituted for the 
buttermilk. This recipe makes enough to sauce 1  pounds of pasta. Our 
preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Tuttorosso and Muir Glen. The 
sauce can be prepared through step 4 and then cooled and refrigerated 
in the Dutch oven for up to 2 days. To reheat, drizzle   cup of water 
over the sauce (do not stir in) and warm on the lower-middle rack of a 
preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour before proceeding with the 
recipe. 

Ingredients
Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 rack baby back ribs (about 2 1/4 pounds), 
cut into 2-rib sections
  Table salt and ground black pepper
1 pound hot Italian sausage links
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups) 
1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano 3 tablespoons tomato paste 4 medium 
garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 
teaspoons)
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (see note)
2/3 cup beef broth 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 
Meatballs
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread , crusts removed and bread cut 
into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk (see note)
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves , chopped
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 
2 teaspoons)
1 large egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1/4 teaspoon crushed red 
pepper flakes 1 pound meatloaf mix (see note)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto , chopped fine
1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup olive oil 
Pasta
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti or linguine
2 tablespoons table salt   Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
1. FOR THE SAUCE: Adjust oven rack to lower- middle position and heat 
oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high 
heat until just smoking. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season 
with salt and pepper. Add half of ribs to pot and brown on both sides, 
5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer ribs to large plate and brown remaining 
ribs. After transferring second batch of ribs to plate, brown sausages 
on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer sausages to plate with 
ribs. 
2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and oregano; cook, stirring 
occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato 
paste and cook, stirring constantly, until very dark, about 3 minutes. 
Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed 
tomatoes and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Return ribs and 
sausage to pot; bring to simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook 
until ribs are tender, about 2  hours. 
3. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Meanwhile, combine bread cubes, buttermilk, 
parsley, garlic, egg yolk, salt, and red pepper flakes in medium bowl 
and mash with fork until no bread chunks remain. Add meatloaf mix, 
prosciutto, and cheese to bread mixture; mix with hands until 
thoroughly combined. Divide mixture into 12 pieces; roll into balls, 
transfer to plate, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until ready to 
use. 
4. When sauce is 30 minutes from being done, heat oil in large 
nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs 
and cook until well browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer 
meatballs to paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly. Remove sauce 
from oven and skim fat from top with large spoon. Transfer browned 
meatballs to sauce and gently submerge. Cover, return pot to oven, and 
continue cooking until meatballs are just cooked through, about 15 
minutes. 
5. Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 
salt and cook until al dente. Reserve   cup cooking water; drain pasta 
and transfer back to cooking pot. 
6. TO SERVE: Using tongs, transfer meatballs, ribs, and sausage to 
serving platter and cut sausages in half. Stir basil into sauce and 
adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with 1 cup sauce and 
reserved pasta cooking water so that sauce lightly coats pasta. Serve 
pasta, passing remaining sauce and meat platter separately.


Ok...so fairly labor intensive, but I have to say, you definitely get 
bang for the buck.  Our only changes were to use homemade chicken 
stock, not beef, and Nata had too much liquid in the meatballs.  But 
holy crap, tasty!  And everyone loved it!  Next time, we'll cook the 
pork longer.
mary
response 28 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 8 20:04 UTC 2010

(Mary bows to a master chef who isn't intimidated by multi-step recipes 
and lots of clean-up.)

Sounds wonderful, Brooke.  I grew up in an Italian neighborhood where many 
families were "right off the boat".  This is how they cooked.  I have 
since seldom found Italian cuisine to come anywhere close to matching my 
childhood memories of rustic Italian food.
edina
response 29 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 8 20:08 UTC 2010

I had a co-chef.  Nathaniel and I are culinary soul mates (not just 
culinary, but we share a bond over cooking that is unreal).  So I 
didn't do this alone.  We're looking at Greek food next!  
mary
response 30 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 10 15:04 UTC 2010

For a dessert last night we had vanilla ice cream with cherry sauce.  Here 
is a link to the recipe. Again, amazingly simply yet delicious.  Except 
for the part where I had to do a liquor store run for some cherry brandy. 
;-)

http://tinyurl.com/23238bg

I used frozen, pitted cherries and left 'em whole.
denise
response 31 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 11 02:41 UTC 2010

Looks good!
mary
response 32 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 11 11:25 UTC 2010

I've always wanted to make a good chicken cacciatore.  But mostly what I 
ended up with was rather heavy with a thick tomato sauce over chicken with 
a gummy coating.  But last night I tried Giada's recipe and (finally) I 
found a version that reminds me of the dish I remember from my youth. 

I stayed pretty close to the recipe as presented with the only change 
being I used 4 drumsticks and 4 thighs (no breast meat).  For tomatoes I 
opted for canned, diced, Muir Glen's fire-roasted.  I found it needed more 
like 30 minutes in the Dutch oven to be falling-off-the-bone tender.

http://tinyurl.com/58dw3y
mary
response 33 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 13 15:03 UTC 2010

A few weeks ago we visited Hidden Lake Gardens, out Tipton way. What a 
gorgeous park.  While there I played around with a bit of geocaching 
without luck.  I'm a beginner here.

Anyhow, while out that way we stopped at a little roadside diner called 
Top of the Hill.  It doesn't get less fancy but oh, my, the bbq was 
incredible.  So I decided to give pulled pork a try at home.  No smoker 
here which puts me to a disadvantage.  Google kept giving Paula Deen's 
recipe top honors, the reviews were great, but the seasonings sounded 
excessive.  But what the heck? All I could lose was a few hours and 4 
pounds of pork.  ;-(

Well, no loss.  The pork was absolutely delicious.  Moist, tender and 
perfectly seasoned.  The yield was 36 ounces of meat, which, to my 
taste, makes 12 sandwiches.  I froze a couple of packages and suspect 
they will reheat just fine.  Yesterday I served this as she suggested, 
on toasted buns with a spicy bbq sauce drizzle and coleslaw topping.  
Tomorrow I'll use the pork in quesadillas.  Anyhow, here is the link:

http://tinyurl.com/5jhkgu

Closing snarky comment: If this recipe wasn't on an official Food 
Network site I'd be skeptical of it being from Paula.  I mean, where's 
the butter? ;-)
edina
response 34 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 13 18:58 UTC 2010

Hahahaha!  When asked what her favorite dessert was, her son Bobby 
said, "Butter fried in butter."

And you were out my way!  ;-)
edina
response 35 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 15 01:40 UTC 2010

Today is adventures in Greek cooking....homemade Spanokopita, found
here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spanakopita-spinach-triangles-or-pie-
recipe/index.html

and homemade Moussaka, found here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/eggplant-and-potato-
moussaka-recipe/index.html

A good time, and AMAZING food!!
keesan
response 36 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 15 03:44 UTC 2010

Spanak - spinach.  Pita - bread?  The Macedonians make similar dishes.  You
can use leeks instead of spinach, or squash.
edina
response 37 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 15 04:36 UTC 2010

It's spinach and feta layered with phyllo dough.  It turned out well.
mary
response 38 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 15 10:34 UTC 2010

Wow, that Spanokopita sounds wonderful.  I've only worked with phyllo once 
and my ego took a bashing.  I suspect it takes the patience of a baker.

Now, puffed pasty is another matter.  I can defrost with the best of 'em.
mary
response 39 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 15 10:48 UTC 2010

Last night I wanted to use the leftovers from the pulled pork from a few 
days ago.  I decided on quesadillas but I also wanted a quick soup to 
serve with.  I'd found this recipe for tomato soup and gave it a try.  I 
found it interesting for what it didn't call for - like onions or 
oregano or cream.  

http://tinyurl.com/2dhtog8

If you like Zingerman's tomato soup this is the closest thing I've found 
to it both in flavor and texture.  I suspect the brand of tomatoes is 
important here.  I used Muir Glen fire-roasted, diced tomatoes.  The 
hardest part was washing and chopping the fresh basil which took, maybe, 
5 minutes of hands-on.  

Next time I'll do it right and serve it with grilled cheese sandwiches.  
I'm a dunker and this is rustic, dunking and swabbing soup.
mary
response 40 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 21 13:11 UTC 2010

I'm not a huge fan of altering a recipe to make it healthier if it means the
end product isn't just as  tasty.  I'd rather eat a smaller portion of the
richer dish.  Or at least that's the theory. 

But I came across this recipe for one of my favorite desserts, Key Lime Pie,
and decided to give it a try.   Wow.  It shaves about 1/3 of the calories off
the traditional recipe but without sacrificing taste, texture  or look. And if
that isn't enough - it's dead easy to make.

tinyurl.com is down so I hope you can get this link to work.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn
action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001206119
mary
response 41 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 21 14:17 UTC 2010

Too tedious.  Try this:

http://tinyurl.com/23ebr7t
slynne
response 42 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 21 15:31 UTC 2010

mmm. That pie sounds delicious. 
mary
response 43 of 253: Mark Unseen   Nov 23 03:15 UTC 2010

Tonight it was a pasta dish loaded with veggies and lightly sauced.  I 
doubled the sun dried tomatoes (love 'em) but otherwise followed the 
recipe.  It was good but not great.  Something was missing and I think I 
know what it was - a dash of red pepper flakes.  Just a touch.  Next time.

http://tinyurl.com/2drvny2
 0-19   19-43   44-68   69-93   94-118   119-143   144-168   169-193   194-218 
 219-243   244-253         
Response Not Possible: You are Not Logged In
 

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss