To fuck or to cook?

[bold_n_brazen]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
You all totally don't care, but the vege- minestrone worked out quite well too. I think one of the secrets that I found in the Williams-Sonoma cookbook that I have is the inclusion of a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Yum-Me. And I cannot recommend strongly enough getting some of the boxed vege- broth (available both at Ralph's and Whole Foods here) as a starting point for any vegetable-based soups you make. No more boullion crap for me ever again.

For the minestrone, I added a can of diced tomatoes and a can of white beans, along with chopped veges (onions, broccoli, potatoes, leeks and zucchini), garlic, balsamic, oregano, basil and fresh pepper. Plus pasta 10 minutes before serving and a bit of grated parmesian at the end.

Basalmic vinegar makes almost everything better.

One of my favorite desserts is fresh berries (usually strawberries) tossed with basalmic and sugar, allowed to marinate for about 4-6 hours and then served over either vanilla ice cream or pound cake. Yum.

[Fugee]

Originally posted by bold_n_brazen
Basalmic vinegar makes almost everything better.

One of my neighbors went to Italy last year on a gourmet food tour and brought back some 25 and 50 year balsamic vinegar from Modena. She also brought back a wheel of parmesan reggiano. When she hosted book club, she broke the parmesan into small chunks and drizzled the balsamic over it. It was incredible. Balsamic vinegar that old is thick like molasses and sweet-tart.

Cooks Illustrated** has a recipe for a salad of strawberries and black grapes with a sauce/dressing made from red wine, sugar, balsamic vinegar (the cheap stuff because you boil it down) and lemon zest.

**Or maybe the cookbook from one season of the cooking show Christopher Kimball did on PBS, I forget which book it is in.

[Shape Shifter]

Anyone have any good giant jellyfish recipes?

• Seaside communities in Japan have tried to capitalize on the menace by developing novel jellyfish dishes from tofu to ice cream, but for some reason the recipes have failed to take off.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapc...eut/index.html

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
Anyone have any good giant jellyfish recipes?

• Seaside communities in Japan have tried to capitalize on the menace by developing novel jellyfish dishes from tofu to ice cream, but for some reason the recipes have failed to take off.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapc...eut/index.html

Jelly(fish)-filled donuts?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Jelly(fish)-filled donuts?

Fringey you would love fugu fish. It's a Japanese delicacy. They'll try and charge a ton at Japanese restaurants so what you should do is buy it fresh from little Tokyo, and prepare it yourself.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Fringey you would love fugu fish. It's a Japanese delicacy. They'll try and charge a ton at Japanese restaurants so what you should do is buy it fresh from little Tokyo, and prepare it yourself.

Fringey doesn't eat fish. Check the dossier.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
Fringey doesn't eat fish. Check the dossier.

You'd think a hikikomori could remember this.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
Fringey doesn't eat fish. Check the dossier.

Maybe she can make it for friends from LA and have them over.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Maybe she can make it for friends from LA and have them over.

People in LA don't cook for friends. Why do you want str8 &/or gatti &/or Mr. Man &/or ncs to die?

[spookyfish]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Maybe she can make it for friends from LA and have them over.

Let's go get sushi and not pay.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
People in LA don't cook for friends. Why do you want str8 &/or gatti &/or Mr. Man &/or ncs to die?

one of them bugs me and 1 is always mean.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
one of them bugs me and 1 is always mean.

Mean? I was not on that list.

[robustpuppy]

Store corn starch and baking soda in completely different cabinets to minimize chances of mix-up.

Although baking soda does very cool things when added to chili. I will file this away for future science fair projects involving mock volcanoes.

(I know, I know, the corn starch shouldn't have been anywhere near the chili, I know better, but for some reason it was too wet and I lost my head.)

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
Store corn starch and baking soda in completely different cabinets to minimize chances of mix-up.

Although baking soda does very cool things when added to chili. I will file this away for future science fair projects involving mock volcanoes.

(I know, I know, the corn starch shouldn't have been anywhere near the chili, I know better, but for some reason it was too wet and I lost my head.)

Many chili reciptes call for masa harina, or fine-ground corn meal to thicken chili. No volcano, but it gives the chili lots of body.

[bold_n_brazen]

Irish Cream and Stout Cheesecake


Crumb Crust:

2 cups crumbs from Irish digestive biscuits or wheat biscuits such as Carr's or McVitie's brand (12 to 14 biscuits)

3 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, melted

Irish Cream Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur

4 large eggs

Sour Cream Topping:

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

Stout Syrup:

1 cup Murphy's or Guinness stout

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Fresh berries, for garnish


To make crust: In a small bowl, combine crumbs and melted butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch-round springform pan. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Maintain oven temperature.

To make filling: Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process 10 to 20 seconds, or until smooth. Add sour cream and Irish cream liqueur, and process 5 to 10 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, processing after each addition.

Pour filling over biscuit crust. Bake about 55 minutes, or until edges are puffed and center is almost set. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

To make topping: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and sugar. Spoon over the warm cheesecake and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make syrup: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring stout to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 minutes, or until mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in brown sugar and cook 5 minutes or until mixture is syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool.

When ready to serve, release side of pan and cut cheesecake into wedges. Drizzle some of the syrup over each slice and garnish with fresh berries. Makes 10 to 12 servings.