Small Talk: Don't Tell Jeffrey!

[chessiegal]

Regarding the dried Caesar salad mix, after looking on the web, my culinary expert and I came up with a hybrid recipe. I did a 4 egg test batch which came out well. I've decided it's hard to screw up deviled eggs. In further discussion, since the point of serving these at our next General Meeting is to sell our cookbooks, we decided the beauty of using the mix was to make it easy by adding a mix, and folks who don't like to cook would be put off by having to make the mix from scratch. So, we decided to substitute the ubiquitous dried ranch dressing mix (My suggestion which my expert called "perfect"). The recipe calls for a little caviar on top, which I will keep.

 

After making the test batch, I had a real appreciation for what people go through in developing recipes. It wasn't too hard to get the right taste, but to make sure you got amounts correct for others to make it was more of a challenge. I can see why people make recipes over and over. I just wasn't going to do that with deviled eggs. On the bright side, when I was satisfied it tasted good, I just put the egg whites in one container and the deviled mixture in another in the refrigerator, and was amused every time my husband walked into the kitchen and announced he was going to have one of "Those Damn Deviled Eggs", which is what I renamed the Caesar Deviled Eggs. I plan on serving my "Damn" version at some future venue, just not the trying to sell the last of our cookbooks venue. :)

[BooksRule]

'Damn Deviled Eggs', hee!  I never thought about putting any type of dried dressing mix (ranch or otherwise) in my eggs.  I might just try adding a little the next time I make some.  Deviled eggs have always been one of my 'go to' recipes when I need to take something savory to a potluck (my other one is potato salad). I use a pretty simple recipe for the mixture--I just add mayo, a little chopped sweet pickle, minced fresh onion, salt/pepper to the yolks, but the 'extra' I always add is cream cheese.  I add about a third of an 8-oz package for 24 deviled eggs.  It makes them taste richer and makes the filling go a long way so I can really pile it on. 

 

I'm going to have to stay away from the desserts for a while and concentrate on healthy foods.  Tonight I'm fixing some of Ina's roasted Brussels sprouts as my side dish.  I never get tired of those.

[maggiemae]

I have never heard of adding sugar to deviled eggs......is this really a thing?

[Bastet]

I'm glad substituting ranch mix for the caesar mix worked, chessiegal, since when the idea was first raised here you said it wasn't an option; I'm glad it turned out to be okay (and I certainly had no ideas to offer).  I don't eat deviled eggs because I hate egg yolk as if it was poison, but you had me curious.

[BooksRule]

I have never heard of adding sugar to deviled eggs......is this really a thing?

 

I've never heard of that either.  It sounds odd.  The only 'sweet' thing I add to mine is some 'salad cubes' pickles, which are sweet pickles (maybe a tablespoon for the whole batch).  They go well with the onion and other savory flavors.  I'm not sure what kind of sugar one would add.

Edited March 29, 2015 by BooksRule

[chessiegal]

Cook's Country has a recipe with sugar:

 

Ingredients
6  large eggs 
2  tablespoons mayonnaise 
1  tablespoon sour cream 
1/2  teaspoon distilled white vinegar 
1/2  teaspoon spicy brown mustard (such as Gulden's) 
1/4  teaspoon sugar 
1/8  teaspoon table salt 
1/8  teaspoon ground black pepper

 

They don't offer an explanation for the sugar.

 

ATK also has a Crabby Deviled Egg:

Ingredients
12  large eggs 
1/4  cup mayonnaise 
1  tablespoon prepared horseradish 
2  teaspoons Dijon mustard 
1/4  teaspoon salt 
1/2  teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, plus additional for sprinkling 
8  ounces crabmeat, picked over for shells

 

I'd love to make these, especially for a group of women who live in and around Annapolis. However - it's not in the cookbook we're selling. I was so surprised there wasn't a recipe in the book for Maryland Crab Soup. I love it, and order it if I see it on a menu. It's got a tomato beef broth base, with lots of veggies and crab. Now I've made myself hungry for some.

[larapu2000]

I also use a sweet pickle in my deviled eggs to add sweetness. I love deviled eggs. Any kind. Delicious.

[BooksRule]

Crabby Deviled Eggs sound really good.  I love anything with crab (or shrimp).

 

I tried putting sour cream in my eggs one time (instead of cream cheese) and they came out runny.  Maybe I should try it again and just put in a little.

[aguabella]

Crabby - yum.  Both sound good.  Thanks for posting those, chessiegal.

 

We typically use greek yogurt instead of mayo and/or sour cream in most things, currently.

 

The touch of sugar sounds necessary to neutralize / offset that distilled white vinegar.  JMHO

[larapu2000]

I pulverize everything in my deviled egg filling. I put everything in the food processor. It gets everything nice and creamy, including onions and pickles.

Stewedsquash, have you considered making your mom's pickles? We're they crock pickles?

[Bastet]

I will learn when she is gone.

 

That's how I am with a few things my mom makes exceptionally well.  "Write it down, I'll watch you do it, and when I have to take over, I will.  Until then, why would I bother trying when I know it's going to be perfect if you do it?"

 

Maybe I'll never be able to replicate them, though.  Case in point: People love my mom's macaroni salad.  My best friend and I grew up together, and her mom is a great cook, too, so she had my mom give her mom the recipe so she could eat it at home, too.  But it just doesn't taste quite right when her mom makes it, even though it's a simple recipe.  On the flip side, her mom makes pan-fried steak that makes me drool, and I'm not a huge beef fan.  But when my mom makes it from that very same recipe, nope.  It's fine, but not great.  So they both just gave up long ago -- if you want macaroni salad, you go to my parents' house, if you want pan-fried steak, you go to her parents' house.

[larapu2000]

I'm the same way with my mom's cucumber salad, and she claims hers isn't as good as her grandma's. It's so simple, just cucumbers that have been salted and rinsed, shaved onions, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to taste. It's almost a quick pickle, but it's so very wonderful in the summer!

[Bastet]

Also, Bastet,  what is the macaroni salad recipe??

 

I don't know amounts, but picturing it in my head, I'm pretty sure it's just macaroni (the kind cut really short), mayonnaise, shredded carrot, sliced hard-boiled eggs, diced bell pepper, diced red onion, pimiento, and salt & pepper.  It is most delicious warm, but almost as good cold, so I always take the leftovers home with me.

 

It's the only macaroni salad I like, and now I really want some!  My aunt and uncle are in town, staying with my parents (because my uncle is going to help my dad and I with the "this takes three people" phase of installing my air conditioning), so I'm sure we'll all have several dinners together ... I'll have to make sure my mom makes macaroni salad for one of them.  (Tonight she's making pot roast, which is something I dislike so much I just flat-out won't eat it, so I'm staying home.)

 

Speaking of my wonderful uncle (and aunt), I need to figure out what to make them for dinner when we get this all done.  He has incredibly boring taste, heh.  So I want it to be something that looks special, like "you put in all this effort to help me, so I put a lot of effort into your thank-you meal," but it also has to be something he'll enjoy.  The man is going to be crawling around under my house bending line sets; he deserves a good meal.  We just don't eat the same things -- they're very meat and potatoes and I'm very ... not.

[larapu2000]

Yes, I think steak and potatoes for a meat and potatoes guy is just the thing!  I like roasting T-bones in the oven or on the grill and slicing them up to serve.

 

Something that's easy and you can do in advance is Ina's Beef Bourgignon?  I serve it with mashed potatoes and not egg noodles.  Plus, I like to let it set overnight so it's easy to skim the fat and then you can really get the sauce reduced.  I've also made some killer root beer braised short ribs that I served with sweet potato gnocchi, but would be good with mashed sweet potatoes?  Is he a meat loaf man?  I feel like men just die for good meat loaf.

 

I love this conversation about pasta salad!  My mom used to use Good Seasons Italian to make the dressing for hers, doctored up with herbs from the garden, and just onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes with the pasta.  Nowadays, I make my own dressing with fresh herbs and use either red or green onions instead of yellow/white for less of a bite.  But I love a REALLY good mayo based pasta salad.  I hate the pre-made kind, because I agree with the poster that mentioned the slime factor.  I also think there's a bitter, back of the throat aftertaste that just does not sit well on my palate.  Everyone's versions sound so good! 

 

When I was at the British Museum, their cafeteria had this really amazing salad-red potatoes with blanched green beans and  french olives with pesto.  Absolutely delicious.  (And before anyone mentions crappy museum food, please visit England-both The Tower of London and the British Museum had absolutely wonderful food offerings, plus they also served booze.  Win win.)  I can't always find French olives in my neck of the woods, so I used kalamata and it's great.  I made it for my cousin's high school graduation party and got loads of compliments, except for my grandma, who told me the green beans were raw and then proceeded to go on a rant about how we young folk don't cook our vegetables long enough.  I'll give her a pass, she's not a domestic maven at all, plus she's turning 90 in May and still farming 300 acres.  I think she's earned the right to bitch. 

Edited April 1, 2015 by larapu2000

[Bastet]

Hmm ... I could do Julia Child's beef bourguignon, as that's a bit more special than grilling some steaks, but I don't like it so they'd feel bad that I'd just be sitting there eating salad.  Same with meatloaf -- I wouldn't eat that with someone else's mouth.  So maybe just grilled rib-eye steaks, some herb mashed potatoes I've made for my parents before that went over really big, roasted Brussels sprouts and a mixed greens salad.  That way I like everything but the potatoes, and everyone else is happy with the whole meal.

 

Or, if my aunt says they like crab (but, yeah, she's of the "oh, we'll eat whatever you cook" mentality when I want to make sure it's something they're loving, not just putting up with) I could do surf and turf with filet mignon and crab cakes, plus some roasted asparagus and a salad. 

 

I just got home from hours spent at the emergency vet with my friend and her cat (he's my "nephew") and he has to go back tomorrow to see a neurologist as we ruled out the simpler causes of his listing walk and head tilt.  I don't know if I can get away - I can't leave my dad and uncle hanging when it's my project they're working on - but she always wants me with her because I retain information better, ask better questions, etc.  I just hope it's one of the more benign causes, and not a brain tumor or similar.

[chessiegal]

The Ranch Deviled Eggs were a hit at my meeting this morning. No leftovers. I had several people tell me they thought the little dab of caviar was a special touch (one said it made them "elegant" - hah). I liked the test batch I made with the homemade Caesar dried mix better, but my husband liked the Ranch better. And - we got some cookbooks sold. All our proceeds go to women's charities we support, so a win-win.

[annzeepark914]

Paris is one of my favorite cities in which to eat, and not really for the decadent dinners -- I have to go with Ina and say the sandwiches and snacks really seal the deal.

I'm going to Paris the first week of May (never been to Paris, only Provence) and I've got Cafe Varenne at the top of my list of places to dine (I'm a cafe type person when it comes to French food).  Any recommendations for places in the 7th arrondisement? Department stores?

[Bastet]

And also, does thinking about your a/c count as helping? Because I want to eat what you are fixing for your uncle.

 

Well, sorry you missed dinner, but the portion of the project for which my dad and I  needed a third person (a fully functional third person, which ruled out my mom as she's working on only one good knee until her second knee-replacement surgery next week) went amazingly smoothly (one never knows with old houses, but we powered through like you wouldn't believe) and thus I was able to shop in the afternoon and churn out a nice dinner this evening -- the rib-eye steak, herb mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and mixed-greens salad I discussed above - before we all conked out. 

 

I'm going to Paris the first week of May (never been to Paris, only Provence) and I've got Cafe Varenne at the top of my list of places to dine (I'm a cafe type person when it comes to French food).  Any recommendations for places in the 7th arrondisement? Department stores?

 

I most often stay in the sixth, but you’ve picked a nice Left Bank neighborhood in the 7th arrondissement!  Will you have a view of the Eiffel Tower from your hotel/flat?  It’s plain beautiful in the daytime; at night it lights up to something just short of Vegas-style garish, but manages to still be a sight to behold at least once in a lifetime.

 

As for food, you'll be near lots of great cafés and markets – really, that’s true of most districts, but you’ll have Rue Cler for desserts (and so much more) and the Pont de l’Alma market (and several others in the area) for even more than the usual from which to choose.  I’m pretty sure Joel Robuchon has a place there.  I can recommend Auberge D'Chez Eux for traditional fare and ambience, but other than that I’m afraid I’m blanking on names even though I know I’ve noshed well in the area.

 

I believe it’s also a great shopping district, in terms of home goods and clothing, but I don’t have any personal recommendations on that front; I tend to travel light, and thus don’t send a lot home.

 

The Rodin Museum is in that district, and I highly recommend it.  It’s pretty evenly split between indoor and outdoor space, and the garden portion is my favorite.  I’m a big fan of Rodin’s sculptures, but I really think just about anyone would enjoy strolling the garden.  If I’m remembering my Parisian geography correctly (unfortunately, it has been several years since my last visit), I think you’ll also have the Musée d’Orsay nearby (a collection of Impressionist paintings housed in a former rail station).

 

Also, you’ll be close to the entrance to the “Sewers of Paris” tour.  Which, yes, sounds gross – and does, in fact, smell that way – but getting your Victor Hugo on makes for a truly interesting experience.

 

As it’s your first visit, I’ll tell you it’s one of the few cities in which I encourage a typically-touristy riverboat tour – if you hop on a tour of the Seine upon your arrival, you’ll get a decent feel for the layout of the city, and see some great sights along the way.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Bastet

[Lura]

Bastet, please put me down for a copy of your potato salad if your mom gives you the recipe!  I love potato salads and like trying all sorts of recipes for them.  Your meal sounded wonderful!  I'd say that was a pretty nice payback for your uncle's help.

 

IIRC, Ina said that she and Jeffrey made reservations ahead of time for Café V.  Paris is crawling with tourists in the Spring.  We ate twice at a wonderful bistro in the 7th, but it's been a few years, and I couldn't tell you the name of it.

We didn't have one bad meal in Paris, so we were lucky.

 

[Bastet]

I'm sure my mom's macaroni salad is one of those things where, to write it down as a recipe, she'll have to stop and actually think about how much of everything she's putting in, because it's just such a routine to her.  So, next time she makes it when I'm at my parents' house, I'll take it all down and report back.

 

My best friend has been my best friend since we were five, and my next-closest friend and I have been friends since we were thirteen, and they still come over to my parents' house for dinner every once in awhile.  Each one requests the meal include macaroni salad, every single time, and my mom always sends home some leftovers with them.  Well, one time they were both there at the same barbecue, and they were like a couple of six-year-olds, making sure they each got the exact same amount of the leftovers.

[annzeepark914]

I most often stay in the sixth, but you’ve picked a nice Left Bank neighborhood in the 7th arrondissement!  Will you have a view of the Eiffel Tower from your hotel/flat?  It’s plain beautiful in the daytime; at night it lights up to something just sort of Vegas-style garish, but manages to still be a sight to behold at least once in a lifetime.

 

As for food, you'll be near lots of great cafés and markets – really, that’s true of most districts, but you’ll have Rue Cler for desserts (and so much more) and the Pont de l’Alma market (and several others in the area) for even more than the usual from which to choose.  I’m pretty sure Joel Robuchon has a place there.  I can recommend Auberge D'Chez Eux for traditional fare and ambience, but other than that I’m afraid I’m blanking on names even though I know I’ve noshed well in the area.

 

I believe it’s also a great shopping district, in terms of home goods and clothing, but I don’t have any personal recommendations on that front; I tend to travel light, and thus don’t send a lot home.

 

The Rodin Museum is in that district, and I highly recommend it.  It’s pretty evenly split between indoor and outdoor space, and the garden portion is my favorite.  I’m a big fan of Rodin’s sculptures, but I really think just about anyone would enjoy strolling the garden.  If I’m remembering my Parisian geography correctly (unfortunately, it has been several years since my last visit), I think you’ll also have the Musée d’Orsay nearby (a collection of Impressionist paintings housed in a former rail station).

 

Also, you’ll be close to the entrance to the “Sewers of Paris” tour.  Which, yes, sounds gross – and does, in fact, smell that way – but getting your Victor Hugo on makes for a truly interesting experience.

 

As it’s your first visit, I’ll tell you it’s one of the few cities in which I encourage a typically-touristy riverboat tour – if you hop on a tour of the Seine upon your arrival, you’ll get a decent feel for the layout of the city, and see some great sights along the way.

We won't have a view of the Eiffel Tower (maybe a view of the army museum).  So many places you mentioned are on my/our list of things to do, visit, etc. (night cruise on Seine, Rodin...my kind of museum as it's not enormous and has a garden! and Rue Cler).  We're immediately taking that Bus 69 for the tour of the city as we shake off jet lag...to get a feel for the city. Thanks for these tips :>)  I've made a copy of the places you mentioned, though.

[Lura]

Is everyone getting ready for Easter?  My spiral-cut ham from Whole Foods is almost ready for the oven.  I've made a cherry glaze for it, which I haven't used for the past few years.  It's so good!  We'll have au gratin potatoes, fresh asparagus, and all the fixin's.  Tonight I'll make the dinner roll dough, and I'll put together a strawberry rhubarb pie in the morning.  We're having three couples join us.  It was going to be two couples, but I had a call from an old high school friend who is in the city with her husband, so they'll be joining us, too.  That's the nice thing about a ham -- it will serve as many as needed!  Every year I think I'll make a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers a la Ina for the table, but I always run into a time crunch (poor planning, I guess), so I'll just arrange some daffodils instead. 

 

I still want something to munch on after the meal, and I'm thinking about Jordan almonds since they're colorful and "egg-like."  If anyone else has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.  I think/hope that everyone will be full, but there's one couple who always has to have a "munchie" afterwards, so I'm trying to accommodate them, and I'm too busy to be creative!  I hope that everyone here who celebrates Easter will have a beautiful day.

[Bastet]

We don't celebrate Easter - although we did the hunt for eggs/eat a chocolate bunny version when I was a kid because, hey, chocolate! - but we usually use it as an excuse to have ham for dinner, something we only do once or twice a year (because it makes so much food).  This year, though, with my mom's knee surgery scheduled for Tuesday, we're going to skip it -- she'll be in hospital for a couple of days, then won't have much of an appetite for the first several days she's home, so my dad and I would never make it through the leftover ham before it went bad.

 

After this weekend, I can shift my mind from air conditioning project mode to make-ahead meals for my parents mode.  Good thing work isn't terribly busy right now; it's nice to have time to get things like this done without going crazy.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Bastet

[Lura]

Good luck to your mom on her knee surgery, Bastet.  You took good care of your parents' appetites during her last recuperation.

[larapu2000]

I'm ready for Easter, too! I'll be doing a ginger peach glazed ham (my own ginger peach jam), mashed potatoes, creamed peas with pearl onions, beet salad, cucumber salad, and I've made a strawberry Bavarian. It's chiffon cake with a pastry and whipped cream filling with fresh strawberries in the middle. My grandma is bringing a cherry salad and a lemon meringue pie, and mom is on roll duty. Can't wait!

[BooksRule]

larapu2000, I just had breakfast (a cheese omelet, yum!) but your post is making me hungry.  I'm not planning an Easter dinner this year.  The family is kind of scattered now, so we mainly get together for July 4th (we have two birthdays during that month, so we get together to celebrate both), Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I thought about getting a nice ham while they are plentiful (and possibly on sale) and freezing it for later in the summer when we want ham. 

[grisgris]

Yum! Everything sounds so good. I am having grilled lamb shoulder chop. I might made a gremolata to go on top of it. Orzo with artichokes and spinach. My sister gave me a jar of artichoke pesto from Trader Joe's for Christmas, so I will use that, along with some chopped frozen spinach, parmesan and sliced almonds. Swiss chard and a salad with spinach, strawberries and snap peas.

 

For dessert, I made a double chocolate malted tart. The recipe is from Aida Mollencamp (remember her?) I decorated it with crushed up colored malted milk balls. I hope to share some of the tart with my downstairs neighbors. I'll report back on how it turned out.

 

Happy Easter and Passover!

[Bastet]

Good luck to your mom on her knee surgery, Bastet.  You took good care of your parents' appetites during her last recuperation.

 

Thanks, we're all hoping things go as smoothly with this one as they did with the first.  Cooking for them will be interesting this time around; post-op, my mom is supposed to eat iron-rich foods, but my dad has recently started on a blood thinner for a-fib and thus has to make sure his vitamin K intake is both moderate and consistent from day to day.  So, much of what is good for her is something he can't have a lot of.

 

I'm heading over to their house for dinner; we have dinner together most Sundays, but this weekend I'm so tired I was just going to plop down on the couch with a book and my cat.  But then my dad said he's grilling burgers and my mom is making onions rings, so I'm hauling my tired bones over there.

 

And the air conditioning is in, yay.  Not everything is hooked up yet, but the major installation is done.  I will never sweat my way through another summer! 

Edited April 6, 2015 by Bastet

[BooksRule]

And the air conditioning is in, yay.  Not everything is hooked up yet, but the major installation is done.  I will never sweat my way through another summer!

 

That's great!  I live in the south, so our summers are in the upper 90s and very humid.  I couldn't exist without my A/C.  I struggled through several summers with an old system (I found out later from the guys who installed my new one that it was 24 years old.  I guess it held out as long as it could), and love my cool house, although my electric bill is always way too high in the late spring/summer/early fall months.

[ShoePrincess]

I'm new here and not sure how to quote. This is for anzeepark914. Mr. ShoePrincess and I will be in Paris the following week. It's our favorite city.

 

If you venture out of the 7th into the 6th, I have a couple of restaurant recommendations for you. One is Café Wadja, the other is Leo Dupont. Both are on Rue de la Grande Chaumiere, right off Boulevard Montparnasse and close to the Luxembourg Gardens. We discovered them the lazy way -- both are across the street from our favorite hotel. Wadja is bistro style food. The menu changes with the seasons and the chef's moods, but it's always been very good. Leo Dupont is more of a wine bar than a restaurant. They do serve a limited menu, and the food is very good. It's also a great place for a cheese plate and a glass or two of wine.

 

Not a restaurant, but if you love to cook, a trip to Librairie Gourmande is lots of fun. It's a cookbook store. They have a good selection of books in English, lots of them are British books and not available in the States. I've been adventurous in my purchase, buying books in French. I figured it was a good way to learn a bit of the language.

 

I'm planning to take a cooking class while I'm there. I think it's time I learned to make a proper croissant. On our last trip, I learned to make macarons.

[larapu2000]

I took a cooking class in Istanbul, and now it is a must have for all future vacations!! My sister and I want to try a French class next!

[annzeepark914]

@ShoePrincess:  Thanks for the tips! I've added them to my list.  My husband keeps saying I should sign up for a cooking course since I enjoy trying ethnic recipes but I'm rather intimidated.  Let us know how your class goes.

[Spunkygal]

ShoePrincess, off the food/restaurant topic, but may I ask what is the favorite hotel in Paris that you refer to in your post? I have been to Paris four times and was happy with our hotel choice two of the four times. All four choices were a shot in the dark. At this point, I welcome a personal recommendation. Thanks!

[ShoePrincess]

Spunkygal, we stay at the Hotel des Acadamies et des Arts (http://www.hotel-des-academies.com/). The location is perfect. It's just a block from the intersection of Boulevards Montparnasse and Raspail. Lots of nice cafes, wine bars, boutique-type shops, art galleries, etc., nearby. It's walking distance to the Luxembourg Gardens, Notre Dame, and many other attractions. Close to metro stops. Plus, the Raspail outdoor market is fantastic. I think it's the one Ina likes to visit.

 

Anzeepark914, the cooking class I took was taught in English. The school's classes are small and intimate, and very hands-on. They're designed for home cooks, not professional chefs, so they're not at all intimidating. The instructor I had for the macarons class had worked under Pierre Herme, so he was definitely a master of the macaron. I'd purchased Herme's book on the subject and found the whole process overwhelming. Taking the class and watching all the steps than doing them took a lot of the fear away. I'd never say that macarons are easy to make, but I'm pretty confident that mine will now turn out just fine 99% of the time. If you want information on the school, I'll post it for you.

 

Larapu2000, I agree that cooking classes are an essential part of a vacation. Mr. ShoePrincess and I took a class together when we went to Chile. It was such a great experience, it made me want to do that on every vacation. I'm hoping to go back to Chile later this year and take some more classes. Love that country -- the people, the wine, the food, all of it.

[BooksRule]

Hmmm, what to do on a rainy Sunday evening?  Cook!  I made some Neapolitan Cream Cheese Bars (chocolate brownie-like bottom, vanilla cream cheese middle, and strawberry frosting on top).  They tasted really good, but are really rich, so I'll take most of them to work tomorrow.  The only thing I would change next time is to frost the bars with some homemade strawberry whipped cream to 'lighten' it up a little.

 

I also made a skillet of smothered chicken for dinner (browned chicken thighs, browned onions, simmered with chicken gravy). 

[annzeepark914]

@ShoePrincess:  Thanks and yes, I'd be interested in having some info' re: the cooking classes.  I took a class on a cruise a few years ago and that was quite an experience (standing close to bubbling pots, slicing ingredients as the ship moved up and down)...plus fun dining with classmates afterward.

[Bastet]

(standing close to bubbling pots, slicing ingredients as the ship moved up and down)

 

My motion sickness kicked in just reading that.

[Lura]

I have a good friend who visited Paris with her husband, loved the city, and took a cooking class.  She's a good cook and baker to begin with.  The class was taught in French, but she said that her classmates were of various nationalities, and they all understood the chef's meaning very easily.  When they returned to the U.S., my friend decided she was going back once a year in the Spring and would continue her cooking classes because she wanted to learn more about French pastry.  This year is her 12th Spring going back, and now she extends her vacations to much longer -- about 6 weeks -- because she loves it so much.  Did I mention that her husband is a big-big-BIG man in Hollywood?!  Money is not a problem.  Their marriage is a problem, so I suppose this trip offers both of them six weeks of no arguments.  Sad.

 

ETA; Bastet, I knew you were talking about your mother's macaroni salad when I called it potato salad.  I have to take pain meds, and sometimes they make me sleepy, and I type the wrong thing.  For instance, I think "macaroni" and type "potato!"  If I say something screwball-ish, pay no attention!

Edited April 16, 2015 by Lura

[aguabella]

Late post but anyone still interested in those salad dressing cruets? Remember seeing a version of that, complete with the oil and vinegar lines, at Cost Plus within the last year. Their stock changes, however, so don't know if they're still carrying it.

[Bastet]

I'm going to make stuffed peppers for my parents next week.  Now, if I was making this for myself, I'd stuff them with just about anything other than beef, rice, and tomatoes.  But, they're craving the classic version, so that's what I'll use.  I've been perusing recipes, including my mom's, and they're all just variations on a basic theme, so this should be a breeze and they'll be happy.  But if any of you who make these add anything that doesn't show up in most classic recipes, let me know.

 

My mom isn't the medical marvel she was after the other knee replacement, but she's still ahead of the curve with this one.  She's making good progress with her physical therapy, and while it will be a longer, slower road to full recovery this time, there's no doubt she'll get there and finally have two fully-functioning knees for the first time in ages. 

 

Chester the Physical Therapy Supervisor has been on duty again, and the other cat has been joining in as well.  But, unlike Chester, who meows encouragement, nudges her limbs along with his head, etc., Bandit just plops down on the bed and watches, then gets my mom to dangle the band for him when she's done so he can play with it.  My mom gets up after icing her knee for about 10 minutes, and the two kitties stay in bed napping.

 

The two competing dietary needs, with my mom needing to eat a lot of iron and potassium and my dad needing limited, consistent amounts of vitamin K, have been interesting, as I figured.  Along with cooking/reheating instructions, my notes to my dad now have things like, "Give Mom a big helping of this, but you can only have a little."  

 

Tomorrow will be my first day entirely to myself since the surgery.  I'm going to sleep in, make a Bloody Mary, make a quick breakfast, make another Bloody Mary, plop down in a patio chair with a book, and proceed to spend hours doing nothing but reading in the sun and watching Maddie chase bugs around the backyard.  

[ShoePrincess]

I almost forgot about this. Been crazy-busy with work and getting ready for our trip.

 

This is the school where I took my cooking class in Paris.

 

http://lacuisineparis.com/

 

 

[Bastet]

My mom tested how long she could remain standing without discomfort last night by making her macaroni salad, so here are the amounts of everything as best as I could observe (since I was making other stuff at the time):

 

1 generous cup (maybe closer to 1-1/4 cups) salad macaroni, cooked about 8 minutes

 

½ green bell pepper, chopped

 

1 carrot, shredded

 

?? red onion, chopped – I have no idea on the amount, as she just chopped up the small piece left of an onion my dad had been hacking away on for various things, and carrots and bell peppers obviously vary in size, so the important thing is this:  the bell pepper and carrot were equal-size piles, the onion about half that

 

1 4-oz. jar sliced pimientos

 

3 hard-boiled eggs (sometimes she just uses 2), sliced

 

?? mayonnaise – probably half a cup at least; she just plops in a big glob off the spatula, stirs around, sees if everything is coated, and adds more if not.  You see the mayo, but the salad isn’t swimming in it. 

 

Salt and pepper to taste

 

We eat it warm (and then enjoy the leftovers cold), so she gets the veggies in a bowl first, then adds the eggs when they’re still warm but not so hot you can’t handle them to peel and slice them, then the macaroni once it’s cooked and thoroughly drained (you don’t want it so hot it will turn the mayo soupy once you add that in).  Then stir in mayo, season to taste, and enjoy.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Bastet

[Bastet]

That's the name on the bag of pasta (I can't remember the brand, just the description) -- it's the short-cut macaroni (as opposed to long-cut, elbow, etc.).  I looked up an example (the link title has elbow in it, but as you can see, there is no elbow [and that's not what it's called on the bag]).

Edited May 5, 2015 by Bastet

[larapu2000]

Ha ha, I hate farfalle and wagon wheel pasta, and not crazy about the really short tube pasta, is it ditalini? My repertoire is usually Angel hair for long noodle recipes, penne or rotini for short pasta recipes or salads, and orecchiete for special recipes. I also love bucatini, but can rarely find it.

[Bastet]

I love farfalle, but it's hard to find it as a whole wheat pasta - and this salad macaroni is pretty much the only exception to my wheat pasta rule.  That's also one of the only small ones I enjoy; I tend to stay away from orzo, pastina, etc. 

 

I also like tagliatelle, penne/penne rigate, pappardelle, rotini ... lots of shapes, really.  And I love stuffed pasta, like tortellini and ravioli.

 

I'm not a big fan of spaghetti, angel hair, vermicelli, etc.; I generally use linguine or fettucine.  I'm not much into shells, either.  Or those wagon wheels.

Edited May 5, 2015 by Bastet

[Quof]

Isn't short cut macaroni (no elbow) called tubetti?

[Bastet]

All I know it's what it's called on the package.  On the one my mom uses (brand unknown), it's just called salad macaroni.  On the Anthony's I pulled up as an example, it's called short (salad) macaroni.  Googling tubetti and looking at a package of De Cecco, that looks like the same size.  So, short-cut macaroni.  No elbow, nothing as long as the noodles in a box of Kraft mac & cheese, etc. 

[larapu2000]

 

 

I think it's also called ditalini.  I googled ditalini, and this is it.  Is this what you're talking about?

 

LOL, I love that there are so many things to call the same pasta.

[Bastet]

Yes, per the Anthony's example I posted last night, that's the shape -- just something short cut.

[Bastet]

Any good food on the menu for Mother's Day?

 

My mom doesn't have enough of an appetite (since she's so much less active) to go out for our usual Mother's Day breakfast, plus she can't have a Bloody Mary thanks to her pain meds, so she said to skip it this year.  While I'm sorry it's taking her longer to get back in the saddle after this surgery, I really enjoyed sleeping in on Mother's Day for the first time ever.  I asked Maddie (my cat) to go make me my Mother's Day Bloody Mary, but, just like when I ask her to do the dishes because I'm too tired, I had to do it myself.

 

I'll head over to my parents' house in a couple of hours so my mom and I can hang out, play some games, etc.  Then for dinner I'm having my dad grill a couple of rib-eye steaks (that will be plenty to split among the three of us) while I make a mixed greens salad, a potato, scallion and herb purée my parents love (I hate potatoes, so I don't even taste what I'm making, but people seem to love the potato dishes I make for them), and a sauté of corn, chiles, and several types of squash topped with cilantro and Monterey Jack cheese.  It's way too early in the year for corn, but my neighbor had some squash come in early and shared a variety, so I'm going to do it with frozen corn.