Small Talk: Don't Tell Jeffrey!

[larapu2000]

Ha ha, weirdly, it does taste okay with maple syrup.  But yes, fruit syrup is much better.  Like a breakfast PB&J.  Most hotels have only single serving jams, though, so it's a pain in the rear to try to get some fruit-y topping on there.  Unless they have strawberries or strawberry topping WITH the waffles, then it's a real breakfast treat!  But, sigh, that rarely happens.

[BearCat49]

Ok, this is not as upscale as Ina would do... But, on one of the cooking shows (can't remember which one) they made waffle batter from a brownie mix for dessert. Looked yummy to me, but I may have just been craving chocolate.

It was said to make the brownie batter according to the box plus add one egg, then cook in the waffle iron. I was thinking it would be great served warm with ice cream.

Ok, where's my chocolate?

They've had at least 2 dedicated "waffle weeks" on Rachael Ray's talk show.  If you can avoid her cutesie phrases and talking over guests, she has some skills, even though she handles the food like a short order cook.  Wait, that's how she started out, lol!

 

Have a feeling if you visit her show website, you'll find tons of tips on how to make pretty much anything in a waffle iron.

[jcbrown]

I have been without a kitchen for almost seven weeks now (we're having it redone so it will be worth it but it's a loooong time) and this waffle discussion is making me hungry! One of the things I've been making recently is a savory waffle with black pepper and bacon (and bacon fat) in it used as the bread for grilled cheese. Mmmmmmm. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to make to break in my new kitchen (soon!) but maybe I should add waffles to the list...

Edited September 17, 2014 by jcbrown

[larapu2000]

So excited for your new kitchen!  What features/appliances are you looking forward to the most?  I just did mine, and a 6x3 island+gas stove+dishwasher after 10 years without are a close tie.

[Lava VaVoom]

 

Peanut butter on waffles.  I guess that would work.  I love a piece of hot toast with p.b. spread over it right away so it melts.  If it's good on toast, it must be even better on a waffle.  Do you eat it just that way or use a syrup of some kind?  I can't quite wrap my mind around maple syrup and p.b., but a fruit syrup would taste good, I imagine.

Honey and peanut butter are a magical combination too.

[Lura]

AAAARGH!  I'm so envious, ladies!  We redid our kitchen a few years ago, and I made the mistake of listening to my husband.  He talked me into NOT getting a gas stove, and I still haven't forgiven myself.  In the near future, I hope we can move, and you can guess what I'll be looking for!  I want the biggest kitchen known to man with an island and a gas stove!

 

I know it can disrupt the whole household when the kitchen is redone, but it's really going to be worth it when you can work in a brand new kitchen.  Good luck, jcbrown!

 

True, Vera. if you like honey.  I find it to be so cloyingly sweet that I can't eat it.  I do like your idea, though, because many people love honey, including Bobby Flay on his brunch shows. 

Edited September 17, 2014 by Lura

[jcbrown]

Aw, thanks! I am trading crappy ceramic tile grout-filled countertops for pretty pretty smooth quartz and am looking forward to that. Most of all, though, I am looking forward to the new range. We had a crappy electric 30-inch smooth-top before (convection oven, at least) and are replacing it with a 36-inch dual fuel Wolf: gas cooktop and electric convection oven. After cramming holiday meals into my old range for years I cannot wait for Thanksgiving! And somehow our designer found room for a bigger range, more counter space, and better storage in my not-so-big space. The process is long and it is torture having my uninstalled range in my dining room but I am psyched!

Edited September 17, 2014 by jcbrown

[Lura]

jc, your new kitchen sounds fantastic!  Let us know sometime how you like your Wolf stove.  I think that's wonderful to have a gas range and an electric oven.  It sounds ideal!

[Bastet]

Honey and peanut butter are a magical combination too.

 

Peanut butter and honey was one of my favorite sandwiches as a child.  I just wanted to cry when I was served a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at someone else's house.

 

I haven't renovated my kitchen yet, but when my dad did my parents' kitchen, he did a wonderful job of minimizing the time they didn't have basic functionality.  (Which really wasn't a big deal, anyway, since they just used the motorhome kitchen.)  I don't work as fast - or have a motorhome - so I rather dread that aspect of renovating when I get to it. 

 

I also don't look forward to the downtime when I redo my bathroom (which will come first), as the only other one I have is a half bath.  But I'll be keeping the existing bathtub, so I guess while the shower is out of commission I'll be taking baths and then washing my hair in the laundry tub.  What I'll not be doing is what we had to do to "shower" at my grandma's house -- kneel in the tub and use one of those spray hoses. 

[annzeepark914]

Speaking of honey, can anyone recommend a mild honey?  Some of them burn my throat (hope I'm not the only one in the world w/ that peculiar problem) but I do love honey.  Is Clover honey the mildest?

 

We redid our narrow kitchen 5 years ago but didn't do a lot since we kept thinking, "Keep it neutral so it'll be sellable in the near future".  But we're still here. However, I did get lovely granite countertops with the beveled edge (love it!), plain white cabinets and we had the hardwood floors in the house stained darker.  So it looks nice (but no fancy stove...just a  regular gas stove...we shudda splurged! :>)   @jcbrown: that Wolf range sounds fabulous!

[MargeGunderson]

I used this one tonight, and it made VERY tasty, crunchy waffles!  I think the whipped egg whites and massive amounts of butter is the key.  For a sauce, I drizzled caramel over the waffles, salted it, then heated up some Nutella with chocolate syrup, and finished with whipped cream.  INSANE.  However, it might have been a bit TOO sweet, so I want to try those Essential Raised Waffles, but I'm worried because it says to use a shorter waffle iron than a traditional Belgian one.  

 

I've made the Essential Raised Waffles on both a regular and Belgian waffle iron and both turn out just fine. You just get fewer from the batter with the larger Belgian one.

 

Your waffle sounds delicious! I have been known to put ice cream on a waffle and cover it in maple syrup or hot fudge - for dinner.

[annzeepark914]

I just received an email from Ina's blog in which she talks about her new make-ahead recipe (included in her new cookbook) for Roast Chicken on Arugula Salad.  I tried to create a link and couldn't.  But while I was trying, I came across the famous Zuni Chicken recipe and it's quite similar.  Unfortunately, one has to crank up the oven to 500 degrees to roast this chicken. Yikes.  Guess I better set the automatic cleaner now that it's cooler weather 'round here and get my oven spic & span before trying this recipe :>)  I remember roasting a chicken atop slices of potatoes (an ATK recipe) and it was wonderful.  The key, in my experience, was to remove as much fat from the chicken as possible prior to roasting.  It kept down the splattering inside the oven and the potatoes crisped up beautifully w/o being greasy/oily.

[Bastet]

ATK is America's Test Kitchen.

[BearCat49]

Speaking of honey, can anyone recommend a mild honey?  Some of them burn my throat (hope I'm not the only one in the world w/ that peculiar problem) but I do love honey.  Is Clover honey the mildest?

 

 

 

My preference is local honey.  If you have a farmers' market in your area, you might ask them if/when any local honey suppliers/beekeepers participate.  In my experience, they usually provide samples so you could test them in advance of purchase.

 

Or, sometimes the organic markets, e.g. Sprouts or Whole Foods, work with local suppliers.

 

 

 

And here's the make ahead chicken recipe:

http://barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=1039&S=0

Edited September 19, 2014 by BearCat49

[annzeepark914]

@stewedsquash:  Here's a link to someone's blog who made this ATK chicken and potatoes.  I tried to get it from the ATK website but was blocked.  Guess I lost the recipe I had.  Anyway...cut off as much fat from the chicken as you can.   I don't remember cranking up the oven to 500...thought I did 450, not sure (but I made sure it was a clean oven first :>)

 

http://craftyscafe.blogspot.com/2011/05/crisp-high-roast-chicken-with-potatoes.html

[Lura]

annzeepark, I had a bad time of it, using that link to Crafty Café.  (NOT your fault!)  I couldn't get out of there, and today, every place I go on the puter, I have ads from Crafty Café.  I'd like to wring their necks, whoever they are!  I know it's just a matter of cookies, so I'll run Norton and get rid of them, but anyone who doesn't want to get "marked" may want to avoid that place.  I know that some stores do that, but I've never been zapped by a cooking site before.  On the other hand, maybe I'm just not in the mood for cookies at the moment!

[annzeepark914]

Oh no...I hate that.  It didn't cause me any problems when I went there...I'm sorry!  OK, to make up for that mess, here's a great way to search stuff other than using google: use duckduckgo.com.  I use it all the time.  It's set up so that ads can't follow you...and they don't. My sister and I both use it all the time.

[Lura]

Please don't apologize, annzeepark914.  It was Crafty Cafe's fault.  Thanks for the tip.  I'll try duck duck go next time.

 

Yesterday I watched a rerun of Ina's cocktail party for the Historical Society.  One of the canapés she made was a frittata made in a sheet pan and cut into squares.  Another canapé was bacon strips topped with brown sugar and a couple of other things.  The egg squares looked delicious, but I wondered how they would taste at room temperature and whether or not they'd be messy to eat.  They looked delicious.  I'd love to try them, but with only two of us here, I'd have to hand them out to the entire block to get rid of them.  Has anyone tried these?

[annzeepark914]

I didn't watch the show but can you make it into a regular frittata (cut recipe in half and bake in a pie plate)?  Oh I love bacon with maple syrup brushed on it and baked. Leftover frittata is great for any meal...plus you can test it out at room temperature (w/o having enough for the neighborhood :>)

[maggiemae]

When I had to get to the point of making breakfast for my DAD (we didn't live together, and he was diabetic) and I was working....I would make stratas and cut them in slices. Enough for a month.

They freeze beautifully and can be microwaved quickly and successfully.

So room temp, or micro'd or fresh from the sheet pan....it's a go.

[Lura]

annzeepark914, thanks for the good idea.  If I'm not mistaken, I think that frittata is the same one Ina made for a breakfast show  years ago.  It looked delicious then, too.  I'm going to make it this week some day.  Another recipe of Ina's that I want to make is her marshmallows.  When several people on another board had trouble with them, I stayed away from the recipe.  Since then, so many others have made the marshmallows with great success, so it's time I gave them a try.  I'd love to give out bags of them for Christmas.  

Edited September 24, 2014 by Lura

[larapu2000]

Yeah, I've done the marshmallows.  There's literally nothing to them.  People think I'm some kind of magic candy maker now.  I'm not going to dispel the myth.

[Lura]

I'm not going to dispel the myth.

 

I don't know that I would either, larapu.  You've convinced me to make a trial batch and see how they come out for me.

[Jo Cooker]

I've made her marshmallows before and they are pretty easy as long as you have a good stand mixer. (I have a Kitchenaid)

[Lura]

I got my first stand mixer about five years ago, a Kitchenaid.  I love it, but there's one feature I wasn't paying attention to.  The top doesn't tilt back.  I like to get those beaters out of the way when I scrape the bowl, and I can't.  Every time Ina tilts hers back, I'm envious.  There are so many kinds of Kitchenaids available, and I was paying more attention to the features and the Amazon reviews than I was to whether or not it tilted.  Buyer beware!

[annzeepark914]

@Lura...which model of KA did you buy?  I'm amazed they'd make one where the top doesn't tilt back.  IMO that would make it difficult to insert the attachments (whisk, dough hook, paddle).

 

I've got the Classic (just like the first one Ina used in her earliest shows).  It's not fancy. Sure do wish the bowl had a handle (I think that's for all the other models).

[Carrie Ann]

The KA Professional Series doesn't tip back. Instead, the bowl drops down and lifts up.

[Lura]

Annzeepark914, I have the Professional model.  Like Carrie Ann said, the lever on the side causes the bowl to rise or fall.  There is no handle on the bowl, which I don't need anyway.  I don't know whether KA makes a bowl with a handle, but if they do, I imagine they'd be happy to sell you one. 

[chessiegal]

I have a KA Ultra Power with a head that tilts back. The bowl has a handle on it. You can buy extra bowls at Bed, Bath, and Beyond that have handles, including glass bowls. I think that's what Trisha Yearwood has on her show. And, of course, there is always Amazon.

[Lura]

Thanks, chessie.  I'm interested in knowing that. 

 

Where we live, Bed, Bath and Beyond sends out coupons for 10% or 20% off on any product you'd like to buy.  Our very special nephew just got married at the ripe old age of 38, and we got him and his wife their casual china.  That coupon provided us a substantial savings.  Maybe I should add, just in case someone is interested, that we asked BB&B to gift wrap it.  They said they had wedding wrap.  It's a good thing we had it delivered to our home first because the "gift wrap" was a purple plastic trash bag with wedding bells on it that you couldn't see!!!  Needless to say, we gift wrapped it at home.

[larapu2000]

I won a Hamilton Beach stand mixer at an employee dinner about 7 years ago, and the head tilts back AND it has a handle, neither feature of which I would have thought about, but will now be on a checklist for me in the future!  (Because while I love it, there's just SOMETHING cooler about a Kitchen Aid, plus I want a sausage maker, lol).

 

My mom's Kitchen Aid just turned 32 years old.  She's had to buy new paddle and dough attachments because the plastic coating wore off, but seriously.  Those things are built to LAST.  And that thing took a beating for about 10 years when I was in 4-H and making muffins, quick breads, yeast breads, cookies, cakes, etc, so it has been through its paces!!

[chessiegal]

Speaking of BB&B, I feel like I'm the last person in the world to learn that the 20% off coupons that come in the mail don't expire, even though they have an expiration date on them. I found this out standing in line one day - I could never figure out people in front of me had so many coupons! On the Friday after Thanksgiving, our Annapolis store gives out a 20% off coupon on everything in the store if you get there before 10 am. Two years ago when the person handed me the coupon I asked if it excluded Le Creuset, since that was in the fine print. The clerk said, no, everything. I got my first Le Creuset Dutch oven. I was a happy camper.

 

I've also signed up on line to get 20% of coupons by email. Now those in-store coupons do have an expiration date. I've signed up using 3 different email accounts. What can I say, I was raised to be frugal.

[Bastet]

The $5 off coupons that come on the back of many of their flyers don't expire, either.  I have a stack of those and the 20% off coupons for any time I need to shop there.

 

And they'll honor competitors' coupons, but not after the printed expiration date.

[maggiemae]

Silly me....I learned the hard way BBB accepts 6 coupons at a time.

Also - NO time limit on returning something. Although I never have but love knowing that about a store.

I love BBB.

[Lura]

So do I.  I also love Crate and Barrel, Amazon and Sur la Table.   The place where Ina has mentioned shopping, Bridge Hardware, has sky high prices.  Even when there's a sale at Bridge, the prices are still higher than at Amazon.  I've wondered why Ina shops at Bridge when they're so much more expensive.

 

 

 

[larapu2000]

My favorite recipe is the essential raised waffles on the Smitten Kitchen website. The batter needs to sit overnight but they are totally worth it. So light on the inside and crispy on the outside. Maybe I should make waffles this weekend......

I tried the raised waffles this morning!!!  I have to say, the texture was unbelievable, just perfection.  I do like the flavor of the Taste of Home recipe I already tried better, however, I think the raised waffles are better with maple syrup than the others were.  The other recipe, I think, will definitely be the fruit-whipped cream option.

 

SO GOOD!

[orchidgal]

The marshmallows are easy to make, but don't just rely on powder sugar to coax them out of the pan as Ina suggests.  I use parchment paper and vegetable spray, and even then they are a bear to remove from the wrapping.  The first time I followed Ina's suggestions to the letter and I ended up cursing a blue streak as it took forever to get the marshmallows out of the pan and it was a huge mess. 

 

Also, don't be put off from making these if you don't have a stand mixer; we don't and while it is tiresome, it is doable with a hand-held mixer.

 

Once you have had homemade marshmallows, you will wonder why you ever put up with those chemical-laden pillows they sell at the stores.

[Lura]

Vera, so what IS the trick to getting them out of the dish?  You say that even when you use parchment paper and vegetable spray, you still have a bear of a time.  When I watch Ina make them, she merely turns the dish over, and voila!  I have visions of all these beautiful whipped clouds going into the dish and a nightmare getting them out.

I'm just trying to learn the tricks that others have used before I tackle this project.  Does anyone have a sure-fire way of releasing the marshmallows with ease?

[larapu2000]

I used vegetable spray to stick the parchment to the bottom of the pan, then sprayed the parchment, then covered the bottom of the pan with powdered sugar (like a LOT) and had no trouble removing them.  The other trick is vegetable spraying your hands to get the marshmallows smoothed out.  Way easier than using the spatula. 

 

And YES-they are easy.  So easy.  I did these with Mexican hot cocoa mix and everyone loved it!

[maggiemae]

How long do the marshmallows stay fresh, IOW can they be made and mailed for X-mas gifts? They sound so good!

[Lura]

maggiemae, I don't know how long the marshmallows keep because I haven't made mine yet.  Obviously, we'd want to keep them in some kind of a tin or plastic food keeper that's as airtight as possible.  When I give these marshmallows away at Christmastime, I plan to put them in Ina's cello bags, tied with a ribbon at the top, like Ina did her holiday cookies.

[larapu2000]

I know the marshmallows kept for at least 2 weeks in tightly sealed Ziploc bags.  I would put them into the cello bags before giving them as gifts.  But you might make a practice recipe now just to see how long they will keep.  

[Lura]

That's longer than I would have expected, larapu.  I noticed yesterday that one picture of Ina's finished product shows the marshmallows skewered onto sticks, like lollipops.  Are they so gooey  that they need the sticks, or is  that merely another way of serving them?  They looked cute on a serving plate, but I'm thinking that for mailing them clear across the country, they'd travel better without the sticks.  Also, ideally, I'd like for each bag to contain a variety of coatings, I'm wondering whether the coatings would shake off and wind up creating a mess.  Any thoughts?

[larapu2000]

I put them into NOT cello bags and then into a shoebox and then into a suitcase to take to a meeting where I gave them to some of our staff as Christmas thank yous.  They were not on skewers, and travelled well.  However, definitely use cello bags and a TIGHT wrapper because I had these cute Christmas-y paper bags that folded and "sealed," only they did not seal and came unfolded quite easily.  Thank  goodness I had put them into a shoebox, otherwise I would have had powdered sugar all over my clothes for the week!

 

I'm not sure about the coatings shaking off, but I think if you pack it well, that shouldn't be an issue.

[Lura]

Larapu, I hate to sound stupid, but what are NOT cello bags?  Thanks.

[larapu2000]

Just meant that I used bags that were not cello.  LOL.  Just in case there was confusion.  Which, clearly, did not work.

[grisgris]

I was in the hospital last week for hip replacement surgery and am now home and on the mend. The funniest thing has been that my first two nights at home under my own covers, I dreamed about Ina! (Must have been the terrible hospital food...) Both times, she was giving me cooking classes. The one that stands out the most was that we made some type of raspberry dessert (crumble, crisp?) and Ina tasted it and made a horrible face and told me I'd used too much salt! LOL! (I think I heard somebody say on FN in the background to add salt to a dish to bring out the fruit flavor...)

 

The second time, it was a small dinner party and we'd prepared a prime rib with a mustard sauce. The meat was thinly sliced and on a platter with the sauce and cocktail rye bread. Whomever (I will say TR just because!) and I were at one end of the table and thought it would be great fun to stab pieces of roast off of Ina's and Geoffrey's plates. Geoffrey would have none of that and returned with a plate of meat, sauce and bread and shoved it to the other end of the table where we were sitting. Ina thought the whole thing was amusing.

 

Dreams..... who knows???? 

[larapu2000]

I've always loved Liz Lemon's dream with Ina on "30 Rock."  "Hey, neighbor, I just made some fresh bruschetta!"  

 

With the release of Ina's new cookbook, I was wondering what other cookbooks people here love.  I got the Tartine and Tartine Bread cookbooks for Christmas last year, and they are incredible treasures.  I also love my Italian Vegetarian Cookbook by Jack from America's Test Kitchen, even though I am not a vegetarian, I do love vegetables and I am always looking for ideas!  

[Bastet]

My favorite is probably Deborah Madison's Local Flavors (subtitled "Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets").  It's important to me to eat seasonal, locally-grown produce rather than supporting factory farms.  So I grow some of my own, and buy from local farmers.  Sometimes I'll pick something up at the farmers' market because it looked, smelled and tasted delicious ... and then stare at it at home without the slightest idea what to do with it.  This book is the solution to such dilemnas; I look up the ingredient, and find a delicious recipe that combines it with other seasonal items. 

 

I also love one that Ina ought to enjoy: 365 Ways to Cook Chicken by Cheryl Sedaker. Most of the recipes are pretty basic, but they're not boring.  And I like the way it's organized -- appetizers, soups, salads, roasted (whole), roasters cut up and baked, in the skillet, stews, with pasta, casseroles, with fruit, with pastries, fast recipes, classics, etc. 

[Lura]

Great topic, Larapu.

 

I have well over 100 cookbooks in my library.  My favorites have to be my app books, not especially any one of them better than the others.

 

I like Sarah Leah Chase's books, The Silver Palate pair, and Ina's (of course!),  I still enjoy my Betty Crocker and Joy of Cooking books. [if you've never made Joy of Cooking's Senate Bean Soup, you haven't lived!  It has mashed potatoes in it, and guests honestly marvel over it.  I never puree it until smooth, but leave it chunky.  I like the contrast in textures.]  Epicurious (online) also has some wonderful recipes.  One of my favorites there is the bacon, gruyere and caramelized onion tart.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Lura