Test Kitchen

[HyeChaps]

That white beans with spinach looked good. I will try next week. 

[Cupid Stunt]

On ‎7‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 8:22 PM, maggiemae said:

Why not braise the potatoes with pot roast?

"Pimp up"....oh my, lol.

Sugared cereal for chicken strips?

The potato suggestion is her preference for overly-embellished mashed potatoes. I love braised root vegetables cooked with a roast. The pan sauce is delicious and silky.

Instead of pimping food, try perfecting one simple recipe for once in your misbegotten lifestyle career.

What did chicken tenderloins do to deserve being breaded in sugar-sweetened cereal?

On ‎7‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 9:59 PM, CharlizeCat said:

I believe the "baked omelet" is technically a strata. 

From the look of it I thought it was a frittata or Spanish tortilla, but who knows? There's no point in trying to figure out what she's talking about when she misappropriates and misattributes like mad.

 

Wince-worthy for me was the slow-cooker ribs and adding liquid smoke to beef brisket -- I grew up on a ranch, and if you don't have the patience/time/inclination to cook ribs or a brisket in a smoker or barbecue, cook them some other way. Liquid smoke is a sucker punch versus the subtlety of real slow and low smoked meat.

Why use quick oats <blerg> when you can make a panade for meatballs and meatloaf (day old bread torn and softened with milk)?

Sunny side up eggs basted in canola oil? Even the cheapest restaurants use clarified butter or ghee. 

Why are people making everything under the sun in waffle makers? Thing2 got the bright idea to cook canned cinnamon rolls in his waffle maker and spent the rest of the day cleaning scorched and burned Pillsbury dough out of it.

Is "aging" dough the same as resting dough?

I don't understand the purpose of chilling of dough overnight before assembling cinnamon rolls -- I roll out the dough, spread the filling, roll, cut and let rise in the pan, then bake. They've never uncoiled as they rise.

Shortening for pie crust? I know a lot of people swear by it, but I use lard. There are many types of pastry crust that use butter.

[peacheslatour]

"It has a secret ingredient."

"Love?"

"Lard."

[Cupid Stunt]

23 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

"It has a secret ingredient."

"Love?"

"Lard."

Mary Cooper knows what she's talking about.

 

Thing1 and I went the Farmer's Market this morning and bought fixin's for my In-laws anniversary dinner I'm hosting.

I'm making a nectarine crostata for dessert: You can make this recipe with peaches, plums or cherries.

 

Ingredients:

Dough

1½ cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

6 tablespoons cold water

-- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse just to combine ingredients. Drop in the butter pieces, and pulse until mixture is lumpy. With the processor running, pour in 6 tablespoons cold water. Process until the dough just comes together in a lump around the blade, adding a little more flour or cold water if it is too wet or too dry. Scrape the dough onto your lightly floured work surface, and knead a few times to bring it together. Flatten it into a disk, and wrap it in plastic. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

 

Fruit Filling 

1½ pounds purple or red plums, pitted and cut into sixths. If using peaches, peel.

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 tablespoons sugar, divided

2 tablespoons apricot jam

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes, set aside in refrigerator

-- In a large bowl, toss the plums with the grated lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the jam. Set aside for the fruit to macerate. 

 

Crumb Topping

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

pinch of kosher salt

-- Place all dry ingredients in bowl of food processor. Pulse to combine. Add cold butter cubes, and pulse again until ingredients come to a sandy consistency. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble.

 

Assembly

-- Preheat the oven to 375 F.

-- On a piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a rough circle about 14-inches in diameter (about 1/4-inch thick). Slide the parchment and dough onto a flat baking sheet.

-- Sprinkle all but 2 tablespoons of the crumb mixture in an 10-inch circle in the middle of the dough. Arrange the plums on their sides in concentric circles, finishing in the center. Dot with the set aside 2 tablespoons cubed butter. Fold up the edges of the dough to form a crust of about 2 to 3 inches. Sprinkle the exposed fruit with the remaining crumb mixture.

-- Begin baking on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake about 30 to 40 minutes. Then switch it to the middle rack, and continue baking until the top crush is deep golden brown and the plums are soft and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes more (50 minutes to an hour total time).

-- Remove from oven, and slide the crostata and parchment onto a rack to cool. While it is still warm, slide it with the aid of a spatula from the parchment onto a serving plate. Serve it warm or at room temperature.

 

Serving note: Whipped cream, sweetened crème fraiche, or vanilla ice cream guilds the lily.

Edited July 21, 2018 by Cupid Stunt

[peacheslatour]

Nummy.

[Kohola3]

18 minutes ago, Cupid Stunt said:

1½ pounds purple or red plums, pitted and cut into sixths. If using peaches, peel.

 

A concept unknown to Ree. 

That recipe does sound scrummy although, full disclosure, I have never in my life baked anything plums.

[peacheslatour]

Just now, Kohola3 said:

A concept unknown to Ree. 

That recipe does sound scrummy although, full disclosure, I have never in my life baked anything plums.

My mom used to make a thing called plum stolen. The real ingredient? Prunes.

[Cupid Stunt]

19 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

A concept unknown to Ree. 

Ree is lazy. Period.

Peeling peaches is so simple -- Boiling water. Ice water bath to shock. Knife. 

Quote

That recipe does sound scrummy although, full disclosure, I have never in my life baked anything plums.

Try it! Baked plums are delicious. This recipe works beautifully with any stone fruit. 

[txvoodoo]

On 7/19/2018 at 11:10 PM, Cupid Stunt said:

From the look of it I thought it was a frittata or Spanish tortilla, but who knows? There's no point in trying to figure out what she's talking about when she misappropriates and misattributes like mad.

 

Wince-worthy for me was the slow-cooker ribs and adding liquid smoke to beef brisket -- I grew up on a ranch, and if you don't have the patience/time/inclination to cook ribs or a brisket in a smoker or barbecue, cook them some other way. Liquid smoke is a sucker punch versus the subtlety of real slow and low smoked meat.

Why use quick oats <blerg> when you can make a panade for meatballs and meatloaf (day old bread torn and softened with milk)?

Sunny side up eggs basted in canola oil? Even the cheapest restaurants use clarified butter or ghee. 

Why are people making everything under the sun in waffle makers? Thing2 got the bright idea to cook canned cinnamon rolls in his waffle maker and spent the rest of the day cleaning scorched and burned Pillsbury dough out of it.

Is "aging" dough the same as resting dough?

I don't understand the purpose of chilling of dough overnight before assembling cinnamon rolls -- I roll out the dough, spread the filling, roll, cut and let rise in the pan, then bake. They've never uncoiled as they rise.

Shortening for pie crust? I know a lot of people swear by it, but I use lard. There are many types of pastry crust that use butter.

omg, yes to all of this.

I know about cooling pastry like filo or puff that has butter layers in it, so that the butter doesn't immediately run out during baking. The rest? Meh. 

Waffle makers: fad. I love those "try a pinterest idea" videos - there've been a lot of "oh fail" with waffle makers. Not everything's meant to be a waffle!

YES ON CLARIFIED BUTTER. Basting with oil = greasy eggs. 

Oats in meatballs? GTFO. Barf.

On 7/21/2018 at 12:44 PM, peacheslatour said:

My mom used to make a thing called plum stolen. The real ingredient? Prunes.

Prunes are just dried plums! 

 

What's even better is if you rehydrate them in a bit of booze - not TOO much, but some. Such yummy stuff!

[Cupid Stunt]

I picked up the first of the season Louisiana sweet potatoes at the farmer's market, and made pies for the Labor Day barbeque my father hosts.

 

Ingredients:

-- Pie Crust

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup lard, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/3 cup ice water

 

-- Filling

3 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, scrubbed

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup half-and-half

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

 

Instructions:

-- Crust

1. Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl. Add the lard. Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized bits. Stirring with the fork, gradually add enough of the water until the mixture clumps together (you may need more or less water). Gather up the dough and press into a thick disk. If desired, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Fold the dough in half. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, and gently unfold the dough to fit into the pan. Using scissors or a sharp knife, trim the dough to a 1-inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself so the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute the dough around the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the filling.

-- Filling

3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Drain and cool long enough to handle. Peel the sweet potatoes and place in a medium bowl.

4. Process sweet potatoes with electric mixer or food mill until very smooth. Measure 3 cups processed sweet potatoes, keeping any extra for another use (freeze in sealed container).

5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Uncover the pie shell and brush the interior with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the brown sugar over the bottom of the pie shell. Bake until the pie dough is set and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. If the pie shell puffs, do not prick it.

6. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, mix the sweet potatoes, the remaining melted butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread into the partially baked pie shell, smoothing the top.

7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until a knife inserted in the center of the filling comes out clean, about 1 ½ hours. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with whipped cream.

[Kohola3]

Sounds scrummy!

[peacheslatour]

Lol, I find it much easier to just bake the sweet potatoes and scoop the flesh out.

[Cupid Stunt]

I got this recipe from a college roommate. Her Louisiana grandmother boiled first of the season to firm up the flesh and the skin slides right off. As the season goes on, the sweet potato dries down and you can feel how they firm up -- and that's when I switch to baking.

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

Lol, I find it much easier to just bake the sweet potatoes and scoop the flesh out.

The skins add quite a bit of flavor though. ATK has a recipe for sweet potato soup (which is scrummy) and you peel the potatoes before boiling (and cut them up to speed up the process) but you also boil the skins.  Then you puree some of those to add to the soup.

[ShoePrincess]

On 7/17/2018 at 8:22 PM, maggiemae said:

Sugared cereal for chicken strips?

Searching for a fresh barf bag.

[ShoePrincess]

On 7/19/2018 at 11:10 PM, Cupid Stunt said:

 

 

 

Quote

Shortening for pie crust? I know a lot of people swear by it, but I use lard. 

A woman after my own heart! I get my lard from a local farmer who raises heirloom pigs. It is a wonderful thing and the stuff pie crust dreams are made of.g

Edited September 5, 2018 by ShoePrincess

[peacheslatour]

"This is really good."

"I use a secret ingredient."

"Love?"

"Lard."

[Lura]

Peaches and Kohola, I love that word "scrummy."  It reminds me of Mary Berry of the Great British Bakeoff show.  For some reason, I think scrummy sounds even better tasting than yummy.

Ina Garten has a scrummy recipe for a plum tart.  Her friend, the late Anna Pump, made and sold plum tarts at her Loaves and Fishes specialty food store.  That's one recipe on my to do list.

Edited September 12, 2018 by Lura

[Kohola3]

13 minutes ago, Lura said:

Anybody else like the word "scrummy?"  It reminds me of Mary Berry on "Great British Bakeoff."

I am addicted to GBBO (just finished binge watching the eight season on Netflix) so started using "scrummy" after hearing Mary Berry use it.  I think it goes without saying that the term will never be used to describe anything Ree dumps together.

[Cupid Stunt]

On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 6:59 PM, Kohola3 said:

The skins add quite a bit of flavor though. ATK has a recipe for sweet potato soup (which is scrummy) and you peel the potatoes before boiling (and cut them up to speed up the process) but you also boil the skins.  Then you puree some of those to add to the soup.

I tried that recipe this weekend, and it was fantastic! Even the in-laws loved it.

 

Sweet Potato Soup (from Cook's Illustrated, November/December 2015)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, sliced thin

4 sprigs fresh thyme

4-1/4 cups water

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/4 inch thick, 1/4 of peels reserved

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Minced fresh chives

 

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium­ low heat. Add shallot and thyme and cook until shallot is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add water, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Remove pot from heat, add sweet potatoes and reserved peels, and let stand uncovered for 20 minutes.

2. Add sugar, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium ­low, cover, and cook until potatoes are very soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Discard thyme sprigs. Working in batches, process soup in blender (or with an immersion blender) until smooth, 45 to 60 seconds. Return soup to clean pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat, adjusting consistency if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topping each with a sprinkle of chives.

[Kohola3]

Tasty, isnt it?  I have made it for family when visiting and they all love it as well.

[Automne]

On 9/4/2018 at 10:28 PM, ShoePrincess said:

 

 

A woman after my own heart! I get my lard from a local farmer who raises heirloom pigs. It is a wonderful thing and the stuff pie crust dreams are made of.g

A fellow baker friend from culinary school now works at a farm/butcher and just showed off a pie she made using the lard from a pig she slaughtered. YMMV, but I like the whole “using every part of the animal” thing.

[Kohola3]

Has anyone ever made her chicken salad recipe?  It uses brown sugar which seems, well, odd.

[chick binewski]

On 8/11/2020 at 10:25 AM, Kohola3 said:

Has anyone ever made her chicken salad recipe?  It uses brown sugar which seems, well, odd.

I know sugar is supposed to contrast saltiness/cut acidity but I don't understand what people are doing to chicken salad! Some dude on DD&D added Cool Whip. Adn served it to people. Just get Miracle Whip and call it a day.

This may be due to the fact I'm basic AF when it comes to chicken salad - poach chicken breast, add mayo & sour cream and fresh herbs, serve on a good fresh bread or a cheddar biscuit.

[Mandolia]

On 8/11/2020 at 3:25 PM, Kohola3 said:

Has anyone ever made her chicken salad recipe?  It uses brown sugar which seems, well, odd.

Super odd!  If I'm making a slightly "currified" chicken salad (basically Coronation Chicken, which is a staple for buffet lunch parties in the UK during the summer) I put a tablespoon of apricot jam (failing that, thin cut orange marmalade) into a microwaveable bowl with some curry paste, zap it for a few seconds to make it runny, then add it to the mayo mixture.  Proportions of sweet to curry/spice/seasoning is really down to personal taste.