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The "I finally cooked from my unused cookbook" thread
- The Dairy Queen Jun 14, 2008 10:00 AM
So, as I confessed in greedygirl's thread "Do you have cookbooks you've never used?", I've many cookbooks gathering dust on my shelf that I've never cooked from or that I've not cooked from in a very long time. And it sounds like I'm not alone. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/528669
Some I purchased as souvenirs, some were given to me as gifts, some I bought and decided were too ambitious, some are my husband's, some I used to cook from a lot that I got bored with... And, I've been on an alarming buying trend lately, partly due in part to my participation in the COTM and partly because I've suddenly decided my cookbook "collection" is seriously lacking. (Thankfully, I've promised myself that I will only buy used books, unless I need it for the COTM and can't get a good deal on a used book).
In order to assuage my guilt, I've decided I'm going to plug away at dragging these cookbooks off my shelf, one by one, and cooking at least one recipe from them. And post about it in this thread, of course. It's going to take me awhile, as I have a heck of a lot of books, and I'll have to fit it in around COTM and, well, life, but I would love it if folks joined me.
So, if you please, post in this thread about a cookbook you're dusting off (or even a new one you've just acquired and are cooking from for the first time). Maybe tell us a little about the book, how you acquired it, what it means to you if it's one that you're particularly sentimental about, why you haven't cooked from it, why you haven't chucked it, why you stopped cooking from it etc., then tell us about how it went for you with the recipe you chose. Finally--please give us your verdict. Will you be cooking from this book again, putting it back on the shelf to gather more dust, or taking it in to your local bookseller and trading it in for something else?
Won't you join me, please, in dusting off those old cookbooks?
I'm down! I have to agree, not using what I have is ridiculous, I'll be happy to join in. In fact I think I have found the perfect little book to contribute a recipe. I also can' think of anything I'd rather do than thumb through my cookbooks looking for something good to eat and that's different from anything I've ever cooked!
Truly a great idea Dairy Q!!!!
re: LulusMom
Me too. I will go to the shelf and see what is inspiring.
Funnily enough, I had exactly the same idea myself! Great minds and all that. My plan is to force myself to cook at least one recipe a week from a book I don't use very often. So I'm definitely in. Thanks TDQ.
Oh yay! I'm so glad some people are interested. Thank you for chiming in, everyone, and thank you for greedygirl for planting the seed of inspiration with the "unused cookbooks" thread. I figure we'll just post in this thread for awhile and if it gets unwieldy we can start a new one. Sound good?
re: The Dairy Queen
Really love the idea. Unfortunately I'm not going to be cooking for the next week, but hope that gives me some time to search for some good stuff.
re: LulusMom
Sounds terrific, LulusMom! Looking forward to seeing some of your results!
Curiously, after reading through and posting in GG's thread I decided to revisit some of the cookbooks occupying places on several shelves. I love your suggestion TDQ! I'm in. It will be a diversion from the COTM. Also, it will be interesting to see how the COTM will pair with recipes from other books......
Great idea!
I didn't see this thread, and I posted on the other one. I'll be more specific here.
I have this cookbook, http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Tabl....
I can't remember ever using it. But yesterday I wanted to make a North African dessert, and I found one for a simple milk custard called mhalbi. The recipe said to flavor it with orange flower water or rose water. I used the orange flower water, which I love. And instead of garnishing it with raspberries, as the recipe suggested, I used strawberries. (No local raspberries at the farmer's market yet.) Everyone loved it!
Ok. Will this be the thread to post our recipes and results (and hopefully photos guys!) in?
I feel like a kid in a candy store, I also have this wonderful little Greek cookbook, a recipe for Kolokithopita has me so intrigued! (Say that three times!) this is a fun challenge, we should do this more often!
re: chef chicklet
Sorry, I don't have a photo. But this is my recipe from my unused book:
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 cups milk
¼ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons orange flower, rose, or rose geranium water
½ cup almonds, toasted pine nuts, or pistachio nuts, ground
2 cups fresh raspberries (optional)
In a small bowl, dilute the cornstarch with ½ cup of the milk. Set aside. In a heavy, medium saucepan, bring the remaining 2½ cups milk, sugar, and cinnamon stick to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the orange flower, rose, or rose geranium water. pour into 5 individual ramekins or parfait glasses. Let cool.
Sprinkle with the nuts and garnish with fresh raspberries, if using. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
It was a really nice, light dessert. I will definitely dust this cookbook off and use it again.
re: NYCkaren
Ok, I am one of "those" people that has to know everything when it comes to food. I'll try not to be too annoying...
Would you mind giving us a little background on the recipe if you have it?
I mean, origin and the book from which you found it. What about this recipe grabbed you? The ingredients seems so exotic, and a flowery dessert which I 'd guess to be middle eastern? The lightness of this is appealing to me, I'd make this.
re: NYCkaren
What was the texture of this. Soft pudding-like? Or more set?
re: NYCkaren
ny apologies nyk, I tend not to not look at the previous replies as you can see. This does sound lovely, a dessert for special occassions as well! Very adventureous! I have rose water and orange flower both so I will try this. Did you make it in individual servings? I am so excited to see the recipes that pop in here! Nice start!
re: NYCkaren
Wow, nycK! What a terrific kickoff to our "dustbusters" thread. The Mhalbi (which I confess, I've never heard of until now) sounds delicious. I never seem to have enough uses for my rosewater, so, this sounds perfect, especially for a nice, light summer dessert. Thank you so much for sharing this!
re: NYCkaren
I made this last night, and it was nice. I wanted something light to eat with some mulberries, and this fit the bill. I knew that rosewater would probably be a better match for the berries, but I love orange water and seldom have a reason to use it. It was a nice, though not perfect, combination.
That said, I would make a couple of changes to this if I were to make it again. I would use a teeny bit of saffron for color, and more if I felt like true saffron flavor (thus omitting the waters). I might also use part milk and part cream to make it richer.
Thanks for posting this recipe. It was a good reminder of one's ability to make something tasty from simple ingredients that are already on hand.
re: chef chicklet
Yes, chefchicklet, go ahead and post in this thread. If it gets too unwieldy, say, hits 60 or 70 posts or something, we can start a new one. Would love to hear about your Greek cooking adventures!
re: The Dairy Queen
Did you mean "hits 600 or 700 posts"?
I curled up with Nigel Slater's Appetite yesterday looking for ideas. I love *reading* this book, but there was really only one thing that even seemed plausible as a fun idea for me (I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that I don't eat very much red meat). Another surprise was that while there are a lot of books I want to delve more deeply into, I don't have quite as many totally unused ones as I thought. Still enough to work with on this fun thread though!
Ok. I am going to look through Saved By Soup and see if I can find something summery and light in there. That's been collecting dust for quite a while and we want to occasionally eat a little lighter. May not get to it for a bit here but will start by leafing through that.
Ok, since posting this thread, I've gone through about a dozen of my "unused" cookbooks and am now totally overwhelmed! Now I know why I've never cooked from them. A couple of cookbooks (Minnesota Homegrown, "Paris" by Wells) all the recipes that sounded good were too rich; another (Cafe Brenda Cookbook), none of the recipes sounded appealing enough for the amount of work it would require; one (Wolfert's Couscous) called for all kinds of equipment I don't have and complicated techniques... And so on. I think I just need to take it slow. :).
Anyway, I think I've chosen from various books a Turkish, a Hmong recipe, and a Thai recipe to start with. But, it will probably be Thursday as I've got dinner plans today and tomorrow. And this weekend I've got commitments all weekend. So, sorry for the slow start to this thread.
For Wolfert's Couscous, I'm going to try to make tagines with out a tagine and couscous without a couscousiere. Is that "done"? Anyone have any advice on that? Instead of a couscousiere, I see caroline1's recommendation that you can just use a metal collander with handles nestled into a soup or, if the holes in the bottom of a pasta cooker aren't too large, a pasta cooker. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/52558... and instead of a tagine, I see nyleve's suggestion to use but for the time being I use a large shallow lidded pan - probably best described as a chicken fryer. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/48265... I'm sure I can run out and buy this equipment if it turns out we love these dishes and this cookbook, but for the first time out of the gate, I'd like to avoid investing in so much specialized equipment.
Also, can you make bisteeya with pre-made phyllo dough?
Thanks, my fellow dustbusters!
re: The Dairy Queen
I'm not an expert, but I have very successfully made tagines without a tagine. Just used a dutch over (heavy le creuset) and it was wonderful. I am not really sure what a couscousiere is, but I *just* read somewhere (maybe last week's NYTimes food section??) about how people read that you need one, decide not to make the recipe and in the end didn't actually need one. So ... you're in luck! And finally, I made a bisteeya last year during Arabesque month with frozen phyllo. There was a weird, almost gritty thing going on but I don't think I can blame that on the phyllo (although I really still have no idea what to blame it on).
re: LulusMom
I've made tagines quite a few times, and you definitely don't need special equipment. Just use a Le Creuset or similar. I've been to Morocco a couple of times, and could have got a tagine very cheaply there, but made a conscious decision not to. Similarly, with a couscousiere. If you have a steamer or pasta cooker, just line the top part with muslin or a tea towel or similar.
What is a bisteeya - is it the flaky pie type thing? If so, you can definitely use filo.
re: greedygirl
Thanks, LulusMom and greedygirl. I shall forge ahead.
greedygirl--yes, bisteeya is that pie thing...and if I make it with phyllo, it will be flaky! HA! But, it sounds like LulusMom is giving me a cautious go ahead for the bisteeya...
re: The Dairy Queen
You can *definitely* make a great bisteeya with filo, no harm, no foul. I've done it, with excellent results. (Actually, all the recipes I've seen for it call for using filo.)
re: The Dairy Queen
I've never used a tagine and I think it tastes great just made in a dutch oven type pan. As to couscous, I've tasted both the instant and the complicated version someone cooked and could not tell the difference. No advice on the bisteeya except I'm sure pre-made phyllo is fine.
My grandmother collected cookbooks and passed many on to me before she passed away two years ago. I have barely cracked most of them open, but am looking forward to cooking out of them once I have unpacked the cooking equipment and have settled in a bit. I do have to have a housewarming now, don't 1? ;)
re: TampaAurora
Oh, that's so cool. One of my "unused" cookbooks is an old Sunset "Salads" cookbook I inherited. I do plan to try it. Who knows? Maybe it will be a real treasure.
re: The Dairy Queen
I'm wondering if that book is one I used years ago. It had an artichoke recipe that was stuffed with a rice salad that we liked.
re: The Dairy Queen
oh, eeew! i looked at my mom's copy of the sunset "salads" cookbook when i last visited her, and i was appalled at all of the jello-type things, the ambrosia salads, etc. LOL. there were several old school recipes for german potato salad etc that looked good though. i'll check the copyright when i visit again but i think it was 1958. :)
Every once and awhile, when guilt consumes me, I do something similar. However, I pick one book each week and try to cook from it all week... I usually try to plan at least three meals from the book, and then subsequent leftover nights. I did that last year- one week was Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, which I was quite disappointed in once I actually started cooking from it! But, I'm just not ready to give up on it yet. I just like the idea of crockpot cookery, but I'm never happy with anything that I make in it. I was so excited to try the granola recipes in that book, but they were so severely disappointing. One week was Sara's (Moulton) Secrets for Weeknight Meals, and I can't really remember anything revolutionary from that. Another week was Essentials from Marcella, which I always seem to like everything from it. A couple of weeks ago, I renewed this idea in my head, but this time around, I've been trying to be a little healthier. Just trying to keep servings under a certain amount of calories, fat grams, sodium, etc. Not a diet, but just healthier in general. Anyway, I started with Grilling for Life, Bobby Flay. One meal was a bit of a flop, one meal was great, and one meal we never got to. The meal that was really good was Pork Satays with Red Chile Peanut Sauce- it was served with a light cole slaw. Next on the list is Eating Well for Two.
Oh, I also did Ellie Krieger's new cookbook a while ago, and I really liked everything I made out of it. My only complaint is that a lot of the recipes have a TON of ingredients, which can be frustrating when you're trying to budget. The Confetti Chili was memorable and really great on a cooler night.
re: Katie Nell
Hey, that Grilling for Life by Bobby Flay is on my "unused" cookbook list, too! Those pork satays do look good. We were actually going to try the Pork chops with Sage (or whatever that recipe is called) Sunday, and didn't get to it and decided we'd do them Monday. On Monday I decided it was too much fuss and just threw them on the grill with my normal seasonings.
I like the idea of trying up to 3 recipes from the book...
I'm curious about Eating Well for Two--please do post about that!
re: The Dairy Queen
Bargain book section at Barnes and Noble? ;-)
re: Katie Nell
Believe or not, no! I bought it as a gift online for someone else and...duh...forgot to change the shipping address. So, it came to me. My husband opened it and decided he liked it, so we ordered another one for the originally intended recipient and kept the "accidentally purchased" book for ourselves. ;-). But, I wish we'd bought it at a bargain price!
re: Katie Nell
I just got Elie's Krieger cookbook as well. I have yet to try any of the recipes, any good suggestions? I really like how up front she is about the nutritional value of each of the recipes.
re: newfoodie
Well, two of the things we tried are more cold weather dishes. We tried the Confetti Chili and the Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo- both were really good. My mom made a bunch of appetizers for a small party at Christmas, and I really loved them all. The Soft Asian Summer Rolls with Sweet and Savory Dipping Sauce, Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip (Muhammara), and White Gazpacho with Grapes and Toasted Almonds. Everyone thought the dipping sauce for the summer rolls was a little too spicy, but I enjoyed it. I did not miss any of the fat in the Artichoke dip, so I can safely say that if I'm ever in need of making artichoke dip, I will definitely turn to that recipe. It was the first time I'd had or heard of Muhammara, and I immediately fell in love... if you try anything, make sure you try that! We had veggies with it and then I made pita chips sprinkled with cumin. I wasn't crazy about the gazpacho, but I'm not a huge fan of green grapes either. It was a little too tart for me. I think that's everything I've had from that book, so far. All in all, I've been very happy with the results.
re: newfoodie
I've made a number of different recipes from the book and have been very happy with all of them, however the stellar standout so far is the Chocolate Mousse! Thick, rich and chocolately tasting, despite having tofu as a base (using good quality chocolate is key).
My husband loves the garlic fries.
Alright, so, here's my first report.
The book: "A Cook's Tour of Minnesota" by Ann L. Burckhardt and published by the Minnesota Historical Society. It was given to me as a gift when I first moved to Minnesota and more or less focuses on recipes related to notable places, personages, and ethnic specialties. I haven't cooked from it because, honestly, I didn't think of it as a serious cookbook. I haven't tossed it because, well, it was a gift. But, I now regret not having taken a closer look at it sooner as it the introductions to each recipe are very interesting.
For my first recipe I chose "Stir Fried Beef with Pea Vines" from the "Hmong New Year" chapter, using pea shoots from my CSA book and sirloin steak (bison). The book talks about how the Hmong cuisine in Laos was primarily vegetable-based because meat was hard to come by and there was no refrigeration. However, the community would come together to butcher a cow for New Year.
I thought this recipe was nice: satisfying, but not spicy--maybe just a smidge too salty. Still, it's my first Hmong recipe ever, so, I was pleased.
Would definitely make this again, although, I'm not sure what to do the other 51 weeks a year when pea shoots aren't available!
My second book.
The book: "Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook" presented by Renewing the Countryside. I bought it earlier this year because it was getting a lot of buzz in the local food press and includes recipes from some of the most beloved chefs and restaurants in Minnesota (including from the Angry Trout Cafe, Nosh, New Scenic Cafe Hell's Kitchen, and Lucias.) I figured it would be a good way to support the local culinary community as well as get some recipes that focus on local ingredients. I haven't cooked from it because I was waiting for my CSA to kick in.
For my first recipe I chose "Seasonal Greens Souffle" from the "Restaurant Alma and Brasa" chapter, which was written to be a swiss chard souffle, which I turned into an arugula recipe. I cut the butter in half, used evaporated milk instead of whole milk, and cut the recipe down to serve only four (instead of 12) in part because I didn't think I had enough greens. In the end, it was a small catastrophe--entirely operator error, I'm sure, and not the fault of Alex Roberts who wrote the original recipe. My primary problem, I think, is that because I tried to reduce the number of servings there just wasn't enough mass of ingredients to work with them very effectively. It didn't really "pour" into the ramekins and only rose a teensy bit.
When I tried to take a photo, the souffle cringed Eric Stoltz-like all pained and said, "Don't look at me, I'm hideous." Nevertheless, I documented it for you in all of its lumpy, deformed misery.
My husband liked it, astonishingly. I only ate about half of mine before I decided I'd had enough and he asked if he could finish it. I will probably try this again, with chard, exactly as written, and see how it goes. I was initially worried by the amount of butter it called for, but when I realized it is supposed to serve 12, it didn't seem so decadent on a "per serving" basis so I won't be so worried.
Here is a link to a very similar recipe by Alex Roberts, whose restaurant Alma was nominated (but sadly did not win) a James Beard award this year
re: The Dairy Queen
"The soufflé cringed, all Eric Stoltz-like..."
Love it! Well done for getting the ball rolling....
re: greedygirl
This looks a lot like the panade (pannade?) from the Goin's Lucque's cookbook. We loved that one.
The last time I was in Minn/St.P was almost 10 years ago, but we had dinner at a wonderful place downtown (don't know which downtown - so call me a dodo) called Judy's or something like that. It was mostly vegetarian. Don't know if you've ever heard of it or if there's a recipe from her restaurant in your book. Would be interested to know. Of course, since I can't remember the exact name of the place....
I always thought that it was Kramer on Seinfeld who said "Don't look at me! I'm hideous! after he'd been smoking cigars.
re: oakjoan
Yes, I think Kramer was also referencing Elephant Man...
I wasn't in the Twin Cities 10 years ago, but there was/is a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis called Cafe Brenda that is likely what you're referring to. http://www.cafebrenda.com/about.html It is mostly vegetarian. She does indeed have a cookbook, which is also one of my "unused cookbooks". So, perhaps it will make an appearance in this thread.
re: The Dairy Queen
The Cafe Brenda book was given to me as a gift and is in the unused cookbook pile. So I will take a look at that and find something to make out of it.
re: The Dairy Queen
Since I've just bumped this thread to reply to cyberoo, I thought I'd like to this post wherein I described the spring greens souffle recipe in more detail: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/53016...
I spent some time with The Cooking of Southweestern France yesterday, and quickly saw why I hadn't used it before. Way too many of the recipes start off with "start this 4 days before ..." Sigh. That just isn't going to happen, at least not right now.
re: LulusMom
LuLusMom, I'm having a similar problem with Zuni Cafe and Chez Panisse cookbooks...
re: The Dairy Queen
Its a little demoralizing, isn't it? You get yourself so excited and then ... oops, never mind. Maybe some day. I'm sorry to hear you're having the same problem, but it is nice to know I'm not alone.
re: LulusMom
It's true, it's discouraging, but at least you're not walking around in a giant cloud of guilt about these neglected cookbooks. Now you know precisely why you haven't used the cookbook. Maybe you could flag a couple of recipes and make a mental note to yourself that you are going to try those the next time you have four days to plan ahead. You know, after Lulu graduates from high school. ;-).
re: The Dairy Queen
There was an amusing article in the New York Times recently (sorry, can't find the link just now) about recipe killers, those things that cause us to not make a recipe. Perhaps it's unavailable ingredients, or daunting techniques. Perhaps it's the time commitment, or the complexity of the preparation. Perhaps it's the volume ("serves 16", etc.). Or perhaps it's a bad association. (The article quoted an accomplished cook who is still intimidated by pies after a humiliating experience years ago.)
I enjoy cookbooks and have many that I haven't cooked from, partly because I'm not much of a cook. But I love reading what other people have to say about food and the associated culture/history. Now and then, after reading a description, I'm motivated to try it. But, for a recent example, I opted not to make a recipe for creamed celery after seeing that the first ingredient was "12 quarts celery, cut up in chunks". Couldn't figure out how to divide the remaining ingredients into a single serving size.
I guess part of my problem is preparation. When I get home from work and am hungry and want to eat, I don't want to spend three hours simmering something. I want to eat now. I cook better things when I have a weekend to think about it, shop, prepare. Or if I'm expected to bring something to a party and can really plan for it.
re: weem
There was a discussion about that article here on the HC board, weem, and I found it fascinating. I think the key for me is to either cook from these books or remind myself why I don't cook from them, so that I stop feeling guilty about not "using" them. Plus, I really do love my cookbooks, so, I really like to have an "excuse" to delve in.
re: The Dairy Queen
Oh, sorry, missed that thread. Will have to look for it, it's an interesting and amusing topic.
And TDQ, you must never feel guilty about owning a book. At all. Including cookbooks. My current bedside reading is "A Treasury of Great Recipes" by Mary and Vincent Price (yes, THAT Vincent Price, quite the gourmand, apparently). Do I plan to cook from it? Not really. But do I love browsing through it, reading his droll commentary, imagining a different time and a different lifestyle? Absolutely.
re: weem
Thank you for the wise words of encouragement, weem. Here's a link to that "deal breaker" thread, in case you haven't already found it.
re: The Dairy Queen
Thanks for the link, TDQ. It's a fun topic and a fun conversation.
re: The Dairy Queen
Gee, Lulu's mom, you're going to be missing out on one of the greatest recipes for bbqed ribs ever (Languedoc style). Even if you don't do the whole thing with the herbed oil and the melting ham fat dripping onto the meat, etc., you would love the marinade for the ribs. That alone is worth the price. You do have to marinate the ribs overnight, but that's not a real chore.
Pears with ginger is also wonderful and doesn't take a lot of time...of course it's not exactly pear season.
Ragout of chicken wings is delicious and, aside from the time it takes to cook them (unattended) is not heavy on the pre-prep and long cooking times. I've also made the chicken with verjus, Chicken with peppers, ham and tomatoes, and Poulet a la Catalane, and can vouch for them. In the fall, the fried pumpkin slices are amazing.
For now the chicken liver salad with watercress and apples is really great and pretty easy.
Anyway, the book CAN be daunting and time-consuming, but there are gems in there that don't take heavy prep and long hours.
End of rant. :+)
re: oakjoan
Well, that whole ham/ribs thing is also part of my problem with the book. I don't eat a lot of red meat, and cook almost none, and eat no pork, and this book is chock full of the stuff. So that, and the time consuming aspect, has made me sigh a bit as I put the book aside for now. I did find a few things in the appetizer and soup sections, but as TDQ says, maybe once Lulu graduates!
re: LulusMom
LulusMom, I have that book. I know what you mean, some of the recipes are daunting. But I have made one or two things. There are some recipes for duck breast that aren't time-consuming.
Inspired by this thread, I grabbed one of my many neglected cookbooks and flipped through it while my marshmallows were in the mixer last night. Lo and behold a recipe for molasses sponge - which seems to be a combination of English bonfire toffee and honeycomb. Since I already had a dirty, sugary pan, I figured I might as well. IIRC correctly, it was 1.5 cups of sugar, a bit of water, 3T of butter and a sprinkling of salt, brought up to 165 (I way overshot while I was tasting the marshmallows), then you add 1/2 cup of molasses and bring the whole mix up to 195 before adding 2.5t of soda and pouring into a quarter sheet pan. I wasn't sure how long I should stir the soda in without having it deflate in the pan, and I'm pretty sure I was overly cautious, as it blew up in the pan and would have overflowed the edges if I hadn't had a pretty good foil overhang. It settled down a lot, but still has the lovely crunchie texture, with the extra depth of the molasses.
A perfect recipe for my British 4th of July guests, so thanks for the reminder to actually look in the books!
re: cyberroo
What book was this from? I don't have a candy cookbook yet - one of the ridiculously few topics I don't have covered - and love sponge toffee (as I knew it growing up in southwestern Ontario), was even thinking fondly about it this morning. TIA.
re: buttertart
It was actually the big yellow Gourmet cookbook. (I'm pretty sure. It might have been the Bon Appetit cookbook, because they sit next to each other, but I'm pretty sure it was the yellow. I really wasn't looking for anything in particular, so it was a great discovery inspired by this thread.
If you'd like, I'll double-check the measurements I gave above if you want to try it for yourself.
re: cyberroo
That would be great, thanks in advance. Do not have either the BA or the Gourmet big books.
re: cyberroo
This is fantastic, cyberroo! I'm so glad you dusted off an old cookbook and shared the results with us. I'd never head of molasses sponge before. How interesting!
re: The Dairy Queen
Will you share the candy recipe? Does this ever get dipped in dark chocolate?
re: chef chicklet
chicklet, you meant that as a reply to cyberroo, right? Wondering if her molasses sponge would be good dipped in chocolate?
re: The Dairy Queen
yes, that's right...
What a great idea for a thread. And good inspiration to crack open some old books.
I recently got a copy of The Best of Shaker Cooking by Miller and Fuller. So it's an old book, though I hadn't used it before. I saw it referred to in another book, and thought I should try it out.
It turns out that almost all the recipes are loaded with cream and/or butter. I'm not a huge cream sauce fan, so I wasn't so thrilled about that. But the desserts looked really good, so I'm not donating it to the charity shop just yet. A couple of weeks ago, I tried a gingerbread recipe called "Sister Emma Neal's Rule for Soft Gingerbread."
I should also mention here to anyone who may consider buying this book that a lot of the recipes are inexact. It's like when my grandmother taught me to cook. No exact amounts, just do this or that. Plus, it can be a little vague about some ingredients. When "ginger" is called for, it's not specified whether they mean dried or fresh. But I'm not bothered by vagueness; I'm confident enough that I can improvise when necessary.
Anyhow, this gingerbread was THE BEST gingerbread I've ever made. Very soft, very moist, and it rose more than most gingerbreads I've made. Plus, you mix the baking soda into the buttermilk (I used thin yogurt), and that's loads of fun if you let it sit a little too long. I also substituted butter for shortening. Anyhow, if anyone wants the recipe, I'm happy to post it.
I will make an effort to pull out some unloved books in the near future!
Ok. I made my first recipe from Saved By Soup. It's a collection of low-fat soups. I made the arugula vichyssoise, chilled. It's a bit of olive oil, sweet onion, leeks, an Idaho potato, chicken broth (homemade!) and arugula.
It was good but it turned out a bit too salty. I added some salt and couldn't taste it at all. I added some more salt and could barely taste it. Then I added an equal amount more salt and it was too salty. So I am going to remember to go really slow with the salt next time. And it may have been playing off the arugula too, making it seem saltier than it was.
Some people might find this too bitter from the arugula. But we liked that.
The texture was a bit gluey. I think that's because it was the potato that was thickening it. There wasn't any cream or milk (being low-fat). That wasn't unpleasant, but just different from most soups like this.
So, I'm glad I tried it. Would probably do again (but go lightly on the salt!).
There are more recipes in this book.
But I have my eye on another recipe from an unused book.
re: karykat
I was foraging through the fridge and came upon my soup from the Saved by Soup book and it smelled really good. Better than when I made it. So I think that recipe probably benefited from being made ahead and sitting for a day or two.
Will remember that.
I love this thread. I used to work for a production company that made shows for the Food Network and would get tons of cookbooks sent my way. Few have been cracked open so this inspires me to give a few a try.
re: wontonfm
Awesome! I hope you'll post about your explorations.
re: The Dairy Queen
Oh but of course! I actually just made something out of one of my Ming Tsai books (Shrimp and Haricot Vert Chow Fun) that was totally delicious and not that complicated... now if I can just find the recipe online my life would be even easier :)
Tried the Dai grilled chicken from Alford/Duguid "Beyond the Great Wall" - did it in a grill pan and a lot of the coating fell off, but it is a very good recipe. 3Tb minced garlic, 1 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, same of roasted /ground Sichuan peppercorns, 1 Tb salt, combine and pound together (I used food processor, perhaps that's why the coating didn't adhere as well as it should) - spread on 3 lb chicken parts (I used bone-in skin on breasts, each half cut in 3 pcs) - grill until cooked through. The authors' suggestion to use same as a rub for a roasting chicken is one I will definitely follow in cooler weather...This was a success and incentive to use more of the recipes in the book.
re: buttertart
Oh, that sounds fantastic! How does the book seem to compare to Dunlop's?
We had some red potatoes last night and on a whim my husband dipped into a cookbook we've never used before: the Williams Sonoma Grilling book. Instead of just throwing the red potatoes on the grill as he usually does he made these --which were restaurant quality. Now i'm going to investigate the book further:
Larger potatoes can be cut into quarters or halves. Don't choose starchy russets (bakers) for this recipe.
For 4:
Olive oil for coating
24 small new potatoes (red ones)
2 T sweet paprika
1/2 teasp cayenne
1 T garlic powder
1 and 1/2 teasp salt
Prepare gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Oil the rack. If the potatoes are very small, have ready a grill basket to keep them from falling through.
Parboil potatoes in boiling water cooking them just till they can be pierced with a knife but are not completely tender, 5-7 min. Do not overcook. Drain AND PAT DRY.
Put potatoes in large bowl and coat with oil. In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, cayenne, garlic powder and salt. Toss till well coated.
Grill potatoes directly over medium high heat, turning often, till nicely browned and tender, 10-20 min. Serve at once.
You can cook these over the hot part of your grill while your meat is cooking on indirect over the non-heated side of the grill. Or cook these while your meat is cooked, but resting.
re: SSqwerty
Paprika + cayenne--I'll bet those were great potatoes! I think we'll have to try this, too as grilling season is definitely upon us. Thank you for sharing!
So, the book of the night tonight was Deborah Madison's "This can't be tofu"--I dragged this off the shelf and started flipping through it a week or two ago and when a Madison combo was a contender for July COTM. The funny thing about this book is that I can't really remember how I acquired it. The copyright is 2000, so it really can't have been that long ago. I'm certain I bought it during one of my healthy eating kicks, but the more I flipped through it recently, the more I realize I don't think I've ever really cooked from it. I think I've often used it as "inspiration" but I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't think I've made any attempt to follow any recipe faithfully. Or, maybe I have, but have just forgotten.
Anyway, I just finished reading Peter Singer's "The Ethics of What We Eat/Why our Food Choices Matter" and I've decided I'm going to try to experiment over the next couple of months with cooking a vegetarian meal two nights a week. Plus, all the talk lately about rising food prices makes this seem like a good idea, too. This should be pretty easy to do with VCFE as the July COTM and with my CSA in full swing, so, we'll see.
Tonight I chose "stir-fried tofu with bok choy" (using my CSA bok choy, yay!) and "Silken tofu in spicy red coconut sauce". I chose to do two recipes because just I really wanted to do the spicy red coconut sauce one and, well, I felt we needed some vegetables, so I chose the bok choy one, too.
We liked the bok choy one a lot, in spite of the fact that it was a little too soupy because I forgot to add the corn starch. Except for that, and the fact that I used plain chicken stock plus ginger instead of "vegetable stock for Asian dishes" and canola oil instead of peanut oil I pretty much followed the recipe as written. I would definitely make this one again.
The silken tofu one...once again, I subbed canola oil for the peanut oil. I also replaced half the amount of coconut milk with evaporated milk (to lighten it up without, I hoped, changing the texture much), and I skipped the basil. Oh, and I ran out of soy sauce, so used a blend of regular and dark soy sauce. Unfortunately, I think I made too many substitutions for the recipe to really work as intended. I probably should have added a bit of lime or something since I left out the basil and maybe a pinch of salt since I used the dark soy sauce (which I believe is less salty...)
Anyway, the only real bummer is that there are no photos, but I suppose that's what keeps this the svelte little book that it is. I'm glad I dusted this book off and will probably refer to it more over the next couple of months. It will be interesting to see if this book really has anything that VCFE doesn't.
re: The Dairy Queen
Mmm, both of those sound really good. Hope there are variatiions on same in the CotM. And glad one of your forays into ununsed land has been successful (at least partly).
So I've been off work sick today (having caught a nasty cold in a 90 degree heatwave in Italy at the weekend - how?) and had some time to look through my unused cookbook collection.
The project begins tonight with braised peas, artichokes and broad beans from Claudia Roden's Invitation to Mediterrean Cookery. I don't really feel like anything heavy tonight, and I have fresh peas, frozen artichoke bottoms (which Claudia recommends) and frozen baby broad beans. I will report back later.
re: greedygirl
This was pretty yummy, but a bit more labour intensive than I anticipated - mainly because I had to pod the peas and pop the broad beans out of their shells. Basically you fry an onion in a little olive oil, and then add sliced artichokes, broad beans and pea. You cook for a few minutes, then add mint, dill (which I omitted), lemon juice and a few tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. It needs quite a bit of seasoning. I served it with some simple roasted salmon for a healthy taste of summer. Thanks Claudia.
Next up - Jamie Oliver. I've got quite a few of his books, mainly as gifts, and have hardly used them.
re: greedygirl
Sounds great, thank you for sharing. Maybe the healthy taste of summer will cure you?
re: The Dairy Queen
Thanks TDQ. I certainly ate a ton of vitamins, plus some omega oils from the fish. Still sneezing and snuffling though, unfortunately. I also made some banana oatmeal muffins from Gordon Ramsay's new "healthy" cookbook. I'm not sure if they're really health food, but they taste so good I must confess I've had two of them today!
re: greedygirl
GG: I really love and respect Jamie Oliver, although for some reason it's embarrassing to admit this.
If you've never tried the roasted squash with the spice rub and olive oil, you're in for a treat. He says it's also great with drinks, but I've only served it as a side dish. Terrificly good.
His ricotta pie with chocolate and orange peel is also tops.
Also the salmon wrapped in prosciutto and served with lentils with yoghurt and greens.
How I do go on!
re: oakjoan
It's weird - why *are* we embarrassed to admit this (because I admit that sometimes I feel the same way)?? I have loved most of the recipes of his that I've tried, and two of his cookbooks are things I have lined up to try for this thread (the new one and Jamie's Italy).
re: oakjoan
Interesting - I think Jamie didn't do himself any favours with his "Mockney" accent and all those programmes where he got his mates over for dinner. Plus his lucrative contract with one of our big supermarket chains, Sainsbury's. But he's become much more popular recently as a result of his "Fifteen" and school dinners projects - the latter in particularl was great TV, and he really wears his heart on his sleeve. I've been enjoying his most recent telly series, Jamie at Home, and will probably buy the book once I find a good deal.
I have cooked the roasted squash, and agree it's terrific.
Not officially a cookbook, but I think I'm going to attempt some recipes from this beast this week instead of Eating Well for Two. It's my book of magazine clippings, catalog clippings, internet print-offs, etc., etc. It doesn't look all that thick, but considering I have at least 3 or 4 magazine clippings on each side of each page, it's getting to be overwhelming! I will report back here!
re: Katie Nell
Wow! That is a project. I can't wait to hear how it goes.
re: Katie Nell
I've got one of those as well!
re: greedygirl
I do, too. It's in a giant rollodex (or whatever those things are called) - 6" x 8"
re: oakjoan
Mines an enormous book with blank pages - a sample which I got during my time in publishing
re: Katie Nell
I finally tried two recipes from my book. The first one was banana-stuffed french toast, the recipe calling for brioche. I used the other half of the brioche dough from the Dorie Greenspan sticky buns that I made the other night. Maybe I just don't like the texture of brioche? I'm not sure that I've ever had it before. Anyway, I don't think the texture was fitting for french toast, so we didn't love this recipe. I'll have to check tonight to see where the recipe came from originally. I also tried Lacquered Bacon, a recipe I had printed off the internet some time ago, after seeing it on Food Nation with Bobby Flay. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/fo... This was wonderful! It was like sticky bacon candy! I would make this again in a heartbeat. Except, I have never been successful with bacon in the oven. It never gets as crisp as I like it, so I transferred it into a frying pan on the stove at the end. I actually forgot to use the mustard, which is funny because I LOVE mustard and my husband hates it! It was still good without it, so I think you could go either way.
I decided to crack open my La Cuisine Internationale cookbook (which I've never used and was a gift from my Mom that she picked up at a garage sale circa 1983). It is written in French. Since French is not my first language (and I haven't studied it since high school), it was a little slow going! But I must have read right because the recipe turned out fine.
I made a Loaf of Bread (yeast-based) with Bacon & Chorizo and seasoned with paprika, salt & pepper. It was delicious with unsalted butter, warm from the oven.
I actually have a few cookbooks in French, all from my Mom. I think she was trying to tell me something (like please learn/practice your French!)! I want to try and cook more from these recipes because some of the pictures are just beautiful (especially the pastries).
I've attached a picture of my Bread but I forgot to take a picture of the cookbook!
re: always_eating
How fun! Sounds delicious. Very amitious for you to try a recipe in French--I struggle enough with the ones in English!
It's been 13 days since I said "I'm in" for this project and I still haven't made anything from the several books I've been thumbing through. I am Sooooo intimidated by the Zuni Cafe cookbook, for one, I just don't know where to begin! We're going off to the farm today for fresh local produce and some meat but before that I'll look through one more book to see if I can find something for tonight. Honestly, I've never been so stymied before. Now I know why I haven't cooked from these books yet....
re: Gio
From what others have told me about Zuni - I don't have it - it looks intimidating because the instructions are so long but that, in fact, they are just incredibly detailed so that the novice cook can use them and come out with a great product. So I'm sure you'll be fine and I'd just go for it I were you!
re: Gio
Yes, do what I did... wimp out and start with the grilled cheese! http://www.chowhound.com/topics/35598... How funny... I went searching for that link and lo and behold, pitu was the first one to respond to me! :-) It's a sign, Gio!
re: Katie Nell
Thanks Katie. I did wimp out tonight though. Spicy meatloaf with homemade pickles, and bread salad from Lydia's Italian Table... from which I hadn't cooked till tonight!
The grilled cheese sounds great though....and I have tones of sage in the garden. Maybe next week.
re: Katie Nell
Katie: I've been thinking lately about making pickles. Madhur Jaffrey has some wonderful ones in her Eastern Veg cookbook. Chili Lime Pickle is terrif!
Also, not exactly a pickle, more of a condiment, is the "Universal Condiment" posted here a while ago. It's just chopped chilles (various kinds), mixed with salt and left to "brew" in the fridge. Simple but terrific on eggs, burgers, in Chinese dishes, and on anything else that would normally use a relishy-type deal.
re: Gio
If you picked up kale, the boiled kale recipe is delicious. It doesn't sound appetizing on its face - but like all of the Zuni recipes, it's deceptive in its simplicity. Here are the COTM links:
Zuni is one of my favorite cookbooks and it really highlights all the ingredients. It's not "fancy" food like Lucques. Instead, it's good old comfort food done exceptionally well through ingredients and technique.
re: beetlebug
OK.... this was very good to read. I'm so used to raging through a cookbook trying to find something to incorporate the ingredients I have on hand. I guess it's time to take some time and think about what I want to achieve rather than "what am I gonna do with this stuff." Thanks beetlebug!!
re: beetlebug
Thanks for that, beetlebug. Zuni is one of my unused books, too. I, like Gio, find it very daunting, so your tips on the simplest recipes are very helpful!
re: beetlebug
I just made this last night. I used kale and turnip greens. It really couldn't be easier. Sweat onions, add greens, sliced garlic, dried hot peppers and saute until it wilts. Add water to cover and then simmer for 30 minutes. The kale comes out so silky.
This weekend, I hope to compile a list of "easier" Zuni recipes. As MMRuth posted above, Rodgers gives such detailed instructions, it's like having a personal teacher in the kitchen. Please don't let the length of the recipe directions scare you away. They really are helpful and so accurate.
re: beetlebug
beetlebug, that would be fantastically helpful if you compiled a list of "easier" recipes from Zuni. You are right, it's the length of the recipes I find so intimidating, which is ironic because they are probably long because they are so accurate and detailed. I hope I get kale in my CSA box so I can try this one!
re: The Dairy Queen
BTW, you don't need to use kale. I've used chard, kale, collards, turnip greens, beet greens or any combo of the above. I esp try to use them for beet greens (combined with another leafy vegetable) because I don't really like them any other way.
This recipe is a little soupy but the broth is delicious. For breakfast, I used the broth and kale to simmer an egg and then added rice noodles. It was delicious and satisfying but I was really warm after consuming it.
Also, the recipe calls for 5T of olive oil to sweat the onions. I suspect you can easily cut back on the amount. I made a double batch last night (kale and turnip greens) and I know I didn't use 10T of olive oil.
re: The Dairy Queen
Here you go. Thanks for suggesting this because I had a great time re-looking through the book. This will be another CSA reference.
OK, here's another. Last year a friend gave me a book for my birthday called "Swedish Food and Cooking." The author is Anna Mosesson. It looks great _ beautiful photos _ but I just hadn't used it. Some of the recipes feature ingredients like elk that I rarely see. I tried a simple one the other day. She calls it a cheese flan but it's more like a quiche or a tart, with a crust. It's supposed to be made with a Swedish cheese called Vasterbotten, which I didn't have. I used an aged cheddar, which she says can be substituted. It's served with onion marmelade. Very tasty.
re: NYCkaren
Sounds delicious! I can see why you haven't cooked a lot of elk recipes, but the cheese flan, especially with the onion marmelade, sounds delicious. Was the marmelade something that had to age a long time or was it pretty quick?
re: NYCkaren
Do give Vasterbotten a try sometime. There must be a Swedish deli in New York? It is parmesan-like in texture, but aged-cheddar like in flavor. Only better.
re: twodales
I'm pretty sure there may have been a thread about finding it last year - maybe on the Manhattan and/or Outer Boroughs board. Will try to dig it up.
re: MMRuth
Here's the thread I found:
Apparently Ikea does carry it.
This might be useful too - http://www.chowhound.com/topics/480973 .
re: twodales
I wonder if this is something they have at IKEA...there was a scandinavian lady ahead of me in line at the new brooklyn one who appeared to be doing her actual grocery shopping there...
re: twodales
You may be able to order it from Wikstroms @ http://www.swedishfoods.com/
Unfortunately their Chicago deli has closed. Depressing.
Last night I cooked from a book which I find intimidating - Cuisine Actuelle, which is the cooking of Joel Robuchon presented by Patricia Wells. For those of you who don't know, Joel Robuchon is a very fancy French chef so the recipes are technique and ingredient heavy. I have actually cooked one other recipe from that book, Guinea Fowl roasted ona bed of potatoes (divine) but as I've had the book for about ten years that's not a very good strike rate.
Anyhow, the weather was behaving itself last night (for England) so we decided to barbecue. I found a recipe for grilled chicken with hot mustard which was pretty easy (ridiculously easy actually) and gave it a try. I was a bit sceptical because it was so simple, but my goodness it was fabulous - the best barbecued chicken I've ever had. The chicken was spatchcocked (by the butcher, but it's not hard to do yourself), then marinated for about three hours in olive oil, lots of lemon juice and S&P. Then I put it on the barbecue (Weber kettle) skin-side down for 15 minutes (lid on). After 15 mins I turned it over (skin was lovely and crisp and slightly blackened) then cooked it for another 15 mins. Then I slathered the skin with two tablespoons of dijon mustard and put the lid back on for five minutes or so. It was incredible - really moist and flavoursome and with a mild kick from the mustard. Just yummy. I did use an eye-wateringly expensive free range chicken, which may have had something to do with it but I reckon this Robuchon chap knows what he's doing! My friends said it tasted like chicken used to - I'm guessing this was partly the free-range thing.
Anyway, this has inspired me to use this book more often, probably when we have company. At the end of the day, it's no more complicated than, say, Suzanne Goin or even Deborah Madison's Greens Cookbook.
Sorry for the rambling post!
re: greedygirl
Wow! What a wonderful unused cookbook success story! Congrats!
What is spatchcocked?
re: The Dairy Queen
I believe it's a way of cutting the chicken so that it remains "whole" - i.e., in one piece - but you can place it flat on the cooking surface.
re: The Dairy Queen
You cut down the backbone so the chicken will lie flat, like MMRuth says. Some people remove the backbone altogether, but you don't have to. It's a great way of cooking a whole chicken on the barbecue or grill.
The French term is "en crapaudine" - like a toad!
re: The Dairy Queen
Basically, it's butterflied.
re: The Dairy Queen
Dear me, DQ, you haven't been reading your Nigella! She has spatchcocked chicken in every book .... well, I exaggerate.... I think we'd call it "butterflied".
I've done it many times and it's not hard to do yourself if you have a hardy cleaveresque knife.
GG: I have seen that Robouchon book and was always intimidated. Must check it out again.
re: greedygirl
I wonder if this is the same book as Simply French (published in the USA). It is also the cooking of Joel Robuchon presented by Patricia Wells.
re: dkennedy
I'm sure you're right--and that had completely passed over my head when I first saw greedygirl's post. Love, love, love! that book. The Confit of Fresh Chestnuts, Walnuts, Fennel, and Onions is spectacular as are the Glazed Spring Vegetables. Any chance for a future COTM?
re: The Dairy Queen
It would make a wonder COTM selection. I have made more recipes from this book than any of my other books combined. The roasted chicken recipe is perfection. Every time I stray and make my chicken another way, I always wish I had stuck with the SF one instead.
re: dkennedy
I believe I'm officcially on board (not because of the rast chicken per se, but due to the sum of the above posts). I don't vote in the COTM threads because I'm so spotty in my participation, but I'll be checking this out regardless, as it is in my library's system.
re: JoanN
I think it is the same book, just with a different name. I'd definitely be up for it being COTM, but not in September, because I'm away half the month visiting you lot in the US of A. What I really need is for us to vote for the next year, so I can stock up on all the books while I'm there!
This is a fun thread. It makes me want to dig up more unused cookbooks.
I tried to reply to TDQ's post above but it apparently didn't work. The onion marmalade didn't have to age. It was just simmered for about 45 minutes. It went really well with the cheese flan, or tart, as I would call it.
re: NYCkaren
There's a really good onion marmalade recipe in Flexitarian Table. Served with a goat cheese fritatta.
I had no idea how many cookbooks I was guilty of not using the recipes.
This thread was great in that it has nudged me to actually look at my cookbooks in a different way other than to gather ideas. I am guilty of buying a cookbook and totally straying from the intended recipe.
So for me, the books that I usually follow a recipe more closely (still not always to the letter) I generally lean towards Asian, Mexican, Indian, anything other than American.
My first book was for a Mexican Chocolate Cake from Colorad Cache Cookbook. A gift, and one cookbook that I do enjoy looing at, but have not cooked.
Again, I am guilty. I did not put in the cinnamon that the recipe called for because I didn't think it sounded good. So I just used semi sweet dark chocholate.
This recipe has only 2 T of butter! An egg and one yolk in the batter.
The frosting is chocolate and sour cream. I actually think this cake is better the next day and stored in the fridge, it is dense and it almost became truffle like. Very rich.
And so here it is, if you would like the recipe I'd be happy to give it to you since I did change it!!!.
re: chef chicklet
That looks incredible! I would love the recipe when you get a chance. Thanks!
re: ArikaDawn
I would be happy to later today when the baby is napping!
re: ArikaDawn
yes AD, would be delighted. Remember that it has only 2 T of butter. It will not taste the best the day of baking, much better as it sits and gets a chance to sit and get moist. I'm sure one could use a light sour cream for this too.
re: chef chicklet
Isn't a tube pan the same as an angel food cake pan?
re: yayadave
I have no idea? I don't have one of those either. It has been only the last few years (2-3) that I've started baking, and the reason, I didn't care for cake or sweets. I like them a little better now, but I don't like angel food cake either... I don't care much for cakes that are formed into a shape, they are just not appetizing to me for whatever reason. I have nightmares about that Kwanzaa cake that Sandra Lee made, it honesty made me gag!
re: chef chicklet
My goodness, it's a Classic!
re: yayadave
Actually, my curiousity got the better of me and I did a bit of searching. It seems like the terms angel food and tube cake pan are used interchangeably for similar-shaped pans, either with or without the removable bottom.
Live and learn.
re: karykat
Are they the same as bundt pans?
re: ArikaDawn
Bundt pan
Angel food cake tube pan
re: yayadave
I don't think I've ever seen a tube pan. Thanks for the pics.
I grew up seeing angel food cake baked in a bundt pan and inverted on a wine bottle to cool and loosen it, making it easier to remove. Never would have thunk there was a fancy schmancy pan for it. Wonder if any of the other women in my famly know?...
re: yayadave
Meaning the Kwanza Kake.
re: yayadave
I kind of thought that the angel food pan has a removable bottom but the tube pan doesn't? I may have just made that up, I don't know.
re: chef chicklet
That's funny, because my mom has that cookbook, and it was always one of our most used cookbooks!
re: Katie Nell
Katie Nell have you tried that cake? Very different.
I love reading that book for inspiriation it has some really delicious recipes but I had never set out to follow a recipe as the suggestion in the thread. And I still couldn't follow it! Obviously I have some sort of disorder!
re: chef chicklet
No, I haven't, but it sounds right up my alley (with the cinnamon, though). I might have to steal it from my mom for a while! Our go-to coffeecake is in that book, on page 243, Cream Cheese Coffeecake.
Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic Marinade, "Vegetable Love" by Barbara Kafka.
I was looking for a portobello mushroom on-the-grill recipe and naturally consulted the current COTM Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone for one, but it didn't really have an applicable one, so I consulted Kafka instead. I bought Kafka's tome about a year ago when I first started my CSA and have consulted it many times for inspiration or to read the basics about a vegetable, but have never actually held myself to a recipe.
This recipe called for 6 cloves of garlic blended with 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, pepper to taste, blended, then brushed on 4 portobello mushroom caps (about 1 pound) and marinaded 30 minutes to 6 hours. Roast in 500 degree oven for 6 minutes per side. We did exactly that, except that we roasted them on the grill. Also, she suggests a variation of adding 2 tsp of sherry vinegar, which I did. Nothing earth shattering here, but still, very nice.
What I'm reminded about this book, that I appreciate, is that it's not really a book about vegetarian cooking as much as it's a book about cooking vegetables. She often mentions what kind of meat you might serve this alongside, which is nice. A 700 page book on cooking vegetables is a bit of a rarity.
re: The Dairy Queen
That portobello mushroom recipe looks grand...I'm trying that next time I do them. We just had them this past week for a vegetarian dinner...I rubbed the 4 large caps with olive oil and sprinkled on some balsamic vinegar, cooked them right away in grill pan on the stove because I didn't have time to light the grill, etc. (But they are much better on the actual grill)...then I was wanting to put some kind of herb-cheese sauce over them...when I saw the price of Boursin in the store at $6.99 I was incredulous. So, I made up my own using low sodium chicken broth, mixing in some regular cream cheese that I'd mixed with fresh chopped herbs from my garden (basil & rosemary) and some green scallions. My son said you could put that sauce over a car tire and it would taste great which was very nice of him to say because I did not know what I was doing. Portobellos are just a terrific meat substitute! We had leftover baked potatoes and a green salad with those 'bellos.
re: MMRuth
I ended up making a different recipe instead, as I had 1/2 lb of ground lamb that needed to be used up. The recipe is "Gingered Lamb and Quinoa in Phyllo", but I made some changes, including not using ginger since I didn't have any. I sauteed 1 medium chopped onion in 2 T olive oil until transparent, then added about 8 chopped reconstituted shitakes (leftover from Dunlop) rather than the 3 oz of oyster mushrooms, cooked for about 5 minutes, then added the ground lamb, cooked for about 4 more minutes, added the leaves of three thyme sprigs, salt and pepper. After it cools, you add it to 3 cups of cooked quinoa, along with 1/3 minced roasted red bell peppers (I used piquillo peppers from Casas), 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1 T minced ginger, and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Instead of the ginger, I used a healthy dose of pimenton. I made this on Sunday, and was going to add in the parsley to it when I went to make the phyllo packets -but I forgot the parsley. Last night I wrapped them up in the phyllo (4 buttered half sheets to 1/2 cup of filling) and baked for 20 minutes at 375. My husband, not surprisingly, asked if there was a sauce for it, which there isn't, so while they baked, I put some chopped piquillos in the blender with a little olive oil, then mixed with mayonnaise and added some salt. I served this with a baby arugula salad with chopped chives, simply dressed, and asparagus with olive oil, lemon juice and Maldon salt. Really liked this dish, and there are a lot more quinoa recipes to try in this book.
The quantities make 8 packets - I made up four, my husband ate 2, I had one, and nibbled on one for breakfast. May just try freezing the filling.
re: MMRuth
Wow--sounds (and looks) wonderful. I have a boatload of ground bison to use up. Do you think it could work with bison?
re: MMRuth
What an Interesting and economical recipe. Did the quinoa add much, apart from bulking out the lamb and making it healthier?
re: greedygirl
I think it gives it a bit of a nutty flavor.
Re: bison - I think bison might be a bit leaner than lamb, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. I do think, by the way, that the filling could have had just a little more salt. I didn't account for the phyllo when I tasted and seasoned it.
re: MMRuth
Boo! This thread isn't coming up to the top of my 'myChow' anymore! Guess I'll have to favorite it! Anyway, this recipe sounds really good and interesting. Is this version of the recipe fairly exact? http://www.completerecipes.com/50838.htm
re: Katie Nell
Should we start a new thread, Katie Nell? It's been almost a month since the last one... We could start a new one (that has a link to this one) and of course, put a link to the new one in here...so people can go back and forth between the two...
re: The Dairy Queen
I'd rather keep the same thread, but that's just my two pennorth.
re: The Dairy Queen
I was sorta hopin' to see this thread go to 600 replies. Maybe it just gets too cumbersome?
re: Katie Nell
Yes- that is it - it does seem to be tweaked for fat - 1 T olive oil vs. 2 T, and I surely used melted butter for the Phyllo, though it makes me wonder, does using cooking spray actually works for layering Phyllo?
BTW - I've not "favorited" this one, but I always check HC board sorted by most recent post, so it usually pops up when there is something new.
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, Sage Grilled Cheese, Pg. 115
Funny thing is, I instinctively went to the COTM to look for the grilled cheese w/sage sandwiches. Pavlov was right! Anyway, here's the Zuni report.....
To minced sage you add EVOO and heat for a few minutes in a small pan.
On either white or whole wheat ( I used white) artisnal bread place slices of a very sharp cheddar and fit all the way to the edges of the bread then top with another slice of bread. The sage oil is then brushed all over the bread right to the edges. We used our trusty G. Forman grill but any skillet will do. What a nice tasting sandwich this was. I thought the sage would be too strong, but not the case. I'll make these again using other kinds of cheese, and I'm going to make a similar recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone just to compare the two.. Proudly I can say, "I'm no longer a Zuni virgin!!"
I served the sandwiches with homemade instant pickles...a Jaques Pepin recipe: sliced cucumbers (2 or 3 small or 1 large), 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, S & P, and I add a bit of cayenne or red papper flakes. Put this together before you start assembling ingredients for the main dish and they'll be ready to eat when all your other food is cooked.
We had a simple salad which I made from the COTM. I'll post that in the appropriate thread.
re: Gio
Fantastic, gio, thank you for dipping your toe in the Zuni waters and sharing your experience with us. I still haven't cooked from Zuni, but I'm feeling increasingly encouraged...
P.S. It seems that both GG and MMR are in favor of just sticking with this thread for the time being, so, unless there's a wave of people wanting to start a new thread, we'll just stick with this one...
As for me, I've had cook's block lately. Same thing as writers block, but, you know, with cooking. Can't seem to motivate myself to cook even from COTM lately, even though I was so looking forward to it. I'm giving myself a break for a week or so and seeing how that goes.
re: The Dairy Queen
I think we've all had that feeling TDQ, and totally understand. Taking a week or so off usually does the trick. Having people miss your cooking will also make you feel great and motivate you!
re: The Dairy Queen
Go out to eat for a few days. At the end of that time you'll wonder why you wasted all that money when you could have done soooo much better at home.
re: The Dairy Queen
That happens to me too - I go in phases and sometimes just cook relatively boring food!
re: The Dairy Queen
Whatever your cooking block is, I think it may be contagious. I think I've had it too. And will follow the recommendations.
I thought a new thread would make sense but whatever makes sense to most.
re: karykat
The thread isn't loading slowly for me at this point - I'd say that when folks start thinking it is, let's start a new one.
P.S. I also find that when it is hot, I'm less inspired to cook.
re: MMRuth
Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement about my "cook's block". I thought I was the only one! I can certainly understand why it might be a hot weather thing, too, who wants to stay inside and labor over a hot stove/oven when it's so hot out? We like to grill when it's hot out. We've also been under the tight rule of our CSA box. So far, we've had a lot of salad and a lot of grilled veggies. Anything I haven't been able to use before the next week's CSA box arrives has been getting chopped and frozen. Since you can't freeze lettuce, eating the lettuce has been our first priority...
I'll start a new thread when it starts to load slowly. If you notice slow loading before I do, please speak up. Or, feel free to start a new thread (linking back to this one, if you wouldn't mind, please). Thank you!
re: beetlebug
My sage is being eaten by a little bug so I'm harvesting as fast as the plants will allow.
We liked these sandwiches very much! The difference between the Zuni recipe and the Deborah Madison version is DM puts the sage inside. I think the minced sage in the OO on the outside is the way to go. Try it you'll love it!
Re the GF.... Lazy woman's way out.....;-)
re: beetlebug
Hmmm...I think we have a GF grill hanging around our place. Maybe I should drag that out.
re: Gio
With super fresh eggs from the farmer's market, I suggest breaking that its-too-damn-hot cook's block with the caesar salad from zuni...it's pages of instructions, but super easy in the end. and you can half the recipe if you are two, no problem.
totally agree about eating out to drive one back into the kitchen, even for the most simple meals . . . in fact, especially for the most simple meals . . .
The Occasional Vegetarian by Karen Lee - I think I may have cooked something from this once, but I'm not sure. Last night I made Parmesan Toasts - it's a recipe from E.A.T., a very expensive restaurant/take out place not too far from me. It calls for using focaccia, but says that you can use other bread (I used a day old bread), which I did.
Heat oven to 350 degrees, slice bread 1/4 inch thin (I got out my handy dandy little sewing ruler with a marker thing on it), mix 1/4 cup grated parmesan with 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (that's the general proportion - I doubled it for six slices and had some left over), spray or brush (lightly) the bread with olive oil, sprinkle on the mixture, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature. The red pepper gives them a nice zing, and we nibbled on them while I was making dinner.
Rhodes Around Britain by Gary Rhodes.
I think I've been put off this book by Gary Rhodes incredibly irritating and patronising screen persona! Anyway, I wanted a simple but out-of-the-ordinary lunch dish as I had some friends coming round on Saturday. It also had to be fairly light, because I also wanted them to eat a huge amount of the cheese I brought back from France the previous week. I decided to make smoked fish with potato salad with mustard oil. Apart from I didn't realise that the mustard oil needed to be made 24 hours in advance. So I went with his suggestion for an easier version of the dish and made a potato salad using good quality mayonnaise, horseradish, and a dash of mustard. I also added red onion and lemon juice as per the recipe. I used smoked salmon for the fish, because I had some in the fridge, but I think smoked eel or trout would be even better. It was pretty good - my friend's 18-month-old baby loved it!
re: greedygirl
That sounds lovely. I make a smoked trout salad quite often, that has mayonnaise, mustard, chives, horseradish and lemon juice. It's a nice quick weekend lunch. l sometimes add toasted nuts, and occasionally some chopped apple.
re: greedygirl
Sounds incredible.
I make a spread for weekend bagels with smoked trout, horseradish, a little mayonnaise and a little sour cream, some chopped shallot, lemon juice and dill. Always, always a hit. I've even cheated and used a can of tuna and had it work out well.
re: LulusMom
It was nice and I will make it again. As I said my god-daughter tucked in with relish. She also very much enjoyed the 80% cocoa chocolate with cocoa nibs we had with coffee - truly a Chowhound in the making. I'm so proud!
Those bagels sound good - will have to give that a try.
re: greedygirl
I'll add my 2 cents and say I think we should keep it just one thread. It's easier to search for something or scroll down than it is to look for another thread. If it gets to be 700 responses long, well that'll mean it's POPULAR! What could be bad about that, eh?
I haven't gotten around to it yet, but a book I've had for years is by the Duchess of Windsor (she who made Edward abandon his plans of being King of England, and whom Mick Jagger sang about, calling her a "Parvenu second-hand lady"), It's called Some Favorite Southern Recipes of the D. of W. and I've never used it. Here are some samples: Waffles and Syrup, Pilau of Rabbit, lots of recipes for tarrapin and oysters. Many dishes with heavy sauces, crepes, Feather Molasses Cake, Pork Cake, Panned Roe with Bacon and Mushrooms, etc. I have to keep looking because there must be SOMETHING in it I can get enthused about. My favorite so far is Bombe Sans-Danger. I guess it's French for "foolproof". She makes me jealous with 2 smoked haddock dishes, which I can't obtain without ordering 25 lbs.
She does have a number of pudding recipes that look intriguing, esp. Almond Custard Pudding, Orange Pudding and Gooseberry Pudding.
Actually I think I've found my recipe: Raspberry Buttermilk Sherbet! Sounds lovely. Think I'll make it this week.
re: oakjoan
Wasn't it the evil Mrs Simpson who said "You can never be too rich or too thin"? In which case I'm willing to bet she never ate a waffle in her life!
Re: smoked haddock. Is it possible to smoke it yourself? If not, I will send you some in the post!
Cooking at Home with Julia and Jacques.
It's the companion book to the PBS series of the same name. I've had this cookbook since publication in 1999 and never cooked from it till a few days ago. Here's a dressing I made for the salad we had for dinner Sunday night.
Chef Pepin's recipe for Tuna Mayonaise:
2 cans oil packed tuna
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
ground white pepper
Dijon mustard
I indluded a couple of dashes or red pepper flakes
Everything pureed in a food processor.
Based extremely loosely on Julia's basic potato salad in the same book:
I used steamed, unpeeled small red bliss potatoes to which was added:
a handful of halved grape tomatoes, finely sliced hearts of Romaine and iceberg lettuces, 1 shredded and 1 shaved carrot, sliced celery, sliced scallions and chives.
With the dressing this salad was absolutely delicious. A huge amount of flavor and each layer come through beautifully. Was going to include homemade croutons, but didn't need them. This was a huge salad and satisfied us perfectly on another HHH evening.
Quite a bit of the dressing was left over and made a wonderful spread for a lunchtime tomato sandwich. OMGoodness.... what a find that dressing is.
re: greedygirl
Silly, isn't it. Gotta have that bite. I think my taste buds must be fried.....
Actually it's very subtle. Wouldn't want to frighten anyone.
I should add something about that book. I really love reading it. Both for their culinary insights and for the lovely intimate photos of two old friends. Close-up of their hands on a table....with his hand covering one of hers. Or another where they are almost head to head each prepping their version of the same dish.
The huge book consists of some of their favorite recipes. They each prepare their version of the same recipe then sit down to eat together. Each recipe has the cook's sidebar notes and hints. A really sweet book and now that I'm actually cooking from it I'm loving and missing Julia even more. Chef Pepin is the ne plus ultra of cookery technique. What a thrill it was to watch these two during the programs.
re: Gio
And arguing whether a bit of the green of the leek should go into Vichysoise or if it should ONLY be all white! (Julia, "Yes!", Jacques, "Who cares?"
Their arguing and slightly snippy remarks made the show real. I never felt they were every really angry or even miffed at each other. Every once in a while you could catch a bit of a smile on Jacques' face after he disagreed with her.
Sigh, what a great program.
re: LulusMom
Go back and look through it. LLM. I keep it handy when I'm deciding which DM recipe to make for dinner and compare J & J's version with hers.
Last night I made Jaques' eggplant gratin when I had fully intended to make Deborah Madison's. He includes sliced zucchini and sliced tomatoes rather than chopped. Somehow it was more appealing and it was very tasty!
Not a book, but a booklet with BBQ recipes that I got with a food magazine. I made the bourbon-glazed pork ribs which all my guests thought were amazing. Very easy to make - just season then barbecue the ribs for ten minutes on each size (mine came in a couple of racks which made it much simpler). Then you baste with the sauce (sweated onion, bourbon, brown sugar, ketchup, worcester sauce, simmered for 10 minutes or so then whizzed in the food processor). Cook for 5 mins or so, then turn and baste again. Repeat 4 or 5 times until cooked.
These were just gorgeous, with just the right amount of sweetness and a bit of a kick from the bourbon. The recipes tells you to keep back half of the sauce to serve with the ribs, but most people didn't bother with it, saying they were plenty tasty enough on their own. A big hit.
I served these with the pork and chorizo burgers from Sunday Suppers at Lucques and Rob's Famous Coleslaw from the same book (I loved the coleslaw, which was light and tangy and not at all gloopy), and a radish and broad bean salad from the Ottolenghi Cookbook (also amazing). We had a feast!
re: greedygirl
That sounds like quite a feast!
re: MMRuth
Especially when you take into account the rosewater and pistachio meringue we had for dessert (Ottolenghi again), with whipped cream, raspberries and passion fruit. And a smidgeon of French cheese after that for the truly greedy(girl)!
I have many books, most of which were inherited or "borrowed" from my grandmother. I've spent the last month pulling them out again to get new ideas for the New Year. With that in mind, I dusted off my "Kosher by Design" by Susie Fishbein (I think they come with kosher kitchens now) and made several recipes:
1. Carmelized Carrots - sweet enough for the New Year, but really could use some heat or additional spicing (maybe cumin?) to round it out for the rest of the year!
2. Maple Glazed Turkey - forgot about an appt, and had to bake this without basting. I would recommend basting, but this turned out quite well. The combination of orange juice and maple syrup gave me a new way to make turkey at home.
3. Pomegranate Chicken - I have been wanting to make this recipe for years, but for one reason or another, I just haven't. What a waste, all these years I could have enjoyed it and I should have! This recipe produces beautiful ruby-tinted chicken and moist, flavorful chicken with wonderful notes of garlic and mint. Plan ahead to let is marinate for the full two days. Let the syrup cool before coating chicken or it will cool on the plate and turn the bottom on the plate while looking unpleasantly like blood. I froze the leftover reduced syrup to use for other meals. I see pomegranate lamb in my future.
re: TampaAurora
How disappointing about the pomegranate chicken, especially after wanting to make it all these years. It would have called to me, as well. At least the other two were winners!
re: The Dairy Queen
I edited. Pom chicken was the best of the three. It's what I get for typing while watching the USF Bulls kick FSU Noles butt!
re: TampaAurora
What does the pomegranite chicken marinate in? What's the source of the pomegranite?
I made a pomegranite chicken recipe quite a while ago (can't remember the book I used) and was surprised how sour the chicken and pomegranite was.
Was yours?
re: TampaAurora
HAHAHA! That is really funny. I would love it if you could do a simple paraphrase of this dish, if you have the time.
re: The Dairy Queen
Marinade is 3 cups pom juice (bottled), 2 cups pom syrup, chopped mint and garlic cloves. I subbed 3/4 of the juice for a cup of pom/cran juice since the bottle I bought only was 2 1/4 cups. The final product was a great combo of tart and sweet.
re: TampaAurora
If I'm remembering correctly, the recipe I used called for something like pomegranate molasses, which I had mistakenly assumed would be kind of sweet.
The recipe also had walnuts in it, I think.
I see that I still have an almost full bottle of pomegranate molasses in the fridge. Maybe there are better uses for it?
re: karykat
I use a tablespoon or so of pomegrante molasses in a big glass of Perrier with ice. Yummy! But then again, I like that sweet/tart flavor.
re: karykat
I think you might be thinking of "Jewish Cooking for all Seasons" by Frankel (of Shallot Bistro). She uses the pom molasses.
re: karykat
Sounds like your recipe may have been for the Persian recipe fesenjen, or at least inspired by it. This is a sauce of walnuts with pomegranate molasses.
Tonight I'm cooking from Patricia Wells', The Paris Cookbook, the main is Poulet Grille a la Diabla or Grilled Chicken with Mustard and red pepper. The name is slightly confusing since, the chicken is not grilled but roasted. The only time it sits on a rack is at the end as they suggest to rest the chicken, and to "firm up".
I am a great lover of mustard and have wanted to try this recipe since I found this cookbook. Althought it's been way to warm, what the heck.. I can't wait any longer! She suggests rice or sauteed potatoes for a side and a green salad. I am having my fresh spinach with lightly toasted garlic and fresh lemon. A salad for sure, and I am not sure about a starch. I may do brown rice. I plan on making a creamy, mustard and white wine sauce and will toss in some white mushrooms. Rice might be perfect.
The chicken is painted with dijon and red pepper, then coated with breadcrumbs. I was supposed to dunk it into egg, but I just did not see the point? Since it was going into the oven why? So no egg, and the coating is sticking just fine. I will roast it at 375 degrees and then pull, use the juices for the sauce if there's any and serve the sauce along with.
If it is not sufficiently crunchy or missing something, I'll use the egg next time.
There are some very nice recipes in this book for soup, and the Spicy Langoustine in Broth looks really yummy. A recipe for Three Grain Soup has me especially intrigued, spelt, barley and lentils de Puy, with plum tomatoes! A fresh baquette and this is perfect for a winter evening! Of course the Pommes Anna David Van Ler has to be made, I love potatoes and the recipe from Joel Robuchon, Macaroni with Fresh Truffles 3 ounces! Now how can i make that on my budget??? I guess I'll just have to adjust. That's one recipe that might have to wait, but Flora's Polenta Fries, I am definitely making this. I have an idea on how to serve these for a party I'm having...
re: chef chicklet
I'm replying to myself like a nut, but wanted to post about the chicken. It was delicious!
I have to admit, once again I did not stick adherently to the recipe. I didn't use the egg, and didn't baste with butter. She uses hind quarters, but I used skinless boneless chicken breasts since they were all I had.The diet thing you know. I did slather them with the dijon mustard and red pepper, and rolled them all into the crumbs (plain) I didn't use any seasonings other than what she calls for. Close to the end of the of the roasting (5 mins) I did dot the chicken(it was too pale for me) with butter and placed under the broiler to achieve a lovely golden crust. The simple mustard, cream and wine sauce, was over the top. The mushrooms on their own with butter, garlic and vermouth-seriously good. The lemon and toasted garlic spinach also perfect. I served plain rice with a little butter as it sat warming. I wish I'd taken a photo but it was pretty late and everyone was starving.
I recieved so many compliments from my hubby, he ate all that was left, and cleaned my plate. My 3 yr old, who has developed a picky tongue, ate it all and told me me it was yummy!
I do recommend this recipe, I swear I can still smell it this morning. It would be just as good cold. If you're looking for a low fat way to enjoy crunchy chicken, this is a very good sub. I wonder if I'd use egg whites, if that would of made it even crunchier?
What's interesting is with her recipes and those of her colleagues, less ingredients is definitely more. And with that, I'll end, seriously, I'll be cooking from this book again soon.
Artichokes Stuffed with Ricotta and Pine Nuts from Verdura: Italian Style by Viana La Place (page 274)
Lots of serendipity here. There was a recent post reminding me of TDQs "I finally cooked from my unused cookbook" thread. Then, not necessarily connecting one with the other, I signed up for Eat Your Books (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6778... ) and have input some 80+ titles so far. Had some leftover ricotta I wanted to use up and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give EYB a test drive. It came up with this recipe in this book, a book that has had a few fond mentions on the board but one I'd never cooked from before. Well, that's going to change.
You trim, halve, and dechoke artichokes and cook until tender but still firm. The artichoke halves are placed in a baking dish and topped with a mixture of ricotta, garlic, egg, grated Percorino Romano (I used Parmesan), lightly toasted pine nuts, and S&P. Sprinkle the topping with bread crumbs, more grated cheese, more toasted pint nuts, and bits of butter and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
I couldn't have been happier—with EYB, Verdura, the recipe. Using EYB I could see I had all ingredients but the artichokes on hand . . . and I adore artichokes. Wonderful recipe—and can be served either hot or at room temp, as an appetizer or as a main. What a thrill to find something so good from a book it would never have occurred to me to look in just because I wanted to use up some ricotta.
re: greedygirl
I live in the midst of what is almost an embarrassment of food shopping riches. From three blocks south of me to five blocks north I have a twice-a-week farmer's market, a Gourmet Garage, a well-stocked but ridiculously expensive Food Emporium directly across the street, Fairway, and Citarella. A few blocks further, Zabars. And soon to arrive, Trader Joe's. About the only ingredients, including some that are rather exotic, not within walking distance are Asian. They're going to carry me out of this apartment feet first.
And I'm with you on artichoke prep. But I just adore them. I think of them as I do fava beans. I make them for me, not for company, and I make a meal of them.
re: JoanN
I have no problem with preparing fava (broad) beans, when in season. Sadly, they're very late this year. Artichokes, slightly more so. Funnily enough, I had both today in Ottolenghi's Vegetable Paella (check your booklet). The beans were frozen, though, and the artichokes came in a jar!
I'm so happy this thread has popped up again. I've cooked from a few unused books recently and completely forgot to post here... Now I have to play catch-up.


text:
Anyone with a hygeia pump?? Just wondering how often you need to changed the valves? Is that the only part you need to replace?
hygeia pump?
Posted 01/13/2013
Comments (4)
Posted 01/14/2013
I have used my hygeia 9 months and havent' needed to change the valves (I assume you are meaning the part that connects pump to tubing).
abbiesmom412 · Original Poster
Posted 01/14/2013
Its the little white piece. Have you had to replace any parts??
Posted 01/14/2013
I haven't needed to replace any parts. Quick question though.... Do u ladies feel the hygeia works well at getting all of your milk?? I've had mine (enjoye) and even on the highest settings I don't feel like its strong enough and I definitely don't always feel like it gets all of my milk out
abbiesmom412 · Original Poster
Posted 01/14/2013
I haven't used mine yet. I also have a freestyle. This is my 2nd baby and i decided to get a new pump. I'm due in 2 weeks

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Apr 12, 2011 10:08 AM
The Vintage Amberina Vase Lights ($48) are the tops in upcycled topsy-turvy shenanigans. The good news is, grandma's vase doesn't have to sit in the garage anymore. Who wants to string some Ikea cords through the swap meet and copy this clever idea? We do.... [More]
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Make a wish on the Allium Table Lamp ($116). It's easier to imagine running through wildflower fields with visual aids. We're charmed by this simple light.... [More]
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Latest in the line of super cool lighting from Tord Boontje, comes Future Flora ($85-86) 2010. These unique and stunning lights feature precision-etched metal sheets that take on an exotic bloom-shaped form when twisted and given life. The combination of openings, silver matte surfaces and... [More]T
Apr 4, 2011 10:00 AM
The Valeria Byrne Artichoke Lamp ($117) is architectural and contemporary, with just the right amount of graphic appeal. It's cool as a cucumber, and if we just projected our veggie craving onto OB readers with all these references to green edibles, than we guess Jamie... [More]
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Whether hung inside or out, the Bollard Oil Lamp ($131) is sure to catch you glowing. The stunning design of the lamp creates a cozy atmosphere, as the chimney is embossed with a Fresnel pattern, that intensifies and spreads light. The antiqued psuedo-industrial feel works... [More]
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Mar 30, 2011 11:06 AM
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Mar 29, 2011 8:25 AM
It may be meant for baby or child but what snot-nosed, demon-faced second-grader deserves such a beautiful, elegant, glittery masterpiece? Restoration Hardware makes us swoon with this Vintage Vine 6-Arm Chandelier ($229). This would work beautifully over our imaginary vanity, dangled above our make-believe eight... [More]
Mar 22, 2011 9:45 AM
Household items fuse into something different in the mmckenna Betty Lou Table Lamp ($119). Duh, it's a wine glass and an inverted bundt cake pan glassed out and stuck together. This lamp says "make your own cake, men, we're taking a reading break, thank you... [More]
Mar 18, 2011 8:25 AM
The ET2 Lattice Lamp ($160) looks like lace, but it's a little more heavy duty than that. The deceptively delicate shade is actually polished chrome (amazing!). Finally, chrome doesn't fit in so well with bathroom hardware. What an achievement.... [More]
Mar 17, 2011 10:24 AM
We all know it's good to be on top, and this little rabbit demonstrates that in the Rustic Romp Taper Holder ($598). Sure, it's not your traditional candelabra, but this pile of woodland creatures is so bizarre it somehow becomes cute. Yep, even when you... [More]
Mar 14, 2011 8:23 AM
We love our old IKEA floor lamp stand-by, with its' paper shade and all, but we're looking for a little up-grade - perhaps shed some new light on the subject. The Chippendale Floor Lamp ($162) is just the ticket. With a metal frame, sweet geometric... [More]
Mar 11, 2011 9:05 AM
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Says Renee:"I am attempting to plan my wedding and have had a hard time finding affordable, black 1920's inspired candelabra's for my centerpieces. Since I adore your opinions on all things awesome I hope you will take the time to help me!" Hi, Renee, it's... [More]
Jan 31, 2011 9:43 AM
Too. Cool. For. School. And that's why we like the Cluster Bulb Pendant ($99). We all need Lights in our homes. Might as well make them cool.... [More]
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text:
School district bill now silent on savingsBy JOSH OGORMAN
VERMONT PRESS BUREAU | April 12,2014MONTPELIER A House bill that proposes to consolidate the states school districts no longer makes any mention that it might save money.
By a 9-2 vote, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a slimmed-down version of the legislation that looks to streamline school governance by erasing borders of the states 273 school districts to create about 50 expanded districts.
The vote came two days after the committee took testimony on the bill, H.883, which came out of the House Education Committee in March. At 14 pages, the new version culls the original 39-page one while keeping some of the language.
The fact that it doesnt address finances is one reason it received a nay vote from Rep. Patricia Komline, R-Dorset.
What we heard from people at the public hearing was about Act 60 and 68 and the rise in costs, and this does not address that at all, Komline said. This is about superintendents who have too many meetings to go to, and I think there are ways we can address that without dismantling local control.
Rep. William Johnson, R-Canaan, also voted against the bill.
The new bill retains what some people see as an attack on local control: The expanded districts would have a single board to serve multiple schools in multiple towns. Each expanded district would adopt a single budget and have one tax rate for the whole district.
The timetable remains unchanged, with a goal of having expanded districts in place by July 1, 2020.
Under the new bill, the path to get there is a bit different. The original proposal spoke of districts creating voluntary consolidation plans. The new plan does that as well, but with financial incentives.
The revised bill puts greater emphasis on Act 153 from 2010, which provides money for districts to explore consolidation from $20,000 to analyze the feasibility of a merger to $150,000 if a merger actually happens.
While districts are exploring consolidation through Act 153, a design team composed of appointees from the House, the Senate and the governor would create a statewide consolidation plan. After several revisions Friday, the eventual bill contains language that would compel the design team to take into account mergers that happen under Act 153 to create regional education districts, also known as REDs.
To the extent feasible, the statewide realignment plan shall not realign a new district created under the regional education district process, the revised bill states.
The composition and duties of the design team drew a fair amount of discussion Friday. Steven Dale, executive director of the Vermont School Boards Association, spoke of the highly politicized nature of having a design team composed entirely of political appointees.
All of the power, at the end of the day, rests with this unelected entity. It doesnt go to the state board, and there isnt much in the way of a public process, Dale said.
My personal fear is that people will turn the focus from students and taxpayers and focus on the power struggle between Montpelier and local communities.
In the end, the committee agreed on language that would have one of the appointees be the head of the State Board of Education and require that two others have experience serving on a school board in Vermont.
Appointees cannot be members of the House or Senate.
The bill is expected to return to the House Education Committee on Tuesday before making its way to the Appropriations Committee.
The new bill can be read online at goo.gl/uQgEkC. The previous version is at goo.gl/HCu5tN.
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