[dragonbird]

I've never felt quite the same about key lime pie since "Dexter".

[monotoy]

oooook />

this thread could use some love! more recipe exchanging needed!

I'm good at Chinese/Japanese/Indian and to a lesser extent Thai and SE Asia in general. Also quite good at European cooking (French and Italian mainly, and Swiss secret recipes). I dare say I make the best Lasagne ever (and chocolate cake heh), no-one so far could claim he had a better one anywhere else. Let's trade, quid pro quo!

[Guy N'wah]

monotoy said:

oooook />/>

this thread could use some love! more recipe exchanging needed!

I'm good at Chinese/Japanese/Indian and to a lesser extent Thai and SE Asia in general. Also quite good at European cooking (French and Italian mainly, and Swiss secret recipes). I dare say I make the best Lasagne ever (and chocolate cake heh), no-one so far could claim he had a better one anywhere else. Let's trade, quid pro quo! ›››

Ooh, you'd get an argument from the Lasagna Queen over that. Maybe we should have a lasagne al forno bakeoff, how about in secondchildren's territory so she can be the judge.

[monotoy]

Guy N said:

Ooh, you'd get an argument from the Lasagna Queen over that. Maybe we should have a lasagne al forno bakeoff, how about in secondchildren's territory so she can be the judge. ›››

that'd be fun ... and the queen's throne would be usurped!

[dragonbird]

Oh my. Do I need to put on my moderator hat?
If Secondchildren isn't available to judge, I'd be happy to volunteer.

[gryphonosiris]

Guy N said:

This is luscious. gryphonosiris mentioned the key point, which is to use very fresh lime juice; the flavor is not the same with bottled juice or even carefully frozen juice.

The Lasagna Queen did not believe it would set up when I made a Key Lime pie for her while we were still dating. You have to trust the makers of this pie who have gone before you, not your instincts when you read the recipe.

Digestive biscuits can be substituted for American "Graham crackers", but they will not give so crisp a crust. ›››

I normally get fresh limes and juice them about 15 minutes before I need them. Key Limes are a royal pain in the arse as they are tiny and give little juice. Persian limes are easier, but it's just not 'quite' the same.

[gryphonosiris]

Graham Crackers

A classic US desert is to take a square of graham cracker, add a toasted marshmallow, and a thin slice of chocolate. Called a S'more.

Makes about 48 2 1/2-inch squares (this will greatly depend on how thin you roll the dough)

2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (4.5 ounces) graham flour (whole wheat)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (2 ounces) brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl to make sure the butter is not stuck to the sides.

Spread the graham cracker dough onto a piece of parchment or a silpat.

Lay another piece of parchment or wax paper over the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin, until about an 1/8-inch thick. The thinner you get it the crisper the crackers and quicker they will bake.

Peel off the top parchment and transfer the bottom parchment with dough onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for about 8 minutes and then turn the cookie sheet around and bake for another 5-8 minutes. (If you want them to break into even squares, then score the dough with a fork midway through baking.) The crackers should be golden brown.

[dragonbird]

This was prompted by the gooseberries thread

My mother's Gooseberry and strawberry crumble
The photo shows a "gooseberry only" version, but it's pretty similar in appearance.


Filling:
250gms gooseberries, topped and tailed
250gms strawberries, prepared. If the strawberries are bigger than the gooseberries, halve them. Thawed-out frozen strawberries may be used.
50gms sugar, preferably a soft brown sugar or demarara, but white sugar can be used

Crumble:
175gms plain white flour
75gms brown sugar, preferably demarara
85gms salted butter

Make the crumble by rubbing the butter and flour, then add the sugar and mix well.
Toss the gooseberries and strawberries in the sugar, then put into an ovenproof baking tray, evenly spread, including all of the sugar.
Scatter the crumble topping over the fruit base. It should be about 1cm deep.
Bake at around 180C for 30-40 mins, until the topping turns golden brown.
Serve hot with custard.

[monotoy]

by request, two japanese recipes of stuff you can do with tofu ("momen" or firm tofu assumed). you'll need dashi of some description (see earlier post) for both (as almost always with japanese cooking). works best if the tofu is first wrapped in a cheesecloth and let stand for an hour or so with a book on top to remove some more moisture.

deep fried tofu:
prepare some 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (if you want, rinse and dry them to remove sliminess)
grate some white radish (daikon if you have), gently wring to remove a bit of moisture, and mix with a little hot red chili flakes to taste

mix 1 1/3 cup dashi, 2 tbsp light soy sauce and 2 tbsp mirin and keep warm

cut tofu in eg. 1.5x5x3cm pieces, dredge lightly with flour, and deep try in oil at 180C for about 6-8min, until light golden in color. briefly drain on absorbent paper and serve. to serve, provide the hot sauce and the condiments separately along with a small bowl for the guests (if any), where everyone can mix the hot sauce and the condiments as desired. dip the deep fried tofu cakes into the sauce mix and enjoy.

---

tofu dengaku
(dengaku is a sort of topping for grilling, you can put it not only on tofu but also eggplants and whatever, even scallops)

with red miso:
150g red miso
3 tbsp white miso
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp saké
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sugar
7 tbsp dashi

with white miso:
200g white miso
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp saké
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sugar
7 tbsp dashi

to make dengaku, put miso in a bowl and blend in yolks, saké, mirin and sugar. put bowl in a sauce pan filled with simmering water and gradually add dashi. stir until thick. then add (for example) a bit of fresh ginger juice, or a bit of grated lime zest or something to add a little tartness as balance.

cut bean curd into 1x2x5 cm pieces. skewer with 2 bamboo skewers per piece. grill on very hot charcoal for about 3min per side. remove from fire, spread an about 2-3mm thick layer dengaku on one side with a knive, sprinkle with a garnish if you like (white sesame or poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, etc)grill the side with the topping again for 1-2min. enjoy!

p.s. I know both the red and white dengakuk recipe produce quite a bit of it, but, it's difficult to make less. dengaku keeps quite well in a sealed container in the fridge though.

[~Fandango~]

Thanks Monotoy, i'll be trying both for sure following todays dissapointment:



Recipe here.

You'll notice that mine looks nothing like it should......blergh!

[monotoy]

~Fandango~ said:

You'll notice that mine looks nothing like it should......blergh! ›››

tbh yours looks like preserved/fermented tofu, which is not necessarily bad but not really the best for this dish I think

[~Fandango~]

monotoy said:

/>
tbh yours looks like preserved/fermented tofu, which is not necessarily bad but not really the best for this dish I think /> ›››

Yeah, wasn't a fan (even after draining it like you told me to, it was all wibbly-wobbly). Think I'm going to make myself a sandwich!

[monotoy]

~Fandango~ said:

Yeah, wasn't a fan (even after draining it like you told me to, it was all wibbly-wobbly). Think I'm going to make myself a sandwich! ›››

meh, that was just me not thinking, at least about the looks. No idea how I thought fried then marinated in shoyu then simmered tofu should look like if not like this, heh

[secondchildren]

dragonbird said:

Oh my. Do I need to put on my moderator hat? />
If Secondchildren isn't available to judge, I'd be happy to volunteer. ›››

When it's time for dinner, I'm always available to judge.
Lasagna makers of all lands unite!

[monotoy]

~Fandango~ said:

Recipe here.

aight, I don't want to overpost but after some out of thread discussion, I decided to try and fix this recipe (as in, make it not bland and a little bit more japanese again), and I think it worked quite ok (as did my better half). so if anyone is interested, let me know and I'll post it.

[monotoy]

secondchildren said:

When it's time for dinner, I'm always available to judge.
Lasagna makers of all lands unite! ›››

any lasagna eater traveling to my country, let me know and I'll get cooking!

[Guy N'wah]

To understand why I'm posting this recipe, it helps to know that I just love green leafy vegetables. Spinach, bok choy, Swiss chard, collard greens, on and on; they're among my chief comfort foods. If you really want to get on my good side, make me a pot of gumbo z’herbes. My family, however, detests these things as the spawn of Satan. I have never been able to get any of them to do more than pick suspiciously at a serving of greens.

So it fell to me to make the St. Paddy's Day dinner yesterday, and I figured I would make something that not even these unrepentant greens-haters could turn up their noses at. Without apologies for any inauthenticity, I made:

COLCANNON

8 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered, about 2 quarts in all.
1 bunch kale, washed and torn into bite-size pieces.
1/2 cup butter (1 stick, about 100 g)
1/2 cup milk

Start the potatoes first: cook about 15 minutes in boiling, slightly salted water. Drain.
Before the potatoes finish, wilt the kale : put a pat of butter and a dash of water in a skillet, heat to steaming, and cook the kale, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.
Mash the potatoes with butter and milk until smooth.
Fold in the kale, and serve.

You can make this more elaborate, with cream and scallions and bacon, but I wanted the kale to be the star. Maybe it had more to do with the prodigal quantity of butter, but it worked! They scarfed it down and asked for seconds. The Lasagna Queen said she had no idea kale could be that good.

[Guy N'wah]

These are good year-round, not just at Easter, but this is the time of year they are appropriate.

HOT CROSS BUNS



Adapted from Elise Bauer's Simply Recipes

1-1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups milk, scalded and cooled
6-1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. assorted ground spices, your choice (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg are all good)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
5 large eggs, warmed to room temperature
1-1/2 cup assorted dried fruit

EGG WASH
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. milk

ICING
1/4 pound cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk, approximately

Start the yeast by mixing 2 tsp. sugar into 1-1/2 cups milk, then sprinkle the yeast over the liquid. Let it stand to start working.

Sift 6 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and the spices. In a separate bowl, beat 4 eggs and the softened butter. While mixing, gradually add the yeast mixture, the dried fruit, and the egg mixture to the flour. The dough should come out well mixed, soft and a bit sticky. Turn out onto a floured board and knead (I always go at least 10 minutes), adding flour as needed. You should end up with a dough that is soft, elastic, and no longer tacky. Let rise in a covered bowl until doubled. Punch down and turn back out onto your board.

Roll the dough out into a log for easy dividing. Divide into four equal quarters. Put three back and work on one at a time. Divide one quarter into three, then divide each piece into three again. Roll each into a little ball, a little bigger than an egg. Repeat for the remaining quarters. This way, you will end up with 36 buns. Lay them out on greased baking sheets, giving each ample room.

Make the egg wash by beating 1 egg with 1 Tbsp. milk until it is fluid and easy to brush. Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, slash or cut a cross into each bun. Brush the top with egg wash. (Hint: Don't overdo the egg wash. If it gets on the pan, it will stick.)

Give the buns another 20-30 minutes to rise. While the buns are rising, preheat your oven to 400F. Bake for about 12 minutes (the exact time depends much on your oven and pans); the tops should be a rich medium brown. Turn them out of the pan and cool on a rack.

Make the icing by beating cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add just enough milk for it to set up to a consistency you can decorate with (careful: if you add too much milk, it will turn runny and be unrecoverable). Pipe the icing into a cross shape using a cake decorating kit, pastry bag, or plastic bag with a small hole cut in one corner. (Be generous if you want; this is a lot of icing for just making crosses.)

Don't expect these to keep. If you make them on Palm Sunday, then fail to eat them up, you'll have hockey pucks for Good Friday.

[gryphonosiris]

Ok, my OCD is forcing me to do this:

One a-penny, two a-penny.
Hot Crossed buns....

[secondchildren]

Oh those buns! We use to eat them on Easter. I remember mom buying for me when I was a child, I've always been glutton of them.
In our recipe, rosemary is also included in the dough.