Philotic Web

Just whatever you do, stay away from the pizza in England. I have yet to have a decent pizza there.

Pizza in Italy > anything else on earth.

I had the best pizza I've eaten in Portland. Thin, crisp crust with a light tomato sauce, olive oil, mozzarella, pecorino romano and basil.

I just wish Portland were closer.

Pizza in Italy > anything else on earth.

Yes!!! They have 2 kinds in Italy (the thin crust wood fired kind at pizzerias and the square slab kind that bakeries sell by weight) and they are both far superior to anything else I've ever had.

I went back looking for the cinnamon buns recipe because 'm going to surprise the house in the morning (perhaps as an apology for not doing so much packing? I'm only a casual staff and I haven't been here in weeks! Don't trust me to pack your stuff!). Of course I ended up re-reading (does anyone else ever re-read old threads/posts?) and I realised I had posted about my dahl and neglected to write down any recipe! And the post was all about sharing! So here goes (superfluous parentheses!)!

Dahl:
3:1 ratio of red lentils (masoor) to yellow (toor un-oily) lentils - I usually do this in "handfuls" but for convenience let's say 3/4 cups red and 1/4 cups yellow

[/i]Any of the following, in combination:[/i]
1tsp veggie bullion powder
1-1/2 tsp curry powder OR 1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander seed
3-6 cloves
8-12 peppercorns
2" stick cinnamon
1/2 tsp fennel seed
sprinkle of oregano or parsley
1 tsp ginger powder or 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1-3 green chillies, chopped up

Boil the spices with the lentil in lots of water (2 or 3 inches above the lentils?). When the red lentils have almost turned into mush, salt them to taste and fry the following until the seeds pop, then carefully pour over the lentils, stir, and serve with a generous handful of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Baghar:
2 tbsp neutral oil
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves sliced garlic (don't mince or crush)
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp nigella/black onion seeds
8-10 fresh curry leaves (the dried are just not the same)
1 dried red chilli

Another option is to mix up the kinds of lentils you use, but I like the texture of the red and yellow, myself. You can also omit the curry leaves and chilli from the baghar and add a quarter cup grated dried coconut. Tomatoes chopped up and added to the lentils midway are also great.

P.S. I don't measure, so take the quantities as rough guidelines at best.

French toast!

French toast!

fixed that for you. man I love that place, it's dangerous it's only a couple blocks from me.

so Kelly, ever tried any of Smitten Kitchen's (I keep thinking the website is smitten kitten) ice cream recipes? I'm a bit shocked at the idea of an ice cream recipe that involved both butter milk and 12 eggs. On the other hand I really want to try it. :-p
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/buttermilk-ice-cream/

and dammit, now I want the Last Course cookbook.

edit:

I also can't decide between Pioneer woman's vanilla
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009 ... ice-cream/

or Alton Brown's vanilla
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html

Alas, no. I don't have an ice cream maker, and am far too lazy to do it the old fashioned way.

A pasta roller is next, but when I get around to adding an ice cream maker to my array of kitchen appliances, I'm going David Lebovitz all the way.

Trying another Smitten Kitchen recipe: Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons.

It's in the oven at the moment, and it smells amazing!

Yum! If I get enough tomatoes off my plant, I may have to try it!

We just consumed pumpkin soup and homemade french bread. Right now I have blueberry mini-pies baking. This is a yummy day!

My tomato plant has over 18 tomatoes so far (it's really big, there might be more I just can't see yet). I've been looking up things to do with them. I think I want to try some sort of spaghetti sauce next.

ETA:

Yummm! I just want to cut a whole loaf of french bread in half, cover it in the tomatoes and cheese and eat the whole thing.

: )

My tomato plant has over 18 tomatoes so far (it's really big, there might be more I just can't see yet). I've been looking up things to do with them. I think I want to try some sort of spaghetti sauce next.

ETA:

Yummm! I just want to cut a whole loaf of french bread in half, cover it in the tomatoes and cheese and eat the whole thing.

: )

French bread, thinly-sliced tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella (well-drained) and fresh basil. You won't regret it.

Pancakes with maple syrup and ligdonberry jam. Yummy.

Steph, if you have the time/means, would you be willing to share your bread recipe(s)? I had toast this morning and it was okay but I've been craving your bread something fierce.

I just made a pene pasta with italian sausage, a white wine & butter sauce, roasted garlic cloves, and ricotta made with sheep's milk. I am in heavn.

Very Tasty, I can vouch!

Most years i'm throwin tomatoes by now but this year i don't think i've had a handfull of cherry maters this hurts!

Steph, if you have the time/means, would you be willing to share your bread recipe(s)? I had toast this morning and it was okay but I've been craving your bread something fierce.

Just admit it. You can't live without me anymore!

You don't have a bread maker, correct? (If you do, let me know and I'll get you different recipes.)

For sandwich bread, I'd recommend that one that (I think) Kelly posted a link to a while back? Only I can't find the post. It was a light wheat bread? Ring any bells? It was pretty darn close to my bread maker recipe, only done by hand instead. It should give you pretty similar results. I'm just too tired to look beyond surface looking. Anyone else able to help out on that?

For french bread, I'd recommend this recipe:

French Bread
In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbs. yeast

In the mixer combine:
2 cups hot water
1/3 cup oil or melted shortening
3 Tbs sugar
3 tsp. salt

Stir 3 cups flour into water, oil, sugar and salt mixture. Add yeast. Beat until smooth. Add 3 cups more flour. Rest 10 min. Stir down. rest and stir every 10 minutes for a total of 5 times. ( by the end of the fifth rising the dough will be about doubled in size.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide into 2 loaves. Use a rolling pin to roll into a large rectangle about 1/4 in thick. Roll into a log, starting on a long end and pinching closed the seams. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise for 30-40 min. Cut diagonal slashes with a sharp knife. (Sharp knife is important. A dull or serrated knife will pull at the dough and deflate the loaf.) Brush with 1 egg white beaten with a teaspoon of salt. Bake for about 20-30 min at 400 degrees.

When cutting fresh bread, let it cool for a little bit so it doesn't mush up when cutting. But try and eat it warm, as it is the best when warm. The sandwich bread is incredible when still warm with butter and honey or homemade jam!

Just admit it. You can't live without me anymore!

It's true. I've made it my life's mission to convince you to actually marry me.

And thanks.

The recipe Steph mentioned for a light wheat sandwich bread is this: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/light-wheat-bread/

I also love this recipe for white sandwich bread (SUCH amazing toast!): http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/07/we ... ich-bread/

And of course, I will never ever stop singing the praises of Challah Bread: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/best- ... egg-bread/ (I usually skip the poppy seeds on top).

Also, Steph, I have never made french bread, and I'm now DYING to try your recipe!

It's yummy french bread! I just edited to update the instructions slightly. They were my sister-in-laws instructions and they weren't quite what I think works best, so if it looks slightly different, that's why.

White chocolate cupcakes with raspberry cream filling and white chocolate Buttercream frosting. I had to bake a test batch to make sure they will work for my sister's baby shower on Saturday. I'm glad I did, since I didn't like the way the filling turned out the first time and I had to come up with a new plan, and it is much tastier!

The vanilla ice cream turned out fantastic. It was the texture, consistency of Dairy Queen soft serve but even creamier. I wish we had magic dip to a make a dairy queen dip cone:

We adapted it from the pioneer woman website

It was too sweet so next time I'm reducing the sugar a 1/4 cup or my mom suggested adding milk to the 'fill' line of our white mountain ice cream freezer, but I think her idea would make it a whole lot less creamy.

ingredients:
4 tsp vanilla, separated
8 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
1 cup whole milk

I'm pretty sure that's it.

Bring the sugar half&half and milk to a simmer using medium low heat. stir regularly to prevent scorching.

whip the egg yolks until they're light and creamy.

temper the egg yolks and then add back in.

add two teaspoons of vanilla

cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a custard.

Pour custard into cream and stir to thoroughly combine. Add remaining two teaspoons of vanilla.

chill for at least six hours or overnight, Ice cream will be creamier the colder the mixture is to begin with. And chilling for this long allows the flavors to meld and mellow.

Freeze per ice cream maker instructions.

We have a six qt white mountain ice cream maker, this didn't seem like a lot pre freezing but the freezer was about 2/3 full after freezing. The recipe should be fine in 4qt freezer, but probably needs to be halved for a 2qt freezer.

MMMM chocolate. I haven't been cooking much lately. I did make a pretty good avocado/walnut sauce for my pasta yesterday though.

A restaurant group that I've never actually been to a single of their restaurants is getting a Food Network show starting tonight. My mother and I are going to watch it out of curiosity. And because it sounds terrible.

I made a puff pancake (Dutch Baby) for the first time this morning. It was super tasty and SO easy. It may become a regular thing in this house.

All it is is:
1/4 cup butter, melted in a 425 degree oven in an oven-safe frying pan

3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
Beat those together and pour over the melted butter, then bake about 25 min until golden.

It puffs up SO cool.

German pancakes, babe. I made them all the time when I was cooking for four. I found a great way to spice it up a tiny bit would be to add a dash of cinnamon to the pancake mix. They're so simple and so very tasty!

Lately I've been obsessed with foodgawker. I love the pictures, and I have something like 200 recipes bookmarked for making which is a bit overzealous but they all look so good! My favorite thing I've made so far is probably the edamame veggie burger. I've been on the hunt for a decent veggie burger recipe, but they all tend to come out pasty...these ones tasted really good at least, though. As soon as it gets cool enough, I can't wait to make this: http://www.ledelicieux.com/2010/08/09/t ... onut-milk/. Pumpkin soup is one of my favorite things in the world.

So, I made that recipe for french bread today. It's been on my mind ever since I posted it and since I hadn't made it in a long time, I went for it. I forgot how soft of a bread this is! It doesn't get the yummy crunchy crust on the outside the first bake. I do remember sticking it in the oven again to warm it before dinner one night and then it had a wonderful crust. It's almost the perfect make ahead french bread. Just warm for 10-15 min in the oven before serving and it's perfect. I still need to work on finding a non-breadmaker french bread that I'm happy with. (The breadmaker just makes the dough for the french bread and I do the rest, so it shouldn't be THAT hard to find one, but I haven't been successful yet.)

P.S. German pancakes are amazing! We always sprinkled it with powdered sugar right out of the oven, so it gets a little bit melty, then serve with maple syrup. They are also very tasty filled with sliced strawberries and whipped cream!

I'll have to look, but I think Peter Reinhardt said Spritzing, a bread stone and a pan/skillet of water in the oven with the bread leads to a crispier crust.

or maybe that led to a more robust rise... im not sure offhand.

I haven't had much chance to cook recently. This makes a Sad Ali. Yesterday I had the most amazing Nepalese "salsa" and I'm dying for the recipe. It was all cilantro-y and just a bit hot, just enough to be enjoyable while still being able to smear it all over my fried egg, and later, pour it on my salad. I WILL DIE IF I DON'T GET THIS RECIPE.

I made a really yummy thai peanut soup today. It was all coconuty and spicy and soup-er good.

Pork chops, wrapped in bacon, smothered in salsa, black olives and mushrooms.

I got a new food processor for my birthday (yay!), so tomorrow, I will be making homemade hummus. This really excites me, as hummus is my favorite food!

I got a new food processor for my birthday (yay!), so tomorrow, I will be making homemade hummus. This really excites me, as hummus is my favorite food!

I got a food processor for my birthday a couple months ago! Love it! I really missed not having one for the last 7 years. I've been using it for pie crust a lot lately. And since I'm bringing home loads of peaches from my mil's tree this weekend, there will be more peach pie in the near future!!!

Also, yum! I want some hummus!