Cooking from Scratch
Since those Parmegiano Popovers didn’t quite live up to our expectations, we thought we’d try another cheesy bread-like recipe that we were sure would: a recipe for Cheddar scones that comes from Bouchon Bakery, by Thomas Keller and Sebastian Rouxel. Now, if you’ve used Chef Keller’s recipes before, you know that he’s quite particular about the amounts of ingredients, and you might think that it’s overkill. After all, 107 grams of flour?
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Do you like mushrooms? If so, you’re going to want to stop reading right after the ingredients list and head to the store so you can make this tonight. Really. Do it. You will not be disappointed.
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Fairly recently we were invited to a potluck. One of the dangers of a potluck is that everyone could bring macaroni salad. Which might be okay, depending on how different the macaroni salads are, or, if macaroni salad is one of your all-time favorite dishes. For us, it’s not. One of us will eat macaroni salad if it’s there; the other will casually transfer the macaroni salad to the other’s plate in hopes that it, too, will be eaten. Which is likely to happen, unless the person making the macaroni salad believes that store-bought mayonnaise is best in large quantities. I’m sure you’ve had that type of salad, the sort in which there’s so much mayonnaise that it puddles underneath the noodles. If you like your macaroni salad that way, great; next time we see you, we’ll provide you with our share.
Now, where were we? Oh yeah, the potluck. To ensure that there would be at least a couple of different dishes, we tried to think of something a little different to bring along. Maybe something that a few people have never had before, even. But it should be pretty easy, too, as we were already bring the Perfect Party Cake (see previous post), so, what could it be?
Today’s the first day of summer, so we’re celebrating with one of the best summer salads on the planet: Greek Salad. This is the typical salad that Susan had during her visits in Greece, perhaps to the surprise of those of us who are expecting some variety of leafy green lettuces, olives, and so on. Instead, like many authentic dishes, it is made with a select few ingredients, picked fresh when they’re bursting with flavor and served within minutes so you can taste every nuance.
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Two weeks ago, we made carrot cake based on a recipe from The New Best Recipe, by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated. The cake itself was nearly perfect, with just the right amount of spices and carrots. Just what we were looking for in a carrot cake. The frosting, however, left a little something to be desired. It was too sweet, and too heavy. Sure, a heavy and sweet might be exactly what some people look for in a frosting, but not us. Hence, the Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting.
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“Oh, look. We still have these potatoes. And it looks as if they’re starting to go bad in spots!” It happens to everyone; you buy a large bag of potatoes, and, even though you’re diligent, towards the end, some start to go bad. While you can’t really do much to save the bad parts of the potatoes, you can make Stovetop Potatoes Anna with the portions that are still good. And, no, it doesn’t have anything to do with those Stovetop “foods” that line the supermarket shelves.
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Hoping for something quick, easy, and tasty? So were we just the other day, when we wanted something to bring to the volunteers at our weekly downtown walk. We volunteer there once a month, and, to try to ensure that we won’t be the only ones during our shift, we bring a little something. This week: cheese straws.
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