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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2013 2:01 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:21 am
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Location: Six Shooter Junction, Texas
Darcie wrote:
phoenix, actually, that's how silly I am sober. It gets even worse when alcohol is involved.

Yup...I can attest.... :mrgreen: :roll:

Written while sitting in airport whose three letter identifier is SUX coincidence...I think not... :oops:

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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2013 8:21 pm 
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Darcie,

Was this the whole wheat pita? I had better luck with them puffing properly ... it's a handling thing. Also, some folks on cooking.stackexchange did comparison testing, and it turns out that high hydration is the secret to getting a really good puff with pita. That is, the dough should be as wet and sticky as you can deal with.

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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Thu May 02, 2013 10:15 am 
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TheFuzzy wrote:
Darcie,

Was this the whole wheat pita? I had better luck with them puffing properly ... it's a handling thing. Also, some folks on cooking.stackexchange did comparison testing, and it turns out that high hydration is the secret to getting a really good puff with pita. That is, the dough should be as wet and sticky as you can deal with.

It was half white/half whole wheat. I think the thinner I rolled them the better they puffed. As it went along the puffs got better, so I think it was a handling thing.


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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Thu May 02, 2013 12:46 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:34 pm
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Finally made my second recipe from Lowfat Moosewood. It was a Vietnamese Hot and Sour soup. You first make a Southeast Asian stock (ginger, lemon grass, coriander, star anise, onion...). I did it in the pressure cooker in 10 instead of 45 minutes, 3 cheers for the pressure cooker. The soup calls for onions sweated in a teensy, weensy bit of oil, then adding some garlic, chillies, stock, mushrooms, lime juice, tomatoes, pineapple (they have a thing for pineapple, I guess) tofu, fish sauce, basil (I used Thai) and either cilantro or mint (I used cilantro). It is then topped with sprouts, more herbs and a wedge of lime.

I really loved this soup. It is tart and fresh and very light. Only 125 calories for 10 oz. had 20.

On to the next book. It will also go over a week as next week I am going on my annual long weekend with my cooking club. We are going to Beaune France where we will be tasting wine and also have a cooking class booked. I am psyched but I see another diet cookbook in my future.

Mary


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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Thu May 02, 2013 4:46 pm 
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Location: Ottawa, ON
That sounds really, really good. I'd bet you could freeze some of the stock too, to make it fairly fast to make. I'm not going to buy the book, but may well have to track down the recipe.


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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Thu May 02, 2013 5:26 pm 
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Location: New York
I agree Paul, that does sound really good Mary. I took that book out of the library awhile ago and copied a bunch of recipes, that one included. I'm now inspired to make it - thanks!!!!


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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Thu May 09, 2013 6:57 am 
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Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 5:35 am
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Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
FINALLY, I got around to making pasta e fagioli. I decided to start with CI's version from their 2002 Italian Classics, however, I stuck to the Italian ingredients rather than the substitutes, hence, pancetta vs. bacon and barlotti beans vs anything else. I followed their advice as well in that I pureed one can of bean and left the other whole. My ultimate testers were the family at my favorite Italian deli - strong compliments plus a few words of wisdom will be incorporated nest time. THIS IS A REALLY GOOD SOUP!


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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Sun May 12, 2013 8:08 am 
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Okay, made my second recipe from Foods of the World: The Cooking of Italy -- Costolette di Maiale alla Modenese or Pork Chops Braised in White Wine if you prefer the handy English title. This is a keeper. It was very tasty and easy to do. The only change I made was to add garlic to the pan after browning the chops and before adding the wine rather than add it to the herb rub on the chops themselves. Next time, though, I'll use a thinner chop. The thick ones didn't sit in the braising liquid far enough and they were just a bit drier than I would like.

I found the 2 recipes I did from this book to be very simple and straight-forward. I will definitely cook from it again. When the tomatoes are ripe, I'll be trying the Pomodori alla Siciliana.

Next up -- Foods of the World: The Art of Chinese Cooking.


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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Sun May 12, 2013 1:08 pm 
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Love me a pork chop. I just got back from France and will spend tomorrow detoxing and then will pick the new cookbook of the week.

Mary


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 Post subject: Re: My Cookbook Project
PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 12:47 pm 
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Paul Kierstead wrote:
That sounds really, really good. I'd bet you could freeze some of the stock too, to make it fairly fast to make. I'm not going to buy the book, but may well have to track down the recipe.


I thought the Vietnamese Hot and Sour Soup sounded good, too. I found it online:
http://bostonpilates.wordpress.com/tag/ ... sour-soup/

Vietnamese Hot and Sour Soup (Vegan) From Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves minced or pressed
1 0r 2 fresh chilies seeded and minced
7 cups Southeast Asian Vegetable stock (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 cups canned straw mushrooms (15 once can drained)
3/4 cup canned pineapple chunks (8 oz can undrained) or 1 cup fresh diced pineapple
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce or Asian fish sauce
1 1/2 cups diced tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes

In a large soup pot, saute the onions in the oil on low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and chilies and saute for another minute, stirring to prevent sticking. Stir in the stock, straw mushrooms, pineapple and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add basil and mint, lime juice, soy sauce, and tofu. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the flavors are well blended. Sprinkle with mung sprouts and basil leaves and accompany each serving with a wedge of lime.

Notes: I used a pre-minced garlic to save time. We minced the straw mushrooms VERY small so that I wouldn’t notice the texture. I bought pineapple chunks not suspended in juice but heavy syrup. So I drained and did not add the liquid. We used fire roasted tomatoes to enhance the flavor. We used soy sauce as we did not have fish sauce. Josh hates tofu so we substituted a very thin brown rice noodle.

Southeast Asian Vegetable Stock (Vegan) From Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

1 onion, peeled, and sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
3 inch piece fresh ginger root, sliced
1 fresh lemongrass stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 bay leaf
1 star anise (or 1/2 teaspoon anise seed)
9 cups water

Combine all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Strain the stock through a colander or sieve pressing as much liquid as possible out of the vegetables. Discard the vegetables and spices.

---

My lemon grass died this past winter because it was so dry. I have four little stalks left that I am nursing back to health so this will have to wait a while for me.

--Lisa


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