mktye

Rocco's Foxtrot And "Mambo Italiano"

Lebanese Taverna was also my first thought. But if any of the less adventurous in your group balk at that idea, Ristorante Murali is not bad. We were there a couple of weeks ago for rwtye's going-away lunch and they did a really good job with a group of ~30 people. Not a single glitch with the service or getting the food out in a timely manner. I probably won't be rushing back any time soon for the food alone, but if looking a place for dining with a group in Pentagon Row, it is a decent option.

More birthday cake discussion here.

Even better... click.

More info: Gas Ranges thread Kitchen Remodeling thread Convection Ovens thread (this is more about the use of rather than brands of)

I prefer the contrast of a leaner scone with the richness of the cream & jam, but the problem is this type of scone is best fresh-from-the-oven. Time is rarely the friend of scones, biscuits, bannock, soda breads and the other goodies in this category and far too quickly they do become hunks of moisture-sucking staleness.So what is a solution to this dilemma (other than having excellent timing and arriving just as the scones are done baking)? Add more fat! IIRC, Pool Boy's CI recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter for 2 cups of flour (plus sour cream). But, while as delicious as they are straight-up, I personally draw the line at slathering more calories atop such a scone. However, there is middle ground... For scones that will not be served right away, I'll often use the recipe below. The butter is a generous 1 stick for 2 cups of flour and the addition of an egg (and half & half) also helps to stretch out how long they'll go before staling. RICHER SCONES Makes eight 3” round scones 2 cups bleached, all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons sugar 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½” pieces ~1/2 cup half & half 1 egg, beaten Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. With a pastry blender, 2 knives, your fingertips or the steel blade of a food processor, cut or process the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If making by hand, make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture and pour in the half & half and egg. Working quickly, blend the ingredients together with a rubber spatula into a soft, slightly wet dough. If using a food processor, pour the liquids though the feed tube and pulse until the dough just starts to gather into a rough ball (be careful not to over process the dough or the scones will be tough). Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and pat into a ½” thick circle. Use a 3” biscuit cutter to cut the dough into circles, gathering the scraps together and reforming a ½” thickness and cutting more scones until all the dough is used. Or you can cut the original circle into eighths for triangular scones (which is much easier and quicker!). Place the cut scones at least 1” apart on a lightly-greased or a parchment paper-lined half-sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. [For those who care about such things -- I've also made this recipe with vegan shortening & vanilla almond milk to create some pretty darn yummy dairy-free scones. Or you can increase the almond or soy milk and omit the egg for pretty darn yummy vegan scones.] This recipe also makes good a base for strawberry shortcake. My Missouri-born father likes to butter the warm shortcakes before topping with strawberries and whipped cream -- talk about rich!

I guess I view scones (and biscuits) from a totally opposite perspective... As long as the oven is already hot, scones & biscuits are what I bake when I'm feeling lazy, don't want to plan ahead or fuss with stuff. Unlike when making cakes or yeasted breads, there is no waiting for anything to rise or for the butter to soften. I'm also more of a traditionalist and below is my go-to basic scone recipe. I will toss in fruit, nuts, etc. as the mood strikes, but my favorite are plain scones, warm-from-the-oven, topped with clotted (or double devon) cream and a not-too-sweet strawberry jam. SCONES Makes eight 3” round scones 2 cups bleached, all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cream of tartar ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½” pieces ~¾ cup milk Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and sugar. With a pastry blender, 2 knives, your fingertips or the steel blade of a food processor, cut or process the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If making by hand, make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture and pour in the milk. Working quickly, blend the ingredients together with a rubber spatula into a soft, slightly wet dough. If using a food processor, pour the milk though the feed tube and pulse until the dough just starts to gather into a rough ball (be careful not to over process the dough or the scones will be tough). Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and pat into a ½” thick circle. Use a 3” biscuit cutter to cut the dough into circles, gathering the scraps together and reforming a ½” thickness and cutting more scones until all the dough is used. Or you can cut the original circle into eighths for triangular scones (which is much easier and quicker!). Place the cut scones at least 1” apart on a lightly-greased or a parchment paper-lined half-sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. (Adapted from Cook's Illustrated March '94 scone recipe)

My former partners in crime were once again in town, so we headed to La Strada for dinner last night... We started off with the Frito Misto for the table. The calamari were excellent, the lemons (cut into thin wedges which still contained seeds) were good and the scallops were just okay -- well cooked, but a tad fishy tasting. rwtye & I each had a salad and the server was thoughtful enough to ask if we wanted it with the appetizer or afterwards. I found this a nice touch since our dining companions were not partaking of any greens and having the salads arrive simultaneously with the app. kept our friends from sitting around food-less while we ate. I had the arugula salad that did seem a little overpriced for a rather simply-dressed pile of arugula with a bit of radicchio and some parmesan. rwtye had the Caesar and it was definitely under-dressed and therefore lacking in flavor overall. For mains, the jet-lagged TT and The Other Rob shared the family-sized Linguine Frutti di Mare. As with the scallops in the Frito Misto, the seafood was simply not quite to the level of freshness that our table of fish-picky Californians/Hawaiians prefers. Certainly not bad and the spicy (!) tomato sauce combined with well-cooked pasta mitigated it into a decent dish. rwtye and I ordered the Gnocchi alla Bolognese & the Penne alla Puttanesca and swapped plates midway through. The penne dish was a very good and was not overly acerbic as many renditions of puttanesca tend toward. And we pretty much felt the opposite from Cooter in regards to the gnocchi -- we liked the sauce (esp. the hint of warm spiciness... clove? nutmeg? both?) but the gnocchi, while light, tasted a little water-logged last night. Service was very sincere and friendly, with the only complaint being that our server asked us with our salads if we'd like freshly ground pepper and then with the pasta if we'd like freshly ground parmesan, and both times walked away, got busy with her other tables and apparently forgot about the promised toppings. Luckily, rwtye knows the international hand signal for "bring the pepper grinder!" and one of the food runners noticed our deficiency of parmesan and came to our rescue. But these are only minor quibbles and the type of service snafu which I imagine will totally disappear as they settle in to things. Most everything on the menu can be ordered either "solo" or "familigia" with the difference being ~33% increase in price for what appears to be 50% more food, so it is definitely the better deal to share the family-sized portions. $130 for four of us: 1 family app., 2 solo salads, 1 family pasta, 2 solo pastas, 1 dessert (hazelnut/chocolate gelato), 2 beers, 1 fancy Italian lemonade and 1 glass of chianti. At this point, I probably would not drive across town to eat at La Strada, but it is a nice addition to the neighborhood and I hope they'll only continue to improve. We will definitely go back and try them again.

Don't like the way the posts on the board are organized? There are Options! Click on a thread, any thread, and look for the light blue "Options" button up near the right hand corner of the first post. Then click on that button and choose one of the three display modes: Outline Standard Linear+ But, wait, there's more! On the main dr.com page, scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the page and look for the "Lo-Fi Version" link. Click on that link if you want a no-frills view of the board. Still not satisfied? There are even more board display settings options found when you click on the appropriately named "Board Settings" under the "Options" menu on the left side of the "My Controls" page (the link to this page is at the top right of your screen if you are a member and signed in). Better? Worse? Switch back and forth until you find the look you prefer (or a more productive use of your time).

From the Washington Post:

For spices in general, previous discussion here. Chiles de Arbol thread here. Chipotle thread here.

FWIW, past years' softshell discussion is here.

Toaster toaster

PB&J sandwich.

My darling nephew was visiting last week, so with an extra person around to help distribute the calories, I tried out a recipe (copied below) I ran across for St. Louis-style Gooey Butter Cake. It came out pretty well. Not really a classic cake (why this post is not in the cake thread), but more of a coffee-cakey, snack-type of thing. Overall, I thought it was a bit too sweet, but darling nephew and rwtye disagreed on that point and liked it a lot. My favorite part was the crispy "top" that formed on the gooey layer. It held up well without staling too terribly quickly and would be good for a picnic or other casual occasion because you don't really need a fork to eat it. The recipe is said to be a scaled-down version directly from a baker in St. Louis, which would explain some of the oddities in technique and ingredients. I did not make the crust part as written, but did the usual mix all the dry stuff together, add the hot liquids, then the eggs, then the fat. Much easier and it came out fine. Also, next time (and it is definitely tasty enough to make again), I might try it without the almond extract so the butter flavor is more prominent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gooey Butter Cake BUTTER CAKE CRUST: 6 tablespoons warm water (105-110 degrees) 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used butter) 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour GOOEY FILLING: 2 tablespoons evaporated milk 4 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon almond extract 2 2/3 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter, room temp. 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cornstarch 2 eggs 1 cup +2 Tbs. all-purpose flour SPRINKLE WITH: 1 tablespoon powdered sugar PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES CRUST: In a cup, dissolve yeast in warm water until frothy. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine shortening, sugar, dry milk and salt; beat on low about 1 minute (mixture will be crumbly). Add yeast mixture and mix well, scraping the bowl. Mix in the egg (now it really is lumpy!). Add flour and mix until it reaches a sticky dough consistency, about 30 seconds. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Divide dough in half; form halves into rounds by gently tucking under edges; then let rest another 10 minutes. Spray two 9-inch square baking pans (NOT dark non-stick pans or dough will stick) with cooking spray. Roll out each dough half to an even crust. rolling from the center outward., until it is approximately 11"square.. "Air out" the dough by gently lifting it and laying it back down; now lightly roll into an 11" square again. Lift dough and place into a prepared pan; press dough about 1 inch up sides of the pan, and trim any excess. Repeat process with the second half of dough. Use a fork to poke holes all over the crusts to keep it from bubbling up. FILLING: In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar, butter and salt with an electric mixer. In a third bowl, beat cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to creamed butter mixture; beat on medium speed until combined, scraping down sides of bowl. Add milk mixture and mix to combine. Then add flour. Batter with be thick and stiff like a cookie dough. Divide filling between the two prepared pans and spread evenly. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. Bake on the center rack of preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a thin shell forms on the top (the goo underneath won't be firm). Cake is done when the top is light golden brown. Cool cakes 30 minutes in the pans resting on a rack. To remove cake, run a knife around the pan edge. Place rack over top of cake and gently flip it over and life off the pan. Invert by placing a plate over the cake bottom, flip it and life off the rack. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of powdered sugar. Cool completely; cover with plastic wrap and let rest overnight. Recipe from: Cuisine Magazine (Nov/Dec.Issue, 1999)

According to the American Egg Board, 2 small eggs would be equivalent to 1.5 large. For many recipes I'd use 1 whole large egg and either 1 egg white or 1 egg yolk to make up 1.5 eggs. But for a cake, I would lightly beat together the three eggs in a measuring cup, then use half that volume in the recipe and reserve the rest of the eggs for another use.

Tapeo is no more? Clicking the link to their website brings up a different name and a decidedly non-tapas menu.

I am! More buttercream discussion here.

While visiting friends in NC last week, we had some Kashi Autumn Harvest and rwtye liked it enough that it has usurped Special K as his weekend cereal of choice.

Quaker Oatmeal Squares. And, yes, sans milk they are a "handy snack". Especially at night at your sister's house because she never cooks enough food and you are starving to the point you don't care if eating half a box will make her go to the grocery store 2 days earlier than she planned because her husband absolutely cannot start his day without a bowl of them.

Happy Anniversary dr.com!

One of my favorite dinners!Chips & Salsa

Ditto. (Esp. the melting chocolate.)Plus: Like Zora with her canned soup, cooking hot cereal in the bowl so there are no extra dishes. Making garlic oil without having to watch it so closely to prevent the garlic from burning. Boiling water for hummingbird nectar (4 parts water:1 part sugar, no food coloring!).

We had one at the first fall picnic, but if there is enough interest, why not again?

My favorite for cake-type gingerbread: OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD CAKE Serves 8, Makes one 9”x9” cake 2¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted ¾ cup unsulphured molasses ¾ cup sugar ½ cup buttermilk ½ cup milk 1 large egg ¾ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup candied ginger powdered sugar Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9”x9” pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa. Set aside. Beat the butter, molasses, sugar, buttermilk, milk, and egg in the bowl of your mixer on low speed. Add the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth and thick, ~1 minute. Be careful not to over mix or you’ll end up with tough gingerbread. Fold in the cranberries and candied ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the over for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with a dusting of powdered sugar. Recipe from "Cook's Illustrated"