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Everything posted by franktex

  1. Ths is my 2nd try at the Vermont Oatmeal Maple Bread(King Arthur)-the first was yesterday, but I jsut had to make this again. The smell while this bread was cooking was awesome:
  2. Finally getting around to uploading a couple of my recent bread projects-the first is a couple of regular challah loaves, and the second is a Greek take on challah called Tsoureki, that utilized a couple of ingredients that I was unfamiliar with, Mastic and Mahlab, which added a really nice orangey flavor, and smelled unbelievable when cooking!
  3. This might be a dumb question, but some bread recipes call for butter at room temp(Brioche/Challah). Why can't I just melt the butter to liquid? It seems like it would mix in better instead of room temp?
  4. Thanks! I'm still kinda new at this bread thing, but I knew I could get help here!
  5. Can someone tell me what causes my bread to bake up like this? It does not happen all the time, and it tastes fine, but it doesn't look so great:
  6. Hard to say where she is talking about because many little Mexican restaurants here in Austin fit her description, and all of them will have migas-good ones too! They're kinda like Chilaquiles with eggs!!
  7. Love this topic. Here's a mustard that I make using a local craft stout beer that is outstanding. You could use Guinness, but a more full-flavored stout works best. Saint Arnold Spicy Stout Mustard Makes 3 1/2 cups 1 12-oz. bottle Saint Arnold Winter Stout 1 1⁄2 cups brown mustard seeds (10 oz.) 1 cup red wine vinegar 1 tbsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1⁄4 tsp. ground cloves 1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1⁄4 tsp. ground allspice 1. Combine ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1–2 days so that the mustard seeds soften and the flavors meld. 2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until the seeds are coarsely ground and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a jar and cover. 3. Refrigerate overnight and use immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 months. It goes great, of course, with brats and beers!
  8. Yes it is. And some good stuff by locals Robb Walsh, Alison Cook, and great photos by Penny DeLosantos.
  9. Thanks for the prompt answers and info. I look forward to checking out this section of eG much more as I gain baking experience. (I got biscuits down though!)
  10. I'm a novice at bread baking, and picked up a copy of The Bread Baker's Apprentice. It has a recipe for Light Wheat bread that calls for Powdered milk. I have also seen one that calls for powdered potatoes. Whay would these ingredients be included in bread?
  11. Here's an interesting piece on, well, using blood: http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/04/blood-th...al-of-the-week/ And my other two would be liquid smoke and canned stock.
  12. I found this recipe for Fermented Garlic, also known as Black Garlic(I have not tried this yet): Making Fermented Garlic Soak the whole garlic in water for two hours until its skin gets soft and is easily peeled. Soak the garlic overnight. Peel the skins. Place the garlic on a perforated sheet until it is dry. Pack the garlic into the containers. Pour the pickling solution, consisting of 4 tablespoons salt, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups vinegar, over the garlic and press it. Ferment the garlic for two days, then drain the pickling solution Add ½ cup sugar to the pickling solution, bring it to boil, let it cool down, pour it back over the garlic and let it stand for 1 month. Finished product, fermented garlic I am thinking that either black vinegar from the Asian market of Balsamic should be used instead of the above vinegar, hence the color black.
  13. franktex

    Pork neck bones

    I have to praise lamb necks also-they braise real good. They're cheap too!~
  14. Here's a nice site that shows. w/a pic or two, how it's done: http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2007...ne-egg-ravioli/
  15. I have pretty much purged my pantry of canned products, except for the mentioned staples(tomatoes, tomato paste), I may use a can of corn and canned jalapenos for cornbread, or maybe a can of crushed pineapple for a bbq sauce or to make a glaze for pork, but I have, (thanks you Ruhlman) no longer buy broth,stock, etc. in a can or a box. I think most canned goods are probably best used by taking them to a food bank.
  16. Steve, Glad to see you decided to get over here to eGullet. My Italian aunt made some cookies that used caramel, and it was made the exact same way, but I don't remember it tasting nasty-is it just the degree of burnt-ness that makes smell/taste bad? FM
  17. Thanks to everyone's prompt responses. baroness-I will try 100% shortening today. They do look like the Chinese version, but lighter and cakey-er(hopefully!) Tino-the baking powder is new, -I did toss a 2 yr. old can after watching a recent Alton Brown show though. pastrygirl-I'll try a tbsp. next time-mom's recipe just had a 't' so I wasn't sure. Is a tsp. per cup a general rule of thumb?
  18. First, here's the recipe: Mom's Christmas Almond Cookies (btw, best cookies ever!) 4 cups sifted flour 1 t. baking powder 2 cups shortning or unsalted butter 2 cups sugar 1 egg beaten 1 1/2 t. almond extract 1 t. vanilla Cream shortning & sugar-mix together all ingredients and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Rool out dough between wax paper layers and cut into 1/4# rounds with cookie cutter. For topping: 1 egg beaten w/tb. water Almond halves for center. Press almond halves to top of cookie dough, and brush with egg wash. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Here's the issues I had: 1) they spread out too much; 2) Thye did not rise quite like I remember them. 3) Do you have to grease the baking sheet since there's that much shortning/butter in the recipe(I used half of each, and found them too buttery-will use all shortning next time-sorry Mom)? Would they have not spread out without the Pam-sprayed cookie sheet? Thanks.
  19. Perhaps your take on a verde sauce using tomatillos?
  20. What time did you get there?
  21. I like Polvo's on S. First for Mexican breakfast, but there's so many good places; Sazon on S. Lamar; Din Ho for authentic Chinese bbq and roast duck (First Chinese BBQ is also good); MT Supermarket on N. Lamar-a great Asian market. Great resource for oddities-offal, pork belly, live Dungeness crabs, chicken feet, etc.; Ginger Man-great beer bar-83 taps, lots of local brews; Lockhart-BBQ Capitol of Texas; Iron Works BBQ-if you can't make it to Lockhart; Hut's-great burgers; Flip Happy Crepes-Airstream trailer off S. Lamar; Uncle Billy's-BBQ and local brewpub; Vespaio-awesome Italian-influenced comfort food; Hoover's-great home-cooking. Oat Willie's-legendary head shop; UT Tailgating-nuff said-UT-v-A&M, Fri. Nov.28 Farmer's Markets-Sunset Valley and downtown-Saturday mornings. How's that for starters?
  22. One of my favorite Mediterranean buffets here in Austin serves a dish that consists of peas,carrots(chopped),cauliflower(chopped) in a spicy cream sauce with perhaps some curry. Any idea what it is called or have a recipe?
  23. Moonshine is good, and it's right across the street.
  24. When the new, 80,00 sq. ft. WHole Foods opened here in Austin a couple years ago, they had a tank with live King Crab, an d they were quite expensive, around $25/lb, which would make a whole one well over $100, but they got rid of their 'live tanks'-they caved in to pressure from the PETA types for 'steaming lobsters to death'-go figure.
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