Mom was in the hospital with COPD/Bronchitis etc. She had gotten a cold and of course it went straight to her lungs. A long and tired few days. I did find an very nice Indian restaurant where she lives though.
Hopefully will be getting back to cooking very soon. The nice thing is that I can make a lovely mess whether I cook or bring food home. ( Indian rice can just fly all over the counter and rug when you spill it.)
Messes every where.
Best messes to everyone.
MMC
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
OMG Pudding lovers unite!!
Well Well Messy Chefs Everywhere:
I have finally scored with this pudding. I am totally in awe. I did not think I could ever make anything that required egg yolks, tempering ( though it's not called that exactly) and adding cling wrap to avoid "film" on my food. I cannot believe how simple, easy and delicious this dessert was.
It was so fun to make ( and messy of course). Once I added the chocolate into the eggs ( which by the way is where the tempering comes in, I added the warmed milk/chocolate/sugar mixture a little at a time to make sure the eggs in the pudding did not curdle. ) Once I added it all back into the saucepan to bring to a boil and thicken, boy oh boy it was magic. I was amazed that I, me myself and I could make this happen...of course science plays a big game in all of this, but I prefer to take all the credit myself. ( After all I am not Alton Brown...though I like to watch him on tv, and I wish I knew as much as him. I just like to see things come together.:) )
Anyway I had to chill the pudding last night. I finally tried it this evening. Boy oh Boy. Yummmmmmo. I don't think I even knew what real chocolate pudding tasted like.
It's funny, you know, I wasn't a big pudding fan. But of course my only real experience with pudding is jello pudding snacks for 100 calories or less. What a shame. Not that JPS taste bad so much as real pudding tastes sooooo much better. I have been settling for so long. Not that its JPS fault, mind you. I was the sucker that bought and consumed it. I wanted to "save calories and time". In this modern world I think that's what we are all convinced and told this is what we must want to do.
However I have to sometimes wonder...how much have we gained and how much have we lost.
Food for thought...
Nite nite all
MMC
I have finally scored with this pudding. I am totally in awe. I did not think I could ever make anything that required egg yolks, tempering ( though it's not called that exactly) and adding cling wrap to avoid "film" on my food. I cannot believe how simple, easy and delicious this dessert was.
It was so fun to make ( and messy of course). Once I added the chocolate into the eggs ( which by the way is where the tempering comes in, I added the warmed milk/chocolate/sugar mixture a little at a time to make sure the eggs in the pudding did not curdle. ) Once I added it all back into the saucepan to bring to a boil and thicken, boy oh boy it was magic. I was amazed that I, me myself and I could make this happen...of course science plays a big game in all of this, but I prefer to take all the credit myself. ( After all I am not Alton Brown...though I like to watch him on tv, and I wish I knew as much as him. I just like to see things come together.:) )
Anyway I had to chill the pudding last night. I finally tried it this evening. Boy oh Boy. Yummmmmmo. I don't think I even knew what real chocolate pudding tasted like.
It's funny, you know, I wasn't a big pudding fan. But of course my only real experience with pudding is jello pudding snacks for 100 calories or less. What a shame. Not that JPS taste bad so much as real pudding tastes sooooo much better. I have been settling for so long. Not that its JPS fault, mind you. I was the sucker that bought and consumed it. I wanted to "save calories and time". In this modern world I think that's what we are all convinced and told this is what we must want to do.
However I have to sometimes wonder...how much have we gained and how much have we lost.
Food for thought...
Nite nite all
MMC
Friday, February 12, 2010
MMC Takes on Chocolate Pudding!!!
Hello Messy Chefs everywhere:
Tonight ( for the first time ever) MMC has tackled homemade ( no mix/box) chocolate pudding. That's right folks. My first attempt ever at HCP.
Well right now, I cannot give a flavor update, as the pudding is in the fridge for the next four hours or longer, but the leftovers that were in the pan were Wonderful!!
I would like to compliment chocolate pudding for providing such a messy mess for me to deal with. Apparrently melted chocolate loves to travel all over the kitchen. I also discovered that when you separate egg yolks and egg whites, fresh is the way to go. It was so easy to separate them. Of course I do not like egg white omelets and have no real use for just egg whites, but hey.
I used a Tyler Florence recipe from the food network. And I must say it is delish!! I wish I had an army of helpers cleaning up after me like all those TV cooks have. But then I would not be able to advise you of the mess factor of each dish. I rate this a 6. If you can pour neatly and don't slop when you whisk, then you could be lower. I however cannot. Plus after you put the pudding in the cups, you must put saran wrap on them almost instantly to avoid "the film", which is very icky. That alone causes many messes by themselves.
I will update on the flavor and taste and texture tomorrow. I am hopeful. Take care
MMC
Tonight ( for the first time ever) MMC has tackled homemade ( no mix/box) chocolate pudding. That's right folks. My first attempt ever at HCP.
Well right now, I cannot give a flavor update, as the pudding is in the fridge for the next four hours or longer, but the leftovers that were in the pan were Wonderful!!
I would like to compliment chocolate pudding for providing such a messy mess for me to deal with. Apparrently melted chocolate loves to travel all over the kitchen. I also discovered that when you separate egg yolks and egg whites, fresh is the way to go. It was so easy to separate them. Of course I do not like egg white omelets and have no real use for just egg whites, but hey.
I used a Tyler Florence recipe from the food network. And I must say it is delish!! I wish I had an army of helpers cleaning up after me like all those TV cooks have. But then I would not be able to advise you of the mess factor of each dish. I rate this a 6. If you can pour neatly and don't slop when you whisk, then you could be lower. I however cannot. Plus after you put the pudding in the cups, you must put saran wrap on them almost instantly to avoid "the film", which is very icky. That alone causes many messes by themselves.
I will update on the flavor and taste and texture tomorrow. I am hopeful. Take care
MMC
Saturday, February 6, 2010
OMG MY MEATBALLS ROCK!!
OK. I don't mean to brag, but this meal just ROCKED. The sauce was saucy, the meatballs were meatbally, the hoagie rolls were hoagaliscious. I sure hope I can remember this dish for later.:)
So, for the record I am going to describe my cooking experience.
I went shopping at a market called Fresh Market. Lots of organic, lots of high end products, an excellent meat/fish counter. Made it easy to get my ground beef/pork mixture in 1/2 lbs each. Found a san marzano tomato sauce ( 2 jars )( nothing in it I would not put in). I did end up adding a few extra onions, garlic and fresh parsley at the end to brighten the flavors, but nothing else. Start heating up on low and simmer for 20 min or so.
Took the gb/gp and added salt/pepper/crushed red pepper flakes/bread crumbs/grated parm/egg/parsley/onion/garlic. Mixed in a bowl very gently. Must not mix meatballs with a heavy hand. Makes them tough.
Had a preheated oven at 425. Covered a baking sheet with foil. Added a touch of olive oil. Rolled out about 18 meatballs. Put on sheet. Dribbled a bit more oo. After about 12 min, took meatballs out and flipped them to crisp up all over. About 10 min later...done. Removed from oven. Plopped into sauce which was simmering on stove the whole time.
Took my hoagie roll, split in half. Put in a preheated toaster oven 425 for 10 min or so, until toasty brown.
Removed hoagie..took 3 meatballs and sauce and put on hoagie...added some thin sliced provalone cheese...stuck under broiler till golden and bubbly...YUMMO.
Cooked some pasta and added the rest of the sauce and meatballs to the sketters. My oh My.
I have been craving a really nice spaghetti and meatball lately. I have ordered from the local italian restaurant and been very disappointed. This was soooo gooood for me. It tastes good. It looks good. It smells good. It is good!!
As for a mess, yes it was everywhere. I have several blobs of sauce I am going to have to clean off the floor. Parsley/onion/garlic that I chopped is everywhere. I consider tonight a VERY SUCCESSFUL MESSY MEAL.
Yours truly
MMC
So, for the record I am going to describe my cooking experience.
I went shopping at a market called Fresh Market. Lots of organic, lots of high end products, an excellent meat/fish counter. Made it easy to get my ground beef/pork mixture in 1/2 lbs each. Found a san marzano tomato sauce ( 2 jars )( nothing in it I would not put in). I did end up adding a few extra onions, garlic and fresh parsley at the end to brighten the flavors, but nothing else. Start heating up on low and simmer for 20 min or so.
Took the gb/gp and added salt/pepper/crushed red pepper flakes/bread crumbs/grated parm/egg/parsley/onion/garlic. Mixed in a bowl very gently. Must not mix meatballs with a heavy hand. Makes them tough.
Had a preheated oven at 425. Covered a baking sheet with foil. Added a touch of olive oil. Rolled out about 18 meatballs. Put on sheet. Dribbled a bit more oo. After about 12 min, took meatballs out and flipped them to crisp up all over. About 10 min later...done. Removed from oven. Plopped into sauce which was simmering on stove the whole time.
Took my hoagie roll, split in half. Put in a preheated toaster oven 425 for 10 min or so, until toasty brown.
Removed hoagie..took 3 meatballs and sauce and put on hoagie...added some thin sliced provalone cheese...stuck under broiler till golden and bubbly...YUMMO.
Cooked some pasta and added the rest of the sauce and meatballs to the sketters. My oh My.
I have been craving a really nice spaghetti and meatball lately. I have ordered from the local italian restaurant and been very disappointed. This was soooo gooood for me. It tastes good. It looks good. It smells good. It is good!!
As for a mess, yes it was everywhere. I have several blobs of sauce I am going to have to clean off the floor. Parsley/onion/garlic that I chopped is everywhere. I consider tonight a VERY SUCCESSFUL MESSY MEAL.
Yours truly
MMC
I am cooking off the charts!!!!
Hello Messy Chefs Everywhere
I am totally winging it tonight. I am making meatball subs and for leftovers I will make spaghetti and meatballs. NO RECIPE AT ALL. I am using my total lack of knowledge of Italian food and am just going with what I think meatballs and hoagies should be.
My mother, ( god bless her) is polish and german, so italian cooking was not in her realm of cooking. Actually I don't ever remember her cooking anything italian. We ate pizza when we went out but as for cooking, I don't think so. I am sure I had Ragu as a child though, so I guess that was italian for me.
Anyway here is what I am doing...Baking meatballs in oven. Making sauce on stove. Putting meatballs in sauce. Toasting hoagie rolls. Putting sauce and meatballs on hoagie. Adding provalone cheese. Toasting up said hoagies. We shall see. Time to go.
I am totally winging it tonight. I am making meatball subs and for leftovers I will make spaghetti and meatballs. NO RECIPE AT ALL. I am using my total lack of knowledge of Italian food and am just going with what I think meatballs and hoagies should be.
My mother, ( god bless her) is polish and german, so italian cooking was not in her realm of cooking. Actually I don't ever remember her cooking anything italian. We ate pizza when we went out but as for cooking, I don't think so. I am sure I had Ragu as a child though, so I guess that was italian for me.
Anyway here is what I am doing...Baking meatballs in oven. Making sauce on stove. Putting meatballs in sauce. Toasting hoagie rolls. Putting sauce and meatballs on hoagie. Adding provalone cheese. Toasting up said hoagies. We shall see. Time to go.
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