Hello pornistas!
This is a question post, not an offering... but you folks are really the best resource to answer this question!

I was asked, nay challenged to name some foods/cooking techniques/cuisines that use both herbs (i.e., green leafy things - basil, oregano, parsley, lemon grass, etc.) and spices (i.e., nuts, barks, seeds - nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, etc.) together in one dish successfully.

When I was asked this, I was absolutely certain that herbs & spices are often used together, but the more I thought about it the less certain I became...

So far I've come up with Indian food using mostly spices plus some cilantro; Mexican using mostly spices plus oregano.... But I need better proof to show this guy up. Or, on the other hand, I need better proof to admit that I'm wrong... either way, I need your input. I'm drawing a blank here.

Any thoughts, examples, rules of thumb?

Thanks!!

another quickie question for my thesis--

What are some strange food combinations that you've had that are surprisingly delicious or that you swear by?

Hello, everyone :) I'm relatively new to lj, only been here a few months. Anyhow, I'm strictly an amateur here, but I've been considering changing my major and going to culinary school.

I had a problem with this brownie recipe a few days ago. Any advice? And next time I'll post about something I made that was good, I promise.



Fudgy Buttermilk Brownies,
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whites of two large eggs, egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg or one large egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free or low fat buttermilk
2 tespoons vanilla extract

-Preheat oven to 350
-Lightly spray a 9" square baking pan with vegetable oil spray
-In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites. Whisk in the remaining brownie ingredients. Whisk in the flour mixture until well blended.
-Pour the batter into the baking pan.
-Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack.

There was a frosting recipe too, which I didn't bother with. It was out of the the New American Heart Association Cookbook, Seventh Edition. I was game to try it, especially since it was supposed to be healthy. They were terrible (I should have known). Even though I used skim milk instead of buttermilk, that really shouldn't have made much difference--should it? They were cakey and dry and not the way brownies are supposed to look or taste, at all. I thought it the applesauce, at first, because my sister told me she made cookies with applesauce instead of butter and they were spongy, like little cakes. So I made it again with 1/2 cup of canola oil and they were still cakey. Any advice on how to modify the recipe for actual fudgy brownies? I no longer care about how healthy it is.

 
Sirloin Stir-fry

Does anyone have this teapot and know whether it is microwave safe (minus the mesh insert, of course)?:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=4740&f=25343

Okay, this post isn't one of my recipes, but it is about food porn, at least tangentially.

The restaurant where I work as chef in Athens, Ohio, was voted "Best Ethnic Restaurant" in the city by the readers of the Athens News. We also came in second place for "Best Vegetarian Cuisine," and in "Best Place To Work." (Ohio University beat us out for first on that, probably because they offer a mean benefits package that no one can beat. But, I still say we have more fun at Restaurant Salaam than the pencil pushers at the university do any day.)

And, our owner and other chef, Hilarie Burhans, won "Coolest Person in Athens County," which is a big feat because there are lots of cool people who live in our wee Southeastern Ohio county.

So, I am thrilled, pleased and just friggin' stoked by the news, and I wrote a post about it on my blog that includes pictures of the dining room, the entrance to the restaurant in the alleyway, and an example of one of my dinner specials: Moroccan Chicken Tagine With Black Olives, Fennel and Oranges.

Which I did give the recipe for here a while back.

So, if you want to see where I work, check out the full story here.

I will now go back to my regularly scheduled vibrating with utter and complete joy. I have been this way since I found out earlier today, which is good, because I was all down in the dumps because I have a sinus infection and am being forced to sit on the couch and not move much by my husband and elder daughter who have this draconian idea that I shouldn't move while I am sick.

This is my first post!

One of my favourite restaurants in Portland is Montage, under the Morrison Street Bridge. A steamy, noisy, funky bistro, the decor is what I like to call "white trash voodoo hell". The drinks are fab, and the food is better, and they serve both until the wee hours (4am on the weekends!) - what you can't finish is wrapped up in elaborate tin foil sculptures.

My favourite thing on the menu is the "Old Mac" - a delectable concoction of macaroni, cream, garlic, parmesan and, if you wish, sauteed chicken. It is comfort food extraordinaire. My own version of course doesn't taste the same, but it is easy and delicious (and like most things I love, is NOT for the dieters!).



I rarely measure, so this recipe is very loose.

Cut up a package of fresh boneless skinless chicken breast into 1/2 inch cubes and toss in seasoned flour (I season mine with herbs de provence and Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt, which is my secret ingredient for everything - I have it shipped to me in multiples now that I live in the UK). Put about a tablespoon each olive oil and butter into a skillet with a couple cloves of crushed garlic (use your garlic press) and sauté the chicken until golden. About half way through I sometimes toss some white wine or dry vermouth into the pan and let it reduce.

Meanwhile, boil up some pasta! The macaroni used at Montage is not your little Mueller's elbow, but true Italian... but I often make this with penne or conchiglie. You want something small with texture to grab the cheese and cream.

To finish this, I toss everything together: I place some of the pasta in a large owl, pour the chicken over the pasta, shake finely grated parmesan all over, then pour cream all over and toss. I can't really give you amounts, it all depends on how much chicken and pasta you use, but just use enough to give it a creamy coating.

This dish taught me the art of tossing everything together in a pasta bowl, rather than making elaborate sauces and topping pasta. I also make a version of this with pasta, santini tomatoes, capers, proscuitto, and parmesan, sometimes with cream, sometimes with egg, sometimes with olive oil. When I'm really in a hurry, its hot pasta with olive oil, lemon and parmesan.

Well, that's my first offering... hope it wasn't too rambling!

Dined on this dish in Hot Springs, AR at Rolando's Nuevo Latino Restaurante in Hot Springs, AR
www.rolandosrestaurante.com/



The dish included chicken, shirmp, chicken quesadillas, black beans, rice, guacamole and a tamale. Everything was fantastic. Muy bueno!

Hey! New here, as the title explains. Just started culinary school, and I've seen this community before, but never really thought to check it out.

So...here I am!

No recipes to share at the moment, but I hope to change that soon.