The Kitchen: all things delicious and disastrous

I have to adopt "clag"; it's a wonderful word.

It also works for those really sticky sponges people manage to produce. "Rib-clagging stuff" can be both pejorative... or an actual compliment. Depending on associated heartburn and lethargy vs the warm, full, comfort-food feeling, of course.

That's what makes it wonderful, considering the same food can cause both of those sensations depending on the circumstances. At Thanksgiving, mashed baked sweet potatoes are heavy and stupefying; but with a lighter rest-of-the-meal they're like eating a hug.

edited 17th Sep '12 10:21:18 AM by Madrugada

Or chicken and dumplings made with milk.

Yeah. Just like that.

Arrrgh. This shortbread crust is giving me fits...

First attempt came out with a nice tasty solid base, and the sides were full of cracks and fissures that would let the custard escape. (Tastes good, though.) Trying it again.

Bowl chilled? Check.

Food processor blades chilled? Check.

Butter really cold? Check.

Pan chilled? Check.

Kitchen temperature as low as I can get it? Check.

My hands? way too warm. Most of the time my hands tend to be cold. Why must they be warm today?

edited 18th Sep '12 8:12:08 AM by Madrugada

Mum taught me a trick, Maddie: a bag of frozen peas. Handle before you crumble and keep on stand-by.

I'll remember that. The second one is at least intact, if not quite as pretty as the first one was. The recipe I'm using said to roll it out, using sugar and ground almonds instead of flour to keep it from sticking but this time I just pressed it into the pan without rolling. And I think I may have actually had it too cold while I was working with it; it didn't really want to become cohesive.

But I've been noshing on the wreckage of the first one, and oh, my my, it's tasty. So for all that it's a persnickety, fussy PITA to deal with, I think I'll be keeping it in my repertoire for occasional use.

Assuming, of course, that it releases from the sides of the pan.

Hmmmm... and, hey... wreckage is always a great way to hog... I mean... get a good insight into tasty experiments.

I've learned to make shortcrust in the mixer, to be honest, as well. There is a knack to it, and getting a rhythmic feel to the pulse-setting that keeps you from over-mixing the dough. But, sometimes, you just have to use hands for a mix. And, then I have my peas sitting on the side, looking innocent. Um... at a pinch, sweetcorn works, too.

That was another goof on the first one. The recipe said "mixer", so I used the mixer. Then I figured out they meant "the food processor", not "the stand mixer with the bowl and the beaters."

edited 18th Sep '12 11:46:15 AM by Madrugada

Yeah... terms have got a bit blurred over the years. I also tend to use "mixer" these days for the processor, as, if I use "processor", I think of the hand-held, rather than the big jobbie... Mum and I have started to use "whipper" for the standard mixer.

I don't have a stand mixer or a food processor, so I get to do all this by hand.

I find it helpful to periodically cover pastry dough and pop it in the fridge so it doesn't get overly soft. I'd assume shortbread is similar.

edited 18th Sep '12 1:28:53 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

Yes anything where the ingredients have to stay super cold—i leave it to Greg. I run warm as it is, but he's always cold, so he gets to make the pie crusts and pastries in this house.

Ooookay. The second crust held up much better. It came loose from the sides of the springform pan beautifully (I love spray oil) but I didn't try to take it off the bottom. (None of my plates have a large enough flat surface to take it without leaving the center unsupported.) The blueberries took longer to clag down than I thought they would but turned out tasting really good ( I licked the spoon when I was done) as did the custard (licked that spoon, too.) On the whole, it looks really promising, and I have the battery pack for my other camera charging so I hope to get pictures tomorrow before it gets demolished.

de blueberry buttermilk tart.◊ When I left, there was half of it left, in the shop fridge for anyone who wants some over the next day or so to have. But considering only about 6 of the people who were there tonight had any at all, I'd say it was a success. I liked the way it came out.

edited 19th Sep '12 8:30:24 PM by Madrugada

Substitutes for rice which can be eaten with soups and stews, anyone?

Polenta? Gnocchi, certainly with stews... Um: the good old Yorkshire Pud (large) is fine with stews, but it doesn't scream soup... but, if you for smaller ones, you could actually pull it off, come to think...

But, dunking Yorkshires gets me as horribly wrong on many, many levels!

Ah! Scones for soup! Savoury scones! Cheese, herb or cheese and herb scones would work, depending on the soup.

On a related note: carefully created large dumplings for stews.

edited 20th Sep '12 10:21:44 AM by Euodiachloris

Beside or in?

For "in": barley, quinoa, grits, steel-cut oats. Noodles of almost any variety (I'm partial to a German type called "kluski", an egg noodle that is very close to square in cross section.) Dumplings. Wontons.

Beside: I'll second gnocchi or polenta. Pierogies. Spaetzle. Grits (again). Bread. Croissants with light soups, brioche with heavier ones.

edited 20th Sep '12 10:53:19 AM by Madrugada

Both options are good. Thanks Eudia and Maddy.

does it have to be not rice, or not rice product? there are some really good long rice noodles to be had form any asian market.

I feel silly: lentils and beans can bulk a soup up... and some thicken as they crumble, like the red soup lentils I can buy in my corner shop. Should've thought of those right off, and didn't.

Not rice, full stop.

edited 20th Sep '12 9:06:05 PM by Pyrite

The arsenic thing?

Anyway, you can add potatoes in almost any form, or other root veggies (turnips, parsnips, swedes...) to the list, too.

edited 20th Sep '12 9:20:39 PM by Madrugada