Something Delicious

[Sun]

Originally Posted by Ursy

Bullying fiascos are never good - I hope all parties have recovered. Your sundae sounds incredible!
And yes, that method makes the best caramel ever.

Speaking of which, I thought you might like this "experiments in dulce de leche". While it doesn't provide any surprises, I think it's still interesting...

http://theheartoffood.com/experiment...stion-of-time/

Nice link Ursy thank you. Interesting how the results were sampled after the dulce de leche solidified. I think that I would want to sample the warm product.

Originally Posted by Ursy

Noooooo! That is the best bit! I hope to try and make bagels some day... the recipe tells me that you boil them first before baking. I think that's interesting!

Bagels are fun to make. The boiling water is the key. There are many theories in NY as to how to make a great bagel. What I have found when consulting with the bagel experts is that you can never skip the boiling step and expect to get a real bagel out of the deal. Some people try to do this and the interior is fluffy not dense and chewy. It may look like a bagel but it is a bagel fraud. Also, the oven that the bagel is baked in makes it. My favorite places use older stone ovens. A brick oven would work as well. A wood fire would be ideal but even a gas heated stone oven where the bagels are cooked on the stone, make the crust hard and crispy and that quick shock of heat seals in the now formed (by boiling) strong gluten strands. This is really an art as much as it is a science.

When I was going to school in NYC back in the day (seems like forever ago now) I would stop by H&H bagels and look to see what was coming out of the big stone ovens (looks similar to huge pizza oven) and get one of those bagels while they were hot. I recall stepping outside into the brutally cold winter mornings with a hot bagel and eating it as I walked down the street to school, thinking that this was the best thing ever. All for about .50 cents.

The bagel police aka Mi Amore, believes that she is helping me by deconstructing the bagel. I really don't to have to sneak around for a bagel. Imagine? It feels so wrong, so dishonest. Some guys sneak away to a strip club with their buddies, I am gonna wind up sneaking off for a bagel or slice of pizza with mine

We both love to eat so, since I am the one who has the challenges with gaining weight, she has become carb police. You would never know that she can eat as much as she does because she clearly burns it off. So people are always asking her how she stays so thin and this is one of her tips. Scoop the bagel.

Originally Posted by Ursy

I LOVE oysters. I had a vegetarian friend who used to say she wouldn't eat anything with eyes. I said to her, "so that means you wouldn't eat a potato, but you'd eat an oyster?" She totally didn't get it.

LOL that is truly funny.

I love oysters too. I have been trying to figure out how to prepare them for Christmas. I think that I will do one platter of raw oysters and one platter of baked oysters, 3 different ways. M.A.'s oldest daughter is coming in from college in CA for 2 weeks and she loves food too, so she will enjoy the oysters as well. Now to decided on the 3 preparations. I am thinking Rockefeller for one. Perhaps a twist on it, and get rid of the Pernod. Not my favorite part. Any suggestions?

[Ursy]

Originally Posted by Sun

Also, the oven that the bagel is baked in makes it. My favorite places use older stone ovens. A brick oven would work as well. A wood fire would be ideal but even a gas heated stone oven where the bagels are cooked on the stone, make the crust hard and crispy and that quick shock of heat seals in the now formed (by boiling) strong gluten strands. This is really an art as much as it is a science.

I have to make do with an electric oven, but at least I have a pizza stone. Love my pizza stone, it's awesome.

[Sun]

Originally Posted by Ursy

I have to make do with an electric oven, but at least I have a pizza stone. Love my pizza stone, it's awesome.

The pizza stone will do the trick.

Also research the preferred types of wheat that are used in bagel making. Not your run of the mill wheat. Ha. Mill. Funny. I seriously need more coffee.

[Ursy]

Originally Posted by Sun

I love oysters too. I have been trying to figure out how to prepare them for Christmas. I think that I will do one platter of raw oysters and one platter of baked oysters, 3 different ways. M.A.'s oldest daughter is coming in from college in CA for 2 weeks and she loves food too, so she will enjoy the oysters as well. Now to decided on the 3 preparations. I am thinking Rockefeller for one. Perhaps a twist on it, and get rid of the Pernod. Not my favorite part. Any suggestions?

I haven't had oysters rockefeller yet, but it sounds really good to me.

I haven't tried this one yet either, but I think it could be good!
Finely grate ½ a thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger and mix with 6 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 1 finely chopped and deseeded red chilli and a little finely sliced fresh coriander. Stir in a teaspoon of sugar until dissolved. Serve in a dish with the oysters.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/s...nger-rice-wine

We went to a persian restaurant a few years ago and had an appetizer of oysters and caviar with sour cream. It wasn't a combination I would have thought of by myself but it was absolutely wonderful!

[Sun]

Originally Posted by Ursy

I haven't had oysters rockefeller yet, but it sounds really good to me.

I haven't tried this one yet either, but I think it could be good!
Finely grate ½ a thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger and mix with 6 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 1 finely chopped and deseeded red chilli and a little finely sliced fresh coriander. Stir in a teaspoon of sugar until dissolved. Serve in a dish with the oysters.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/s...nger-rice-wine

We went to a persian restaurant a few years ago and had an appetizer of oysters and caviar with sour cream. It wasn't a combination I would have thought of by myself but it was absolutely wonderful!

Jaime Oliver's dipping sauce is similar to one that I make but I do not use coriander and I use soy sauce. I like to serve that one with a cucumber salad that is just thinly shaved cucumbers and sweet onion (I do this on the mandoline) with rice vinegar, sugar, water, salt.. Let the cucumbers sit for a few hours and become soft. Then I shuck the oysters and lay some cucumber slices at the bottom of the shell. Replace the oyster. The oyster and cucumber are eaten together. You can drizzle a little of the sauce on top.

The combo of sour cream and caviar on top of the oyster is very popular in NY. That combo has long been used as a way to showcase good caviar. I like the Tobiko and Masago from Japan very much. I like to work some Nori into a wrap for a small rice cup for hand rolled sushi (think ball of sushi rice, small enough to be pressed into a small cup, then wrap a piece of Nori around that) and top off with a fresh oyster and some orange Tobiko.

[Sachita]

Oh dang oysters rockefeller! what a great idea for the weekend. I don't serve them on a shell. I refer just using a ramekin and stuffing a few in there like a little baby casserole. I have some meyer lemons. I prefer more of a lemony taste and use fresh baby spinach.

I have a pizza stone and make a rustic pizza. I'd love to get better at making dough tho. I suck at baking

[Sun]

Originally Posted by Sachita

Oh dang oysters rockefeller! what a great idea for the weekend. I don't serve them on a shell. I refer just using a ramekin and stuffing a few in there like a little baby casserole. I have some meyer lemons. I prefer more of a lemony taste and use fresh baby spinach.

I have a pizza stone and make a rustic pizza. I'd love to get better at making dough tho. I suck at baking

Great idea, small ramekins. I may do just that. Yeah I really need to rework the Rockefeller. The Pernod is a familiar flavor after years of eating them but I just do not care for it so much. I may also do a version of Oysters Casino, usually done with clams on the 12 shell. Roasted Red pepper slice, a little garlic, and a piece of bacon on top of the oyster, a little butter and some good Romano cheese, pop it in the oven for 3 minutes. I rarely make this but it is a very popular dish at waterfront seafood places around NY.