Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with food and resolved

Spectacular Japanese Vegetarian Feast!

Cygnet — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:21:47 -0800

My family isn't doing presents this year. Instead, each of us will cook a spectacular feast for the others during the upcoming holiday break. I want to cook a Japanese feast!! Difficulty: must be vegetarian. I'm really really excited about this. I have some experience attempting traditional Japanese food - I've done pickled cabbage, carrots and plums, onigiri, vegetarian soba broth (with kombu), sushi, and hand-made udon noodles. I'm looking for more suggestions of awesome vegetarian Japanese food that will be totally delicious and beautiful to look at.

I'd enjoy trying to make my feast as traditional as possible (I know it's impossible to make it 100% authentic). What makes for a complete Japanese meal? Should I serve green tea with dinner, and if so, what kind? Table decorations? Any other suggestions?

I will have lots of free time to prepare the food, so, short of recipes that take days to ferment or pickle or whatever, I'm up for anything. I have access to a great co-op that sells some Asian vegetables and condiments, but I may not be able to purchase something that's really only grown in Asia - I don't know of any Asian markets in rural VT where my family lives!

Lastly, I know that dashi containing bonito flakes is much-used in Japanese cooking, and no, I will not be using it, or any other product containing fish (or any other meat). Sorry!

Help me wrap and present delicious but frozen food.

anderjen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:24:16 -0800

This Christmas, I'm giving everyone the gift of delicious and healthy home-cooked meals, but I'm blanking on how to wrap and/or present them at the Christmas Eve festivities. Everything will be pre-frozen, which probably rules out putting them by the tree with the other gifts, and the only other solution I can think of is leaving them in my car and letting everyone take theirs on the way home, which is lame. There must be a better way. As I'm picturing it, everything will be frozen and packaged into reusable Gladware-type containers. Once frozen, are there any cheap ways of keeping them cold and dry to the point where I could actually wrap them and set them under the tree for a few hours until we get to the gift opening, and then again until people can get them home? I don't want anything to defrost too much, obviously.

The one thing I really do not want to do is buy each recipient a mini-cooler and ice packs because that kind of defeats the purpose of a low-cost/all-consumable present in my mind, and also there are 10 people, which would blow my budget.

If I do have to leave them in the car (which is a viable option, as I live in Minnesota), any cool ideas on what I could use or make to represent the meals for maximum effect? The rest of the gift will consist of other homemade treats and snacks, so there will be something open for sure, but the main meal is kind of the piece de resistance, so I'd like to make sure it doesn't get missed in a pile of wrapping paper.

I am certainly open to better ideas and suggestions if you have any. Thanks, all!

Help me perform an expatriat culinary miracle.

bookish — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:07:18 -0800

How can I best approximate a real Thanksgiving turkey— with chicken, a gas burner, and toaster oven? What other kinds of traditional fare can I make, given the limited ingredients available where I live? Help me have a real Thanksgiving far from home! I'm studying in India for the year, and my fellow American students and I want to put on a Thanksgiving dinner. One girl is making cornbread, using corn meal she brought with her from home. There will be mashed potatoes. There will be mulled wine. But what else, and how?

I really would like something turkey-like, but there is no way I can find turkey meat. Chicken is my best bet. This is a pretty vegetarian city, but there are some butchers, and I could probably find basically any part of the bird I need (or the whole bird, but I don't think that will fit in the toaster oven). I'm not really sure how to go about cooking it though— I've never cooked a turkey and, having been a vegetarian for much of my life, I don't really have experience cooking meat in general. I need major help.

I would also like to fill out the selection of side dishes. Again, there are ingredient constraints. I can get fresh carrots, peas, potatoes, beets, white radishes, cauliflower, okra, green beas, cabbage, tomatoes, onions and garlic. I can get green bell peppers, but not red or yellow. I can get a variety of squashes, but they're all a little different than the varieties I'm used to. There are also yam-like things, but they're not the sweet potatoes of home. I can get corn, but only frozen. No broccoli, mushrooms, cranberries, celery.

No prepared convenience ingredients like chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, pie crust. Cheese is possible but difficult, expensive, and comes in a very limited range. Flour, butter, eggs are go. Cooking oil, but not olive oil or anything fancy like that. European spices are of very limited availability, with the exception of those used in Indian food (coriander, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). I have some dried basil and oregano, and may be able to find rosemary and thyme if I'm lucky.

I don't have any fancy kitchen equipment either— a few assorted pots and pans, a few knives, spatulas, spoons. I have a countertop gas range with two burners and a toaster oven to bake (smallish) things in.

If you have any ideas for Thanksgiving food that I could pull off using what I've got, please tell me. We're all homesick and really looking forward to putting on a delicious, heartwarming feast.

Favorite recipes website?

Neekee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:19:08 -0800

What is your favorite online source for recipes? I'm looking for reliable recipes. Bonus points for the ones with recipe ratings. I'm busy, broke, and love to cook. I'm looking for fun new online recipe sources. I've gone to the basic websites, like Food Network and Better Homes & Gardens, which are very reliable, but I want to try something different. Many websites feature user-submitted recipes and sometimes those are missing ingredients or necessary steps or just plain taste terrible - so ratings help me to sift through those recipes.
I've very busy and on a tight budget. If I'm going to spend my time and money cooking or baking, it's got to be on a good recipe.
Thanks!

What's the backstory behind "Beef and Beer" parties?

scblackman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:50:09 -0800

PhillyFilter: So .... what's the story with the "Beef-and-Beer" benefit parties that I keep hearing about as a new arrival in Philadelphia? I understand the point (Pay $X.XX at the door, eat as much beef and drink as much beer as you can, proceeds to the designated charity). My question is, is this only a Philadelphia thing? Does anyone know the history of these things, or some other entertaining back story? Or is the Philadelphia "Beef and Beer" the gastronomical equivalent of the Bostoian "wicked" ... just part of the cuture of the place?

Examples, real of fictional, of food being framed as elitist or snobby?

loping — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:25:27 -0800

I'm working on a video project about the backlash to Obama mentioning the price of arugula at Whole Foods. Can you think of any other examples, real of fictional, of food being framed as elitist or snobby? I'm putting together a video project about the ways certain foods get framed as elitist/liberal/snobby. I've thought of some examples:

The faux Whole Foods in Baby Mama
John Kerry getting called a snob for asking for a cheesestake with swiss cheese
Obama getting attacked for making a comment about the price of arugula.

I'm looking for more, particularly ones that are audio / video.

Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie (for beers)?

ClanvidHorse — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:13:27 -0800

Give me your recommendations for good bars in Berlin and Hamburg-with a few provisos! We are going to be in Berlin and Hamburg this week and we already have our sightseeing itineraries worked out. We would like to complement this by going to some great bars when we are there. Five people are going.

A few considerations that I hope you can take into account:

-ideally we would like to go to areas that have a concentration of bars/nightlife. A great bar in an isolated area may be great in it's own right, but being in a group, we would like to be in areas where we can bar-hop and move from one place to the next if the current one's not to our taste.

-we would like the bars to be quite lively.

-we like good dive bars, a little bit scuzzy is good.

-we would rather listen to rock music/electro than hard techno.

-we would like to drink nice beer.

-somewhere that sells great food is good.

-hipsterish is both good and bad. If you know a good hipster bar, please tell me, if you know one to avoid, please tell me.

-any other info such as subway stations, best times to visit an area, anything else that you can think of would be most appreciated.

I've been to Berlin before, read a few of the Berlin websites and previous threads but anything you have to add would be great.

Thanks

Yelp a Paris?

kenzi23 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:48:48 -0800

Is there a Yelp-type site for restaurants in Paris (or Europe, as a whole)? Ideally I'd like a restaurant guide for Paris that is based on user reviews, is easy to search and bookmark like Yelp to make my meals in Paris a breeze. I'll even take a blog or a list if that's all I can get. Any suggestions are welcome.

I'm way too sleep derived to think of a clever headline.

porpoise — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:19:55 -0800

Restaurantfilter: Downtown Chicago, dinner recommendations for a couple of grad students with a foodie bent in town for a conference. I've checked out these two previous threads on downtown Chicago restaurant recommendations.

We're in downtown proper and staying at the Sofitel at Wabash & Chestnut and the Wyndham at St. Claire & Erie. Looking for 'interesting' restaurants within a 20 minute walk tonight. Are there any places that are distinctly "Chicago-ian"/local or ignored by tourists/tourism-board?

Grad students, but willing to pony up (to maybe $60 or 70, maybe a bit more, but something around $30 per person sans drinks is more reasonable). We love food, doesn't matter what kind preferring 'good' over 'lots.'

I will not eat them in a bowl / I will not eat them with a roll.

Scattercat — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:24:54 -0800

Cats are weird. Help me figure out if this shift in eating habits is a problem. So for the past two weeks or so, our cats (two males, neutered, not declawed, strictly indoor, adopted at barely more than two months old, both brothers, lived together their whole lives) have stopped eating. That is, they eat about half the food we put out for them.

- The food has not changed and is the same brand (Science Diet) which they've eaten their whole lives.

- They still beg for food at the appropriate times (morning and evening), but do not eat it when it is provided to them.

- Even their once-every-two-days-or-so pouches of wet food in gravy fail to excite their appetites. That is, they get all frantic and happy and then lick the gravy off, but they don't eat the actual food. (One of them has always done this, for reference, but usually his brother snarfs up the rest of it.)

They don't seem to be otherwise affected or unhappy. We haven't seen any dramatic weight gains or losses, or any shifts in behavior or attitude. (I mean, they're pretty neurotic, but they're not noticeably differently neurotic.)

What's up, cat-loving Mefites? When should we get worried about them?

(As far as lifestyle changes or disruptions, we're planning to move in about three weeks, but presumably the cats don't speak enough English to realize this, and packing has not progressed to the point where the structure of the house is different. Two bookshelves are empty now, basically.)

what are 80s style foods?

askmehow — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:46:02 -0800

what are 80s style foods? I'm going to a conference next week in Las Vegas, the big sponsored party night features a performance by Huey Lewis and the News and promises 80s style foods -- what is that?

Piece of Cake

misha — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:38:42 -0800

My lovely castle cake pan is sadly suffering from disuse. Help me out with your favorite bundt cake recipes and glazes. I'm especially looking for recipes that go well with seasons or themes (for example, for Fall/Halloween, maybe a pumpkin or haunted house chocolate bundt cake), but I'd enjoy anything from your favorite, easy-to-make staples to the most exotic variety. Again, don't forget to include special glazes (and yes, I have seen the top 20 on allrecipes.com).

Alternative holiday ideas for New Zealand?

dinoworx — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:46:26 -0800

It's a common enough question, what should I do on my holidays in New Zealand? But we're not regular folks so finding good information has been difficult. We have 10 days in late October and we fly in and out of Auckland. We're Australian but well traveled and will most likely stay on the North Island unless some compelling information arises. We've hired a campervan and intend to travel about and camp where we can. Maybe a bed and breakfast or two. Though we are on a budget the main goal is to relax and enjoy the scenery rather than try and cram in too much. With our particular interests can mefites offer some good advice on where to see and do things that we'd find appealing. We're reasonably fit but not hiking all day up mountains fit.

I have a keen interest in permaculture and city farms/community gardens. My partner loves alpacas and all sorts of animals whose fleece can be shorn spun and knitted, ideas for seeing spring, lambs? She also has a keen interest in Neil Finn so the museum is on our list. Any excellent craft and/or local food markets?

We both love coffee and tasting local delicacies. Especially wine! Mud baths and sulphur springs sounds cool as well. We're looking to experience some of the natural beauty that New Zealand has to offer.

As we are in Australia the odds of a second trip are probably high. But may be a few years off. This time of the year it looks like the weather will be cool and wet. So are there things to do that work well in that kind of weather? Many thanks in advance!

What pepper is this?

miasma — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:12:07 -0800

PepperIdentityFilter: I serious don't know my peppers. I was trying to pick up serranos, but picked up what looks like the pepper on the left in this image. What is this? A banana pepper? Extra points if someone knows whether if i boil this'll spice up or ruin the chili I plan on making. I plan on boiling this pepper in the sauce prior to adding the meat to it.

Semi-romantic, awesome places to eat in Boston's North End?

bondcliff — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:37:33 -0800

Where in Boston's North End should my wife and I have our anniversary dinner? Twelfth anniversary is next week and we've decided on the North End because we love it and don't eat there enough. I've seen this thread and I've looked at other Boston food threads but found nothing. We don't need to break the bank but want something more than pizza.

Money isn't an issue. We'll eat anything, we love most things, and we want more than spaghetti and red sauce. We prefer "really fucking good" more than trendy though trendy AND really fucking good is fine. I'd prefer decent sized portions to "this single walnut is infused with saffron oil and the tears from orphaned Italian children"

They'll need to accept reservations and not be so popular they'll be booked a week in advance.

So? Semi-romantic, awesome places to eat in Boston's North End?

Is y apple butter bad?

itsonreserve — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:09:03 -0800

I have just opened a new jar of apple butter. It was not very difficult to open at all, which surprised me. Perhaps I am paranoid, but there is also a little bit of dried apple butter under the lid of the jar. Does this mean that air got in the jar? I didn't can it myself or anything, so I have no idea when it was done. It smells fine, but that obviously isn't foolproof. Do I need to throw it out?

"Let them eat bagels."

whimsicalnymph — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:08:15 -0800

Where can I find the best bagel in NYC? At the risk of starting a riot, I'd like to hear MeFites' opinions on where the best bagel can be found in NYC.

I have lived in New York over a year, and I have yet to eat a bagel (I think Super Size Me made me not want to eat them for a while).

I have a friend coming into town in October, and as part of her visit, I'd like to take her to a great NYC place, with the best bagels on Earth. No small feat, but I imagine if anyone knows where such bagels can be found, the people of AskMe will know.

Help Salvage My Muffins!

munichmaiden — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:10:36 -0800

I just made a huge batch of zucchini/apple muffins and they look beautiful. Unfortunately, they taste well, not horrible, but very, very baking soda-y. What should I do with them? Is there another dessert I could turn them into? A sauce to serve over them that would cut the soda taste? Should I cube and toast them? I'm willing to try anything! I just spent an hour making these and I'd hate too see all that work go to waste. They are so close to being really tasty, but I can't stand the edge of the soda.

Do you want some tasty brains?

Meg_Murry — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:45:30 -0800

How can I bring homemade white chocolate cupcake toppers cross-country without melting or breaking them? I've been asked to recreate these cupcakes for my husband's dissertation defense. I have the mold and bought some Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and food coloring. A test batch indicates this should work out, but I'm concerned about how to transport them as the defense is in another state. I won't have time (or access to a kitchen) to mold the mini-brains when we get there, so I'm planning to make them before the trip and take them on the plane with us. I'll be getting some gel frosting from the supermarket and cupcakes from a local bakery.

My current plan is to pack the brains in tupperware containers layered with waxed paper, and bring the containers in my carry-on bag.

Questions:

Is there a particular brand of white chocolate that will hold up better than others?

Is there a way to prevent the brains from softening or breaking in my carry-on?

Gone gone o form of man, bring me now some Marzipan!

mephron — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:40:05 -0800

Looking for recipes for marzipan. Actually making it, not things to do with it. The woman I'm seeing loves marzipan. I mean, she really, really loves it. I can get Ritter Sport dark chocolate filled with marzipan; there's Ben and Jerry's Mission to Marzipan.

But it occurs to me that if I want to really impress, I should find a way to make it myself. I'm aware this is over the top, but it's a skill that can be useful in the future (at the very least, I can make some neat dessert things with it). I've found ones at cooks.com, but it occured to me that the Great Hivemind might have better pointers, or a family recipe, or tips to making it from those recipes.

Why doesn't food in a freezer last forever?

Phcyso — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:50:49 -0800

Why doesn't food in a freezer last forever? Frozen food i buy from a super market and even the user guide that came with my freezer both say that food can be stored from 3-12 months.

What would it take for food to be permanently cold stored?
i am thinking that storage containers that are totally air and moisture proof would be needed and likely a freezer that is a lot colder then a general household one would be required?

The reason i ask is that some of the home cooked meals in my freezer are nearing the point of no return. they are getting freezer burn despite being in what i thought where well sealed tupperware.
i would like to maximize the time i can get from the food in my freezer to enable a greater variety of ready to heat meals

Rank the Most Popular Hamburger Toppings in America?

Matt Arnold — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:00:46 -0800

I need to purchase hamburger toppings and condiments without knowing in advance the preferences of the diners. Please provide your own list of hamburger toppings in order of how popular you think they are in America. Out of curiosity, I am interested in lists from other countries as well.

Food to remember a father by

Kerasia — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:42:37 -0800

Since my FiL died, me and my good-cookin' fella have been reliving the Czech food of his childhood. While he remembers most of the dishes he has forgotten many of the recipes his old man used. Feed our imagination please and give us your best Czech recipes. Vaclav was from the north near the Polish border so southern Polish recipes are also welcome. Yum and thanks.

Who's got my onion rolls?

monospace — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:44:48 -0800

It used to be that pretty much any old deli in town had those classic NY onion rolls, but lately they seem to have become increasingly hard to find. Are there still places where I can get a nice toasted onion roll with butter for breakfast, especially in the Penn Station area?

Old Father Hubbard.

The Whelk — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:49:40 -0800

Lazy Last Minute Dinner Help: So I forgot it was my turn to cook dinner and all I have in the house are some scraps of cooked meat (chicken, lamb) and a bottle of Loyd Grossman's pre-made Korma sauce. How can I jazz this up while using up the scraps in my cupboard? Preferably stuff I can add while it simmers? I was planning on making coconut rice to go with it, but I was wondering what else I could do to make it *pop* a little better than out-of-the bottle sauce? I've got scraps of onion, cucumber, some dried mushrooms, and random spices and sauces. I do have some slivered almonds, but no jalapeno.