Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with recipe

Can has Chili's Baked Potato Soup at Home?

Xuff — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:32:07 -0800

Anyone know how to replicate Chili's baked potato soup at home? My girlfriend and I both love the stuff and were hoping to find a recipe that comes close, but Googling and searching previous questions has come up empty. So, any suggestions or recipes?

This toothsome tart won't tighten up.

liketitanic — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:21:24 -0800

Help me troubleshoot this savory tart recipe. So it has become an xmas tradition in the titanic-filter household to have this goat cheese, polenta, and mushroom tart for breakfast before the tossing of wrapping paper commences.

But I can never get the tart to set quite right and I'm not sure why. The directions say that for one prepared cup of polenta (implying that that's how much you need), you should prepare one dry cup of polenta . . . except you end up with about 3 cups. People have noted this in the recipe comments and say that the tart doesn't quite set with either one OR three cups polenta. I usually use 3, and there's so much melty stuff in the mix that I can't imagine one cup would be enough to bind it. But I can't get it to firm up and it tends to be more like a pudding. Which is still delicious, but still.

The best I can think to do is let it cool completely, chill to firm, then reheat, but then I have to make it the night before while I have eggnog brain. Ideas?

(It's delicious, you will love it.

Brownie Heaven

plinth — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:36:11 -0800

Gourmet Magazine Brownie Recipe Search (not on Epicurious) I'm looking for a pair of recipes that were published in Gourmet magazine between 1992 and 2001 with a high likelihood of being in the 1999-2000 range. The first was a brownie recipe that was unlike most others. It was two part recipe: a liquid and a thick dough. When baked, the dough and the liquid floated past each other, transforming the dough into brownie and the liquid into chocolate sauce. The second was a burnt sugar/caramel ice cream. They were in the same issue and were meant to be served together. They went together like assault and battery.

I'm really looking for this exact pairing, not an approximation of either recipe.

The brownie recipe is not on epicurious that I could find. I went through every brownie recipe there published in Gourmet.

Sweet Potato Masala

shew — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:58:00 -0800

RecipeFinderFilter: Sweet Potato Masala! My partner and I frequent this lovely little Indian food buffet in Westminster, Colorado called Yak & Yeti. They have a Sweet Potato Masala dish that has me over the moon. I have searched and searched to the internet for a recipe but have yet to come close. The dish a creamy bright orange gravy with sweet potato chunks in it. The potato pieces are tender but not mashed.

Any recommendations for recipes I can try? The menu at the restaurant lists the dish ingredients as "Onion, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes cooked with cream".

My Goose Is (not) Cooked!

np312 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:52:22 -0800

Newbie cook seeks fool-proof recipe for roast goose, for a dinner party tomorrow night. The details:
--It's a 12 pound goose, frozen (but currently defrosting in the fridge.)
--Needs to be ready for a party tomorrow evening.
--We'd ideally like to keep the excess goose fat to render for future dishes.

Neither my boyfriend or I have ever cooked a goose, and all the recipes we're finding online seem to wildly differ on technique. We are looking for the safest, most delicious and straight-forward roasted goose recipe you've got!

(Please don't post a recipe unless you've actually used that exact recipe. I can google goose recipes to my heart's content, but I need to feel assured that this is the most fool-proof one.) Please save my dinner from disaster!

Thank you!

Substitutes for ginger

srrh — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:11:54 -0800

What can I substitute for ground ginger in a peanut sauce recipe? I plan on making peanut sauce tonight, using a recipe that I've used a thousand times before, but I forgot to pick up ginger. Here is the recipe I usually use:

2/3 cups peanut butter
3/4 cups water
3-4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp.lemon juice
1 scallion, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. sweetener
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 tsp. chili powder

What can I use to substitute for the ginger? I read online that I might be able to use a combination of paprika and nutmeg. Does this seem at all feasible? What ideas do you have?

Honey Treats

mccarty.tim — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:07:58 -0800

Help me come up with candies and/or baked goods based on honey and/or comblike structures! This Christmas, I'm getting my sister a crocheted skunk doll, partly because she loves stuffed animals, and partly as an inside joke. Earlier this year, we had yellow jackets, and the ones under the ground were eaten by a skunk after we poured peppermint hemp soap down the holes, who left bits of comb on the yard. My mom and I were thrilled an animal took care of it for us, but my younger sister said that skunks were gross animals and that she didn't like having one near the house, voicing a lot of her concerns through her stuffed rabbit.

To complete the joke, I'd like to bundle the skunk with some kind of honey candy or other treat that's either based on honey and/or comb-like. I thought about comb honey, but that's not quite what my sister would like to eat (she's high-functioning autistic, so some more exotic textures like beeswax are daunting) and it's surprisingly expensive. If anyone has any suggestions for a treat that would be stable overnight under the tree (ie it won't melt/go stale), I'd like to hear it.

Bonus points if it can be quickly and covertly made, especially well in advance.

What is the recipe for these grandmother cookies?

Deathalicious — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:08:06 -0800

I'm looking for a recipe for a very specific cookie I ate as a youngster. They were made by the grandmother of someone at my Jewish summer camp, so it's possible that they're a traditional Jewish cookie, but I've never seen them since. We all called them __ Grandmother cookies, where __ was the name of the camper in question. They always arrived in an empty Quaker oats canister.

They are, basically, rings -- rolled up dough that's been sliced thin and baked as a cookie. They are rock hard and have a very faint cinnamon taste with a bit of nuttiness as well (it's amazing that I can still remember the taste from over 15 years ago).

I want to stress the rock hard element. They were nothing like the pastry-like rolled up cookies. I'm aware there are cookies like that and they always get me: I see a rolled up cookie like that, pop it in my mouth, and it instantly disappoints because they aren't the grandmother cookies.

So please, does anyone know this kind of cookie? Because I would love to know the recipe.

So, here are the key elements, best as I can remember them:

hard as a rock
cinnamon
very nutty flavor
relatively tiny -- maybe as wide around as a half dollar or silver dollar
the dough itself is very sweet (I know in many cases the sweetness comes from the filling between the layers; in this cookie, it does not)
Very clearly layered in the ring, which is to say it was very obviously rolled up and then baked, and in fact you could snap off pieces of the ring
addictive as crack

Random piece of pork belly needs route to my stomach

melissam — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:15:49 -0800

What do I do with a random piece of pork belly? I got a random piece of pork belly in my CSA share. It's about an inch thick and 5 in by 4 in....yeah, and all my pork belly recipes call for lbs of pork belly in braises of about 4 hours. SHould I do the same with this? Any other ideas?

Is it too late to save my still rising loaf of cinnamon raisin bread?

csimpkins — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:45:35 -0800

Bread making help! I missed the 'beep' to add raisins to my cinnamon raisin bread. Is it too late? I've got a loaf of cinnamon bread cooking. But it's supposed to be cinnamon raisin bread. I missed the beep to add them during the mixing cycle.

It's currently about half way through the first rising cycle. Anything I can do to to get them mixed in at this point without ruining the loaf?

Or is there any good way or recipe for taking it out after the first rise and turning it instead into cinnamon raisin swirl bread?

Ask Mefi, Go!

What to do with lots of bananas and bell peppers?

beerbajay — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:27:45 -0800

Every week, a group I work with comes into possession of very large amounts of bell peppers (let's say 50-70) and bananas (100-150). What can we make with these on a weekly basis? Extra points for recipes involving other ingredients which are very cheap. We get these for free so we want to minimize extra costs while using them to the best of our ability. We get them pretty much year round so there's no point in making preserves.

Google can't read my hamhock-ridden mind!

Phyltre — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:00:21 -0800

Help me find the right crockpot-esque Chinese ham hock preparation. I'm a huge fan of a particular Chinese ham hock preparation I see turn up a lot at Chinese New Year celebrations (I have no idea if this is related.) The ham hock is cooked, apparently very slowly, until it turns into basically a melty mass with bits meat mixed in (but it's still all in one piece). I remember them sitting inside a ceramic pot, along with a rather thick sauce that really reinforced the pork taste. Googling shows me "Chinese" recipes for roasting, for ham hock with black beans, and for braised ham hocks. I don't know if black beans are even involved in the recipes I've had, they could have been, but I don't remember seeing them. It's a recipe I've seen on several more expensive Chinese buffets, so I know it's some kind of standard. Can anyone validate which recipe I might be thinking of, and point me in the right direction? One catch, I'm looking for a recipe that is crock-pot friendly. I'm guessing that won't be much of a problem.

Bonus/Related: Can anyone tell me specifically what recipe might have been used to generate this lovely piece of work? By the way, the crock pot I'm-guessing-braised version this post is about looks just like that, except there's more sauce all over it and presumably it's softer.

Sources for good cheap learning literature?

jwells — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:19:40 -0800

What sources exist for good cheap learning literature? I'm thinking of things like AMSOIL's oil case studies and the Chelsea Milling/Jiffy Mix recipe book. Preferably non-digital, and any language is okay. I'm basically looking for the stuff that bypasses "marketing material" and ends up being a good resource. I remember being able to write away for stuff like this in the back of comic books as a kid but don't see much like that anymore, though I'm not reading comic books anymore either.

The weather outside is frightful, but my drinks are so delightful

filthy light thief — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:28:47 -0800

Recipefilter - It's winter(ish) time in my town, and I love seasonal flavored drinks, but I want to make my own (from scratch would be fun). Please recommend hot cocoa / chocolate recipes, coffee flavorings and the like.

got milk? i do.

kitchencrush — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:07:19 -0800

What can I do with two bottles of real milk before they go bad tomorrow? So, I bought real, straight-from-the-cow milk at the farmers market on Saturday. I have not drank it all yet and am afraid that it will turn bad tomorrow since it doesn't last too long. What can I use it in, besides coffee, that will significantly benefit from its real yummy taste?

Throw 'em yolk recipes at me!

kitchencrush — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:17:49 -0800

How can I use leftover egg yolks? I want to make a chocolate mousse from a recipe that calls for a large number of egg whites but I feel guilty about just throwing the egg yolks away. So... please give me your best ideas and recipes for what to do with the yummy yummy yolks, folks.

Springform pan recipes wanted.

emd3737 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:11:21 -0800

What else besides cheesecake can I make in an springform pan? I recently purchased three springform pans of different sizes, and now I'd like to start using them. I made a pumpkin cheesecake this morning, but I'm wondering what other sorts of things (desserts, casseroles, breads, etc) can be made in a springform pan? I'm looking for recipes that don't include chocolate (I'm allergic). Thanks!

Wanted: Madhur Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible

lioness — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:11:31 -0800

Do you have Madhur Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible on your bookshelf? Could you flip through in search of a pork recipe with mustard seeds? I'm hosting a small informal dinner tonight and was planning on making one of my favourite recipes from Madhur Jaffrey's Curry bible. Alas, I can't find my book and I need to start prepping!

The recipe was on the top of a left page and the title was in the vein of 'pork with mustard spices'. It entailed making your own spice mix with the usual suspects. Frying mustard seeds, adding pork strips, the spices, curry leaves and bean sprouts. Maybe some diced tomatoes were added, I'm not sure.

Could you find it for me?

As a last resort I will head to my library, but I'm hoping on a faster response here.

Recipe for Pork Tenderloin

cheechman85 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:36:11 -0800

Does the hive mind have any recipes for a pre-seasoned pork tenderloin? Any good complimentary foods?

Recipe on a tombstone

Daddy-O — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:31:08 -0800

My Googling skills are apparently insufficient. I remember once upon a time seeing on the web a picture of a woman's tombstone that said something like "I told you you could have my (coffee cake?) recipe over my dead body" and underneath followed the recipe. Does anyone know where on the net it is? Thanks!

Hoots mon, I'm awa tae hunt the meatless haggis.

anadem — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:18:54 -0800

I'm planning a haggis-centric party and will make semi-traditional haggis from this recipe. I also need to make a vegetarian version, so what would be a tasty veggie substitute for the meat (preferably using the same recipe)? The meats to replace are "chopped cooked liver and chopped cooked heart (Or stew beef, or filet mignon)" and ground lamb. I'm in California, in case that makes a difference about ingredient availability. Full recipe below, in case Geocities has closed. Here's Lloyd Bogart's West Mosby Volunteers' Haggis. I hope Mr Bogart won't mind me copying it out, but the Geocities web is due to disappear tomorrow.

WEST MOSBY VOLUNTEERS' HAGGIS - Courtesy of Lloyd Bogart .

Haggis "is typically served on Burns Night,January 25, when Scotland celebrates the birth of its greatest poet, Robert Burns, who was born in Ayrshire on that date in 1759. During the celebration, Burns poems are read, and the haggis is addressed by a member of the party, ceremonially, in the form of verses from Burns' poem, 'Address to a Haggis.' A typical meal for Burns Night would include Cock-a-Leekie, Haggis with Tattie-an'-neeps, Roastit Beef, Tipsy Laird, and Dunlop Cheese."

Oh, and did I mention that whisky is also served?

Disclaimer: If you jam 5 dowels into a haggis it kinda resembles a bagpipe, but only if you jam 5 single malts into yourself first. There, that makes this article "bagpipe related".

Here's a tried-and-true recipe for haggis -- entered in the international competition a few years back. It sounds more complex than it is -- it's really no more than equal amounts of meat mixture, oats, onions, and stock, with appropriate spices. Good Eating!

The following recipe is for a traditional sized (3-lb?) haggis. We prepare up to 12 times this amount, in double recipe batches, for our Annual Regimental Mess and Robert Burns Supper. It freezes well, and can be "revived" in a microwave.

1. Advanced preparation.

Find a source of ONLY Steel cut oats OR (if available) Scottish pin oats. Rolled oats will NOT provide the traditional texture, which is something like that of rice. Steel cut oats can be had, or can be ordered, from food stores specializing in organic foods, etc. You'll need 2 Cups of Oats, but if you have to order them, get extra "for next time".

Once you've found proper oats, you're ready to proceed. You'll need:

1 Cup of chopped cooked liver
1 Cup of chopped cooked heart (Or stew beef, or filet mignon)
2-3 Cups stock
Use Lamb if available, otherwise beef will work fine.

Cover the raw meat with salted COLD water, bring to a boil (gently, and covered) for about 1 hour. Drain, (keep the stock) Cool the meat, and remove any gristle, membranes, large vessels, then chop or grind the meat (coarse, as for hash). Refrigerate the stock, and discard any fat later, after it chills.

Mix the ground up heart and liver in equal proportions. You'll need about 2 cups of this meat mixture for each haggis, but it can be prepared in larger quantities, then refrigerated or frozen for later use. For final assembly, the haggis can be completed when convenient.

2. Additional Ingredients:

1 Lb. ground lamb (for "authentic" flavor -- replaces "other stuff")
2 Cups medium to coarse-chopped onions
1 Cup vegetable oil (replaces suet)
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Oz. single malt whisky (Balvenie is quite acceptable)
2 tsp. salt or beef bouillon powder
2 Tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. grated nutmeg

Optional: (but recommended for a "special occasion" haggis)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground mace
2 Tbsp. Parsley Flakes
1/4 Cup currants

Casing: Reynold's Oven Cooking Bag. These are Nylon roasting bags that are available in most any grocery store. The traditional sheep's stomach or a large sausage casing may be used for a "show" haggis, but they are "old-tech". Boiling in oven cooking bags is far more convenient, if you're preparing large quantities, especially, and this process "reassures" your dinner guests.

3. Preparation

Put 2 cups of the thawed meat mixture in the oven cooking bag. Add 2 cups of (coarse) chopped onions, 2 cups of oats, and the other dry ingredients and mix well. Set the mixture aside until it is at room temperature.

In a covered saucepan or skillet, warm 2 Cups or so of the stock (Be sure any fat has been removed. -- If more liquid is needed, here or later, use bouillon or beef stock.)

Break up the ground lamb into the warmed stock; bring to a slow boil (covered) for 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat, allow to cool briefly, and be sure the lamb is in small pieces.

Add the lemon juice and vegetable oil to the lamb & stock mixture. Then combine the lamb/liquid mixture with the other ingredients in the cooking bag, and mix well.

This should produce a moist, soft mixture that will still hold together when pinched. (If it's too dry, add a small amount of stock or bouillon.)

Boil the mixture IN the cooking bag:

Close off the bag using a nylon tie, but allow room below the tie for expansion during boiling. Trim off the bag 3" above the tie, and pierce the top of the bag, below the tie, but well above the mixture, to allow steam to escape.

Use a 4 Qt. (or larger) pot with a rack at the bottom. The water around the haggis should nearly cover the bag of mixture. Periodically adjust the heat to maintain a slow boil for at least 1 1/2 hours. Add HOT water to the pot if needed.

Add 2 Oz. single malt whisky to the cook. (He/She deserves it!)

The cooking bag can be placed on a shallow pan and transferred to a preheated oven

(325 degrees F) for the last half-hour. This doesn't affect the flavor, but does add a bit of color, if desired.

The proof:

This recipe has gotten rave reviews from visiting Scots. Talk about a tough room -- Whew! I hope you'll enjoy it.

The strategy for preparing rather largish amounts is just a bit different; if you need advice on this, please contact me personally. Today I purchased 10 pounds of oats, if you catch my drift....

Cheers
Lloyd Bogart

(If anyone wants the email address which is included on Mr Bogart's web page, please mefi-mail me, though it could be inactive.)

What is delicious in a cold tortilla wrap?

Lorc — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:19:53 -0800

What is delicious in a cold tortilla wrap? Other than chicken. I've discovered that tortilla wraps make for a great sandwich alternative for a packed lunch. So far my ideas have all been chicken-centric and I think I've run that particular meat into the ground.

What else could I do? Duck might be tasty , but it's such a pain to cook. Would strips of steak work (and if so what with)? I'm open to vegetarian options too.

Where can I find a database of cookbook indexes?

chefscotticus — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:13:28 -0800

Where can I find a database of cookbook indexes? Is there a website that contains a recipe directory for printed cookbooks?

I own lots of cookbooks. It's annoying to have to look through each individiual index, however, when I'm looking for a recipe for a common dish. Is there a website, or other service, that has a searchable collection of what recipes can be found in what cookbooks? (Note, I'm not looking for the recipes themselves, but instead a collective, searchable index.)

NOTE: I posed this question to the internet two years ago and didn't get any responses. Now, with my recent discovery of the AMAZING Delicious Library media cataloging tool, I'm inspired to find a new solution. Bonus if it can plug-in with my Delicious Library catalog of cookbooks. (Fat chance, I know...)

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).

Best way to cook dove?

justlisa — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:26:07 -0800

I've been tasked with cooking approximately 30 dove. I have no experience with this so would appreciate any tips or tried and true recipes.