Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with yummy

Delicatessen for Dilettantes & Greenhorn Cuisine

byanyothername — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:59:17 -0800

Please recommend outstanding recipe books and resources for clueless cooks! So, I come from a family which, for the most part, hasn't done its own cooking in generations. A few hodge-podge recipes (what do spaghetti, squash stir fry and fajitas have in common? I can cook them!) have been handed down to me, but I'd really love to expand my culinary horizons. In contrast to other members of my family, I truly enjoy cooking, and the cultural dimensions of cuisine are fascinating to me (I naively and sincerely believe sharing food is a path of peace). I'll try anything once, but have a preference for Mexican and Japanese foods light on meat and heavy on rice, peppers and assorted veggies. I've been dabbling a little using cookbooks I already own, but I'd like to add to my collection and branch out a little bit.

Currently I'm looking specifically for books that focus on Mexican cuisine (because of my location, it's easiest to find fresh ingredients for and I'm closer to the culture which is something that adds to the flavor, somehow), but I'm open to just about anything here. Relatively simple stir-fry and vegetarian recipes are also very much ideal. Again, I'm not a big meat eater, so Beefsteak McBurgertime's 80 Things to do With Bacon isn't going to be quite up my alley, but I do eat some meat and I'm willing to consider heavily meat oriented recipes in outstanding cases.

I'm interested in stuff that gets a little into the cultural aspect of cuisine, as well, or just something that has a unique character. Hugo Ortega's Street Food of Mexico looks like it may be something well worth looking into, but I'm not super familiar with culinary literature and I'm sure there are whole worlds I'm overlooking!

Your favorite online resources for recipes and stuff are great, too!

Caning, southern style!

RolandOfEld — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:37:01 -0800

How do I go about finding sources for cane sugar stock in my area? Yea, for growing... So I've already found this (PDF warning!) and will be there if other ventures fail to work out.

So, anyway, I'm looking for some starts to put out for personal chewing and maybe some tea swizzle sticks. I had this stuff in Ecuador and really loved it's flavor and feel like it should be pretty simple to grow.

Anyway bonus points for ideas about varieties that are more suitable for sugar (instead of syrup/crystal varieties) and/or heirloom stock.

Without giving up too much information on my whereabouts I'll say that I'm within easy driving distance of the link above.

What Power a Paper Towel Holds in the Microwave!

curiositykilledthelemur — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:02:37 -0800

Why does the addition of a layer of paper towel make such a big difference when microwaving certain foods? Try to microwave a naked hot dog on a plate, and you'll not be satisfied with the result. Wrap a hot dog in a paper towel and voila! Perfectly nuked dog.

I bought frozen sausage biscuits and the instructions said to wrap in paper towel, which I did, with perfect results. I tried without paper towel much to my disappointment.

This is not me imagining things as I'd much rather not waste paper towel, and so I ask ye brilliant hive mind: what is the science behind said paper towel?

I drank what..?

jmcgrady — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 06:40:15 -0800

I was (happily) re-gifted a beautiful box of Chinese teas which my brother had received years ago but we have no clue about what teas are actually included. I've take a picture of the box and the canisters. Please help me find out what I'm drinking!

I need your best cookie recipe ever!!!! No, seriously, EVER.

atomicstone — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 14:24:50 -0800

best-cookie-recipe-ever-filter: I need your best, most impressive, most "wowing" when someone puts it in his/her mouth cookie recipe that you've got. Yes, I know there's a bazillion cookie recipes lurking in this AskMe/Metafilter machine. Which is part of the problem. Taste over looks. I work full time on a team that has been overtasked and understaffed/funded for a variety of [unrelated to this question] reasons. At the behest of my company, I started law school part time this August [fun!? NO, but moving on] which has forced the rest of my team to come together in ways both professional and personal to pick up my slack and ensure I don't end up in a locked ward. And there's years of this left-although I'm coping better as this goes on.

There's a week between the end of finals and the company-wide shutdown for Xmas-New Years. I'm known around the office as a damn good baker. I'd like to bake THE MOST AWESOME COOKIES EVER for my team as a very small thanks for the semester.

TL;DR: I need your best cookie recipe ever. Awesome taste over foofy decorations. Assume I [embarrassingly] own that weird unitasker. NO BACON or other meat [or lard]. Otherwise, sky's the limit!

Food that lasts forever! Well, not quite...

joyeuxamelie — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:03:50 -0800

Foods that will keep you filled for a long time? Ramadan is coming up in a few weeks. And this time, fasting hours will span over 12 hours (I think). If it were still summer and I could just spending the days bumming around the house reading books, napping, and surfing the net, I really wouldn't mind. Minimal energy usage. But, unfortunately school will be in full swing and not only will I be taking classes, I will also be teaching them! And working a side job. And running errands all over our gigantic campus. Energy usage suddenly went way up.

So what kinds of foods should I be eating? Preferably things that won't make me thirsty, since we can't drink anything while fasting. How much should I aim to drink too? I used to try to down a lot of water before fasting, but that always made me feel a little sick. I live in the southeast US, so it gets pretty warm. I figure if I stay indoors with the AC most of the time, I'll be okay...

(On a side note: I tend to get shaky when (I'm assuming) my sugar gets low. (My hands will tremble.) I don't necessarily feel "hungry" at the time, but eating helps the shakiness go away. So foods with slow-burning sugars?)

Anyway, thank you! :)

Picnic deliciousness

jonnyploy — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:18:55 -0800

What can I make/bake for a picnic on Saturday? I am going to a friend's birthday picnic this Saturday and have been asked to take along a delicious homemade dish. My standard response to this would be to bake a couple of batches of cupcakes, but this time I would like to do something savoury. I would like it to be something picnic-y (i.e. something easy to eat with ones fingers) but at the same time I would like it to stand out from the crowd as something a bit different.

Any ideas?

Delicious, Vegan, Gluten-free Smoothies?

jitterbug perfume — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:19:38 -0800

I would like your favorite recipes for smoothies that do not contain any animal products or gluten! I am looking for things of the organic/healthy variety (I am very interested in adding various powders/oils/whatever), but almost equally as important is that they be yummy (so, also very interested in adding delicious ingredients I may not have thought of)! Thanks!

Help me feed the bozos on this bus

Thorzdad — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:27:20 -0800

I need hors d'oeuvre-y ideas for a company party this Saturday. Details and caveats inside... My wife's boss is treating the employees and spouses to a little party this Saturday. It starts with a bus trip down to a winery. Once at the winery, we will have a pitch-in, with all the wine provided for. And we'll have a band. It should be fun.

The couples are tasked with bringing both a snack-ish item for the bus trip and an hors d'oeuvre-y something for the pitch-in at the winery. For whatever reason, we are stumped, especially with the winery pitch-in. Because of the wines, we feel like we need to come-up with something beyond our standard 4 or 5 party dishes we seem to always make.

Caveats: We, ourselves, need to keep things relatively affordable and simple, so, please, no super-obscure foodie ingredients that only come from a specific valley in Mongolia that you can only get online once a year. Unemployment has required us to reign-in expenses. And, of course, we're in Indiana.

We would like to stick with cold items. I'm pretty sure there will be outlets for warmers and whatnot, but we would really rather not have to schlep a chaffing dish or fondue pot down with us on the bus. But, we will consider making an exception if you have an utterly amazing idea.

So, please, help us out with some yummy-yet-affordable finger food ideas!

I can handle the truth!

molecicco — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:54:51 -0800

What's really in sausage? No really, I want to know. I know it's supposed to make me shudder and everything, but I would like to know, specifically, what parts of the animal go into a sausage. Any sausage, really. For example, I had some Bavarian Weisswurst the other day, and it's really soft - is that all internal organs? And if so, what organs are fair game? Does brain go in there? Heart? Hot dogs are mostly soft but a little chewy - is that like connective tissues and organs? Any actual meat/muscle in there? I have only found vague answers in my cursory Googlings.

It doesn't really bother me. I think we should eat the whole animal, and sausage seems like the most pleasant way to do it.

So, if you know precisely what parts go into a certain kind of sausage, please, spill the beans.

fill 'er up ... but with what?

msconduct — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:22:57 -0800

help me find new things to bake into bread. not just any bread, mind you, but stuffed/filled bread. i've had GREAT success with this spicy spiral bread and a variation of this galette from the king arthur flour site. the first uses refried beans & black beans which is rolled into a log and baked. it's delish. the 2nd is more of an open(ish) pie, which i typically fill with a spinach ricotta mix & top with sliced tomatoes. VERY good. everyone who's tried them loves them. so ... i'd love to find more recipes like this, preferably something that is relatively easy (i'm not much of a baker, actually) & is good n' tasty. anyone have any recipes or ideas? thanks.

Show me some damn good menus!

rachaelfaith — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:08:05 -0800

What are some of the most interesting and unusual menus/restaurants out there? I'm looking for links to websites that have menus available, and pictures that make me salivate are a bonus. I'm looking for places like Alinea and wd~50, that are inventing new flavors and presentations, though I realize they can skew a bit on the molecular-gastronomy side. I also am interested in places like Momofuku Ko- pretty much anything that will arouse my senses and give me new and different foods to think about.

Amusez ma bouche s'il vous plait

kitchencrush — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:16:38 -0800

So I bought some new and very cool looking amuse bouche spoons and glasses but except for one amuse that I made up (pomelo, tiger prawn, avocado and mint), I am somewhat stuck... So bring it on mefis, what are your favorite, memorable or just plainly wow-inducing amuse bouche concoctions?

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.

I want to eat me some yummy books.

PhoBWanKenobi — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:14:54 -0800

I love food, and I love fiction. I'd love to read more fiction with tremendous descriptions of food. Any recommendations? I was reading Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave today and stumbled across the following passage, which got my stomach growling:

"Cadal served me himself, and even fetched fresh bread hot from the bakehouse, where the first batch had just come out for morning. The soup was some savoury concoction of shellfish, which they eat almost daily in Less Britain. It was smoking hot and delicious, and I thought I had never eaten anything so good, until I tried the chicken, crisp-fried in oil, and the grilled sausages, brown and bursting with spiced meat and onions. I mopped the platter dry with the new bread, and shook my head when Cadal handed a dish of dried dates and cheese and honey cakes."

I've stumbled across similar passages in a few other books--notably, in John Christopher's Tripod series, in the few Redwall novels that I've read, and in The Wind in the Willows--and I've come to realize that I always really enjoy this sort of foodie prose, particularly when it's unexpected. I'm not particularly interested in novels about food; rather, I'd like to read more novels that are generally interesting and happen to include florid food accounts. Though the books I've named happen to be mostly sci-fi and fantasy (because that's largely what I read!), I'm open to any genre. Any suggestions, hive mind?

Root Beer!

serazin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:02:44 -0800

We're makin' root beer! (Help?) Me and my buddy want to make our own root beer, and possibly also ginger beer or other soda-type beverages. I would love any suggestions you have to offer: books we should check out, relevant websites, favorite recipes, particular products we need, etc. Please share your home root beer brewing stories, warnings, advice, etc below. Thank you!

I want to eat well!

big open mouth — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:33:00 -0800

In search of awesome recipes that use microwaves, a stovetop and a toaster oven. So, my apartment doesn't have a functional oven and only one stovetop, but I love to cook. I miss baking cupcakes and cookies during these still-chilly nights. I'm tired of peanut butter sandwiches and I want to learn how to make yummy food with the appliances I have.

I'm thinking stir fry's, indian food, good pasta dishes, etc etc. Anybody got any advice? It's much appreciated. And Happy Valentine's Day!

Mac N Cheese, please!

lonefrontranger — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:35:27 -0800

[ComfortFoodFilter] Give me your kickassedest huevo-lacto vegetarian mac-n-cheese recipes. I've been tasked with making mac n' cheese for the Super Bowl party the mister is hosting on Sunday. I have limited online / wireless time right now and have come up short on google and mefi search is down. I'm sure this has been asked but I have a couple qualifiers:

I need a killer baked mac n cheese recipe. I have pretty much every good spice available, and I will probably be using the good Tillamook extra sharp cheese. But beyond that I'm kind of stumped.

Here are the ingredients qualifiers:

- NO meat, with no meaning none. No bacon, no chicken, no ham, no tuna, no broth.
- NO mushrooms. This makes me sad, but that's just how it goes.

Preferably:

- no canned soup / soup packet type ingredients. My goal is to use fresh grated x-sharp cheddar for the main cheese.
- would prefer this not to have too much of a custard-based sauce as custards kind of scare me to begin with, and especially at altitude (5300')

So we're looking at a pretty simple, straightforward mac n' cheese casserole recipe. I was pointed at the one on Alton Brown's site but the custard base thing kind of gave me the willies. I've never done the baked mac 'n cheese deal before, only the sort from a box. So I need one that will both rock and be fairly easy to deal with when we've got a bunch of people over.

Help? Thanks!

How to Stuff a Wild Panini

iconomy — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:57:50 -0800

I have a Snackster. It makes yummy sandwiches that look like this. More yummy sandwiches are wanted. There have been a few sandwich posts here, but none that deal specifically with stuffed sandwiches and panini type sandwiches, which is what I'm after.

In addition to grilled cheese of every kind imaginable, I've made Reubens with great success, and have done a sort of Panera artichoke and turkey and caramelized onion sandwich, and have made mini calzones of sauces and cheese. What else can I try? Yep, I know how to google for recipes - I'm looking for sandwiches that you yourself have known and loved personally. My Snackster is hot and looking for action!

Lamb Flavored Turkey Chops? Need a recipe!

Izzmeister — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:55:30 -0800

Lamb Flavored Turkey Chops. Recipe, anyone? I am drooling for a recipe for "lamb flavored turkey".

anyone?

google-fu failing me...

and i'm hungry. :)

Help me find some new staple recipes!

tastybrains — Fri, 11 May 2007 12:33:33 -0800

Can you guys help me add some new staple recipes to my dinner repertoire? I have about 3 things that I cook, and I'm sick of 2 of them. I have a few ... issues ... with the kitchen that I'm trying to work around, which I've noted inside. I live with my husband so I cook for two. I like to be in charge of the cooking because I am watching what I eat (I'm on Weight Watchers, so it's just basic calorie/fat restriction) and my slender husband is happy to go along with whatever I make.

My staple recipes are:
1) Dhal soup
2) Turkey-veggie chili
3) Chicken fajitas

I want to get some new recipes into my repertoire that take into account the following:

I tend to let produce go bad, so I want a few recipes that I can rely on frozen goods & pantry goods to make.
Absolutely no bell peppers or seafood.
I prefer vegetarian meals, but we do eat chicken, turkey, beef & pork at times.
I'd like my staple recipes to include ingredients that can be easily found in a standard supermarket.
I find meals consisting of grilled [insert meat] + steamed vegetables depressing and boring.
I like one-pot dishes and comfort food
I would especially like some salads to try for the summer (but I already know how to make regular tossed green salads).

Please help me - I have scoured old "help me cook healthy easy delicious meals that are cheap" and had a few good ideas, but I'm looking for a handful of things that I could easily fit into my lifestyle to make ALL THE TIME and not really get sick of them easily.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta."

oxford blue — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 21:13:52 -0800

What are your favourite pasta recipes?

How did I lose weight by eating MORE and exercising LESS?

Chorus — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 17:23:36 -0800

How did I lose weight by eating MORE and exercising LESS? I'm just been in hospital for a week [nothing serious, mind. I was only in for observation for something I turned out not to have at all -_-], and to my surprise I've gone and lost noticeable weight - approx 2inches from my torso alone. What's really perplexing me is, while I was in hospital I ate like a *pig*, like, at least three times what I usually eat at home. Plus I was bedridden for the whole week and *still* managed to drop the inches.

At home, meals looked like this:
Breakfast: 2 buttered toast, tea.
Lunch: Instant noodles.
Dinner: Can o' microwaveable stew or frozen pizza.
Snacks: 2 granola bars

In hospital, for seven days, my meals were thusly [this is what all patients were given. I cleared my plate at every meal]:
Breakfast: Bran cereal, 2 toast, marmalade tea.
Typical Lunch: Chicken breast/Shepard's pie/fish fillet, scoop o' mash, veg, gravy, dessert [anything from icecream to cheesecake to fruit salad to tart], 2 slices o' bread and butter, tea.
Typical Evening Tea: Mixed grill [2 rashers, 2 sausages, pudding, grilled tomato] OR beans on toast OR scrambled eggs on toast, 2 slices o' bread and butter and jam, tea.
Snacks: The possibility of THREE more teas/coffees throughout the day.

I should also add that I was on no werid medication other than the odd Paracetamol. I've a feeling the weight loss has something to do with complex carbohydrates or... something...

Anybody got any insight? It's rather obvious now that my "home" diet was... um, very bad indeed -_- I fully intend to use this "hospital diet" as a what-to-eat guide and since I've been home a few days, I haven't suddenly piled on the pounds. I have more energy [as much as can be expected after a week in hospital] and my hunger is on the strict schedule of 8am, 1pm, 6pm, like in the hospital.

Am I going to wake up one morning as Jabba the Hut though? I feel all the extra food from that week is going to amush me in the future. No, I'm not exercising now either. Yes, that amount of hospital food everyday seems piggish to me.

My God! It Burns! And I Love It!

jeribus — Mon, 08 May 2006 19:48:54 -0800

So, went to a festival of nations (a neat place full of different country's foods) and had some sort of african "meat pocket". Which burned my innards in a most pleasant sort of way.

I think I'm certain they were these:

http://www.towerislespatties.com/turnover.htm

but it looks like they don't sell them in the bland food is the color of gray with appropriate matching taste that is Minnesota.

I know there is a place in Saint Paul that sells these (they ran the booth). God bless you West Indies Soul and your taste bud searing hot meat pockets.

But I am wondering if anyone knows someone in the Twin Cities metro area that sells these.

Or something very close.

Thanks!

Where do I buy Chinese takeaway Sweet and Sour Sauce?

aqueousdan — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 14:03:23 -0800

Does anyone know where chinese takeaways in the UK get their sweet and sour sauce and "smokey" noodle flavouring? Every single chinese takeaway in the whole of the UK (and probably the rest of the world?) has the same basic sweet and sour sauce which is basically a bright red, transparent, sweet, tangy jelly. I'm guessing its made up from some kind of dried powder but havent got a clue where to buy it. I have tried various packets that claim they are the same but never come close. I've also tried various recipes found online to no avail. Is it a closely guarded secret that I shouldnt know about?

Also their chow mein noodles have a sweet smokey taste which im also sure comes from jar or tub as I saw "fried noodle sauce" sitting on the side in my local takeaway. I also cant seem to source this product but would love some for home use.

Anybody know anything about either of these products? As you can guess I am a complete pig.