Posted on 07/26/2016 4:47:11 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I attended a buffet-style party recently where the food reminded me of the classic Italian appetizer/starter ‘antipasto’ - which literally means ‘before the meal’, or before the main course. And given the temperatures we’ve had here during the past week, it seems that a nice antipasto platter, along with a good bread and a round red wine would be a perfect meal in itself, for an unbearably hot evening - the kind where one would just like to ‘graze’ lazily on some cold, refreshing bites, and share a long conversation while the cicadas sing.
The offering classically consists of cured meats, cheeses, olives, and various fresh and marinated or pickled vegetables:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/26694/antipasto-platter/
I’ve always liked the Marinated Mushrooms, and especially like this recipe from the website ‘Peas and Crayons’, because the mushrooms are first sauteed in olive oil, instead of blanched in water; and because it uses button mushrooms – a lot of recipes use Cremini, which tend to have slightly tougher surfaces. I just think it works better with buttons. Make them far enough ahead so that they can age at least a day or two, for more intense flavor:
http://peasandcrayons.com/2015/05/10-minute-marinated-mushrooms.html
Another nice addition is Marinated Mozzarella balls; but you can do it with slices of mozzarella too, if you can’t find or don't want to make the little balls:
http://homecooking.about.com/od/cheeserecipes/r/bldairy24.htm
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I was out shopping yesterday, when our heat index was near 105; and at the point where I was dying for something to drink, I found a ginger-flavored limeade in a drugstore. It reminded me of this recipe from ‘Yin and Yang Living’, which I want to try:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cnuu6bEi8k
-JT
THAI CHILI PASTA / PEANUT SAUCE
Peanut Sauce Mix cup smooth p/butter, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tsp chili paste, 2 tb br/sugar, 2 juiced limes, 1/2 cup hot water, minced gar/cl, tsp ea rice vinegar, ground ginger, 1/2 tea sesame oil.
ASSEMBLY Layer on plate cooked thin spaghetti, sliced cooked chicken, blanched carrot slivers, water chestnuts, chp cilantro. Pour sauce over; toss to coat.
SERVE topped with cilantro and chopped peanuts; bean sprouts.
Please check out post #75, I asked several questions.
when you make the marine it will be for beef or pork not chicken .
soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar NO LEMON JUICE, NO HOT SAUCE , oyster sauce.
you have to temper the dark soy sauce with the oyster sauce by mixing in and dissolving the brown sugar. If you want to go ahead & chop garlic like Jacques Pepin be my guest but I get mine out of a jar and as for ginger I use the powdered version so it’s up to you.
I’ll give more specific amounts if you like later on & you pm me on this.
On the type of rice : Having lived abroad for many yrs I found DEER BRAND RICE 20lb bad to be the best (JASMINE RICE FROM THE HIMALAYAS).
On the type of rice cooker: I’ve been thru numerous ones as they wear out over the years. DO NOT buy a digital rice cooker- you’ll waste your money-you cannot regulate the steaming temps .
I’ve always gone with the “AROMA” brand rice cooker with glass lid & small steam vent.
This is important to note that these AROMA RICE COOKERS are scaled down simply by country of origin- Japan/China’s measurement of 1 cup is not 8 oz.
When you see a 7 cup AROMA RICE COOKER know that this rice cooker is good for two people who like to eat jasmine rice and have a little left over for the next day. Jasmine rice expands and with the proper boiling and then placing a set of paper towels or a doubled over clean cotton cloth over the lid & set the lid down you will achieve good results in gett that Jasmine (highly aromatic) rice grain to expand to the size of the 1st knuckle on your index finer and you will be truly amazed.
One more thing- when you put the rice in the cooker bowl portion you have to rinse this rice several times to rid it of rice “dust” & possible debris- rinse and pour off - rinse & pour off - sometimes if I’m not satisfied I’ll do the magic number 7 and by then it’s clean.
After you have rinsed the rice for the AROMA for the rice cooker you need to add water & then salt it.
Add the water & measure by using your index finger and if it goes above the first line of your finger then you have too much water - then add the salt- use a Kosher Salt like Morton but it is also large grined and therefore you use less... shake some of the Mortons Kosher Salt in to taste-but not TOO salty- & then stir with finder till dissolved.
there’s a lot of ins & outs on successfully cooking rice with a AROMA RICE COOKER.
It’s a whole different ball game if you want to free boil in a large pot and then have a browned bottom with potatoes or flatbread called “ TAHDIG”
here’s a link with some nice pics of potatoe “tahdig”
http://www.mypersiankitchen.com/tahdig-with-potato/
but then again this a whole diff ball game as opposed
to the AROMA RICE COOKER>-
Thanks so much!
Todays Lunch is :
Chelo Kabab
Romaine lettuce w/ cherry tomatoes & sliced Vidalia onion
Dressing: Dollop or two of Hellman’s May, dash of red pepper, dash of black pepper & lemon juice- mix,shake & then pour over salad.
Have a great day!
WHITE RASPBERRY CAKE
CAKE Bake pkg white cake mix as per pkg cake for 2-9" layers. Cool/halve into four layers.
ASSEMBLY Spread 16 oz can raspberry filling between layers; chill 30 min. Frost sides.
SERVE Sauce Drizzled over top; garnished with fresh raspberries.
FROSTING whip 2 c h/cream, 1/4 c conf, tsp vanilla to soft peaks.
SAUCE Combine 1/2 c raspberry jam with tb warm water.
Marie’s chunky blue cheese dressing is the best I’ve ever had. I use their glass jars to store my baking sweets supplies too!
very prissy of you.
I really hope your hem doesnt dip in the mud while the rest of us work.
Yes, those are very nice jars.
I’ve got the boiling down; but I still haven’t found any tricks that make boiled eggs reliably easy to peel - except for starting with older eggs. We did a thread on it a while back, and it seems like every technique worked some of the time, but nothing worked all of the time.
My husband drinks the store-bought kombucha and would like to try making it; but I’m a little nervous about making it at home. Apparently things can go wrong, and you can make yourself sick.
But, I’m a chicken who has never even canned anything yet ;-)
-JT
Soon as the eggs are cooked......take the pan to the sink and dump out the hot water.
Then roll the eggs around in the dry pan ......crack them a bit.
Then fill pan w/ cold tap water to make them easy to handle.
Et voila.
Just make deviled eggs. Put them in a porcelain baker...then blanket w/ your best white sauce recipe. Top w/ grated Cheddar, a sprinkle of paprika. Bake a bit to bubble cheese.
SERVE....popovers would be nice....or serve any fancy bread recipe you might have.
Ah! You crack them BEFORE you run the cold water! I will try it :-)
-JT
Thanks, Liz. I found a whole-wheat popover recipe recently that I’ve been wanting to try (well, it’s *half* whole wheat ;-)
-JT
Sounds like a great popover recipe.
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