Posted on 05/01/2022 1:12:22 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I bought some new gadgets and products recently. I think the most interesting was the ‘Sushi Bazooka’. There are lots of these available, but they all work along the same lines and make it much easier to fill and roll Maki Sushi, California Roll, etc. It doesn’t always come out as perfect on the first try as some videos make it look, but with a little practice it’s great. 'How Daily' shows how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe8GsJ3M4F0
I was introduced to this type of sushi by a Korean friend who calls it ‘Kimbap’. She made it with imitation crab (but the little 'salad' shrimps might be better for those who don’t like ‘Krab’), cucumber, pickled daikon, and strips of cooked egg (mix eggs as for scrambled eggs, spread a thin layer in a frying pan, and cook quickly so that when it’s done it’s like a big tortilla that you can cut into strips.)
And you must have the sear-your-mouth horseradish condiment, ‘Wasabi’, to go with it. The pickled ginger usually sold with Sushi is also very good, and in recent years I’ve found both the horseradish and the ginger in the Asian sections of many American supermarkets.
In a local health food store I found an unusual cracker. The century-old Inés Rosales company in Spain makes several types of these and they appear to be available in two sizes. They’re different from the crackers we’re used to – softer, and sort of halfway between a biscuit and a cracker, with unique textures and flavors, some savory and others sweet. These are available from lots of vendors online, and while they’re more expensive they’re worth it, especially for entertaining. Since they are softer, if you are going to serve them as an hors d’oeuvre, it would probably be best to wait until the last minute to apply any spread or topping that’s very ‘wet’.
We bought a Ninja air fryer last month, and so far we’ve tried two things in it – Brussels sprouts and steak. Neither turned out very well, but we’re assured that it takes some tweaking and practice to figure out, so I’ll have to do a progress report later. (One thing I really want to try in it is frozen onion rings, but for some reason our stores that usually have them - as well as French fries - have none. I’m not sure why – that kind of thing is usually out-of-stock around Super Bowl time, but normally available. This is the only extended shortage I’ve noticed since early in Covid when we couldn’t buy toilet paper, chlorine bleach or hand sanitizer.)
There’s a restaurant in Austin, Texas called ‘El Arroyo’ that is very popular for its Tex-Mex food, but most famous there and elsewhere for the ‘readerboard’ signs it displays outside. They do a different saying every day, many humorous, some mildly philosophical or even very sober. Over the past couple of years, they've gotten a lot of sign-mileage out of Covid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDJhbvQnaFE
-JT
Bkmk
I got a sous vide for Christmas and have yet to be happy with anything Ive tried — beef short ribs, pork chops, sirloin steak, eggs. Is anyone happy with theirs? what has worked for you?
A few years ago, my wife bought one of those air-pressure gadgets for peeling hard-boiled eggs. I immediately tried it out, since I love hard-boiled eggs but hate when the white ends up sticking to the shell in big chunks. Out of six eggs, one peeled pretty well, and the rest ranged from fairly mangled to outright exploded. The device went into the trash.
Most gadget-type stuff can be done with a good sharp knife and a little time. I will use a mandolin to slice a lot of potatoes quickly, though.
If a crockpot counts as a gadget, I’ve used mine a lot over the past 45 years, especially when I was still single.
LOL! We had the same experience with that egg-peeling gadget. I’ve had better luck with a couple of methods:
https://lifehacker.com/quickly-peel-a-hard-boiled-egg-by-shaking-it-in-a-glass-1683335985
The best experience I’ve had is to prick the large end of the egg with a darning needle, thin nail, or even a tack. Put the eggs in a pan and cover with cold water, and bring the whole thing to a simmer. Once it simmers, take it off of the heat and just let it sit for 15 or so minutes, and then put the eggs in cold water.
If you have an Instant Pot, I’ve been told that it’s also a great way of doing boiled eggs, but I haven’t tried it yet:
https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/the-perfect-hard-boiled-eggs/
Chord changes are predictable, but the lead and percussion are interesting...
Got a muffin recipe?
My husband has wanted one of these, so I’ll be interested in any responses, too.
I cook eggs that way, only without pricking them, and it seems to work pretty well, mostly. Today, 11 out of 12 peeled smoothly, but it seems there’s always one or two where the membrane sticks to the white instead of coming away with the shell. I blame climate change.
I hate that blade thing - sometimes the bread comes free of it, and other times it gets stuck in there, and you wind up with a huge gouge in your bread, from digging it out.
I only have experience with one machine, the Breadman, and I never even thought of removing the paddle after the last rise; not even sure if you can in the middle of the process. One of the reasons I’m interested in the Cuisinart is that it specifically indicates that you can take the paddle out before baking.
LOL! ‘Climate Change’ seems to be the excuse for anything and everything that goes wrong these days, so why not cooking, too?
(I’m about to go to bed, and my downstairs neighbors are playing their music too loud. I guess their eardrums and sense of neighborly politeness have been impaired by Climate Change :-)
Chocolate Hazelnut Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (54 grams)
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 ounces marshmallows (large ones) (280 grams)
1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
1/8 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups Rice Krispies (140 grams)
1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts or almonds, chopped
2 oz milk or dark chocolate
Instructions
Line an 8 inch square pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When it’s about halfway melted, add the salt and swirl it around. Add espresso powder and stir until dissolved.
Add the marshmallows and stir over medium heat until they’re about halfway melted, then reduce heat slightly and continue stirring until they are fully melted. Stir in the Nutella.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the cereal and hazelnuts (or almonds) and stir until fully mixed, then press into the pan and let cool completely.
Lift from pan and cut into squares.
Notes
If you use salted butter, omit the salt.If you like a gooey and less stiff bar, use 5 cups of cereal instead of 6.
https://www.cookiemadness.net/2022/05/01/chocolate-hazelnut-rice-krispies-treats/
cranberry oatmeal and walnuts..
marvelous aint it?
eff it! salt them!
One of the best ways to see how gadgets and other stuff is to check out Cook Country Reviews.
They test everything and do such a great job.
They will test 5 to 9 gadgets of the same type and judge all different ways way their pick is the best.
Check it out.
https://www.cookscountry.com/equipment_reviews/browse/tools_gadgets
I'll try one of my cast iron. I don't use it as often as I should.
You remove the blade just before the last rise. I do it as quickly as I can. It has never been a problem; it just continues through to the rising and baking cycles.
I am here to tell you Lidl’s store brand hazelnut spread is better than Nutella. If you have a Lidl in your area, try it. Try their bakery croissants while you’re at it.
I’ve had a sous vide stick for years, love it. It has all worked.
What specific problem are you having?
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