joelfinkle's Profile

Display Name: joelfinkle
Member Since: 3/23/10

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Typo alert: While the sweetness of Port does indeed provide a perfect foil for saltines flavored with tangy blue cheese, I think you meant to say "saltiness."


Why You Should (Almost) Always Pair Cheese with White Wine, Not Red
5/16/13 3:28 PM

Thank you for posting *real* key lime pie, because it *is* easy. I was afraid from the title that it would be a mock KLP, or a lite version, or a Semi-Ho(memade) version using off-the-shelf crust and filling ingredients.

Beige to slightly orange will be the color based on the richness of the yolks.
Bottled key lime juice is acceptable, and only a small step down. Unlike bottled lemon juice, the bottled key lime stuff is pretty good.


Dessert Recipe: Easy Key Lime Pie Recipes from The Kitchn
5/15/13 9:39 AM

Lessee what's in my chill chest: commercial peas, corn, spinach, artichoke bottoms (good for stuffing). Straight from the garden or grocery: basil, curry leaf, lemongrass, galangal (sliced), thai chiles, homemade pesto, oven-roasted tomatoes and bell peppers.


5 Ways To Make Frozen Vegetables Suck a Little Less
5/14/13 4:38 PM

LauraLindaLou, if by Yellow curry you mean Thai curry, their stuff is entirely different ,consisting largely of fresh ingredients ground to a paste including chiles, lemongrass, cilantro (often the roots), shallots, galangal, ginger, and turmeric. Similar to Indian curries it will be cooked in oil or coconut cream before the protein is added.


25 Spice Mixes From Around the World
5/14/13 3:12 PM

Cilantro Pesto (pepitas, olive oil, serrano, garlic, cilantro, cotija, in the proportions one would use pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, basil, parm -- serrano is to taste)


What Should I Make With My Leftover Cotija Cheese? Good Questions
5/13/13 5:27 PM

Bok choy is one of my go-to veg to keep in the fridge: it keeps for a long time, and can be used to instantly elevate packaged ramen. I do the same thing with Gai Lan a.k.a. Chinese Broccoli, which also has the crisp stem/tender leaf thing going on.

A great quick side dish is to roughly chop some bok choy, sautee briefly with a little oil (optionally), add a dollop of good oyster sauce and a little chopped ginger, a splash of water, then cover until sufficiently wilted.


Chowing Down on Bok Choy! 10 Ways to Love This Asian Green Ingredient Spotlight
5/13/13 2:25 PM

Not a baked potato.
Without a crisp skin and fluffy interior, it's just a cooked potato.

I'll send back any potato served that was baked in foil.


How to Bake a Potato in the Slow Cooker Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn
5/13/13 1:05 PM

I've used extra-firm tofu as a substitute for paneer (a cheese) in Indian dishes. Not as good, but workable. Soft tofu can be whipped into salad dressings where I'd use yogurt or sour cream (you may need some acid added).

A little further afield, and needing more experimentation, would be using miso in place of a grated cheese to thicken a sauce. You get the umami and salt, but there's no doubt it's going to be different.

Another creamy ingredient which may work for salad dressings is tahini -- whisk it with a little water and you get a creamy thick sauce. I've never tried heating this for sauces.


What Are the Best Dairy Substitutes for Savory Recipes? Good Questions
5/10/13 1:46 PM

Dude, you're eating grits!


Sick of Morning Oats? Try Breakfast Polenta Instead!
5/10/13 12:30 PM

The pesto should use cotija, not parm... and add a serrano or three. And don't forget the garlic.

But basically, I've given up on trying to keep cilantro longer, or use up leftovers. It's cheap, and I buy it no less than once a week. Why it turns to black slime in a couple days when flat-leaf parsley can keep for weeks, I'll never know.


Ideas for Using Up Leftover Cilantro? Good Questions
5/10/13 9:43 AM

Duck Fat!


What's the Best Brand of Butter for Baking? Good Questions
5/9/13 4:35 PM

I recall that not-red pistachios started appearing regularly around 1979 or 1980, during the Iran hostage crisis. It was a point of American pride that the California growers used to differentiate their product from the imported stuff, much of which had come from Iran prior to the fall of the Shah.


Whatever Happened to Red Pistachios?
5/8/13 12:07 PM

Pie crust. Maybe you don't want to use it for a fruit pie... but hey, bacon-flavored apple pie are hot right now, why not ducky cherry pies? There's always quiche or empanadas if you'd rather stay savory.

It makes an awesome fat for pastry crust. If your crust uses butter and shortening, replace the shortening, not the butter. Some recipes I've seen elsewhere don't recommend using ALL animal fat, but we'll show them, we'll SHOW THEM ALL!

Ahem. Sorry. See this NY Times article, which uses 70% butter, 30% animal fat.


What Are the Best Ways to Use Duck Fat? Good Questions
5/7/13 4:37 PM

Variations: instead of the chile peppers, microplane a couple cloves of garlic.
You probably want to use at least quartered hearts, or a rough chop.
I like to top the mixture with panko and a mix of paprika+cayenne. I've also used smoked paprika or chipotle powder.

They're terrific stirred into a pasta with a creamy or white wine sauce (mushrooms, roasted peppers, etc.).
I've once used artichoke hearts as a "ghetto" substitute for banana blossoms in a thai salad, but that's another show.


Help Me Learn to Love Artichokes! Ingredient Spotlight
5/6/13 2:04 PM

:eyeroll: Remember most dogs will eat basically any starch, protein or fatty item, raw or cooked, or even cat poop.

On top of those things, my dog adores bell peppers, carrots, apple... and a single drop of sauce from whatever we've cooked turns dry kibble into a banquet. Making dog biscuits seems wholly redundant.


The Holstein Pet Treat Maker: Makes Homemade Dog Biscuits in 7 Minutes!
4/25/13 4:32 PM

Geez, why wouldn't I just turn a heavy half-sheet pan upside down? Or stack two together for more thermal capacity.


Modernist Cuisine Releases a Baking Steel Food News
4/18/13 10:53 AM

shrimp or snapper a la veracruzana.
Sautee 1" squares of sweet onion and bell pepper (maybe a clove of garlic) in olive oil, add a few tomatoes (halved cherries best, diced canned if you must), white wine, a bit of sugar, salt, pepper and a fistful of green olives. Cook down for about 15 minutes, then pour over sauteed shrimp or fish -- or even chicken breast. A squeeze of lime and you have a fragrant dish. Classic 30-minute meal.


Think Outside the Jar with Green Olives Ingredient Spotlight
4/17/13 2:49 PM

Aren't grits traditionally from hominy corn, i.e. processed with alkali?
The process, also called nixtamalization, adds calcium to the diet, plus makes niacin in the corn accessible.


Polenta Versus Grits: What's the Difference?
4/17/13 1:30 PM

I've got a bottle of the stuff, but really haven't used it much. Its flavors pair well with things that work with balsamic and chocolate, so I've made some good salads that include hazelnuts, walnut oil, parmegiano reggiano, berries, roasted chicken or pork (think mole italiano). Avoid strong flavors such as mustard in your vinaigrette.


What Can I Do with Cocoa-Infused Balsamic Vinegar? Good Questions
4/8/13 5:48 PM

Pistachio baklava beats the snot out of other versions


Why Pistachios Are Green: Plus 5 Favorite Recipes for Using Them Ingredient Spotlight
3/27/13 2:02 PM