Irina is Dinner's Profile

Display Name:	Irina is Dinner
Member Since:	10/13/11

Latest Comments...

Hi. For the record, there's nothing wrong with non-iodized salt. I know the "this salt does not contain iodine- a necessary nutrient" label on the container seems foreboding, but you can ignore it an just use it as you would use iodized salt. Ask your doctor. How to Make Easy Kimchi at Home Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn Flag this comment	5/16/13 2:01 PM
mismatched. Sorry! It's still early. Wire Shelving Units in the Kitchen: Simple, Cheap, and (Yes!) Stylish Organization* Kitchen Inspiration Flag this comment	5/1/13 9:26 AM
I did that! I got two wire shelving units from Ikea and stacked them; it really does hold a lot of overflow (appliances, extra pots, potatoes on the bottom and apples on top) and since it's a wire unit, it looks like it takes up less space and is less "cluttered" than a solid-material unit might. I also have the microwave on it, however, and it wobbles a bit, so you have to hold it when you put in food and press buttons. A colorful thin plastic cuttingboard placed underneath should take care of that problem. I plan to fill the empty spaces with some charmingly mismatches (ahem) potted plants, if only I could stop killing them. Wire Shelving Units in the Kitchen: Simple, Cheap, and (Yes!) Stylish Organization Kitchen Inspiration Flag this comment	5/1/13 9:25 AM
Ah! Thank you for this! I've read all of Mary Roach's books so far and I didn't realize she has one about food!! The space food portion of "Packing for Mars" was fascinating, and kind of horrible. Her books are a juggle of informative/hilarious/creepy/fascinating. I'll be ordering this one ASAP! Cat Food Tasters and \"Okra Snot\": A Conversation with Mary Roach Flag this comment	4/22/13 1:58 PM
I dice some red onion really fine and let it hang out in a bowl with some red wine vinegar while the eggs cook and prep. Then I drain the vinegar and top the peeled eggs with the onions, as little mayo as possible, generous s&p and a few shakes of cayenne powder. Mash all of this with a balloon whisk inside a tallish bowl. The balloon whisk makes really quick work of hard boiled eggs, no matter what texture you're looking for. How To Make Classic Egg Salad Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn Flag this comment	4/8/13 11:34 AM
Any recipe online that has enough comments below so I can tweak it according to user input. The Kitchn is great for that. The recipes are usually very precise, but because there are lots of good cooks here, they can chime in and say whether or not a recipe worked or how they improved on it. Simply Recipes and Smitten Kitchen are also trusted favorites, but if I see a recipe and lots of positive reviews or good suggestions by commenters, I trust it. Because cooking lends itself to improvisation, I can basically trust the "idea" of any recipe and make adjustments as I see fit. I don't bake too often, so it's really important for me to trust that I am looking at a precise recipe. Again, You guys, Bon Appetit and SK are good sources. Positively reviewed cookbooks are generally trusted, and especially appreciated are the recipes I find online where people post how little sugar they got away with adding, since I know that messing with it can affect the taste and texture, but I also like to add as little as possible before the recipe doesn't work anymore. Also, all you "I switched X amount of the white flour for Y amout of whole wheat"... I love you guys. Your bravery gives me healthier dinners. That's why when I try a recipe blind, I always make a point to post any useful suggestions I discovered in the process. When Do You Trust (or Mistrust) a Recipe? Reader Discussion Flag this comment	3/20/13 5:23 PM
Cookies probably travel well. Maybe you can do a 2-part dessert: something you can bring with you + something you can buy once you arrive. For example, brownies you made + good quality ice cream from around the corner. To be honest, unless he's been going on and on about how much he misses the incredible xyz you make for him, baking in the middle of the week + travel seems like a hassle. Just wear something cute, Magnolia is delicious. Valentine's Day Treats The Travel Well? Good Questions Flag this comment	2/8/13 10:32 AM
I signed into TK specifically to reply to Lima and I see I am not the only one who did. To "not feel sorry" for people who buy products that are REGULATED by rules and laws to be safe and authentic is incredibly short-sighted (I'll be polite here, because I love this website and the respectful nature of the comments on it). That's all fine and well for you, who can go to the specialty store to buy all your special foods while those thoughtless people stupidly shop at their supermarket, for whatever variety of reasons, can shop at their peril. If medicine was illegally tampered with, would you leave a comment saying people should only buy it at their local super special apothecary and you can't be bothered to feel sorry for the people who buy it at a chain pharmacy? Or would you be understanding of the fact that it is inherently wrong to mislead people and break rules that are in place for their well-being? You're elitism and thoughtlessness really takes the cake. The cake is from the supermarket, so you know, artificial colors and such. Uh Oh! Food Fraud On the Rise, Especially For Olive Oil, Milk, Coffee, and Honey Food News Flag this comment	1/24/13 1:00 PM
Mine burned too... any rugelach pros wanna weigh in? How to Make Classic Rugelach Cookies Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn Flag this comment	12/24/12 4:05 PM
I'd love a pizza peel, but there is absolutely no space for it right now. I've been getting by okay using a well-floured bamboo cutting board to load pizza onto my baking stone, and using my hands and an extra-wide spatula to get it out. Not as easy as a peel, but not too bad. Aluminum Pizza Peel from Sur La Table Flag this comment	10/12/12 3:02 PM
I baked something on parchment paper at a high temp once, and remember the paper singeing at the edges. Since then, I would never, ever use parchment paper with high heat, which is what is needed to make pizza. Could foil work?? Also, maybe the soap/no soap has to do with what your stone is made of? I washed mine with soap before it's first use, and it absored the soap and kept leaching soap bubbles. I rinsed it for a very long time until it stopped, and fortunately there was no soap taste in the food. It looked pretty beat up right after it's first use (black stains all over) but I will stick to scraping it and rinsing with clean water, no soap. Someone mentioned TJ Maxx in the comments- which is where I got mine for about $15, but they do sometimes sell kitchenware with foreign care instructions or confusing pictograms :\ Baking Tools: Wear and Care of Your Pizza Stone Flag this comment	10/12/12 2:55 PM
I'm so glad someone asked this question! I have a jalapeno plant that's been giving me more peppers than I expected, or know what to do with. I dried the first harvest, but for the second (12 peppers or so) I was thinking of doing this: Roasting them, removing skin & seeds, then putting them, finely chopped, in a jar with any juices that escape, and adding a splash of balasamic, a few cloves of fresh chopped garlic, and enough olive oil to cover. The flavor develops and should mellow as time passes. I never did this with jalapenos, but I did it with poblano peppers once and it made a delicious relish. I can't tell you how long it can last in the fridge bc I used it all up w/in a week, as a quesadilla topping. You can also string them up (or lay them out) and dry them, if it's arid enough where you are. What Can I Do With a Bunch of Jalapeños? Good Questions Flag this comment	10/12/12 11:09 AM
As a lazy person, I would cook the butternut squash in a dutch oven, then throw everything else in there, mix, top with bread crumbs, and bake. No casserole pan! Less fancy, but less dishwashing. This looks delightful, and like a jazzed-up version of a simple pumpkin and rice dish my mother makes. French Recipe: Creamy Butternut Squash Casserole with Herbed Bread Crumbs Recipes from The Kitchn Flag this comment	10/3/12 2:31 PM
Since you will be inverting the cake, I don't see the need for a springform pan. Can a regular 8" cake pan be used instead, if the sides and bottom are oiled and coated in flour? This looks so interesting! If I made it, it would probably be dinner. Dessert Recipe: Croatian Stonska Torta Recipes from The Kitchn Flag this comment	7/19/12 10:59 AM
on a side note, I wish the whiskin tool had settings. I have used it to whip cream in a pinch, and man is it aggressive. I have't broken out the little chopper yet since I have a proper food processor and never needed to pulverize a small amount of something. Is that weird? The #1 Multi-Tasking Gadget You Should Have In Your Small Kitchen Reader Intelligence Report Flag this comment	6/20/12 3:49 PM
Ah! I saw this and I was like, "OMG OMG I HAVE ONE! AND IT WON, SO I WON! I WON!" How silly is that, right? I WON! The #1 Multi-Tasking Gadget You Should Have In Your Small Kitchen Reader Intelligence Report Flag this comment	6/20/12 3:48 PM
When my mother developed thyroid problems, she asked her doctor whether she needs to eat more or less iodized salt. His response, "What makes you think you ever needed that iodine? It's completely unneccessary." So there. Why do they keep enriching salt with iodine when most people get it from their food? Originally it was needed because so many people had iodine deficiencies due to a limited diet, but maybe it's time to revise that. The Truth About Salt: Why a Low-Salt Diet Could Be Harming Your Health The New York Times Flag this comment	6/4/12 10:53 AM
might you have an especially cold freezer? Does store bought ice cream get really hard too? Light and Bright: 10 Sorbet Recipes and Other Non-Dairy Frozen Treats Kitchn Recipe Roundup Flag this comment	5/24/12 11:12 AM
@SWEETPEACOOKS: Add a teeny little bit of alcohol to the sorbet while it is churning. It keeps the sorbet from freezing solid and helps it remain scoopable with the texture you expect. You can choose a complimentary liqueur depending on the flavor. I use orange liquer in raspberry sorbet, and I think khalua would be a nice addition to chocolate sorbet. I'd say a tablespoon per quart for liqueur with less alcohol and maybe a teaspoon for vodka/rum (not too much or it won't freeze at all). Those are not exact measurements, though. You may want to find recipes that include alcohol and see how much they advise, for when you want to taste alcohol and when you just want to improve texture. Light and Bright: 10 Sorbet Recipes and Other Non-Dairy Frozen Treats Kitchn Recipe Roundup Flag this comment	5/23/12 1:41 PM
@A.STAMS- Without an ice cream maker, you can probably freeze it partially and then whirl it into a slush in the blender. Restaurant Copycat Recipe: Homemade Wendy's Chocolate Frosty Recipes from The Kitchn Flag this comment	5/14/12 1:29 PM