The Food Lab: A Better Way to Caramelize Onions (Plus, French Onion Dip!) [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Disclaimer: Although we do talk about French onion dip here, this article is really more about the general application of caramelizing onions. Like the He-Man Christmas Special, French onion dip is one of those things that's difficult to admit that you secretly really love. Wouldn't it be great if there were a French onion dip that we didn't have to be mildly ashamed to consume in public? There are certainly no shortage of recipes out there, and the general method, unsurprisingly, begins with the same basic technique: cook down finely chopped onions over low, low heat to get their natural sugars to slowly and evenly caramelize. it's a major pain in the cul It's a simple process, and the results are infinitely better than any jarred versions, but my quibble with it is the same one that I have with French onion soup: it's a major pain in the cul. It took me a week of cooking and over 20 pounds of onions to figure it out how. Allium Options Seeking Sweetness
Haniela's: How To Make Farmer's Cheese Farmer's Cheese is a dairy product, some call it curd cheese in the US. If you never had this cheese I'd say it's a cross between ricotta and cottage cheese. Ricotta cheese is made from whey and Farmer's cheese is made from cow's milk. They are very similar to each other but I personally find Farmer's cheese creamier. In Slovakia this cheese is like bread. Today I made my own Farmer's cheese using only few very common kitchen ingredients. Homemade Farmer's Cheese (makes about 4 cups of cheese) VIDEO TUTORIAL 3 quarts(3liters) Whole Milk ( don't use low fat or fat free milk, it produces leathery texture) 10 1/2 tbl. 1/2 tsp Salt candy thermometer Fine Mesh Sieve Homemade Buttermilk: into the 1cup (240ml)measure pour 1/2 tbl vinegar add milk to fill the cup. You can also make a delicious smoothie using Farmer's cheese, using your blender a touch of milk, honey.. blend away and ...here you have it a perfectly healthy treat :
The Recipe Blog Today is Bengali New Year. A new beginning. Wishing everyone a wonderful year ahead, filled with happiness, calm and peace. Continue reading Shubho Noboborsho! April brings showers, but in my heart, April also brings in sweet nostalgia of Poila Boishak or Bengali New Year. Continue reading Ranga Aloo-r Pantua: Sweet Potato Dumplings in Syrup and a Giveaway… Asparagus are at their best at this moment. Continue reading Fried Egg with Asparagus and Feta Hash… I am riding the Harissa wave again. Continue reading Harissa Marinated Minced Meat Kebab… Lemon tarts are something I have always had a special kind of fondness for. Continue reading Lemon Tofu Squares…
The Baker's Daughter: Polka dot cheesecake I saw someone wearing the greatest polka dot rain coat today and it inspired me to make this cheesecake. It needs to be refrigerated overnight so make sure you make it the day before you want to serve it. I find that popping it into the freezer for about 1/2 hour makes it a lot easier to cut. Crust 1 cup Graham crumbs 2 tbsp sugar ¼ cup melted butter Filling 16 oz softened cream cheese ½ cup sugar 2 eggs 2 oz dark chocolate, melted 1 tsp vanilla 2/3 cup sour cream Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 7 X 7 inch square pan and line it with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the graham crumbs, sugar, cocoa, and melted butter and press into the pan. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Melt the 2 oz of dark chocolate in a bain marie (a bowl placed over a pot of barely simmering water), or in a microwave on low temperature. Pour the plain batter into the pan, smoothing out to the edges. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Tips for Tiny House Living You might remember when I posted about when I visited a friend who lived in an even tinier house than mine? That friend, Cara, shared this lovely guest post with her reasons behind living in a tiny house, and how she and her husband make it work. Though most people don't live in a house as small as hers, and wouldn't even consider it, these tips are worthwhile for anyone who is interested in downsizing their home, and how to make the best use of less space. My husband and I have been married for two years and three months. We've never lived in a big house—nor do we want to, for a variety of reasons. First of all, we are both slightly nervous in wide-open spaces and prefer the comfort of walls around us. Our first apartment—which was in the suburbs, actually in the same little town where Penny's husband grew up—was 183 square feet. Fortunately, we moved out of there and back into the city around six months later. Here's how we make it work: -Use the space on the walls!
Scandi Foodie Pig Cake I’m in sort of a potluck mood lately. I can’t explain it. I don’t know whether it’s that we haven’t had a potluck meal at our church for awhile…or that I miss all the weird and wonderful and warm foods on a potluck table…or that I’m just ready for things to get back to normal after all the Christmas and New Year rush…or that my fifth grade teacher blamed me for the weekly readers being out of order when it was really Andrew Hill that messed them all up—I don’t know. But I do know this: I have some serious issues and I’m glad I’m a churchgoing woman. Andrew Hill? I feel cleansed. I also know this: I love this cake. Oh, and I also know one more thing: The Cast of Characters is back! And what an intimidating and high-gourmet cast it is. Seriously—I don’t even know if you’ll be able to find all of this stuff. First, throw the cake mix into the bowl of an electric mixer… Throw in a stick of softened margarine. Not butter…margarine. Crack in four eggs and add some vanilla extract. Lovely!
Technique: How to thicken yogurt for Labne | Maureen Abood In Lebanese cuisine, labne is a thick yogurt spread served drizzled with olive oil as part of maza (many small plates) and used as a condiment with savory dishes. My Sitto ate her own labne every single morning, spread with the back of her spoon on two slices of buttered toast. She wasn’t so concerned about fat calories. To her this was breakfast. She looked forward to it, and she enjoyed every bite. You may be thinking that you can just buy one of the popular thick Greek yogurts that dominate the dairy section of the grocery store. For me, labne is a trusted friend, there for me as the final touch when I’ve gone all out for a plate of coosa, or when I am just looking for something soothing and fast to eat in the evening. The recipe to make your own yogurt, or laban, is here, published recently when we made it into laban khiyar, a cucumber and mint salad. How to thicken yogurt for Labne: Place a colander in the sink and lay a clean, thin bread towel or a few layers of cheesecloth in it.