Mike Nolan

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  • in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 16, 2023? #39804
    Mike Nolan
    Keymaster

      We had some cantaloupe with salami for supper, the melon was the best I've had so far this year.

      in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 16, 2023? #39800
      Mike Nolan
      Keymaster

        Tonight I had a large salad with some left over rotisserie chicken and Diane made nachos.

        in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 16, 2023? #39799
        Mike Nolan
        Keymaster

          The rolls used for Italian Beef sandwiches in Chicago are interesting, they're designed to hold up structurally when soaked with the gravy. I like my Italian Beef sandwiches double-dipped so they're literally dripping gravy when you pick them up, but they don't fall apart. I'm not sure what they do to the recipe or procedure to achieve that, and the two companies that make them are VERY secretive about it.

          Like Chicago-style hot dog buns, they're not available here, Rotella makes one that is close, but when you buy an Italian Beef kit online, it includes the right kind of rolls.

          I've had Philly Cheese Steaks from both Geno's and Pat's, and to be honest, I found them disappointing and I prefer two of the local versions over either of them, though there are others that are poor imitations of a Philly. In a recent survey ranking cheese steaks in Philadelphia, neither Geno's nor Pat's appeared at the top of the list.

          in reply to: Kitchenaid Mixer #39798
          Mike Nolan
          Keymaster

            There are third parties that make a spiral dough hook, but when I tried one on my 50 year old 4.5 quart mixer, it was too big (it touched the bowl in several places.) One might work on a newer 4.5 quart or on a model with a bigger bowl.

            I use the pasta roller/cutters all the time, for spaghetti and linguine. That's one reason why if I ever have to repair/replace my mixer or move up to a size capable of doing 15 pounds of dough at a time, I'm likely to make sure I've still got one that handles KA appliances, even if it is only a new small KA mixer that is only used for things like meringue and pasta.

            My son has a 6 quart bowl-lift model, I really don't like it because the bowl pops off too easily. Having worked with a 24 quart commercial mixer, the bowls lock on so they can't pop off.

            in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 9, 2023? #39787
            Mike Nolan
            Keymaster

              We picked up a rotisserie chicken at Sams for supper tonight, and probably another meal tomorrow, plus I'll make stock with the bones.

              in reply to: 2023 Garden Plans #39783
              Mike Nolan
              Keymaster

                We got the soil report today from the sample taken this spring before starting the Nebraska Urban Soil Health Initiative program, several pages of numbers. There's also 11 pages of explanation for the tests and what various results might mean.

                Lots to digest.

                They'll do another test next spring and, I think, a third one in 2025.

                in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 9, 2023? #39782
                Mike Nolan
                Keymaster

                  We had steak on the grill plus some sweet corn.

                  in reply to: Kitchenaid Mixer #39780
                  Mike Nolan
                  Keymaster

                    I tried a third-party spiral from Amazon on my 4.5 quart KA, it didn't fit. Ones for larger models might be better, and KA may sell official ones.

                    in reply to: Temperatures for baking #39779
                    Mike Nolan
                    Keymaster

                      I think a #10 can is still pretty much the same size, the 'consumer' sizes still seem to be shrinking.

                      I remember when most cans were 16 ounces, now they're often 13.5 to 15.5, and tuna used to be a 7 or 8 ounce can, now it's maybe 5.

                      Our Sams has stopped selling mandarin oranges in cans, they only have cases of the small cups, which taste different.

                      They did bring back artichoke hearts in a big jar, and the Black Diamond cheese spread, but a few other things we often bought at Sams are apparently gone for good.

                      in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 9, 2023? #39778
                      Mike Nolan
                      Keymaster

                        I haven't boiled corn in years, I do it in the microwave, but I shuck it by hand. (I've been shucking corn since I was 10, I finished 3rd at the Galena 4th of July Corn Boil shucking contest one year.)

                        in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 9, 2023? #39777
                        Mike Nolan
                        Keymaster

                          Yeah, she tried the boiling/ice water method, it worked on some of them.

                          I made pizza on the grill last night, they were good but I still need a lot of practice on technique, sliding the dough onto the VERY HOT grill without having it fold over or bunch up isn't easy. One article suggests rolling the dough out on parchment then flipping the dough over to get it on the grill, quickly removing the parchment. I didn't try that but might next time.

                          I tried a different dough recipe, we liked it but I think it needs a little more salt in the dough and I probably didn't get it baked enough on the bottom before flipping it over to add the toppings. The recipe is very high hydration (78%) and I added more flour to get a workeable dough.

                          in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 9, 2023? #39767
                          Mike Nolan
                          Keymaster

                            I thought about buying a cherry pitter, but I'm pretty fast pitting them with a knife, and the reviews of the cherry pitters I read online were not encouraging, they break easily.

                            We use a bobby pin for pie cherries, but that doesn't work for dark sweet cherries.

                            The peaches were more of a problem last night, they're California clingstone peaches and Diane had trouble getting the skin off and cutting them off the stone. But they smelled good in the store and the one she ate she said was pretty good.

                            in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 9, 2023? #39766
                            Mike Nolan
                            Keymaster

                              Ah, Maine. Lobster rolls that actually have a visible amount of lobster in them. (When we were there some years ago, we actually got a decent lobster roll at an Arby's, though the ones we got at a cafe in Rockport were better.)

                              I'm planning pizza on the grill for supper tonight, trying a new thin crust dough recipe. Hoping the weather will cooperate, there's rain in the forecast for early afternoon and after 8PM, but not around suppertime.

                              in reply to: Kitchenaid Mixer #39765
                              Mike Nolan
                              Keymaster

                                No, I'm sure I've never over-kneaded by hand, I haven't taken one all the way to structural collapse in the mixer, either. I'm told it essentially curdles at that point.

                                in reply to: Temperatures for baking #39764
                                Mike Nolan
                                Keymaster

                                  I just printed out a recipe for chocolate buttermilk zucchini cake, made in a 9 x 13 cake pan instead of a loaf pan. It calls for 45 minutes of baking time. I should have two zucchini to pick by Saturday, I'll probably make this one next.

                                  The two I have already made both freeze very well after slicing, a cake might be a little more challenging to cut and freeze

                                Viewing 15 posts - 1,261 through 1,275 (of 7,446 total)