Sheet Pan Dinner (actually side dish) questions
6 years ago
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- 6 years ago
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How do you wash your dishes, pans, and pots?
Comments (72)Just a note for people who think that having runnels or a flat drainer on the side of the sink will do the trick. It won't if you have more than a few items. You need the containment of a dish drainer with sides and vertical racks or slots in order to contain the items safely. I don't find the look of a neatly filled dish drainer to be messy looking. It's an art, almost a pleasure to fill one so that the set of items you've washed looks workmanlike -- and is stable and no water is trapped among the items. It's the same thing as when I hang out my clothes (which I do for all my wash, year-round). Just having them pinned up is not the only goal. Having them pinned up so they dry in the most efficient and wrinkle-free manner is the first step. But I also get pleasure and often take the trouble to arrange them in pleasing assortment of shapes and colors. For instance, if I have a load of cotton turtlenecks (a garment I wear daily) I'll hang them in a prismatic succession, just for the pleasure of seeing them display against the white sheets. There is the same opportunity when filling a dish drainer with my kitchen stuff. I like to have my plates in graduated ranks. My pots and bowls are arranged like overlapping scales of a pinecone. My flatware is sorted into separate slots, of gleaming knives/forks/spoons. So, no my dish drainer doesn't look messy, or a hodgepodge. It looks like a place where someone has given thought and judgement to best placement of the items, in both the pratical and aesthetic realms. I have tried Trailrunner's hot soapy bowl method, but I find in my chilly northern house the water gets cold and icky too fast. If something is particularly sticky I might fill it with water, but mostly I just stack things on the dirty dish side of the sink until I get have the time to wash up. Depending on the pace of the meal prep, that might be after we are finished eating or at some other interval during the work flow. I am often struck by how many epople (who use DW) advocate "cleaning up as you go". That's fine if your cleaning up means loading the item in the DW. But for those who hand wash everything, it's more efficient (time and energy needed to for hot water) to amass a mid-sized group of items, before beginning the washing up. I am not troubled by the look of dirty items awaiting cleaning. After all these items were clean a few moments ago, and what's in them is the remnants of my food prep. I plan on eating the stuff that was made in them and I don't eat dirt! L....See MoreAny interesting carrot side dishes?
Comments (31)If anything has to be mixed in with carrots it would be a huge pot of equal amounts of turnip (rutabaga) and carrot, cooked til done, some brown sugar to taste put in for the last ten minutes or so of cooking. Pour off water and mash with a potato masher until blended. Add some butter to give it a shine, pour in a nice bowl and sprinkle a bit of parsley or fresh parsley to finish the plate. YUM...simple, easy to transport, and can be frozen. This comes out a bit watery when taken from the freezer but don't pour off the liquid. Just heat and stir in. I make a huge pot for two reasons, we like it and would eat it every day, and the cooking time for making enough for one meal takes too long if you are in a hurry and peeling those veggies are a pain lol....See MoreMake-Ahead Side Dishes for Christmas Dinner
Comments (18)I've posted this recipe a few times, but it always comes to mind for a delicious make ahead. I take it to our Christmas celebration where Prime Rib is served and also at Thanksgiving with turkey. I do everything ahead, keep all the ingredients separate from each other and just toss together about 5-10 min before dinner. You can do all a day or two beforehand, just don't bloom the onion until the morning of, so it doesn't get too soft. It is always a BIG hit. Michael Chiarello's Winter Panzanella Salad Ingredients For the croutons: 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme 6 cups day-old bread, crust removed, cubed 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salad: 1 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar Gray salt 4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice) 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then quartered 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and thyme, and immediately add the bread cubes. Toss to coat well. Add most of the grated cheese and stir. Transfer bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and salt and pepper and gently toss again while still warm to melt the cheese. Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Soak the sliced onion in the sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes. Set aside. Toss the squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized, about 15 to minutes. Let cool. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered Brussels sprouts and cook until tender but retain a touch of crispness, about 1 1/2 minutes, and drain. Into the reserved red onions and vinegar, whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper. In a large bowl combine the roasted squash, croutons, and Brussels sprouts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add the parsley leaves and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve immediately. Chef note: "Soaking the onion briefly in sherry vinegar--sometimes called blooming the onion--mellows the raw onion taste." Olychick note: I use artisan white bread..I prefer ciabatta; it's a lot of crust to trim, but love the texture for this salad. I poke a couple of holes in the butternut and microwave for 3 or 4 min, let cool then peel and chop. Makes it so much easier to cut and to peel....See MoreQuestions about 6" diameter cake pans and 3" deep cake pans
Comments (9)I'm not so scientific. I think my 6” pans are 3”. Whatever they are, whether 6” or any other size, or deep mold like bundt, or loaf, I just make the batter, and fill to what looks right. If I have leftover batter, I just bake it off separately, either as a tester, or to use in something else. If I were baking commercially, I'd perfect the recipe amounts. As it is, I can't be bothered. I do have some anti-doming devices, but they don't work well enough, IMHO, to bother with most of the time. A cake fills best when perfectly flat, or even lightly dished. It's still going to need evening up. Many people prefer fewer taller layers (less “crust” to get rid of), and just slice them to the size they want. Others just make sheet cakes and cut their layers out of those. I just realized. My “eyeball” measure is about an inch from the top of the pan. That's what the half full and 2/3 full are both telling you. So the best way to get equal amounts of batter in each pan is to use a scale. For less formal, I just pour some batter in one pan and let it settle while pouring some in the other, then eyeball the height back and forth until the pans are filled properly. Usually once to start, a second time to divide the batter and a third to adjust and clean out the batter bowl. Measuring batter by volume is a good way to compare the recipe with the how much your pans will hold, but not an easy way to fill them. If you're worried your pans will overflow, you can line the sides with parchment paper or extenders made for the purpose. Don't fuss over precision unless there are judges involved. It's just cake. It's supposed to be fun. What's important is getting your batter in the pans promptly, a good whack to get out air pockets, and get them right in the oven. The moisture or acid acting part of the baking powder is already at work. If you leave the batter sitting around, it'll discharge and deflate. Some recipes do that on purpose for denser cakes, only lifted by the heat action and eggs, but if that's not your goal, make sure your oven has been at temperature for some time, so that the walls, not just the air, are hot, and you get your batter into the pans, and the pans into the oven promptly....See More- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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