Cooks' Corner

[Arykana]

ground coffee person 

[Kristl Walek]

oh mark, once you open the "coffee" question---you open strong opinions of grind and method that might very well last all winter.  :)

instant? you jest????
is that really coffee???

i like it strong. freshly ground.
some fanatics i know even roast their own.

[Arykana]

vanilla icecream, hot and strong coffe, wipped cream on the top 

[Lesley Cox]

Oh yes Erika, we did that just last night for Roger's "last supper." (See "Yes, I'm so happy" thread)
We had NZ's iconic hokey pokey ice cream which is vanilla with little blobs of hokey pokey in it. HP is a toffee mixture but before pouring into the tray, 1 tsp baking soda is added so it all bubbles up and makes a toffee which is aerated and easily crunched. Nice too as a choc-covered bar.

[maggiepie]

What is the best olive oil to cook with?

Mark, it depends on what you are cooking.

[Arykana]

hm, I will go to taste it Leslie

[Lesley Cox]

I tend to use basic olive oil (2nd pressing) for cooking but extra virgin which has a greener colour and a stonger flavour, for fresh salads etc or where the oil isn't cooked. I never did go for "lite" much but it's probably a good choice for many people. I always use an Italian oil. Would love to use NZ oils. They are Soooo good but Soooooooooo expensive. For Asian dishes I use Rice bran with sesame oil or occasionally peanut, depending on what's being cooked. The oil needs to be lightly flavoured as Asian cooking is usually very delicate in taste. Avocado is good too for salads but also expensive.

[mark smyth]

Helen I should have said. It's for stir frys

[maggiepie]

Mark, personally, I would never  use olive oil for a stir fry.
Would probably use peanut oil.

[Brian Ellis]

A hokey pokey recipe here Lesley

http://mirandagorebrowne.typepad.com/beautiful-baking/2010/09/chocolate-hokey-pokey-tartlets.html

[Lesley Cox]

Oh gosh Brian, that's cruel and unusual punishment. I'll try them maybe for when Roger comes home.

[Arykana]

Helen I should have said. It's for stir frys

sunflower oil the best for stir fry

[Brian Ellis]

Oh gosh Brian, that's cruel and unusual punishment. I'll try them maybe for when Roger comes home.

That shows great restraint Lesley

[Kristl Walek]

vanilla icecream, hot and strong coffe, wipped cream on the top  :P

oh yes!!!!
i can already taste this before, during and after one of your cooking lessons!!!!

[Kristl Walek]

Helen I should have said. It's for stir frys

sunflower oil the best for stir fry

i too use a much lighter oil for stir fry (sunflower, grape seed, etc). but almost always add a squirt of sesame oil at the end (just for the flavour, which i love).

one of my favorite fast meals is (Chinese) dumplings------either frying them "pot sticker", dim sum style, or putting them in a soup (won ton style).

last night alisha and i had the latter--stuck inside on a cold, stormy evening. i use commercial won ton wrappers (in my old home in Ottawa i had plenty of variety to choose from in the chinese shopping district, but here it is, sadly, one grocery-story brand.)

i mix a concoction of ground pork, LOTS of fresh ginger and green onions, a squirt of soy sauce, extra salt, and a squirt of sesame oil. i fill the dumpling wrappers and drop them in a large pot of chicken-base stock, add a handful of any green-green leafy vegetable, if at hand, top with lots more diced green onions---and again, another squirt of sesame oil. yummy. i could have it *again* right now.