CookingLight.com Community

What can you tell me about making flowcharts?

Kay Henderson — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:20:17 GMT

I can read them, of course, but I have never made one. I'm thinking that they could be mighty handy in tracking various projects. I'm especially interested in being about to visualize dependent relationships (where starting step B is dependent upon completing step A). Questions --

1. Do the different graphic shapes (examples -- circles, rectangles, ovals, triangles, etc.) represent the same thing (what?) in different flowcharts?

2. Is there easy to use software, either inside a larger program such as OpenOffice, or independent? Free is a plus.

3. Are there books, articles or online sources that I should read?

4. I am so ignorant that there are doubtless questions I don't know enough to ask. If there is anything you would like to suggest, please go ahead. Given my current level of knowledge on this topic, you cannot aim too low.

Thanks!

Kay

Cilantro - Love or Hate?

BucknellAlum — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:05:49 GMT

I remember a discussion here about cilantro and how some people love it and others cannot stand it. It seems that it is one of the more polarizing foods out there. Someone actually studied this!

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...-find-out?lite

Thai Steak Salad, June '12?

SusanL — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:22:35 GMT

Has anyone tried this yet, I didn't see a review. It looks great to me, and hope to try it this week/weekend.

Thai Steak Salad

This salad would also be delicious with grilled chicken or lamb.

Cooking Light JUNE 2012
Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 2/3 cup salad)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 1/4 cups fresh bean sprouts
3/4 cup julienne-cut carrots
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

Preparation
1. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle steak evenly with pepper and salt. Add steak to pan; cook 6 minutes each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

2. Combine juice and next 5 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

3. Combine cabbage and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 6 tablespoons juice mixture to cabbage mixture; toss well. Toss steak in remaining 2 tablespoons juice mixture. Add steak to cabbage mixture; toss to combine.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving Calories: 198
Fat: 6.5g
Saturated fat: 2.4g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.2g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g
Protein: 26.3g
Carbohydrate: 8.4g
Fiber: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 37mg
Iron: 2.4mg
Sodium: 498mg
Calcium: 57mg

Balsamic and Shallot Chicken Breasts-CL_6/12

Terrytx — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:46:27 GMT

This was excellent. Chicken breasts are just too darn big anymore. I got 3 breasts for 3 pounds, so I just cut them in half and a half is plenty. Loved the balsamic flavor. Served this over pasta (cause I was in the mood) and it was delicious. Also made the Roasted Green Beans from the same issue and they were great also. The DH said he had a hard time finishing his chicken cause he loved the pasta and beans so much. A winner for sure.

Textured condoms

Escher — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:37:10 GMT

Exciting, or excruciating?

I was surprised to hear that some women found them the latter... some reviews:

Quote:

...ribbed condoms...felt like my boyfriend was f...king me with barbed wire wrapped around sandpaper.

Quote:

Or "studded" condoms. What the !@#$ is that? "Hello mam, would you like to have a penis lined with nails go in and out of you? I bet that would feel awesome

Honestly, I had no idea... I always just assumed it would be more... stimulating.

However, I have no firsthand experience. Note to self: ask partner first before bringing those to the party.

Brand Loyalty

Escher — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:20:28 GMT

(Stolen from Reddit)
What are the brands that you will always stick with? (Conversely, what brands have lost your trust forever)

Could be food or otherwise....

I most ardently stick with Heinz ketchup. Nothing else comes close, and I'm _always_ disappointed when something else is offered. To the point of I won't order food that needs ketchup from a resturaunt if they don't have Heinz.

Also, I've discovered I'm a fan of Jif peanut butter. Not as dramatic as Heinz, but other brands don't quite make the cut.

Also Playboy. Perhaps it's unusual, but for me an mens/adult pictorial magazine can be _too_ explicit. Playboy does it just right. Plus, they write about more than just sex driven articles.

Can't stand anything from that Lush store. Though technically I haven't ever bought from them, I've just been exposed by proxy. I'll set aside the granola-ness of the store. I'll even forgive the crappy packaging and general ineffectiveness of the product. What seals the deal? The half-real caricature/pictures of who bottled that particular product CREEPS ME OUT! <>

Lemon Angel Babies

Beth — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:39:13 GMT

Wanted to share a recipe. I made this Gale Gand recipe for a luncheon today and they were a real hit. They are a light dessert that seemed perfect after our salad selections. I copied this off the website, but made some notations to more closely follow the version in Just a Bite.

I would note is that the lemon peel could easily be prepared in advance -- a time saver that would have been helpful for me today. Oh -- and the recipe is a but unclear about the yield. Says makes about 24, but then says in the text to pipe or spoon into mini muffin tins. You will get about 24 standard muffin size cakes and probably about 48 mini muffin size ones.

Lemon Angel Food Cake
Courtesy Gale Gand

Prep Time:2 hr 25 min

Ingredients
1 1/8 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (about 10-12 eggs)
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, grated zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used Tahitian)
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (book says 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (may use more)

Confit:

2 large lemons
1 cups sugar
2 cups water

Confit: Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each lemon to expose the flesh. Cutting from top to bottom and following the contours of the fruit, cut off the peel and white pith in 1-inch-wide strips. Scrape off any pulp adhering to the strips, but leave the pith intact. You now have several 1-inch wide strips of lemon peel and pith. Cut each one into long strips, about 1/4-inch by 3 inches each. Meanwhile, boil a kettleful of water. Pour about a quart of the boiling water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, add all the lemon rind, and boil 30 seconds. Drain in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Repeat 2 times more, using fresh boiling water each time.

Combine the 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the blanched rind and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain in a strainer and let cool 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Using your fingers, arrange the strips on a wire rack so that they do not touch each other. Let cool. (Store in an airtight container if made in advance. )

Cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Sift the sifted cake flour with 1/2 cup of the sugar 3 times (this is to aerate the mixture and make it light). Set aside. Whip the egg whites in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining cup of sugar and continue whipping until stiff and the sugar is dissolved, about 30 seconds more. Gradually add the sifted flour-sugar mixture and fold into the whites. Lastly fold in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Pipe the batter into ungreased mini muffin tins. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans, then run a knife along the edges to loosen them. Remove from the pans and place upside-down on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Stir the lemon juice and powdered sugar together until smooth, creating a glaze. (Glaze will be thin). Pour over each cake until the tops are smoothly coated. (book version I have says to dip the tops in the glaze and that worked well too).

Chop the lemon confit and sprinkle over the tops. Let set 30 minutes before serving.

Yummy Casserole to share

karen w — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:37:56 GMT

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/he...1&ref=eggplant

The link above is what was for dinner tonight and it was WONDERFUL so I wanted to share. It was hearty yet light and sweet/savory all in one. We had it with a salad and some homemade sprouted wheat bread that I pulled out of the freezer.

Karen

Bread bakers I need help

VALERIEA234 — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:49:15 GMT

I never seem to make a good Rye Bread...It is usually on the flat side and dense, what am I doing wrong?
My white bread is always great.
I am using instant yeast, and the rye flour is new. And I am going according to directions.
Thank You for any help,
V.

Consumerist tracks shrinking portion sizes...

Escher — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:31:11 GMT

Hi ladies!

Your friendly, neighborhood Escher here....

Reddit pointed me to this link:
http://consumerist.com/taking-it-ser...ry-shrink-ray/

which I was reminded of by the recent "Down-Sizing" thread.

Anyhow, it provides notice of other products that are shrinking... Since y'all do a bit of cooking, I thought maybe you might be able to use it...

--Escher

Thanks Cookieee

barbse — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:28:00 GMT

DH requested some kind of grilled shrimp for his birthday yesterday & after some research I made your Caribbean Shrimp Kebabs with Cilantro Dipping Sauce (from your shrimp lovers post) Yummy! A total success, rated as a 10. I served it with rice, spinach salad & chocolate chip cookies (he's not into cake) and everybody was happy!

Whole Milk v Skim

Holly in KC — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:03:21 GMT

Just read this in the June, 2012 issue of In Style magazine in a section on getting ready for bikini season:

Don't skim the fat - Pour some whole mile into your AM coffee, and slip your spoon into 2 percent Greek yogurt instead of fat-free. "The extra fat actually slows the absorption of sugar in your blood, which helps prevent it from being stored as fat," says Lauren Slayton, a New York nutritionist.

Really? Does anyone know if this is accurate?

Fresh chickpeas?

Canice — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:59:38 GMT

I've been seeing these in produce markets and departments the last few months and curious whether anyone here has ever cooked them, and if so - how?

Bourbon Chicken

dlaboriel — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:38:03 GMT

I've had this recipe on my "to try" list for about a year. Decided to try it today and am I glad I did. It is super good and very easy to put together. Had no left overs.

Bourbon Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 -2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar (used white, didn't have brown)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice and ENJOY.

What's your take on this recipe?

AnnCon — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:17:47 GMT

My hairdresser told me she made a pork tenderloin and rattled off the following ingredients that she used as a rub. Since she was just remembering the ingredients, I'm wondering if you think this sounds like it would be good, or if there is something missing....otherwise I'll try a published recipe.

1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/4 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. granulated garlic

Mix. Put on wax paper. roll tenderloin in it. Let sit 1 hour at room temp. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or till 160 degrees. She serves it with rasp preserves mixed with water and red pepper flakes.