Re: Sunshine Peppercorn

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Retrieving recipes is so far pretty much the only reason I ever revisit my blog. It's a bit silly, though: since I'm not about to drag my computer into the kitchen (I'm a messy chef with a small workspace) and since I don't have a printer, I end up scribbling down the instructions on a scrap of paper every single time. Not efficient.


Posted by: Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:20 AM
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That's awesome, Becks.


Posted by: Cala | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:25 AM
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I'm totally a kitchen laptop user. You can see the evidence all over my computer.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:29 AM
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I demand the iStove. Wirelessly download and display recipes, and it preheats itself as necessary.
I see you have the NYT no-knead bread recipe- have you actually tried it? I did it a couple times with mixed success- best attempt was to put a ceramic casserole dish inside a large cast iron dutch oven to contain the bread- if I just used the dutch oven I got a very flat focaccia-shaped bread. Also worked better when I reduced the suggested amount of water by a 1-2 tablespoons.
Hmm, this seems like a comment better suited to the other blog.


Posted by: SP | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:36 AM
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I haven't tried the NYT bread recipe yet. I just bought a dutch oven and that's one of the reasons I was excited to get it -- NYT bread! I've had it when JM's made it and it's been delicious.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:40 AM
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About a third of the time I've made it, I've been very pleased with the results. The rest of the time, the bread comes out of the oven and I look at it and think, my God, what is that thing, but it's been rather tasty and highly complimented. So.


Posted by: Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:45 AM
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Also, there seems to be a Typepad error that is ordering the posts on the Category pages by, I think, date instead of by name. I reported it to Six Apart and apparently it's a known issue. Annoying.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:49 AM
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What I want is a program that takes a list of things about to go bad in my refrigerator and spoots out recipies that use as many of them as possible. A program other than the trivial one that always prints DUMP IT ALL IN A POT YOU BONEHEAD.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:51 AM
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What I want is a program that takes a list of things about to go bad in my refrigerator and spoots out recipies that use as many of them as possible.

also, cooks them for me.


Posted by: rob helpy-chalk | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:56 AM
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What you need is a good valet, Standpipe.

Cool blog, Becks! (And a belated thanks for all the hospitality you so generously showered everyone with during UnfoggeDCon Part Deux).


Posted by: M/tch M/lls | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:57 AM
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8: Or the one where you plug in what's left in your fridge to epicurious, find a recipe, read the reviews, and everyone says "well, I didn't have green onions, so I used apples, and I didn't have orange zest, so I used pomegranate juice, and I added more salt and used arugula instead of bok choy, and it didn't turn out at all."


Posted by: Cala | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 7:58 AM
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This program would also compliment my haircut.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:03 AM
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This program would also compliment my haircut.

Hmmm. A good valet would find a tactful way of telling you the truth, so perhaps that's not what you need.


Posted by: M/tch M/lls | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:04 AM
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What are the comment ethics? Frex, you've got a recipe there for pasta with zucchini and pine nuts and other stuff, which is a lot like something I make a lot. Andd I was all, "You know what's good when zucchini's out of season, you can make it with steamed broccoli instead." And then I thought, I don't want to scribble all over a casual acquaintance's recipe book, that's really out of order.


Posted by: OneFatEnglishman | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:06 AM
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You don't like it? I knew I shouldn't have gone for layers and the inverse mohawk.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:06 AM
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14 - Comment away with suggestions and such. Squashi made some great suggestions for the wheatberry salad and muesli.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:09 AM
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The most recent issue of Cooks Illustrated (or maybe the one before that, by now--it's the one with "still life with grapefruit" on the cover) had an article with some suggested improvements to the no-knead bread recipe. Haven't tried it, but I can endorse the French onion soup recipe from the same issue.

So Becks, can we call you Little Miss Sunshine Peppercorn from here on out?


Posted by: My Alter Ego | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:13 AM
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Will the valet software also secretly despise you?


Posted by: rob helpy-chalk | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:19 AM
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Unobservable internal states don't exist.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:26 AM
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In other news, la la la, look at the cute bunnies GONG! GONG! GONG! hate bunnies hate bunnies hate bunnies


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:29 AM
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Unobservable internal states don't exist.

Sure they do. West Virginia, for instance.


Posted by: My Alter Ego | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:44 AM
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You don't like it? I knew I shouldn't have gone for layers and the inverse mohawk.

I'm sure that most people will find your haircut most extraordinary, sir/madam.


Posted by: St/ph/n Fr/ | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:48 AM
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I store all of my recipes on redtailfoxshrub's blog. Well, they arent actually my recipes. But it works just as well.


Posted by: will | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:50 AM
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Sunshine peppercorn is totally salad dressing with LSD.


Posted by: strasmangelo jones | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:51 AM
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Actually, Jesus, it's LSD with salad dressing on top (Cool Ranch seems to be the most popular, although Zesty Italian also has its devotees).

Nice try at being all hep and down with the kool kidz though.


Posted by: M/tch M/lls | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 8:55 AM
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Actually, Jesus,

What's with everyone either misattributing my comments to other people or attributing other people's comments to me? The "posted by" tag is right under the comment, guys.


Posted by: strasmangelo jones | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 9:25 AM
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I'll be looking at it regularly Becks! Usually about 5.30pm each night as my children start saying they're hungry ...

Also, we got measuring cups in cups for Christmas from my cousin's wife, so now I don't have to bother trying to convert to weights! Excellent.


Posted by: asilon | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 9:51 AM
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That green rice recipe looks wonderful.

Since we're on cooking, does anyone know if this thing works? I went to a restaurant the other night and the owner told me that he had a produce storage box with vents. He claimed he could keep spinach for a week in it without the spinach turning disgusting but couldn't remember the actual name of the product. I looked on google for 'produce box vents' and the above link is all I could find.

I'm not averse to cooking the whole bag of spinach at once and eating it the same day, but it would be nice to buy the huge bags and not feel wasteful when three-fourths of it spoils in a day.


Posted by: winna | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 9:59 AM
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Uh, stupid me, my link broke.


Posted by: winna | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:00 AM
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Ages ago in college, we had magic special plastic bags that were supposed to breathe, and so keep leafy greens fresh. I remember them working, although it might have been the placebo effect.


Posted by: LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:02 AM
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Is there a historical reason that the Brits use weights and the US uses measures?


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:10 AM
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And what does the rest of the world use? Is this one of those things like the metric system where the US is a freaky standout?


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:12 AM
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What's with everyone either misattributing my comments to other people or attributing other people's comments to me?

I blame the brown acid.


Posted by: M/tch M/lls | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:20 AM
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re: 32

yes.


Posted by: nattarGcM ttaM | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:20 AM
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Becks! Great idea. I will now commence to steal it, since my "save recipes in del.icio.us" strategy is vulnerable to link-rot.


Posted by: mrh | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:22 AM
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32: In places that use weights, you can also buy measuring cups with markings that show approximate volumes for certain weights of common ingredients. I have one in Berlin with markings for flour and for sugar by the 100g.


Posted by: Blume | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:24 AM
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28 - Rfts and I (following her example) tend to parboil a giant bag of greens and squeeze out the water the day we get it. It lasts for a weekish afterwards.


Posted by: snarkout | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:33 AM
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These green bags? We use them for our farmshare vegetables, and they're really helpful. The effect doesn't last as long as the bag, though.


Posted by: Nathan Williams | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:33 AM
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32: One of the baking cookbooks I have been reading recently attributes this to the expense and difficulty of transporting scales, say, on the pioneer trail. Hence early American recipes that say "butter the size of a walnut" - that was a measure everyone could be expected to understand.

I don't know if this is accurate or not. Also, hi everyone. I lurk here.


Posted by: pasdquoi | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:36 AM
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I lurk here.

Not no more you don't. Welcome.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:40 AM
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Although! Now as my fingers are poised over the keys to create a new blog... would a wiki work better or just as well? Hmm. It bears thinking...


Posted by: mrh | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:41 AM
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Bucket of chum for pasdquoi.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:45 AM
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A wiki seems like it might work better.


Posted by: nattarGcM ttaM | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:51 AM
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42: Thanks, I hope that's a good thing.

I feel like I should say that I can only comment sporadically, because I have a job and a life, etc., but I bet everyone thinks that in the beginning, don't they?


Posted by: pasdquoi | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:52 AM
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I'm not a huge fan of wikis but maybe that's just because I haven't seen any good free/cheap wiki software.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:53 AM
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Aren't nearly all wiki's running on free software?

Some of them only amount to a couple of pages of code (or less), so there are hundreds floating around.


Posted by: soup biscuit | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:54 AM
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because I have a job and a life, etc., but I bet everyone thinks that has those in the beginning, don't they?

First hit's free.


Posted by: LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:55 AM
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Is there a historical reason that the Brits use weights and the US uses measures?

It's a direct result of the Napoleonic occupation of the British Isles.

The War of 1812. The US came out on top over both types of Napoleonists: Standard (French) and the Liberal-Napoleonists. New Orleans!


Posted by: md 20/400 | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:59 AM
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misattributing my comments to other people or attributing other people's comments to me

It's consistently between you and Jesus McQueen. I blame Jesus Jones.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 10:59 AM
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Sunshine peppercorn and || rainbows


Posted by: ben w-lfs-n | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:00 AM
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It's consistently between you and Jesus McQueen.

Those names don't look similar at all. Personally I tend to think strasmangelo jones's comments were written by soup biscuit, or vice versa.

Also, having both "Witt" and "Will" is a bit disturbing. Especially with one of them being female.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:04 AM
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AWB likes PBWiki, which is what I used for the attempted Lexicon game. It's free and seems to work well enough.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:05 AM
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51: this is why it's so important that will stay will and not try to become Will.


Posted by: ben w-lfs-n | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:07 AM
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It's consistently between you and Jesus McQueen.

Yeah, I thought M/tch was jerking stras's chain. If not, that's kind of weird.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:09 AM
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Pabst Blue Wiki is such a hipster brand.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:12 AM
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Check out efoodi, people. A friend started it, could be fun.


Posted by: TJ | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:13 AM
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It actually stands for "Peanut Butter," which I found a little odd.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 11:13 AM
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In Sweden they use measurements as much as weights, but metric measurements. I was so happy the day I found some decilitre measuring cups in this country.

Also, my daughter just made a pecan pound cake with 1.25 decilitres of brandy in it. Almost flawless.


Posted by: Nworb Werdna | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 1:22 PM
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48: Speaking of Napoleon, I read the other day that margarine and something else I can't remember were invented when Napoleon challenged people to come up with foods that would travel well with the army.


Posted by: Sir Kraab | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 2:50 PM
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Shortening came at the behest of Napoleon? Go figure.


Posted by: Stanley | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 2:52 PM
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Canned food was industrialized/commercialized for Napoleon's army, I think. Developed a little before, but that was when it got big.


Posted by: LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 2:57 PM
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And Chicken Marengo. I remember that from Connections.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 2:59 PM
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Oddly enough, the Napoleon pastry was developed for Wellington, as a studied insult.


Posted by: LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 3:00 PM
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And Beef Wellington was developed for Napoleon, so that he could simulate his fantasies of smothering his adversary and cutting him to shreds.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 3:03 PM
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Seems to me, ell bee, that with that kind of explanation it's not odd at all.


Posted by: ben w-lfs-n | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 3:06 PM
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if i don't make something often enough to keep it recipe memorized, its probably not good enough to bother making.


Posted by: yoyo | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 3:34 PM
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strasmangelo jones and Jesus Mcqueen are both two bitpart pseuds, and they both contain the "j" sound rather prominently. It's a wonder one can distinguish between them at all!

But seriously, with people I haven't met, I often mix them up if their pseuds are even somehow vaguely similar. For example, I often read a comment by Hamilton Lovecraft as one by Standpipe Bridgeplate (both have two parts and compound-type words). And before I met Becks and Jackmormon, I would often confuse their comments (both female and contain "ck"). I think the cure is for everyone to post photos of themselves.


Posted by: M/tch M/lls | Link to this comment | 01-16-08 5:50 PM
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So, the first attempt at a recipe wiki has hit some snags. I'm installing the semantic wiki extension to see if that gets me what I want.

So far, though, Becks is still looking like a genius.


Posted by: mrh | Link to this comment | 01-17-08 10:42 PM
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68: Thanks for updating us, Jesus.


Posted by: M/tch M/lls | Link to this comment | 01-17-08 10:47 PM
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