sbreckenridge

mmm, I've got to do this. I love steel-cut oats but never thought of combining them with rolled oats.

PuuPoni, it will be live on our web site--right here on this page, in fact.

Please do post a photo of the salad when you get a chance though--you're already qualified for the contest, but we'd love to see the salad.

ROTFL about the photo! That's the most creative work-around I've ever seen.

Denise, these are amazing! I love the Aladdin castle too.

Hi everyone,
We had some technical problems with the feed in Nick Malgieri's demo, so we're not adding it to the playback lineup just yet. However, we also recorded the demo, and we'll be uploading it for playback later tonight.

To Papainhell and others:
We did detect some fraudulent votes but we've removed them from the tally; we've also upped the security to prevent more fraudulent votes.

Denise,
how do you keep your purple cauliflower purple when its cooked? It always seems to fade for me.

Anything with figs + prosciutto is delicious in my book.

wow, these photos are making me hungry...

Unbaked, funny you mention that, I've always used Diamond, but in my new house (clearly more humid), it cakes up constantly. But I can't switch to Morton's now, my fingers are too used to Diamond!

Hi Becca,
I believe feta is usually considered a "fresh" cheese even though it's aged in brine. Store-bought feta has definitely been on the do-not-eat list of some of my pregnant friends, and I would treat homemade feta the same way.

Voting is open until end of the day (midnight) July 29. I'll update the post to reflect that.

Love It! It's like a clean-out-your-fridge dinner, but with cocktails!

An ice cream shop in Kansas City (where I grew up) used to serve pretzel ice cream cones...this flavor is just calling out for a pretzel ice cream cone!

You should use the recipe builder for the base recipe, but you can add any ingredients you like in each of the steps--even those not on the list.

Natbold,
you can use whatever add-ons you like--just use the recipe builder as a guideline but feel free to use any add-ons not listed in there.

My opinion is a qualified "hate it." I don't mind it so much in Southeast Asian food, but I can't stand the way it gets added indiscriminately to so many other things. Use too much and it overwhelms everything else. And yes, it tastes like soap.

This sounds like a fabulous combination! I love cocoa nibs.

I also have the kyocera and I love it--so much easier than hauling out and setting up the mandoline. I also just got the similar kyocera julienne slicer but haven't used it yet.

What a fun time! Now here's the real question: did it help you get a table at Pepe's any faster?

Peeling eggs under running water works like a charm. The water seems to get under the shell and loosen it. But the blowing-it-out tip sounds like a fun party trick!

So what books did you bring home?

I was about to add one more rule: Dive bars do not have websites. But I guess if it's little more than pics of the owners' dogs I'll let it slide :-)

So if I plant these seeds, will I grow a chia pet?

Those sound tasty. I'm still hoarding my easter ham bone to repurpose into a split-pea soup.

Cool idea, pie! Was there any actual potato flavor in the crust?

Wait, no fresh rosemary at your local grocery store? Ever?

I had a lamb bacon at the tapas bar Boqueria in NYC. As a bacon, it was definitely stretching the definition, but it was mighty tasty in its own right.

OMG I'm so jealous...I totally want to join one! How much does yours cost?

Funny, I've been making a lot of mini banana muffins lately too--my husband has been on a breakfast-smoothie kick, but he never manages to finish a banana bunch before it turns brown, so into the batter bowl they go. I've also been adding mini chocolate chips and/or cacao nibs for a little hit of chocolate flavor.

Hi Mamabyrd,
I guess we have to agree to disagree, because I LOVE runny egg yolks, and for me hard-cooked eggs are best when they're just the teeniest bit soft in the middle. But thanks for the feedback.

Highlandfallsguy: It's true that country ham is not immersed in a liquid brine, but the dry-curing process referred to in the above article means it's basically rubbed with a lot of salt, which gets absorbed by the meat. I can't speak with any certainty about relative salt levels between city and country hams, but country hams actually taste saltier, so I wouldn't be surprised if they contained MORE sodium. Basically, there's no getting around the fact that ham is salt-preserved pork. If you're trying to avoid sodium you can seek out a fresh ham, but it should be treated (and cooked) more like any other large fresh pork roast than like a ham. Hope that helps!

Luv2ck2,
London broil is a term that gets applied to several different cuts of meat, but it's usually a flank steak (which comes from further back on the animal, just in front of the hind legs), not a brisket. Like brisket, a whole flank steak also has a wide, flat end and a pointy, thinner end.

Really good point! The crust is the best part.

Texas_Foodie: I'm glad to hear you're continuing the challenge with the new issue. Though we're not creating a formal contest for this issue, please do post your results to the gallery when you get a chance, and tell us what you think!

My money's on bacon.

So true! I think the presence of tongs (or lack thereof) in a kitchen is a tip-off to whether or not a real cook resides there.

Jason,
The recipe I was using ultimately ran in Saveur (minus the author's reference to "bolted greens") and I've updated the post with a link. I have to confess, though, that I simplify it quite a bit when making it at home--I cook the cabbage and greens together in one pan, and I boil the potatoes rather than steam them, for faster cooking. This last time I made it, I also left out the scallions, because I didn't have any on hand.

Yum, that sounds really good. Now if only I had some truffle pasta lying around.

These are so cute! And the flavors must have been great. I'm a big orange-and-chocolate fan.

Looks beautiful! Did you base the recipe on the lemon-ginger marmalade, or use a different recipe?

Cool idea for marrying the two versions! It makes a beautiful cake. Colors would be nice for St. Patrick's day.

I ditched my culinary-school suitcase for the exact same Messermeister roll (but minus the cool leopard print). It's also incredibly useful for when I want to bring decently sharp knives to my in-laws' (for cooking I mean!).

Sounds like a nice layout 2new...I need to start doing some real thinking about how I want to change mine.

Okay, Biscuit, you have me beat for more-annoying stove.

Wow, what an impressive finale! The color and styling are just gorgeous. I'm glad you enjoyed the challenge.

OMG, that in-depth answer blew my mind. How can I ever eat again when I'm thinking of my food molecules as a room full of kittens?

Hi encee,
We've been trying to answer your question via the CooksClub hotline too, but our emails have been getting bounced back. You might also check out the substitution info in our profile of compressed yeast:

http://www.finecooking.com/item/5218/compressed-yeast

If you're looking for another white wine to substitute, try another crisp, dry white wine, ideally one with the same spicy-floral notes as Rieslings, such as Gewurtztraminer. A basic Pinot Grigio will also work.

Sounds fantastic!

Serranos can be so unpredictable, can't they? You use one and it's barely warm and then the next one you pick up is so hot it has you breathing fire.

Prolific indeed! And an entertaining story. I'm curious to hear what else you make with the Maraschino liqueur.

Nice photo!

Hi Sheri,
You should really do each recipe as a separate post, because as stated in the rules, judging is based on the total number of posts.

Thanks for the catch, DineinDiva, you're right. I just corrected the rules accordingly.

Yum, kitschen, your breakfast idea sounds delicious.

Hi bohnappetit,
The photos of the cookies you're seeing are from a past contest (if you click on "gallery" it aggregates everything that anyone's ever posted, most recent first. Since this contest's just kicking off, there's not too much here yet, but you can view all Cook-the-Issue posts by clicking the "Cook the Issue" banner at the top of the page.

-Sarah Breckenridge
Web Editor

Hi Sheri,
Thanks for kicking off the challenge with the inaugural post!

mmm, these sound delicious. It looks like you baked the crusts in mini-muffin tins, yes? And do you fill with jam after baking?

wow, they did a great job!

Cool photo...am I twisted that it reminds me of the cover of "A Million Little Pieces"?

Nicely done!

What a cool idea!

Bonus points for including the cute dog! Though I'm impressed that you photographed him just standing there. My dog would be appearing as a black streak as she lunged for the cookies.

Nice work on the holly! Did you do that freehand?

gorgeous photos! May I suggest you post each one in a separate post? You'll have more chances to win!

Also, please let us know what recipes you used. Thanks!

sarah breckenridge, web editor

Gorgeous decorating. Is it a thin, wafer-like cookie or something more substantial?

So many great cookies. Would you mind reposting them as separate entries? It'll give you more chances to win!
thanks

These look delicious. Would you mind reposting them all in separate entries? It'll give you more chances to win!
thanks

Love the way you shot this!

My husband loves these. When he was a kid, he called them "stoplight cookies."