What's your specialty?

[YOhio]

Everyone has a recipe that they love and have perfected. Even people who hate cooking seem to have that one thing. I like cooking, but I own the crepes in our house. I use a basic batter and have the pan skills down to get them so thin they're almost transparent. Throw on a little nutella, fresh fruit and powdered sugar and it's better than dessert.

What's your specialty? If it's a made up recipe with no known equivalent, even better.

[Tim]

I make the best alfredo anyone's ever eaten. That's something that people actually ask me to make for them.

Tim

[YOhio]

I make the best alfredo anyone's ever eaten. That's something that people actually me to make for them.

Post the recipe. I'd love to give that a shot.

[ERCougar]

Everyone has a recipe that they love and have perfected. Even people who hate cooking seem to have that one thing. I like cooking, but I own the crepes in our house. I use a basic batter and have the pan skills down to get them so thin they're almost transparent. Throw on a little nutella, fresh fruit and powdered sugar and it's better than dessert.

What's your specialty? If it's a made up recipe with no known equivalent, even better.

I served my mission in France and started making crepes there. My favorite setup is nutella, thinly sliced bananas, and coconut, but it's also fun to make dinner crepes occasionally. Mmmm....

What do you use for a pan? I used to be a purist on this, until I started making them on a crepe maker (one of those pans you dip in the batter). It's SO easy, that it's hard to justify doing things the other way. But knowing your recipes, I have a feeling you're pretty old-school.

EDIT: Oh, and everyone--it's pronounced "CREP" as in bet, wet, net, NOT "CRAYP". It's just as easy to say it correctly!

[YOhio]

I served my mission in France and started making crepes there. My favorite setup is nutella, thinly sliced bananas, and coconut, but it's also fun to make dinner crepes occasionally. Mmmm....

What do you use for a pan? I used to be a purist on this, until I started making them on a crepe maker (one of those pans you dip in the batter). It's SO easy, that it's hard to justify doing things the other way. But knowing your recipes, I have a feeling you're pretty old-school.

I'm sure Francophiles would scoff at my crepes. I haven't been to France and I haven't eaten at many French restaurants, so it's unlikely that my version has much authenticity. I just use a Teflon pan that I get really hot, then start swirling it around to spread the batter. I'd get a crepe maker, but I have about twenty other kitchen gadgets ahead on the queue.

Coconut is a good idea. I'll have to remember that next time.

[Tim]

Post the recipe. I'd love to give that a shot.

I don't think there's anything too special about it, but it has taken me a few years to get it to where I want it to be. Here's an approximation of how I make it:

1/2 stick butter
1 t flour
Small carton of heavy cream or whipping cream (I'm not sure the size. It's smaller than the size of milk we'd get in elementary school, though)
5 oz shredded parmesan (NOT grated parmesan... get a 5 oz. wedge and shred it yourself or get a 5 oz "cup" of pre-shredded)

Make a simple roux by melting the butter in a pan over Medium-High heat and letting it simmer for a moment, then adding the flour and stirring it in until it's dissolved. Let the roux simmer until it's a light brown (30-45 seconds). Add the cream and mix it in. Let it simmer for about 90 seconds or so, only stirring every 30 seconds or so. You don't want to burn it, but you want it to thicken. So stay in control.

When it's thickened a tad, throw in the cheese, leaving maybe 10% of it to be sprinkled on at serving time. Stir in the cheese and let it melt in for about 30 seconds. Serve over pasta with chicken, broccoli, asparagus, anything you want, really. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

That's it. Really simple. No challenge, but so tasty. REALLY cheesy and buttery. No need to salt it, btw, because the parmesan is salty enough. Some variations would be to use pecorino or asiago instead of parmiggiano.

Tim

[YOhio]

Small carton of heavy cream or whipping cream (I'm not sure the size. It's smaller than the size of milk we'd get in elementary school, though)

Thanks Tim. That sounds yummy. If you're making it for a girl you can just point the cream carton arrow toward her and she'll know you like her.

[Donuthole]

Thanks Tim. That sounds yummy. If you're making it for a girl you can just point the cream carton arrow toward her and she'll know you like her.

My cream carton usually points up when I like a girl.

[TripletDaddy]

I love making pinto beans. We often have a fresh pot of beans going at our place. There is nothing that ruins Mexican food faster than bad rice and beans.

I love making breakfast items....waffles, french toast, and especially omelets.

I also love making soups. Homemade chicken noodle, hot and sour, etc.

YOhio, if you really own the crepes, can you please post the recipe? I love eating those things. Where can I get a crepe maker? Sounds very delish.

[MarkGrace]

I don't have a specialty. Possibly the closest I would come to that is this rack of lamb dish that I've made several times and usually turns out quite well.

There is also this seared ahi and advocado w/ crostinis that I've made in the summer and particularly enjoyed.

Both were from the site where I get all my recipes: http://www.epicurious.com/

In fact, a link to each:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...Tartare-230607
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...nd-Lime-107353

The rack of lamb I can only afford to make when it's on sale for $10 at Costco. The seared ahi I can never really afford to make as sashimi grade is usually about $20 a pound at the local fish markets.

[OhioBlue]

I don't really have one in particular. If I have a general specialty, it is recipe-less cooking....taking what's available, improvising, combining flavors/textures in new ways, and enjoying the organic process of cooking that way. If you give me a recipe, I take offense at the implication.

It's funny my wife is pretty much the opposite. Find a good recipe, make it exactly as indicated, and then repeat every time you want that particular kind of dish/item. I have the problem of making something good that we want later and I don't really remember exactly how I made it.

I will also say the creative and un-precise combination of ingredients sans recipe does NOT lend itself to good baking, which is much much much more science than art. My wife does the baking.

[CJF]

I love making pinto beans. We often have a fresh pot of beans going at our place. There is nothing that ruins Mexican food faster than bad rice and beans.

I love making breakfast items....waffles, french toast, and especially omelets.

I also love making soups. Homemade chicken noodle, hot and sour, etc.

YOhio, if you really own the crepes, can you please post the recipe? I love eating those things. Where can I get a crepe maker? Sounds very delish.

What's your hot and sour recipe? I love a good cup of hot and sour. I make Pho, but that's easy. I love Pho. Great stuff.

[Babs]

What's your specialty?

Sara Lee.

[SeattleUte]

I don't think there's anything too special about it, but it has taken me a few years to get it to where I want it to be. Here's an approximation of how I make it:

1/2 stick butter
1 t flour
Small carton of heavy cream or whipping cream (I'm not sure the size. It's smaller than the size of milk we'd get in elementary school, though)
5 oz shredded parmesan (NOT grated parmesan... get a 5 oz. wedge and shred it yourself or get a 5 oz "cup" of pre-shredded)

Make a simple roux by melting the butter in a pan over Medium-High heat and letting it simmer for a moment, then adding the flour and stirring it in until it's dissolved. Let the roux simmer until it's a light brown (30-45 seconds). Add the cream and mix it in. Let it simmer for about 90 seconds or so, only stirring every 30 seconds or so. You don't want to burn it, but you want it to thicken. So stay in control.

When it's thickened a tad, throw in the cheese, leaving maybe 10% of it to be sprinkled on at serving time. Stir in the cheese and let it melt in for about 30 seconds. Serve over pasta with chicken, broccoli, asparagus, anything you want, really. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

That's it. Really simple. No challenge, but so tasty. REALLY cheesy and buttery. No need to salt it, btw, because the parmesan is salty enough. Some variations would be to use pecorino or asiago instead of parmiggiano.

Tim

I would add clams and clam nector and some white wine to the roux instead of the cream, and then save the grated cheese just for garnish.

[ERCougar]

I love making pinto beans. We often have a fresh pot of beans going at our place. There is nothing that ruins Mexican food faster than bad rice and beans.

I love making breakfast items....waffles, french toast, and especially omelets.

I also love making soups. Homemade chicken noodle, hot and sour, etc.

YOhio, if you really own the crepes, can you please post the recipe? I love eating those things. Where can I get a crepe maker? Sounds very delish.

This is the one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/Villaware-V522.../dp/B00005R85W

I love it, but realize this is definitely not the real way to do it. The finished product is just as good, IMO, and much much much easier and quicker, but the French would never go for this. You lose major style points.