(no subject)

[aslant]

yesterday i tried to make two new foods, and learned two new lessons about those foods.

1. attempted: poached eggs, freehand. learned: you really do need to put white vinegar in the water to make this work. or one of those clever pans, otherwise it's impossible to control.

2. attempted: handmade ravioli. learned: let a cooked filling cool completely or it will cook the pasta a tiny bit and make it stick to the plate while you're making the rest. also, spray the plate with pam or sprinkle generously with flour in order to get the ravioli off the plate again. however, lobster and mushroom and mascarpone? made an amazing filling for the 8 out of 10 ravioli that didn't rip.

Comments

[tigermilkdrunk.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I made poached eggs for my flatmates last night (one of the other flatmates was in charge of the Hollandaise sauce, which was the tricky bit). I hadn't made them in ages, and forgot about the vinegar, but I used my patented wooden-spoon swirly action and it worked out just fine. As long as you keep the water moving fairly quickly, the eggs don't have time to separate out too much. (This works better as you get further along in the process, as residual whites thicken the water. Also, you can only make one at a time this way, so if you're cooking for four people, it's a bit of a pain.) Cool pan, though - and here I was, feeling deprived because I don't have a slotted spoon.

[ex-mthrtong.livejournal.com]

I have never actually poached an egg my own self, but
when Conan makes them for me he just uses a ramekin-type
dish, floated in the water. I believe it takes a little
longer? Because of the thicknes of the dish -- but it seems
to work fine and is very tasty.

[claireh.livejournal.com]

what does the vinegar do? pete tried to make them for me once and it was a disaster.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

i read about the swirly-water trick, but i had this idea about using a teacup to hold the egg in place aaaaand then it was too late.

i used to have a little individual poaching cup that hooked onto the edge of the pan, but i lost it, sadly.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

the vinegar keeps the eggwhite from floating off in little swirly bits. it is also a good trick to use if boiling eggs, because if they crack open a tiny bit the vinegar keeps the white from spilling out.

but in the grocery store, i always think---no, what would white vinegar possibly be useful for?

[aslant.livejournal.com]

yes, one source recommended using a teacup (which i tried, unsuccessfully), but i was worried the intense heat of the bottom of the pan would crack the cup.

[suburbiadaze.livejournal.com]

Would you mind if I added you. I am always looking for talented artist who occasionally post there art. I have only ten minutes right now to go check out your journal more, so maybe you could just tell me if you post your writing in here???
I found you through hothouse-zine.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

certainly you can add me -- i do not post public things very often, and very little poetry. but thank you for the compliment!