What are you cooking or baking today?

RadishRose said:
If I go to Stop & Shop, I'll often pick up their store-made Lobster Bisque. It's pretty good! The price , 4.99 for 16 oz and it hasn't gone up in this crazy food inflation. At least it was the same about a week ago.
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A friend in NY lives quite near a Stop & Shop. When visiting her I always drop by that store because its deli and soup department is spectacular for a chain store.
 

StarSong said:
I've not developed many GF skills. Can you recommend a cookbook or blog?
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I have over two hundred cookbooks, but only a few of them are strictly gluten-free. I find most recipes online. Here are some of the sites I use. Several of them cater to a variety of diets. :)

Gluten Free on a Shoestring > https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/

Serious Eats > https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes-by-diet-5117779

A Girl Defloured > https://www.agirldefloured.com/

Meaningful Eats > https://meaningfuleats.com/

Snixy Kitchen > https://www.snixykitchen.com/

Happy Healthy Mama > https://happyhealthymama.com/

Ambitious Kitchen > https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/

Gluten Free Palate > https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/

Gluten Free Goddess > https://www.glutenfreegoddessrecipes.com/

What the Fork > https://www.whattheforkfoodblog.com/

Bella ✌️
 
Thank you for taking the time to point me to sites you've had success with, @Bella. I did some internet sleuthing, but had no idea which were good sites and which weren't. Some people give recipes 5 stars without bothering to make them and add comments like, "Wow this looks so great!"; "What a fabulous pot, where did you get it?; and "I'm going to have to try this soon!"

Those are not only unhelpful reviews, they skew the ratings.
 
StarSong said:
In the "what are you doing today" thread, @MickaC mentioned unsweetened applesauce as a substitute in baking. I often use it in muffins or cakes for half (or more) of the oil or eggs and cut down the sugar accordingly.

For eggs substitute, sometimes I use half ground flaxseed and water and half applesauce.

Love Aldi's unsweetened applesauce, but wound up throwing away too many half-filled jars from spoilage because I didn't use it fast enough. These days, after opening a fresh jar I split the remaining applesauce into one cup (ish) sized portions. Keep one in the fridge and freeze the rest in small plastic containers or freezer bags laid flat.
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I make my own by letting the apples "ripen". I leave them on the counter for a few days in the plastic bag. They ripen pretty quick and it boosts their natural sugar. Then when I add the cinnamon I'm careful to not add too much. It freezes well.
 
Bella said:
This past weekend, I made Emeril Lagasse's Potato Leek soup. I've been using this recipe since 2003. I doubled it, so I have some for the freezer. I use either russets or Yukon Gold potatoes. If I don't have white wine around, I use 2T of apple cider vinegar instead. I don't add the crème fraiche or heavy cream, but that's my personal preference. If I don't have fresh chives, I use Italian parsley. And I like to crumble some cooked bacon on top.

Cream of Leek and Potato Soup Recipe | Food Network

https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/potato-and-leek-soup-2732855

Bella ✌️
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Since today is National Soup Day, and I'd already bought the leeks, I embarked on Emeril's Potato Leek Soup recipe. When it finished, it tasted roughly like a bowl of runny mashed potatoes with overtones of onion and black pepper. Added some almond/oat milk combo that I use for coffee creamer to see if that helped. It is now a slightly creamier, somewhat wetter version of mashed potatoes.

Did I do something wrong, or is this the way it's supposed to turn out?

I don't hate it or anything, because, well, who could hate mashed potatoes from scratch? Just a little surprised. On the other hand, I haven't had potato leek soup in many years, so perhaps I'm forgetting that this is the typical end result.
 
Made a fresh batch of Cheesy/Saucy Fusilli pasta with Chicken chunks and Brocoli Florets. Save on pots as I boiled the chicken pieces into the pasta water, then roasted chicken and veggies into pan added ingredients for cheese sauce (used mozzarella and a few cubes of mature white cheddar).

Split the portions down the middle accompanied with a glass of cola and split the last remaining Triple Chocolate Cream Doughnut from Gregg's for desserts.

Just put the kettle on for evening cuppa tea!
 
StarSong said:
Since today is National Soup Day, and I'd already bought the leeks, I embarked on Emeril's Potato Leek Soup recipe. When it finished, it tasted roughly like a bowl of runny mashed potatoes with overtones of onion and black pepper. Added some almond/oat milk combo that I use for coffee creamer to see if that helped. It is now a slightly creamier, somewhat wetter version of mashed potatoes.

Did I do something wrong, or is this the way it's supposed to turn out?

I don't hate it or anything, because, well, who could hate mashed potatoes from scratch? Just a little surprised. On the other hand, I haven't had potato leek soup in many years, so perhaps I'm forgetting that this is the typical end result.
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I don't think you did anything wrong. @StarSong, I think the lack of bacon and chicken stock is what happened. It might be too late to salvage it, but Jules' suggestion of using bouillon cubes in place of chicken stock was a good one. Utilizing it would've added more flavor to make up for the lack of bacon and chicken stock. I thought that's what you'd probably do. We all know that sometimes adding or leaving out ingredients in a recipe alters the taste of the final product. I'm sorry it didn't work out. 🥴

Bella✌️
 
Well, I tried making chicken and dumplings again. The type of dumplings where you mix up flour and milk and drop by the spoonful into simmering broth. I am born and raised in the South; chicken & dumplings should be coded in my DNA!
But I simply cannot get the technique right. Every time I swear it’s the last time I’ll try. Then enough time passes that I think I’ll try again!!
The flavor was good and my family ate it despite the appearance . Guess that’s all that matters.
 
MountainRa said:
Well, I tried making chicken and dumplings again. The type of dumplings where you mix up flour and milk and drop by the spoonful into simmering broth. I am born and raised in the South; chicken & dumplings should be coded in my DNA!
But I simply cannot get the technique right. Every time I swear it’s the last time I’ll try. Then enough time passes that I think I’ll try again!!
The flavor was good and my family ate it despite the appearance . Guess that’s all that matters.
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Here's an idea: Try making Spätzle instead, "The World's Smallest Dumpling." 😁 You can simmer them in broth just like you would large dumplings. Check out Chef John's video.

Spätzle (aka Spaetzle) > https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/260576/spatzle-aka-spaetzle/


Bella ✌️
 
Bella said:
I don't think you did anything wrong. @StarSong, I think the lack of bacon and chicken stock is what happened. It might be too late to salvage it, but Jules' suggestion of using bouillon cubes in place of chicken stock was a good one. Utilizing it would've added more flavor to make up for the lack of bacon and chicken stock. I thought that's what you'd probably do. We all know that sometimes adding or leaving out ingredients in a recipe alters the taste of the final product. I'm sorry it didn't work out. 🥴

Bella✌️
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I did use chicken stock.
 
No big deal on the potato leek soup. My brain had been going back to the silky vichyssoise I used to make. Of course, that silkiness came from half a stick of butter and 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream (neither of which I used yesterday) to 8 russets, 3 leeks and one onion.

DH & I added dollops of the mashed potato soup to the French vegetable soup I also made yesterday. Made a hearty, delicious combination.
 
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Here's an easy-peasy "Potato/Leeks Cream Soup"

Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, diced
4 potatoes, cubed (about 4 mediums)
4 medium leeks, sliced
1.2 litres/2 pints vegetable stock
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek-style Yogurt (save the calories but still creamy)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, potatoes and leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Season well and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Whizz with a hand blender or in a blender until smooth. Reheat in a clean pan, stir in the sour cream or Greek-style Yogurt, heat through and serve.

Quick Method
Boil everything in one pot with enough water. Add chicken (2) and vegetable (1) cubes. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 16 Oz cup, add 4 tablespoon of flour and liquid from boiled pot. With your wand, mush all potatoes, leeks and onions. Pour your flour mixture into the pot again. Season to taste and add sour cream or Greek-style Yogurt, but remember that dairy added to soup will reduce saltiness.

I call my Quick Method my velouté quickly. Yummy! Enjoy...
 

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