I meant to say “make sure the CREAM CHEESE is softened…” :smack:
Deviled eggs - use Miracle Whip instead of mayonaise. I know there are tons of MW haters out there but every single one of them who have ever eaten my deviled eggs says they’re fabulous.
Rice (real rice, not converted): use a ratio of 2:1 (water to rice) with medium or long grain rice. Add some sort of fat (I use butter), and seasonings. Bring to a boil with all ingredients in the pan, then cover & reduce heat. Cook for 10 minutes at half heat. After 10 minutes, remove the heat & LEAVE IT ALONE for another 10 minutes. Do NOT remove the lid after the first 10 minutes to stir it or you let all the heat/steam out of the pot and you’ll never get it back.
Makes very tasty fluffy rice.
Any recipe that calls for water and oil or milk and oil - replace both with real cream. You will get better texture with less fat, and actual creamy taste you’d almost forgotten existed.
Crepes: Let the batter stand for at least ten minutes, and don’t use farm fresh eggs. (Not “old” either, but really fresh eggs will be tough.)
Pressure cooker makes everything taste better! Try pricking holes in seared pork chops and infusing them with Apple cider through pressure cooking. Toss the carrots and potatoes in there while you’re at it. . . I’ve often wondered why we never see apressure cooker on Top Chef? Everything cooks faster, more tender and flavorful, so why aren’t they running to it at every opportunity?
It’s not rocket surgery but you haven’t given a lot of thought to their business model. All your food would taste better but it’s also hard to make and hard to get consistent ingredients and results. What happens to their brand when one of their restaurants does a shitty job with all the delicious food you described? Or more likely, when a few thousand are stellar, a few thousand suck, and most are very mediocre?
They don’t sell lousy food because they’re too stupid to know fresh complicated difficult to make food tastes better. They do it because they have more than 5,000 restaurants in the U.S. and 15,000 units worldwide. They know efficient, scalable, consistent food is the only way to service that many restaurants without having such inconsistencies in their restaurants that the whole model would fall apart.
Chili: Use a variety of fresh peppers – for a recipe with 4 pounds of meat, I generally use 8 Anaheims, 4 poblanos and 4 jalapenos – and roast and peel them before adding them to the pot. That’s a messy process and you might want to wear rubber gloves, or your hands will burn for hours afterwards.
I’ve actually seen, in the spice section of the supermarket, chili powder pre-mixed with cocoa.
Well, if I told you it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. The neyves of this guy!
Vidalia onions. Use vidalia onions instead of white or yellow. Makes a huge difference; you get all the onion flavor, plus sweetness, without the harsh bite.
And I’d be failing you all if I didn’t mention Penzey’s. Penzey’s spices take everything over the top.
A-freakin’-men! I use milk when I make instant oatmeal, too (usually for The Kid on school mornings when she has a very short time to get out the door).
My tips:
One, season the meat!! Doesn’t matter what meat you’re cooking, or how seasoned/savory the sauce or gravy is, if you don’t season the meat before you cook it, you’re going to end up with good sauce/gravy on top of bland meat!
Two, lasagna: Like many people, I don’t add the “final” layer of mozzarella/Italian blend cheese until fifteen minutes before I remove it from the oven (prevents the cheese from burning), BUT just under the final cheese layer? A layer of thin-sliced pepperoni. Mmmmmm. I have never served this to anyone who didn’t love it! Also, instead of using ‘plain’ ricotta cheese, I pour my ricotta into a mixing bowl, and beat in a couple of raw eggs, a handful of Parmesan cheese, and some Italian herbs. I refer to this as my “kicked-up ricotta”; the cheese and herbs add flavor, of course, and the eggs add a creaminess and richness you just don’t get otherwise.
Oh yeah! I was thrilled when they started expanding out of Wisconsin so I didn’t have to make special trips or order by mail anymore.