What French dishes do you recommend me to cook at home?
Pot au feu.I believe this meal, which originated in Normandy in the 1400s, is France’s “national dish”, and it’s also extraordinarily easy to make and quite tasty, too. In Quebec, pot au feu is often called “Bouilli Québécois”.Loads of different ways you can make this (check the Internet for recipe ideas and procedures) but the general idea is that you take a chunk of beef — preferably a rump roast or another tough, cheap cut (cheap cuts always have the most flavour) — and add it to a pot of water along with a couple of bones (the marrow adds more flavour) potatoes, turnips, carrots, cabbage, onion, leeks, thyme, salt and pepper. Let this simmer for at least three hours.When it’s done, remove the meat, potatoes, turnips and veggies from the pot and arrange on a large platter. Serve the broth and the marrow as a starter. After your soup, serve the platter of meat, potatoes, turnips and vegetables, and make sure to include French mustard (preferably Maille brand mustard) on the side, and baguette and butter.
What are some recommended books on cooking?
Joy of Cooking is a basic cookbook for standard American cookbooks, and the latest edition has expanded on the earlier ones to include lots of ethnic recipes. The recipes range from everyday dishes to more elegant ones.You didn't mention baking, but if you want to bake, Nick Malgieri's How to Bake is wonderful.The Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perlman (she write a food blog of the same name) is great. She makes delicious dishes from not unusual ingredients.When looking for a recipe online, I often use Martha Stewart's. She has written quite a few cookbooks.I also like America's Test Kitchen on TV, and they have a magazine, Cook's Illustrated, that is very interesting and helpful. I got hooked on the magazine first and then found the TV show. You can also find its episodes online.One last one--If you want to learn anything about classic French cuisine, you should go with Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. She doesn't require too much in the way of unusual ingredients.
How to cook a simple pasta dish?
Well, Yahoo Answer Team has done a fine job in answering how to cook it properly, how about some simple ways to enjoy it? * Drizzle extra virgin olive oil, add kosher salt and black pepper, top with julienned fresh basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan or romano cheeses * Top with pesto - basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a blender or food processor. * Make your own healthy sauce (great way to clean out your pantry and fridge, too) ..... 1 onion, a couple cloves of garlic, sliced black olives, chopped fresh mushrooms, a can of crushed fresh tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano. Simmer for 10-minutes and pour over pasta and top with grated cheese. * Cool pasta and top with Italian dressing and lots of fresh veggies - tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, etc. for a fresh, healthy primavera salad. * Make a quickie stroganoff - fat-free cream of mushroom soup, a dollop of sour cream, mixed with cooked onions, garlic and mushrooms, with ground beef...... pour this over the pasta....... so good! ENJOY!
What special dish from your country would you recommend to a visitor?
i am an indian born in south africa so my roots are mixed....from an indian point of view..paneer(indian home made clothed cheese) chutney, might add some peas and roti,absolutly divine!!!it puts the d in delicious
What is the easiest authentic Korean dish to cook at home?
I would say kimchi fried rice is one of the easier dishes to make. It’s good for removing left over kimchi and rice. Also I think it’s a gentle introduction to kimchi for foreigners in that the spam grease tames the wild fire of the kimchi.My recipe requires nappa cabbage kimchi (given that it is available at your local store), spam, sesame oil, cooked or leftover rice (preferably medium grain but long grain will do as well) and a sunny side up fried egg.I would prefer that the kimchi be left for some time to ferment further so that the sour taste from acid produced from the bacteria is more pronounced. It would be best to have a kimchi product that has a lot of juice in it so that you can evenly coat the rice with spicy kimchi broth and prevent the rice from getting too dry in the frying process. Be aware that one jar of kimchi can give off a lot of smell (even if it’s sealed tight) so have your refrigerator be well prepared with stuff like baking powder or something.Prepare the kimchi by taking a good handful and cutting them up.Heat up the pan to about medium or medium high heat. I start by coating a pan in some bit of oil. Spam gives me a lot of grease so I don’t overly use too much oil. I add in the spam and once they start to release the fats, I add in the kimchi and fry it up.Add the rice in mix it in. Pour like 1~2 scoops of kimchi juice in if you have one. Cook until you start to see a bit of burnt rice or whatever fried state you desire your rice to be in.Take about one spoonful of sesame oil and mix it in. Do not put in too much sesame oil. It will make the fried rice extremely greasy and kill the sourness from the kimchi.Prepare a sunny side up fried egg separately while doing this.Place the fried egg on the fried rice and you should be done.Here is one example. She uses sea laver but I hate sea laver getting stuck in throat so I don’t. It is totally optional.
Can you recommend baby food recipes?
First of all, wait until your baby is developmentally ready for solids (typically between 6 and 12 months old). Signs of readiness include appearance of teeth, ability to sit unsupported, and development of the "pincer grasp"--when a baby picks up small items between the thumb and first finger. If baby has the last 2 and preferably all 3, she/he may be ready. Then, the only recipe you'll ever need is this: Peel banana, give baby a chunk...or... Grate a bit of raw apple or carrot and give to baby...or... Take a spoonful of cooked brown rice and place in front of baby...or... Bake a potato (white or sweet) and spoon some out for baby...or... Spoon up a little pile of peas or corn kernels... etc. You *don't* need to steam, mash, and freeze *anything* ever. Just plan on what to serve the baby based on what she/he has tasted already (only one new food a week is best), what you have in the house, and what you're making for dinner.
Any smoothie recipes that you recommend ?
I do not have any measured recipes when I make a smoothie as I typically use whatever is in the fridge or freezer. I buy fresh and canned fruit when it is on sale and I cut it up, put it on a plate in the freezer. Once frozen, I put the frozen fruit in a zip lock baggie so it is ready to add to any smoothie as needed. I usually have frozen cut up bananas, pineapples, blueberries, grapes and strawberries handy. In addition to fruit, I add a scoop of milled flax seed to my smoothies, sometimes a few drops of almond or vanilla or mint extract. I use whole milk and sometimes Almond Milk and yogurt. I save my veggies for salads and do not like eating green smoothies. I have filled ice cube trays with orange juice or other juices or milk to add frozen cubes to ice my smoothies if using fresh fruit. Once I ran out of milk and used cold coffee with frozen bananas and strawberries for my smoothie. That was good!!