[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Muncle

Kate,
Eons ago, a fellow bachelor taught me the ultimate meal to serve a young lady one sought to impress. Absolutely no kitchen prowess required.

A. Get two Cornish game hens (very earthy to eat, a la Tom Jones), stuff them with Pepperidge Farm stuffing. Put them in the oven (don't remember the temp) with a stick of butter between them. Cook about an hour, frequently brushing them with the melted butter.

B. Thinly slice a firm tomato and lay out on a platter, slightly overlapping slices. Dice a small white onion and spread evenly over tomatoes. Pour a bunch of Italian Dressing over the platter and refrig until dinner.

C. Cook mixed Chinese veggies like it says on the frozen box.

D. Cook a wild rice/rice pilaf/whatever you can find like this same as C. above.

E. Either buy fresh baguettes or find a good frozen French/Italian bread and bake --- though since the birds are in the oven, the fresh loaf is preferable.

F. Put a stick of butter in a nice little plate -- don't put out a tub of margarine.

G. For desert, set out 4 cannoli (sp?) on a nice crystal dish --- fresh from the frig after dinner, not with the other stuff.

It is super easy. More importantly, it looks very difficult (be sure you've discarded the frozen food containers), it look absolutely marvelous with the mixed colors, the beautiful golden brown bird, the red and white tomato thing, etc., and no woman thinks any guy in his 20's can boil water.

Oh, drinks optional, but for some reason, Cold Duck was huge back then.




`

Munc, Cornish game hens a la Tom Jones, huh. When I saw your reference to that "shocking" movie scene, I remembered it. Tom and his ladyfriend had oysters, too, I think. Your romantic menu from the Cold Duck days does sound quite nice, but I have to admit that I am a little confused by the raw onions, even though they do sound pretty with the red tomatoes. But I'm sure you did just fine......as long as both of you ate the onions.

Anyway, I just have to develop a little more of this scene from those Cold Duck days. I am wondering if you had mutton chop sideburns and a mustache, and Ferrante and Teicher on the stereo, their romantic tunes coming through giant speakers you probably were using as end tables. And I hope you added to the ambiance with one of those dripping candles stuck in an empty Chianti bottle in a basket. (Aw, c'mon, Munc, how close am I?)

And who knew that now a KitchenAid mixer can be a chick magnet? Oh my, the things I learn on TOTV......

Boomer

[graciegirl]

Ah. You are conjuring up some great memories.

I think it was on a night like that one of my children was conceived.

Cold duck.
Ferrante and Teicher.

YES!

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Bettiboop

I'm a two-KA-stand-mixer gal. Have used the mixer three times just today. Used to (and still do sometimes) do baking for others and two comes in handy when doing a lot of baking at once. I'm trying to figure out how to consolidate all my baking supplies down if I should move to TV. Currently I have a room full of baking supplies ..but I digress.

Betti,

Even though I realize that this thread digressed from KitchenAid mixers to Ferrante and Teicher, I do want to take it back to the original intent of being a Villages Kitchen thing so I can ask a question. (I do love it when threads run off track though. It is fun.)

Anyway it sounds like you know your way around a kitchen and it seems like you would be the perfect person to ask about this. The question is.......what is your baking chocolate of choice? What brand? What do you like to use when you are going for broke on those wonderful, decadent chocolate recipes?

Boomer

Addendum: Of course, I have to digress once again and admit that I went to You Tube to try to find a romantic Ferrante and Teicher tune to put here for Gracie's trip down memory lane.......or shall we call it the primrose path? Anyway, I could not find anything that was perfect. This one was the best I could do. It is not really very romantic or seductive, at all. It is more of a tune for getting chased around the dining room table.......while pretending to run. But you just gotta click on the link, if for no other reason than to see the outfits worn by Ferrante and Teicher, way back when.....Geez.....how old am I anyway?????

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY4NdkgV3Dk[/ame]

[katezbox]

Betty,

I am curious what you use as well. If I want to go for broke, I use Scharfenberger. A less-expensive (but still good) alternative is Ghirardelli.

[graciegirl]

Boom. I love you. You are so witty and disarming.

Kate. I bow to you. You are one fancy cook and skinny too!

Boop. I can't wait to meet you.

Isn't it amazing that you can find such wonderful friends by typing in your basement?

[Bettiboop]

Oh, I hope I didn't give the impression that I knew what I was doing when it comes to baking and chocolate. I'm not a pro by any stretch of the imagination, but I haven't had any complaints yet.

My standard chocolate of choice would be Ghirardelli for all my baking and candy making. On occasion I have used Callebaut or Guittard and some others but normally stick with the Ghirardelli.

Anybody a candy maker? I have trouble with my chocolate candy or truffles "blooming" sometimes. I know it probably has something to do with my tempering, but can't seem to get it right on a consistent basis. What is the secret?

Just as an aside: I've had to really cut back on all the baking as it became detrimental to my health...can you say 35-lb weight gain!?! LOL I'm in the process of switching to another hobby...one that is not so fattening. My husband just shakes his head. But I digress.....

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Bettiboop

Oh, I hope I didn't give the impression that I knew what I was doing when it comes to baking and chocolate. I'm not a pro by any stretch of the imagination, but I haven't had any complaints yet.

My standard chocolate of choice would be Ghirardelli for all my baking and candy making. On occasion I have used Callebaut or Guittard and some others but normally stick with the Ghirardelli.

Anybody a candy maker? I have trouble with my chocolate candy or truffles "blooming" sometimes. I know it probably has something to do with my tempering, but can't seem to get it right on a consistent basis. What is the secret?

Just as an aside: I've had to really cut back on all the baking as it became detrimental to my health...can you say 35-lb weight gain!?! LOL I'm in the process of switching to another hobby...one that is not so fattening. My husband just shakes his head. But I digress.....

MERCY! I don't know what Blooming or tempering mean as related to the kitchen. I did so want to have you over for vittles too.

[Bettiboop]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

MERCY! I don't know what Blooming or tempering mean as related to the kitchen. I did so want to have you over for vittles too.

GG, word has it you are the best at cookin' up them vittles!

[katezbox]

Oh Gracie,

I loved you anyway - but to call me skinny - now that is a true friend. And I'll try some truffles at Christmas. The tempering is a challenge - but I follow the recipe as precisely as possible.