Comments on: three from the files

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:14:39 +0000

For recipe storage, have you ever used del.icio.us ? It’s a social bookmarking site, so you can tag websites (read: recipes) to show up on other people’s del.icio.us sites, and you can make a great little cookbook with it, too (I tag all my recipes with key ingredient, type of food (your subcategory) and the word “recipe” – it’ll make sense when you see it. You should try it, it’s fabulous.
http://del.icio.us/

ps. I don’t work for them, I swear.

By: calico13

calico13 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:41:51 +0000

Thank you so much for the salad recipe. As it happens, I bought a squash just the other day. It sounds so tasty!

Thanks for the tips on how to cut up a squash, too, it always seems so daunting. I’m going to try your “peel first” technique!

Also, for the person who was wondering about fridge-life of tahini, I’ve been known to have the same jar for a year or so, and I’ve never gotten sick. YMMV! :)

By: Sonya

Sonya — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:05:07 +0000

I made the leeks last night as part of our Valentine’s Dinner and they were amazing. So wonderful and tender and the flavor was just so … full. That’s the best way to describe it. I hope to make the butternut squash dish this weekend. Love your website and congrats on the Real Simple mention.

By: Lydia

Lydia — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:46:08 +0000

Deb, I love the first photo of the peeled squash. Lovely colors!

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:16:04 +0000

I’ve Got The Timbos On The Toes And This Is How It Goes
Oh One Two, Oh My God

By: Nichole

Nichole — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:08:10 +0000

I just saw this recipe on David’s site this weekend and though I need to make this and I see you made it first! I am trying it this weekend. :)

By: Jenny

Jenny — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:39:42 +0000

I saw that ice cream and nearly swooned. Salted caramel! Then I remembered that I’m a poor student who can’t fit an ice cream maker into her kitchen budget. Some day!

I’m definitely trying the salad. Deconstructed hummus sounds great!

By: Erinn Johnson

Erinn Johnson — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:51:51 +0000

Deb-do you have a good daube recipe to share? My husband just requested it this past weekend. I made the beef stew from Tyler’s Ultimate and he said daube would be good in the near future.

By: deb

deb — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:05:02 +0000

All right, if I ever get over my fear of being on camera, oh, and also ever borrow a video camera, I promise to create a video of this. Maybe even soon. But until then, here is How Deb Tames a Butternut Squash (in words):

1. Peel the squash, twice. The first time you peel it, it doesn’t take enough off, no matter how good your peeler is. Trust me, there is no harm in taking a little extra off. If you look at the top photo, you can see some slightly yellow streakiness–that is how the squash looks when it is only peeled once. Peeling it a second time allows you to get to the all orange layer.

2. Get out your sharpest, largest knife. Sharpen it again.

3. Sever the squash head from the neck with a horizontal cut. Yes, I could have explained that less gruesomely, but that would have been less fun.

4. Cube the neck (narrow section): First, cut off the stem. Second, lay it on its side, and cut the thinnest slice off the bottom. This creates a bevel so the squash neck can lie on its side without rolling away or your knife swinging off and beveling you. Third, rest the squash neck on its beveled side; it should be stable. Fourth, begin making lengthwise cuts, at whichever intervals (such as one inch) you want to create your cubes. Fifth, remove the last one and put it aside (creating a second bevel), and turn the stack of lengthwise cuts on their side. Create lengthwise cuts the other way, creating big fat orange matchsticks. Sixth, cut these in the other direction until you have cubes. Cut the slice you put aside, as well.

5. Cube the head (round base): First, cut off the base stump with a horizontal cut. This creates a bevel at the base. Rest the round part on its new base; it should be stable. Cut this in half with a vertical cut. Scoop the seeds out from both sides with a spoon. (These are excellent cleaned and toasted, just like pumpkin seeds.) Put the scooped-out halves face down (again, flat, stable) and create cuts at one-inch intervals in both directions, as you would chop an onion, until you have the base cubed.

6. Marvel that it isn’t as complicated as these long directions make it sound.

By: spoiledonlychild

spoiledonlychild — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:37:27 +0000

I’m with Jennifer. Love butternut squash but find it such a pain to cut up, and so expensive to buy pre-cut. Any tips for chopping butternuts anyone?