What's the last thing you made that didn't turn out good? (mushrooms, avocado)

[missik999]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Jack Daniels IS bourbon. I don't get it?

Jack Daniels is Tennessee Whiskey rather than bourbon, it has something to do with the filtering process. I don't remember the exact reasons but they explain it very well if you ever follow the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tours.

The JD website also explains the difference between bourbon and Kentucky Whiskey, IIRC.

[lubby]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Jack Daniels IS bourbon. I don't get it?

It's a sour mash tennessee whiskey according to Jack Daniel's.Any way it was still horrible.

[CowanStern]

Originally Posted by missik999

An eggplant casserole. The eggplant had a really strong bad taste that ruined the entire casserole.

Eggplant slices need to be gently sauteed in oil, until they are completely soft and offer no resistance to a fork. That's the only way (that I know of) to get the "raw" taste out of them. They don't need to be peeled then, either.

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by CowanStern

Eggplant slices need to be gently sauteed in oil, until they are completely soft and offer no resistance to a fork. That's the only way (that I know of) to get the "raw" taste out of them. They don't need to be peeled then, either.

I bake eggplant using only a small amount of oil and it turns out pretty good.

Be sure to use fresh eggplant - it is firm, a rich purple with green stem and it has a bit of weight to it.

An older eggplant feels kind of spongy and light - they tend to cook up rubbery unless you infuse them with a lot of oil.

Also, did you know that there are "boy" and "girl" eggplants? I didn't know that until very recently. The girl eggplants have more seeds, and those seeds are what taste bitter. You can do an internet search to find out how to tell the difference between the two.

[missik999]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

I bake eggplant using only a small amount of oil and it turns out pretty good.

Be sure to use fresh eggplant - it is firm, a rich purple with green stem and it has a bit of weight to it.

An older eggplant feels kind of spongy and light - they tend to cook up rubbery unless you infuse them with a lot of oil.

Also, did you know that there are "boy" and "girl" eggplants? I didn't know that until very recently. The girl eggplants have more seeds, and those seeds are what taste bitter. You can do an internet search to find out how to tell the difference between the two.

Thank you! I had no idea eggplants were boys or girls! I just know that this eggplant had many more seeds than usual. I will do some research on eggplants before I buy another.

[gentlearts]

Actually I think it is that, although they are basically the same, bourbon can only come from Kentucky.

[missik999]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Actually I think it is that, although they are basically the same, bourbon can only come from Kentucky.

Actually that is a misconception, bourbon can come from any state as long as it meets certain regulations. One regulation is that it has to be aged in new oak barrels that are used once only. Another is that it can't be more than 160 proof.

I know that bourbon is made in southern Indiana, Virginia and Texas. One reason Kentucky has so many bourbon distillaries is because of the limestone deposits. I guess it requires lime in the water to make good bourbon.

I just did the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with my dad last week. It is an excellent, very informative way to spend a couple of days. Lots of samples at every stop, too.

[TracySam]

I made baked macaroni & cheese following a recipe in Wine Spectator. It was from a piece they did on pairing wines with comfort food. So this mac & cheese was supposed to be good paired with a sauvignon blanc. Well, the sauvignon blanc turned out great!

But the mac & cheese was not cheesy enough and was very bland. I love mac & cheese with burned edges, but the cheese inside needs to be creamy and melty. This recipe resulted in "stretchy" rubber bands of cheese (which is fine, if there is also creamy cheese too) and the oil from when cheese separates when it cooks. So it was oily, and the pasta pieces were just oily with a little stretchy cheese around them. I had to doctor it all up with lots more salt & pepper, and covered it with more shredded cheese and threw it back in the oven, so at least I had a cheesy melty crust on top. I ended up eating just the top part that I had re-cheesed. What a disappointment!

So I gave the rest of the mac & cheese to the boyfriend (what does he know?) and I polished off the wine myself. Thanks Wine Spectator.

[Caligula1]

Last Mac & Cheese I made was pretty nasty.
I'm loosing my desire to even eat the stuff anymore.
I have made it for so many years I just dont like it now..
It was edible to others but to me it was just Blaaa....

I normally make a casserole type mac and cheese..
I even tried the cheese sauce kind... still Blaaa

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by missik999

Jack Daniels is Tennessee Whiskey rather than bourbon, it has something to do with the filtering process. I don't remember the exact reasons but they explain it very well if you ever follow the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tours.

The JD website also explains the difference between bourbon and Kentucky Whiskey, IIRC.

They also explain it if you tour the Jack Daniels distillery.

I made pancakes a couple of weeks ago that came out pretty awful. I do fine making the batter, but can't seem to make "pretty pancakes". Something so simple, but it's always eluded me.

I hadn't tried them in a long time and probably won't try them again for another long time.