Lucy wrote:

> -boneless skinless chicken breasts that were raw (yes, raw!) in the
> middle, with burned garlic, and little onions. I put plenty of olive oil
> in the pan, and yet when I lifted them to turn them over.. I ripped some
> of the flesh off, as it stuck to the pan. haha

Coupla things to address he

1. In a sauté, garlic should be added near the end. It doesn't need to cook
long, and if it *does* cook at high (or medium-high) heat for any length of
time, it will turn bitter.

2. I'm assuming you weren't using a nonstick pan. If I'm going to cook
chicken breasts and NOT make a pan sauce, then nonstick is the safer option.
Still, a "normal" pan would work, but you should follow these guidelines:

a. Make sure the oil is hot before you put the chicken in the pan. If
possible, brine the chicken and bring it close to room temperature
before cooking.

b. Don't make the pan too hot: If you cook at medium-high heat, the
chicken will release itself from the pan when it's done. (This is also
true of fish, and is true not only in pan-frying but in grilling.)

c. Once you've put the chicken into the pan, LEAVE IT ALONE while it
cooks. As mentioned in item "b" above, it will release once it's done
cooking on that side. If it *is* sticking, it's probably not ready to
turn yet.


> -spinach leaves, but only one serving. Who knew it would shrink so much? I
> am tempted to email the FDA and ask them to require manufacturers to put
> on the package: WARNING: Shrinkage does occur, and all the viagra in the
> world isn't going to correct this.

Not just spinach, either: Although spinach has some of the most dramatic
shrinkage, most leafy greens will shrink significantly. A recent poster
discussed making country-style ribs with cabbage, and in the course of the
conversation mentioned that it had cooked down quite a bit.


> -cauliflower florets and stalk, with diced, mushy red pepper. By the time
> I cut off all the black spots, there wasn't much left of the cauliflower,
> so I added chopped up stalk.

Shop carefully! My little town has a farmer's market in the summer months,
and this last summer, one of the vendors was selling BEAUTIFUL cauliflowers.
But I've also gotten an occasional speckled one from the supermarket. The
key is examining the cauliflower as thoroughly as possible before buying it,
and using it promptly after getting it home. More importantly, though,
don't have your heart completely set on making ANY particular item, and
don't buy substandard produce, e.g., if none of the cauliflowers look good,
then don't settle for the best-looking one of the sorry-looking bunch; DON'T
BUY CAULIFLOWER! Get something that *does* look good, and figure out how to
make it taste good and fit in with the other stuff you're making for dinner.

Thinking about the red pepper garnish, I have a few suggestions which really
just reflect my personal tastes:

1. Cauliflower is pretty bland on its own, and in my opinion it needs
something LIVELY to make it interesting. While chopped steamed red peppers
would LOOK good, the flavor would still be pretty muted. But if you'd made
a cheese sauce for the cauliflower, then jarred chopped pickled pimientos
would have been really good and pretty on top of the cauliflower: The
unctuous cheese, the mildly crunchy cauliflower, and the lightly acidic
pimientos would work well together. (When I woke up this afternoon, I had no
idea I was going to use the word "unctuous" today.)

2. Similarly, you could try to pick up the taste of the cauliflower by
adding herbs or spices. Curry powder works well with cauliflower; so do
savory, thyme, coriander, and cardamom. I've got a lemon-garlic salt blend
that works well with cauliflower too. And Penzey's makes several blends
which would be excellent on cauliflower. (see www.penzeys.com. "Salad
Elegant Seasoning" would probably be great, as would "Brady Street Cheese
Sprinkle".)


Don't be discouraged; this has been a GREAT learning experience: Just LOOK
at all the tips you got from this one post!

Bob