Puzzle Description Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

#1: Ellen Vollor (evollor) on Oct 8, 2016

I abhor cooking!!! I like to bake, though. I have been creating other things instead. I have been making holiday wreaths, sewing, repurposing furniture, etc. Is that making me smarter? BTW, love the puzzles!!

In the beginning it started to look like a hamburger and I was hoping that eating would be a hobby that made you smarter. Oh, well. Very nice. Especially since this was an unexpected illustration for cooking.

The image is so clever Teresa. I like cooking and trying new recipes. However, I really like my old tried and tested favorites!

I enjoy cooking too but I hate the cleaning up. I'm sure that what you prepared here is some extremely haute cuisine dish Teresa,but I can't help mentioning that you may have prepared an alien dish and your serving it in their spacecraft. :)

bon appetit

Fun puzzle and great image, Teresa.
Ellen, I'm sure the creative things you describe have the same effect as cooking in terms of brain improvement.
I wrote a cookbook for the Easy-Bake Oven, which includes recipes for cakes, cookies, quick breads, even hamburgers, pizza and yeast bread. It took a lot of work developing and testing the recipes and added a few pounds to my weight. I hope it added some brain cells, too.

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

My trouble is I create something new but forget to write down what I did and then I can't remember. I too saw a spaceship or maybe a curling rock but the image is spectacular.

great final image teresa :)

Happened to experiment a little with the Belgian waffle maker last night...was attempting to make waffles that are a bit crispy on the outside and as light as possibly on the inside. Swiped parts from a few other recipes and added some of my own. Turned out really well! You can multiply this up, I based it all on one egg since that can't be reduced down. This makes enough batter for two large Belgian waffles (if you double it it could probably make 5):

Sift together 3/4c+1Tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3 Tbsp corn starch, 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt.
Separately mix 1 egg yolk, 1/4c canola oil, 1/2c milk, 1/2c buttermilk, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp almond extract.
Pour wet mix into dry and mix until just combined. Don't overwork it.
Whip egg white and 2 more tsp of sugar to stiff peaks and fold into batter until just combined.
Follow waffle maker instructions.
When they come out, put them in a 200 deg oven for at least 5 minutes...crisps them a bit and lets you stash a batch to be served at same time :)

Enjoy!

That sounds so good. But my waffle maker died. But I'll copy this anyway for when I can get a new one.

Oh my gosh, David, I'm coming over to your house after church next Sunday, okay? Yum!

What is being served on my silver alien tray? An angus burger hot off the grill with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.

Did I mention I cannot cook? I can however make a delish healthy smoothie with my Magic Bullet: Kale, banana, plain yogurt, blueberries, fat free milk, and splenda for a guilt-free treat I enjoy every day.

David's waffles and Teresa's burgers both sound delicious. I tried my hands at making crèpes once. They turned out really good. I think I might try them again sometime. My wife Niki has a magic bullet but I've never seen her cook with it before. :)

different kind of magic bullet al

OHHHH. :)

Cooking is just the opportunity to make 4 million errors.

mmmm....4 million delicious, delicious errors...

Fun. Never thought of that as an educational hobby.

I LOVE experimenting with new stuff. I love making crepes, sushi, omelettes, omelette burgers, stir frys, battered chicken nuggets (so much tastier than breading), teriyaki salmon that is melt-in-your-mouth tender and juicy... I've never ever made traditional meatloaf. I saw my mom's recipe and thought, "I can switch out this for that, this here for another thing, and this flavor can totally take that thing's place. Et voila! An Asian twist on a classic entrée." Orange chicken meatloaf. It is so good. But I hate baking so I don't make it much. In the winter, I love to make my really simple cream of chicken noodle soup. It hits the spot on a cold day. Today is not that day. (90 degree July weather.) Overall, I've learned that if one knows the principles of food, one can change up the recipe as they please and still get something really, really good.

ROFL #14!!

I make a fabulous (he said modestly) spaghetti sauce, with meat and veggies. Some secrets: Start with 3 different cans of tomato (ground peeled, crushed, and puree, plus that little can of paste) in your uncovered large pot over low heat. STIR IT OFTEN. (pro tip: swirl a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pot first, which minimizes any burning on the bottom caused by failure to stir it often enough.) In a large skillet, brown about a pound of your ground meat (I usually use meatloaf mix, which is a mix of ground beef, pork and veal, but you can pick anything else, such as ground turkey for less fat) over medium low heat with plenty of seasonings including salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a little tarragon(!). By now the sauce is starting to bubble. Stir in the browned meat, leaving the meat grease in the skillet. Add a good dollop of butter to the warm skillet, and saute sliced mushrooms and minced garlic in the butter / grease adding salt, pepper, rosemary and sage. When the shrooms are rubbery and the garlic sweet, stir them into the sauce pot, reducing heat to simmer. Add olive oil (more than you'd think) to the skillet, and saute chopped peppers (one green, one yellow) and a sweet onion with five-spice (yes), tarragon and parsley. When soft, stir them into the sauce including the too-much oil. Then you can wash your dishes while the whole mix simmers away. I should have mentioned to start heating your pasta water over medium to medium-high heat even before starting your sauce, because I use a huge (lobster-sized) pot which takes forever to boil. When it finally reaches a boil, add a lot of salt to the water. It should be "as salty as the sea", and by waiting for the water to boil, it won't pit your pot. It takes experience to know the right amount of salt, because you don't want to taste boiling water.
Now you an add seasonings to the sauce. Stir in basil, oregano and a squidge of Dijon mustard (not much!). I prefer dried herbs for cooking, and fresh sprinkled on the serving. hopefully by now the water is finally boiling. Add your pasta, and time it to the second according to the box (Barilla spaghetti is 9 minutes for al dente). Simmer the sauce covered as long as possible, but when the pasta is done and drained, the sauce is ready to eat. You had better have been stirring the sauce every few minutes the whole time! A few minutes before serving, stir in a few tablespoons of grated cheese.
The secrets to the sauce are (1) seasoning well each ingredient prior to adding it, (2) chopping your peppers and onions not too small, and (3) the unexpected hints of flavor from the mustard, the five-spiced peppers, the tarragon in the meat, the salted water, the cheese.
Also, when you drain your pasta, do not add butter or some of the sauce - pasta should be left as is, to better grip the sauce.
Serve a scoop of sauce over a bowl of hot pasta. Have on the table freshly grated Parmesan or Romano (or both), fresh basil, fresh oregano, garlic bread, and a good bottle of red wine.
Bon apetit!

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

Show: Spoilers

Goto next topic

You must register and log in to be able to participate in this discussion.