Endless Simmer - A Food Blog

A few months back, we had a lively discussion on ES about the importance of freezing bread. Here’s an instructional excerpt from Tim:

…thin bread from the freezer is so easy to butter before you toast, broil, or fry it. Mmm.
Bread in the fridge, however, will keep longer but will affect the quality and texture and will taste stale. Help educate your friends to stop bread refrigeration.

I’ve been trying to follow this advice. However, I still think there’s nothing better than fresh bread - bagels, baguettes, whatever - fresh beats frozen by a mile. So now when I buy any kind of bread, I try to make an exact calculation of how long it will last and keep just the right amount unfrozen. For example, I’ll buy a loaf of bread, keep six slices in the breadbox for the next three or four days and freeze the rest immediately. (The breadbox is metaphorical, I don’t really have one, who does anymore?)

In general, this works out well, but with this crazy modern life you never do know what’s gonna pop up at the last minute, and from time to time I estimate incorrectly and end up with that one rock hard stale bagel or slice of bread that I really should have just frozen in the first place.

My point is, life is pretty difficult these days. But my better point is, ya gotta have some recipes for stale bread.

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OK folks, time for your lazy Friday post.As I mentioned, the D.C. staff is a little under the weather today, and I was gonna write up a recipe, but um…I don’t feel like it. Anyways, I stumbled upon this pretty great video on The Pink Hobart.

We had a long discussion at the Foodbuzz dinner about how many hits you get when the title of your post is about Giada and food, because um, Internet fans just love her recipes I guess. Enjoy…

Technorati Tags: Giada, Food Network, Video

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Hey look, it’s gansie wearing a gansie.

Happy 19th..21st…Oh who cares? It’s gansie’s 20-something’d b-day!

Endless Simmer’s D.C. bureau was out happy hour-ing it up last night at Madhatter for everybody’s favorite restaurant critic/beauty contest winner (ish)/supermarket shopper/Washington Post-approved gourmet chef’s b-day. I haven’t seen any photographic evidence of the celebration so far, but I think this stock photo captures the general idea:

80p: what do you mean I have to plan a happy hour?

Anyways, I wouldn’t hold your breath for an outpouring of creative output from the team today. (Gansie’s current gchat status message: me need couch.)

Happy Birthday Gansie!

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While you’re bitching about the pending commercial hell of DC USA—the new shopping center starring Target—and how it will ruin the neighborhood spirit, grab a bite to eat across the street at Logan @ The Heights. Take in the goth interior, reminiscent of a Meatloaf video, as you start in on the mussels, soaked in a creamy sauce and perfect for a bread-soaking session. Skip the fried baby artichokes, as they are oily and served in portions too small to justify the $8.50 price tag; also skip the Southern fried chicken (it’s dry) and the grilled salmon that seems to be served with Aunt Jemima (actually a “citrus-maple sauce”). Sandwiches are where it’s at here: both the burger and the pretend burger—eggplant and Portobella mushroom with feta and sun-dried tomato—are juicy and filling, and served with hand-cut fries.
For: Eating at a local joint before chain-restaurant hysteria sets in.
Entrees: $9-$22. 202-797 -7227. 3314 14th St, NW (Columbia Heights)

Originally in the Onion - AV Club / DC local edition

Photo: Flickr user, otavio_dc

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The Internet is fun and all, but it can be so difficult, right? I mean, all that clicking and typing and backslashing - it’s like having a second job!

We here at Endless Simmer recognize that you don’t have all day for us, and that’s why we’re very pleased to announce The Weekly Simmer - the very best of Endless Simmer, delivered direct to your email inbox, once a week.

Of course, most of you loyal fans will still check Endless Simmer 5 to 6 times a day for updates, but for those of you who tend to (gasp!) forget about us from time to time, we will handpick the best of ES for you once a week. Just pop your email address into that little box below and you’re on your way (you will also have to respond to a confirmation message).

Now - here’s the really exciting news. Because we’re so excited about The Weekly Simmer, we’re offering a FREE $25 gift certificate to the Outback Steakhouse to the 50th person who subscribes to the Weekly Simmer - so don’t be shy!

Oh, and of course we won’t spam you or sell your email addresses or any crap like that. What kind of people do you think we are, anyway?

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9:39 EST

While you watch the last episode, find out what kind of judge you are: judge test
Of course I was Tom.

- - -

9:44 EST

So I went commercial tonight and ordered some Domino’s. While Gansie is off socializing with normal people, I will spend my night talking to my imaginary Internet friends about Top Chef. But I have to give Domino’s credit. They came up with this new invention called the Pizza Tracker. It shows you the 5 steps that happen once you order your pizza online. For instance, I ordered my pizza at 9:20, and at 9:21 I knew that Sonia had started applying toppings. 7 minutes later, Tomar is on the way to my house. Frankly, it’s pretty cool. Nice work, corporate giant.

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9:56 EST

TOMAR!!! WHERE ARE YOU??? 80P HUNGRY!! Hmm, well, according to Pizza Tracker, I have my pizza. Oops

Ok, sorry, no more about me, let’s focus on other people’s problems.

More live blogging (maybe about Top Chef this time) after the break…

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First thing Gansie asked to see in BS’s Brooklyn apartment this past weekend?

The Spice Rack.

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I know, lame title. Total cop-out. My bad.

Like Evo Diva has ranted before, I like to vary my meals between bloody steaks and salad greens laced with whole grains and vegetables. 80, my normal dining partner however, still likes to see a cut of meat on his dinner plate. So it took all of my debate team skills to convince him to eat a totally vegetarian dinner.

Oh, and I’m totally lying. I just think it would sound cool if I actually knew how to win an argument by debate skills. I actually spent my after school hours playing field hockey in the fall, lacrosse in the spring and watching my then-boyfriend play video games in the winter.

Anyway, as I pride myself in keeping a well-stocked pantry, on my walk home from work (with 80) I tried to piece together a meal without having to go to the store for anything. And I almost made it. After I decided to make a lasagna, but with eggplant strips instead of noodles (thanks, Vi), the only way I could sell 80 on the idea was to stop by the store so we could cover the whole thing with mozzarella cheese.

Real quick on the eggplant, so I bought it to use for this DC food bloggers potluck. But I was too hung over and just couldn’t get it together, especially after belmontmedina was bailing. Luckily, though, Mr. So Good filled me in on some of the details. I promise to be a better part of the community and attend the next one - headache and all.

Read on for what I guess I could have made if I wasn’t playing flip cup like a 20 year old the night before.

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Oh RayRay, will you never stop?

Food Network gave you a cooking show, even though you aren’t, you know, a chef. Oprah gave you a talk show, even though America can’t stand the sound of your voice. Magazines, books, indie rock, etc…if a medium exists, Rachael Ray is intent on conquering it.

Now comes word that the Rayster will be going animated for her very own cartoon show. Here’s the news from PopCrunch (via Slashfood)

Rachael is developing a cartoon, featuring herself as a young chef, for a January 2009 release thorough Oprah’s Harpo Productions.

“It’s in the very early stages of production,” an insider says. “Rachael is working with illustrators, trying to get the right look for her character.”  

This might be the first thing since Fraggle Rock that gets me to wake up early on Saturday mornings - but only if she recruits Anthony Bourdain to voice a Gargamel-esque villain.

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