Do you ever do this?

[htc]

I went to make some chicken and wild rice soup, I only wanted to make a small batch, but as I cooked 1 cup of wild rice, added the meat of 3 chicken quarters, stock and veggies, it turned into a HUGE pot! I usually don't make my chicken soup from a recipe, so this always happens.

What do you make that goes out of control and you end up with a lot more than you intended?

 

[tweedee]

When cooking rice always remember that when cooking it swells so cook less

 

[luvs]

i do that w/ pasta. i'll put in like one 1/16th of a tsp. of pasta and end up w/ 8 cups of cooked pasta.
seriously, some pasta swells up so much. i put in what looks like 2 oz. of angelhair and end up w/ enough for at least 2 meals and often 3.

 

[SousWee]

I cook for 300 people every night, and I'm bad with pasta too. You can't imagine the mountains of pasta I have left over sometimes

 

[mrsmac]

My dog is handy for those too much pasta nights!! Also since my mum died my dad is on his own so i give him leftovers.
Actually he is starting to get interested in cooking now so I told him about this forum today and he is keen to have a look.

 

[bknox]

Big Batches

My brother and myself wanted to make mustard last summer for a dinner we were preparing. As we adjusted the recipe and added ground mustard, vinegar etc., it grew. As the liquids soaked into the powder, it grew. Because it seemed to get bitter as it sat we would add sugar and wine and it grew some more. We ended up with about a quart and a half of mustard. About 5 pints more than we needed. We used it for months although I felt the recipe was so so.

If anybody has a good recipe for a brown or stone ground mustard I would appreciate it. We also like horseradish mustard. I purchased some 'Real Hot" mustard in Toronto CA from a mustard maker at the St. Lawrence Market (Kozlik's Gourmet Mustards, formally Mustard Makers, I think) and it sparked the notion we could make some ourselves.

If you ever get to Toronto, make sure to visit the St. Lawrence Market. It is a paradise for foodies. Anything you could imagine from fresh meats and seafood to 20 or so types of rice and 20 or so types of olives, jerkies, sausage, smoked, specialty just about anything. Now I want to go back and visit.
Bryan

 

[kyles]

Since I started my healthy eating plan, my portion control and amounts I cook have become a lot better. Previously my husband used to joke that he was going to go out in the streets to invite in passers by!!! Soup and casseroles are my classics for going over the top with amounts.

 

[pdswife]

LOL.. I don't cook for two I cook for 20, when it comes to soups and pasta sauces! lol

 

[Barbara L]

I sometimes have trouble with pasta too. I know that one cup of uncooked rice becomes 3 cups cooked, so I don't have a problem with that anymore, but I do still overdo it with the pasta.

Barbara

 

[kadesma]

wow, I am so happy to be in this good company I really thought I was the only one who could start out with the idea of soup for two and end up ladeling it out on a street corner Pasta, I seem to be ok with but soups I end up with an empty kitchen and refrigerator..Plus the guys at the super market seem to know from my basket it's soup day and really give me the royal treatment
kadesma

 

[ironchef]

Usually one bag of spaghetti is equivalent to 4-5 portions in the restaurant, but 3 portions at my house.