Fess Up, Cuisine@Home!!

[BarbaraS]

[RANT]

All right, C@H, how is it your lasagna looks so picture perfect that it lulls me into a false sense of security that I could do the same?

How is it that your "ready-to-cook" lasagna sheets fill to the edges of a 13x9 lasagna pan when I used the same brand name and it's all I can do to figure out why I have a 1 inch gap around each sheet?

And how is it that not only do your layers are perfectly even when the ones I assembled looked nothing like yours?

Do you have your cookware custom-made?

Do you have your ready-to-use lasagna sheets custom made?

Or is it that you have all the sauces professionally divided out into 7 perfect proportions, ready for perfect assembly?

And how is it that your 8 layers fit perfectly in your 13x9x3 lasagna pan when I've got 2 layers over the top of my 3" deep lasagna pan.

Oh wait, that's why I asked the previous 7 questions...

I think my oven groaned when I put the &*@^! thing into it.

[/RANT]

Barbara

FS: one Mario Batali lasagna pan, deep red, used once.

[Roxanne 21]

Try again, sweetie---it works!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jigsaw puzzles as a child helped me with this one---just fit the pieces in after you break them to fit---and I don't think I had 8 layers---maybe 6 !!

[farnfam]

Hey, I'll buy the pan, waddya want for it???
Cis

[bjcotton]

Ah Hah! I've often wondered about things along those same lines. Yeah, how come?

[DFen911]

Well don't feel bad. If you're talking about the no bake pasta..see my reviews on my lasagna. We didn't care for em. I'm back to doing mind home made of the boil type.

And I have noticed that a lot of their recipes are photo perfect. Remember that layered apple pie? Well the apple mixture come out way too runny to layer like they show.

Guess when you have a food stylist on staff your meals look picture perfect.

[Gourmet_Mom]

It's a pain when you work so hard on a recipe and it doesn't live up to your expectations. But if it tastes good in the end, write down your problems and make notes of ways to make it work next time. Hopefully those that have already made this will continue to add their experiences to make it better next time. Especially since I've got it on this weeks menu and already bought the ingredients. Here's what I plan to do:

First, regarding the picture, they have professionals take those pictures and they work at it to make it look so perfect...even if they have to alter the recipe. On the other hand, I have a recipe from an Italian family that comes out picture perfect...so I know it can be done. I plan to let it rest for 30-40 minutes before cutting.

Second, I'm with Rox on the noodles. I have had to break noodles before to make them fit. It has never hurt the integrity (sp?) of the finished lasagna.

Third, I mentally or physically "cut" my ingredients and sometimes have measured them to make it portion out correctly.

Finally, I had planned to use a 3 1/2 or 4 inch pan...not sure about the size.

As a final note, the recipe I usually use is VERY heavy and makes a LOT of lasagna. I am hoping this recipe will be able to replace my other recipe, but it's got a high standard to live up to. I will save my old one for special occasions. It's a GREAT recipe, but it literally takes ALL day to make. But when it's done, and we've had dinner, I have LOTS to freeze for lunches. I cut my pieces, flash freeze, and seal them with my foodsaver. Works great!

[BarbaraS]

Ladies and Gents,

I will report on my "Attack Of The 8 Foot Lasagna" tomorrow.

We're about to "sleep it off" right now in order to watch the Phillies.

Barbara

[labradors]

The easiest lasagna I ever made was when I worked at Wolfgang's. It was especially delicious because it used a chicken bolognese sauce that we always kept on hand (wish I had the recipe for that sauce).

What made it so easy is that we used refrigerated, ready-made, food-service pasta sheets. Each sheet was the same width as the hotel pans, and 2/3 the length, meaning it only took one and one half sheets for each layer of lasagne.

So, if you have access to fresh pasta sheets, or can make them yourself, don't bother with the jigsaw puzzle of the usual strips of dried pasta.

[HomeCulinarian]

I've made this lasagna several times and it gets easier. I always parboiled the pasta and squished down the layers along the way. It's a little anal, but you can portion out each of the layer ingredients so you don't run out. Even if you do run out of the various layers, it doesn't really matter. The real key to lasagna is giving it the time to set up before cutting & serving.

[Old Bay]

Quote:

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Ladies and Gents,

I will report on my "Attack Of The 8 Foot Lasagna" tomorrow.

We're about to "sleep it off" right now in order to watch the Phillies.

Barbara

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One of our home town boys (Condrey) is a relief pitcher for the Phillies--hope he does well--we've never had anybody in a World Series--good luck!!