EllenC

The Hot Chocolate on a Stick is interesting. It tasted very good in my mug of steamed milk. Melted well, and stirred in well enough. However, it presents a number of challenges which will have to be thought out...for next year. The stick: what to use? Popsicle sticks, plastic spoons? Stir sticks swiped from Starbucks (don't report me please. Think of all the stir sticks I never used in the past. ) When the chocolate melts, a stick is not the optimum stirrer. The instructions on how to use: hmmmm... and where to put them? One photo showed a sort of banner stuck at one end. Not only useful, but also decorative. The mold: ice cube trays are the correct size: 1 oz. But you cannot smooth them off properly. The deep cheapo chocolate molds worked well. No problem getting a clean shape. However, you need 2 to a 8 oz cup of steamed milk...but then 2 sticks needed. I could have purchased something more useful...but have no time, etc. Packaging: In a long cellophane bag? Several in a box? Oh heck. Too many variables for this tired mind. Back I go to truffles, dipped ginger anddipped Montelimar nougat. Darienne, what's your recipe for the chocolate on a stick? I may want to try that.... Thanks. Lots of neat ideas. I am dipping fat pretzels, making spritz cookies and candying citrus peel. I am also giving out homemade vanilla. Not a lot of things but good enough for the girls I go with... Ellen

I thought I would update those of you who have or may want this pan. I emailed Nordicware and they sent me a lovely email in reply: "Ellen, I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with the teacake pan! If you have ever used regular cooking spray to grease it, though, that could possibly be the culprit. Cooking spray can leave an almost-invisible residue that makes for a sticking problem on subsequent use. Try giving the pan a good (1/2 hour or so) soaking in really, really hot, soapy water, and then a good scrubbing with a textured scrubber (not steel wool, though!), or a brush. Then try baking again to see if it makes a difference. Let us know if you still have problems after that. For good measure, below I will include some detailed information for getting the best results with our fancy baking pans.Good luck, and keep us posted!" Apparently Lecithin in spary oil can create a film on the pans. So I put some Dawn dish detergent in the pan and filled the sink with the hottest water I can get out of my tap. I left it to soak overnight because I was tired. The next day I washed it out, rinced and dried well. Then I made a box cake mix because I hate using up really good ingredients on crumbles that just end up in the vacuum that is my son. (I want him to only get the good ingredients when they look good apparently.) The cake was chocolate. They came out of the pan perfectly. I cooled them for five minutes and they popped right out. I think next time, I will use a pastry bag to fill them so the details are more crisp. It is very important to avoid air bubbles to get a good look to the finished product. Oh yeah, I sprayed them with Bakers Joy®. I filled them about 2/3 full. That makes them rise to just the right height. They are the perfect size for one bite. Cakes that are dusted with powdered sugar are best so you can see the details. I have pictures if someone wants to see them. Thanks for all your great suggestions. Ellen

Oh, oh! /hand up/ I know this one! Dip the apples in a some water with a touch of lemon juice or, in a pinch, vinegar. They keep fairly well like that - I once had some slices stay white for two days after a bath. Better yet, pineapple juice. It gives a nice flavor to the apples and is more kid friendly. E

I actually steam my grapes. I have a three part steamer. The bottom holds water on the stove the top is a strainer that holds the grapes and the middle collects the juice. I canned about 100 quarts this year over the course of three weeks. (After work and on weekends of course.) The juice from the red grapes is thick and syrupy and the juice from the green grapes is golden slightly tart. Both are good in different ways. I also used the juice for grape jam. Yummy. Ellen

Okay... I will try again. I was starting to suffer withdrawal pains because I have not used my propane torch in weeks. I am baking tonight!

So over the weekend, I thought I would try all the ideas. I decided to make hjshorter's Sour Cream Spice Cake. It is delicious and very light. I usually make it in a bundt pan so I figured it might work for this application. I whipped up a batch of Annie's pan grease. I used a pastry brush to slather it on the pan like sun screen. (Maybe I'm not using enough sun screen?) I filled the holes too full. Then I baked it. Four little cakes came out of the pan. Even after banging it on the counter, nothing else released. Fortunately, I have a 21 year old son who is ready, willing and able to pluck the little failures out of the pan and pop them in his mouth. I have some Peter's milk chocolate. Maybe this weekend I will try that. What a bummer. It's a lovely pan... Ellen

... but every time I try to bake a cake or brownies in it they won't release. I've used pan spray and Bakers Joy and brushing melted butter and brushing oil in the crevases but nothing works. How can I make this work? I've also thought about making fudge and then putting it in the pan, but I don't want to waste a batch of fudge if I will have the same problem. Here is a link to the pan in case you want to look at it: Bundt Pan Totally cute pan, but not very useful right now. Unless of course I want to make trifle with a massive infusion of frustration! Thanks, Ellen

I like black rice. It is a lovely color of purple when cooked and I agree that with the stock and maybe some walnuts it would be a terrific filling for your purple cabbage rolls. Blanch the cabbage in water that has some vinegar to soften the leaves and set the color. I can't wait to see your pictures. Ellen

This is such a lovely idea and I'm sure it will be really appreciated. Please remember that the more options you give people, the more they will eat. You may want to increase your output a bit. Just a thought. E

I was taught it's a "Popeye". That was in Colorado. The guy who made it for me told me it started in the Depression and was only authentic if you make it with bacon fat. Yum!

Sorry it took so long to respond. It stinks when that work thing gets in the way of my real life. The ingredients are: sugar, wild cherries, glucose syrup, water, wild cherry juice (4%), citric acid, flavourings, colour E 163 (anthocyanins), preservative sulphur dioxide (remainder). Product of Italy. I started an experiment. I have a jar of dark sweet cherries and I made a syrup from red tart cherry and queen anne cherries that I juiced and mixed with suger. They are macerating. I figure that even if I cant completely duplicate these, I will have fun trying. My friend just gave me some frozen pie cherries tonight to experiment on. I will use more of the juice to make syrup and start these cherries soaking tomorrow. Please offer up your ideas. I will keep you informed on how the experiments are going. Ellen

I recently came across these in a little Italian shop here in town. I took them home. Most of them got covered in chocolate. The juice was used by blending it with more chocolate and rolled in toasted almonds. Then I tried to stick my head in the jar to lick up every last drop. They are that good. What I really want to know is how to recreate them myself. I have googled and googled and all I find is that there is a secret recipe. That felt like a challenge right there. Have you tried these? Can you help me with how to maybe re-create them? Help me eGullet! You're my only hope. Otherwise I will need to take out a second mortgage on my home. Thanks, Ellen

I just recently bought 8 white square plates at a Dollar Tree store. Great plates for $1 each. It's at least worth a look. Ellen

I do these types of parties a few times a year and I think your menu looks good. I agree with all of Jackal's suggestions. You can buy the eggs at Costco (96 eggs is 192 halves - I doubt Jackal will mind that you are 8 halves short). I would boil the eggs and make the filling in a zipper bag as suggested. If you put two halves of egg white back together you can store them in a container and just put paper towells between the layers of hollow eggs. Then fill from the bag just before serving. I also suggest some sort of crudites and dip. But with as much as you are doing, feel free to buy them at Costco and rearrange them on another platter. Have fun!

I have a white chef's coat because a friend who was in culinary school gave it to me. The only time I wear it at home is when I am making wedding cake. I am a pretty good amateur baker/cook and occasionally my gift to the bride will be the wedding cake. Then I wear the coat and a pair of checked cooks pants and deliver the cake in it. The frosting comes out in the wash and I don't screw up any of my other clothes. I only do that when I'm cooking for the family (screw up my clothes, I mean). Ellen

This is a really good point. He does have a cell phone , but he also has an electronic Japanese to English dictionary he bought when he first got there. I wonder if he is still carying that? Thank you to both prasantrin and Hiroyuki for the help. Ellen

prasantrin, Thank you so much for the help. The reason for the convolutions in asking through his mom probably has many parts. He is serving a mission for our church and his companion is also a 20 year old young man from the US. Of the two of them, JT's language skills are probably better - at least that's what his companion tells me. He could ask other members from the church (or probably even people he is talking to on the street - I find the nihonjin to be especially helpful), but I think he feels like he was sent there to serve them, and doesn't want to impose. So instead he helps them move or weeds their gardens or teaches them English, or whatever he can do to help and tries not to pester them with questions. He only gets 1/2 hour per week to email his mom, so joining eGullet is out. It probably also has to do with the y chromosome and the fact that his is a rather large black man in Japan and gets enough attention already. Or maybe he doesn't mind asking his mom, but doesn't want to look stupid to the people he has met there. Silly, I know, but what's a mom to do? Ellen PS - I should also add that he tends to focus fully on the task at hand so another reason may be that he forgets to ask until he is looking for it and then he gets frustrated and goes on to something else.

Hello. My son is living in Matsudo Chiba and is looking for baking soda and baking powder. He speaks Japanese pretty well and reads both hiragana and katakana, but he doesn't know what he's looking for. Can someone please give me a translation for these two ingredients, and perhaps the kana to go with it? Thank you so much for your help. Ellen

That's a great salad. I would just suggest you roast and salt the walnuts first. The hit of salty-ness in with the sweet is awesome. Ellen

What about a simple ramen? Can the children use scissors? Maybe they could snip the green onions and help put the noodles in the broth you make on the hot plate. Then you could show them how to use chop sticks. I find that if you make the kid friendly ones with a rubberband and the paper cover, most 3 year olds can do it. Fun and interactive and safe. (Inspired by your avatar actually.) Just a thought. Ellen

Thank you. I cook in several of my friends' homes and I find that I can usually do just fine with what they have. However, this weekend I took my pan thinking that would make it easier to get that lovely golden brown on the potatoes and chicken. (She has all nonstick.) But I just could not get the hang of her glass topped stove. I felt so bad - dinner wasn't nearly as good as it should have been. The stove came with the house, so I certainly don't blame her. But I felt bad. I told her that means she needs to invite me over to cook more often, so I can get the hang of her stove. I hope she does. Ellen

Martha Stewart had Blumenthal on her show last week. Here is a link to his recipe for ice cream using dry ice. Click

Thank you thank you. Bull dog apparently exports, because I have seen this sauce in my neighbors pantry. They just always call it bull dog. Who knew? Ellen

Hiroyuki, I read the thread you pointed to, and I am wondering, what is chuunou sauce? I have oyster and eel sauces at home but this is new to me. Thank you so much for always helping with answers. (especially since I am a silly gaijin in Idaho and have to hunt for ingredients) Ellen

I am a member of the LDS church and I use extracts in my cooking/baking. Unless the bride and groom specifically told you that they avoid all alcohol including extracts, I would not worry about it. Use vodka and don't get too excited. I make my vanilla extract and I buy my vodka, rum and bourbon at the liquor store down the street from the church. People beg to get my extract. I don't drink and my LDS friends don't drink, but it's not like you are soaking the cake in alcohol. I agree with Annie. Ellen