misstenacity

I eat my daily HUGE lunch salad (served in a 4 qt stainless mixing bowl - hee!) with chopsticks only - it takes 15-20 minutes, just long enough for one Tivo'ed 'Molto Mario' episode. *grin* Andrea http://foodpart.com

So if I extrapolate correctly, these are your ingredients changes: 1/4 cup real sugar for 1/4 cup Splenda Added chopped chocolate to batter (?) Used fat-free sweetened condensed milk? (I'm not sure which item you are referring to when you say you didn't use the "full-fat" kind) It is possible that the sugar amount just tipped the balance in terms of allowing it to freeze properly. Other things that are known to affect freezing: the amount of cocoa, the amount of salt, any added alcohol. Once when I made this I used "cocoa powder" I bought at a bulk-bin place, and the whole mixture looked rather light in color. Oh well, I just proceeded as usual, and after it was all frozen I noticed 2 things: it was pretty soft & scoopable, and it was overpoweringly sweet. What had happened? Well, the "cocoa powder" turned out to be hot chocolate mix. Doh! I called the store to tell them they had their bulk cocoa mislabeled so they could fix it on the shelf.... but annoying, still. But the additional sugar minus the cocoa powder was enough to make the ice cream really really soft in the end, so perhaps that happened to you? FYI, before I start freezing it, the mixture is like thick pudding - it is not the "creme anglaise" light custard kind of consistency that you might normally have when making a custard-based ice cream. I hope your next batch turns out - I just ate half a batch (which is a departure from eating the whole thing, actually) for my post-lunch snack and it was like my daily heroin fix. Andrea http://foodpart.com

Ooh. Just checked the HD website and found this blurb about an upcoming flavor in their Holiday 2005 Newsletter: "new Mayan Chocolate We’ve returned to the origins of chocolate - rich chocolate ice cream with a hint of cinnamon. In stores in 2006." Here's the Newsletter link. As for Ben & Jerry's, I like Chunky Monkey & Cherry Garcia (and even lived a brief period in college on Blueberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt - how I miss that flavor!), and I'm definitely tempted by the oatmeal cookie flavor since I LOVE oatmeal, but I avoid them because as a company I think they have done some questionable practices (like the CEO fiasco, etc.) as well as having lots of stabilizers in their ice cream formulas. Andrea http://foodpart.com

Has anyone ever gotten a buzz off Rum Raisin? I ate a whole pint of it several months ago and I swear I felt just a wee little bit of giddiness.... Perhaps it was just the sugar, but I dunno.... I *am* a lightweight in the alcohol department. *grin* Andrea http://foodpart.com

XXL-sized bakery cookies (the soft chewy kind like molasses or oatmeal): tear with fingers and pop each piece into my mouth. I tend to tear around the outside, as this is the least chewy portion, so that at the end I have the best part - the ultra-chewy middle bite. Tearing DOES seem to have a dieter's connotation - you are picking at your food to make it last longer or give yourself the option to stop at any point (?). As if I'm going to stop half way through a triple-ginger soft cookie at the coffee shop, whether or not it weighs a half pound! Yum! Andrea http://tenacity.net

Wowza. I have been tweaking some low-fat frozen chocolately desserts for weeks, and I have come up with: Tres Leches Dark Chocolate Ganache Gelato Follow the link for the gory details, as posted on my blog tonight. Enjoy! Andrea http://tenacity.net

This is the scale I have (and the vendor I bought it from): iWeigh 3001. I've had it about 6 months and I LOVE IT. I use it for everything, everything, everything. It has tare, it has counting functions, it totally rocks for $30. Andrea http://tenacity.net

Good topic! I find that when confronted with bad data I just have to use what looks right, or else just "make it up" with my own findings, like what Dukeofyork suggested. That being said, I often use as a "master guide" the amounts shown in Nutritiondata.com, which comes from USDA figures. So my "1/2 cup cocoa" that goes into one pint of chocolate gelato is actually 1/2 of what Nutritiondata says a cup weighs (86g) which is 43g. If I used Dailey's amount and added 62g of cocoa it would be an even richer gelato! Hmmm... Damn, I love my kitchen scale. It has made cooking so much more pleasurable for an obsessive person like myself. Andrea http://tenacity.net

Klary, Technically I guess it was really a flavored meringue, but anyway.... I was in souffle hyper-drive for a few days (see my blog posting here), so I was pretty much souffle-ing everything I could get my paws on. (Kind of reminds me of the streak that eGulleters did with LARBing everything.... ) Thank technology for powdered egg whites, they certainly provided much of the fuel for my meringue/souffle adventures. For the pizza, I had the beets roasted so I thought they might make a nifty sauce instead of tomato. Then I need to add some kind of protein, of course (since I generally eat Zone ratios), and no meat I had really went with beets, so then I thought a puffy egg-white contraption might work instead of cheese, and I just incorporated the goat cheese because I know it works with beets. That was the thought process, anyway. The pizza really did taste good.... I love my whole wheat crust! Andrea http://tenacity.net

*Because* of this thread, when I was making meatloaf the other night I took a spoonful of the lamb-y and beef-y spiced mixture and gave it a try. Yum! You people are corrupting me! *grin* Andrea http://tenacity.net

My favorite bran muffins ever: Alan's Ultimate Muffins They are of course bran muffins, so they are VERY branny, but I love the deep flavor they have, and they stay moist. Andrea http://tenacity.net

Don't forget the teeniest hard core grain: Teff! I'm cooking some up for breakfast porridge right now, and despite its diminutive size, it takes a LONG time to soften up.... its been going at least a half hour and I think it needs at least another 10 minutes. Then again, after I started cooking it (whole grains in water), I went online and found two recipes for porridge, one of which started with teff flour, and the other had you toasting/popping the grains before cooking. Oh well, I'll see how it turns out. I'm starting a batch of teff flour soaking today so I can make injera in a few days. Mmmmm... sour bread.... Andrea http://tenacity.net

Today - the undeniable urge for a poached egg, smooth and runny and littered with a liberal dose of cracked sea salt, on toasted La Brea sourdough. Its salty, its fatty, its bread-y. Yum. Andrea http://tenacity.net

Wow, I made my freakiest pizza yet tonight. Unfortunately I did not take photos of the assembly steps, just the finished product. Base: whole wheat crust, stretched nice and thin and dusted with cornmeal. Sauce: pureed cooked beets with a splash of buttermilk and red wine vinegar Topping: goat cheese souffle (whipped egg white with goat cheese blended in and dill for seasoning) The result: Taste? Damn good! Like a beet & goat cheese salad on a cracker. Hehe. Andrea http://tenacity.net

I can't wait to try Alton's cocoa recipe - I have loved Ina's "outrageous" formulation previously but that much butter and sugar.... eesh. As a side question, I made another batch of the Outrageous brownies today (to take to a baby shower.... hehe), and I had some weird results. Previously I had baked in a glass dish and they turned out great. This time was a 9x13 metal pan (with 1/2 of the standard recipe). As I was cooling the warm choc mixture to room temp, I noticed something that hadn't happened before: it very nearly solidified, like a ganache. I seem to recall that it stayed pretty liquid on other occasions. Anyway, after baking, everything was fine, but when I took the brownies out of the pan and started cutting, there was a thin layer of congealed pure butter on the bottom of the pan and on the bottom of the brownies! Still tasty as all heck, but definitely a little strange looking. Does anyone think that this is related to the "ganache" solidification of the chocolate goo? For reference to the recipe and instructions, here's a FTV link. Thanks! Andrea http://tenacity.net

Banh Xeo Andrea http://tenacity.net

I used this sauce tonight on some venison steaks and it was fabulous.... Unfortunately the steaks were cut too thin (by my dad) and I succeeded in over cooking them in a matter of 3 minutes, so they were a bit chewy. Hmph. But thanks for the sauce - it really is a winner! I've got leftovers that are destined for some other meaty dish. Andrea http://tenacity.net

Ahhhh... That brand spanking new pint didn't have to wait too long in my freezer before I went medieval on its creamy ass. Mmmm.... Dutch Chocolate. Andrea http://tenacity.net

Hallie, This is a painful but sure-fire way to kill sugar cravings. No weaning, but possibly some whining: No sugar or high-glycemic starches for 1 solid week, preferably 2. Best way to figure out what's not allowed is to search online for the Atkins Induction phase and follow that. After about 5-8 days depending on your body, you will just not crave sweet stuff any more.... but during that phase you're sworn off sugar, starch, fruit, milk, grains, etc. I ate a lot of salads, cheese, and nuts when I did it. And also salads with cheese and nuts. I know about the holiday sugar thing, I'm in the same situation. Cookies! Mmmm, cookies.... Andrea http://tenacity.net

Oh, cool. Thanks, you two! I bet that's all I need to do to tweak my mixer (it didn't come with the owner's manual, but hey, for $25, I'm not complaining!). Andrea http://tenacity.net

I received as a "bonus" present this year one of my mom's garage sale finds - a cobalt blue Kitchenaid mixer. I believe it is the current base level "Artisan" series, with a handled bowl. I used it to whip some whites yesterday, and noticed that the whisk attachment touches the bottom of the bowl with mild force (after accomodating for the "give" in the attachment point), and after just one batch of whipped whites, the whole bottom of the interior of the bowl is pretty scratched up. Is this why it was sold in the garage sale? Will I burn out the motor if I keep using it with the whisk rubbing against the bottom? Hmmm..... Andrea http://tenacity.net

The "extra hot & spicy" pickles that come in a bag at the gas station. About once a year I gotta have one.... and then I drink about 2 gallons of water over the next several days. Eesh. Andrea http://tenacity.net

I confess: when on road trips and I am patronizing a gas station with REAL half n half in the little plastic tubs - not "liquid creamer" or "fat free" or (shudder) "coffee white" - I take extras for the next stop down the highway where my choices may be far more limited. Of course, I could just stick a carton of half n half in the car, but that would take advance planning, ya know? *grin* Andrea http://tenacity.net

I have yet to try making olive oil ice cream, but I was recently struck by the idea of making other oil ice creams with flavorful oils, such as flax or toasted sesame or peanut. Anyone tried this? Miss Tenacity http://tenacity.net

Just made my often-requested batch of "salty butter", AKA caramels with sea salt. One change this year, however - the butter was 'replaced' with browned butter. Ooh, boy, yum. Browned butter is one of my recent "oh-my-gawd-why-haven't-I-cooked-this-before" finds, and I'm having fun with it. I plugged the numbers into my software and the whole batch is a lusty 5900 calories. Hehe. Not so bad when you consider that will become well over 100 pieces, though. Andrea http://tenacity.net