chickenlady

Another thing... Don't those time estimates assume that you're starting with the ingredients all prepped as called for? For instance, if the ingredients list calls for 2 cups of peeled, seeded & chopped (fresh) tomatoes the time estimate assumes you've already done that in advance, not that you're starting with with whole tomatoes that still need all that prep. I always take longer than the recipe says, but I figure it's because of all the prep they don't account for. I've gotten pretty good at estimating how long it will actually take for me and can get out multiple dishes at the same time, but it's taken a lot of practice to get to this point. As Malawry said, read ahead and find out which ingredients need to be prepped in advance and which can be done as you go along. Or if you're making multiple dishes how you can overlap the prep and cooking.

Thanks to nessa for pointing me to this thread. I used asafoetida once in a cabbage dish, but was most unhappy with the results. Although the finished dish did taste okay, I couldn't get the smell out of my head and it really ruined it for me. I retired the little yellow plastic jar to the back of the spice rack, vowing never to use it again but too cheap to throw a full bottle of spice away. (Incidently, I can only smell it if I open the jar or stick my nose right on it--scary to think that I may have a mild version!) Besides, perhaps it would come in handy as a bunny repellent in my garden! Anyway, thanks to all these tips on correct usage, I believe I will give it another try. Maybe I'll start with something that I can fix one day and eat the next so I have time to forget the smell. Any suggestions?

Great blog, nessa! I'm incredibly jealous of all your convenient ethnic markets. As to the asafoetida... I've been cooking tons of Indian food lately, but, try as I might, I just can't get past the smell of the asafoetida. Even though the dish ends up perfectly delicious, if it smells of stale cat pee it just lowers the enjoyment factor some. Does it bother you at all? Maybe the just a pinch is the key (although I don't think most recipes call for very much).

A friend of mine worked at a large insurance firm with a cafeteria. They had to buy the napkins. I understand wanting to reduce waste, but really...

Some of the things that are most popular at the parties we cater: Fresh spring rolls--rice paper filled with rice noodles, strands of marinated carrot and egg yolk, enoki mushrooms, cilantro, mint, etc. You can alter ingredients (except cilantro & mint, which are required in my opinion) or add chicken breast, crab or shrimp, too, but I usually keep them as my vegetarian option. Serve with peanut dipping sauce. I usually cut them in half and stand them on end as otherwise some people are wary of what may be inside of them. Scallops wrapped in smoked magret--just like the bacon wrapped scallops, but with slices of smoked duck breast instead. Assemble ahead of time and cook at last minute. YUM! Rice balls--mix cooked Japanese sushi rice or sticky rice with rice vinegar, pickled ginger, cucumber, sesame seeds, other small diced veggies. Form into walnut-size balls and coat in sesame seeds. (This hors' d'oeuvre was a happy accident when someone cooked sticky rice for my rice salad ) Deviled eggs--always popular, especially if you use small eggs. Shrimp cocktail with unusual dipping sauces. Smoked salmon on blini or cracker, topped with creme fraiche mixed with lemon oil and a dollop of caviar. Marlene, I'm definitely trying the pepper cheesecake--it sounds awesome & I have a ton of pepper jelly I made last summer.

I use wine corks as mulch for my house plants. Keeps the kitties from digging in the dirt and has been invaluable in preventing my 13-month-old from shoving handfuls of dirt into her mouth.

Ingrid, that was truly a lovely article. Thanks for making me smile this morning! I think you've really put your finger on what really makes a restaurant experience. While good food is important, it goes well beyond that to how you feel while consuming the food. I think my number one HOCAS experience was in Spain. My husband was at conferences all day long so I spent most of my days eating alone at cafes. One day, I decided I wanted a more upscale experience and decided to have lunch at the most elegant-looking restaurant I could find. Although it was filled with large tables of families (there was a festival going on), the staff seated at me at a table with the best view and paid special attention to me. Throughout the meal, they brought out special items and wines for me to try, took time to explain preparations and customs, and generally made me feel that I was the only one in the restaurant. Even though the restaurant was crowded and busy, they never made me feel like I wasn't worth their bother, something I sometimes experience when dining alone in the US. Of course, on the walk back to the hotel I was robbed by gypsies, but that's another story...

All popcorn all the time. I had the meal plan but never ate there. I always gave my pass to my (much older, slacker, mooching, unemployed, non-college student :angry: ) boyfriend so that he could eat. I just ate popcorn.

When I lived in California, the cashiers and produce people all had to know the produce and the codes for each item. You actually had to pass a test proving you knew them in order to be promoted to cashier. Here (Upstate NY), no one knows any produce that isn't labeled. Checking out takes forever because each and every item has to be looked up in the code book. Produce is frequently incorrectly labeled. For the last 2 months, habanero peppers have been labeled as anaheims. When I pointed it out to the cashier, he said, "Oh well." Apparently he wasn't swayed by my argument that someone who didn't know better could be in for quite a shock. Even the produce manager hasn't changed the signs although I tell him whenever I see him. On the plus side, I get some awesome deals on exotic mushrooms, endive, radicchio...

You can also make those stained glass cookies into candle holders. Bake square cookies and use a stiff icing to build little topless boxes. Insert votive candle (be sure it's in a glass holder). Looks great for the holidays. I think the idea was published in an old Sunset magazine.

Here is my incredibly stupid idiotic question: How do I find glutinous/sticky rice? Do I buy it at the Asian market? What does the bag say (how will I identify that it is the right stuff)? It's not the same thing as the sushi rice, is it? I feel like a complete idiot for not being able to figure this out, but even my Vietnamese mother-in-law seems to be withholding this information. Stupidly yours, chickenlady

You are definitely not too late to start a garden in Indiana. Your Cooperative Extension office probably has a list that tells when to plant what. And, even though garlic is usually planted in the fall, you can plant it in the spring. Check out info about CSU's test on spring planted garlic at The Garlic Store (right column, scroll down). I think composted horse manure can be great. The only problem I've had is that it can be full of weed seeds. Fresh manure of any type can be too "hot" and injure your plants, although some can be incorporated when first preparing the beds. Just not too much! I started gardening just like you--full of big ideas and excitement. I threw myself into it and I'm glad I did. I made lots of mistakes (luckily that never happens anymore ), but it's part of the fun. If you've got the time & energy, I say go for it.

I guess the crate issue depends on the size. Are you planning to transplant to the garden once you've moved or grow all season in the crate? I've grown all the herbs you've listed in containers successfully, but you really need to make sure your container is big enough. Of those you mention, tarragon would probably need the biggest pot, but I wouldn't go less than 8" depth for any of them. Also, where are you getting your tarragon? Don't try to start it from seed--buy an already started plant and taste it first!! Others have answered the Cooperative Extension question much more ably than I could. They are a great resource and will give you all kinds of free information. I also second the GardenWeb recommendation as a place to talk to knowledgeable plant geeks. Chichenlady is what my neighbors call me: I have a flock of chickens that roam my backyard. They also make a daily pilgrimage to the church across the street. The neighbors all think it's cool, but the truth is that I am quite obsessed with chickens.

Yep! Waaaay Upstate NY in the Plattsburgh area. The "shack" of which I speak doesn't actually have any name that I can tell. It's literally a tiny shack sitting in the back of the Sunoco gas station. If you want to order something, first you have to find the guy who runs it. He may be in the convenience store drinking a beer, or maybe he's wandered off somewhere else. But he's sure to turn up sooner or later. Order your food at the window, then you have to go buy your own drink at the convenience store, because the shack only sells ribs, clams and chicken. French fries too, but they're pretty greasy. When it's done, you take your tray to the picnic tables at the back of the parking lot. From there, you can take in the sights of "Main Street" Plattsburgh--watch people pumping gas, all the traffic on Route 3, the dumpsters set up next to the "dining" area... I can't believe my husband ever convinced me to eat there, but it really is good. He always was a sucker for a shack! To keep this on topic, I think you can see the KFC across the street from there!

Working in a small gourmet food store, sampling is absolutely invaluable to us. We pride ourselves on having lots of unusual products that aren't available in other local stores. It's unlikely that someone will spend $32/lb for Roquefort unless they can taste it themselves and decide that it's worth the price. Some products (like olive oil and balsamic vinegar) have so much variation in flavor that it's really important to taste and decide on their own--my favorite is not necessarily everyone's. It also gives us an opening to start discussing a product. If I see someone looking at the pomegranite molasses, I'll give a small taste, then talk about what to do with it. Everything in our store is available to sample and we also do "focused" tastings on weekends. So, sure it makes the customer happy, but most importantly, it helps us sell more. I think the same is true no matter the size of the store. As to those sample hogs... I think we've found a way to foil them. We don't put out too much of any one thing at once. Then if a hog comes through, we just don't refill it until they leave. If other people are in the store and we want them to taste it, we'll put in just enough for them, then personally offer it around. This lesson was learned after one man cleaned out 3 whole bratwurst in a row! That said, we don't mind if people have multiple samples. In the end, most people who taste things buy something, so the greatest benefit is to the store.

Being up here in the just-barely-not-frozen-anymore north, I'm am happy to report that the garlic has sprouted. That's it and will be it for some time. I will be starting my seeds this weekend--the traditional planting time here is Memorial Day and people will think you're crazy if you try any sooner. I'm going to push it with some of the cool season crops this year though. Mongo, I can't think of any herbs that can't be grown successfully in containers. Even though I have tons of room and not much of a deer problem, I usually plant up at least one wine barrel full of herbs (in addition to what's in the yard). It looks beautiful and it's convenient to have some of the more commonly used herbs close by. I don't put perennials in the barrel, though; I'm just too lazy to move them indoors and those that are hardy are more likely to survive if planted in the ground. There are also many herbs that deer don't prefer (although they'll eat anything if hungry enough), including sage, thyme, mints, lavender, nasturtium, borage, chives, rosemary, oregano, savory, and tons more. I'm sure your Cooperative Extension office would be able to steer you the right direction and they want you to call--it's how they prove they are worth funding (plug from a NY Master Gardener here).

All the gas stations up here seem to sell "Broasted Chicken," but I've never tried it as I generally try to avoid getting a meal from a gas station. I'm not really sure what it is either, but it does still live on in Upstate NY. Actually, I have to take back the not eating at the gas station thing... My favorite fried chicken comes from the "Rib & Clam Shack" (that's what we call it--I don't think it actually has a name). When we moved up here, our friend kept telling us that this little shack in the gas station parking lot has the best ribs & clams. My husband finally convinced me that I wouldn't die if I ate in a parking lot (I'm sure there was some sort of bribery involved as well). Anyway, I don't eat ribs & there was no way I was going to break my "gas-station fast" with clams!!! So I got their fried chicken fingers and they are definitely the best I've ever had. They're obviously freshly breaded and fried to order, nice & juicy with a very light breading. The ambiance may be lacking, but Yum!! The clams are actually pretty damn good too!

How about the "Most Useful Gift I've Almost Received"... Two years ago for Christmas, my parents gave me a full set of cast iron cookware. The problem is this: They live in Colorado and I live in New York. The cookware was given to me while I was visiting them. Since I had flown, there was no way for me to get this home with me. Heck, there was no way I could even carry it down the stairs with me! Well, in 8 days that set of cookware will finally be mine. They are driving out for a visit and will be personally delivering it! Yeah! Actually, I'm surprised by the lack of food-related gifts I get from my family. My husband always gets me nice cooking things (a new knife and some All-Clad pans last year), but the rest of my family rarely gets me anything food related. Well, except for the "Joys of Jello" cookbook my aunt gave me last year! Okay, it was in jest, but that's another story...

Several years ago the Chickenboy & I ended up at one of those super-deluxe, outrageously expensive resorts in Puerto Rico (happily all on the company tab). The food, in keeping with the theme of the resort, was also outrageously expensive with nary a hint of Puerto Rican food to be found. Much to the chagrin of the staff (who believed that, once you've played golf, laid on the beach, and consumed drinks with umbrellas, you've seen all of Puerto Rico that's worthwhile), we made a break for it... And right outside the entrance gates we found the most fabulous little outdoor shack serving the real thing. It even had a giant mango tree in the parking "lot" and poor smooshed mangoes all over the ground! (The horror!!! ) We tried tons of different things, but the one that sticks out in my mind was mofongo with conch. I have some recipes, but I've been afraid to make it as I believe eating conch in Upstate NY violates at least two laws of nature. Mmmm... But I still think about it.

The first thing I cooked for my now husband was swordfish with a basil/papaya (or mango--I can't remeber now) sauce topped with crispy fried shallots. The fish was dreadfully overcooked and about as flavorful as a shoe, but the sauce was insanely good. He brought the wine, which he promptly dropped on my front stairs, breaking the bottle. I ran out with a pitcher and we filtered it through the paper bag. It had a decidedly "fibrous" quality that I couldn't quite pinpoint... The first thing he cooked for me was the Hungarian Mushroom soup from the Moosewood cookbook. I was taking late-night SCUBA lessons and he actually broke into my apartment and had it ready when I got home at midnight. I'd say that's when I knew he was the man for me, but I knew the first instant I saw him.

Lots of sugaring going on up north of you too! Next weekend (3/20-21) is "Maple Weekend." Many local producers in Clinton and Essex Counties are having open house events. Last year my husband made the mistake of pruning a damaged limb from one of our sugar maples. After several days of helplessly watching the chickens enjoy the collecting pool of sap, we decided to step in and collect it ourselves. Then we boiled it. In our kitchen. Do. Not. Do. This. Our pancake breakfast was followed by many hours of scrubbing to remove the candy coating in our kitchen. One of the most charming tales in "Little House in the Big Woods" (first of the "Little House" series) is of the party the Ingalls have to celebrate the end of sugaring season. After boiling down the sap, they allow the children to ladle the maple onto trays of snow to shape their own maple candies.

Wow! Those are some sharp knives. This is just fascinating (and I say this as a fellow recovering vegetarian); I have about a million questions... What does it smell like in there? Is it super noisy? I envision lots of squealing saw noises. Are the white gloves they're wearing protective or just for warmth? Are they still getting the animals from Quebec or has the BSE shut that down for now? Where are the heads? Okay, I could think of many more, but I'll spare you. Thanks for the great glimpse into a world few of us know anything about.

Excellent! I knew there were lots of places to be found. Keep them coming! I checked Amazon for Taste of Montreal book and they don't have it. I guess I'll have to check into some bookstores while I'm up there. Sounds like it would be useful. Dante sounds like the right name for the Italian store. Do they have cooking classes? Some friends of mine took a pasta making class, so I assumed it was a food-stuffs store. Thanks again! I'm making my list. I'll have to drag out my maps and plot my strategy. Now where was that thread about smuggling foodstuffs across the border...?

Although I live in NY, Montreal (about a 45 minute drive) is my closest real shopping opportunity. I'm looking for the good ethnic markets in the area. I've found Chinatown, but that's about it so far. I've heard rumors of culinary delights galore, including an Italian market that also sells guns. I've also found the Atwater and a few small shops up on Laurier (although these aren't so much ethnic). Are there any Indian, Japanese, Middle Eastern, or other markets I shouldn't miss? I'm fairly new to this area and the main thing I miss is all the ethnic food in Southern California. Well, that and the non-arctic weather, but that's for another board... I'm hoping to defrost enough in the next few weeks to head up for a stocking up trip. Thanks for your help!

In the Balthazar cookbook, the recipe for creamy polenta calls for mascarpone cheese. Lots of it.