ludja

Hmmm... sounds like some great suggestions. I'll be trying some of them this season--- spicy mint coriander, tamarind...

Please tell us more: why, indeed, would one boil beef?! Unless, of course, it's something like corned beef. Could you braise it? Or make beef stew? I do see the Traditional Dish note. Can you manage to tweak that tradition? And what/whose tradition is it, if you don't mind my asking? Sorry if I sound like a heretic. You should see me at Thanksgiving...always messing with those traditions, too. ← It's true that it sounds a bit different---but it can be delicious. Two famous dishes made from "boiled beef" sound a bit more inviting in their native tongues-- "Pot au Feu" in France and "Tafelspitz" in Austria/Vienna. (One isn't boiling a steak--rather simmering a brisket-like cut, along with nice vegetables. You get a superb broth some of which can be served with the meat; rest for a clear broth soup. Tafelspitz is served with a great sauce of apples and horseradish. (nice article on Tafelspitz and accompaniements in October Saveur. edited to add: This is funny! Just looked at the November issue of Saveur; it has a recipe for Pot au Feu!!! (The recommended sauce is a Gribiche). Welcome, Rehovat.

Thanks for the tip, Squeat, on Safeway's home brand; I need to check them out. Saveur had a big feature article this month on all things potato. Here is a quote on US potato production germane to Tater Tots: "Frozen potatoes: Includes not just the standard 1/4 inch french fries but also curly, crinkle-cut, shoestring, batter-coated, brined, peel-on, wedge (steak fry), concertina, and cottage fries, plus hash browns and Tater Tots. A third of the U.S. crop goes into frozen potatoes (mainly fries), and half of our exported potatoes are sold, as fries, to Japan." As GG mentioned above, the small pieces, scraps of potatoes that aren't suitable for french fry production are slated for Tator Tots or frozen hashbrowns.

Some more information with the focus on potential economic impact here. A quote:

grapefruit juice french toast with chestnut honey two cups of Peet's Viennese blend (never tried honey on french toast before--the chestnut honey was especially good with its non-sweet undertones). I also hadn't made french toast in awhile and forgot how quick it is--even for a weekday.

If you think you don't like beets, make yourself a roasted beet risotto:Roast your beets at 375 F for 45 minutes to an hour. Let them cool until you can handle them and watch the peels slip away like magic. Start your risotto. I do the cup of wine first method. After you toast your rice and reduce the wine, throw the diced beets in with the first ladle of stock. Proceed as usual with the risotto. You'll like it! Edit to add: Sweat some diced onions in the oil before you start the risotto, and throw in the beet tops before you toast the rice. ←

I'm excited to try some of the natillas recipes given above--especially with coconut incorporated or strewn on top. I didn't see the natillas recipe in this month's Saveur but I did find this recipe online from Jul/Aug 2000. A qutoe from the article: "Author Carreño enjoyed this dessert at Toñico’s, after a repast of tortilla española and paella; we adapted our recipe for natillas from Mexican Family Cooking by Aída Gabilondo (Ballantine Books, 1986)." This recipe reminds me of the only version of natillas I've had so far. This style is common and traditional in New Mexico and is where I've had it. This type is characterized by gently folding in whipped egg whites into a liquid egg yolk custard flavored with vanilla and/or cinnamon or orange. (it's similar to "floating islands" or "oeufs a la neige" but the egg whites are incorporated more thoroughly). It's very good also!

Don't know if this will pertain to you or not... but some people that are lactose intolerant only seem have problems (or maybe it is just magnified) with dairy from cows. My friend that has a pretty severe dairy intolerance can eat dairy products from sheep or goat with no problem. I know she's sub'd goat and sheep cheese, don't know if she's used goat milk or yogurt. I've gotton goat milk at my regular supermarket (to make cajeta) and have seen goat yogurt at Trader Joe's. edit to add: My info above is based on the experience of my friend only. I decided to look on the net after posting and some sites say that goat milk will not be helpful... Well-- It may be worth checking out, but I guess it is good to proceed cautiously...

Certainly possible... (likely?). A possible method to ID the contamination as originating elsewhere could be biochemical analysis of the particular strain of mold.

Lemon juice is a nice basic addition to egg salad... besides some of the good suggestions above, a nice add-in is chopped, roasted and peeled red peppers

The links above provided by Gifted Gourmet are old ones from May and June 2004 and refer to something completely different: Salmonella bacterial contamination. emsny reports on information new today (Oct 27, 2004) regarding potential contamination of paprika with aflatoxin (a mold that produces a compound with toxicity for humans). It will be interesting to follow this story. The Hungarian government is taking it seriously enough to stop use of it in Hungary. From various accounts so far though, it seems that quite a large amount (1 lb per week) is indicated as harmful to humans. Also important to note in the article:

Thanks for the list Boris, looking through it, here are some of the flavors of the winners: pear cherry apricot plum raspberry pumpkin! (kurbis) apple/elderflower hazelnut rosepetals

My understanding is that 'schnapps' is indeed a generic term that can be applied to any number of potent clear liquors, but that it is can sometimes be interchangeable with 'eau de vie', that is a liquor that is distilled from pure fruit, not flavoured with fruit. ... ← Thanks for the confirmation slkinsey, Marco Polo, Boris A and Behemoth... I guess I knew that I had had schnapps in Austria that was eau de vie, but it's funny that it is not more generally known. I suppose it is hampered by what is called schnapps in the U.S. and also by Germans/Austrians using the same word to mean multiple things... (i.e. generic strong clear liquor or a fruit eau de vie). Also, I think (for non-Europeans) there is more general awareness of things French and Italian...

I was wondering this myself... I do like good Waldorf salad but find it difficult to think of what to serve it with... mainly I come up with simply prepared chicken. As little ms. foodie asks, do you usually ssrve it more by itself as a lunch dish. If as a sidedish, with what?

Thanks all for the info on the apples re: cutting folks! (the Waldorf Coleslaw salad looks very good)

As far as I can tell, an eau de vie is the same thing as a good German/Austrian/Hungarian schnapps. Is that true? I've had nice ones in Austria and Hungary made from apricots, plums, or pears and to my memory they've tasted like eau de vie's I've tasted since. Looking on the net a bit I found this quote re: American vs European schnapps: "It's worth noting that true German schnapps is not what we get in the United States. The major American commercial brands are all heavily sweetened, and have added glycerine as well. It's about as close to true German schnapps perhaps as American beer is to its German counterparts" (Except for early entry point drinks of hideous peppermint schnapps (ugh) I have thankfully avoided American schnapps since...) Don't know if there are any 'good" ones.

We liked it a lot. There is quite a bit of natural sweetness from the prumes, but there is not much added sugar (2 Tbs for 8 oz of prunes). Also the alcohol provides a counterpoint. (And the creme fraiche would also cut things a little bit). Even so--it's true that it essentially a jam-type filling. We had small pieces and and drank coffee with it which worked well to my taste...

Hi Behmoth, I got the recipe from Susan Loomis' French Farmhouse Cooking. It was my first time making it so I followed the recipe. It's extremely simple; using a completely pre-baked pastry shell and a no bake filling. The filling is just pitted prunes plumped in boiling water for 5 min; drained well and then pureed with water, armagnac (or rum) and sugar. (~ 1/2 lb prunes, 2 Tbs water, 2 Tbs armagnac, 2 Tbs sugar for 10 1/2 inch tart). Spread into tart shell. (I didn't do this b/c I didn't have any cream at home, but she suggests drizzling creme fraiche (or heavy whipping cream) in a spiral pattern over the tart. (Sounds good to me; I'll do this next time!) I have another slightly more elaborate prune tart recipe I've been wanting to try out of Patricia Wells' Bistro Cooking. The prunes are plumped in Earl Grey Tea, drained and put into a partially baked sablee tart shell. Then a frangipane of almond powder, egg, sugar, eau de vie and creme fraiche is added in before baking...

cream of pumpkin soup with caraway buttered croutons and drizzled with Austrian pumpkin seed oil open faced rye bread sandwiches with butter and Westphalian ham frisee salad with garlic vinagrette prune-Armagnac tart with coffee (the pumpkin seed oil added a great flavor to the soup; so much so that I might make this for Thanksgiving Day dinner!)

Silly question perhaps, but what is the 'traditional" way to slice/chop the apples? (i.e. size and shape). I haven't had a Waldorf salad in years and -- not very often.

Delicious and convenient-- fried polenta for breakfast. Thanks for the idea! Today I finished up the last slice of a brown sugar crumb coffee cake. For fruit, I had some pineapple guava that I got from a friend's backyard. (never had these before; they're very interesting tasting with at least part of the flavor tasting like pineapple...). And... two cups of Peet's Vienna Roast.

With the caveat of using a cooking pumpkin as described above (or butternut squash): Thai pumpkin in sweet coconut milk (simmer milk, add coconut palm sugar or brown sugar and simmer pumkin pieces in; serve at RT or chilled) and along similar lines... Candied pumpkin over vanilla ice cream (inspired by Milliken and Feniger; candy pumpkin pieces ~ 30-45 min in brown sugar syrup flavored w/cinnamon). Can also stir in some heavy cream before serving... (serve sauce warm) Along mexican lines, I've had (but not made) excellent pumpkin empanadas... Also remember a memorable dessert made by our own Varmnit which I mean to try this season: pumpkin fritters with cajeta sauce...

orange juice brioche with sweet butter and strawberry jam home-made chai tea

Posole Stew made with lots of Chimayo ground red chile, onions, garlic and pork shoulder ... garnished with radishes and lime juice.

Hi tan319, The "gelee of orange and saffron molded into a panna cotta " sounds very intriguing. ... ← I make the panna cotta in those 4 oz. utility cups and pour the saffron/ orange gelee in the bottom( which becomes the top when you plate it). Let the gelee set up and pour the panna cotta mix(cooled to room temp or a bit colder, but before it gells) in on top. When I plate, I blow torch the cup a bit after it's inverted and usually pop a skewer in the top to let it loose. A few weeks ago I saw a kalamansi gelee topped panna cotta somewhere online, maybe New York magazine? Same kind of look. The catalan style actually describes a flavor profile that's in the Spanish style of creme brulee, which is called catalan creme. It usually involves lemon zest, cinnamon and vanilla, with orange zest thrown in the infusion sometimes. I like it with the orange added. ← Thank you very much tan319! I will definately try this. I love panna cottas, and other jellied desserts; the idea of a gelee and panna cotta layer sounds marvelous. I wasn't familiar with catalan creme brulee either and will like to make use this flavor combination with brulee or panna cotta! (Also learned what a kalamansi is too... a sour lime). Thanks again, ludja