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Everything posted by rancho_gordo
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Mexican Oregano is a different family than Euro-Oregano. I'm sure the Spanish were just being lazy when they arrived in the New World. Actually there are several regional oreganos, all new world ,and only vaguely related to actual oregano. It's pretty strong dried and has a citrus and nutty flavor. When we bag it, the smell can be pretty overwhelming despite how much I like it. Toasting it right before using it is a great idea.
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eG Foodblog: Chardgirl - 21st Century Peasant
rancho_gordo replied to a topic in Food Traditions & Culture
From an earlier post, this is Flor de Junio: -
Fresh Oregano and dried are like fresh tomatoes and sun-dried- two different things. Dried Sage is useless. I don't think much of dried thyme and I can't recall ever getting bad fresh. Rosemary is everywhere so I don't see why you'd buy it fresh or dried. Thinking about it, I don't think you can categorize it one way or the other,
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eG Foodblog: Chardgirl - 21st Century Peasant
rancho_gordo replied to a topic in Food Traditions & Culture
Yes. A little less common and just as good, if not better. It's fun watching people from Michoacan when they spy them. Their eyes light up and they grab them. -
eG Foodblog: Chardgirl - 21st Century Peasant
rancho_gordo replied to a topic in Food Traditions & Culture
Flor de Junio! -
eG Foodblog: Chardgirl - 21st Century Peasant
rancho_gordo replied to a topic in Food Traditions & Culture
You better be serving some beans with that goat, Missy!!!!! Can't wait to see how a working mom eats for a week. Great to see you here! -
When I use this book, I'm always reminded of how great the content is but I have to admit, I rarely use it because as an enthusiastic early buyer, I have the first edition and my middle aged eyes can not see the titles of the recipes. The Yellow on yellow scheme is next to illegible in particular light. Is there any recourse for us early adapters? Did the publisher provide any kind of "trade-in" allowance?
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If you want small amounts of perfect, hot, dark strong coffee, you can always get an Italian moka for about $18. They last forever, look cool and there's less packaging waste as it takes real coffee. I'm a gadget lover and have tried to justify buying one of these Senseo or Melita things but in the end the coffee is too important and I hate the idea of yet another toy crowding my counter top, despite my wanting new toys.
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I can't believe we've forgotten Local Harvest! A lot of their farms are now selling online and many are from California. They are really small farmers in many cases so you're really getting something different. I sell there too but the majority are very sweet, small growers with some unusual offerings. (Some are pretty awful but that's part of the fun, too).
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It's always worth asking your grocer to carry some of these things. My local grocer had smoked paprika from Spain before I even knew I wanted it! I complained once about the tahini and lo, a new brand was stocked within a month. I live in Napa but believe me, the WalMart parking lot is packed and despite all that goes on upvalley, it's not so sophisticated.
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I agree with saskanuck about the bbq. You can put the pans right on the coals and they acheive a heat that would be more than unpleasant inside.
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Paula, thanks to you I have a new monkey on my back- cooking in clay! Mostly bean pots but I have three tagines and a few other odds and ends to keep the bean pots company. One interesting thing I've noted is that the tagine recipes really need the amounts of liquid adjusted when cooking in clay, but the more Euro-based recipes seem fine. I just made the braised leeks from Slow Med last night in a glazed Italian pot on the stove and they were just slightly wetter than when I made them in an enameled cast iron pot, and it could have been juicier onions or fresher leeks that accounted for that. Do you think it's the clay or maybe the way they are fired? The odd thing is the tagines are unglazed yet they produce so much liquid. Anyway, I can't wait for your next book on clay cooking.
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Good asian grocery at 29th/Mission San Francisco?
rancho_gordo replied to a topic in California: Cooking & Baking
When I lived in the city, Casa Lucas was my main source of food. The 240 billion key limes for 99 cents was often reason enough but they also had almost all the local tortillas (Gran D'oro were the most popular) delivered and most of the (then) obscure Latin vegetables I was interested in. I became a yucca fanatic (deep fried or boiled and topped with chicharrones!) and learned how to use tamarind. It's so cheap you can experiment. I think this is where I discovered Huichol hot sauce. 69 cents worth of heaven in a bottle! I also learned to say "a Usted!" when the clerk would say "Gracias". Made me feel swell! -
I don't get the impression that Waters is promoting herself so much as her cause. Others are using her as a punching bag or a saint to make their points (both pro and con) but her passion is getting people to eat well, which is far bigger problem in this country than whether innovation is possible in the San Francisco restaurant scene. She has an agenda and people can use her to put a face on the cause, but she could be on Campbells soup cans if she wanted and she's not. The only endoresement I know of was for Ball canning jars (promoting home grown food).
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Have some world famous Turkey Jerky.
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The baked bean pots are for the oven. I think you're not supposed to use them stovetop at all. I like the stovetop more than the oven. I have a false sens of being more in control. Plus it's what old Italian amd Mexican mothers do, so it's allright for me.
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You are right! It's the same breed that Heritage USA is selling, for what I assume is a lot less. Have you ever eaten at the Willie Bird restaurant in Sta Rosa? Is it still there? It's pretty camp.
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How much copper do you take in by cooking food in a copper pot? How many dishes don't contain acid? Just a few in my book! What about carnitas which are traditionally fried in an unlined copper vessel? I have a copper pot from France that needs to be retinned (after 3 uses!) but I can't see why I should bother. I just don't use it.
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The Heritage USA birds are available from Prather Ranch, BiRite and somewhere in Berekely for about 7 or 8 a pound. I like Willie Birds but I think Bourbon Red is just a breed, not a heritage breed, if that makes any difference. Heritage USA keeps pushing Plymouth Barred Rock chickens as some kind of endangered breed but I got my chicks from the feed store. I hear they are good for eating but it's not like they're going anywhere soon.
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Silver Spoon - Italy's 50 year old best seller
rancho_gordo replied to a topic in Cookbooks & References
...and I don't know book-learnin' or nuthin, but I browse this thing and have no desire to make anything. So many books have inspired me these days (many thanks to helenas!) that it's odd staring blankly at this huge book and my main concern is where to put it or if I sell it on half.com will I make up the shipping costs. -
Again, the point is what the author chose to disclose, not whether corporal punishment in the restaurant business is common, fair or justified.
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I've purchased a lot so far this year! The Cook's Book It's ok. It's too broad and wide. i think at this point I prefer narrow and deep. The Mexican section is fine but very short. The refried bean instructions (in the grains and legumes section) is criminally bad. It makes me wonder about the other stuff. The basics seems fine. I'm on the fence. Silver Spoon Mentioned elsewhere. Thin paper, dated "post-modern" design. I'd call it a regret but worth checking out depending on your interest/skill in Italian. Everyday mexican Rick Bayless' book is along the quick,healthy meal thing which is of course neausating but he doesn't compromise or at least when he does, he spells it out. I've made three things from the book and all have received raves. But the three things were in his other books in a slightly different form. Kind of looks like Everyday Food magazine.
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The Spanish Table pots are amazing and very reasonable and if I had to choose a good one or two, I'd probably start there. I cook on direct heat stovetop unless for some reason the pot is too hot and won't simmer and then I use a heat diffuser. I mostly use a cast iron disc but if I want something to really go low, I use the diffuser Wolfert described in her tagine cooking thread I cook beans a lot and find I cook about 1/2 a pound at a time and I reach for the smaller pots, not the bigger ones unless there's an event. Found it (Wolfert says: ): It really lowers the temperature but on my stove I find I rarely need it. The cast iron disc works fine and is less obtrusive but I'm glad I have the simmer mat. I'm not a "gentle " person and, knock wood, I haven't broken a pot yet despite what is now over a year of cooking on direct flame on the stovetop.
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Very nice. I'd be afraid to use them! Well, maybe not. They do look like proper baked bean pots, don't they?
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I know it seems funny, but one of my pots has a distinct caramel flavor and the chamba seem to be just slightly smoky. Who knows what Chinese sand tastes like! I saw that one at your house. Is the wire for reinforcement or some kind of severe beauty?