jgm

Ditto all of the above. Small cakes/desserts, in single portions, which can thaw while dinner is being served. How about some interesting side dishes? The idea being I can broil/grill meat, do my own potatoes (which are difficult to freeze), and then have a couple of nice side dishes to add.

I don't think the issue is as simple as it seems. First of all, you pretty much have to have a non-skid surface on your tray. None of mine do. I could, certainly, cut some shelf liner to fit, but since I store the trays vertically, what am I going to do with the shelf liner in my tiny kitchen? The absence of a non-skid surface on the tray means things are going to slide around, and that can be an invitation to disaster. (Voice of experience.) Second, it's difficult to see directly in front of you when carrying the tray. I put a remarkably cover-resistant blueberry pie stain on my mother's living room wall when, as a child, I was taking a tray full of pie slices to our guests, and didn't see the dog... Third, the arthritis in my hands that exists permanently, and the tendonitis in one elbow which I hope is only temporary, prevent me from carrying anything very heavy. Carrying a tray puts significant weight out in front of me, at an angle that isn't joint-friendly. Fourth, for me, there's no point. Even with a tray, I still manage to forget a few vital things, like salt, pepper, sweetener, silverware, etc. A tray makes the difference only between eight trips and twelve, and then it has to be washed, dried, and put away.

My husband gave me six silicone prep bowls with lids; they're 2 cups each. He tried to find the really small ones, but couldn't; they were what I really wanted. But I'm absolutely certain I will put these larger editions to good use. The other gift is what we're giving each other: a new mattress. For several years, I've thought my back and knee problems were simply part of life, and weren't going to go away. Then I stayed at my sister's house, on her new pillow-top mattress, and discovered that my back and knee problems are not necessarily permanent. I'm hoping this will translate into more cooking time in the kitchen, since I often cut it short because I'm in pain.

I've had a passion for these things since the first time I tasted them nearly 30 years ago. We had a local "gourmet" grocery, Larcher's, that would sell them in the two-cookie wrapper. They knew what they were doing; people who wouldn't spring for a whole tin, would buy the singles...and then they were hopelessly hooked. About 10 years ago, I actually found large, cylindrical tins of these for $3 (yes, three dollars) each at Sam's. Each time I go in there, I head for that area of the store, hoping to find them again, but I haven't since that magical day. Must be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It seems to me that with all the advanced cooking techniques we're using these days, we ought to be able to duplicate them at home. They're basically a meringue cookie, but with that interesting ingredient: apricot kernels. Any of you ever try to do this? Any ideas about how it might be done? Anybody up for moving to Italy, getting a job in their operation, and stealing their secrets?

I would LOVE to hear more about how you managed this meal. A typical spoiled American, I can't even imagine trying to do all that with only that equipment. Details, please! You have my admiration.

I don't want to sound critical of this discussion, but what this is really about is "how much are you willing to curtail your cooking and limit your eating?" I can deal with one good knife, one spoon, one spatula and a wok, but I'm not cooking Thanksgiving dinner with that equipment. If the question is "what's the bare minimum of equipment it would take for you to cook and eat the way you'd like to?", I think that would be an interesting discussion. But that's not the one we're having here. If you're doing bare-bones meals for two, you can get by with much less stuff than if you like to host dinners for eight.

The only thing I can contribute is my own experience when I did, indeed, go off sugar. It began one evening when, extremely frustrated with myself and my lack of control over eating, I made a desperate move. I knew I had to change something. I won't bore you with the details of the basis for this decision, but I decided to give up sugar for six weeks and see what happened. The first few days were pretty predictable: shaky. obsessed. cranky. At the end of two weeks, I was no longer shaky, but I was amazed I hadn't sliced someone's throat. And I was no longer obsessed with sugar; I was obsessed with eating anything and everything I could find. After a month, about 10 pounds heavier, things began to settle down. I enjoyed being off sugar. It didn't make my thinking clearer or produce any physical changes other than the weight I'd gained, but by that time I'd gotten used to the idea that I wasn't going to eat anything containing sugar, and I felt very free, because of all of the decisions I didn't have to make anymore. In my addicted state - especially if it gets really bad - my entire day can be structured around access to sugar. Chocolate is generally the form I seek. But in my sugar-free state* I no longer had to think about any of that. And I enjoyed it very much. A few weeks later, I was amazed to find my behavior very close to that of what's been described of alcoholics. At the end of a period of abstention...oh, just half a piece of cake. And down the slippery slope I went. I don't think I gained any particular insight from this, except that I can do it if I put my mind to it. But I tend to agree with the "everything in moderation" philosophy, and I've learned that other foods, when prepared well (in other words, not from a box) have an intensity and complexity of flavor that lends some of the same satisfaction I get from sugar. I have no desire to give up desserts for the rest of my life, and I don't know that I'll go off sugar again. It certainly isn't a goal. So I continue through life, mildly addicted, and not particularly concerned about it. Unless, of course, I have an entire afternoon ahead of me and nothing sweet to eat. *I did continue to eat all fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, etc.

I have no opinion on the guy because I know virtually nothing about him. Food has become extremely politicized, and I think there's a possibility the function of that part of government could change. Remember that this president-elect has retained his list of "grassroots" contacts, and for those who have a problem with the guy... or any other food-related issues... you may want to consider trying to bring some pressure to bear through those connections. All in all, scary as it is, I see this as a fascinating time of life and I'm enjoying my ringside seat. We'll see if I'm still this fascinated, this time next year.

I believe that the concept of whether we're willing to kill our own food, etc., is one that evolved from our recognition, a few years ago, that we tend (as a nation) to not know much about where our food comes from. Subsequently we began to realize that animals were being raised and killed in some pretty inhumane, or worse, conditions, while we blithely picked up plastic-wrapped packages at the grocery without much concern for how they got into the refrigerated case. Lots of generalizations there, I know. While I wouldn't argue that each of us has an obligation to kill our own food, I would argue that we should be aware of all of the various kinds of costs involved in producing it, not just those at the bottom of the ticket from the cash register. Similarly, discussions could be held about who picks our produce, how those individuals are treated, and the kind of lives they live so that we who have money can have anything we desire on our plates. I believe, however, that this particular topic ventures into highly charged political waters, and that may not be compatible with eG's discussion guidelines.

Michael Ruhlman, in "The Soul of a Chef", describes a similar scene as Thomas Keller endeavors to kill a rabbit, for reasons similar to yours. It's an interesting read and I recommend it to you. In the future, I'd like to see you arrange to have the fish in water until the moment you take it out to kill it. There's lots of room for argument on what and how much fish "feel", but it's my opinion that it's unnecessarily inhumane to leave a live fish out of water for an extended amount of time. Others may have other opinions. You address an issue that weighs heavily on my conscience. I am not willing to do what you have done, although I do acknowledge the hypocrisy in my stance. Keep in mind, however, that unless you can kill the animal humanely, you're creating a situation of even more questionable morality/hypocrisy.

Yesterday's turkey reprise was a success. No brining, nothing fancy, just a fresh turkey in a roasting pan. I did undercook it, unintentionally. Somehow I just don't seem to be able to get the thermometer inserted to the right place. So after discovering the problem, I dismantled the bird at the joints, put everything on a sheet pan, covered with foil, and baked at 350 for half an hour. Very good meat, both light and dark.

Jennifer Day has written an interesting article in the Chicago Tribune about attempting to make one of the recipes in the book. Enjoy! In case you're reading this weeks or months from now and the link no longer works, the name of the article is "Making 'Bean'--a $352, 31.5-hour, 175-mile cooking odyssey."

After my salty disaster (above), Friday brings an opportunity for redemption. Background: at this time -- perhaps not permanently -- my parents are in a nursing home. Plan A was to make turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and rolls, and take it to them. After dealing with the disappointment of the salty turkey, I prepared to make the gravy and the mashed potatoes. I preheated the oven to bake the rolls. The phone rang. The nurse at the home said my mother was experiencing an arrhythmia and needed to go to the hospital. That was about 4:00. The next 5 hours were a blur of telephone calls to try to find which hospital my mother had been taken to, discussions with doctors, discussions with family, and longing glances at vending machines in hospital hallways. At 9:00 p.m., Mom was back from the hospital, not much worse for the wear, and we were dining on a take-out meal from the restaurant inside the nearby Hyatt, the only place I could think of that might still be open. In the middle of the meal, Mom very casually dropped a bomb about a particular (extremely ominous) symptom my father has started experiencing. On the way home, I called my sister, asked her to get in touch with our father's doctor, and contemplated eating the entire pumpkin pie when I got home. I might have, but I would have had to whip the cream, and I had no energy for that. We stopped on the way home, also, and picked up another turkey -- a fresh one, on sale for a very reasonable price, and after I finish this post I'll get it ready to put in the oven. The plan was for a turkey breast, but they had only one bone-in breast, and it was frozen solid and we weren't sure we could get it thawed in time. Plan B now begins with an un-brined fresh turkey. If I have the energy, I'll post the results tonight. . .

I'm dealing with a minor disaster today. I did a lot of research on brining, since this is my first year to do the whole meal. I used the Williams-Sonoma brine mix, which has about 2 1/2 cups of salt, along with the usual poultry spices, plus dehydrated apples, lemon rind, star anise, and juniper berries. I followed the directions on the jar, using a total of 2 1/2 gallons of water. (Apple cider was an option, but I didn't choose it because I didn't think my family would like it.) I brined the bird for about 20 hours. It was a Honeysuckle White bird containing an 8% solution. The dark meat is so salty it's inedible. The white meat is salty but will be okay, because I will make a gravy with very little salt. A couple of nights ago, I roasted some wings and thighs so that I could make stock, and I saved the meat and the drippings, so I can serve the non-salty meat along with the salty breast meat, and make gravy from the drippings from the wings and thighs. (Fortunately, only four of us will be at our TG meal.) Moral of the story: If you use a bird that already has a salt solution, you can still brine, but make it a very dilute brine. W-S publishes a buttermilk brine recipe that I'll likely try at Christmas. I may also bite the bullet and spring for a fresh bird rather than a frozen one. Fortunately, I make a damn good pumpkin pie. . .

I grew up on deviled ham and scrambled egg sandwiches. The procedure: 1. Generously spread mayo on two slices of white bread. 2. Melt 1T butter in a skillet. 3. Crack two eggs into the pan, break the yolks and stir. 4. As soon as eggs begin to set, add entire contents of 1 small can of Underwood Deviled Ham, and stir into eggs. As soon as eggs are cooked through, but still shiny, remove from heat and spoon onto bread. It's necessary to have everything ready to go before beginning to cook the eggs, because they cook quickly, and will overcook if left in the heated pan while you're spreading the mayo on the bread.

We tried this and it's really, really good. So good that I'm going to start looking for better mustard! I love things like this. It's the kind of thing that will make an excellent supper on nights when I just have no energy to cook - and there have been a lot of those lately. Thanks, Anna!

The only thing I can think of, is to try to make a simple syrup, perhaps with cocoa in it to flavor, and then strain it. Or maybe a chocolate liqueur instead of the cocoa. Or maybe just a chocolate liqueur on its own, if that flavor will work. Then try mixing it into the salt. This is an intriguing idea. How to you plan to use it?

Peanut butter on toast. Macaroni and tomatoes w/salt and freshly-ground pepper. Spaghetti with butter and parmesan. Jacques Pepin's mother's soup: Toasted croutons in the bottom of the bowl. Grated Swiss or Parmesan. Chicken broth. Scallions. One avocado, halved, seed removed, with lemon juice. Eat with a spoon. Heaven. One artichoke, steamed or boiled, with your choice of dips. I learned to eat artichokes with Miracle Whip, and that's the way I still like 'em. The only thing better than this is TWO artichokes. Edited to add: Two hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped in a bowl with butter, salt, and pepper; serve buttered toast alongside. Best eaten the evening of the day on which you had blood drawn for your annual cholesterol screening.

One of my favorites is this Celery Bisque with Stilton Toasts, which is really good with or without the stilton toasts. The 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne looks a little strange, but don't omit it - it does really nice things for the flavor without making the soup spicy. I saw an idea in (I believe) Gourmet back in the 80's, but I've lost the recipe. It consisted of a thick cheese spread, made with bleu cheese. After celery stalks were washed and dried, the cheese and celery were put together in such a way that the cheese held all of the celery stalks together in a log, with concave sides 'pointing' towards the center. I think about 6 to 8 stalks were used. After the log was formed, wrapped and refrigerated (to firm up the cheese), it was sliced (about 3/8 inch thick), and the slices formed lovely little rosettes that made great appetizers.

Can you expand on why it works better to refrigerate than freeze? Is it just more convenient, or do the vegetables deteriorate?

In the last year, I've gone from being employed full-time, to being employed full-time with two parents in a nursing home. Unbelievable. But better than having them at home, which was even more unbelievable, time-wise. Truth be told, I'm probably not that much busier than your average employed-outside-the-home parent. I've been trying to think of strategies I can employ so that I can cook more. I've had way too much McDonald's and other restaurant food lately. It's occurred to me that I could probably chop and sweat onions, celery and carrot, and freeze them in half-cup portions, which would (theoretically, anyway) give me a head start on many of my recipes. The idea is to just put the frozen vegetables in the pan, heat it, and continue. The beauty of the idea, as with most prep-ahead techniques, is that not only is the prep done ahead, the cleanup is done ahead, too. Believe me, with ordinary day-before techniques, such as chopping and refrigerating vegetables, measuring dry ingredients, etc., having not only the prep, but the cleanup done ahead can make a huge difference when your day has been way too long, and you haven't had a home-cooked meal in more days than you want to count. Has anybody tried this? What other components do you freeze ahead? I'm thinking carmelized onions and shallots, roasted garlic, and a lot of other things can be done ahead. I'd love some ideas.

I think this is one instance where you can't have it both ways. The only way you're going to have anything approaching 'fresh' pie is to deliver the pies frozen, and for the customers to immediately transfer the pies into the freezer. I know it's possible to purchase frozen pumpkin pies from the grocery, but I've never tried to freeze one that's homemade. You still have time to try it. Remember to include thawing instructions; seems like a no-brainer, but if you don't, somebody will do something weird and blame you for the outcome. A pumpkin pie simply will not keep for a week in the refrigerator. I suppose there are some people who might eat a week-old pie, but I'm not one of them. I think you've got to find a Plan B here. If I were purchasing a pumpkin pie from a source other than the freezer case at the grocery, I would expect that it would have been made no earlier than Tuesday, and preferably on Wednesday. I would not even consider a pie made the week before. I'm not sure what your answer is, but something's gotta give.

Unfortunately, that's true. My last champion mouser learned that if she took her mice to the bathtub, she could fool around all day and they couldn't get away from her. She'd literally nap in one end of the tub while the mouse sat at the other end, waiting to be executed. Also unfortunately, I learned the hard way to check the tub thoroughly before using it myself, since the cat always left me the head and the tail. One morning the shower curtain obscured the 'leftovers'. A slow drain caused a couple of inches of water to build up in the tub during my shower; a dropped bar of soap helped me discover that I'd not checked the tub thoroughly enough. "Freaked out" doesn't begin to describe my state of mind after that; I arrived at work more than an hour late, but with very clean (i.e. repeatedly scrubbed) skin.

When cats get old, they are no longer interested in knocking themselves out over a stupid mouse. That's what they tell me, anyway. I've seen it play out, as various kitties who were once murderous maniacs barely open an eye to see what all the skittling and scratching is about. I think getting a young cat would be the simplest answer to the problem, but you haven't indicated you're interested in that. I vote for whatever's quick and fairly painless. Use poison as a last resort. If several of them eat the stuff and then crawl into places you can't reach, and die, you're in for at least a couple months of having a smelly house, and if it gets bad enough, smelly clothes as a result. Whatever you do, don't use poison AND traps. The poison is a blood thinner... guess what happens when the trap springs? Mouse blood everywhere.

We did get the GE Profile countertop model, and we love ours, also. The only baking I've done it is two-crust pies, and they've been beautiful. We'd buy another in a heartbeat.