chromedome

If memory serves, it is the bacterial fermentation (not the yeast fermentation) that develops the characteristic deep and sour flavours of a good sourdough bread. Because the bacteria do not reproduce as quickly as the yeast, the cold-and-slow method allows time for this to take place.

It sounds to me like a variant on a dish my wife's German/Mennonite grandmother makes. It's called kartoffeln-mit-kloessen (sp?) which means, logically enough, potatoes with noodles. The noodles are made out of the same dough as her verenike wrappers, cut by hand into long strips like fat fettucine (smaller than pappardele, though). My wife's grandmother usually serves hers with greens from the garden, bacon bits, onions, and a little splash each of the bacon fat and some vinegar. If you remember a thickened sauce on the ones you had, it may be that this specific Amish woman thickens the "pot liquor" she cooks her veg in, and serves that with the dish. I haven't seen it done quite that way, but it is certainly the sort of notion that would appeal to farmwife frugality.

The contrast in textures is the charm of a cod tongue. They consist of two small nuggets of muscle inside a sac of gelatinous tissue; when quick-fried in hot fat (traditionally from rendered salt pork) you get the crisp-fried outside, gelatinous middle, and firm muscle all in one bite. For those who detest gelatinous textures it can be off-putting, but taken altogether it has the same appeal as a crisp-fried oyster.

Here in Edmonton, the only widely available "upscale" chocolates are Callebaut and Lindt. The Callebaut is typically the bittersweet couverture (811? 835? something like that), while the Lindt is the usual range of 66%/75%/85% bars. I use the Callebaut for ganache and truffle centres, because I mostly do those for Christmas and Callebaut has good brand recognition up here. Personally, I find the Callebaut bittersweet to be too sweet for eating out-of-hand. My wife and I lean to the 85% Lindt for a personal indulgence, while our daughter tops out at 70%. We're also partial to the Rogers Fire Bar, a dark bar (I'm guessing 60-65%) with cinnamon and both ancho and chipotle peppers. I'd like it to be a bit darker and less sweet, but it's a good bar. I understand why the Lindt and comparable chocolates are off-putting for some people, with the fruitiness and acidity front and centre. Certainly, for those of us who grew up on commercial "chocolate" bars, it is a strange and unaccustomed flavour. Bear in mind that cocoa is naturally acidic (hence the alkalization performed on "Dutch process" cocoa); how the beans are processed probably determines whether the acidity is brought to the fore or toned down. I suspect it's more complex than simply the degree of roasting, though I am certainly open to correction from someone more knowledgeable. I lean to intense flavours, rather than subtle ones. I love cumin, chilies, limes, cilantro, and garlic; while things like sushi, zucchini, and cauliflower tend to leave me cold. In chocolate, as in coffee, I detest sweetness and look for an immediate in-your-face impact that's almost too much for my palate to process right away. I compare the initial impact of an 85% bar to that of a good espresso, which also has an intensity and acidity which is disconcerting to the uninitiated. Having said that, the best chocolate is always the one you most enjoy eating... I've just recently discovered that there is a chocolatier in the downtown which sells various privately sourced single-estate chocolates. I'm going to try to get there next time I have a day available for errands. Can't pass up an educational opportunity like that!

It is necessary to use a pressure canner to safely preserve items like meats, seafood, and non-acidic vegetables (squash, beans, peas, etc). For a good overview of how to can the most common household foods safely, you may want to consult the USDA canning guide. It's also available in downloadable .pdf format from many sites. There are also numerous books available from sources like the Rodale Press (publishers of Organic Gardening magazine) which offer more detail and a wider range of foods. I don't know what prices run for those down in the States, but if you have the bug in a serious way it's not excessive. It can also save you a ton of freezer space.

When I was a kid in Nova Scotia, the local brand was Scottie's. They came in the old-school little paper-foil bags, back then. They were bought up by Hostess back in the early 70's, and they never seemed the same to me after that. Now, of course, I'm living in Edmonton and I can get Old Dutch everywhere. I like that new salt & pepper flavour. It's pretty good.

And when you're in a hurry, you can just slap it into several dozen pans with a big ol' paint brush. As long as you're diligent in the corners, you can do the pans a whole lot faster that way (not as quick as spraying, but quick nonetheless).

Y'know what? Icing is just the airseal on a cake, to protect it until it's eaten. It's packaging. That's it, that's all. I've had pretty much every kind of icing you can imagine, and I don't like any of them. Not just commercial (ugh!) icings and fondants, either. One advantage of going to cooking school is that you get to taste them all when made from scratch. I still don't like 'em. As and when I put something on a cake for home consumption, it's basically only ever going to be ganache (for special occasions) or whipped cream. Whipped cream, after overnight refrigeration, sets up into a nicely thick coating which keeps the cake moist. And how can you not like whipped cream on cake? Having said that, though, I'm a professional and I sell product. Icing is the packaging for the specific product called "cake," and packaging - on any product - is targeted at the desired audience. Give the people what they want (or at least what they think they want) and you can't go very far wrong.

I love that book! I had my eye open for years, looking for a copy, and just two summers ago my next-door neighbour gave me one out of the blue. "Some old Mennonite cookbook somebody gave me," was how she described it. She was rather taken aback at my delight. I get a kick out of the unapologetic vindictiveness of her rabbit recipes...

I had the same problem with my bread dough climbing up the hook and wrapping around the head of the unit. Some wonderful person here at eG gave me the crucial piece of information...don't lock the head down (assuming you have the tilting 4.6 qt model). The mixer bobs up and down, and occasionally clunks alarmingly, but the dough doesn't climb. Once in a while I will press it back down into the dough, and that seems to be about right. I always finish my doughs with hand kneading or folding (depending whether stiff/slack dough).

In Canada, we have a bit different scenario. Cooking is a trade like any other (plumber, electrician, pipefitter) and is administered by the government. Culinary grad and blue-collar grunt alike complete an apprenticeship, take exams, and complete "x" amount of on-the-job training. At the end of the day, you receive a nationally recognized journeyman certificate (aka "Red Seal") which, as with any other trade, declares that the newly-minted journeyman is competent to work unsupervised in the field. We have a Master designation in our trade, just as other trades do. In our country, it's the "CCC" (Certified Chef de Cuisine) certification. Like the CMC in the States, it is an absolute ball-busting marathon, although ours is only three days rather than ten. Unlike the CMC, though, there is no political controversy about the CCC. The standards have been set by a government body in conjunction with employers, schools, and industry representatives. No one school has more influence than the others in the process, therefore there are no concerns about undue uniformity in the underlying training. Having said that, there is a similar ambivalence here about the CCC, in that it really only advances one's career on the corporate side of things (hotels, major foodservice companies, etc). For those wanting only to run a restaurant, it's hard to justify the price tag.

My mom always used bacon fat for half the fat in her gingerbread. It certainly adds something. Pick a gingerbread recipe that's heavy on the ginger and molasses, though, or the bacon flavour will come through.

Hmm. Well, I absolutely love lamb. I've put it on my menu repeatedly, at a cost roughly double that of beef or pork. Sales consistently run about 20% of what they do when I run beef, pork, chicken, etc (ie, the usual suspects). Please understand that's not 20% lower...that's 20%. Twenty orders instead of a hundred. I can't cover my costs on that basis, so now I only bring in lamb for catering functions and cooking classes.

I think everybody needs to have one of the old-school stalwarts close to hand. You know what I mean...Betty Crocker, Fanny Farmer, Joy of Cooking...one of the ones that tries to cover everything. Although I use J o' C quite a bit, the one I go back to over and over again is my grandmother's wartime edition of The American Woman's Cookbook. It's not quite so old that the recipes begin with "eviscerate your chicken" (never mind "catch your chicken"), but it's pretty vintage just the same. It covers just about everything from scrambled eggs to petits fours, and all of the recipes that I've used have been pretty functional. One thing that's kind of interesting is the complete rundown on entertaining that's offered in the opening chapters. Lots of good advice on how to work the timing, as well as a complete guide to the various pieces of cutlery and servicewares (if you've ever wondered which fork goes where...). The book's popularity lasted at least into the 1950's, as this is when my mom's copy was published. I like my grandmother's copy better, since it has the section of wartime how-to-do-without recipes. You should be able to find used copies round and about. It doesn't have the chatty character of Joy of Cooking, but it's a solid piece of work.

The flavour is milder (no more bitter than many other salad greens) when picked either very young and tender (about thumb-sized), or in fall, after they're pretty much spent for the year. At any time of the year, avoid clumps with flowers coming up; those will always be bitter. I use them occasionally in salads, but as the only enthusiastic eater of bitter salad greens in my house they're a solitary pleasure. More usually I blanch them and use them in stirfries, or as part of a "boiled dinner" with a ham. I've also used them with lemon zest and pine nuts to stuff a piece of pork loin, which was quite good. You may also want to incorporate them into a spanakopita or something of that sort, which is impeccably authentic if you care about such things. Wolfert goes on at length about these and wild greens in general in one or another of her books (probably more than one), so if you're a fan you may want to hit that section of your bookshelf.

The NSLC in Nova Scotia also has a "shop the world" option. As long as you are willing to commit to a case (or can organize enough friends to do so) they'll bring in just about anything, from anywhere.

I've had cans of Eagle Brand that were thoroughly caramelized, here in Canada. It may have been an assembly-line error, but the cans were left in my bakery by a previous manager and had logged a lot of time on a high shelf near the ovens, so I'm leaning to the slow-caramelization theory.

Plant gender is not folklore, at least not entirely. It's not simple, either, or universal; but it is well-recognized and documented. A few links for your perusal: Plant Facts Gender comparison in cannabis sativa (Gender is all-important in pot growing, apparently...) And for further study, if you're truly obsessive... Gender and Sexual Dimorphism in Flowering Plants

I read up on saffron rather extensively a year or so ago, after being gifted with a quantity of it from two different individuals (on whose heads be blessings...). I can recall the Pennsylvanian saffron being mentioned in a few of those books, and I suspect that there are more growers than just the one. If memory serves, one book referenced a few Amish growers. I have found the Iranian saffron, in general, to be more pungent and quicker to infuse than the Spanish. I tend to use the Spanish for long-cooking items, and the Iranian for hot beverages and quick-cooking dishes. I know many people who are saffron enthusiasts, some few who really don't get excited about it either way, and a number who just don't like it at all. I think it may be one of those genetic-trigger things, like cilantro or truffles. If they don't do it for you, they just don't <shrug>. More for the rest of us.

If it is indeed a problem of your oven cycling incorrectly, you may want to invest in some thermal mass...unglazed tiles, brick, or even two or three cheap pizza "stones" stacked up together will retain enough heat to keep your oven temperature stable. Load up the bottom rack, allow your oven lots of time to heat up (like, say, an hour ahead of time...), and have at it. If that's what your problem is, this should fix it.

I've seen collards in all the major supermarkets, at one time or another. They seem to only be around for a month or so, so you've got to keep your eyes peeled (am I the only one who finds that colloquialism creepy?). As for grits, the ubiquitous Bob's Red Mill produces them, and you can find their product pretty widely too. You may have to phone around a bit, but somebody in your area should have them.

This is an interesting discussion, for me. I've run an in-store bakery for a year, but I have not been in a position of needing to generate a large volume of sheet cake for my clientele (that was done for us at our sister store, and transferred over), so I've only baked cake at home. For family use, I have a handful of cakes that I can crank out just as fast as a mix, so it's not been an issue. However, there are a whole bunch of things tied up in the "scratch vs. manufactured" debate. Obviously, on the whole we'd all prefer to wow our customers with gloriously perfect product we'd made from all-natural ingredients. There's just that little detail about making enough profit to stay in business... For me, coming to cooking/baking at the age of 40, after a lot of years in sales, I found a lot of congruence. People complain a lot about salesmens' bulls--t, but really it's just like the kitchen; everything has its "presentation side." You don't serve your fish skin side up, and you explain your product in a way that presents it to good advantage. It's not dishonest, it's pragmatic. Was this cake made from mix? "Well, I use a commercially available base to ensure consistency, and I complement that with lots of fresh eggs and cream and other quality ingredients." Is this pie made from scratch? "We buy good-quality pie shells from a reputable supplier, because of the consistency and labour-cost issues. The fillings we make from scratch, from the best fruit available to us at this time of year." Now, the best fruit available to us may be (and often is) Individually Quick Frozen, here in the Great White North. That changes nothing. I could respond by saying, "I use frozen fruit and frozen crust." Both statements are 100% accurate, but which would leave you with a better impression? I can tell you that I've had scores of customers ask me the latter question, and the answer you see is the one I've given. If a customer shows any interest, I'll get into the reasons for using IQF vs. out-of-season crap, and I can tell you that they almost invariably respond well. For any of you who are in entrepreneurial situations, you surely have a handful of questions you answer *all the time*. It is well worth your while to sit down and prepare answers for those half-dozen or so questions, and have them ready to hand when you are asked. They are part of your mise en place, just as surely as the flour and eggs.

I've never read anything of Reichl's until now (as the odds of my dining in New York anytime in the next decade are slim-to-none). On the evidence of this excerpt, I think I need to adjust my "next things to read" list.

I tried a few brews from BC a couple of weekends ago, at the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food festival here in Edmonton. My favourite discovery of the show was the Cannery Brewery from Penticton, BC. I tried their Blackberry Porter, Naramata Nut Brown Ale, and Anarchist Amber Ale; and found them all to be solid offerings. The Blackberry Porter is especially interesting, combining a classic porter style with local Okanagan blackberries. It's not quite raspberries and chocolate, but there's a definite affinity. They'll be hard to find outside of BC, but if any Edmontonians want to give them a shot just PM me and I'll tell you where to find them. The Anarchist Amber and Naramata Nut Brown are full-bodied brews, and have fared well in international competition. I also had a few Hophead IPA's from the Tree Brewing company, which I rather liked. These are very hoppy - as befits an IPA - with definite fruity notes. Not bad at all.

There is a traditional Acadian dessert containing salt pork (Acadians were/are big salt-pork eaters). Slice your salt pork thinly, and fry over moderate heat until the strips have rendered out and are thinly, crisply, delicious. Roll pastry dough, cut into squares (3, 4, 5" as you wish). Place a piece of salt pork in the middle of each, and cover with apples. Fold up the corners to make a square packet, pinching the corners together so that the juices do not foul your oven. While the pockets are baking, reduce some maple syrup by 1/3 on your stovetop. When pockets are beginning to be nicely browned, drizzle reduced maple syrup into the opening at the top of each pastry. Return to the oven for a few minutes. Serve when cooled to room temperature.