patticky

I have the Gelato by lello (simac machine). I think the biggest problem is that it's best to have a permanent space for it because you can't use it for 24 hours after it is moved -- and it IS very heavy. It's easy to use, easy to clean with the removable bowl and makes a nice product. (My favorite was some leftover sweetened strawberries when they were in season with a pint of heavy cream). I don't think the machine is especially noisy -- but you haven't heard my washing machine.

I made your strawberry ice cream with some leftover sugared strawberries and a cup of cream for a quick dessert tonight. It was great. I took it right out of the churn and put it in the serving dishes; then added a sprinkling of blueberries. Since I made such a small amount, it wasn't in the ice cream maker that long and kept its white color; the strawberries didn't taste frozen. Of course, we ate it quickly before it melted too much. Thank you for the suggestion.

I love the put-the-carton-on-its-side trick to center the eggs. Gotta try that. Thanks.

I don't get it. I don't see how any of them are ready to run a Class 1 restaurant. I think they should have stuck with the prize money so they could start with a smaller establshment.

I'm ashamed to say I haven't been to The Wine Bar yet. I plan it for after the racing season. Isn't there another wine bar opening -- Limencello??? I thought I passed it on Broadway when I was shopping earlier this summer; it hadn't opened .

We have a few more wine bars in the Albany area. Cella Bistro in Niskayuna is very nice (got a great review from The Times Union). It's located on Rosa Rd. And All Star Wine & Spirits has just opened a wine bar in Latham Farms, Latham. Maybe we're catching up with the rest of the country. Finally.

I miss eating raw seafood so much sometimes I can still remember the taste of raw clam with a squirt of' lemon juice. I read articles like this and I remember why I had to give it up. Such a shame!

I haven't been to Cooperstown in a couple of years but I liked the Mingo Blue Grill on Ostego Lake. Good food and good scenery. The Moosewood Restaurant is a great place for lunch in Ithaca, whether or not you are a vegetarian.

Klary, I haven't made the cassata but I have split a pound cake into 3 layers and filled it with leftover cannoli filling, frosted it with chocolate icing and decorated it with chopped pistachio nuts. The best ricotta is the baker or dry ricotta but that's hard to find where I live. (I can buy 25 pounds at a time from a local cheese producer). When I buy the ricotta from the grocery store, I drain it as much as I can. If I'm really stuck and it's still too watery, I have added whipped cream but only in desperation. My family isn't crazy about chunks of citron, so I take some of the sugar and citron and put it in the food processor to partly pulverize while still keeping some of the dice. You might also use chopped dark chocolate tho most recipes now suggest chocolate chips. If I use large chocolate chips, I sometimes cut it slightly in a food processor as well. I think if you want to make a genuine cassata, you might need to use a sponge cake, probably soaked in a little rum. In that case, I probably wouldn't use a chocolate icing either. Question on fried sliced artichoke: Does anyone blanche the artichoke before slicing and coating? Patti

My dear grandmother made a sour kraut soup that I loved as a young child. She probably used pork neck bones to make the broth. There was also onion, carrot and probably potatoes. She liked to use lots of black pepper in her cooking but she didn't have access to very many spices. Since she had this great talent for sweet and sour soups, I would guess that this was one of them; she would have used sugar to taste. I don't remember. Then she finished the soup with the top of the milk -- heavy cream or half and half.

Check out Melissa's World Variety Produce at www.melissas.com for both mailorder and store location information. They also offer recipes, good descriptions of exotic fruits etc.

You might want to check out the QVC web site. They have enamel coated pans from Staub Basix, a French manufacturer. I picked up a 3 quart casserole and it seems as substantial as my Le Creuset.

"Ugly Frosting" couldn't possibly be a name for a version of the frosting which has caused such controversy on THIS thread............ ← It's really ugly when the flour mixture is being cooked. But it becomes a thing of beauty as its whipped up. I may not be able to locate that recipe until I clean up. I'd be happy to post it later.

There also is a frosting called, among other things, ugly frosting. It's made with flour and shortening base that's cooked on top of the stove...it looks awful, thus it's name. Then, as I recall, you beat in the sugar and it whips into a lovely, heavy white frosting. I don't remember the other names for it. I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation (cooks and files are stacked all over the house) but I will attempt to find the recipe if you are interested.

I'm not sure if we are still doing composed salads, but I'm going back there anyway. I think a green composed salad generally is a single serving spectacular so that each person can enjoy the artistry of the dish. If it is on a large platter, it will soon be destroyed. Layered salads are those 7 layer type salads with all the ingredients on top of each other and served in a glass bowl so you can enjoy the different colors and textures -- generally another category. (Do you think a Cobb salad is a horizontal version of a layered salad?) My favorite composed salad is a bed of Boston lettuce with a jumbo shrimp, a few beautifully steamed asparagus and quarters of small sized tomatoes. I think you are supposed to use a single dressing but I do mine separately -- a seafood sauce dressing with the shrimp and vinegar and olive oil with the rest. Whatever you call them, these salads look delicious! Thanks for the great ideas.

more than scary ..that would be downright disgusting... ← I guess it would be okay as long as you could use diet cola. Actually, people do love the mayo and the kraut type cakes. I don't recall anything with cherry cola. There is a cherry cake make with a can of cherry pie filling and a chocolate cake mix, frosted with melted chocolate chips. I guess it's a version of a dump cake.

There isn't a Penzey's in my area, tho the store started in my home town and I've enjoyed their products for a long time. Their catalog is fantastic and they just started a new magazine...I think it's called Penzey's One.

← Milt, I use a smooth cotton towel (the kind you use to dry glasses) to squeeze the excess juice out of cooked minced mushrooms. It will work just as fine with the raw frozen spinach. Just pile it into a ball shape into the cloth, twist and squeeze.

← What is Perfect Addiction?

Cold green bean salad is a traditional recipe in my Sicilian family. The problem is that you need to start out with good, tender green beans. You can cook the beans French style in lots of salted water so they return to a quick boil. Then quickly shock them in ice water. (I usually steam mine but that would be difficult if you are cooking for a large group.) I like the beans fully cooked with just a bit of crunch. Then refrigerate until ready to use if it is not to be served soon. (But try them at room temperature when you get a chance. I think the flavor is much nicer.) I agree that it is best to add the dressing at the last minute because the beans will turn gray and soak up too much acid. Just before serving, add salt and pepper, a little very nice olive oil and an acid such as red wine vinegar, combination of wine vinegar and lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar. Thinly sliced red onion is nice with this. Just bring a little container of the dressing and a separate dish of beans to simplify serving. I am not sure of measurements but I think the usual formula for oil to vinegar is 3 to 1. Sample it as you go so that it is agreeable to you. You want just enough to accent the vegetable; don't overdo the dressing.

Crisco shortening doesn't contain water (which I never realized) but there is a substitution chart on their website. A Crisco cookie with no extra water added is higher and lighter, while a butter cookie is flatter and crisper. One cup of Crisco shortening plus 2 tablespoons water will equal 1 cup of butter or margarine, according to the chart. You can check the rest of the conversions at www.crisco.com, where I got this information. I suppose a lot of cookie recipes have that formula built into it but I never paid attention. And I wonder how many butter cookies were converted to shortening cookies without the formula, and passed on that way.

I go back to "Mastering" when I become lazy in my cooking and start taking too many short cuts. Aside from my immediate family, Julia was the greatest influence on my cooking style. Like so many others, I will truly miss her.

I have made chocolate cups with fresh berries in the middle. But my husband loves a dish of raspberries topped with a little sugar and ice cold milk. Since I think chocolate and raspberry is such a nice combo, I make sundaes with vanilla ice cream, fresh raspberries and a good drizzle of chocolate sauce. Raspberries are so precious to me I try to keep it simple.

Wendy, I love your simple descriptions. If I wanted to read a novel, I would go to the library. In reading a menu, I prefer a basic description so that I know what is in the dish. Period. I don't like fanfare. For me, you are right on target. Patti