andiesenji

I like their white bean hummus - I've tried several times to duplicate it and while my efforts are okay, they just don't have that extra piquancy that's in the TJ's. However I like my homemade pita better!

I've never found any need to "shock" it. I get plenty of flavor - I think using part goat milk contributes to the flavor. I know that I like the combination better than straight cow milk. Some people stir in a little heavy cream as they think that makes it richer but I don't notice the difference.

I found a site with photos of the method I described above. Chris, I haven't gone back to Julia's book to check on her methods. Also, I've checked in various pastry books (over the years) and the number of layers suggested varies considerably. One source suggests 80 layers is more than enough, another states is has to be a minimum of 124, another says 250 (approximate) and yet another more than 700 - supposedly the "classic" French method. It's all very confusing so I just went with what worked for me. In my opinion the 3-fold method or "book" fold is easier than the 4-square fold.

Some excellent advice here. The California Avocado Commission (CAC) does not recommend microwaving. Notes here. In my experience I have found that the apple in paper bag works well and I also toss in a banana PEEL if available as that tends to lessen the ripening time by a day. I've done the microwave thing to SOFTEN an avocado but it really doesn't ripen it but microwaving for two 15 second sessions,(without piercing it) turning the avocado over between sessions, and then bagging it with an apple or banana has produced an acceptable result within 24-36 hours, starting with a rock-hard avocado.

For those who are having difficulty finding fresh Seville oranges to make marmalade, Amazon again has the MaMade thin cut (canned), which I have used in the past with great success. (The thick cut is still out of stock.) The product used to be available in larger cans - the ones I had would produce 20 pints of finished marmalade. Mamade also used to offer a lemon base and a 3-fruits base, orange/lemon/grapefruit, but apparently discontinued these items.

When I was in baking school, we were taught a more complicated method of folding. And the dough volume was greater. The dough was formed into a 24 inch square and the butter spread in a 12 inch "counter" square in the center (so the sides of the butter square faced the points of the dough square) and the points of the dough layer folded in to touch in the center, rolled, turned a quarter turn, the points folded in again and so on - as I recall it was a total of 6 turns, which produced 64 layers of dough. After chilling the dough was rolled and folded this way once for croissants, turnovers, cream horns, vol-au-vents and similar pastries (128 layers) and twice (256 layers) for fruit strudels, Napoleons, palmiers and allumettes, sprinkling the dough with a cinnamon/sugar mixture between the last two turns for the palmiers, elephant ears and similar "cookies" or ??? In the bakery we had very heavy rolling pins with large barrels that made working the stiff dough easier because the weight of the pins did some of the work. I used that method for quite a few years before I was prompted to try the method of folding demonstrated by Julia on one of her (rerun) shows I saw sometime in the late '70s or early '80s, as it didn't require quite as much effort to get the same results. I missed a step in my description above. The dough was quite thick and stiff during the first couple of folds and the square was beaten or pounded with a French pin to soften it a bit so it would roll easier. I think a lot of aggression was used up on the dough by the guys in my class - it got rather noisy at times.

I forgot to add a hint. If your onions are super sharp and even somewhat bitter, store them in the fridge (in a crisper drawer with an uncovered cup or other container with baking soda to absorb any odor) for at least a week, then test one. The sulfur compounds that are responsible for the sharpness will concentrate at the root end so immediately after removing from the fridge, cut that end off and discard before peeling and chopping the rest. I've found that I have less tearing and the onions have a milder flavor. I routinely do this with the larger (and stronger) green onions I grow past the "scallion" stage and which develop a very sharp flavor.

Most of the yellow onions available in my area are grown right here in the Antelope Valley. If one lives in the western states and buys yellow or brown onions at Costco or Walmart - they are Antelope Valley onions. They grow very large in the loose sandy desert soil and are easy to harvest. The same grower also has extensive acreage in the central valley where they grow a lot of red onions. They are also test growing the once popular "Bermuda" onion and some were available locally last fall at the farmers markets. I hope they are successful because I love them.

If it were me, I'd bring back the empty bags. TJ's stands behind their products, they will refund your money, even though you threw the product away. I'm sure they werent cheap either. I agree. I've taken things back - moldy berries mostly but also a box of frozen stuff that was full of ice and dried up product, and been given an refund without questions.

I've got a number of tiny salt "cellars" with tiny spoons. This is the double spice tagine like I have but I think the one Anna has is a toy as it is about half the size of my set. Dakki - those are lovely French bakery racks - I've got a couple but have then out in the garden holding pots of herbs. I cover them with plastic "tents" to overwinter the less hardy herbs outside.

I was given a large bag of (Peri & Sons - Firebaugh,Calif.) sweet onions last week and not having any special onion-y plans, chopped and vacuum sealed them in 1-cup bags and froze them. I already had sufficient stock of yellow, white and red onions to fill all my immediate needs. My neighbor got them on a 2-for one special and had no idea what to do with the extra bag but couldn't pass up a "bargain." I like regular onions for onion confit. The sweet onions are too bland at the finish and if cooked too long, develop a "tar-like" quality that is not at all like the regular onions finish.

This just keeps getting better and better! My friend from Saida is following it as her grandson is going to Lebanon in May for a wedding so she is taking notes of food places he should visit.

Kim, in 1958 most people only knew the "famous" people in their own town, except for baseball players (football was not yet such a big deal) film actors and TV personalities. I was in the Army then and during a group get-together I remember mentioning Dag Hammarskjöld, secretary-general of the UN at that time, and most of the folks looked at me with blank expressions. These were young people (mostly) from all over the country, including some of NYC, and only one other had any inkling. However, I'm sure all of them could name every one of The Four Lads or The Coasters.

I spend a lot of time on Forum Thermomix, with mostly Australian members. Besides the numerous Thermomix recipes, the forum includes a list of Non Thermomix recipes, many of which may be helpful to you. See the three pages here. Also many of the recipe that have been converted to Thermomix, began life as regular recipes and the friendly folk on the forum are always happy to PM a copy of the recipe to other members. It doesn't cost anything to join and I'm sure you will find kindred spirits there. A large proportion of members are mums (and a few dads) with kids in schools and I'm sure will have excellent suggestions as they already know what goes in your situation.

Kim, your gorgeous coffee cake shot prompted me to make one, also with peaches but I added some chopped crispy bacon. It was extremely difficult to limit myself to one (smallish) square!

I do the latter (simple puff pastry) and I usually just make croissants - sometime cream horns or vol-a-vents - I know I don't fond and turn it enough to get more than 700 layers and it works perfectly well. It's the same recipe I use for strudels - both sweet and savory. I do weigh the butter because I make my own and it is not in sticks and to make the process easier, work it (with the reserved flour) on a marble slab and spread it thin with a broad icing spatula, scrape it up in a sheet and apply to the dough. This way I get more even coverage.

That's my choice also. I've tried numerous formulas over several decades and always go back to this one because it is predictable and (for me at least) mistake proof. There are several online videos of the process with Michel Richard, Richard Medrich and a couple of others demonstrating the method. You can even get the original PBS episode online for a minimal charge via Amazon.

I've also prepared the spiced lamb shanks with gingered lentils - I had some lamb shanks and I'm not a huge fan of lamb but the flavor was sufficiently modified by the spices that I liked it. I didn't have any red lentils on hand so used belugas and they were lovely. I've also prepared the Rillons - pork at its best!

It's a good think I have a "skin" cover for my keyboard because I have been drooling on it. I too prefer the vegetarian dolmas - usually the only kind I prepare - but I like stuffing with meat for other vegetables, zucchini, little eggplants, frying peppers, etc. I love your descriptions and translations. Very informative and I'm sure will be helpful when I next visit the local middle eastern store. Besides the canned products, they sell some great deli items, including a lovely bean salad made with foul, chickpeas, tomatoes, cukes and parsley, lemon slices and spices. I also buy the canned foul, usually plain but I also have a can with olive oil and one with tahina. I did have a can of foul with hot peppers but used it in a combination dish with rice and chickpeas, which toned down the pepper heat. (Harvest brand from Egypt)

I've been using argan oil on my face and neck for the past six months or so and have noticed improvement in the lines around my eyes and corners of my mouth. One of the ladies who does facials at my hair salon advised me to hold a warm, wet cloth on my face for several minutes and then apply the oil and that makes it easier to apply and spread evenly. I also use it for food - it's food grade from ChefShop - so for cosmetic purposes I transfer some to a small bottle with an eyedropper as a little goes a long way. I've been adding a bit to my breakfast yogurt also as it has been touted as having significant antioxidant properties and I did ask my internist before using it. I don't know if it is the effect of this oil or other (minor) dietary changes but my cholesterol (never very high) dropped 23 points since last tested a year ago (was 184, now 161) and I'm still eating butter, yogurt made with whole milk or half&half and bacon, etc., etc...

If it has been kept cold enough, it is like suspended animation and only begins to age after it is at room temp. I have kept flour in my freezer for several years and had no problems when I finally got around to using it (whole wheat in this case).

I came across this one more than a year ago - I may have mentioned it in another thread, I was so impressed by it - which has to be tasted to be believed. There is nothing remarkable about the ingredients (except for the amount of butter) but the way they are combined is somewhat different and the result is exceptional. Do try it!

I've been using yogurt with rolled oats (crushed to powder) for a facial scrub for decades and everyone says my skin tone is exceptional for my age. If I have a bit of a rash from wind exposure, I use honey and yogurt as a facial mask. I use diluted white vinegar as a disinfectant, corn meal to get rid of unwanted ant colonies in the garden (a non-toxic approach). There are numerous uses for food items for household tasks. Cornstarch will lift moisture out of carpets, also oil and grease.

Mr. Breakfast describes it thus. The Oxford English Dictionary goes into greater detail but that's about the gist of it. Kaffeekuchen was a label I often saw when I lived in Wisconsin. A friend from Denmark notes that it is practically impossible, when visiting a private home, to have coffee without some kind of cake or sweet roll (?Danish?) and her visits to other Scandinavian countries produced the same.

This arrived in my email inbox early this morning - I have been drooling ever since I opened it... Bacon Supper