andiesenji

For years I used the recipe from The Settlement Cookbook or from one of my Penn. Dutch cookbooks and they are all easy and good. I've tried mixes in the past - I think one was from Williams-Sonoma - but none have really been as good as the "from scratch" recipes. This one was excellent, though a bit thicker on the bottom because I made it in a smaller pan than noted in the directions. I still have enough to make several more batches as the size of the package is very generous. I'm not usually fond of most mixes but I have yet to be disappointed by anything from Prepared Pantry. They have some items that I like to keep on hand for quick use - without having to take the time to do a lot of measuring &etc. For Thermomix fans, one of the ladies on ForumThermomix has converted a recipe here, in case anyone is interested. I'll put the link in the Thermomix thread also.

Have you thought about just swapping out the door itself. When I first moved up here I had a built-in oven and the glass door was broken - I think it was an O'Keefe & Merrit. A local used appliance store had the same model, which I bought for less than $50.00, took the door off it and put it on mine, then junked the other. It worked fine until I remodeled the kitchen some six years later. I know other folks have done this - used appliances are usually cheap and it was far less than ordering a new replacement door would have been. However my reason was getting the oven fixed immediately instead of waiting a couple of weeks.

I have labeled everything since back in the late '60s and '70s when I had the family at home and to save my sanity HAD to label things that were intended for a particular meal or meals. Training the kids and my husband to actually read and respond to those labels took time but eventually took effect. For many things that are not just temporary storage, I use my Brother P-Touch label printer. I have different sizes and colors of tape. I mostly use Cambro containers and the Brother tape will not come off in the dishwasher. So when I empty a container of something that I always keep on hand, that container is washed, dried and refilled. For temporary storage in vacuum bags and/or zip lock bags, I use a permanent marker. Sharpies are okay but I also use the old-fashioned china markers - I like the Dixon brand, they come in nine colors and are waterproof but easily removable with water. And they don't have that chemical smell that sometimes bothers me. The marks disappear in the dishwasher so they are ideal for glass - no tape needed, no sticky residue.

A few months ago I got a free Dutch Pannekoeken mix with an order from this vendor. I had company for a late breakfast/brunch today so decided to prepare this. My guests were very impressed with this (sausage patty on the side, didn't get a photo). I had mine plain as the batter is just slightly sweet and is sweet enough for me with just a light dusting of cinnamon. One of my guests chose apple-cinnamon syrup, one opted for a dried fruit compote and the other had ginger-orange syrup left over from candying. All took away the URL address but one used my computer to place an order before they left to continue their trip to Las Vegas. Closeups -- "Money Shot"

I've been using it since it was introduced as Reynolds "Release" - I had a coupon for a free roll and immediately tried it and found it worked as advertised. I use so much of it that as soon as the food service size became available, I bought one. 18" x 350' The 12" wide is 1000' I found it at Smart & Final and as I recall the price per sq ft was somewhat more than half if I had purchased the regular 75 sq ft rolls totalling 525 sq ft. I do a lot of candying and line my drip pans with it, saves a lot of effort. I use it for the outer wrap on fruitcakes (wrapped with muslin) as it doesn't "sweat" as plastic wrap does. I line my dehydrator trays with it when drying very sticky things - such as pineapple. You can get a coupon here. And they are often in newspaper inserts and on the various free online coupon services.

JAZ, you are correct. There is a big difference between onions that are slowly caramelized over fairly low heat and "browned" onions that are cooked more rapidly over higher heat. The latter is the "classic" cooked onions served with liver and a bit of blackening on a few of the onions is okay (to my taste). And, all the technical jargon aside, the various degrees of cooking onions can vary so widely that I don't think there could ever be a universal agreement about it. What may seem underdone to me, may be perfect for someone else.

I fry eggs at a fairly low temp as I want a very tender white and to keep them from spreading, I use egg rings and have done so since I started cooking.

You can cook sweet potatoes in the microwave - I wash and scrub them well, cut off both ends, make a few small slits in the skin all around. I put them in a Pyrex baking dish, cover (I have several splatter covers like this, and like this, and recently bought four of these. You can also use plastic wrap but you have to make at least one slit in it to vent. Depending on your microwave, cook one or two small (skinny) sweet potatoes for 8 minutes on high and test with a skewer to see if they are tender all the way through. For larger or more potatoes it will take 10 to 15 minutes and half-way through the cooking you should shift the potatoes so the ones in the center are on the outside and so on. If you have very large or jumbo sweet potatoes, cut them in half put a little water in the baking dish - no more than 1/4 inch deep and stand them on the cut side. This also works best with the more dense "white" sweet potatoes that are less sweet. If you have a low-power microwave it will take longer. Some microwaves have a "Potato" setting which alternates power from low to high but the times will be essentially the same. It takes a little practice but once you get it, you won't have any problems. I hope this covers your questions about sweet potatoes. I have some silicone bakeware but really don't use it so much. I have a silicone microwave steamer and some poaching cups, a corn-on-the-cob cooker and a couple of other items but as I rarely use them, I really don't have a lot to say about them. They work okay but as I am more comfortable with my traditional stuff, I usually stick to that. I do have a set of silicone measures that were developed for microwave use and I do use those often. I have arthritis in my hands and they are easy to grip for someone with weak hands. They clean up nicely, nothing sticks to them.

Me too - also asking for a "latte" when they mean a caffe latte. I know what a real samovar is. I've been trying to buy an antique one for years but every one I wanted went out of sight in price. Many ex-pat Russians - there are many in the L.A. area, are buying up traditional Russian antiques. I'm looking for one similar to this, only in copper.

It is made for use on a stove - they also sell a brazier - charcoal to use with it or with a rice pot or tagines, but I only bought the samovar. It's like this one that on Amazon is called a Turkish teapot. In the store it was labeled just "samovar." The also had one like this one but it had a big dent in it and they couldn't estimate when they would get another shipment.

I like coffee-flavored yogurt. I make a coffee-flavored "cheesecake" that is made with yogurt. It is obviously popular with consumers as almost all the major brands offer a coffee flavor. I prepare a sweet espresso reduction/syrup to flavor it. Works great.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for this very interesting post, Hassouni. I have met several Iraqi ex-pats and have had tea with them but usually just regular tea brewed much longer than is "normal" for most Westerners. Your description is exceptionally detailed and is much appreciated. I have one of the "samovars" you described, purchased at a local middle eastern market but I have never brewed tea in it. I simply got it for my collection. I have tried several times to buy antique samovars on eBay but was always outbid.

For those of you just starting on the espresso "road" you might find this link interesting. Don't click on the page if you are facing a deadline or time is short. It is difficult to get away from it if you have only a few minutes...

The last entry in this topic was almost three years ago but there have been some interesting developments in the "Lunch Box" technology since that time. In the "what won't they think of next?" category is this: Someone sent me a link to a photo of this and (after I got over thinking it was a joke) I found there are a few links that have more detailed information (but not where to buy one as it is still in the "concept" stage). This is the Sunflower Solar-Powered Lunch Box. While I only rarely carry a "lunch box" (I have a Zojirushi bento box), there are times when something like this would certainly come in handy. A local fad is the Goodbyn lunchbox (a local Christian school is selling them at a discount to elementary school students), encouraged because there are less small parts to lose (and in one case end up in a shredder as the part, a container lid, was in a stack of papers. Oy! One of my neighbors, who has several young children, tells me that with the stickers, that personalize each one, it has saved a lot of early morning arguments about what belongs to each child. The school likes them because they are easily stackable in the fridge, unlike some of the odd-shaped lunch boxes. There are plenty of new styles in Insulated Lunch boxes and even the pickiest of consumers might find something interesting and useful at this online shop that carries an extensive line of lunch boxes, bags, totes and etc.

The local middle eastern market sells that drink. I've never tried it but the next time I visit the store I will pick up a bottle or two. P.S. I had a mango lassi for breakfast - no sugar, flavored only with freshly ground comet tail black pepper.

I'm bumping this topic up because this seems to be the "season" for sauerkraut and I have come across some information that might be of interest. The previous post mentions the Harsch Crock, 7.5 liter, available at Amazon. A few days ago the current Lehman's catalog arrived in the mail and on page three they are offering 4 German fermenting crocks, different sizes - from a 5-liter for $69.95 to a 20-liter for 149.95. I've long been a fan of Lehman's and can't begin to count how many items I have purchased from them over the years - long before they had an online store. I think I first "discovered" them through an ad in Mother Earth News in the early 1970s and have probably ordered from them at least once a years since then.

Katie, I am super picky about yogurt (also cream cheese and etc.,) which is why I make my own. I haven't bought yogurt in a supermarket for years, except when I had a coupon for a free one to try. Not impressed. I did buy some bulk yogurt at the middle eastern store to try it but I like my homemade stuff much better. I make yogurt once or twice a week unless I am doing a lot of baking and using it in the recipes. Perhaps raw apples might not be as tasty for most people but I defy anyone to tell me that a warm baked apple, made with very little sweetener and a dash of cinnamon, is not delicious with a generous dollop of yogurt. I make a deep-dish apple cobbler that I serve warm, with dishes of yogurt on the side and everyone likes it, even people who don't ordinarily eat yogurt. Of course that is my homemade yogurt, made with half & half, thick and rich.

In my opinion this is all up to personal preference. Eat what you like in whatever combination that pleases you. Apples are excellent with yogurt, raw or cooked. Melons are lovely with yogurt, especially the very sweet, ripe honeydew, with a splash of lime juice. An open-face PB&J "sandwich" topped with thick yogurt is very nice. I don't eat shrimp because I'm allergic but I know someone who does a party dish with spicy shrimp and hot peppers on skewers, served with yogurt for dipping.

I tried it. A person who is supposed to be very knowledgeable in its use also brewed coffee for me in it as I was informed I was "doing it wrong" or not using it properly. I was not impressed either with the several brews I made or with the few times it was prepared for me by the so-called expert with freshly roasted and ground coffee he provided. The same person tried to interest me in a Technivorm Moccamaster but I was not at all impressed with it either. I can't stand "stale" coffee, which is why I like the single cup brewers especially the one that allows me to make my own pods with my own freshly roasted and ground coffee. To my taste, coffee that stands on a burner for more than twenty minutes begins to taste "stale" to me. This is the reason I rarely drink coffee in restaurants and only under duress!

I would like to know the following: How do you like your coffee? Black, with sugar, with cream, with both? What strength do you like - strong, as with a dark roast, or ???? Do you like espresso-based coffee drinks? Either plain espresso, with steamed milk, foamed milk or ??? I think all these factors need to be known before you spend $$$$ on equipment that you may not use and will simply gather dust. If you like the regular coffees served at some places, ask how they brew it. Go to a place that sells premium coffees and ask questions. Some coffees, depending on how they are roasted and how they are ground, taste better when brewed one way and not so good when brewed another way. For instance: Dark roast coffees do not benefit from percolator brewing. They are great when brewed in a French press, assuming you know the "trick" of how to use one to best advantage, or in a vacuum pot. Vacuum pots were popular for many decades because they were (and are) virtually foolproof and produce an excellent brew if "regular" coffee is your drink of choice. As noted above, the beans with which you start are of greatest importance. In my opinion, it is better to buy coffee from a store that specializes in roasting and grinding to order, buy in small amounts, and brew with Pour-over, French press or vacuum brewer. Years ago I went through my share of inexpensive espresso machines, some not-so-inexpensive and because I could never master the technique of tamping, ended up with a very expensive superautomatic. And then after the "new" had worn off, seldom used it. Great dust catcher though. A few months ago a friend who lives in the Bay area took a Coffee Masters Class - doesn't plan on becoming a professional, just wanted more knowledge. You might check to see if there is anything like this in your area. Once you know exactly what you consider the "perfect cup" - then you can learn how to achieve it - and before you spend a lot of money on something that may or may not work for you.

The ones I buy all have stickers that say: Product of ---- . I have ground squirrels but a wire basket upside-down over the melons and squash are an easy deterrent. They are actually less of a nuisance than the ravens.

Melons and squash, especially those from Mexico (which are excellent) get dipped in a tub out on the deck that I have filled with water and a little bleach, then rinsed off with a hose and left out on the deck to dry.

I recall some discussion about egg toppers a few months ago but can't find a specific topic so am posting here. Perhaps there might be interest in the Rosle Egg Topper that is now on Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion. Also on the promotion re the OXO good grips 3-qt and 5-qt colanders and another 4-for-3 item is a set of Bodum Pavina double wall glasses (I ordered the 12 ounce size) And I have placed an order for enough things that I am getting one egg topper and one set of glasses free and am passing along the info in case anyone else is contemplating purchase of things that will certainly make great holiday gifts - and free!.

I think you are correct. I occasionally come across a recipe that has some less than stellar instructions and one gets the "what were they thinking?" flash.

How are they identified on the bottom? Some hard plastic bowls are not made from melamine. How do you "wash" them in the microwave?