andiesenji
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Posts posted by andiesenji
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One of my friends lives on her boat in a marina. She has had to deal with moisture for years and in her cupboards has packets of silica gel crystals in Tyvek bags that keep molds from forming.
She has them tacked up on every side inside cupboards and in every drawer.
The ones she has change color when full of moisture and can go into a low oven on a sheet pan to be dried out as they turn back to the original blue color.
They are made in China so should be available there.
Some are also packaged with odor absorbers and she uses these in the area where there are chemical odors and in the head.
Many people live in the marina where she lives and they all use these things as do people who have homes and businesses on shore nearby.
I just spoke to her on the phone and she said that when she first moved onto the boat the smell of mildew was almost overpowering but with initial treatment with spraying diluted bleach and drying everything with electric heaters with a strong fan, she began using the silica gel packs and has never had a repeat of the problem during the eight years she has lived there.
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Hrm. I have on old onieda set. People think im picky. I want an antique set like andie!!!!!!!
The Towle set is not "antique" - that is just the name of the pattern "Beaded Antique Continental" where beaded antique is the pattern and continental is the size, which is larger than the regular.
several manufacturers offer many patterns in the "continental" size. I purchased these sets along with extra teaspoons and serving spoons and forks some ten years ago.
I wanted the continental size because the forks especially are longer and heavier. I spent a long time looking because (as I have mentioned in other topics) I am rather "picky" about these things.
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I grew up in the 1940s and we always had cakes. My grandfather's cook was a wonderful cake baker and I wish I had her recipes.
The ones I remember best are:
Coconut cake which took two days to prepare
The cake layers were baked and then drizzled with a syrup made with the coconut water so the interior was very moist and the icing was an Italian meringue (aka "fluffy white icing).
Red Velvet cake, unlike any other recipe but I know the secret to this one.
Into the batter went an entire jar of maraschino cherries, crushed and mashed, no food coloring.
again the icing was the fluffy white Italian meringue.
Orange chiffon cake - the recipe was on the Softasilk cake flour box in 1947.
7-layer Devil's Food cake with cherry jam between the layers and fudge icing.
Spice cake with burnt sugar frosting.
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I have friends with celiac disease and they rely on beans for much of their diet as long as they are dried - many canned beans contain wheat products. If they are processed in a plant where grains are processed, simple rinsing will remove 100% of any residue.
As noted by other posters, some people simply can't be satisfied and will refuse to listen to reasonable and correct information.
Too often they don't want to be satisfied, they want to cause trouble and sometimes are looking for a payoff.
The best way to handle these people is to refuse to speak to them.
Inform her that her phone call is being recorded and unless she produces verifiable information in physical form, i.e., paper printouts, the recorded phone calls will be turned over to the district attorney.
My local health food store had a bad experience a few years ago with a person who threatened "exposure" of poor sanitation if they didn't "settle" with her. She was phoning a dozen times a day.
They did inform her that her calls were being recorded and would be turned over to the sheriff's office for prosecution of fraud.
That ended the phone calls but she was sticking little "posters" up around the area but was finally photographed doing this by a parking enforcement officer and arrested when she refused to remove them (it's illegal here). She turned out to be a nut case who had walked out of a "secure" mental health facility in Nevada several months earlier.
They were lucky she didn't get violent, in Las Vegas she had attacked a server at Caesars Palace a few years earlier for "poisoning her food."
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As I said in an earlier post I like a fork with some heft to it and too many of the modern ones are too light and flimsy.
What I would like to find is a set of flatware with forks with similar size and heft plus knives with the old-fashioned "bread and butter" blades.
Even the Towle set, although not as pointy as some, are not the type of blade I like.
They have a serrated blade but aren't really sharp enough to be a steak knife and do not spread butter evenly.
I have a bunch of old Sheffield knives, acquired over the years, that have this type of blade as do my grandmother's sterling.
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Teff, both the "red" and "ivory" are available in the U.S. and have been for many years.
Bob's Red Mill has been offering both the whole grain and teff flour since the late 1990s because I have been buying it at my local health food store since then, after getting Jessica Harris' African Cookbook about that time.
It's possible that teff grain is not exported from Ethiopia because of the repeated famine situations there.
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Mexican, first by a long way. Then it would be North African.
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I do use waxed paper for many of the tasks listed.
I'm not sure if anyone mentioned ironing. While I don't do ironing myself, the woman who does mine uses waxed paper to "make suave" the linens.
That is, she runs the iron over the waxed paper and then irons the tablecloths, napkins, and other things that need to be ironed.
I have very few clothing items that require ironing but she may use it on them when I am not around to see.
(She speaks English fairly well but she mixes in some Spanish words from time to time. My Spanish is pretty anemic so we communicate with these mixed idioms.)
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Oh, geeeze! You would have to ask this question and I don't know how I can decide. It it like trying to decide which child one likes best.
I'll have to spend some time thinking about it.
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Took a quick look at MexConnect and it looks good too. Now may be the time when I figure out how to get RSS feed. I see there is an explanation of how to do it.
You can also get it so it shows up in your bookmarks if you select your browser for the feed.
I particularly like that I can search by ingredient for recipes, which is very helpful when I can't think of something to prepare and I have certain ingredients on hand and want to use them up.
Without this I would never have discovered the fettucine with ancho sauce, which is simply wonderful. I clicked on pastas and this popped up.
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I subscribe via RSS feed to
Under "Feeds" there is a list and I get the Cuisine feed via Google.
Most posts and many recipes are by Karen Hursh Graber but there are some from others.
The explanations of how to use various ingredients and also some help with sourcing is more complete than I have found on other sites.
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In my area the nighttime temps are still below freezing so it will be some time before I can be planting outside.
There are some things that have survived the snow and the freezing: onions, parsley, sorrel, Swiss chard and kale, plus the hardier herbs; sages, rosemary (impossible to kill), the bay trees, etc.
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I have never seen these before but now I MUST have one!
Andie, your press with the shell imprint looks like the mold for the French classic croque monsieur. Is that correct? I've always wondered how they were made.
I see from the pictures that some contemporary presses are non-stick/teflon, while the older presses are either aluminum or other metal--cast iron, maybe? Can anyone comment on the difference between the quality of the finished sandwich with these different materials?
The French iron is for croque monsieur but also for other sealed sandwiches.
I have one of the non-stick ones (square) which I use most of the time. I have an older one that is plain but has developed a seasoned patina from long use and it too is nearly non-stick but it has to be very carefully cleaned to keep from removing the seasoning so is mostly a decorative item now.
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In Australia, these things are called Jaffles, don't ask me why. I used to love them as a kid. Cheese, ketchup and hot dogs was my standard recipe.
Yes, they are readily available from this vendor
along with some very nice and reasonably priced pie irons and sandwich cookers.
I do have a "cookbook" for these devices and it is available from this eBay vendor as well as an excellent foil cookery cookbook.
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Helene, aka Thermomix Blogger has posted an update to the original post with detailed comparisons between the Soup Maker and the Thermomix.
I'm thankful that we have someone who keeps on top of these things and is willing to expend the effort to keep us informed.
If the Cuisinart proponents keep up with the comparisons to Thermomix, in my opinion this is only going to widen the market for Thermomix.
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Check eBay
I've purchased replacement containers at better prices than regular vendors but you have to watch for a good buy -
I stick to "Buy it now" sales.
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well, i'm not a betting man (or even a man at all, actually) but my money is on andiesenji knowing, loving and owning one, or perhaps an assortment. that woman's collection is awe-inspiring! i await her report.
also, WANT!
Gee, you folks know me waaaay too well.
I do indeed have a couple, one similar to Fat Guy's
and this one:
This one has been gently used but also carefully cleaned because I learned the hard way that if not completely cleaned, the sandwiches got ugly burnt marks, not at all attractive, where the ribs of the shells are located.
This one also doubles as a pie iron.
Also, I bookmarked this a couple of years ago when we had another discussion that had a mention of it.
And do check the recipes and the Pie Iron blog.
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this thread reminded me of my long pepper, used some on blueberries with local honey last night, was quite delicious! It's really a nice pepper with very distinct flavor. Worth having and worth remembering having
edited to add: a pet nail clipper is quite possibly the oddest utensil I've seen in kitchen use! I'd probably use my pliers (for kitchen use only). But in the grinder I have it's just the long pepper pieces. Came with the grinder, which seems to be the same as any other spice with grinder contraption, but might not be. I don't know if long pepper would go through my regular grinder.
I have several of the "Graviti" battery mills made by Trudeau. Long Pepper does not work well in these because of the shape. I have no problems if I cut it into bits that are approximately the size of fairly large peppercorns - about the size of allspice.
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Avoiding pattern, I had white but also I liked clear glass tableware. They have a quiet elegance and for a long time I admired them from afar, until I realized I too could have a set. So, now I do.
But, I'm conflicted of late. I have always been wary of "excessive" patterning, whatever that may mean, and have been quite surprised to find myself hankering for some strongly patterned design, rustic and warm, I'm guessing Moroccan?
There is a type of hand made tableware with a metal rim around the ceramic edge. I occasionally see isolated examples here or there, but no complete sets, so I haven't taken the plunge. I may end up amassing a cats and dogs collection unless someone can point me where I should look.
I don't know about the metal rim stuff, only things that are the usual colors and patterns.
I would suggest you take a look at Overstock.com and sign up for their periodic e-letters with bonus savings on items or on shipping. I recently got something and the shipping cost was $1.00!
A lot of these are closeout items so if you want more than the "basic" service for 4, order more.
I buy a lot of these for newlyweds, after they don't get all they need, or get only formal stuff and need something for every day. Also housewarming presents for people who want to change from previous designs - and they give me an idea of what they want or I give them a gift certificate for O.
The last few gifts have been Sango designs, they seem to be popular now. Perhaps because of the interesting shapes.
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I'm not going to start a new topic but I do want to note how I render bacon to replenish my supply of "drippings" or whatever you want to call it.
I did a brief Google search and only saw methods which are essentially frying the bacon.
That is not my preferred way, nor how I learned from the cooks in my family.
I use a lot of bacon grease in cooking, more than I would have with just my occasional use of regular bacon.
I buy these 3-pound packages of Bacon Ends & Pieces.
Some is sliced, some is quite thick and chunky.
I start with a large skillet - 12 inches at least - add water to 1/2 inch depth.
Bring to a boil and add bacon so the bottom of the pan is fully covered, or a bit more.
This cooks over medium high heat occasionally turning or stirring the bacon (if in small pieces) until the water has completely evaporated.
At this point I reduce the heat and continue cooking the bacon until it has just begun to take on a bit of color.
The bacon is transferred to a paper towel to drain, the fat is strained into a container
and water is added to the skillet to start the next batch.
The bacon is fully cooked but still tender so it is perfect to add to dishes that will be further cooked, such as beans, etc., or it can quickly be crisped if desired.
And this is the bacon fat extracted from half the package about 1 1/2 cups - I will be rendering the remaining half shortly.
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I've also got a service for 24 in the Blue Willow pattern (my grandmother's) but haven't used it for many years.
Plus my 'good' china which has been packed away for decades.
You know what they say about using your good dishes. What are you saving them for?
They are my great-grandmother's, very old and very precious. They have a lot of gold leaf and have to be very carefully washed by hand.
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Spring
Andie, you just touched my heart deeply. We used to have Blue Onion dishes. I think I actually have one or two left. Love blue and white together.
I've also got a service for 24 in the Blue Willow pattern (my grandmother's) but haven't used it for many years.
Plus my 'good' china which has been packed away for decades.
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I mentioned how I use long pepper in a mill, here's a photo of the pet nail clipper and some cut long pepper so you can see how it works.
It's a very simple solution.
I buy my long pepper from Salt Traders but have also purchased from L'Epicerie.
They carry a significant number of unusual and difficult to find items.
Their service is excellent.
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I like patterns and color.
I grew up in a time when plain white "china" was inexpensive "dime-store" stuff.
Inexpensive cafes and restaurants used plain china, except some had a colored ring around the perimeter.
More expensive eateries, hotels and etc., usually had proprietary patterns on their china and some was quite elaborate.
Trains also had beautiful china with their own patterns.
I have "seasonal" china patterns so swap the stuff in and out.
The only plain stuff I have is Corning Corelle, except for a few pasta dishes left over from my catering days.
I've had all of these for a minimum of 30 years.
Spring
Spring/Summer
Summer This is an Eva Zeisel design.
Winter/holidays
Autumn
Have the cooking-show people run out of ideas?
in Food Media & Arts
Posted
Thank you for saying that. I thought it was just me but I get annoyed when they assume the viewer is a dunce.