andiesenji

I got the meat grinder for my 6-quart machine and it seized up the very first time I used it - I had difficulty getting it out of the machine and even clamped in a vise, I couldn't loosen the shaft. It went straight into the trash. I have older KAs with the all metal (cast aluminum) meat grinders and they always worked just fine, even the ones made in the 1930s work well. The new ones are not worth the cost. I didn't need it as I have a meat grinder but I wanted to try it.

An accidental "pairing" that turned out to be particularly tasty, lemon curd with a generous topping of freshly ground black pepper. The flavor was simply amazing. I'm going to try peppering my next batch of lime curd (made with the little Mexican limes -AKA key limes).

There are several recipes for candied chestnuts on the internet. Most instruct you to boil the shelled chestnuts but I find that too often this produces a mushy result. This is for one pound of chestnuts in the shell, it's easy enough to double the recipe. I cut the chestnut shells, steam them for about 8 minutes, which is long enough to loosen the shell and the cuts begin to curl. I remove the shells, return them to the steamer for an additional 2 minutes to make it easier to remove the inner skins and veins. I change the water in the steamer, rinse the pan and the steam tray well and return the chestnuts to it and steam them for no more than 5 minutes, I begin testing with a thin skewer at 3 minutes and as soon as it penetrates easily, I remove them and blanch them in cold water and immediately drain. I make my own vanilla syrup ahead of time For one pound of chestnuts. 1 1/2 cups sugar to 1 cup water, one whole vanilla bean, add to the syrup and bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Leave the bean in the syrup. If you have made your syrup ahead of time and it is cold, bring it to a boil and add the chestnuts, stirring constantly and cook at a slow boil for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a canning jar and set aside to cool. Place the lid loosely on the jar and leave overnight, 18-24 hours. Make a small batch of new syrup, 1/2 cup sugar to 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chestnuts in their syrup (with the vanilla bean) bring it to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, return to the jar and soak for another 24 hours. You will need to repeat this process (do not add more syrup unless there is not enough to partially cover the chestnuts) four more times - figure on it taking almost a week altogether, although the soaking can be extended for up to 2-3 days if you need to. By the end of this process there should be only a little syrup remaining. Save whatever there is and use it in your coffee. Remove the vanilla bean, rinse it well and allow it to dry. It still has some uses. Place a wire rack on a sheet pan and handling the chestnuts with care, place them on the rack so they are not touching. Put them in a cold oven and set the heat at 225. Set your timer for 30 minutes and when it sounds, turn off the oven. Do NOT open the door. Leave the chestnuts in the oven for an hour. At this point the surface of the chestnuts should be just slightly tacky. You can set the sheet pan on the counter and leave them to dry further or if you wish, you can roll them in coarsely granulated sugar. I have a dehydrator and do not use my oven to finish them. I put them in the dehydrator at medium-low heat (115° F) and leave them for 24 hours. I buy the little paper nut cups at Smart & Final and store the chestnuts in them in a single layer in a cookie tin. I don't know how long they will keep, they never last long enough for it to be a consideration. Here's a web site with more details and variations.

Well, if you are into kitsch, you can flame it up a bit with one of these fun decorative kits. Note that you can see a similar one on some of Alton Brown's shows.

I asked my friend, a local butcher who does work for me and my neighbors when we have a steer to butcher. He said to contact the Amalgamated Meat Cutters union local and inquire about apprenticeship. He looked it up in his union newsletter and found a phone number: (312) 733-2999 He attended a meat cutting school in Denver, Colorado and is sure there must be a school in Chicago. He was pretty adamant that starting with the union was the best way to go.

A person might be allergic to shellfish and the allergy is severe, possibly fatal. For instance, say a genetically engineered fish has some of its genes manipulated and a gene from shellfish substituted so the fish grows more rapidly. When you consume that fish your system will recognize the fish as shellfish and react to it. This has happened with plants that have been genetically modified.

My first (and last) post in this topic was Sept. 2, 1004 in which I mentioned the books of Peg Bracken and Mary Lasswell which I have re-read countless times. Others have mentioned the books of Laurie Colwin - I think I have all of her non-cookbook titles and they too have been read and re-read. I also return from time to time to the books of MFK Fisher and also those of Elizabeth David. But they don't have the sense of fun that permeates the books previously mentioned by me. Another book that has occupied a place in my bedside bookcase for many years is The Good Fare and Cheer of Old England by Joan Parry Dutton. I recently picked it up and read through most of it. I've had it for close to fifty years and it definitely has been well read. I'm ashamed to admit that a few of the pages are dog-eared and I should be ashamed of myself for treating a book in this manner. A more recent find, that I have already re-read twice, since first devouring it, is Cheesemonger A Life on the Wedge, by Gordon Edgar. This book struck a note that has convinced me that the author and I, if we ever met, could be great friends. His book has become a friend, especially in those middle of the night awakenings when I can't easily return to sleep.

Perhaps you have reached a plateau with some overload and this will change again in a few weeks, months or years. As long as you are satisfied with what you eat, why worry. I'm 71 and I still love to try new foods or new ways of preparing foods. However, there are times when I want my old comfort foods that I loved as a child. Cornbread, beans, bacon and sausage, greens and gravy. These episodes do not last very long and soon I am again looking for new dishes to try and fortunately, I have neighbors who cook wonderful Mexican meals that are just as satisfying. I'm sure they are comfort foods for them. Go with what makes you feel good. Life it too short to agonize over your diet.

Buckwheat is gluten free. I have prepared buckwheat blini for GF people many times. Blini topped with a round of goat cheese, coarsely chopped roasted red peppers and drizzled with oil and a little balsamic vinegar works well. Oil in which you have roasted garlic is even better.

You might also consider this Essential Cook's Colander which this site has at a discount. I have one of these and it fits nicely in my 8 qt Calphalon stock pot. I use it for blanching tomatoes and peaches, and the mesh is fine enough that I can also use it for blanching almonds, cooking asparagus and etc. In my opinion it is more versatile than the folding one, but that is just me. I like that this one can stand on its own without collapsing...

I bought one at the Kitchen factory outlet store here in Lancaster a month or so ago. I can see if they still have some. If there is one of these stores in your area you can check by phone. The name of the store is Kitchen Collection and I have seen the same stores in other outlet malls. If all else fails, I have an extra one I can send you.

I would probably use muffin rings or blini pans also - but my muffing rings are larger than the size I prefer for blini. Truly, I don't think anyone is going to notice that some of the blini are not perfectly round. The results shown in your photo are lovely and look extremely appetizing. I prepared the Salted Butter Break-Ups yesterday and my results were beyond my expectations. I did use the sel gris. Lord knows I have plenty of salt in my "collection" and the only problem was deciding which one to use - some have larger crystals than others - I chose a medium size. I have to confess that I cheated with crosshatching the top. I just used one of my cooling racks to press into the top. I also tried an experiment/addition - I scattered a few flakes of Cyprus black sea salt over the top just before it went into the oven. The flaky crystals retained their shape and added just a tiny brittle crunch to the cookie. I really don't know what came over me. Ordinarily the first time I prepare a recipe I don't change a thing. Must have been my alter ego in control for that moment. I hope Dorie is not offended by my "tweak" of this lovely cookie. I would have taken a photo but although I have my camera, the memory card is absent as I took a lot of photos at a birthday party for the child of one of my neighbors on Saturday and left the card with her to transfer the pics to her computer.

I'm bumping this topic up just in case anyone is interested that Cambro containers are now available at Amazon.com In California, where I live, these are available at Smart & Final stores but for people who are far from the stores or in states where there are no readily available vendors, this may be something to consider.

For many years I had the same bad habit of omitting breakfast - especially when I was working and had a commute of 1 1/2 hours each way and was up and out of the house by 5:30 each morning. I was busy as soon as I arrived at work and rarely got anything to eat until at least ten, sometimes not until noon. I would then have a noticeable drop in energy and alertness about 2:00 p.m. When I developed Type 2 diabetes, my doctor laid down the law and said I absolutely had to eat breakfast and my other meals on a regular schedule. He was of the opinion that I developed diabetes (doesn't run in my family) because of my poor dietary habits, i.e. eating just two meals a day. When I began eating breakfast at a regular time - usually as soon as I arrived at the office at 7:00 a.m., and spacing out my other meals as directed, I felt much better, did not have a drop in productivity in mid-afternoon and my began to lose some of the pounds I had packed on during the previous thirty years. I have to eat breakfast now because I have medications that have to be taken with a meal.

I have to admit that I cheat when I have to prepare several poached eggs at the same time. I use the French perforated metal (tinned steel) poachers that are like the ones my grandmother used. Combrichon egg poacher I have at last a dozen, some purchased many years ago, some from Fantes.com - to replace those that may have rusted or gotten a bit ratty looking. I have a deep roasting pan that can be used on the stovetop and it will hold ten of these poachers. You can transfer the poached eggs to cold water and re-heat them in warm water if you have a lot of people to serve. I've tried just about every method and type of egg poacher and keep returning to the metal ones. They contain 99% of the white and produce a neat result with little effort on my part. The floating silicone "Poaching Pods" were okay but to me seemed to impart a chemical flavor. However, I may be a supertaster and other people did not notice it so it may have been just me. Apparently Crate&Barrel has one that hangs on the side of a pan and it is non-stick. Ah, something new to consider adding to my collection.....

Mixed Pickled Vegetables 1 pound sweet banana peppers cut into strips (or substitute any sweet pepper you like) 2 Hungarian hot banana peppers cut into rings (use more if you like more spice heat or use other hot peppers) 1/2 pound cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices, cut on diagonal 2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds - or into long thin strips if you have a mandoline 1/2 pound cauliflower flowerettes 1/2 pound broccoli flowerettes 1 cup peeled boiling onions (the red variety are very nice) 12 peeled garlic cloves 6 cups cider vinegar 3 cups water 2 tablespoons pickling salt (must be non-iodized) 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup mustard seed 2 tablespoons dill seed 2 tablespoons celery seeds 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (use black caraway if you have it) 8 whole cloves 10 whole peppercorns Wash vegetables, seed peppers and prepare them and other vegetables as suggested or as you prefer. Place vegetables, onions and garlic in a four quart container - I use a Cambro clear square type - with a lid that will seal tightly. Measure vinegar, water, salt and sugar into a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so liquid is just simmering. Add the spices, stir well and simmer for 8 minutes. Strain the hot liquid and pour over the vegetables, cover loosely with a towel and set aside to cool. When cooled, cover with lid and allow to sit at room temp for 24 hours. Store in refrigerator. Recipe developed by Andie I have also posted this in RecipeGullet

Here's the recipe I use for pickled vegetables. This shows a mix of vegetables but I have used just broccoli and carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and have substituted celery for some of the vegetables. I have also used just peppers, hot or mild, depends on what I have on hand. If you want to can them, it is simple to pack the vegetables into jars, pour the hot liquid into the jars, cap and process in a simmering water bath for 15 minutes. Mixed Pickled Vegetables • 1 pound sweet banana peppers cut into strips (or substitute any sweet pepper you like) • 2 Hungarian hot banana peppers cut into rings (use more if you like more spice heat or use other hot peppers) • 1/2 pound cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices, cut on diagonal • 2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds - or into long thin strips if you have a mandoline • 1/2 pound cauliflower flowerettes • 1/2 pound broccoli flowerettes • 1 cup peeled boiling onions (the red variety are very nice) • 12 peeled garlic cloves • 6 cups cider vinegar • 3 cups water • 2 tablespoons pickling salt (must be non-iodized) • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/4 cup mustard seed • 2 tablespoons dill seed • 2 tablespoons celery seeds • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (use black caraway if you have it) • 8 whole cloves • 10 whole peppercorns Wash vegetables, seed peppers and prepare them and other vegetables as suggested or as you prefer. Place vegetables, onions and garlic in a four quart container - I use a Cambro clear square type - with a lid that will seal tightly. Measure vinegar, water, salt and sugar into a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so liquid is just simmering. Add the spices, stir well and simmer for 8 minutes. Strain the hot liquid and pour over the vegetables, cover loosely with a towel and set aside to cool. When cooled, cover with lid and allow to sit at room temp for 24 hours. Store in refrigerator. Recipe developed by Andie

Although the booklet I have has no copyright notice, I am not posting the recipe on this topic. I have sent the recipe to Judiu and if anyone else wants it, please ask, PM me or go to my Profile page and click on "E-mail"

I've got a recipe that is called "Jezebel piccalilli sauce" and includes a generous portion of Southern Comfort. It's hot, mustardy and fruity and is simmered long enough to dissipate some of the alcohol, but it remains potent. I found it in a tiny booklet printed by a church auxiliary in Mississippi. (Probably not a Baptist church, or at least not like the one where I grew up.) I think the title of the book is Southern Spoon Sauces and all the recipes are sauces intended to be served as a condiment, not to cook with. A lot of them are specifically for seafoods. One has a suggestion that it be used to top grits and shrimp or just the grits! It also has a great recipe for Cumberland sauce.

A further note on the bite-size snack sausages. This morning a toddler (the child of a neighbor) was in a car seat and was given a piece by his daddy who was transporting three other children to their schools. The little guy choked on it and the dad detoured to the ER. Thankfully he is okay but his dad said he wouldn't do that again. The little boy is used to chewing on the regular sausages and does okay with them. (He's a budding chile-head.) Now Frank is worried about how he is going to explain this to his wife when she calls home. (She's in the military and not presently available by phone.) So, this may not be such a good idea after all.

Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan Early American Herb Recipes by Alice Cooke Brown Mma Ramotswe's Cookbook by Stuart Brown, Mats Ogren Wanger, and Alexander McCall Smith (referenced to the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by A. M. Smith)

Last night I was sifting through some of the thousands of recipes on my computer and came across Estelle's Broccoli Puff (on page one) that I downloaded from the Recipe Source recipe archive when it was still SOAR (The Searchable Online Archive of Recipes) which I discovered via BMUG back in the early '90s when connection was via Compuserve. My, how it has grown since then. If you can't find a different and interesting recipe for broccoli on Recipe Source I wouldn't know where else to look. If you go to page 13 of this list you will find another favorite of mine, Broccoli Peanut Chicken which actually uses broccoli in two forms and is just delicious. I also often prepare the Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots With Parmesan Bread Crumbs recipe on page 4. There are several others, I love broccoli, but these are the headliners.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that The Republic of Tea has a "Sea Buckthorn and Super Fruits" tea. So obviously the product is available in the U.S. and I found this link: Sea buckthorn fruit powder

I am pretty sure the item to which she refers is Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides). Glossy or evergreen buckthorn (Frangula alnus)and common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L) are totally different plants and very invasive and it is illegal to transport the plants or the seeds between states. These plants are on the lists of "noxious weed pests" and "exotic pest plants" in almost all states in the US and also in Canada.

I have several pairs of Coolskin gloves, ordered from the UK several years ago. Two are the regular length - one pair are the extra long that I now use when working at the barbecue and another pair are the steam/grease proof. These gloves are thicker than the Ove gloves I tried a few years ago. More recently I purchased these non-slip Nomex gloves which work nicely for handling glass or ceramic vessels that might slip in the regular gloves.