andiesenji

I hear you Pierogi. Over the years I have come across any number of cooking vessels that have convex or sometimes concave bottoms - the latter usually those with a raised rim on the outside of the bottom. I began carrying an 8-inch wooden ruler in the bottom of my purse - that also had a leveling bubble in one side and I used that to check the configuration of skillets, griddles, stockpots, etc. On one occasion I thought a stockpot (20-qt) didn't look quite right, set it on a counter and found that it was canted to one side by several degrees. I pointed it out to the sales rep. and he simply shrugged and said that as it was probably going into a restaurant kitchen where they wouldn't care how it looked as long as it took the heat. I also once found a "bubble" about 2 1/2 inches in diameter in the center of an electric griddle. I had insisted on taking it out of the box to see it as it was a wedding gift. The salesperson was reluctant, saying it was no different from the one on display but I insisted. I am very glad I did. I did not buy that brand.

I also use Instant ClearJel as I have found it to be much more stable than regular cornstarch. It is very versatile. Note that it was available to commercial bakers long before it was made available to consumers. If you have ever tried to duplicate the delicate and yet stable results from a bakery and been unsuccessful, it is probably because they were using this stuff. The results have a silky texture, not the gloppy (sic) stuff that one gets with other thickeners. However, I have also used other thickeners, guar gum, xanthan gum, kuzu root powder, etc., and they all have their plusses but one needs to experiment to get the perfect result. ClearJel is virtually foolproof. You can also purchase it from Barry Farm.

Raw garlic is exposed to air and even if the pathogen is present, will not develop the toxins. This requires an anerobic or oxygen-free environment. As long as you don't vacuum seal it in a package or container and don't cover it with oil, you can use it with no problems. I keep raw garlic in a braid, hanging in my pantry, for months. Until it dries out or starts to sprout - then it becomes bitter and I toss it and buy a new braid. Note that wound botulism occurs in puncture wounds, just the same as tetanus does. It can develop in a puncture wound where one steps on a nail in the garden - doesn't have to be rusty, like for tetanus - which is why any wound like this should be treated by a doctor - usually with hydrogen peroxide, which introduces oxygen deep into the puncture.

I use tamarind paste in some of my sambal recipes. Works great and there is less liquid to reduce than when I use vinegar. Note: Some brands are a bit more tart than others!

While I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "regular" be aware that botulism spores are commonly found throughout soils in North America. It should never be assumed that anything harvested from your garden is free of botulism spores. ← You are entirely correct. Even foods that do not come in contact with the soil - runner beans, for instance, green peas, or peppers etc., can have the botulinus organisms on them. Foods like this have to be pressure canned because, as noted above, boiling will not destroy the pathogen. Foods that have been pressure-washed and treaded with a solution of bleach in water have been tested and live botulinus organisms cultured. However, as long as the food is consumed immediately and is not stored in an oxygen-free environment (canned or vacuum-sealed - or under oil) for a prolonged period at room temp, it is safe to eat. Storing low-acid foods under oil or fat when they have not been cooked at a sufficient temp for long enough can be a problem. One type of botulism is found in marine environments and can contaminate fish - which is why processors pressure cook any fish that is going to be canned either in oil or water. Even if you use a "sterile" soil, if it is exposed to the air, the organisms can arrive from hundreds or thousands of miles away, borne by dust. I never thought much about this until I read "The Secret Life of Dust" by Hannah Holmes seven or eight years ago. It is an eye-opener, especially if one gardens anywhere in the western U.S.

Use the bottled and drained horseradish. Use of the habaneros can be dicey I suggest you chop them very fine - remove the seeds and the ribs and the top 1/4 where the heat seems to be concentrated - and add just a small amount at a time. I have used rocotos (aka manzano) (they have a distinct apple flavor in addition to the pepper) and they have black seeds. They are hotter than serranos, but certainly nowhere near the heat of a Scotch bonnet or habanero. I checked my notes and I used half of a medium-sized rocoto in a one-quart batch of mustard. It was very spicy!

I can't speak for Kerry, but for me the answer is that there are vast areas about I know absolutely nothing. However, I "collect" odd facts and I do know how to ask for information and I know a lot of people, many met during the years that I traveled extensively while showing dogs. Just as in the foodie community, the dog fancy is a sub-culture in which one is considered almost family if one has the same breed or has similar likes and dislikes. There were many trips, some crossing the country, where I never had to resort to parking my motorhome in a commercial campground. No matter where I went, there would be someone I knew who would offer a place to park, help with my dogs and hospitality. Needless to mention that I returned the favor often. I also know how to research things, having taken a course on private investigation techniques back in the late '70s and was on a first name basis with every librarian in my area.... Believe me, it is much easier now.

I got information about this site. from my friend who used to live near Hamilton. She also suggested trying the university sites but didn't say which ones have horticulture departments.

WalMart had one like this Presto on sale a couple of weeks ago for less than $35.00. The local senior center bought several for use in their communal self-service kitchen as they feel they are safer for some of the elderly to use than the gas ranges.

The toxins have to be subjected to at least 85C for a minimum of five minutes. Botulinus technical info.

Irradiation would be even better. Please note that there is a great deal of information in this thread. see my post #18. And here is the technical data. Believe me, I spent a considerable amount of time investigating the various possibilities of pathogens being incorporated into various foods and how to avoid same. I have been canning all kinds of food for most of my life and I studied all the farm bureau bulletins. I am now seventy. Roasting or "boiling" the garlic in sufficient oil, for the recommended time, will kill the pathogen. Olive oil boils at 375 degrees F., in the oven at 275 F., it will reach 250 degrees after one hour, fifteen minutes, more rapidly if the oven temp is higher, but it might boil over, thus the reason I use 275. The additional time is to allow the garlic to reach the optimum flavor. In the numerous batches I have cooked, two hours is close to optimum but I have let it go longer when I was out of the kitchen for extra time. I also have a long history of work in the medical field, trained as both a medical laboratory technician and an x-ray technician.

I never use cold-infused garlic in oil. While the incidence of botulism is low, it does exist and I do not want to be the one statistic. I oven-roast garlic in oil in a Corning pot. I buy the peeled garlic cloves sold by Costco, Sam's Club or Smart & Final in the large containers. You can chop it if you wish - I always leave the garlic cloves whole because I like it that way. Cover the garlic with two liters, or more, of garlic oil - doesn't have to be extra-virgin, I happen to like a Greek brand that comes in a big tin. Place in the oven at 275 F., and roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the garlic is nicely caramelized. Taste it. Transfer to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. This does not need refrigeration and will keep for months. Do use care in removing the garlic and whatever oil you want to use. I use a ladle which I have rinsed with boiling water. You don't want to introduce any other foodstuff into the oil. In this photo, you can see the roasted garlic cloves scattered over a pan full of raw vegetables ready for roasting and the oil has been used to dress and flavor the vegetables. Having the garlic and oil ready for use in this manner saves me a great deal of time. This is the gallon jar that lives in my pantry.

Sounds like a West Bend or Presto. They both made square, non-stick electric frypans with cream or "bisque" colored lids - one had a vent, one didn't. Both made skillets that were sold through Sears. Look familiar?

I agree with Hard H2O. I was a professional baker (graduate of Dunwoody, Minneapolis) and I own several bread machines. I bought the first one that Zojirushi sold in the U.S. and still have it. I have a Breadman Ultimate and another Breadman. A double one made by American Harvest and an inexpensive small one made by Oster. I use them for mixing dough, sometimes multiple batches at the same time when I am doing small batches. (I have a dough mixer for large batches.) I used to do much of my kneading by hand because I like to do it until I developed arthritis in my hands which made that activity impossibly painful. Unlike most mixers, one can start the machine, go off and leave it to do its thing through the second (in some cases the third) kneading cycle and then shape and pan it for the final rise and it can do all the interim stuff without attention. One doesn't have to find a separate container or a special place to allow the dough to rise. The machines are compact and can be used for other purposes - cooking jam, also without attention - for one instance. There are a couple of bread machine cookbooks that have extensive instructions on various other things to do with the appliance. I have friends who use if for fully baking the bread - they yank the dough out of the pan after the final knead and remove the beater prior to the final rise and bake cycle, which makes it much easier and neater to remove the baked loaf.

I have electric skillets, two owned for at least thirty years, one bought just after I moved up here in '88 and a year or so ago I bought this one because I wanted the larger area and I wanted one that was NOT non-stick. I wanted something I could use at the table (actually on a tea cart next to the table). I bought one prior to this but returned it as it did not have a very accurate temp setting. (I checked the surface heat with my Thermapen Combo (incidentally is now reduced to $69.00). This one has preformed as well as I could wish. The slightly sloping sides make it easier to use than my others which have straight sides. At 1500 watts, it heats rapidly and maintains the correct heat even after dumping a bunch of cold vegetables into it. I also like the glass lid as my others all have metal lids and I have to remove the lid to see how the cooking is progressing. I've used it for sukiyaki and it worked beautifully and is attractive enough to use on any table.

I read through the entire entry on Sweetfields and note that they are using Gum Arabic. I have about 1/8 pound in my art studio and just ordered another pound (for watercolor paintings). It might be something to try if you want to avoid egg whites. It can be diluted just enough to make a substantial glue or to the point where it is barely viscous and can be sprayed. It is extremely stable. I've used it in other food preps (candies) but never for crystalized flowers. You would probably have to experiment a bit to get the correct consistency but the resulting liquid would probably be easier to handle and as it remains a bit flexible, the petals should be less likely to shatter if mishandled.

I found a mention of the original recipe, as well as a recipe for the Ritz version of Mock Apple Pie. This site notes that it originated in California in 1852. Who knew? It was published in an 1894 cookbook in Los Angeles. Still haven't got the actual recipe but I may have that cookbook in my antique collection. I do have the Helen Evans Brown cookbook.

Thanks, Kerry and Jaymes. The recipe I had specified saltines (actually it was "soda" crackers) and there were no apples involved. One point that I remember involved breaking the crackers into quarters - this was before the advent of single crackers in sleeves - and then breaking half of the crackers into smaller pieces. The ones left "whole" were dipped in water to soften then used to line the pie tin.

Back in the '70s someone gave me a recipe for a pie made with saltine crackers, molasses and apple cider vinegar and some spices and probably some other ingredients but that is all I recall. I lost the card years ago and this topic reminded me of the pie. I have searched online with no success so if anyone has any knowledge of this, please post it here. I recall that it tasted vaguely like an apple pie and was quite good and not as sweet as I had expected.

I don't think you did anything wrong. Next time you can try draining them completely after a day and putting them in new syrup with a higher sugar content. The burnt taste is probably the key. The tipping point of the sugar cooking is very tricky and in my experience doesn't follow the "rules" and may be influenced by the weather, the altitude and God knows what. The Clementines I get are tiny - no more than 1 1/2 inches in diameter - and after two days in the syrup they have absorbed enough of the sugar that they don't float. (I didn't see your earlier post about that.) Mine do get darker but never brown or black.

I've had a Toddy brewer for many years and use it perhaps a couple of times a year when friends who like that type of coffee come to visit (and bring their own coffee). These same friends have tried to talk me into buying a Filtron brewing system but I see no point in it as the Toddy works fine for me. (and it was half the cost of the Filtron) Many years ago I knew a Danish woman who made cold-brewed coffee in large batches using a muslin "jelly" bag suspended in a two-gallon pickle jar filled with water which was placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours. That was before the days of "boutique" coffees and as I recall, she used 8-O'Clock Coffee, regular grind, as it was stronger than Folger's, Maxwell House or Yuban.

The vessel is a topsy-turvy coffee brewer, ca. 1930. It is made in France but I don't know the name of it in French. The water and the coffee grounds are placed in the part without the spout and the spouted part, with the insert placed upside-down over it, it fits tightly. When the water boils (steam will come out of the inverted spout) the vessel is removed from the heat, allowed to brew for the appropriate time and then the entire thing inverted. The top part can then be removed to see when the water has drained away from the grounds. The brew can then be transferred to a coffee server - usually ceramic or even silver, usually in a set with a matching teapot. This one was given to me many years ago by a dear friend who used to rent vintage items to movie studios. I don't know if this was ever used in a film, but I think it is rather unique. He gave it to me when he became ill because he knew I collected copper cookware and would treasure it. I do have a much smaller one that is not as well made and has only a single layer of perforated metal to strain the coffee and it doesn't do a very good job.

Has anyone seen one of these? They come in several different sizes. This one holds two quarts of water to the flange line on the part with the spout. I also have a two-cup model but can't find it at present. There are three screens in the bottom of the insert with a strap between them to stabilize the structure.

This type of steamer is much more versatile than the bamboo steamers. I have an older one made by Farberware that I have owned for at least thirty years. The only difference is that mine has composition handles that remain cool when being used. I have one of the electric stackable steamers like this but an older model And I also have a huge couscousiere that I use on the stovetop for bigger batches.

In my earlier post I mentioned sorghum. I should have noted that I also buy "Black Treacle" and "dark ribbon cane molasses, no sulphur" one a British import and the other made in Louisiana. The latter has been transferred to a dispenser and I no longer remember the brand name but I did purchase it at a specialty market that used to carry a lot of Cajun products. For many years I would get an annual gift of a gallon can (looked like a paint can) of sorghum molasses from my family's farm but they gave up on growing and processing sorghum some years ago, so I no longer have that source. (More money in fancy baby vegetables.)