andiesenji

I have an allergy to ocean fish and many shellfish which is related to the iodine they concentrate. Many years ago I had a severe reaction to an IV injection for a test because it contained an iodide salt. I do carry an Epipen always, I have extras, just in case. Several years ago I tried taking glucosamine condroitan as recommended by my doctor, for arthritis. I had a reaction to it because that particular compound contained a product made from shellfish, however there was no reference to shellfish on the label.

I forgot to mention that I try to avoid the snack aisle in Trader Joe's because they have so many snacks that are difficult to resist. I stopped buying the Snapea Crisps because when I open the bag I go into a sort of fugue state and when I am again conscious, the bag is empty.. This effect is worse than that of the Goldfish. I also stopped preparing parmesan chips, which are ridiculously easy to make and so good, because I can't resist munching on them as soon as they come out of the oven.... even if my lips and tongue are scorched....

Goldfish, especially the parmesan. When I open a bag, I measure out a specific amount into a small dish, close and fasten the bag (with a binder clip) then put it away in the pantry before I indulge in the first goldfish.

I have family still living in western Kentucky, where I was born and raised, although they are near the Ohio R./southern Illinois, not far from Paducah and the Kentucky Dam area, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley etc. Lots of good fishing, black bass, both large and small mouth, white bass, panfish, i.e., bluegill, crappies and of course, catfish. fishing Lots of pros offering their services too, a good way to get started in an unfamiliar area: Western Kentucky Outdoors I've a distant relative in Murray who used to work one of the concessions on Kentucky Lake. I'll see if I can find his phone number. (not on the internet) He is retired but I am sure he still fishes! As far as the food is concerned, there are regional specialties that are related to other southern specialties but sometimes have a local quirk that is unique. Here are Four recipes posted by Senator Mitch McConnell The foods of eastern Kentucky (especially the coal-mining region) is different from that of the western half of the state. Here are a few more links.

Cranberry Hill Organic has unsweetened cranberries, they were $34.00 per pound. However, they usually only have them for sale prior to the Christmas holidays as the crop is limited and sells out. Call and ask if they have any in stock. In my post on 3/23, I noted Tierra Farm that uses only apple juice as a sweetener, which is similar to how I process them when I do my own drying. If you don't want to pay that much, you can dry your own in a regular oven. They must be dipped into boiling water so the skins will crack, prior to going into the dehydrator (I have the large Excalibur units) and without a little apple juice, sugar or corn syrup mixed with the water, they become too leathery for my use in baking. How to dry cranberries.

I have had several "silvered" original Calphalon pieces - still using the 16-quart stockpot, no problems. Returned two or three skillets, a casserole and an 8-quart stockpot for replacements because I use them for tomato sauces, reducing wine, etc., (high acid) and although I never noticed a metallic taste, thought that since they have a lifetime guarantee, why not take advantage of it. No problems. The wide, deep sauté pan that developed silvering was relegated to the outdoor barbecue "kitchen" and has been doing duty rendering duck fat and similar tasks.

Yes, the "Curity" diaper material works very well and was a kitchen favorite for many years. The same goes for the "flour-sack" and "feed-sack" materials that were a kitchen/household staple, especially for farm wives, for decades during the 20th century. 100% cotton is, by its very nature, "food-grade" once the sizing (a vegetable-based starch) has been washed out of it. The fabrics range from gauze to duck or sailcloth the latter two being so tightly woven that they will actually hold water and are often made waterproof by having beeswax ironed into it. I grew up on a farm in the '40s when material was scarce (the War effort) and everything had to be conserved. Jelly bags, strainers for stocks, etc., were made from feed or flour sacks and worked very well. Muslin was stretched on wood frames and beeswax was rubbed into it and then ironed to melt it into the weave to produce a wrap for storing cheeses and other stuff. We did not buy waxed paper because it was considered wasteful. I have various types of chinois, strainers, china caps and tamis. However I still use a muslin jelly bag when I prepare jelly. Just call me old-fashioned.

I have one of these in yellow. I bought it as a soap dish. It is supposed to hold a bar of soap above the liquid that drips off it. A caveat! Once the bar of soap is reduced to less than half its original size, it slips down one or other of the "ramps" into the depression. It is usually in one of the guest bathrooms - the one with pale yellow and lavender tile.

Yes, but you can also use cultured buttermilk as the starter. That is my method and I have good results. First, you have to get cream that is NOT ultra-pasteurized. You should be able to find the product usually called Manufacturing cream (Alta Dena Dairy is the one most seen in Southern California). It is pasteurized but not put through the process that stabilizes it for longer shelf life but makes it unsuitable for processing into cheese or sour cream, etc. It is also certified Kosher. Here is an excellent instructional article: Making sour cream. You can make the small batch as indicated. I generally make it with 100% heavy cream because it is difficult to find non-homogenized milk. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods do carry "Cream-Top" which is pasteurized but not homogenized. As the Manufacturing cream comes in a half-gallon container, I usually use half for sour cream and half for cream cheese but this requires at least one other ingredient.

The Mexican markets here have a couple of varieties on sale, Cranshaw and Cantaloupe and some baby watermelons. They have a little sign recommending a bath for the melons in water with a little bleach! It's the first time I have ever seen this particular warning.

You can prepare candied melon rind that is very close to the Italian product. I make it for struffoli and panforte. Torta di recotta You need a not-quite-ripe melon - I usually stick to honeydew or casabas but watermelons with thicker rinds work okay. Or any melon as long as it isn't too ripe. Note this is candied melon RIND, although most recipes only say candied melon they do not candy the soft ripe part. The recipe is fairly simple. Check this site: melon is at the bottom. candying fruits and melons You can make a large batch and leave what your are not going to use immediately in the syrup and store at room temp. A few days before you will need it, remove from syrup, drain and dry on a rack until it is no longer tacky. I usually put mine in a dehydrator to speed things up but it will dry at room temp - use a fan if weather is humid.

I think that Kentucky's state beverage (with spirits) is the Mint Julep. However Bourbon and Branch is probably a close second!

One purpose of sifting is to remove any little hard clumps in the dry ingredients and to evenly distribute the mix of dry ingredients evenly. It really doesn't matter if you are baking an artisan bread. However, if you are making a fine-textured cake, having a hard bead of something inedible in it is not desirable. I routinely sift everything and for a very good reason - safety. At rare times over the years I have found in my sifter various foreign objects, for instance, staples, a push pin, a black pearl tie tack, a 1/4 caret diamond stud, various beads and small buttons, small rubber bands and a very pretty glass marble (which I still have). On one occasion, the first scoop removed from a 25-pound bag of pastry flour produced an unopened pack of Zig-Zag cigarette papers. I dumped it right back into the bag and took it back to the store.

I remember quite well when the Egg McMuffin was introduced. In fact, while it was still being "tested" at his store, there was a McDonalds stand set up at the Santa Barbara Kennel Club show in July 1972 when it was still a "benched" show, with a huge tent (like a circus big top) set up at the polo grounds. As the only other food vendors only had hot dogs, hamburgers, doughnuts and sweet rolls, the breakfast was very popular. The show had over 4000 dogs entered and visitors from all over the US as well as many foreign visitors. The McMuffin was a huge hit and it wasn't long before it was selling nationally. It was first served in a flat, divided, covered tray and you had to put it together yourself. (They were worried about the muffins becoming soggy.) However they soon learned the turnover was so rapid that there was no problem with the muffins.

The boning knife at right.

I'm bumping up this thread because I came across this item on eBay: aluminum knife and wondered if anyone has heard of this maker. As I have noted in the past, I sort of "collect" knives and since it has been a while since I added anything, and since it is Spring, I have been doing a bit of looking for oddities and etc. I don't think I have ever heard of a solid aluminum knife and can't imagine how it could possible keep an edge for more than a few cuts. However, I am not going to say that it can't be done... Last week I watched a Modern Marvels program on The History Channel titled "World's Sharpest" (swords, knives, various cutters, etc.) I was surprised to see that the knife manufacturer they rated as producing the sharpest blade was Cutco, not a name that I would associate with top quality knives, however I do have a Cutco cheese knife and a paring knife that I have had for several years and they are both still very sharp.

I was born and raised in the south and never have had a problem with casual touching by servers, and I think it may be more common there. (Ditto being called "Honey" or "Sweetie" or "Darlin" etc.) I have noted there is seldom any physical contact in Asian restaurants but in the local Mexican restaurants there is a certain amount of touching, usually a tap on the shoulder or arm with the admonition "hot plate!" as it is placed on the table. I certainly don't mind that. In local restaurants, where I am a regular patron, I often exchange hugs with the owners or the hostess. Come to think of it, they are also from the south (Arkansas and Mississippi), so perhaps it is a regional/cultural thing. I think it depends on the time, the place and the person as well as my mood. I don't think I would like gratuitous touching but I know that many people have a habit of touching while in a conversation and there are times that I find that annoying also. Recently I was at a public function and was cornered by a local politician who kept tapping on my arm to make a point as he was speaking. This really annoyed me and I abruptly excused myself and walked away while he was still trying to make his point. I later spoke to his sister and advised her to speak to him about that annoying habit as it could be interpreted as being overtly aggressive. When I worked in my mom's bakery, back in the 50s, (Wisconsin) I quickly became used to being touched on my back with an elbow to let me know someone was behind me carrying something hot, a sheet pan, mixer bowl, or container of something. The equipment was often so noisy that one might not hear "behind you" or other warning.

You should be able to fine 100% cotton unbleached muslin at a fabric store. Ask for it, they often have it stuck in with the interlining stuff, buckram and etc. It will feel stiff while on the bolt. You have to wash it because it is loaded with sizing. Wash it twice then run through the washer one more time with no soap or any other additives. Dry it on the lowest setting and it's best if you remove it while a bit damp and hang it to dry completely (or if you have a place hang it to dry right out of the washer). It will shrink! A lot! Especially if dried with heat. However it will last for years, if not decades. I have some that I bought before I moved up here in 1988 and although a bit frayed around the edges, it has seen a lot of use and is still hanging together. If it gets stained from berries or ??, I simply soak it in a bowl of bleach solution, rinse and wash with my dishtowels. Muslin, unbleached 100% cotton. You can also order butter muslin., which is a slightly looser, fine weave, from cheesemaking suppliers.

Another option, though perhaps less tasty, is to cook the rice first. That's what I use leftover rice for. ← Me too! I have been using automatic rice cookers since they first appeared in the US and always cook the full capacity simply because I always have use for leftover cooked rice. I simply cool it and vacuum seal it in 1-cup portions which go into a larger container or Zip-loc freezer bag and into the freezer. I do stick the vac container (hole punched in it) into the microwave for a minute prior to adding to the soup, or whatever.

I purchased from this vendor last year for my holiday baking. Traina, California organic And have been quite satisfied. And have used this vendor many times in the past, although shipping is more because of distance. I have found their products to be excellent. Tierra organic It's a toss-up as to which are the best, they are both certified organic and use no preservatives.

Get the Lodge. Lodge grill pan Maybe not as pretty but you can't beat the price!

It's a terrific machine. I had one for almost thirty years and only got rid of it when I simply was no longer able to move it easily.

Smoky fruit of any kind goes beautifully with strong cheeses (or any cheese).

I agree wholeheartedly! I love all types of pepper plants. Even the ornamental ones are edible and some are incredible in shape and color. This one is lavender to purple when mature Eggplants are also very colorful - from white to orange to green (when ripe) and of course the lavender/purple varieties.

I have a Shopsmith I bought in 1965 so I could make my own picture frames. I used it for a lot of hobby work and made a replacement leg and stretcher for an antique rocking chair. It still works just fine but I did have the power cord replaced a few years ago.