andiesenji

You could also prepare the loin with a jacket like this, which makes it self-basting. and you do not end up with a dry chunk of pork.

This site has one that is apparently all ceramic but essentially the same size - it is 1.5 quarts tagines, Staub, etc.

Cornbread recipe, southern style and the demo with photos. Ignore the grinding part. Cornbread from scratch, really.

A vendor on ebay has some current auctions for several scientific/laboratory water bath units. If anyone is interested, click here then click on the "visit seller's store" link. I am not sure if these are the types of units desired but I purchased a mixer from this vendor and noticed the lab equipment on the auction list.

Simple to attach, you pinch it and it just clips on. The first box of parchment paper that I bought, the fellows at the store tried to convince me to buy 50 sheets, cause they said no one needs 1000 for use at home. They don't bother to argue anymore. I think I'm on at least my 5th box in as many years. Also excellent for beating hard candy and candycane into submission for making chocolate bark. ← I never thought of using it for that. I use a huge rawhide mallet that someone gave me as a joke many years ago. Frankly, I don't even remember the point of the joke - but the mallet sure comes in handy. I put the candy in one of those super-tightly woven bags which are intended to hold greens and keep them fresh in the fridge because this bag doesn't develop holes the way plastic bags do. Also the rawhide mallet won't damage my granite counter ( I don't break the candy on the butcher block counter because the candy is hard enough to dimple it.

I have one of those but have never used it. Since you are recommending it, I will give it a try. Mine is red and it came packaged with a stand-up/fold down silicone colander, which is also a handy thing.

I have never come across a missing cork but several years ago I did find something extra when I pulled the foil off a bottle of Taittinger and found the tip of a leather glove under the wire cap. I don't drink alcohol but the others there who had been drinking, found this rather hilarious. There was considerable speculation about how it got there and what happend to the remainder of the glove.

I have a stainless steel batticarne or veal pounder that I have been using for this same purpose for years.veal pounder It's a couple of dollars cheaper and a bit more versatile because you can use it for pounding meat, poultry and, using the edge for pounding, is great for rendering abalone tender.

Wow, does this topic bring back memories. Waaaaaay back in 1960/61 my then husband and several of his friends were frequent visitors to the Bonneville salt flats and had been for a number of years. Some were involved in the developement and building of the Shadoff Special, trying for the land speed record with a "conventional" engine. One of their "start the day", or "end the day" drinks was what they called the "Larry Finley special" and I have no idea where the name originated. A mug of beer, drawn from a keg, was doctored with an egg broken into the beer and then a can of Snap-e-Tom was added and the entire contents consumed at one go. In fact, one guy could actually pour the entire mug down his throat without swallowing. To this day, I have never figured out how he did it but he won a lot of bets with this trick. I went along on these trips a couple of times but unlike the other women and girls who actually enjoyed baking in the sun, I preferred to stay in the shade and keep my skin from taking on the appearance of old leather. They could never talk me into tasting one of these concoctions so I have no idea what it tasted like. This type of thing has a long history. An egg in a mug of stout was touted as a hangover cure in the 1890s. I have read about a "stirrup cup" of a fresh egg broken in a measure of brandy prior to a hunt and that surely goes back a long way. I will have to pull out my copy of Dickens' book about spiritous drinks to see if it is mentioned in it.

I have tried it with bitter oranges - the ones that grow on trees that have grown back after the grafted stock has been killed by frost and with Seville oranges and some little sour oranges I found at the middle eastern market a few years ago - I don't remember what they were called. They were okay, quite different from preserved lemons, but nicely aromatic. I suggest you ask Paula Wolfert, send her a PM, if anyone would know, she would.

I love the Ethnic Grocer catalog and the periodic email specials they send with notices of special sales, new items added to their inventory, etc. PastryWiz.com does not send a paper catalog but anyone can register for their free email recipes, and very nice recipes they are. They also offer periodic step-by-step photo instructions for making cake decorations and other fun things like the Thanksgiving Turkey modeled from sugarpaste or marzipan. NapaStyle does not have the distribution of W-S but offers similar items, plus some that have not appeared in etierh W-S or Sur La Table. I have ordered several items and always received my orders promptly and they were carefully packed.

You can also make your own. I have had a couple of requests for this recipe so am posting it on this thread. It was earlier posted on the "Ketchup Conundrum" thread. Mushroom Ketchup About 1 1/4 cup very hot water - close to boiling. 3 ounces dried porcini or dried shiitaki mushrooms. (buy the big container at Costco or Sam's Club, they are wonderful.) 1 1/2 pounds Italian or brown mushrooms 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or sherry vinegar if you can find it) 1/4 cup dry sherry 1/2 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon Angostura bitters (If you don't have this on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce) 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, Tabasco or Crystal or ?? 1/4 cup of carmelized onions, the browner the better..... Use filtered water if possible. I find that I get the best results with it. Put the filtered water in a one quart Pyrex measure and microwave until nearly boiling. Break the dried shiitaki mushrooms into the hot water and weight them down with a saucer so they will be covered by the water. Allow to stand for about 30 minute. They should be soft. Remove mushrooms from the liquid with a slotted spoon. Filter the liquid using a paper coffee filter and save in the refrigerator tightly covered. Chop the soaked mushrooms into small dice. If the stems are too tough, discard them. Quickly wash and drain the fresh mushrooms. Place both types of mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the mushrooms are finely chopped. Turn the mixture out into a quart jar, add the salt and mix well. Cover the container tightly and place in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days, stirring once or twice a day or shake the jar vigorously. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and line with a cotton dish towel (or a piece of washed, unbleached muslin). Pour the mixture into the strainer and allow to drain, pressing on the mixture with the back of a spoon to express as much liquid as you can. Gather the corners of the cloth and lift out of the strainer and twist to express even more liquid from the mushrooms. When you have wrung out as much liquid as possible, don't discard the mushrooms, set them aside. Now strain the liquid through a paper coffee filter in a strainer into a saucepan, or saucier, about 1 1/2 to 2 quart. Now add the liquid from soaking the porcini or shiitaki mushrooms Place over low heat and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 40 minutes, uncovered. Add the mushrooms and continue simmering at a gentle simmer for an additional 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool somewhat. Pour into food processor and process for about a minute, stopping a couple of times to scrape the sides down so that everything is emulsified. (you can also use a blender but do it in small batches) Return to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Immediately pour into hot, sterlized 1/2 pint jars, cover, and cool. Store in refrigerator or in the freezer if you won't be using it up within a month. Yield, about 2 1/2 cups. Andie Paysinger

Post # 29 in this thread on condiments has the recipe for banana ketchup, a recipe given to me by another shopper I met in a local Philipine market. Post # 34 in the same topic has my recipe for sugar-free ketchup. (I am diabetic.) Post # 43 is my recipe for mushroom ketchup which is excellent for people who have problems with the higher acid content of tomato ketchup.

I can't give you exact amounts because the volume of various types of peels vary considerably, depending on how thick and how dense. The process is not an exact science as in baking, time and number of times needed for pre-cooking in changes of water, wil vary. I recently made a batch of peel from grapefruit that took very few sessions in clear water and candied up nicely in the minimum amount of time. The next batch I did took twice the number of par-boiling sessions and three times the time in the syrup to become translucent all the way through. The thickness was exactly the same but the type of grapefruit was different. For microwave peel: The best way to figure how much syrup you will need is simply by placing your peel in a microwavable bowl or pot (I use a large Pyrex bowl or a "Visions" round pot that I think is a 6 quart). Then cover with water so you have 1 inch more than the volume of the peel (if it all doesn't sink, press it down), more is better than less because you have to allow for evaporation. Next, pour the water into a large measure (I use the 2-quart pyrex ones with a handle on one side and a pouring spout) and write down the number of cups. For each cup of water you will need 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar. If cooking in the microwave use 3/4 cup, if cooking in a Crockpot or slow cooker use 1 cup for each cup of water. When you do the pre-cooking or par-boiling, use a generous amount of water so the peel can be stirred or agitated freely. This will cut down on the number of sessions. I use far more water for the par-boiling than I do when I prepare the syrup for candying.

Banana Ketchup Banana ketchup recipe 2 bananas, large. 1 1/4 cups water 1/4 cup sultanas plumped in 1/4 cup water 1/2 chopped onion 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup tomato paste 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup palm sugar (or dark brown sugar) 1/4 cup Golden syrup (or light corn syrup) 2 tablespoons dark rum 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper, ground 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground Chop peeled bananas and toss in blender with water. Blend till smooth. Scrape into micro-waveable glass bowl and set aside Add the sultanas in their liquid to the blender, then add the onion, garlic, tomato paste and vinegar. Blend well and add to bananas in bowl. Heat in microwave, full strength for 2 minutes Add the sugar, syrup, rum, stir well. Microwave for 3 minutes and stir well Mix the spices together and add to the mixture in the bowl. Blend thoroughly. Microwave for 5 minutes and stir thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl to mix everything. Repeat this process three or four times until the ketchup has reduced by 1/3 and is thickened to the correct consistency. This may take longer in very humid conditions. You may have to continue the microwave/stirring routine several additional times until the consistency is the way you expect ketchup to be. Allow to cool and place in blender, blend until totally smooth. When finished place in a sterilized glass jar. Allow to cool and store in the fridge for no more than two weeks. To make a spicier ketchup chop a small dried hot chile and soak in the water with the raisins. ( RG1907 )

Homemade sugar-free ketchup Easy Sugar-Free Spicy Ketchup The following is an original recipe for a very easy homemade spicy (or not) ketchup that also is a nice gift from your kitchen. Andie's Sugarless Spicy Ketchup Yield, 10 - 1/2 pint jars. 4 quarts tomatoes, peeles, cooked and strained (may be canned tomatoes) 1 Jalapeño (or other hot) pepper, seeded and chopped (optional, omit if you do not want it spicy) 3 cups apple cider vinegar 2 1/2 cups Splenda 1 Tablespoon Celery seed, ground 1 Tablespoon Allspice, ground 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon, ground 1 Tablespoon Star anise, ground 2 Tablespoons kosher salt (or sea salt if you prefer) 1 Tablespoon Black pepper, Ground Combine all ingredients in an 8-quart, non-reactive pot (stainless steel, enamel or anodized aluminum, do not use shiny aluminum). Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until it is reduced by half. Remove from heat and allow to cool, process in food processor or put through a medium fine food mill so that ketchup is smooth with no lumps. Return to cooking vessel and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. (may also be heated in microwave, stir after every 5 minutes of heating) Using a canning funnel, ladle into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars, allow 1/2 inch headroom. Wipe rims and apply flat canning lid and ring but do not tighten. Place in hot water bath and process for 15 minutes. Tighten ring. (May use 5 pint jars if you wish.) This is an original recipe by Andie Note: I do a lot of canning. For hot water processing I use an electric roaster. It has a wire rack that covers the entire bottom and will hold more jars than the typical round canner or stockpot. It is also not as deep so it is easy to place and remove the jars. It maintains the correct temperature and additional boiling water can be added from a teakettle. ( RG1906 )

Mushroom Ketchup I have had a couple of requests for this recipe so am posting it on this thread. It was earlier posted on the "Ketchup Conundrum" thread. Mushroom Ketchup About 1 1/4 cup very hot water - close to boiling. 3 ounces dried porcini or dried shiitaki mushrooms. (buy the big container at Costco or Sam's Club, they are wonderful.) 1 1/2 pounds Italian or brown mushrooms 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or sherry vinegar if you can find it) 1/4 cup dry sherry 1/2 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon Angostura bitters (If you don't have this on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce) 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, Tabasco or Crystal or ?? 1/4 cup of carmelized onions, the browner the better..... Use filtered water if possible. I find that I get the best results with it. Put the filtered water in a one quart Pyrex measure and microwave until nearly boiling. Break the dried shiitaki mushrooms into the hot water and weight them down with a saucer so they will be covered by the water. Allow to stand for about 30 minute. They should be soft. Remove mushrooms from the liquid with a slotted spoon. Filter the liquid using a paper coffee filter and save in the refrigerator tightly covered. Chop the soaked mushrooms into small dice. If the stems are too tough, discard them. Quickly wash and drain the fresh mushrooms. Place both types of mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the mushrooms are finely chopped. Turn the mixture out into a quart jar, add the salt and mix well. Cover the container tightly and place in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days, stirring once or twice a day or shake the jar vigorously. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and line with a cotton dish towel (or a piece of washed, unbleached muslin). Pour the mixture into the strainer and allow to drain, pressing on the mixture with the back of a spoon to express as much liquid as you can. Gather the corners of the cloth and lift out of the strainer and twist to express even more liquid from the mushrooms. When you have wrung out as much liquid as possible, don't discard the mushrooms, set them aside. Now strain the liquid through a paper coffee filter in a strainer into a saucepan, or saucier, about 1 1/2 to 2 quart. Now add the liquid from soaking the porcini or shiitaki mushrooms Place over low heat and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 40 minutes, uncovered. Add the mushrooms and continue simmering at a gentle simmer for an additional 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool somewhat. Pour into food processor and process for about a minute, stopping a couple of times to scrape the sides down so that everything is emulsified. (you can also use a blender but do it in small batches) Return to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Immediately pour into hot, sterlized 1/2 pint jars, cover, and cool. Store in refrigerator or in the freezer if you won't be using it up within a month. Yield, about 2 1/2 cups. Andie Paysinger ( RG1905 )

I have made candied orange peel "strings" actually peeling the orange on one of the electric "Rotato" peelers, after I squeezed the blade into a "V" shape to get a very narrow string. After candying, while the syrup is still hot, I place a perforated steel chinois over a bowl or another pan and pour syrup and peel into it to strain and as soon as most of the syrup has drained, I use a broad blending fork made of wood or now a silicone one, to lift the strings onto a cooling rack. These are the black non-stick cooling racks with a bit more than 1/4 inch openings. If you don't have time to get racks with openings this fine, use the Release alum. foil to cover a regular cooling rack and punch holes in it to allow the syrup to drain.

Congratulations! A job well done. Have you tried dipping part of the candied citrus in chocolate? I received a PM this evening from a person on another forum who said she had successfully candied lime peel. I have never had much luck with lime peel, it always seems to turn a rather unappetizing gray during the simmering in the syrup. When I prepare lime marmalade I practically shave the slices and the tiny thread of peel becomes transparent. I don't understand the chemistry that gives this result.

Sorry to answer so late. I was away from home much of the day. I sometimes have to use 5 or 6 changes of water to lessen the bitterness in some fruits. Pomelo is often tricky and I have to trim off a lot of the white part. The worst problem I ever had was with some bitter oranges - the grafted parts had died back after a freeze and new growth from the root stock was the original bitter orange - absolutely full of seeds but the skin was exceptionally aromatic - as I have found Buddah's Hand lemons to be. It has been a few years but I think after 6 sessions of boiling, I ended up tossing the peel with pickling lime and leaving it overnight, then rinsing and boiling one more time and that smoothed out the sharp bitterness without losing the orangy flavor. You could also try leaving it in the syrup at room temp overnight, then bringing it to a boil again then letting it cool before removing from the syrup.

It is the pre-cooking in several changes of water that removes much of the bitterness. There should still be a bit, that enhances the flavor - as in marmalade made with Seville oranges. You might try a tiny pinch of kosher salt in the water. I use a pinch when I do grapefruit peel if it is particularly bitter. I also cut off a little piece and bite into it to see how it tastes before I put it into the syrup.

There is just something about the name "Healthy Choice" that sounds like one of the premium dog foods that used to be touted at the dog shows. I can't recall the exact name right at the moment, but every time I see the name that is the picture that forms in my mind. Ah Ha! Found it. Nutro makes a dog food named Natural Choice. Hormel markets ready to eat meats named - - -what else? Natural Choice. Decisions, decisions, decisions.....

Pan, Have you ever noticed an "earthy" flavor in fresh galangal? I agree with you that it imparts a lot of flavor for the amount used, but it lacks the "bite" that I prefer in fresh ginger. (I don't like pu-erh tea either.) I buy the dried galangal rhizome, store it in a vacuum bag in the freezer, and grate it when needed. I like the flavor of the dried much more than I like the fresh, just the opposite of ginger.

I like cream cheese and I often make my own. However, I really don't care for cheesecake. I usually make cheesecake with hoop cheese or farmer's cheese, AKA dry cottage cheese.

I'll join! My name is Andie and I too am a (cook)book addict. Collecting is probably some symptom that a psychologist would blame on a deprived childhood... I collect a great many books in several genre. Over the years I have added on to two different homes to make room for more books. A cookbook doesn't have to be used to be a pleasure to own. I too read cookbooks for pleasure, for inspiration or sometimes for a challenge. And no, my childhood was not deprived, in fact, quite the reverse.