andiesenji

Viva, I am so pleased, and I know MeeMaw would be also, with all the mileage you are getting out of her cherished receipt. I prepared a double batch early last month and canned it in pint jars (instead of the usual quarts) because I finally figured that a pint of the stuff is quite enough for smaller cakes, steamed puddings, bread dressing as a side dish, etc. I used it to stuff a rolled pork loin roast that I served with Cumberland sauce and everyone raved about it. How about posting the recipe for your cream cheese pastry dough. My neighbor, Leila Obregon, asked for a jar and she is going to use it in empanadas. Her dad asked if I had ever tried using it in a mix for sausages - which gave me an idea to try - I just have to order some of the narrow casing to stuff finger-sized ones. I have some duck meat and some venison in the freezer that should make up into very tasty sausages.

I can do that in my big oven, however, unless I am baking a large batch, multiple cakes, or whatever, I use the Cadco 1/2 sheet oven that does not have a way to turn the fan off. If the oven is on the fan is on. It seems like such a waste to fire up the big oven to bake just one cheesecake - in any event, the huge fan in the Blodgett would blow the batter right out of the pan.

I have been plagued with tiny bubbles and ripples on top of cheesecakes (unless I remember to put a windscreen in the oven to block the air from the convection fan, which I usually think of just about the time the stuff set up). My solution is to cover the top of the cheesecake with fruit preserves, chocolate, lemon or lime curd, etc. I have had some success with combing through the batter after it is in the pan, using a small cheese comb (used for cutting the curd when making cheese). This seems to liberate the larger bubbles deeper in the batter.

I have used rice paper to line a pan to bake a crustless cheesecake. Otherwise I can't help you.

I had completely forgotten about that gadget. I bought one but never used it and have no idea where it is at the moment. I did buy one of the garlic smashers I posted about a while back. Haven't used it either but I know where it is because I put it in a tool bucket along with some other oddities. I bought one of the silicone "turkey lifters" and have used it a couple of times and it works great. I used it with a very large rolled and stuffed pork roast (these always stick to the roasting rack) and it took just 3 minutes to take the pan out of the oven, turn the roast and put it back. Much, much faster and much easier than my old way.

I agree with you 100%, FistFullaRoux. Irvin S. Cobb, who was born and raised in Paducah, KY, always considered himself a southerner, even though he lived in New York city for more than thirty years, often said that "southern is a state of mind." He was a very prolific writer and wanted his readers to understand that Kentucky (and the rest of the south) was not just a bunch of hillbillies and poverty. When he was in Hollywood in the early '30s, working on a movie script, his automobile broke down when he was driving to San Bernardino. He wrote that he stood by the car for almost two hours, with traffic constantly passing, before someone stopped to give him assistance, a lift to the nearest garage. He said that if this had happened anywhere in the south, the first person to come by, whether in a car, a wagon or on horse or muleback, would have stopped and offered help, a place to rest if living nearby, a drink of water, tobacco, something to eat and if he was lucky, something from a jar under the sink that might be "mildly" alcoholic in nature. Of course he is not the only writer from the south who referred to the nature of southerners and their tradition of unstinted hospitality that continued until well into the second half of the century. In the first half of the century the migration was from south to north and west. The reverse migration began in the late '60s and gained momentum as the century progressed. Several of my friends that had lived here in So.Calif. all their lives have moved to Texas, Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee. Most have kept in touch and one family, who moved to Warm Springs, Arkansas in 1998, have since convinced three other related families to move to the area. Since the 1960s, I haven't thought of Florida as being truly "southern" in culture. By geography, yes, but except for the panhandle area I think of it as a polyglot population. I have family in and around Tallahassee and near Crestview in Okaloosa county. That have been there since the late 19th century and they consider themselves true southerners.

This survey is interesting and in my opinion, shows how much migration to and from the southern states there has been during the past 40 or 50 years. Back in the days when "Dixiecrats" were in the majority in the "Solid South" I believe that most people in Kentucky considered themselves southerners. In fact, the people in the very southernmost area of Illinois were more southern than midwestern in their culture as well as their manner of speaking, which was distinctly more southern than people further north in the state. This area is very hilly, extensively forested with numerous creeks and branches (small streams) and quite different from the flat plains further north in the state. I doubt that until fairly late in the 20th century, few people would have been able to distinguish a resident of this area of southern Illinois from a citizen of western Kentucky by just listening to their speech. They used the same colloquialisms, accents and certainly enjoyed the same foods.

By the way, a few months ago I bought one of these Wet Sea Salt grinders and would like to report that it works very well. In fact I have ordered two more - just in case they discontinue it. It is made by Peugeot and is carried by Fantes, Sur La Table, etc., but this site sells it for a couple of dollars less and I buy quite a bit from this vendor.

I do not live in a humid area but I do have friends that do, including several that live on boats in marinas from Oxnard to Newport Beach. One uses salt shakers that include a little perforated glass container that holds a material that absorbs moisture and turns pink as it becomes "saturated" and then is baked in the oven until the material returns to blue. I think she got them at a store that sells marine products. If this sounds familiar to some of you, at one time you could buy cookie/biscuit tins that had lids with a glass handle that was exactly the same. (I have several and they work nicely.) However, you can also find the little plastic containers in vitamin bottles and other over-the-counter and prescription medications. I save these because they do keep moisture away from the contents. The most common types are cylinders, about 1/2 inch in diameter and the same length, however you can also find ones that are longer, some are in soft little envelopes made from a material that doesn't tear and is resistant to the abrasion of the salt - one is called Tyvec, another is Duralon and they are safe to use with food. Do not use the larger ones that are packed with electronic products from China, Southeast Asia or Korea. They are not food-safe. When I was a child, in western Kentucky, living very near the Ohio river, every saltshaker in the house included some white rice, which served the same purpose, that is, to absorb moisture and keep the salt from clumping. In the kitchen, they used large, open salt boxes, glass or ceramic and one always sat on a thin brick at one end of the hugh wood/coal stove. The heat kept the salt dry. There was one on each of the two Estate ranges. There were in the center of the big kitchen table where most of the baking prep was done and I think the turnover there was too rapid for the salt to become clumped. I really can't recall a salt-shaker per se in the kitchen. The cook and her help used their fingers - who knew, they were many decades ahead of the trend. In the springhouse, where milk was processed and butter and cheese was made, (and it was damp because of the cistern in the room that was where the stuff was kept cool) the salt was in a large unglazed crock (made by Bauer when they were still in Paducah) and I think the unglazed pottery drew off any moisture. I searched via Google and found someone has patented a device for this purpose.

I just want to mention that I am certainly impressed with the quality of Rancho Gordo's beans. I received an order and have already cooked some of the red nightfall and some of the marrow beans. These are by far the cleanest beans I have ever sorted through. I did not find a single bit of waste in the marrow beans and only two tiny shrivelled bean in the red nightfall, no debris washed out when I rinsed them in a colander. I cooked the marrow beans with smoked ham hocks and the results are excellent. I partially cooked the red nightfall beans because they are going to be baked tomorrow and I like the way they hold their shape even when cooked for a long time.

If you want to use cloth to move your dough around, linen, such as that used for a baker's couche, is the best natural non-stick cloth and it holds the flour well. You can buy it in various widths from this place. You can also make your own waxed muslin, using the heavy weight unbleached muslin found at most yardage stores. You have to wash it twice to get all the sizing out - I generally run it through the second wash without any soap (and certainly no fabric softeners) then put it into the dryer just long enough to fluff it up. I then tack or staple it to stretcher bars (that are used for artist's canvas) and let it dry. It will shirnk as it dries and will be quite taut. You will need a chunk of pure beeswax, which is not difficult to find nowadays as there are candle-making shops just about everywhere - you can also find it in hobby shops, quilting and needlework shops, etc. Rub the beeswax firmly into the cloth, trying to cover every inch. When finished, lay the framed cloth face down on another piece of muslin and iron it with a fairly warm iron, pressing firmly, so that the beeswax melts into the weave of the cloth. Check for bare spots, rub the beeswax into those spots and iron it again. It doesn't have to be 100% solid because you aren't going for waterproof, only to keep dough from sticking. Flour it well and give it a try. When you are finished, shake off the loose flour and allow it to dry completely and any residual bits of dough will dry and flake off. Do not wash it! Roll it up in plastic wrap or fold it and put it in a plastic bag and store it in your freezer. When ready for your next batch of dough, remove it from the freezer an hour or so before you will need it and allow it to warm to room temp. Beeswax is naturally antibacterial and antiseptic.

I used cast aluminum pressure canners for years - up until an event about 30 years ago when a very large one exploded - the lid had cracked in half. Thank goodness I wasn't in the kitchen because the turkey necks and backs I was cooking to soften the bones for dog food, was flung all over the kitchen, plastered on the walls and ceiling. Half of the lid was imbedded in a wall, having punched through ceramic tile and the cement scratch coat and the plaster behind it. The other half was in the attic, having taken a chunk out of a large wood beam before it went through the (again, thick plaster) ceiling. On close examination, I noticed small pits all over the inner surface of the lid, which I had always cleaned and carefully dried. I replaced it with a stainless steel one, even though the cost seemed excessive. No more reactive metals for me.

You can boil the vinegar/water on the stove and pour it in the jar - just be sure to run hot tap water into it first, then pour it out, so that the temp will be equalized and the glass won't break.

Let me tell you about something I discovered about 20 years ago. If you buy one of the cheap "loss-leader" hams in any supermarket, you can improve it exponentially by this method. You will prepare the ham a day (or more) before you are going to serve it. Buy a jug of the cheapest real maple syrup you can find (I use the stuff sold at Costco or Sam's Club). Use a deep, narrow pot, just big enough for the ham, without a lot of space around it. Start early in the morning of the prep day. With an ice pick or a long-tined chef's fork stab the ham all over, all the way down to the bone. (this will work with a boneless ham but I have found the bone in, butt half is better). The holes should be no more than an inch apart. Think of something frustrating and take it out on the ham. Remove the tough skin and score the fat down to the meat. Now rub the ham all over with dry mustard, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for an hour. If you want to stab a few whole cloves into the ham, go for it. At the end of the hour of chilling, remove the plastic wrap, wipe off some of the mustard powder and put the ham cut side (the big end) down in the pot and pour in the maple syrup. It should come up at least 1/2 to 2/3 depth on the ham, more is better. Place the pot in the oven and turn the temp to 300 degrees F. and set your timer for 30 minutes. When the timer sounds, reduce the oven heat to 250 degrees and set the timer for 45 minutes. When the timer sounds, turn the ham over, put it back in the oven and set your timer for an hour. Turn it over again, set your timer for one hour. Turn it over again, set your timer for an hour. If you have a 12-pound or less ham, it is now done. lift it out of the syrup and let it drain -DON'T DISCARD THE SYRUP! (If the ham is larger, add 30 minutes for each 2 pounds of ham. If it is a boneless ham you also need to cook it longer because without the bone to conduct the heat into the center it just takes longer for the heat to penetrate. Continue to turn it over every hour.) As soon as the ham has cooled down, wrap it tightly in foil then slip into a jumbo plastic bag and refrigerate. Strain the syrup through a muslin jelly bag or a coffee filter. Reserve one cup and pour the remainder into a freezer container and freeze it. you can use it two more times. The day you are going to serve the ham, take it out of the plastic bag and place it, still wrapped in foil, on a sheet pan and heat in the oven until warmed through - you can punch right through the foil with an instant read thermometer - you only need to get it to 110 degrees for serving. Meanwhile, reduce the cup of syrup by 1/2 over low heat, cooking it with a couple of cloves or whole allspice in the syrup. A bit of grated orange or lemon peel is also nice. Slice the ham, arrange the slices on a platter, pour the syrup/glaze down the center of the row of slices, or along one side and serve.

I am bumping this topic up again because I need some ideas. Has anyone come across any interesting, odd, nutsy or just plain ridiculous kitchen gadgets in the past few months. I do come across a fair number but am sure I don't see them all and I need to buy or order some for a kitchen-themed party. Anything and everything is acceptable.

Put 1/4 cup of white vinegar mixed half and half with water into the jar, microwave for 30 sec to 1 minute or until it is very hot, doesn't have to boil. Remove from microwave place lid and tighten - it should ping as it cools leave over night, dump the vinegar water, rinse, dry and add a couple of tablespoons of dry baking soda, place lid, tighten and leave it alone for two or three days. This should remove the odor permanently. I have used this method for removing odors of garlic, onions and smoked fish - the only odor that ever defeated me was middle eastern black salt. I think the sulphur ate into the glass.

I can't have chocolate myself, because of allergy, but I do bake and cook with it for others. I was recently given a box of Valrhona "Le Noir Extra Amer" Dark Bitter Chocolate 85% cocoa. It is much too dark, strong or bitter for most people but I have been mixing it with heavy cream (Manufacturer's Cream) and Torani sugar-free vanilla syrup (for diabetic friends). 2 oz syrup and 4 oz cream for each 3.5 oz bar. My taster likes these proportions as having the most chocolate flavor without being too strong and bitter. I have also used the raspberry, black cherry, caramel, pepperment, coconut, almond and orange sugar-free syrups with this and similar high cocoa percentage chocolate. It means that diabetics can enjoy previously forbidden desserts.

I have several pieces of All-Clad both stainless and Cop-R-Core. In the latter I have an 8 inch frypan and a 12 inch frypan and a 4-quart saucepan. In the stainless I have the 10 inch frypan a 14 inch frypan that I don't think I have ever used, also 1, 2 and 3 quart sauce pans. In addition I have a 3 quart covered cassoulet and the small roasting pan. All except the roasting pan were gifts received over many years. None are the non-stick type, all are stainless inside and out. I also have one Cop-R-Chef sauce pan that has never been out of its box. I like the stainless because it cleans up easily and it has gone through the dishwasher many times. It rarely is left inside the dishwasher so I haven't had any problem with water spots. How is the discount on Le Cruset?

Once the hardened surface on a cast aluminum pot is broken, by acid etching, or other break, the undersurface is actually more reactive - just sitting in normal atmosphere you will see a powdery build up in and around the pitted area which indicates that a reaction is appearing. Cooking anything in it that has any acid content at all will cause leaching of the metallic salts into whatever is being cooked.

Don't use it as a pressure cooker. Deep acid etching is permanent and weakens the structure. If you ever have to use an aluminum vessel again, use one of the super heavy Zip-Log storage bags. They are food safe.

You will not be able to store the cake at room temp. It will have to be refrigerated and consumed within a few days or you will need to freeze it. The fresh peaches, even baked in a cake, will be subject to spoilage, even with the alcohol. If you cook them first, so they are essentially peach preserves, you can add them to a cake, allowing for the fact that they will count as part of the liquid. Quite a few years ago I tried a recipe that included chunks of fresh apples added to the batter, along with raisins and nuts - I can't recall the rest of the mix, it was a heavy spiced cake. I baked them in small loaf pans and all but one were consumed during the weekend. One remained under a cake dome and perhaps a week later I cut into it and found the chunks of apple, which had been intact when the cake was fresh, had broken down into slimy goop, leaving holes in the cake. I tossed it.

I have been so busy I haven't gotten around to it. My housekeeper went to Las Vegas with a bunch of her girlfriends and won't be back until Wednesday. I have been lending a bit of a hand to my neighbors who have had a huge crowd visiting - that are just now beginning to hit the road. There was no need for me to cook anything Friday or yesterday or today, they have kept bringing me left-overs - often dishes that were not even brought out for T-day because they had so much. I am trying to limit my intake, but everything is so good. I have stored the meal in the freezer to keep it fresh. Next weekend looks like the best time.

I should note that the result is not as coarse as I like. The next batch I will adjust the mill so the meal is not quite as fine.

Here is a photo of the blue posole and the "blue" corn, which is different from blue corn I have purchased in the past - it is almost purple. I will grind some of each tomorrow and take photos. They both seem to be a much lighter color than I expected.