andiesenji

I'm not real fond of scrapple.

Being a great fan of liver and onions, I found this recipe, including grits, to be quite interesting. I didn't use calf liver because I have a lot of beef liver in the freezer, however this is very tender beef liver. And, as evidenced by Lex Culinaria's notations, some Canadian's are getting the message about grits. some time ago I came across a website with a recipe for "Down East coarse cornmeal casserole, sweet or savory, also with seafood or meats." I haven't been able to find it today, although I know I bookmarked it, but I have thousands of bookmarks. As I read the recipe I thought to myself, "Gee, this sounds a lot like grits or polenta basic cooking method, then placed in a casserole and baked, much like southern spoonbread." a case of yankees adopting a southern tradition and re-naming it as their own??

Excellent question, and perfectly reasonable. Southern people do not necessarily depend upon reason. But you deserve an answer, and it is the best I can give you. Yes, there is an intersection. Yes, there is a union. All grits = polenta, grits, and other various derivations of dried corn, and possibly other ground grains. Considering history, all polenta = grits, all grits = either hominy or dried corn, all hominy = dried corn. Corn culture. In my opinion it changed the world, with very little credit to this day to the origin. I am beginning to sound a bit like Mayhaw Man and Okra, though I do agree that Okra is the universal answer to all the world's problems. Another story.. Just make a nice, lovely porridge, and enjoy. ← I agree with your opinion about corn/maize changing the world, or at least the western hemisphere because, without maize, it is questionable if the mesoamerican empires would have developed to the level they did as early as they did. The diversity of the varieties of corn is also remarkable as is the wide range of growing conditions which it tolerates. When you consider that it also has an unusual sex life, entirely dependent on humans for propogation for thousands of years, it is even more interesting. Maize.

Note the variety of Grits recipes at RecipeSource. I have a couple of grits cookbooks that I enjoy a great deal. Gone With The Grits has quite a few unusual recipes, including some dips made with grits. Grits.com has 52 recipes for grits plus a bunch of other good southern food recipes including a sweet potato/pecan casserole that is very, very good.

This discussion also reminded me of one of my favorite DVDs, "My Cousin Vinny" and the introduction of these two New Yorkers to real southern grits.

There is a difference between grits and hominy grits. However 99% of the grits marketed by small mills in the south are not from hominy or nixtamalized corn. The dried and finely ground "hominy" grits are commonly seen in grocery stores everywhere else. You can tell because the white is all white or the yellow is an even, light yellow, with no variation in color, which you see in stone-ground meal. I grew up on a farm in western Kentucky that had a water-powered grist mill in regular operation until the late '50s. It is still maintained in working order but is not in regular use because of enviornmental restrictions on the damming of the creek which feeds into an area where waterfoul are protected - a federal permit is now required before it can be operated. Most of the farmers in the area brought corn to be milled, white corn for cooking, and yellow corn for livestock feed. Most southerners preferred the white "dent" corn for cornmeal for cooking and baking because it was "sweeter" and this was simply because the starch/sugar conversion was higher. The yellow "horse" or "hog" corn was larger and when ground, contained a lot more fiber and a lot more starch. This is obvious when milled cornmeal is sprinkled in water. Some will sink immediately, a lot will float for a while before absorbing water and sinking - the hull bits of high-fiber corn will float indefinitely. Nowadays, however, there are yellow corns that have been developed that are as sweet and as flavorful as the heirloom white corns grown when I was a child. Bob's Red Mill produces coarse, medium and fine grades of yellow cornmeal - the coarse is the same as the one labeled polenta. If you want a product that is very close to the traditional stone-ground meal available 60+ years ago, mix these three types together. The stone mill output is all grades at once but the milled meal is directed over screens, first fine, then medium, then coarse to separate the various grades. When I mill whole corn, I set the mill (Nutrimill) for coarse and run it through. I then reserve 1/3 of the coarse, mill the remaining 2/3 at medium, then mill half of that batch on fine, then mix them all together. I like the texture this produces, whether it is for boiling for grits, mush or polenta, or for making cornbread.

I have done some experiments with reducing sugar in cakes, as well as some of the fat. I measure out all of the regular amounts of ingredients, either by weight or volume. I cream together the butter and sugar then remove a measured portion from this mixture and set it aside, beginning with 1/2 the total amount. I then add the remaining ingredients and beat as the recipe instructs. Using a small cake pan I fill it to the level I would in a regular-sized pan. I then add a measured portion of the reserved butter/sugar mix, blend well into the batter and pour some into another small cake pan. I repeat this again, using the remainder of the butter/sugar mix. I bake the three small cakes at the same time and note the rise, and when done, the texture of the finished cake. I have found that reducing the fat/sugar by 1/3 gives a result close to the full amount. However the cake will stale more rapidly. Using 1/2 the amount resulted in less rise, a rubbery texture that rapidly staled to tough and dry.

Try my method of refreshing the bread. If frozen, allow it to thaw part-way, then do the water/oven thing. In fact, I am going to pull a loaf of Asiago cheese bread out of the freezer now and refresh it when it has thawed a bit.

Andie, are you thinking of one of the episodes of Baking with Julia, possibly the one with Steve Sullivan? MelissaH ← No, I would have remembered if it was Julia. It was more like one of the "Great Chef's" shows on PBS. It was two men bakers being interviewed by another guy. I vaguely recall one of the bakers had a ponytail and one was wearing a skullcap. For some reason, I think it may have been in Canada, possibly Toronto. I believe they mixed and proofed the dough in shallow rectangular tubs, which I thought was very clever. - - - The problem is that over the years I have watched so many of these shows that they all seem to run together after a while, unless there is something really distinctive.

I have used the KAF white whole wheat flour in "sturdy" quick breads, such as pumpkin, banana nut and date bread. I have used it in carrot cake but it gave a pretty heavy result. To get a feel for it, try making pancakes with it. I use that method for testing various types of flour before I start a larger project. (I ordered some French "strong" flour and pastry flour as well as an Italian flour and tested them by preparing pancakes. - the "strong" flour pancakes were tough. but it is a great bread flour.)

I noticed a couple of years ago that the name on the bottle was no longer Cherry Heering but had been changed to Peter Heering - with "Cherry Liqueur" in smaller print under the name and more recently just the name Heering with the same cherry liqueur below. I just found this Danish site. with the newer bottle.

I keep forgetting to post this for those who have problems with "walking" mixers. Get some "museum wax" anyone who lives in earthquake country is familiar with this stuff. knead a marble-sized ball until soft, mold it around the mixer's feet and stick it down. It will hold to just about anything, including glazed tile, Corian, wood and marble. The only surface I have found it less tacky, was stainless steel. quakehold products

I have noted that I get a better result if I add a little extra yeast when I add more salt to this type of dough. I have also allowed dough to overproof, refrigerated it for a couple of days, then added to it a new "sponge" to get a very flavorful loaf with nice oven spring. I saw this method of "old" dough and "new" sponge made with both yeast and sourdough culture on a TV show about 10 or 12 years ago. I know I have it on VHS somewhere in the hundreds I haven't looked at in years. I wish I could remember the name of the bakery or even the show. I do remember that the baker made an "epi" baguette(wheat-ear shape) and a complex multi-braid that was very impressive.

I have used this one and this one. I have also made a hot tea punch using brewed tea mixed with spiced apple cider (you can even use the mix.) I have found that if the tea is brewed double strength, then chilled before mixing with the cider or cider mix, it holds its flavor without becoming bitter. I also like several of the Republic of Tea's flavored teas for a punch base. The Mango Ceylon, Blackberry Sage and others, combine well with fruit juices.

She includes some basic information that is rarely found in other cookbooks, including diagrams of retail cuts of meat in both the US and the French cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork, as well as how to bard and tie, bone and roll various cuts. Also instructions for game and birds. She even includes a chapter on microwave cooking, something that is generally ignored by many cookbook writers. The wife of one of the doctors who used to sublease from us took one of Willan's cooking courses in France in the early '80s and she gave me The Cookng Of Burgundy And The Lyonnais, one of Willan's early books.

Try this to de-stale either a whole or a portion of a loaf. preheat your oven to 400. When it is hot, run cold water from the faucet directly over the crust, try to avoid getting the crumb too wet. Immediately place directly on the oven rack and leave it alone for 12 to 15 minutes depending on how large a piece you have. for a whole boule I would got 18 - 20 minutes. use immediately. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Probably a relative of the person who put a set of 5 Bauer pastel ringware mixing bowls and 3 undrilled pristine Bauer flower pots in a church rummage sale. When I placed them in my cart I could just hear her saying to herself, "I am so glad to get rid of these old things of grandma's, so I have more room in my cupboard." One of the flower pots is a 10" orange, Italian ring pot with a footed saucer that has a brown interior glaze and the orange exterior matches the pot. I have only seen one other like this, a yellow/gray saucer. The footed saucers for this size pot are rare because the feet were so easily broken. The church ladies gave me the box in which they had been stored, the newspaper was dated in 1936!

I posted this last April I've had a Bron for many years. I have replaced the blades about 10 years ago, but it took a long time and lots of use for them to dull. If you have to slice a tub full of potatoes, carrots, etc., make a bucket of coleslaw or want to make "waffle" potato chips or matchstick vegetables, this does the job well. Get one with the holder or guard or use a blade-proof glove. Fantes has the Bron "Du Chef" for 99.00 and the Professional for 109.00. Best price I can find and they also carry the spare parts.Fantes, one of my favorite on-lin vendors. and the instructions. Bron instructions I have tried just about every other type and I always go back to the Bron. I recommend the Professional. That being said, I recently had a chance to try the new DeBuyer V-Pro and am intrigued by the way it is positioned. However, unlike the Bron, which has the blade built in and levers to move them into place or drop them out of the cutting line, this one requires changing the blades. Maybe I am just old-fashioned and set in my ways and used to the way the Bron works. I use it for slicing big batches of ginger for preparing candied or crystallized ginger. This root is really tough on slicers and the reason I got it so many years ago was just because I had ruined two other slicers.

They have changed the design of the switches - the newer ones are round, contoured and less apt to be damaged.

I have been preaching this refrain for many years. I have several crockpot/slow cookers, from a little one quart(which has never been out of its box) to a 8.5 quart and also I have my grandmother's 22 quart electric roaster and since she bought it in 1948, it has produced thousands of quarts of applesauce, apple butter, peach butter, plum butter, pear honey, etc. I have never had a batch scorch either.

Add these 11: Potager by Georgeanne Brennan 1992 Danish Home Baking by Karen Berg 1980 Aromas and Flavors of Past and Present Alice B. Toklas 1996 reprint of the 1958 original Sofra Cookbook by Huseyin Ozer (Modern Turkish & Middle Eastern Cookery) 1998 Wazwaan, Traditional Kashmiri Cuisine Secret Recipes from Waza Repertoire 2001 Wraps, Rolls & Parcels by Jenni Fleetwood 2002 The Cake Club by Susie Quick 2004 Fearless Baking by Elinor Klivans 2001 John Hadamuscin's Down Home 1993 The Fragrant Chile by Michael Bailes 1999 Tea & Sympathy by Anita Naughton with 60 recipes by Nicola Perry 2002

Shop for quince in a middle eastern store. Their prices are very reasonable, usually 1/3 the price in supermarkets. At least that is what I find here.

I have the meat grinder attachment for an old KA but never used it. I had an old Waring that worked fine for grinding meat, cheese (for pimento cheese sandwich spread), finely mincing stuff for patés and etc., but, has been mentioned earlier, the sausage stuffer was pretty much useless. I bought the Waring Pro, which again worked okay grinding stuff but the sausage stuffer was iffy, at best. Now I have one made by Northern Industrial Tool co., which is probably too big for your use. However, I have helped my neighbors purchase this smaller unit made by the same company and I have used it when helping them prepare for a party on several occasions. (Grinding meat for tamales, empanadas, etc.) Northern tool 1000 watt meat grinder. and it does an excellent job. It is more powerful than other grinders at this price. The cutting plates are 2 3/4 inches in diameter (most of the others are 2 1/8) The throat size is larger and it has a REVERSE switch. This last detail means you do not have to unplug, take the grinding assembly apart and scrape everything out to remove something has had hung up in the grinder. The sausage stuffer works very well. The fine mince plate will produce almost a paste, which still has just enough texture to work well in patés and terrines. Currently it is on sale for 89.99. The knife is carbon steel and can be sharpened on a flat hone or waterstone.

You can make quince preserves, which can be used in both savory and sweet applications. Quince preserve or jam is actually the original marmalade - from the Portuguese word for quince, which is marmelo. Quince recipes, especially Greek recipes! Cheese with quince jam is delicious. I prepare pizza dough in small rounds, top with slices of cheese (fresh or young cheeses) and dollops of quince jam. I slide them onto the hot baking stone with my oven set at 500 F. and they cook in about 7-8 minutes. On a sheet pan that is not heated, they take about 15 -18 minutes. Quince have a lot of pectin so just sugar and lemon juice is all you need to make preserves. In small batches, store in the fridge. You can poach quince, freeze the pulp and make preserves with it later.

Popcorn poppers are relatively cheap - I saw the Presto Microwave popper for less than 15.00 a couple of weeks ago at either Wal-Mart or Target. Almost all bags made from brown paper now include recycled material and they release fumes when heated. There are white "food-safe" bags available at wholesale suppliers to restaurants, bakeries and you can safely use those. I have twice had fires in a microwave - once was a paper towel in which I had wrapped a burrito. The second fire was cheap paper plates - the kind that you need at least three for them to hold their shape. Luckily, both times I was watching and cancelled the cycle and the fire went out as soon as the fan stopped. Also, you never, ever want to put vintage Melmac in a microwave - it will explode if heated beyond a certain point.