andiesenji

Pureed fresh garlic ferments! and it can be contaminated with botulism which grows in an anerobic (no oxygen) condition. When you puree fresh garlic, refrigerate it immediately. Otherwise you can treat peeled garlic cloves in vinegar overnight in the fridge, drain, wash and then puree it. If anything fresh or uncooked develops gas in a closed container, toss it out. If something has been cooked, canned and sealed and the lids bulge, throw it out. Don't take chances on anything that is low acid, (garlic, because of growing in the ground, is often contaminated with botulism) and don't use raw garlic to infuse oils unless you are going to keep the oil refrigerated. Conversely, pickled garlic, because of the high acid content, is safe.

Actually there is a scientific principle for using slotted turners. You can try it yourself with anything that has a fairly smooth solid surface which you want to transfer from pan to plate, or turn over, etc. Foods like this will cling to a solid surface but the slots will allow air to get under the item and release it more easily. If you try to transfer hot flapjacks using a solid turner, you will often find you have to push it off or turn it over to get it to release, while a slotted turner will allow it to slip off easily. I have seen other cooks actually turn a solid turner upside down and the flapjack will cling to it for a few minutes. Of course now the "presentation" side is down and the thing has to be turned again unless you don't care if the more attractive side is not showing. Solid turners have their place too. Anything that has an uneven, bumpy or granular surface, does better with one of these. Hamburgers for instance, unless they are extremely firm, compressed slabs, the uneven bits will get caught in the slots. I use a solid turner with pan-fried fritters or anything that is breaded or coated (such as fried green tomatoes which I prepared last night). However, I do use a very wide, fish turner that has smaller slots or holes, to turn fish. I have a couple of the "fish spatulas" (both wide and narrow Wusthoff) and I use them for other things (great for scallops), but not for pan-fried fish. I prefer this one for softer fish. and use the Rosle like this for heavier items such as salmon steaks, etc. I also have one for non-stick pans that is made of black nylon.

Way back when I worked in my mother's bakery, and we are talking a long, long time ago, we didn't have time to fool around with gently removing stuff from pans, with a few exceptions. Muffins were banged out of the pans - ours were baked in pans that had 30 cups and we did not use fluted cups for muffins, only for cupcakes - onto cooling racks (same size as full sheet pans) a few minutes after they came out of the oven. Whoever was pulling from the oven would slide the pans onto a pan rack, working from top to bottom. The person who was emptying the pans would start working from top to bottom, sliding the cooling rack onto the pan rack, also from top to bottom as they filled up. A cooling rack would hold two pans full of muffins. The pans were taken to the sink as soon as possible, sprayed with very hot water and each cup was brushed with a round brush, sprayed again and slid upside down onto a pan rack. As soon as the washing was finished, the pans were re-greased, using a mop and semi-liquid shortening and stacked back onto the ready rack. When we got new pans, they were always "seasoned" just as you would season a cast iron pan, swabbing the cups with shortening and baking in the oven, empty, often repeating this a couple of times. This gave us a fairly stick-resistant finish. (This was in the mid 1950s, before there was a "non-stick" finish on any bakeware.) We used pre-cut parchment rounds, squares and rectangles in cake pans, also in tube pans, occasionally a narrow spatula (icing) had to be run around the edges, but usually just banging the sides of the pan at a bit of an angle would free the edges. When preparing a jelly roll with sponge cake, it was turned out of the sheet pan onto a towel, the parchment was peeled off and the cake flipped back onto another towel (both towels barely damp and warm) spread with the filling and rolled, pulling the towel up to start it. All this had to be done very quickly before the cake cooled to the point it would stiffen.

Most of the consumer-type non-stick sprays contain something in the propellant that accounts for the sticky buildup over time. ← These were developed for commercial bakers. For a long time the only place I could buy them was at Smart & Final in a very large can. Now they are available in smaller sizes. I have a can of Bak-Klene that is 13 oz. However I still have a 22 oz can of Vegalene. I see it is now available in a 21 oz can and is a different color. My can is plain white with red and gold printing, no graphic. Vegalene I have had no problems with build up since I began using the Dawn Power Dissolver on ALL of my pans as soon as I remove the product. I have found that it works even better if sprayed on while the pan is still warm. I rarely have to do more than just rinse it off with hot water and I rarely put them in the dishwasher.

If anyone is interested in Elizabeth David's English Bread and Yeast Cookery, Janet Jarvits has the 1st American edition at an excellent price. In this condition they are rarely less than 75.00, often more. See the book! I have purchased many books from Janet. She is dedicated to providing excellent service. Each book is individually wrapped in paper and in bubble wrap. Oh yes, I added another one. Don't Give Up The Game : The Sportswoman's Cookbook - Carol Swanson-Estefan Signed, 1st edition hardback, fine, dust jacket fine.

I use the Bak-Klene on my vintage and antique waffle irons. If it will keep stuff from sticking on those, it will keep anything from sticking. I have several of the very intricate Bundt pans and have had no problems with the cakes coming out completely intact. I have all of the NordicWare Bundt pans, including the new Stadium pan but I have yet to use it. I bought the Holiday tree ring last year and used it several times. It makes a lovely presentation, especially when one makes a contrasting cake with the Christmas Wreath pan. You can spray with the Bak-Klene or Vegelene and dust with cocoa powder, however I don't bother and there is no residue on the cakes, I like the way the surface turns out with these products. The most intricate pan is the NordicWare Fairytale pan. I also have a couple of the Kaisercast Bundt pans, the Domus and the Saphir.

Yes. But Very, Very carefully. Get a 400 or 500 grit black carbide sanding belt DO NOT USE SANDPAPER! Like this. Get some crocus cloth. And like this. Wear a blade-proof glove. Work over a pad of newspaper or somewhere that can be cleaned easily. Cut the sanding belt into pieces that you can hold easily. If you don’t have a glove, find something to stick on the back of the piece as a pad, even a piece of bubble wrap will work. Lay the piece flat on the grater and gently drag it against the cutting edges, just as if you were grating something. If the grater is curved, shape it to the curve. Don't bear down hard enough to have the teeth catch in the cloth. It will take 5 or 6 strokes to sharpen a moderately dull grater. Rinse the grater. Now spray a little water onto the crocus cloth. It will turn purple and get sort of gooey, like a paste. Repeat the process with this, it will get a bit messy. However this will remove all the tiny burrs that the carbide cloth has pulled up. Wash well with soapy water. Dry and test. If you have a real steady hand and own a Dremel or similar electric rotary tool, you can use the soft carbide bits to individually sharpen each tooth but this is very time consuming. Since the price of the specialty microplanes has come down considerably, it is easier to just replace them.

I don't know Milagai I prepare avocado soup fairly often and have never had it turn out bitter. This is my recipe: Creamy Avocado-Lime Soup Serves 8 Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch cilantro, minced 6 ripe avacados 1/2 cup lime juice 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground. Toasted whole cumin freshly ground is preferred. 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried, ground 1/4 teaspoon chile, freshly ground dried chile, use mild ancho or your preference. 1 pint Crema Mexican agria 6 cups chicken stock salt and pepper to taste 12 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled 2 limes, cut into 8 wedges, lengthwise. 1/2 cup sour cream, stirred until creamy. (Or use more Crema Mexicana agria) Use a 4 quart sauté pan, sautoir or sauteuse or similar wide and deep pan. Cook the diced onions in the butter until clear. Add the garlic. Add all of the cilantro except for a heaping tablespoon to use as garnish. Add the ground cumin, the oregano, the ground chile and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes. Halve, peel and seed 5 avocados, cut into chunks and add to the pan. Immediately add the lime juice, Crema Mexicana and chicken stock. Increase the heat, stirring often, until the soup is simmering. Lower the heat and continue to cook at a steady simmer for 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. (If you do not have a stick blender, cool the soup by placing pan in an ice bath and stirring constantly until barely warm. Transfer portions to blender and blend until smooth. Return to pan and bring up to serving temperature.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into serving bowls. Chop the remaining avocado coarsely and divide between the bowls. Add the crumbled cotija cheese, a generous tablespoon of the sour cream and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. This can also be served chilled. Andie Paysinger

These were doing business a couple of years ago. Mediterranean market, on the corner of Colorado and San Fernando Road in Los Angeles. (east of the I-5) Kabul on Reseda Blvd., in Reseda, in the Valley. She thinks it is close to Sherman Way. And Islamic Meat market is on Sherman way close to Reseda Blvd., in Reseda. Fez Market on Vernon, between Crenshaw and Arlington, a few blocks east of the La Brea area. See if you can get the phone numbers and call first to make sure they are still open. And ask if they carry tagines. They may have to order them or you can buy online.

I use Bak-Klene or Vegelene and never have any problems. Bak-Klene

I have prepared this avocado/pear mousse several times. It is delicious. I also make an avocado pie - can't find my recipe at the moment, but it is almost identical to Avocado pie at recipezaar.

Thanks for posting this, Andie! The crockpot method sounded familiar to me. But what if you don't have access to the goat milk the recipe calls for? Can you use regular milk instead? I know it won't taste the same... ← Sure. You can use any kind of milk. Cajeta is traditionally made with 100% goat milk. I happen to like the flavor with half and half, but many people use only cow's milk. A friend who raises sheep for their milk makes it with ewe's milk. I have tasted it and it is very good also. I have seen and tasted one batch that was made using powdered whole milk, which is not easy to find. It was okay but I wouldn't make it on purpose if fresh milk was available.

Unless I am going to be baking a fruitcake for a long time to drive out the alcohol, I can't use it to soak dried fruit because I am allergic to alcohol. I have found that steaming the dried fruit plumps it nicely without making it so wet it sinks to the bottom in steamed puddings. Try it with a small amount and see how you like the texture. For small fruits I steam them for about 8 minutes, for something like apricot halves 15 minutes and for dried pineapple slices, mango or papaya slices, it takes about 25 minutes.

Also for removing odors from books, (tobacco, cooking odors, etc.), try interleaving some of the unscented dryer sheets between some of the pages, using about 6 in a regular sized book. You can also, for mildewed books and magazines, if you have a vacuum sealer, vacuum seal the book in a bag and put it in the freezer for 72 hours, remove from the plastic bag as soon as you take it out of the freezer. Place in a warm dry place and treat with baking soda.

Another batch newly acquired. Cookbook collection received 10/10/06 Pickles and Preserves - Marion Brown MCMLV Omelets, Crepes, and other Recipes - Rudolph Stanish 1970 Great British Cooking: A Well Kept Secret - Jane Garmey 1981 Soft Cheese Craft and other Recipes for the Aspiring dairymaid - Mary Ann Pike 1982 Mama Weiss Favorite Recipes - Mama Weiss, KHJ-TV Los Angeles, 1953 (First female television cooking show, Los Angeles, late ‘40s to mid ‘50s.) Signed Good Fare and Cheer of Old England - Joan Parry Dutton 1960 Condiments - Kathy Gunst 1984 Ice Cream Cookbook - Earl Goldman 1970 The Shaker Cookboos - Caroline B. Piercy 1953 Crepes Cook Book, Better Homes & Gardens 1976 McCall’s Cookie Collection 1965 Ideals From Mama’s Honey Jar Cookbook - Catharine P. Smith MCMLXXVIII The Everlasting Pleasure - Kathleen Ann Smallzried - - - The rich and savory story of American cooks, kitchens and cookery from 1565 to the year 2000. (Printed in 1956) Eggs I Have Known - Corinne Griffith 1955 (1st ed, signed) Gourmet Preserves Chez Madelaine - Madelaine Bullwinkel 1984 Feast of Santa Fe - Huntley Dent 1985 Early American Herb Recipes - Alice Cooke Brown 1966 The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger - Julie Kaufmann 2002

I posted a recipe I got from my neighbor and it is delicious. It is far more complex in flavor than the sweetened condensed milk stuff. I took some to an eGullet potluck a couple of years ago and everyone who tasted it thought it was great. Dulce de Leche from scratch.

History of cocktail shakers. Museum of the American Cocktail Perhaps these can help.

Shaker types

There is no active radioactive waste production in these instruments.

I have found it is quicker to cut the onion in half, cut the top and bottoms off, pop off the outer layer and line them up on the cutting board. I then put each half on the dicer, push down and if I am using the alligator, lift the cutting part which dumps the dice off onto the cuttin board on the other side of the dicer, then I place another half and so on. If I use the other dicer that has the chamber at the bottom (Progressive) I can do 4 or 5 halves, depending on size, until the thing is full then dump the dice into a bowl and keep going. Peeling whole onions takes a lot more time than this method. Same with shallots on the smaller dicer. Cut in half, top and tail, pop off outer layer, dice.

In Europe many food items are treated in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK, some in Italy and Spain but it is forbidden in Germany. Some "public information" groups always refer to it as "controversial technology" while ignoring that millions of people die every year because of eating contaminated food, from food lost to spoilage and continue to spout the diatribes that they want to "protect" citizens of the world from the "pressures from the nuclear lobby, governments and international organisations backing liberal globalisation and the expansion of trans-national corporations (TNCs)." Luddites, they can never see beyond their own prejudices.

This is from a year ago regarding Wood freezer/refrigerators. Amana has lost market share and since being sold to a conglomerate a few years back has a very poor customer satisfaction rating. Copeland/Emerson and Carlyle make most of the compressors for commercial freezer/refrigerators, from 5 cf to huge "drive-in" refrigerated warehouses. (I know someone who works for Copeland)

Someday, if people in this country ever get over the irrational fear of irradiated foods, all these kinds of vegetable products can be treated at point of packaging with no possibility of harmful pathogens getting into the food chain. The technology is affordable, the treatment does not alter the nutritional values and it would save lives, not to mention millions of dollars for growers, processors and markets. (It might take a few bucks out of the pockets of some lawyers but I do not see that as a bad thing!)

Thanks andi. I'm intrigued. I don't actually have a vacuum sealer, but I'm trying to figure out if I could do something similar with a sealed plastic freezer bag (or several). It would probably be messier/not as convenient, but I'm wondering... is having an airtight seal the key? Or is there something else specific about the vacuum sealer that makes this work? Can you tell me more about what is achieved by using the sealer? ← Have you seen the "Instant-Marinade" containers? This works on the same principal. I have seen something similar demonstrated in a laboratory, a lone time ago when a small container containing a very hot liquid was placed into a vacuum chamber with a piece of a wood block under it so the heat would not damage the base of the chamber (I guess, I was only an observer). The vacuum pump was started and we began to see condensation dripping down the walls of the chamber and collect on the bottom. I was away from the demonstration for a few minutes, while doing something else but when I returned they had just shut the pump down as it had reached the atmosphere level they wanted, only a partial vacuum. When they removed the sample from the chamber they also removed the wood block and set it on a manual laying on the counter. Someone noticed that there was obvious moisture around the spot and when they picked it up there was a wet spot on the book. Anything porous will apparently suck in any moisture when placed in a partial vacuum. In fact, I once put some skewers holding meats and onions in marinade in a vacuum package and then put them in the freezer. The skewers split when the moisture in them split. That was enough of a demonstration for me. In any event, when I got my first vacuum sealer, quite a few years ago, I began treating some antique wooden kitchen tools this way (unpainted) potato smashers, spoons, ladles, rolling pins, small bowls, butter molds, etc., and it seems to work quite well. It may just be my imagination, but since I have the machine (and a huge supply of bags bought on ebay) I figure it can't hurt. I will take a photo of one of the old rolling pins, a huge one, a bit later and post it here.

The internist in my office referred me to this site for low salt and salt-free questions and answers, asked by real people and answered in a way that anyone can understand. And the author has written a cookbook that is one of the best on the market. The doc in our office recommends it and one of the other doctors, a semi-retired internist who is on a low salt diet, uses it. There are several resources listed on the site, including a list of source links for ingredients, and he discusses bread at length and answers all of the questions people have about the bread recipes in the book as well as general baking questions at length. That being said, there is a way to get the flavor into bread without using salt. There are several salt substitutes but the only one that has the taste closest to real salt, without the unpleasant aftertaste and which can be used in baking is Also-Salt which is carried at the local health food store and also in some markets. Or you can order it on-line.