andiesenji

You can use rendered beef fat (from suet) but it has to be rendered and strained first and it does break down faster than vegetable or nut oils. If you are frying only potatoes, you cool the fat part way, strain it and store it in the fridge for no more than a month and use it three times total. After that it breaks down, burns before it gets to the preferred frying temp and simply doesn't do a good job. Peanut oil or canola oil (rapeseed oil), as mentioned above are excellent choices for deep frying. I do use duck fat for frying but I generally use a deep cast iron skillet (known as a chicken-fryer) or a deep electric "Dutch oven" which is really just a very large, deep skillet. I prefer the electric because it is easier to control the temperature and I also use the cast iron on an induction "range" or hob, sort of like a large hotplate, not a built-in cooktop.

BSK, Depending on where you live, you might be able to find a kiln-drying operation that will know exactly how to best preserve the wood for your purpose. Some of these operations are quite small, they produce blocks for sculptors, carving blanks and etc. And their fees are usually reasonable. I know several sculptors who deal with this type of business. The following sites might have more information for you. DH kiln drying wood info

Andie, your link brings up the homepage of a tea company! ← Thanks Suzy, I have fixed it. It should open to the Danish Pastry page now.

Back in the early '60s, you could buy a sort of diffuser that made baking on a charcoal barbecue fairly easy. That is, baking biscuits, bread and even cakes. The thing was a metal plate about 14 inches square, (it could have been stainless but I think it was aluminum) that was welded to several (at least 6, as I recall) metal pipes, open at each end, that were at least 1 inch in diameter. The theory was that as the pipes heated up, air inside of them would circulate out and around the baking pan that was placed on top of the plate. My dad had a Big Boy charcoal grill that was the barrel type, bright orange (made in Burbank) and got the grill and the baker accessory at the factory outlet store on San Fernando road. We baked biscuits, "light" rolls and cornbread using it and it worked great. I think it would be fairly easy to have one made. I think the concept is similar to the convection idea. In fact, I think I will take my idea to the metal shop down the road and see if they can make one for me. I haven't thought of this thing for many years. I am glad you mentioned baking the pie as that reminded me of it.

The Danish pinwheels are made by cutting strips from a flattened sheet of Danish dough that is made similar to puff pastry, in that it is buttered and folded. Holding one end of the strip or "ribbon" on the bench with the fingers of one hand, you put your index and middle fingers on the free end and roll it toward you which causes the strip to twist on itself - you then either make a "bow" or pretzel or coil it and pinch the end into the side of the coil to keep it from unwinding. It takes a little practice to get this technique correct, but once you get the feel of it, it goes very quickly and you find you can do it automatically. Cut the strips with a pizza cutter (wheel)- an inch or less in width. True Danish dough is certainly a lot different from any of the stuff I see in markets here in California. This recipe is pretty close to the one I make, however I also spread the first layer with additional softened butter before folding. You don't need a lot, perhaps half a stick, but it makes a great deal of difference. I also use one whole egg plus one egg yolk instead of just one egg. Regular "sweet-roll" dough does not include egg. It is a necessary ingredient in Danish.

Well, you know me, Melissa..... I am certainly a foodie but can't say that I fall into any of the listed categories. The word fanatic might come to mind, particularly in the case of food-related gadgets and appliances. I have had terrific meals at top of the line eateries and at hole-in-the-wall joints, mom & pop country stores that cook food on the side and at outdoor, walk-up barbecue, chicken, Mexican and other ethnic food stands. I really don't care where I eat, as long as the food is exceptional and one can discover gems in the oddest places if one has an adventuresome spirit. I love to cook and bake and try my hand at doing things the way they were done in the past, before we had everything prepared for us. I believe I do a pretty good job on some things, particularly fresh cheeses, sour cream, egg custards - especially bread puddings. And, as you have seen, I like to make my own condiments. (However, there are some ready-made condiments that work so well in certain applications that nothing else quite fits the bill.) I don't drink alcohol myself but I have spent major bucks on special occasion wine for gifts for people whom I know appreciate it. I buy fresh truffles in season but probably the most extravagant consumable I have ever purchased was a rare tea, $60.00 for 4 ounces. I could have spent considerably more but managed to restrain myself. And most of all, I love to share what I do and what I know. I get a great deal of pleasure from serving food I have lovingly prepared to people who appreciate it. Fortunately I have a great many friends who love to eat and know the value of good food and good company.

I love sandwiches with avocado but get rather frustrated with slices slithering out from between the other bits in between the bread or toast. So, I mash an avocado, season it, mix in crisp fried bacon pieces and spread a thick layer on one piece of lightly toasted sourdough and cover this with a layer of shredded lettuce. On the other slice of toast I spread a thin layer of Miracle Whip (I buy it in the tiny jars because the only time I use it is on with tomato and avocado) then add some finely chopped red onion and slices of peeled tomato. I know the MW is anathema to many, but it really seems to have a great affinity for avocado and for tomatoes.

For an avocado cheesecake recipe go to This Link from the California Avocado Commission that I posted yesterday evening. There are four cheesecakes made with avocado on that page which is just desserts. if you go to the main page for "Brouse all recipes" Here. You will see there are hundreds. Or you can go to this page and search by Categories. These people are the experts when it comes to avocados. They have a list of Fun Facts on this page. And a fact that is still a mystery to many. Avocados do not ripen on the tree. They only ripen after they are picked or fall off and if they are blown off the trees in a windstorm, as long as they don't land on something hard, they won't be damaged and can be gathered and used. This is the reason you see grass growing in many avocado groves.

chefmarc, you got it in one! I grew up on a farm in Kentucky and we had geese, ducks, guinea fowl as well as chickens plus swans, "game" birds, pheasant, quail, partridge and three varieties of turkeys. If ostrich had been available back then we would probably have had those also. Geese and ducks, as well as the wild turkeys, will gorge in preparation for migration. It is a natural, instinctive process. It is interesting that when the feeder goes to the pens, the geese or ducks run to meet him or her. If they were being abused, they would run away. However the idiots who want to stop the business, are totally ignorant of the facts and don't want to hear them. As I mentioned in my earlier post, they don't do anything about truly horrible conditions, the dog auctions where animals (often stolen pets) are sold in job lots to people who breed them on puppy "farms" or to breeders of fighting dogs who need "bait" to train their dogs. Like the eco-terrorists who set SUVs on fire and did more damage to the enviornment than running the vehicles for ten years would ever have done, they are not rational people. The last time I had a discussion (argument) with one of the PETA demonstrators at the L.A. zoos. I asked her why they weren't going after the puppy mills that keep dogs in horrible conditions and the answer I got was that it wasn't NEWS! They seem to want to make headlines rather than actually get out and work for real animal welfare. The sad thing is that there are so many ignorant people, particularly in the entertainment industry, who believe their line of BS, all the time driving around in their cars with leather upholstry and in one case I witnessed, a blond "celebrity" tripping along in her alligator cowboy boots after announcing on camera she had given 10 grand to PETA.

Avocado soup is spectacular and delicious. It can be mild, spicy, lemony, curried and numerous other flavor enhancements. Here is one for avocado guacamole soup. one from West Africa\ Cucumber Avocado soup fantastic on a hot day. one with spinach and you can also use sorrel. One that is good hot or cold. And for desserts, check the blender avocado cheesecake I have made this several times and it gets rave reviews every time. The avocado lime pudding and the avocado margarita chiffon pie are also winners.

Electric roasters are indeed coming back. In fact there are so many small appliances that sub for stoves and ovens that really work well to keep the heat down in the summer. The countertop convection ovens bake rapidly and do not radiate a lot of heat. The induction "ranges" are extremely useful because they heat just the cooking vessel and not the air around it. I use a Vita-Mix blender to make soups in the summer - the speed of the blades will heat any soup but will also "cook" pureed carrots, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and etc., within 5 minutes. And one great advantage in making cream soups is that the cream will not "break" when added to the soup in the blender. The newer "open" indoor electric barbecue grills do a great job much faster than earlier models and the "press" type grills that also do great panini, are a terrific solution for keeping kitchen heat down. I grew up in a house that had a summer kitchen, actually a separate building, built of brick, where most of the midday cooking and all of the canning, preserving, baking, and etc., was done when the summer temps rose. When the house was first built, in 1830, that was the only kitchen. Kitchen fires were a particular hazard and keeping it contained in an area separate from the main house was considered more important than having the kitchen inside the house.

They presume that shearing is inhumane? Are they also against haircuts? I don't get it. ← Here is a link to one article about the OZ problem.

In my opinion the fanatics that move PETA have virtually become economic terrorists in that they seek to destroy the livelihood of a great many people. In Australia they promoted a boycott of wool, attempting to destroy an entire economy. I do wish that someone with a media voice would stand up and get the message across that if PETA has its way, it will mean the extinction of hundreds, if not thousands, of species. If farmers are not allowed to raise and sell animals, fowl, etc., for slaughter, for dairy, for eggs or whatever else they produce, who do they think is going to pay to maintain those animals. They aren't pets. You can't keep domestic cows without milking them, once they have been bred, they now produce far too much milk for a single calf. It is painful for them to be left with full udders. The original purpose of PETA was to be a watchdog against truly cruel treatment of animals. However, in the years I served with the California Humane council, I never saw a PETA member accompany us when we raided places where dog fighting was done and I am pretty sure none every helped rescue fowl at one of the cock-fighting farms. Likewise, a friend who works at LAX says they could use volunteers for inspecting for smuggled birds, snakes, and any endangered species coming in from overseas but PETA is not interested. They could also help stop the horrible smuggling of very young and often sick puppies from Mexico. Perhaps if a few headlines got the message across that PETA seems to be advocating the extinction of all domestic animals, they would have far less support, particularly with the Hollywood set who seem to be a bit dense when it comes to seeing through the smoke-screens PETA uses to obscure their real objectives.

As soon as the new one arrives I will get them out and take some photos.

Fortunately my daughter is almost as avid a foodie as am I. She certainly got my genes!

Ok, but I tried to warn you! Who won, the flying saucer waffle maker or another tagine? Inquiring minds want to know.... ← Both, actually. My bad!

Too late!!

Be careful, very careful. This was how it started for me! Now I have a Riffi and three more cookbooks. If I could access Tagines.com I'd probably purchase another tagine. Very addicting so pace yourself. Suzanne ← I am not going to reveal how many tagines I have, it is embarassing, especially since I have not cooked in all of the cooking ones and have used only two of the serving type. Some things simply have such an organic feel and appearance and simply call to me. Almost as bad as the basenji puppies at my friend's home...... or the "flying saucer" vintage waffle iron offered on ebay in near mint condition. I have no willpower at all, and apparently no shame!

When I ordered one for my daughter they said it would be 12 weeks but she got it in 7. I think it all depends on when the ships arrive. I got the deeper tangia from casablancamarket.com and it is very nice. I have seasoned it but have yet to decide on which recipe I will use to "christen" it. I think I am actually going to try something like a cassoulet. My Mexican neighbor has ordered one too. She wants to try it as a bean pot.

In post #4, I mentioned and posted a link to eggs Mollet or Oeufs Mollets. Julia Child included this in Mastering the Art of French Cooking with a sub-title of six-minute boiled eggs, as a substitue for poached eggs. I have been preparing eggs this way since the book was published (in 1961) and they are terrific. The only tricky part is peeling the eggs without tearing the set but soft whites. They can be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated and warmed by immersing in a bowl of hot water using a broad, slotted spoon or ladle to keep from tearing the whites. I used to make shredded potato nests (deep fried in the neat little instrument that forms and holds the potatoes) which were placed on top of grilled thin steaks and filled with two eggs Mollet. This makes a very pretty presentation.

In another thread I mentioned Jose Antonio's Peruvian Chinese restaurant in Chatsworth, CA, which has received some rave reviews in the L.A. times, Valley magazine and other publications.Here is a note about origins.

Long ago I had a child's tea set that had square plates and saucers. I have a set of supper or "brunch" plates that are rectangular and have sections, including a round rimmed spot for a tea cup or small glass. However I have never found a set of square plates that caught my fancy. I have so many sets of china, porcelain, ironstone and etc., that I really can't justify buying more and usually I grab whatever is handiest, most often the corelle, for everyday. I also have some odder shapes, Eva Zeisel's designs, plates that are not quite oval, actually near to an egg shape - "comma" plates and shallow bowls. These looked very "modern" in the fifties, more futuristic, such as something that would be seen in Monsanto's "house of the future" - - Somewhat organic in feel. Eva Zeisel at 98

Tying plastic wrap or cling film is a bit tricky. However, in the office/school supply section of most stores you can find solid plastic paper clips (no metal whatsoever) that hold plastic wrap beautifully and are easy to remove.

That's what I thought. My pizza cooks just fine on my 19.99 "vegetable" grill pan and so far it seems to be non-stick so the pizza slides off easily when done.

You can also get an excellent result with eggs Mollet This was one of Julia Child's methods demonstrated in one of the specials she did with other chefs. However just at the moment I can't recall which one, possibly Jacques Pepin... Michael Roux's book "eggs", also details the various methods of cooking eggs, including eggs Mollet. eggs by Michael Roux In one of my very old cookbooks there is a note about preparing eggs semi-soft, which involved dipping the eggs in melted parafin and then placing in "blood-warm" water (that term just stuck in my mind) for an hour. The resultant slightly cooked egg was supposed to be opened and carefully deposited in a hollow made in a serving of steak tartare. This was for serving a large party of diners and the eggs were supposed to remain at serving temperature for a long time without cooking too much. I never tried it because I prefer my eggs cooked just a bit more and I would never eat raw meat.... I could never understand the point about dipping in melted parafin, unless it would insulate the egg.