andiesenji

Kidney suet usually looks like lumpy or even crumbly fat, almost pure white and it is that way when it is trimmed away from the kidney and surrounding tissue. Once rendered it is liquid but solidifies as it cools, chilling in the refrigerator makes it a solid. It is never hydrogenated. Plain fresh lard is rendered from "leaf" lard and is not usually hydrogenated because it is naturally a "plastic" fat, that is, solid at room temp. Liquid vegetable fat is hydrogenated to make it solid.

Sorry that I didn't see your post earlier: Here is an authentic Mexican recipe as made by Mrs. Obregon, my neighbor, who loves her slow-cooker which she says is muy sympatico. DULCE DE LECHE - SLOW COOKER 1 Mexican (or other) vanilla bean, split lengthwise 2 cups regular goat milk, do not use low fat 2 cups regular milk 1 2/3 cups cane sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in ¼ cup water Mix the milk together in a quart measure. Pour 3 cups of the milk (refrigerate the remaining cup) into the slow cooker and add the vanilla bean and sugar and turn heat control to high and mix with a whisk to make sure the sugar has dissolved. As soon as the mixtue has warmed to about 140 degrees, add the water with the baking soda and whisk again. Do not cover the cooker. Continue cooking for about 8 hours, gently stirring about every 2 hours. Remove the vanilla bean, wash it and set it aside to dry and stick it into your sugar canister to flavor the sugar. Meanwhile, with a silicone high temp spatula, scrape down the crust that has formed on the sides and stir it into the mixture. If foam forms do not remove it, simply stir down into the mixture. Reduce the temperature to medium and continued cooking. Stir occasionally, about every 15-20 minutes until the mixture has thickened, it should pour like honey. This should take about 2 hours. Near the end of this time, warm the remaining cup of milk in a small saucepan then stir into the mixture in the slow cooker. Mix well and transfer to a sterilized quart jar and place the cap lightly on the jar, do not seal. Allow it to cool to room temperature then tighten cap and refrigerate. It will keep for three months in the refrigerator. P.S. I have added this to RecipeGullet

Are you sure about the dye and fragrance-free dawn? I scoured the website and found no mention of it. ← I can only assume it was discontinued. We had a bottle under the sink for awhile, it was the first colorless one that I had seen. My housekeeper preferred the dark blue/purple one that has also been discontinued but we still have a big container of that under the sink which is transferred to a pump-type bottle for use. I think they have tried several types, some were not successful and are no longer on the shelf. There was also a pink one a couple of years ago.

It all began with me collecting antique odd kitchen gadgets that someone had invented for some particular purpose, that may have been just the thing "way back when" but now have no obvioius purpose. Then I began picking up kitchen utensils with bakelite handles and gadgets that were not so much antique as "vintage" and ones that were funny or cute. Word got around among my friends and I think that some of them began having a contest to see who could come up with the most unusual or newest or even least useful wierdities to give me. These were always sort of joke gifts, in addition to the normal gift. For instance, the butter keeper was wrapped up and inside it was a gift card for Trader Joe's, the "real" gift. However I too buy gifts for friends who collect various things. One friend collects figural salt and pepper shakers and has over 6000 sets. During the past 20 years I have probably bought her at least a hundred sets, from a hula dancer with a palm tree to an aluminum nut and bolt. She has souvenir shaker sets from every state, including an Eskimo and an igloo from 1959 when Alaska became a state. One walks into her kitchen/breakfast room and there are all these little shelves, with little eyes staring at one from all around the room. There have been a lot of very odd salt and pepper shakers produced over the years and my collection of oddities pales in comparison to some of the shakers she has on display.

Dulce de leche from scratch This is an authentic dulce de leche recipe that tastes incredible. It is perfect for the Tres Leche cake Here is an authentic Mexican recipe as made by Mrs. Obregon, my neighbor, who loves her slow-cooker which she says is muy sympatico. DULCE DE LECHE - SLOW COOKER 1 Mexican (or other) vanilla bean, split lengthwise 2 cups regular goat milk, do not use low fat 2 cups regular milk 1 2/3 cups cane sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in ¼ cup water Mix the milk together in a quart measure. Pour 3 cups of the milk (refrigerate the remaining cup) into the slow cooker and add the vanilla bean and sugar and turn heat control to high and mix with a whisk to make sure the sugar has dissolved. As soon as the mixtue has warmed to about 140 degrees, add the water with the baking soda and whisk again. Do not cover the cooker. Continue cooking for about 8 hours, gently stirring about every 2 hours. Remove the vanilla bean, wash it and set it aside to dry and stick it into your sugar canister to flavor the sugar. Meanwhile, with a silicone high temp spatula, scrape down the crust that has formed on the sides and stir it into the mixture. If foam forms do not remove it, simply stir down into the mixture. Reduce the temperature to medium and continued cooking. Stir occasionally, about every 15-20 minutes until the mixture has thickened, it should pour like honey. This should take about 2 hours. Near the end of this time, warm the remaining cup of milk in a small saucepan then stir into the mixture in the slow cooker. Mix well and transfer to a sterilized quart jar and place the cap lightly on the jar, do not seal. Allow it to cool to room temperature then tighten cap and refrigerate. It will keep for three months in the refrigerator. ( RG1636 )

I use Dawn, they have one that is dye and fragrance-free. They also now have one with bleach - and they have a super heavy-duty grease remover dish soap that comes in a large container at Smart & Final. I don't notice any fragrance except soap in it.

I've always associated that behavior with teenaged boys! You mean they don't outgrow it? ← I remember that! It is as if they open the fridge door and immediately go into a fugue state, contemplating the universe or some such. My problem is trekking out to the kitchen from my office, a fairly long way, then not remembering what I intended to do when I got there. We call it the "Old-Timer's syndrome" - the only thing to do is turn around and retrace my steps. I usually remember what it was before I get back to the office but sometimes it remains a mystery until I sit down at my desk. I am going to start writing notes to myself on the computer and check the computer in the kitchen (networked) if I can't remember when I get there. I comfort myself that in any event I am getting a little exercise.

... I have ordered a neat butter "knife" that was shown on HGTV's "I Want That!" on Wed. evening. Not that I really "need" it, but I think it is a rather clever addition to my collection of oddities. Measuring butter knife ← That is really neat, Andie. I had a magnetic butter measuring thingie but the hatch marks wore off in very short order. This looks a lot more likely to be durable. Thanks for sharing. ← I was given a measuring butter dish for Christmas which I have yet to use, but it too is very clever, as it has measurements for both the long skinny quarters and the shorter fat ones. It also has a silicone "gasket" to keep the butter airtight. I was going to take a photo of it but the battery in my camera needs charging. It is This one. This is the same company that makes the onion chopper, the bread keeper, silicone whisks, all kinds of microwave accessories. I don't know where it was purchased, I can't find it online. I just did a search for Progressive.

My housekeeper just reminded me that you can also get pieces of soapstone from places that supply kitchen countertops. My contractor showed us several pieces of granite and a slab of soapstone in his truck that were left over from cutting out holes for sinks. He had gotten them from the countertop place, in exchange for some work, and planned on setting them in concrete to make a patio table. I admired the soapstone because that particular piece was a very pretty pale sage green.

Slate is not stable in high heat, flakes will pop off. Quarry tile is manufactured and is heat stable. 1/2 thick firebrick (used to line fireplaces) will also work, simply take a sheet pan that fits your oven along with you and fit them into it. There are several types of manufactured stones that work very well and are completely heat stable. Check these at Amazon. I use one of the round ones in my Sharp convection/microwave oven - the 15 inch round just fits the metal revolving tray. I have a Hearthkit for my big oven but haven't used it in a while. If you want something that is a natural stone and if there is a monument place in your area (gravestones) call and see if they have any thin (1 to 1 1/2 inch) slabs of soapstone, it is heat stable.

No, the last email I received said it was back ordered and would be shipped 1/26/06. This was from a different link than the one I went to when I orginally ordred it (I think it was the Metropolitan Museum shop). My credit card has not been charged so I don't know what is up with it. I hesitate to place the order again, I don't want two of the things! I have ordered a neat butter "knife" that was shown on HGTV's "I Want That!" on Wed. evening. Not that I really "need" it, but I think it is a rather clever addition to my collection of oddities. Measuring butter knife

I don't always soak beans, in fact, I usually don't think about making beans until it is too late to soak them. So I use a similar method to that mentioned above. I have an Instahot water dispenser. I pick over the bean, rinse them in a colander then dump them into a thick crock that holds the heat well, add hot water to cover plus a half inch or so and let them "soak" for 20 to 30 minutes then transfer to a pot and onto the stove. Depending on how fresh the beans are they will be done in 1 1/2 to 2 hours. However if the beans are old, they will never soften, soaked or not, no matter how long your cook them. So be sure they haven't been hanging around in your cupboard for over a year.

Some of the younger generation apparently don't understand that sometimes the old ways of doing things still work quite well and may even produce a superior result. I have some new neighbors down the road and one of my long time neighbors brought the lady of the house and one of her daughters to my house this morning for an introduction. She said "Andie is our local go-to person if anyone needs help with a recipe or cooking equipment, etc." The daughter looked around my kitchen and said "But all of your stuff is so OLD!", indicating a couple of cast iron pots and an old crock sitting on the counter. I told her that I too am old, but just because something or someone is old doesn't mean it or they can't work well. I fixed them tea, using my favorite two-pot method, with loose tea, took a pan of scones out of the oven (strictly serendipity, I had no idea I would have company) and told the girl how easy it was to make scones from "scratch" - not using a mix. However she apparently had never seen any except in a package or at Starbucks. I don't know if I made any impression on her but the mom was fascinated by the home made clotted cream and the tea. She said she didn't know tea was available except in tea bags! Even though I have a lot of tea kettles, I simply used the water from the Instahot dispenser for the tea. Some modern things are better.............

It has been proven time and time again that one of the biggest selling points in a home is the kitchen. When I sold my home in the Valley, in the early 80s, the first people who looked at it, made an offer, over the asking price, (which was somewhat high at that time compared to other homes in the area) simply because of the kitchen. It was a very large kitchen and this was before the "gourmet kitchen" became commonplace. (36 feet of free counter space plus a free-standing butcher block bakers bench 42" x 72" and a huge round table at one end, two full-sized sinks, two refrigerators and an upright freezer plus a walk-in pantry). I had a huge old Garland range with 8 burners plus a grill/salamander (grill plate on top over the salamander) with two ovens that would take full sized sheet pans and two warming drawers under the ovens. And the ovens and cooktop had separate gas lines. The lady, without even looking at the remainder of the house, said she wanted it and was adamant about it. She said she had always dreamed about having a stove like that but didn't know one would work in a home. I did have to go back a couple of times and teach them how to use the range and advise them about the type of cookware to use but they got the hang of it and still live there and one of their daughters has said that if they ever decided to move, she wants it. My kitchen was certainly not a status symbol, we were a big family and it was used a lot, my husband was in the building trades so when we enlarged it, I was able to have it exactly the way I wanted it. It wasn't fancy, but it was easy to work in and easy to clean and keep neat. Plus, several people could work in it at the same time without getting in each other's way. I did a lot of baking, baked bread three or four times a week, so the range was necessary. A regular home kitchen range simply would not have worked.

Toliver, They have had these in the factory outlet "Kitchen Collection" store since last fall and I think they have just put them on sale because they aren't moving. I should have asked but I don't believe they have sold even one. I check in the store every few weeks because they have some really good stuff on sale from time to time. Yesterday I bought a box with 6, (3 small and 3 large) of the silicone bowl covers for $11.45. On TV they were selling 2 for 9.95 plus shipping a while back. I bought one of the large ones at a holiday "botique" fund raiser in December and have used it a lot because it fits a couple of odd-shaped bowls that nothing else works on (the sticky Saran wrap won't stick to textured crockery). I also bought some small glass bottles with cone-shaped SS tops with small holes, similar to "dasher" tops. I am going to try them with my home-made hot sauce and if they work okay will buy a bunch. At 1.99 each they are a bargain. I can't imagine using this or any of the folding-type pans for omelets, I learned to cook an omelet when I was 10.

I don't know about other states, but I am intimately familiar with California and in particular, Los Angeles County. Very, very strict. In 1994 I added onto my house, converting my kitchen into a commercial facility. Because I have dogs, it had to be separated from the rest of the house by what is essentially an "airlock" entrance, that is, two sets of doors with a chamber in between. My contractor was experienced in commercial kitchens so he did whatever was necessary and it was expensive. The exhaust system for the commercial oven and the stovetop had to move a certain amount of air. The walls, ceilings and floors had to conform to the rules, as did the countertops, storage cabinets, water and light fixtures, and so on. It had to be inspected every step of the way, not only by building and safety but also by the healt dept., and since I had a well, the state also had to certify the water. Jumping through hoops is an inadequate simile, wading through neck-deep mud sounds more accurate. However it was finally finished and I did get the certification, followed by inspections every three months for the first two years, then every six months. A year ago I decided not to apply for renewal of the certificate because I no longer do any baking or cooking for sale, because of health reasons (and age). I also want my kitchen to again be part of the house so I have a little renovation going on at present. I am also getting rid of the commercial oven - I have a buyer for it who has been after me to sell it to him for quite some time and I seldom use it. I did enjoy working in my own kitchen but I could easily have continued to rent space in the kitchen at a private church school that had a certified kitchen. They could use the money and I worked in their kitchen in the evening and on some weekends. I did carry product liability insurance and workers' comp insurance for my helpers and of course had to pay Social Security and Fed, State and local taxes. I didn't do any retail sales. I did contract baking for a small bakery, a couple of local restaurants and for three caterers whom I have known for many years. Our arrangements did not include delivery, they all picked up their orders because I would have had to charge quite a bit more for maintaining a delivery vehicle, insuring it and a driver and so on. I couldn't use my vehicle legally because I had dogs that occasionally were transported in it. The rules here are very strict, children may not be transported in any commercial vehicle that transports food products. I know people do it but they can lose their certification as it is clearly spelled out in the rules. Get a printout of your local laws and rules for caterers, bakers, food processors, etc. Don't take anyone's word for anything, get it in black and white. Don't leave yourself unprotected legally. And just because other people get away with doing something similar, don't expect that you will. There is just too much to lose if something goes wrong. I formed a corporation, leased the kitchen and the equipment which I personally owned to the corporation, and carried insurance in the name of the corporation. That cost too but it protected my personal assets from any legal action. I never had a problem but I didn't want to take the chance. I also kept meticulous financial records and had a CPA experienced in food service to handle my taxes and such. I didn't make a fortune, but I did okay, however I had a customer base before I ever began and knew the business. There are a lot of "hidden" expenses that one doesn't think about until they pop up. You have to think about all of this before you get into it, it will save a lot of grief later on. It is satisfying to produce a product that people rave about and it is possible to be extraordinarily successful, even starting on a shoestring. After all, Mrs. Fields and Martha Stewart began small......

What was the brand? Both Eagle Brand and Carnation produce Dulce De Leche which is sold in Mexican markets (and some others that carry a lot of Hispanic products "Magnolia" is the Eagle Brand product). It is unusual, but on rare occasions one of the processed cans will find its way onto the wrong labeling line and into a case of regular sweetened condensed milk and this can surprise whoever opens it. When I was helping in a friend's bakery a few years back we opened a newly delivered case of the stuff (Eagle Brand) and opened a bunch of cans and came across two that were obviously the Magnolia Dulce De Leche. The numbers stamped on the cans were not the same as the plain stuff but they had the regular label. He contacted Eagle Brand and they send two replacement cans of the regular stuff and explained that occasionally cans do get "shifted" from one line to another. (They probably fall off one conveyor labelling line and when picked up they all look the same and no one bothers to check the batch numbers on the cans so get put in the wrong lineEagle Brand Magnolia.

I have some lovely rendered beef fat in my freezer. One of the advantages of raising a steer is that the feed and activity of the animal can be monitored and if it is raised by 4-H kids for competition, it packs on a lot of muscle and fat because that is what wins at the shows. In particular there is the pure white, kidney suet which renders out to a clear, almost colorless liquid that imparts a wonderful flavor to anything fried in it. Baby Yukon golds, cut in half and fried with the skins on are especially nice. It also adds a lovely texture to steamed puddings and short pastry for savory pies. It has to be almost frozen before cutting into the flour and is a bit of work, however the results are well worth the effort. Bacon drippings are a staple both for cooking fat and for flavoring everything from cornbread to green beans, greens, brussell sprouts, baked beans, dried beans, etc. Duck fat is always on hand, too many uses to list but certainly I couldn't make paté without it. I also have some goose fat in the freezer. I don't use a lot of chicken fat because for some reason it doesn't set well with me. I use lard in most pie crust, biscuits, scones, some fruit cakes, and etc. I use Crisco for a couple of recipes that simply do not work with anything else and I have tried various substitutes. Olive oil of various grades and tastes, the greener ones do have to be fresh. Canola oil, corn oil, avocado oil, tea oil, all have their uses. I use coconut oil in smoothies and for a few special recipes.

I actually have a lot of illogical kitchen habits but I am not about to admit to all of them. People think I am a bit (or a lot) quirky, but as long as they don't try to reform me, that's okay.

I finally decided, after the third failure, that I simply was not cut out for marriage. I was and am too independent, opinionated, want to have things done MY way, in my house, and my motto has always been: "I may not always be right, but I am never wrong!" It is a very rare man who can cope with this attitude.

That's where mine are. I have drawer dividers in every drawer and all my spatulas must be together in one slot, my measuring spoons in another, my whisks in another. My husband never gets it right even though you can clearly see what belongs where. ← It has been many years but I recall my husbands had the same problem. I could never understand why a man, who had a pegboard with each tool shape carefully outlined in paint in the garage, could not understand that kitchen tools also should be stored in an orderly fashion. His method was to throw everything in the "junk" drawer instead of putting the various utensils in the crocks where they belonged. Retrieving a whisk from the drawer when it was intertwined with a meat fork, a narrow spatula and a set of measuring spoons, could be a frustrating experience. I finally managed to get him to pay attention after I went out to the garage and threw all his tools into an old wooden box and dumped several containers of nails, screws and bolts on top!!! As the old saying goes, I don't get mad, I get even!

Not all the presses have "automatic" measuring ratcheting. A couple of the powered ones do. I have an old Salton (wired) that presses out an exact amount and the VillaWare cordless rechargeable that also does. The Marcato is also sold under at least three other names but made by the same maker in Italy. I have many recipes for spritz cookies and almost all are made with butter. There is one recipe on this site that is made with shortening (I use Crisco) and I also use an egg substitute I found at a health food store, for my vegetarian friends. It is by far the best I have ever tried that doesn't use butter. (The Spritz Cookies II Recipe) If you have a similar situation, you might want to try this one. I added 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and 3/4 teaspoon of water to convert it to a chocolate cookie.

Regarding salting beans, in my experience it doesn't matter when salt is added. It is acid that will keep beans from becoming tender. I have always lightly salted dried beans of every type at the beginning of cooking, whether soaked overnight or with the "quick-soak" method. However, if anything acid is added,( tomatoes are a particular problem), the skins will remain tough. Also keep in mind that as the liquid reduces the salt becomes more pronounced, thus the "lightly" salted in the beginning. I would like to add another online vendor from whom I have received excellent products, beans, grains, etc. Indian Harvest (click on the Retail button) I particularly like the autumn lentil blend, the black garbanzos and the black beluga lentils. I just placed an order a few days ago for two new items, wild rice flour and grano, an Italian whole grain wheat.

Bread pudding pure and simple (or not so simple).

Heat, of course, and flexibility of the "skin" - which is why moisture, steam or ?? will promote more spring, it makes the surface of the dough more flexible. You really notice it when you slash the tops and see the dough expand greatly where it is cut. Back in the mid 50s, when I went to baking school, we brushed water on some of the formed loaves (not in pans) that had been proofing outside a proofing (steam) box. In my mom's baker, the ones that proofed in the steam box were on rolling racks and we rushed them from the box to the oven and got them into the oven as soon as physically possible. The box would only hold 8 racks so we had to leave some of the loaves out if we had a big batch and there was an obvious difference between those that were exposed to steam and the others. We had a 16 shelf Peterson revolving tray oven which originally did not have a steamer. In the early 60s a steamer was installed, which made a big difference, however I was long gone by then so it didn't help me much. You might want to take a look at Baking 911 lots of information at this site.