andiesenji

First you have to decide on the size you want, which will be most useful and will fit your oven easily. I have several from the usual size, up to a huge one for very big batches. Target has the Calphalon for $40.00 it is the hard anodized stuff. I have several pieces and use it on the stovetop for making gravy after roasting chickens or ???? so it is versatile. Calphalon 12 x 16 You can order the larger DuPont 14 x 18 inches from Instawares $65.45 Dupont Target also has the Oneida "commercial" for about 60.00 online only. Costco also had a nice heavy hard anodized roaster, similar to Calphalon at a very reasonable price when I was there a couple of weeks ago. If I am not going to need to put it on top of the stove, I have a large enamel roaster which is deeper than the others. one very similar is also available at Target black enamel roaster with cover It may be my imagination but the vegetables always seem to turn out better in this one, inexpensive as it is. This one just barely fits in my Cadco convection oven

When cooking breakfast for large groups, I have made large batches of polenta (or grits) and ladeled the cooked grits into tall cans lined with plastic wrap. The cans a chilled at least overnight. When ready to slice, you pull the ends of the plastic wrap down the sides of the can which will extract the solidly formed grits or polenta, just enouth to slice it to the size you wish. As you repeat this, you get uniform slices 4 inches in diameter, that look very nice on the plate. The benefit of this is that you can get a lot of these cans into a refrigerator and into an ice chest for transport plus when the bottom of the ice ches has been filled with them you can set flat containers on top. Much easier to handle than loaf pans, unless you have the pullman type pans with a cover. The tops of the cans do have to be removed with one of the "safety" type can openers, which leaves a clean, finished edge at the top. I use the cans over and over, washing and drying them carefully and storing them where they are not exposed to mositure. For fund-raising breakfasts, I have prepared 20 of these cans. Each will make 10-12 slices, as we generally slice it a bit over 1/2 inch thick and fry it on a hot griddle brushed with clarified butter. We usually have about 500 people and serve pancakes, my 'mock' French toast and fried grits with sausage and bacon.

I roast large batches of garlic in a significant amount of oil in the oven for a long time at a low medium heat - 250 - 275. I buy the large containers of peeled garlic at Costco, Sam's Club or Smart & Final, put them in a deep ovenproof vessel, and add oil (regular cooking olive oil is fine, you don't need the fancy or extra-virgin) until the garlic is completely covered plus an inch or so. I roast it this way (stirring once or twice if I think of it) until the cloves are uniformly brown and nicely carmelized. Use a dry slotted spoon and fish out a couple, let them cool and taste. It should be quite sweet. Prepare some one pint canning jars by sterilizing them, scald and invert them so they will be completely dry inside. Sterilize the lids too. While the oil and garlic are still hot, ladle some of the cloves into each jar, fill about 1/3, then fill to the top with the oil, place the lid and tighten the ring. If you are going to use it up in a short time, you don't even have to jar it this way, just keep it in a sealable container but only use a sterilized and dry utensil to dip into the oil. Either way, this does not require refrigeration. Canned and sealed, it will keep for at least a year. On the counter, in a resealable jar (I have one with a wire snap closure and a rubber ring) it will keep fine for three months at least, as long as you don't introduce something to it. You want the jar to seal so the aroma will not be constantly perfuming the immediate area. During the oven roasting it will make itself known. I have been doing this for years and have never had a problem with the garlic going "off" or the oil turning rancid. In fact, I have extended the life of the stuff in the jar on the counter by removing the wire bail, placing the jar without the lid, in the microwave and heating it until it bubbles, following someone putting a scalded ladle that still had some water in it into the oil. Boiling the oil (carefully) in the microwave will drive the water out of the oil. I use the oil in cooking, in marinades, for dipping bread and etc., and the mashed garlic is also lovely spread on bread, bagles, or just added whole to a recipe. In particular, when I roast mixed root vegetables, I prefer the roasted garlic in oil to raw garlic.

I haven't seen any mention of Hop Li Seafood Restaurant, which is sort of out of the way in old Chinatown, on Alpine street. Since Wally Kwan's place closed in the late '80s, this is the only place I have been. The decor isn't much but the food is excellent, always very generous servings. The people with whom I have been, say it is more like Hong Kong cookery. Nothing very spicy but the flavors vary considerably from dish to dish, each distinct. It lives in my memory with particular emphasis as on my first visit I had a bowl of Wor Won Ton soup that contained lovely little purple "flowers" that turned out to be baby octupus - delicious. I had eaten octupus before but had never seen them so tiny. I have been to a fair number of places in the San Gabriel valley, however my friends and I usually opt for Kim Chuy on Valley Blvd. in Alhambra, because we particularly like the noodle dishes. I don't know if they moved from Chinatown or if this is a second restaurant, but many years ago, when I used to visit downtown L.A. often, there was a restaurant with the same name and very similar, if not identical dishes, in the arcade located next to the import markets and fish dealers. We often have to flip a coin to choose a restaurant because we also like Wahib's, a middle eastern restaurant on East Main. A touch decision.

I have a couple of the plastic dome type -the 3-in-one cake/cupcake carriers. I paid more for mine because I didn't know they were available at Kitchen Krafts. I got them from Brylane. Since two holds 48 cupcakes or muffins, they are fine for me. I rarely make more than that, or at least that have to be transported. The dome is high enough there was even room for the little plastic ornaments I put in each cupcake - Shamrocks, since it was last year for St. Paddy's day.

I fuse the cut edges of the ones with the fibers with my kitchen torch. (I have one of the big ones that cranks out a lot of heat - certainly enough to melt the silicone - or with a high temp soldering gun, also one of the big jobs used for brazing)

As long as it is just carrageenan and not something with an incomprehensible chemical name, I am okay with it. From various sites "food glossary" including Hormel. Carrageenan A group of related carbohydrates produced naturally by boiling red seaweed. Three types of carrageenan are extracted from seaweed, which are Kappa, Iota and Lambda, each with distinct properties to assist with the processing and development of food products. Most often, carrageenans are utilized as: 1) emulsifiers, keeping liquids mixed together so they do not seperate such as salad dressings; 2) as stabilizers to assist with the keeping foods in a solid or non-crystalized state; and 3)as thickening agents for a variety of food items such as milk, ice cream, puddings, syrups, marshallow fluff, and other food items. Trader Joe's also included a notice on the bottle that the cows that produce the cream are not fed hormones or artificial growth stiumlators. Bht and such.

The only difference I have noticed is that the more expensive mats have reinforcing "threads" which, when cut, look a lot like fiberglass, which may be why they are more expensive. They are also thicker and stiffer.

I have some of the very inexpensive silicone mats that are sold at the "Factory Outlet" kitchen stores. The big ones that can be used for rolling pastry or fondant, or cut to fit odd-shaped pans and which I used for peanut brittle (made in the microwave) and hard toffee, so it should work fine for sugar work. You know, you can put the silicone mat in a sheet pan and place the sheet pan on one of the extra large heating pads, turned to low, and it will keep the stuff at a workable temperature longer. I used this when I was making some "stained glass" Christmas ornaments, holding batches of 4 different colored, clear stuff in thin sheets on the mat, so I could cut shapes and fit them together before it got too brittle. I also had a heat lamp overhead but if it is too close it is uncomfortable for me. I was using a small, extra fine tip soldering iron to seal the pieces together and several times laid it on the silicone with no problems, no burn, no melting. If it can stand up that, you should have no problems.

You are lucky, Melissa. At one time there were several dairy farms in the San Fernando Valley and when I moved up here in 1988 there were some here that would sell to walk-ins. However the 1990 change in California law regarding dairy products, and the extremely restrictive Los Angeles County Health Department regulations that were enacted the same year, made it more difficult and more expensive for small producers. Ridiculous regulations that really do nothing to protect the public and which forced many to cease operations, go bankrupt or move to another state. Two farms, where I used to purchase milk, eggs, freshly killed hens, ducks, game birds, are now tracts of homes. One family moved to Utah, the other to Montana. I am so disgusted with our overbearing "big brother" bureaucracy, I am about ready to scream. Last year's ban of wild mushrooms was just one more bit of evidence that we are being protected beyond any rational point.

Have you had the pasteurized stuff go bad on you? I've never had any of the pasteurized cream go bad on me and I go months past the expiration date. It gets lumpy from the fat separating from the water, but a brisk stir resolves that. Even with the innovative approach of adding sugar to it for freezing, I'm sure there's a certain amount of impairment. You might want to hold on to your cream a little longer and see what happens. If it turns, I'd be very surprised. ← Oh yeah! It goes bad and can get very nasty. However I usually prepare it with a culture and make butter or cream cheese if it gets near the "turning" point. I have very sensitive taste and nose for these things. I often buy several half gallons at a time when I plan on making cheese because I mix it with an organic "raw" milk, which is the only type of raw milk available locally. I pasteurize the raw milk myself (I have an electric pasteurizer). The place where I buy it separates the cream from the milk right in the milking system and all the cream is sold on contract to a commercial place so goes straight into sealed containers for transport. The only way I can get whole milk from them is if they take the time to milk a cow by hand and since they increased their herd to over 200, they no longer have that time. However, when I add the manufacturer's cream to the (home pasteurized) skim milk , it makes lovely cheeses, yogurt, butter and etc. I do buy commercial cultures for some of these. I grew up on a farm and have been handling all types of milk and cream for well over 50 years. However, I still have a lot to learn. One can never know enough. My main complaint with the ultra-pasteurized cream is that it does not "hold" as well as the other unless a stabilizer such as Whip-It is added. I always have several packets of this around just in case. Many times, when I have used the ultra-pasteurized, the stuff does whip up nicely, however if i attempt to hold it in the refrigerator for longer than an hour or so, I find a watery liquid in the bottom of the bowl and the volume has reduced significantly.

I am going to change some things in my kitchen and plan on a wall area where these (and some other unusual pans and molds) can be displayed like plates or bowls, only showing the outside instead of the inside. I have a lot of copper molds and before I remodeled in '94, I had almost all of them displayed on the soffit above the cabinets along one wall. I think that mixing these pans with the copper molds should make an interesting display, not to mention making them easier to store.

My favorites are the Christmas Wreath and the Christmas Tree Ring. They show it with a light-colored cake, however I made a pistachio cake which turned out nicely green, I surrounded it with macaroon coconut, then dusted it with XXX sugar and it looked like the trees were in snow.

One of the gals in my office suggested looking here.

I have several of the original, including a huge one that takes almost a double recipe. I don't have the Festival or the Rose but have the others on your list. I also have the American Star, the Sunflower, the Wreath and the Christmas Tree Ring and one that is rather architectural in design but different from Cathedral. It is a Kaisercast pan called "Domus" and I have the 12 cup. it also comes in a 3 cup version. I have three other Kaisercast pans and a large "Braid" loaf pan which I use a lot. Bundt-type pans at Chef's Kaisercast pans I also have the Kaisercast Saphir I haven't used all of them yet, however eventually they will all be used. The problem is that I get new ones but keep going back to my favorites.

I just came across two new designs in Bundt-type pans. Fluted mold - "Arabesque" and Tulip pan Lots of design and color possibilities with these pans.

I have ordered the Bufala and the Burrata from I Gourmet and it is definitely the real thing. It is also extremely fresh because they have a much faster turnover than most small shops. I have yet to have a single complaint about anything I have ordered from them.

You might try the Gas company. Here, they will come out for free and either fix the problem or tell you what you need to do. Since it doesn't cost much to call them, just use the phone and ask.

I get Manufacturers Cream in half gallons, which is the same thing, at Smart & Final. Call around and see if you can find a restaurant/mom & pop/caterer's supply place. It works extremely well for whipping and it is essential for cream sauces because it does not break as easily as lower fat creams. Because it is not ultra-pasteurized, it does have a shorter shelf life but I manage to use it up and sometimes even freeze it - I add a little sugar to it before freezing - about a tablespoon per quart. I don't recall who advised me to do this but it does work. I also use Trader Joes Heavy Cream in the plastic bottles. I tried the "Organic" heavy cream at Whole Foods and decided it was not worth the astronomical price!

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this one. If you can find a copy, Dorothy Seaman and Paula Smith's Not Chopped Liver, the Kosher Way to Cook Gourmet, which I have enjoyed for close to 30 years, is an oversized paperback that is a lot of fun to read, as well as containing some great recipes. I am not Jewish but many, many years ago I lived with an Orthodox family for a bit over a year and developed a great appreciation for the traditional foods. Bubbe Koenigsberg gave me The Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook by Gertrude Berg and Myra Waldo which I still treasure. I also have Spice and Spirit of Kosher Jewish Cooking by Esther Blau. And three or four books from various ladies auxillary groups from temples in L.A. the Valley and Pasadena, including California Kosher, which I can't find right at the moment.

I second the vote for Olive Trees and Honey. It is an extraordinary book.

I use it when I need to use one of my larger or wider pots that are non-magnetic. In particular I use it with a big copper pot that is wider than the burner itself (wide and shallower than most stockpots). The conductivity of the copper allows an even heat across the entire bottom of the pot.

I mentioned several pages back that I added a preserved lemon (washed and separated into its four sections) to a batch of onion confit and it turned out wonderful. I make very large batches in an old electric roaster with the lid on for all but the last two to three hours, stirring only rarely, early in the process and again near the end. I get one of the bags of jumbo onions at Costco or Sam's Club and use the entire bag. (This is where the big old Bron mandoline comes in handy.) For smaller batches I use an electric 8-quart Dutch oven made by Presto that is no longer available, or one of the Crockpots but the largest I have of these is a 6-quart. I like the larger bottom surface area of the Presto appliance. Electric Dutch oven I have been considering getting one of these large electric skillets, in case the Dutch oven dies, however these digital skillets by Rival have been out of stock for some time.

Oh yes, the Butter!! I love the Le Gall from Brittany - expensive but worth the price to me for special applications. My December 18 order included it and I managed to make it last through New Year's Day, but only with great difficulty. In fact, I finished it with a piece of hot gingerbread fresh from the oven.

I still love rosemary in many things, however it can become overwhelming. A little goes a long way. I have several varieties and most have great culinary value, however a couple are not. One is a cedar/pine-scented rosemary that I use in my closets and often toss a sprig on the dashboard of my van as it counteracts the sometimes unpleasant odor that develops when the van is sitting in the very hot sun for long periods. This area is the high desert, over 2500 ft altitude and we get very hot summers and very cold winters similar to the area where rosemary originated. It loves it here. Many of the housing developments in the hills use prostrate rosemary for ground cover on hillsides to prevent erosion and it develops into a very dense mat only about 4-6 inches high. Iguana, I think you are right about the powdery mildew - note that in my first post I mentioned lack of air circulation and excessive heat. However I have found that the mild bleach bath does work to destroy the residual (unseen) spores that remain on seemingly unaffected plant parts. I also use a very diluted spray of insecticidal soap, water and Listerine (or a cheaper generic) as recommended by Jerry Baker in one of his print gardening newsletters (long before the internet) to which I subscribed for years. The spittle bugs seem to blow in on the wind, and can be an annoying pest but seem to do very little damage to healthy plants (Mine are like The Day of The Triffids) but I use the homemade spray in a small (half-gallon) pressure sprayer, followed a short time later with a blast of water and they rarely return.