andiesenji

When I moved here the dishwasher was a White-Westinghouse. I had it replaced with a Whirlpool for three years and it was only fair. Then had a GE and it never worked as advertised. I replaced it with a Kenmore and had some significant problems - it wasn't the Elite, described above, I don't think they had that line at that time. I considered the Thermador, which was recommended by a couple of caterers I know, however even the "quiet" ones were pretty noisy and all had cycles that lasted so long it was annoying to me. At that time the Bosch was not widely available and not a lot of evaluations available. I decided to spend the money on a commercial unit, (Hobart) partly because I do a lot of canning and wanted something in which I could sterilize the jars. It was VERY expensive but it has been in use for several years and never a problem. It is noisy but, and for me this is was the big plus, the cycle only lasts 90 seconds. 1 1/2 minutes and it is done and everything is squeeky clean. Great for cleanup after parties. My next door neighbors, who are really good friends, have used it many times when they have big parties (I am usually included) as they have a very large family. She doesn't know it yet, but she is getting one for Christmas. It is sitting in my garage at the moment and will be installed on Christmas Eve when she will be gone from the house from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Her husband, sons and gransons are paying my plumber a big bonus to install it. (He installed mine and knows how to get it done right!) Considering what I had spent on other units, which did not work well and needed to be replaced within a short time, this has probably saved me money over the long haul. It should be good for another 20 years.

Someone sent me a small cookbook from the UK several months ago - I believe the title included Quiches and Savory Pies - and I think it was newly published or perhaps a reprint. I remember reading through it - I made something from it but right now my memory is a little fuzzy, but it did have several "en croute" dishes, which sounded lovely. I have several stacks of cookbooks waiting to be shelved and I am sure it is in one of them. Bernard Clayton's book of sweet and savory pastries has a lot of recipes for savory pies and etc. It is probably at least 20 years old but I came across it when I was searching for another cookbook a while back so it may still be in print. I used to prepare several recipes from his book when I was still doing my personal chef thing. My clients liked to have them on hand for serving to drop-in guests. Some were very elegant, but very easy. The recipes were oriented toward the home cook and were explained nicely.

You could simply ask Paula Wolfert. If anyone would know, she would. I looked at my collection and one does have a small hole near the top. However it is blue glazed and not intended for cooking, it is for serving only. All of the unglazed ones, various types and shapes, are without holes. They are made in Morocco.

Check the Strata recipes here also. MelindaLee Melinda used to be a caterer and these are wonderful make-ahead dishes. I have made them many times, with various ingredients, never had one that wasn't delicious. I have had many requests for one made with artichoke hearts, ham, Wensleydale cheese and carmelized onions. Yummy!!

I had one "silver out" (my fault) but they do have a lifetime guarantee. I sent it to them and they sent me a new one, no questions asked. The only one I have ever seen warped was left on a high intensity burner empty! Some of mine have had heavy use and are more than 10 years old. The same person who warped the Calphalon frypan also warped an All-Clad, doing the same thing, put it on a burner, turned it up to high, walked away and left it for almost ten minutes. That one not only warped, the handle rivets became loose. If he had done the same thing with a copper pan, it would have melted.

Oh Gosh!! I had forgotten all about the Tater-Tot thread. That did cause me to trundle down to the market late at night, just before closing in point of fact, to pick up a bag or two and then try various ways of preparing them. Fortunately I did not have to work the following day. I think I went to bed about 4:30 a.m., when I am usually getting up. It really confused my dogs, not to mention my housekeeper who wandered into the kitchen while I heating up the oil in the fryer and wanted to know what the hell I was doing. Well, that was the gist of it. She speaks excellent English, but when very sleepy, often some Hungarian creeps in and we have a bit of communication tie-up. I found that dipping in sour cream, when they are crisply baked or fried, is my favorite way of eating them.

I have the Larousse from the early '60s and a reprint of the first English edition that was also done in the 60s. I have the Oxford book of food and drink in America from serveral years ago. also the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture by J. Katz, (3 volume set) couple of years old. The Encyclopedia of Food by Artemus Ward, published in the 20s. Huge book! Needs a book stand for reading - Think of the old library dictionary and plus. Not something to carry around, but interesting. The New York Times Food Encyclopedia by Craig Claiborne 1985 on a shelf next to my desk. The Wise Encyclopedia of Cookery by William Wise - about 30 years old, very interesting reading. It includes thousands of recipes for just about everything you can imagine. (1978) I also have the 1949 edition and the reason I bought the newer one was that I enjoyed the first one so much. He explains everything well - if there is a term in a recipe one does not understand, it can be looked up in this book, so it is great for novice cooks. The 12-volume set of Mary McBride's Encyclopedia of Cooking - I received it as a wedding gift in 1959. McGee's On Food and Cooking, first edition and the new one, also his Curious Cook. I haven't read all of them the all the way through but I do refer to them at one time or another when I am looking for ideas and/or unusual ingredients or recipes or just ideas. I often begin looking for something and then get interested and spend some time reading through something totally unrelated, just because it is interesting and well written. The Artemus Ward book is interesting, if you can find a reasonably-priced copy because it reflects the way things were in the first couple of decades of the 20th century and also has a lot of references to the late 19th. I have read a lot of it because it is interesting to me.

I like fruitcake, at least most kinds, and have never figured why so many people have such an antipathy to it. I think it may be with the way it is served. Saturday I went to an afternoon tea and there were thick slabs of fruitcake cut the way one would cut regular cake. I couldn't eat it like that either. We always had fruited cakes of various types around all year when I was a child, usually put out for tea, sometimes in the evening, again with tea (and coffee). It was always sliced very thin, as these dense, mature cakes hold together when sliced less than a 1/4 inch thick. Sometimes they were spread with butter or clotted cream. In my opinion, they taste different and have a different mouth-feel when served this way. A little goes a long way and if people would try them served properly, I believe they would find they might like them. Also, there are many varieties and not all "fruitcakes" should be lumped under the same category. If one is not even willing to try, they might never know what they are missing. A friend of mine visited the UK a year or so ago and "discovered" several cakes that she liked very much. When she came home and was showing pictures and describing them, I told her that these were actually different types of fruitcakes. So, rather than protest that she didn't like fruitcakes, she did try some, cut very thin, as she had in England and found some that she liked.

Calphalon 12 quart stockpot $39.00 Another paper catalog from Amazon came yesterday and I found this while thumbing through it this morning.

For me, it was the Carnitas thread Carnitas which starts way back in 2002. I joined eG in April 2004 and found the thread soon after. I read it all the way through and when it popped up again and again, I thought I really, really have to do something about that leg of boar that is taking up so much space in my freezer. So in late May I began the process and recorded my progress in the thread with text and photos. I was hooked on eG from that point. One night I sat down at the computer after a harrowing drive home that took me more than three hours because of a tanker wreck and fuel spill (I have a 70 mile commute-one way), opened eG and the first thread was the "Larb" thread. I started at the beginning and read through the entire thing, then had dreams about the stuff. I was off work the following day so gathered the ingredients and prepared a meal. Other discussions that have prompted me to prepare something ASAP have been the Banana Bread thread, threads about eggs, cheese, tomatoes, breakfast and biscuits. Then there was the cornbread thing!!!

There are a great many ethnic food sites but the ones to which I turn most often are these: Carnige-Mellon Computer School recipe list and Global Gastronomer Which in turn, has a huge number of links for every cuisine you can imagine.

I have a great many southwest cookbooks - there are various regional/ethnic divisions in the southwest, however there are a few books that I feel cover the essentials well in addition to having a flair for entertaining the reader. At the top of my list are: Coyote Cafe and Coyote's Pantry by Mark Miller and the Food of Santa Fe cookbook by Dave Dewitt and Nancy Gerlach. I don't think you can go wrong with these. I have been cooking things from Coyote Cafe for 16 years - it was published in 1989 and has become a classic and was recently re-released because it has been such a top seller. the "Pantry" book is more recent and in addition to great recipes has excellent explanations why some things are combined with others to get a particular flavor, texture or even ambience. It is not just a list of ingredients, and it too is a great read, in addition to being a terrific cookbook. Dave Dewitt has done a great deal to promote understanding and popularity of chile peppers, not only in the US, but all over the world. He founded Chile Pepper magazine (and I have every issue) and has written a great many books, all have been excellent but I favor the Santa Fe cookbook because it encompasses so much of the culture as well as the recipes. You can tell he is passionate about the subject. Food of Santa Fe Coyote Cafe Dave Dewitt bio

I have been collecting cookbooks for close to 50 years. During the early years I would cook something from every new once but continuted to use recipes from my old favorites. Some were relegated to the back of the shelf and never used again. However some became standards to which I often referred and were kept near to hand. I still use recipes from the very first cookbook that was ever given to me - Charleston Receipts - because I know the results will always be exactly what I want to achieve. Over the years I "dabbled" in various ethnic and regional cuisines and cookbooks that were oriented toward particular ingredients or even single-subject books. I have been a baker since my late teens when I attended bakery school and worked in the family bakery. However after a short time that was not my main occupation but it became a serious hobby. I have not counted the number of bread books that I have but it has to be in the hundreds. I am fairly sure that I have baked at least one recipe from every one. Some have been used extensively as I found the recipes were to my liking and the instructions were well thought out and liked the results. In recent years, since I have done much less cooking and baking, many of the cookbooks have been acquired because of my interest in the subject, or the author and simply for reading and inspiration. There is something about a well-written cookbook, with descriptions of the places and stories about the people, that gives me a feeling that I am part of a larger community of friends who appreciate food and cooking in spite of our differences. It is like a universal language bringing diverse peoples together, and it comforts me. In another thread I mentioned Olive Trees and Honey, a cookbook I discovered earlier this year and which has some wonderful and different recipes for vegetables. I have a lot of cookbooks on vegetarian cooking and just plain vegetable cookbooks but the recipes in this book take the most prosaic of vegetables to an entirely new level. Who knew the potato could be glorious without going too far into the frou-frou of some recipes.

While hunting for something else, I came across this. 8 1/2 quart Calphalon saucier with lid I have this particular piece, however I paid considerably more for mine 4 or 5 years ago. The width is great for browning things evenly and it fits in my small convection oven.

Regarding a nutcracker for splitting walnuts in half to save the shell. A little earlier I went to a "Christmas botique" at the church down the street. One of the booths had a bunch of little ornaments made from walnut shells, acorns, pine cones and other woodsy stuff. I asked the old man who made them how he split the walnut shells so perfectly and he said he uses a thing made for oyster shucking. He said it is just a board with a groove in it and a "square" blade that is hinged at one end. Surely there is a picture of one somewhere on the web. It's probably too late for this year but maybe for future reference..........

I am surprised that anyone has had problems with TJ's milk products. In every store I have visited, and I have been to many in SoCalif., the deliveries of milk, yogurt, cream, cottage cheese and etc., are all wheeled from the truck right into the walk-in refer that has pass-through to the display shelves. The cheeses, meats and other deli items are rolled out on carts in small batches and are rapidly placed in the cold display cases. I have never had a problem with any of their products. I have occasionally found an item that was outdated the same day or next day and have shown it to a clerk and had them take it away and bring out the product with a much later date. I like the packaged vegetables and fruit because I find they have fewer bruises than in regular stores where stuff is tossed around by other shoppers and gets bruised, fingernail punctures and etc. I do look carefully at the items in the packages to make sure they are not past their prime. If you have a problem with any of their products, speak up. They want to know if any customer is unhappy with any of their products. I am a big fan of all of their dried fruit and nut products - I have yet to find any that are not superior to other commercial products. When I don't have time to make my own, these are my choice. Whole foods markets are bigger and have more items and have their produce loose so one can pick and choose. The only problem for me is that there is no WF near my home.

Did you also try the "European Style" dutched before Hershey's stopped making it? If so, how does the Special Dark compare to it? Like I said, I thought the "European Style" was very good for the price. ← Yes, I have tried just about every kind of cocoa ever offered in the U.S, including some terrible stuff sold under the old "Springfield" name quite a few years ago that I will never forget. It had little cocoa flavor, it tasted like cardboard - really weird. Right now I have all four of the ones carried by King Arthur, plus various amounts of Ghiardelli, ScharffenBerger "natural", Callebaut, Droste, Schokinag, and three or four kinds of Cargill/Gerkens (which should probably be tossed because it has been around a long time.) This article has an excellent (and only slightly technical) explanation of why different cocoa products react in different ways. I think I included this link in a post a year or so ago when we had a previous discussion about cocoa powders of various types.

I just took the book(Olive Trees and Honey) down off the shelf and note that it was published in November 2004, so it is not technically a 2005 publication. However, I did not see it mentioned until shortly before I ordered it. It was mentioned on the cookbooks discussion list, CookbooksEtc., and I often rely on the opinions of the members. Most are avid cookbook collectors, all are dedicated to finding the "perfect" cookbook.

I also bought Spices of Life by Nina Simonds at the same time as Olive Trees and Honey and it too has become one of my favorites.

Has anyone mentioned Olive Trees and Honey, by Gil Marks, a wonderful book of Jewish vegetarian recipes? I came across this back in late spring and have prepared many of the recipes that are made with simple ingredients and yet produce extraordinary dishes. The history and explanations of how many of the recipes evolved is a wonderful read and very entertaining. I am non-Jewish but the rich heritage of the foods and traditions fascinated me and often kept me reading into the wee hours.

I forgot to mention that I beat in the softened butter a tablespoon at a time for small batches, for large batches it should be only a fraction of the total volume added and completely beaten in (on high speed) before more is added. You didn't mention how you incorporated it - When I make a buttercream with whole eggs, I do heat the mixture after I have added the syrup to the beaten eggs and continue beating over simmering water until thick, and about 160 degrees F. I then continue beating until it is at room temp then add the flavorings. This will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. However I seldom use this type of icing now, since there are easier methods for home baking.

Did you try chilling it and beating it again? There are a bunch of icing recipes here and I have used many with excellent results. The cream cheese frostings I have tried are exceptional. some are big recipes for professionals but some are small batches. I have used the coffee cream icing -adding a tablespoon or so of sweetened cocoa for a mocha flavor. Adding liquor to some mixtures can cause curdling.

Which cake?

If you use regular, "non-Dutched" cocoa powder, you must use a little baking powder. Otherwise they don't have the little "spring" that is desirable. Although they do not rise as much as some cookies, they do puff a little and then develop a "crackle" top, which shows up nicely with the powdered sugar sprinkled on top. Also, the cookies do not have the same texture and are not as dark, even plain "Dutch process" cocoa turns out a darker cookie (almost as dark as Oreos) than regular cocoa. This is a very old recipe from before baking powder was around. Actually, the original "receipt" listed baker's ammonia powder, however, because it is so difficult to find for most people, I changed the recipe many years ago. I do use baking ammonia for a couple of cookies but have not altered or published those recipes. I didn't realize that Dutch process cocoa was so expensive. I saw a display of Hersey's Special Dark Dutch process cocoa at one of the markets here for 2.69 for an 8-oz can. If I didn't already have a good supply of the stuff, I would have stocked up. I think the Special Dark is an excellent product.

I found a camel! Here.