andiesenji

You have some mold spores in the microscopic pores of the glaze. It happens. wash both pieces with soap and water, rinse well and place in a container with warm, not hot water completely covering them. Add 1/4 cup of bleach and let it sit for 24 hours. You may see some tiny bubbles streaming up from several points on the pieces which is okay. After the treatment, rinse well with plain water then immerse it again in plain warm water, allow it to sit for an hour or so, then repeat this process. Now wash and rinse with very hot water, or put through the dishwasher. Use distilled water or water you have boiled and cooled in the butter bell and change the water daily. When you have used all the butter, wash and scald, then cool before adding fresh butter. That should solve your problem.

I am having serious problems deciding on what to choose from the Home Bistro place. Choices such as this are always a problem for me. Frustrating, because I usually feel that whatever I didn't pick would be better than what I did pick. This is just going to have to wait for at least a couple of weeks. Now is not the time to be considering food.

I received a jar of "Jurassic" salt, very coarse and pink, a "heavy-duty" Kuhn-Rikon peeler with a longer than normal handle which is for peeling really tough things (which will join my collection of about 40 peelers). A kitchen clock with a basenji painted on the face. The Jane Austen Cookbook. Early California Hospitality - The Cookery Custons Of Spanish California, With Authentic Recipes And Menus Of The Period by Ana Buegue Packman, 1938 first edition, 4 meals from HomeBistro.comHome Bistro.com an apron covered with pictures of different chile peppers, oven mitt to match A cut glass cruet set ca. 1915. A tea shop teapot. (a figural teapot that is supposed to represent a tea shop). A "kitchen" candle that is supposed to kill "unpleasant" kitchen odors. A bundle of "glass" towels for "fine crystal and glassware."

Early in this thread I posted this link to Alcohol and Gluten-free Vanilla, Cooks which is an excellent product. I can use regular vanilla in baked goods, or in anything that is going to be cooked for enough time for the alcohol esthers to vaporize. My problem is not religious. I have a severe allergy to alcohol or ethanol, no matter the medium in which it exists. It causes laryngeal edema which, if it proceeds, shuts off my airway, along with circulatory collapse and etc. It is life-threatening. I can't use alcohol-based flavorings in whipped cream, ice cream (unless it is cooked custard based) or any similar type of preparation. Over the years I have learned that there are many flavorings that have a glycerine base, which I can tolerate, some have an oil base, some may be produced by steam distillation to concentrate them and stabilized by non-ethanol compounds. In any event, there are commercial products that are very good and some are made to a standard that insures they will not offend religious strictures. The package will have a clear indication of this. Wine, or any other kind of alcohol cannot be used in cooking, even minute amounts are forbidden. This means that foods processed with alcohol, even if all the alcohol has been removed, is not halal. I have known and cooked with and for many Muslim friends and have always been very careful to observe their dietary preferences. Halal.

There are several online vendors who are extremely careful about their wares and their service. I have been a long-time customer of The Knife Merchant and recommend them without reservation. They will also be more than happy to speak to you by phone Knife merchant phone number and answer any questions you may have, even if the question may be a little quirky. Before it was in their catalog, they found a 14 inch mezzaluna for me and it was very reasonably priced, compared to other vendors.

I have two of the large Igloo Koolmate 56 Dual power AC/DC fridge/ice chests, which hold a lot, depending on how it is packed - you can set it on its back and the door opens up, or on the bottom and the door opens on the side, like a regular refrigerator. It works in the car, off a battery or inverter, as well as on regular house current. After it has been running for about 8 hours, it will even keep frozen food frozen when placed next to the cold air vents (and will freeze stuff that is left there too long). They live in the garage when not needed but are lightweight and easy to carry around when you need them. I put it in my van when I travel, fill it with perishables, plug it in to the service plug in the back and away I go, no need for ice. I bought mine at Wal-Mart for 89.95, the Igloo site shows a much higher price but you can find them at sale prices at Target and other stores, usually at the beginning of summer. Igloo electric coolers.

Don't just dangle a congealed salad recipe in front of a Southern cook and then go away!! Come on!!! I've bared all---recipe, please. ← Andie's LIME GELATIN SALAD 1 (6-oz) pkg lime gelatin powder 1 cup boiling water 1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese -- softened 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 cans mandarin orange segments, 11oz -- well drained 8 ounces pineapple, -- crushed & drained (drain in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.) 1 cup lemon-lime soda 1/2 cup pecans -- chopped 1/2 pint sour cream -- whipped Dissolve gelatin in water. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Stir in gelatin mixture and beat until smooth and color is evenly blended. Stir in vanilla, oranges, pineapple, soda and pecans. Chill until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon. Fold in the sour cream. This is for a dinner salad. Some people like to substitute Mascarpone for the sour cream but it is not to my taste. Pour into a 13" x 9" x 2" dish. Refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours or till firm. Cut into squares. Can be garnished by a dollop of sour cream and a mandarin orange segment if desired. Sometimes I use a fine zester to get long, very fine strings of lime zest and make curls of this on top of each square. Approximately 85 calories per 3" x 3" square. 16 servings

I enjoy some molded salads, although I do not eat seafood of any kind. I grew up with tomato aspic, molded salads with shredded vegetables and fruit, cabbage, carrots, and apples, sometimes pineapple (canned), not all that sweet. In the summer there were always gelatin based salads or semi-desserts, either strawberry, orange, raspberry, peach, and so on, depending on the season and availability of the fruit. Our cook made one that I have never been able to duplicate, molded in a tall copper mold, with walnut-sized balls of sweet cheese suspended in the clear gelatin (not always the same flavor) with "layers" of fruit and clotted cream. It was a spectacular presentation and there was never any left. (I've never been able to duplicate that sweet cheese either - it was delicious.) I make one that most people like and often ask for. Every time we have a potluck at the office, the docs and several of the staff ask if I will bring it, in addition to whatever else I bring. I use lime Jello or sometimes plain gelatine with a syrup made from lime zest, but it is easier with the Jello.

I posted the recipe in RecipeGullet.

This is a family recipe, it is a little different than the ordinary Red Velvet cake. There is no food coloring used in it and certainly no beets. MEEMAW’S RED VELVET CAKE It is very important to follow the directions exactly. Note there is no baking powder in this cake. The action of the acids and alkaline ingredients mixed in the proper order and the extended beating to incorporate air into the batter is what leavens this cake. You must start with all ingredients at room temperature so set the eggs out and measure out the buttermilk at least an hour before you plan to start mixing. 2-2/3 cups all purpose flour (you can also use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 cake flour for a more tender cake and a finer texture) 1/2 cup Crisco (This is important for the texture, butter doesn’t work as well.) 2 large eggs - room temp. 1 level teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 rounded Tablespoons cocoa (regular, not Dutch process) 1 cup buttermilk - room temp (or 3/4 cup sour creamed thinned with a little milk to make 1 cup). 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup pitted canned cherries(sweetened), drained and pureed (do not use cherry pie filling) 1/4 cup grenadine syrup 2 teaspoons vinegar First grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans - or line with bakers parchment. You can also use a large rectangular pan. In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening, sugar and vanilla, beat until very fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until completely incorporated into the batter, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa, cherry puree, grenadine syrup and vinegar and set aside. In a medium bowl mix together the buttermilk, flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Turn oven on, set at 350 degrees F. Add the cocoa/cherry mix to shortening/sugar/vanilla, blend well. Add the buttermilk/ flour/baking soda/ salt mixture to the batter and blend until batter is completely smooth and looks silky. Continue beating on medium speed for 3 minutes. This is important! Pour batter into the cake pans. With a rubber (or silicone) spatula, start at the center and turning the pans, spread the batter out toward the edges so the level is slightly lower in the center. Bake for 50 minutes, test with a cake tester, if it still appears moist, bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Meemaw's Red Velvet Cake This is not the ordinary Red Velvet Cake. It uses no food coloring. It contains cherry puree and grenadine syrup. The cherry/cocoa/vanilla/grenadine combination is very flavorful. MEEMAW’S RED VELVET CAKE It is very important to follow the directions exactly. Note there is no baking powder in this cake. The action of the acids and alkaline ingredients mixed in the proper order and the extended beating to incorporate air into the batter is what leavens this cake. You must start with all ingredients at room temperature so set the eggs out and measure out the buttermilk at least an hour before you plan to start mixing. 2-2/3 cups all purpose flour (you can also use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 cake flour for a more tender cake and a finer texture) 1/2 cup Crisco (This is important for the texture, butter doesn’t work as well.) 2 large eggs - room temp. 1 level teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 rounded Tablespoons cocoa (regular, not Dutch process) 1 cup buttermilk - room temp (or 3/4 cup sour creamed thinned with a little milk to make 1 cup). 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup pitted canned cherries(sweetened), drained and pureed 1/4 cup grenadine syrup 2 teaspoons vinegar First grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans - or line with bakers parchment. You can also use a large rectangular pan. In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening, sugar and vanilla, beat until very fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until completely incorporated into the batter, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa, cherry puree, grenadine syrup and vinegar and set aside. In a medium bowl mix together the buttermilk, flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Turn oven on, set at 350 degrees F. Add the cocoa/cherry mix to shortening/sugar/vanilla, blend well. Add the buttermilk/ flour/baking soda/ salt mixture to the batter and blend until batter is completely smooth and looks silky. Continue beating on medium speed for 3 minutes. This is important! Pour batter into the cake pans. With a rubber (or silicone) spatula, start at the center and turning the pans, spread the batter out toward the edges so the level is slightly lower in the center. Bake for 50 minutes, test with a cake tester, if it still appears moist, bake an additional 5-10 minutes. ( RG1542 )

For future reference, Michael's craft supplies usually has a pretty good stock and when there is none on display, I ask and they have always managed to find some in the back. It is the paste type and needs to mixed with a liquid. I mix it with egg yolk because it emulsifies nicely and mixes easier.

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.