andiesenji

You can dry apple slices - give them a bath in 7-up or any citrus soda - drain and spread on a cooling rack or on parchment paper on a sheet pan. Dust with cinnamon, cinnamon and sugar or a mixture of spices of your choice (I like a mixture of cinnamon, allspice and a small amount of cloves) and place in a very low oven until dried - they will be flexible and chewy. The sugar concentrates and the dried slices will taste sweeter than raw. Dried apples can be stewed as you would any dried fruit, carmelized and make the best fried pies. Full instructions are HERE. I use a hand-cranked corer/peeler/slicer because it makes even slices which are spiral-cut. When you cut straight down across the stack of slices you end up with perfectly even slices which dry easier than wedges.

If they are very hard it is very difficult to get them to absorb moisture. I have tried without success with the whole berries, never with the ones cut in half. It is the sugar content that keeps dried fruit flexible and edible. The sugar works on the cellular level. You can see how this works especially with freezing fruits like strawberries. Frozen alone, they shrivel and become dry and hard and completely mushy when thawed. If you add some sugar they will freeze and then thaw in much better condition. Same with drying unless they have a very high sugar content - however barely ripe strawberries dry better than those that are fully ripe.

Heavens, I am blushing. As I said in an earlier post, I do not always make everything from scratch but like to know that I could if I had to. I love the flavor as well as the texture of freshly made cream cheese, butter and etc. There is just something about it that one couldn't find except in some of the old-fashioned delis that used to make their own. Now the food police and people suing at the drop of a hat have put paid to that. The hysteria over lysteria means no more home made goodies sold in stores, at least here in Calif. I used to be able to buy "clean-out" cottage cheese when I had large dogs, from Alta Dena dairy. It was the stuff that was in the system between different types of cottage cheese and was sold in big bags, cheap! It was perfection good, just two kinds mixed together. Now they can only sell it to hog farmers, by law...

Here is another suggestion for quicker drying. Another suggestion is to cut them in half but that seems to me to be extremely time consuming. I do a lot of dehydrating in two large Excalibur units - there are a lot of tricks I have learned over the years. With fruits that discolor, such as apples, a bath in 7-up or similar soda (I actually use the store brand) works as well as a solution made with Fruit Fresh (or whatever the stuff is now called) or Vitamin C powder, which some people recommend. Berries can be tricky, you have to have the right balance of heat and air to get them to the perfect finish and each batch is different. However blueberries are fairly easy and have a high sugar content. Even the frozen ones dry well and are very sweet when finished. Grapes, particularly the Red Flame Seedless, with particularly high sugar content, are the easiest and the result is the most consistent.

You have to actually cook them a little so the skin breaks, otherwise they will never dry, just get hard like a marble. You will need enough simple syrup, half strength, or less, figure 3/4 cup sugar to a cup of water. Bring to a high simmer, not quite boiling. Pour in the washed and cleaned cranberries, stir well, let the heat come back up till you can see a few bubbles, 3 minutes or so. Stir again to bring the bottom berries up to the top. As soon as you can see about half of them popped, remove from heat and leave in the syrup for 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, lift the berries out of the syrup and spread on your dehydrator screen over a sheet pan to catch drips. As soon as most of the syrup has dripped off the berries, place into the dehydrator. Shake the trays every 8 hours or so to keep them from sticking in place. They are done when they have shrunk a bit more than half their original size and are still a bit soft but not too tacky. Taste is important. Do a small batch first to see how they turn out then do the rest, making adjustments as needed. Some cranberries are exceptionally tart and may need more sugar 1:1 ratio instead of 3/4:1.

There is also one that a fireplace builder or wood oven builder can order for you. Also from Italy. Fireplace cooking

I do the same thing, I love the flavor of butter and a sweet with any winter squash - I often use maple syrup or granulated maple sugar (The Indians in the northeast knew their stuff long before the white man arrived). I also mix chopped apples and some kind of chutney, mango, Major Grey or similar, scrape the strands out of the squash halves into a butterd baking dish, top with the apple/chutney mix and bake in a 300 degree oven until it is hot through. With the spicy flavor of the chutney you don't really need any other seasoning - I dot with butter before I add the chutney. I usually split the squash in half and bake them, cut side down until a fork easily pierces the squash, then let it cool. Baking it cut side down seems to extract a lot of the liquid. I also ladle Alfredo sauce over the cooked strands and bake until hot through.

Here is a trick - slice the apples and steam them using a little acidulated water. It only takes about 5 minutes, or less, steaming - I use a bamboo steamer over boiling water in which I have either squeezed a little lemon juice or added 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid. I spread the slices over the bottom of the steamer, place it over the boiling water and cover. I test with a fork at 3 minutes as some apples cook more rapidly than others. Granny Smith, Rome Beauty and Braeburn take about 5 minutes.

Andi! Carbon-Off? Tell me all about it. Please. I thought that I knew about all of the dangerous chemicals available. ← This is the stuff:Carbon off. One of the guys who works at my local Smart & Final, who knows how I am always experimenting with roasting and scorching stuff in my outdoor cooker, happened to mention they had a new cleaner for really black, burnt-on goop and brought a can to me. I tried it and it works. I used it on some really old, crusty, black, steel, sheet pans and they cleaned up beautifully, with little effort.

Wonderful description of your applesauce extravaganza! I love the aroma that goes all through my house (and around the neighborhood) when I make a batch. One of my favorite childhood treats was the little half pint jars that were canned for me and my cousins, red hots, cinnamon candies were stirred into the last of the applesauce just before filling the little jars. The color and flavor made for a perfect treat as these were usually saved for when we were ill. Apple custard pie or Marlborough pie was not just a New England dish but in western Kentucky also and showed up at church socials. Often it was made with a crust of crumbled saltines or Ritz crackers instead of pie crust. I have no idea why and when I discussed this with my aunts, they are as much in the dark as I am but do recall some people made them this way.

They haven't lowered their prices when prior knockoffs appeared on the market in England, Germany, Italy and etc. I bought one of the made-in-China knockoffs at Marshall's to use in my barbecue/smoker and it has held up very well, except for a large chip off the enamel outside where it was dropped on the patio cement. I used Carbon-Off to get rid of the burnt on black stuff and it is still bright red. I still have a lot of Descoware from the 1960s that is still in good shape. It was available here in the US long before I ever saw any Le Cruset. I think Le Cruset got a big international boost from Elizabeth David after she opened her kitchen shop in London. In her biography it states that Le Cruset produced the blue to her specifications - it was the same color as the package color of her favorite cigarettes!

You can make a layered pie, finely chopped pecans cooked in maple syrup until thick, spread in a very thin layer on the bottom crust, followed by a layer of your favorite pumpkin pie, then topped with a layer of egg custard flavored with a sweet sherry or brandy or rum if you wish. (If you can find it, Savory & James Cream Sherry is very smooth and excellent in this type of recipe.) This is pretty, tasty and the combination of flavors complement each other beautifully. I use one of the Emile Henry rectangular baking dishes and make the same amount of pie dough I would use for a top and bottom crust pie to line the bottom and sides of the baking dish.

Sounds like grease to me and way too much mixing. I make a lot of foccacia and my favorite recipes are from No Need to Knead Avaliable from Amazon, of course. I use a wooden dough bowl or dough trough and a flexible, rounded scraper which works the dough well. These "slack" doughs are easy to do by hand and I have yet to have one turn out wrong as they are very forgiving. I have recommended this book to a lot of baking novices who are intimidated by many other books as all they want is a recipe or two, for daily use. They aren't interested in a wide variety of various recipes and methods, just something basic and easy.

I am reviving this thread because someone sent me a PM asking for my recipe for green tomato chutney which I have added to Recipe Gullet but am adding it here as well, just in case some more of you have extra green tomatoes to use up. However, if you don't want to use them all you can wrap each tomato (make sure there are no blemishes or bruises) individually in newspaper and place them in a wire basket that will allow air to circulate around the little packages and make sure they are in a cool, dry place. Remove one, two or however many you need, unwrap them and place on a windowsill to ripen. The tomatoes should keep several weeks. Green Tomato Chutney, spicy and sweet. Makes about 16 pints A family recipe from Kentucky - the western end, not the "blue-grass" area. 4 pounds green tomatoes 3 large or 4 medium barely ripe mangoes (other fruit can be substituted, firm peaches, tart, firm apples, barely ripe papaya or similar fruits. You should have about 6 pounds of fruit. 3 large yellow onions (do not use the very mild or "sweet" onions) 6 banana peppers (hot) peeled and seeded. You can also use other medium hot peppers of your choice. If using smaller peppers use enough so you have about 1 1/4 cup of chopped peppers. 1 cup sultanas or other light or golden raisins. 2 cups raw sugar, use turbinado or light brown as a substitute. Or you can use 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup dark molasses. 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger - if not available, use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger. 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Flake) if you use the finer grind use only 2 tablespoons. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 cups apple cider vinegar Water Blanch and peel the tomatoes, peaches, peel the other fruit and remove cores and seeds. Chop all fresh ingredients into 1/2 inch dice, approximately. Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger, spices and raisins into a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil. Add all the fruit and onions, stir well. If more liquid is needed to cover the fruit, add up to 1 1/2 cups of water. After liquid has returned to a boil continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be thick and the fruit should look slightly translucent. About 2/3 through the simmering time, remove some to a small dish, taste and adjust flavor, adding additional spices, salt or sugar if necessary. At this point you can also add fruit syrups, hot sauces, etc., to adjust the taste if desired. This is a very versatile recipe, stamp your own mark on it by varying it to suit your taste. When done, ladle into hot sterilized jars. Clean the top rim of the jars carefully, place the lids and add rings loosely. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes. Finished amount can vary depending on how much the fruit cooks down. I have gotten as much as 20 pints using very firm fruit. My grandfather liked this made with coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts cooked with the fruit. So there was always a separate smaller pot prepared the way he liked it. I still make a couple of pints this way, just for old times. Andie

Green Tomato Chutney, Spicy and Sweet This is a condiment that is a favorite with my family in Kentucky and a family recipe that uses up green tomatoes left at the end of the season. Green Tomato Chutney, spicy and sweet. Makes about 16 pints A family recipe from Kentucky 4 pounds green tomatoes 3 large or 4 medium barely ripe mangoes (other fruit can be substituted, firm peaches, tart, firm apples, barely ripe papaya or similar fruits. You should have about 6 pounds of fruit. 3 large yellow onions (do not use the very mild or "sweet" onions) 6 banana peppers (hot) peeled and seeded. You can also use other medium hot peppers of your choice. If using smaller peppers use enough so you have about 1 1/4 cup of chopped peppers. 1 cup sultanas or other light or golden raisins. 2 cups raw sugar, use turbinado or light brown as a substitute. Or you can use 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup dark molasses. 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger - if not available, use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger. 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Flake) if you use the finer grind use only 2 tablespoons. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 cups apple cider vinegar Water Blanch and peel the tomatoes, peaches, peel the other fruit and remove cores and seeds. Chop all fresh ingredients into 1/2 inch dice, approximately. Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger, spices and raisins into a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil. Add all the fruit and onions, stir well. If more liquid is needed to cover the fruit, add up to 1 1/2 cups of water. After liquid has returned to a boil continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be thick and the fruit should look slightly translucent. About 2/3 through the simmering time, remove some to a small dish, taste and adjust flavor, adding additional spices, salt or sugar if necessary. At this point you can also add fruit syrups, hot sauces, etc., to adjust the taste if desired. This is a very versatile recipe, stamp your own mark on it by varying it to suit your taste. When done, ladle into hot sterilized jars. Clean the top rim of the jars carefully, place the lids and add rings loosely. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes. Finished amount can vary depending on how much the fruit cooks down. I have gotten as much as 20 pints using very firm fruit. My grandfather liked this made with coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts cooked with the fruit. So there was always a separate smaller pot prepared the way he liked it. I still make a couple of pints this way, just for old times. Andie Keywords: Condiment, Hot and Spicy ( RG1435 )

I lost one of the inner windows in my Blodgett soon after it was installed. The technician said that it was probably from a tiny scratch on the surface from the doors closing against something that was not all the way inside the oven - for instance the rough edge on a crockery baking dish which will scratch glass (and the surface of ceramic tile). He found a couple of tiny scratches on the remaining window so I had both replaced. This is a steam oven and after the new windows were installed he place the scratched window on a rack, fired up the oven to 500, set the steam for 20 seconds. 5 minutes after the cycle ended he opened the door abruptly and the glass popped and crumbled into a pile of small pieces on the bottom of the oven. He said that any break in the integrity of the surface, including scratches from scrubbing with an abrasive, will weaken the surface tension of tempered glass. He said to use only non abrasive cleansers. The glass in the doors now has survived for 10 years with no problems.

I forgot about the beer! I have a can of "Billy Beer" from the late '70s - forget when it was given to me as a joke, however it has been in my pantry for at least 25 years. It isn't worth anything. There was a lot more of the stuff distributed than one might think. The only thing unusual about it is that it is a steel can, not aluminum.

Liquor keeps practically forever. I have a bottle of dark rum, Hudson's Bay, 151 proof, purchased in the late 60s. I don't think this has been available for many years. I also have an even older bottle of scotch. (I don't drink.)

I am on everybody's list and I probably get 6 or more catalogs daily, more when the holiday season looms. My housekeeper tosses out the common ones before I ever see them but does save some of the more unusual for me as well as all of the ones with specialty cookware, etc. She also saved the one from Hersey - left it in a prominent place. She is a chocoholic! Yesterday the "Source" from Sam's Club, "Home Trends," "Harney & Sons" (teas), "PBS Video," "Serengeti" and "Alsto's" showed up. I got home earlier so got the mail myself.

I have a half-gallon can of sorghum molasses cooked and canned on the family farm in Kentucky in 1985. I opened the next-to-last can last year - the stuff keeps practically forever as long as the seal is not broken. The next oldest thing is a sealed stone jar of kimchee that was given to me by my hair stylist who brought it back from Korea when she visited her family in 1990. She says as long as the wax and clay seal is not broken, (and it will be obvious when it is), it will keep for years and just gets better with age. I am going to take her word for it. I do not intend to open the jar anytime soon. It is well protected in case of a major quake!!! The third oldest is a jar of aged ghee that I purchased in 1991, is dated 6/5/90 and has an expiration date of 2050. I am keeping it for the design on the jar which has a picture of a blue Lord Krishna, and the part of the label that is in English, indicates this is good for many illnesses and promotes long life.

I thought that I had included this wonderful and informative link about chestnuts in one of my posts from a year ago, however I don't see it - may have been in another thread. This site has a plethora of information about chestnuts, including some recipes and ideas about how to use chestnuts. One link is no longer active but I am adding it here. one of my favorites is a recipe for chestnut bread that is excellent -Captain Pugwash chestnut bread Especially toasted. I love chestnuts and have them canned, dried, frozen and and some that are steamed, roasted and peeled in jars. I puree roasted chestnuts in a little maple syrup with some really good salted butter for a heavenly spread for scones, biscuits, toast or waffles. You can also spread this on crepes and roll up for another tasty snack.

Maybe 40 years ago there was a Scientific American article on poisons, which, being male, I read with great fascination. I was particularly impressed by a photo of a small, heavily sealed flask containing about a cup of crystals. The caption was "Purified botulinum toxin sufficient to kill about half the world's population." ← I remember that article! I subscribed to SA for about 40 years beginning in the early 60s. I don't recall it was as much as a cup of BT - a couple of grams should do the job quite efficiently. It also went into great detail about the effects of mushroom poisons, castor beans (ricin) and those pretty little golden tree frogs in the Amazon. I think a photo of that tree frog was on the cover. I do recall an incident several years ago, where several people became sick from canned potato soup and there was a national recall of the product. It was one of the unusual brands that is quite expensive, however I can't recall the name at the moment.

Thank you. I wish I could share it with you (in exchange for that gorgeous salmon pate ). And why do you think I was cooking eggs for breakfast earlier this week (see top of the page)? Where's the bread? Dutch babies... Interesting. I've read about German pancakes, but never got around to making them. Looks good! ← I have made many versions of these oven pancakes but my favorite is the one from one of Diane Mott Davidson's murder mystery books, "Killer Pancake" - Since I tried this one I have retired my earlier recipes.

I made some fresh sausage yesterday, cooked grits last night and set them to cool in the fridge. This morning it was sausage, fried grits and poached eggs. Simple and satisfying - - comfort food!

Use your 50% whole wheat flour, 1/4 regular flour and 1/4 cake flour. However if you can get "soft" wheat flour, i.e. White Lily or Red Band. Or go to your local health food store and get whole wheat pastry flour and use that for the half regular flour or use just it. Arrowhead Mills and Bob's Red Mill both market excellent whole wheat pastry flour. This flour has only a small percentage of gluten so the results are very tender. It also makes great biscuits and pie crust. Elizabeth Alston's "Biscuits & Scones" is an excellent cookbook. There is also Beth Hensberger's The Best Quickbreads and Beverly Cox's Biscuits, Pancakes and Quickbreads. ( I collect cookbooks and have more than 50 just on quickbreads and etc.)