andiesenji

I would like to recommend my favorite source for REPRINTS of ancient and historical cookbooks. I have purchased a large number of books from this vendor. Acanthus Books

I haven't used the Bosch as a food processor. I used it only as a mixer and returned it when it didn't perform as I wished.

Southern fried chicken would take my vote over anything on the list. After reading this yesterday, I took a brief poll of some of my neighbors who are multi-racial and multi-national. Except for one family, who are Polish and make a variety of their own wonderful homemade sausages, everyone else is having fried chicken in addition to their cultural favorites on the 4th.

I have had the Electrolux for a long time and love it for making bread. It will handle even the stiffest of doughs. I rarely use the dough hook, the roller/scraper combination works dough much as hand kneading does. I also mix cake batters or quick breads in big batches with the roller/scraper and it does a fine job of blending but does not beat air into the batter which you want with some. With the auxillary bowl and beaters, it does a bang up job on egg whites, whipping cream, and the types of cakes that require a lot of air in the batter, etc. Mine does not function as a food processor as I have several Cuisinarts, I don't need it to do so. Because of the type of drive, the DLX actually makes more efficient use of its power than the Bosch, at least in my opinion and I have tried them both. However if you need a multi-tasking unit then the Bosch is okay. I have a Vita-Mix for tough blending jobs. I also have a Kitchenaid mixer which I use for some lighter mixing duties. The capacity is much less than the DLX but it comes in handy some times. Whichever you decide, do check out this vendor. I have purchased several items from them besides my DLX and they have the best deals I have found. They include several "extras" with the DLX which are added costs with other vendors. Pleasant Hill Grain DLX mixer

andi, did the version you ate as a child have mayo on it? ← I think mayo was available on the side but mostly we just ate them with butter, salt and pepper. Often they were set out open faced with the buttered top rounds on a tray next to them so people could add the seasonings as they wished, probably the mayo too or some homemade type dressing such as the so called "Russian" which was just mayo and ketchup mixed together or thousand island which had sweet pickle relish mixed into the mayo/ketchup combination.

Try blending everything except the ice then adding it through the center opening while the mixer is running. That is what I do and I have no problems. Often I skip the ice because I use frozen fruit, even bananas, cut up then frozen in small ziploc bags pre-measured for one container full.

I have been digging through some of my gardening stuff, hoping to find some remaining for seed. Unlike some beans, these remain viable for quite a long time and will sprout easily and don't seem to require as much water so are ideal for arid area farming. I think I sent some to seed saver's exchange several years ago but can't recall when. They also had an unusual flower, unlike any other bean I had ever seen. The flowers were large, like the scarlet runner but purple and white, almost a pansy purple, if you know what I mean. I never bothered to put up trellis or netting for them, I just planted them along the fence and let them cover it.

Actually you can get an amazing range of flavors with the regular mayo by using a flavored vinegar or lime juice instead of the lemon juice. I meant to mention this in the intro but forgot. The oil that you use should actually be rather neutral in flavor. An extra virgin olive oil would be too "green" or rather the taste would be too vegetal. A plain olive oil, lighter yellow in color or even a canola or other oil works much better. I sometimes use walnut oil but it has to be very, very fresh, it becomes rancid if not used soon after opening. I have also used avocado oil and grapeseed oil, both are very neutral. When I make the spicier versions, with chipotles or other chiles, I first make the mayo using only 3/4 of the oil then blend the chiles into the remaining oil and only then do finish adding it to the mayo. For my taste it is usually too spicy-hot to use straight so I cut it by mixing it half and half with sour cream.

Quite a few new McDs products have been introduced here in California. One of the McDs in Santa Barbara originated the Egg McMuffin and the first weekend it was on the menu in July 1974, was also a milestone in dog showing history: The last benched show of the Santa Barbara Kennel Club. McDonalds had a stand set up at the polo grounds, site of the huge dog show- more than 4000 dogs entered, opening at 7:00 a.m. and had to send out for reinforcements by 8:00 because of the instant popularity of the breakfast which was served in a styro tray, open faced so one could add seasonings and condiments if desired. It was not yet available in other McDs because I went to one near my home in the Valley a few days later and asked for one and got a blank look. Also that store did not open until 11 a.m. at that time and it was a few months before the breakfast menu spread to most other stores. That store has a plaque outside next to the entrance that states it was at this store that the Egg McMuffin was developed and first served. A McDs in Bakersfield introduced the McSteak on a long French roll in the late 70s, made with grilled "minute" steaks layered with grilled onions. It was locally popular but apparently did not catch on because of the price which was much higher than anything previously on the menu. I never saw it at another store. The same store also tried to introduce the McLongburger which was essentially an enlongated double patty served on a French roll. It also fell by the wayside. I liked both of these very much and believe that had they tried them again in a few years, as food prices in general rose and people became more accustomed to paying higher prices for fast food, they would have caught on. At one time McDs also served a barbecue chicken sandwich on an oversized bun which I liked a great deal.

They were certainly a staple in western Kentucky when I was a child back in the 40s. Church picnics and suppers invariably included a platter of these sandwiches with the bread carefully buttered prior to cutting so the butter was fully covering it edge to edge to keep the tomato juices from soaking into the bread. Our cook, whose homemade bread was baked in very large loaf pans, therefore produced large slices, cut the bread with a large tomato juice can so as to fit the huge beefsteak type tomatoes which were pink and yellow as well as red. I don't know when the pink Ponderosa was introduced but I remember it from about age 9. It was a rosy pink on the outside and deep red inside. It may be simply an enhanced childhood memory, but I don't believe I have ever tasted any tomato that was superior to those.

I mentioned the one I have that is made by Proctor Silex which I believe works very well. The reamer does not start turning until you press the fruit onto it. I have several of the ones made to attach to various mixers (I have a collection of these too including early Kitchenaids and Sunbeams) but with these the reamers turn constantly and my problem with them was that sometimes the fruit would slip out of my grasp and be flung off the reamer. Also most were so high that it would be awkward to use them unless the mixer was placed on a lower surface. I also have the Cuisinart juicer (a gift) which also turns on as the reamer is depressed. However it does not have an integral container but rather a spout on the side which is inconvenient if one happens to jostle the juicer. I used it once and retired it. I don't like the juicers where you throw the entire fruit into the hopper. I have an old Champion juicer which can chew up anything but I don't like the taste when the peel goes into the mix. The inexpensive ones with the integral container are easy to clean, simple to use and if they stop working I can toss them out and buy a new one for less than $20.00.

Regarding the hand-held "bumpy" juicers, you can also find wooden ones at many Mexican markets. I don't know what kind of wood they use, but they are obviously hand made. Somewhere in my stuff is one I bought in Mexico about 30 years ago. I just remembered it this morning when I made a brief stop at a Vallarta Supermercado to pick up some Mexican crema (and some lovely ripe peaches) and saw some on a shelf where the other "Made in Mexico" gadgets are displayed, chocolate mixers, wooden spoons, etc.

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the recipe for chipotle mayo was using it in potato salad, deviled eggs, egg salad sandwiches...you know, the usual suspects when it comes to mayo but the chipotle mayo would add a kick to them. I wonder how it would go with artichoke leaves? Hmmm... There's a baked artichoke heart-cheddar cheese dip I usually make with diced jalapeños that uses a cup of mayo. Now I am thinking it might be interesting to use the chipotle mayo in the dip. And aren't there veggie dips made with mayo and sour cream? This spicy mayo would give them an interesting slant. ← Both the aioli and the chipotle mayo are great for dipping various things such as French fries, cauliflower, asparagus spears. Also cubes of various cheeses. Using a squeeze bottle, make a bunch of squiggles of the condiments on plates and place cheese cubes speared with picks on the plates. It is much neater this way than having people dip into dishes and it looks prettier. I often make a batch for dipping little meat empanadas. Not a traditional thing, but very, very tasty. The aioli can always be "diluted" if it is too strong. I like to mix it half and half with sour cream to top baked potatoes or fried potatoes (the "cottage" style, thin sliced and fried until crusty.) Oh, one more thing. My housekeeper likes to roll provolone cheese with a thin slice of rye bread or pumpernickle and dip the "cigarette" (as she calls it) into the aioli or the spicy mayo.

I am also a big fan of the Anasazi bean in addition to the butterscotch or black calypsos and the chestnut lima. My local Mexican market has a big South American section and sells the giant Peruvian limas which are huge when soaked and cooked. I also get the yellow Peruano beans at the same market as they sell them in bulk. I use to grow cranberry beans until I had a problem with the variety I had which was attacked by a type of wilt. None of the other beans were affected. Scarlet runners do not do as well here as some types of beans. I won't have any this year because my garden was vandalized. The black beans I have grown in the past are a "mystery" variety brought to me by a friend from Mississippi. They were larger and more round than bean shaped, had a meaty flavor and were better than the "turtle" beans I had previously used in black bean recipes. The pods were very long and often twisted and curly. My friend called them "Choctaw" beans.

If you can't find it through regular book sources. You might send an email to David Leite. David has done a lot of research on Portuguese foods and has written many articles on the subject. If anyone would know about this book, it should be him. David Leite's Culinaria website.

I have several rice cookers, including the Zo "Neuro" fuzzy logic cooker. I have a small old Zo with the locking lid, that I use for small batches of plain long grain rice. I also have an old Panasonic commercial cooker that takes up to 23 cups of raw rice from when I was still doing some catering. I haven't had any problems cooking brown rice in any of them. In the Neuro, as in the others, I simply add additional water, half again what the directions call for and set it the same as for regular rice. I do the same thing for cooking whole wheat, kamut, steel cut oats, barley and etc. This was suggested by a guy in my local health food store several years ago. He said all the cookers have a sensor in the bottom that touches the inner pan and senses when the water has all been absorbed. I don't know if he is correct, just that this method works for me.

You may can catsup, just as you would any prepared food. However because of the high acid content, catsup, and other tomato products, such as marinara sauce, etc., will not keep as long because of the possibility of corrosion of the metal lids. I rarely keep high acid foods longer than a year. When I make sauerkraut, for instance, I make sure that it is discarded after a year. With my marinara sauce, I check it when it nears a year, if I have any left. Usually it gets used up fairly quickly.

Dave, If you come across another one of these juicers, hang onto it. They are great for juicing lots of things. Before I got a duck press, I used to use this one to squeeze the juice out of meats.

I also have a bunch of the hand-held reamers, I used to collect the ones from the 20s and 30s, glass and porcelain. However about 20 years ago, when they became rather pricey, some began showing up that were fakes, probably made from molds of the originals. However they couldn't duplicate the true glass colors but a lot of people were scammed. I knew the subject so wasn't hooked, however I quit buying them because there were just too many fakes out there. "Depression" glass seen in most antique stores now is probably 60 to 70% fake, particularly the pink and green. Lately a lot of the "vaseline" color, because it has always been more costly, has been showing up and all are fakes.

How the juice squeezer works:

Is your odd one similar to this one?

The aluminum ones made in Mexico do corrode if you leave the acid in contact with them for very long. However most people rinse them immediately and dry carefully. My neighbor puts hers outside in the sun for a while and she rubs it with mineral oil before she uses it. You can also find stainless steel ones if you don't mind paying a premium price. Sur La Table used to carry them, however I haven't checked for a while. The hand-held reamers now come in plastic and stainless steel as well as wood and work very well if you are just doing one or two fruits. I remember Graham Kerr using one 30 years ago. Then the Frugal Goumet always used one. I use them If I am just juicing one lemon - but then I have to use a strainer over the bowl to catch the seeds. The side lever one that I linked to in my last post is chromed, is only 6.49 and has a 5-year guarantee if it breaks. One thing that I use mine for, besides the occasional cut up citrus, is pomegranate seeds. I just pack the seeds in the cup and squeeze. I only use it if I need just a couple of tablespoons of the juice.

My Carrot/Sorrel/Ginger soup is good cold as well as hot. It should be thinned a bit if served cold. In RecipeGullet. Float a slice of lime on top with a dollop of sour cream to finish. You can also make a great cold soup by pureeing fresh salsas. Peach/Mango salsa, mild or spicy, makes a wonderful cold soup. I make it often, particularly when I am serving pork for the main dish.

People who live in California cannot get citrus trees from out of state. However there is a grower in Visalia who has a terrific variety of citrus trees. The little Kaffir lime I got from them is doing nicely.GrowQuest.com

This juicer is the one I describe above that works with very small fruit and pieces.