andiesenji

I second the BBB notion. I have a bunch of their glasses and they are cheap and tough. The other place I buy glasses is Pier One.

I remove the legs and thighs and wings. Then I cut the back away, using poultry shears. I then put the breast, meat side down on the cutting board and bend it outward until it is pretty much flattened and the sternum breaks. Starting at the sternum, I use a thin-bladed knife to separate the meat where it is attached to the sternum. By this point, the breast meat should have been loosened from the ribs and can be pulled off in one piece on each side. You can also flatten it with the meat side up, whichever, it is the flexing of the ribs that looses the meat from them. I learned this by watching the guys at El Pollo Loco one day while waiting for a large order for the office. I thought it was such a neat trick I tried it at home and it WORKED!

Chicken tagine and couscous in the large steamer from Clay Coyote

You can make it as simple as Pear Honey 4 medium sized pears, peeled and cored, cut in half. 3 cups sugar. Place 1/3 of the sugar on the bottom of a pan that is large enough to hold 4 pear halves laying flat, cut side down. Place the rest of the pears, cut side up, in and around the ones on the bottom. Pour the remainder of the sugar over the top of the pears. Cover the pan and place over low heat and cook for 1 hour. Remove the pan lid and continue cooking over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Using a potato masher (the wire type) smush the pears and mix well with a wood spoon (or silicone spoon, just don't use metal). Return to the low heat and cook for an additional 45 minutes. Pour into a quart jar (or two pint jars and seal. Store in the fridge unless you want to process it in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Then it can be stored at room temperature. If there is some that won't fit into the quart jar, use it immediately or within a couple of days.

There is a barbecue place here in town that sells a lot of sandwiches, including grilled cheese (however they do not serve hamburgers or their relatives, it is barbecue (pork, beef, chicken) for the meat eaters and grilled cheese for the ones who don't eat meat. They have 3 sides and two kinds of pickles, dill and bread and butter and also those little hot yellow peppers common to every barbecue place I know of in SoCal. They also have barbecue sauce (hot and mild), ketchup and mustard but no mayo, no salad dressing. That is the extent of the condiments. The sides are coleslaw, german potato salad (warm) and mac and cheese (also warm). The sandwiches come with one side and people can choose, the pickles are included. The sides are served in the little paper cups that hold about 1/3 to 1/2 cup (my estimate, haven't measured) and extra sides are 1.00. Some people don't bother to get the sides, since they have a choice. I have been in the restaurant when three people would come in together, get their sandwiches and sides and one person would eat all three sides. (A man with two women, guess who ate all the sides?) When they first opened they also had French fries but had some trouble with the fryer and it was taken out and replaced by a bigger toast machine - the kind that carries the bread or rolls in a wire rack up and over and the toasted stuff falls out into a tray at the bottom. I inquired and was told the 3 4-slot toasters they had could not keep up with the orders. Occasionally they have specials when you get two sides with a sandwich along with a free drink. They also sell the meat and sides in bulk but they are all pre-measured into pint and quart containers. I don't recall the prices because I have never bought them this way. They don't do anything special with their grilled cheese. You can get a choice of type of bread and the choice of cheese is very mundane, American, cheddar or pepper jack. They have the advantage of being close to the high school and do a lot of business early in the morning and right after school lets out. They are only open till 8 in the evening - 10 on Friday and Saturday nights. Open at 6 a.m. every day but Sunday when they open at 10. The pepper jack is very popular in this area. I think that they figured that the best way to go would be to keep things simple and straighforward. They are trying to buy the property next door to their lot and if they can get it at a reasonable price they may expand the place so they have more room for service and for parking. Right now it is not expandable. Those sides are all delicious. The coleslaw is the creamy, sweet-sour type that I love, with celery and dill seeds throughout. The german potato salad is one of the best I have every eaten and the mac and cheese is pretty good. They make them all on site.

This is one of the reasons I bought most of the higher end appliances when I expanded and remodeled my kitchen at major market home shows (Los Angeles, Anaheim, Long Beach). I made a point of being at the show early on the first day and carefully mapped out the various booths I wanted to visit and looked at the items I wanted. I would then speak to the lead rep at the booth, occasionally taking one to lunch, and would ask about purchasing the display model (at a significant discount) and picking it up at the end of the show in "as-is" condition. They use a new piece at every show because invariably there will be some scratching or other minor damage to pieces during the show or while being dismantled as they are usually in a hurry. I did this well in advance of my renovation and stored all the items until time for use. I knew what I wanted and wanted the kitchen designed around them. I saved 30 to 50% on appliances, more on the countertops and other materials. I also managed to get a large Jacuzzi tub for 25% of retail because it had a minor ding which is completely covered by the tub surround. I had to pay for a truck and two men to transport the stuff but that cost was far less than the amount I saved.

Amazing how much it looks like some of the "low-riders" in vogue with many of the Hispanic youth around here. The "spoiler" on the back is to hint that the vehicle has a lot of speed, more power under the hood than a regular one from dealer stock.

You are correct. Green garlic, also known as "spring" garlic is the first stage of garlic growth, when it is still a single bulb, much like a spring onion, green onion, bunching onion, etc. When the really hot weather of late spring, early summer arrives, the bulb produces small buds around the base of the original bulb, which grow and fill out until there are up to 30 in some varieties. When the green tops turn brown and fall over, in the fall, the garlic that was planted last fall and overwintered in the ground, is ready to harvest. However you can break up a head of garlic and plant the individual cloves in the late winter or early spring, or at any time and within a few weeks will have "spring" garlic which should be picked and eaten immediately. Garlic planted in the spring will not really mature into garlic that can be stored, it remains too full of moisture and will rot. I speak from experience, I have grown a lot of garlic over the years. It will grow in a window box and if you are growing it for spring or green garlic, it does not require the spacing of garlic planted for full maturity harvesting. Plant the cloves 1 1/2 inches deep in loose potting soil, 1 1/2 inches apart.

I have a little note about heat diffusers, in particular for electric stoves. I was invited for coffee to the home of a neighbor who has been away for two months visiting her daughter and SIL who are now living in Uraguay. She was showing me some of the things she brought home, including a soapstone cookpot which is similar to one I have had for years. However she also had a heat diffuser for use on her electric store that interested me. It is very simply made. All it is is two long coil springs, the kind that one finds on a screen door, coiled and fastened together (with what looks like paper clips) so it lays flat when on a flat surface. The spring steel that these springs are made of is pretty tough so it should handle the heat just fine. She has yet to use the pot, but we tested the diffuser on her stove, which has smooth flat metal burners, and it worked fine to heat up a heavy skillet. It isn't large enough to cover the largest burner on her cooktop but her husband said he could add another spring or maybe two so it would fit exactly. How about that for an idea.......... She told me that young boys make these in the open air market as well as trivets and other useful gadgets and sell them in the market or door-to-door. They also make a whisk with the springs by wrapping a spring around one end of a stick. I have a similar whisk that I have had for many years, purchased in Mexico, but apparently they are made and used in South America also.

Smart & Final carries Diamond Crystal kosher salt in boxes at a very good price. The only place I buy it.

To me scalded milk is milk that has been brought to just short of a boil and when a "skin" forms on top it is "scalded" - the skin has to be removed. My grandmother had a "milk pan" made of copper, similar to a sugar pan, with straight sides, but the pouring lip was on the right side of the pan instead of on the left. This was so that one could pour the hot milk with the left hand and use the right hand for whisking the milk into whatever it was going into. One of my aunts has it and has promised it to me "someday". I shouldn't complain, I got most of the other copper cookware but this little one quart pan was a favorite. My favorite now for heating milk is a Corning ware pan I have had for 40 years (Blue cornflower design) with the detachable handle and pouring lips on three sides and even better, it has graduated measure marks on the inside. I used to have two of these but one suffered a mishap. I have occasionally looked for one on ebay but they are a little scarce. It is just perfect for heating milk, for some sauces, particularly when reducing delicate sauces as the markings on the interior make it easy to see how much it has reduced.

Skirt steak is also the meat that I like best for making teriyaki beef. I cut it into strips 3 to 4 inces wide, marinate in teriyaki sauce for an hour or so, then place right onto the barbecue grill, just using tongs to lift it out of the marinade. I immediately pour the marinade into a saucepan, bring it to a boil then cool and freeze it. All you have to do is trim the gray fat off the meat before it goes into the marinade. The skirt steak will shrink about 1/3 while cooking so figure on this when deciding how much to serve.

The only way I know of it is because a friend has an autistic grandson who was placed on a wheat-free, dairy free diet about a year ago. He also couldn't tolerate large amounts of soy or nut milks so the potato milk was recommended. Apparently the change in his condition has been nothing short of astounding and his mom is taking part in some sort of long-term study. Autism and diet. My friend recently sent me this web site URL.

This might be of interest. Melinda Lee, Food New host on KNX 1070 My Webpage which you can listen to online. Is going to be explaining how to make vinegar during the next hour this morning. It is now just before 9 a.m. here. Melinda is very good at explaining how things work without visual props.

If you are referring to the black olives seen in most American markets, they are ripe olives that are harvested by placing a net around the base of the tree and shaking the tree so the ripe ones fall into the net. They are processed pitted and canned in their own juices without pickling, salting, fermenting or drying as is common in . There are also different varieties of olives and some have thicker flesh and smaller pits which allows them to hold their shape. There are also the "green-ripe" olives, such as Graber Olives. I believe that here in the US more green (pickled) olives are sold. These are often pitted and stuffed with all kinds of things - at one time the only ones seen were stuffed with pimento, however I recently saw a veritable wall of olives in one store that had olives stuffed with garlic, jalapeño pepper, habanero pepper, almonds, pepperoni, cheeses and a couple of other things I can't recall at the moment.

If anyone plans on making their own, an easy way to do the bends is to get a wire bending jig. Like this! You can often find them in hobby shops. It is small, only about 4 + inches long, and can be screwed down to a board or work bench - I have one back in my studio that is screwed to the top of a cheap wooden stool I got at the unfinsihed furniture place for $3.00 because part of the top was damaged on one side. The stool is just the right height so I can sit in a chair and work on the jig. You just draw your design on paper, then start at one end of the strip and make the first bend to conform to the pattern, then work your way down the strip of metal until the pattern is complete. It is much easier to control the bends when you have both hands free. This little tool is cheap for what you can do with it. You can also use it to make decorative things for your kitchen

I suggest that you try some of the pepper mash from this place Jim has done the primary work for you and the product is excellent. I do warn you that it will become addictive. I know others on the Chile-Heads list who have gone deep into making many, many hot sauces.

I have a 30-year-old commercial model and the newer Super 5000, and bought that because at the time they had a deal so I got the dry container for grinding grains free. I don't use it much anymore because I now have a grain mill. I recommend the 5000 over the 4500 turbo because the turbo has only two speeds. The 5000 is variable speed from very, very slow to vrooooooom....... Order direct from Vita-Mix here Unless you can find one on ebay. There have been several in recent months. As long as the seller backs it up, and the price is significantly lower, go for it. Note that the home models have a 7-year warranty. You can get a Vita-Prep from J.Hufford that is the commercial version that only has a 3 year warranty. J.Hufford shipping is free.

If you go back to post #17 in this thread on page one, you will see the recipe I got from my neighbor, a native of Durango, Mexico. I have had a lot of enchiladas in my life and these are the best I have ever tasted. You don't even have to cook the chicken yourself. You can buy one of the inexpensive rotissiere chickens at the market to save time. If you do, pull it apart and sprinkle a little lemon juice over it and toss it a bit and let it set for a few minutes. Lime juice is okay too.

All Black and Decker small appliances were originally GE. B & D bought most of GEs small appliance patents when GE opted out of the small appliance field in the early 80s. Now GE is again producing a few small appliances. For many years, in the U.S., it was GE and Sunbeam who produced the best small appliances and they were neck and neck. Toastmaster was next in line and the rest trailed along. I remember visiting one aunt, when I was about 12, and mentioning my grandma's Sunbeam toaster. Aunt Louise replied, "We have only GE appliances in this house!" I was suitably admonished and never mentioned "that other brand" again during my visit.

Marlene, Apparently Wal-Mart has this GE 16 inch x 12 inch deep skillet That is about as close as you can come to the Presto Dutch Oven and the price is right. The Presto skillets are not as deep but have the 12 x 16 cooking surface. If you have a Wal-Mart near you, give them a call and see if they have them in stock so you can at least look at it before you buy. It doesn't say if it is dishwasher safe, however it does have the removable control which usually means the appliance is immersible. I also have a large round Villaware non-stick electric but it cost over $100. and I only use it when I need an additional one. It doesn't seem to heat as rapidly as the Presto but that might be my perception (sometimes I get a little impatient) of the time.

I didn't realize that the question was meant to produce a response that supported a particular bias. I am sorry that I bothered to answer as apparently my experience is not "expert" enough. Sorry to have wasted my time and any others who bothered to read my posts.

Cooking.com has two Russell Hobbs water kettles in stock. They also have a large selections of others. I am partial to my old Russell Hobbs, the one with the odd round plug as it was one of the early imports, converted to US current. I have several others but since having a hot water dispenser installed at my sink, I rarely use them. I have one of the Chef's Choice cordless which is quite rapid, as is the Braun AquaExpress. Mainly these are used when we are outside and also I have one in my bathroom as the master suite in my house is a long, long way from the kitchen. I saw one kettle in BBC Good Food a couple of years ago that I was hoping would cross the pond. The entire kettle changed color as the water heated, from blue to pink and I thought that was jazzy and I am into collecting the odd and etc., in appliances.

I did not get my La Chamba pot from Nidia. It came from a local restaurant that imports them from Columbia (one of the owners goes home twice a year and brings back supplies and ingredients he can't get here in the states.) My Spanish is not so good and the other owner, from El Salvador, has some English but we had some difficulty in communicating. He said to soak the pot for half an hour or so - I didn't realize he didn't include the lid in the soaking instructions. I should not have soaked it. My pot is a bit different from those sold by Nidia. The handle on the lid is a loop instead of a knob. The pot itself is fine and I used it on the gas stove with no problems, after I finished the "curing" and cooked some milk in it.

(Sorry guys. Roadrunner got wacked by Wiley Coyote so I have been off line for a while and playing catch up.) No. That isn't how it works. We still get cold snaps during the winters and sometimes hard freezes, particularly inland. My new digs are actually on a peninsula that sticks out into Galveston Bay and is really a microclimate somewhere between zone 9 and 10 according to the county agent. I have seen plumeria trees in yards. Banana trees regularly bear fruit. But, due to the cold snaps, folks started putting out the tender plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants starting a couple or three weeks ago. You may get fruit set up until July. Then it gets too hot. If you take care of your plants you can sometimes start to get a bit more fruit when it starts to cool down in late September. That is if a hurricane hasn't blown your plants away. What we have of "winter" is used for lettuces, root crops, cabbages and such. The point being, many climates are just not as easy to deal with as some others. Having a tool like irradiation in the kit could make life a lot better for producers and consumers alike. ← The heat here in the desert is very tough on many plants, as is the wind which, when combined with 100+ temps (temps up to 115 are common), can cook a plant in an hour. The solution is shade cloth and a misting system. The shade cloth is on home-made frames (made by one of my neighbors) that is sort of like the "convertible" top on an old buggy. The rods that support it are pushed into the ground at varying angles so the wind (usually out of the west) is blocked as is the overhead sun. Combined with that are sets of misting or fogging nozzles that throw out a fog, using surprisingly little water, and effectively cooling the area by 10 to 15 degrees. This allows tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and curcubits to bloom continuously through the hot spells. Some plants like the direct sunlight but the wind is damaging. For those we just use shade cloth wind screens stapled to 3 posts which can be pushed into the ground easily with the "V" of the center post facing the direction from which the wind is blowing. Spending all this time and money on produce may sound odd to some people but the quality is far superior to anything I can buy and this is the sole reason I do it. If I had that countertop irradiation appliance it would be in constant use.