andiesenji

The five spice is one example where the end result is greater than the sum of the parts. Each spice enhances the other so that the combination steps over the line and becomes something far more than one would expect. Until you try it, it won't mean much to you. As a test, bake a sweet potato half way, split it in half, made a few cross cuts in the cut face, sprinkle a little five spice and put a dab of butter on one half, just butter on the other half. Return to the oven and bake until done. Then taste. This will give you a definitive answer to how it affects the flavor of something as mundane as a sweet potato.

Bread pudding with a hot lemonade chaser.

Here, at the bottom of this page is a traditional chef's hat made of cloth. The material of the top is indeed pleated to fit the head band. I have been through several books, looking at photos and drawings and none of the pre-1960 books show the tall narrow toque with the open top as seen in the CIA and Great Chef's programs. Henri Charpentier wore the bonnet type. It is an interesting study of historical head gear. And here is a school named Gross Bonnet culinary school and this site from Chef Harvey toque

Even though meat fibers tend to "tangle" when worked a lot, it really doesn't take all that much time to blend meats and other additives. The trick is to put everything except the bread crumbs/soaked bread or cracker crumbs, etc., into the bowl with the paddle. Turn it on low and let it run for a few revolutions. Stop, drop the bowl and with a wide rubber spatula (or your gloved hand) scrape the mixture into a ball, start the mixer again and immediately add the bread portion of the recipe and let it go a few revolutions until the top is blended. Then turn the mass out onto a sheet pan and give it a few folds to evenly distribute the bread component. This is how I make large batches of meatballs, meatloaf for a crowd and my sausage mixtures. I have never noticed that there is any "toughness" and in fact I want them to hold together. In fact, for some meatballs, particularly when they are going onto skewers, I take some of the meat mixture and process it into very fine mince in a food processor. It does become like glue and that is what I need to hold the remainder of the meat together. An Armenian lady taught me to make kofta (AKA stuffed kibbe) using this method of doing the fine mince in a food processor. She said that her grandmother and mother always insisted on using a hand-cranked meat grinder and putting it through multiple times using smaller and smaller dies, but she found that the processor did the job better and faster. (She just hides the food processor when they are visiting and makes the kofta ahead of time. Heh, heh, heh!) I have been in a lot of commercial kitchens where large batches of ground meats were worked in the mixers and I doubt that anyone would have been able to tell that the finished product had not been worked by hand.

If you want to kill odors like this rapidly this is an easy and inexpensive way that knocks down any stench without covering it up with perfume. You will need an old, fairly heavy saucepan with a handle and a couple of bricks or a concrete block you can place in the center of the room and on which the pan will set steady. In the pan place 1 + cups of Epsom salts - it should be close to an inch deep. Add 6 ounces of denatured alcohol, rubbing alcohol will do if you can't get the other. Hold it away from you and light the alcohol. If the room is large, walk around the room with the pan, if the room is small simply set it on the bricks or block in the center of the room and let the alcohol burn off completely. Needless to say, keep the flame clear of curtains, drapes, clothing, etc.

I have butcher block counter tops, a large section with a marble top for pastry and one section with stainless steel with a raised edge all around it and shallow drawers under it for holding hot packs or cold packs which is for sugar work (which I no longer do so it is usually holding a couple of large extra cutting boards.) In the past I have had ceramic tile, Corian, granite, Formica and polished concrete countertops. I much prefer the butcher block but it does take some work to keep it looking good. I don't mind the cut marks from using my knives on it, in fact I like the patina it develops with use. That is my personal preference and I know it is not for everyone. I can set hot pans on it and if it gets a scorch mark it is easy to lightly sand it out. Dents from having a cast iron lid dropped on edge onto it can be "lifted" with a bit of steaming (done by a professional) so it looks like new again. (A granite, tile, Corian or other rigid top would chip and that secton would need to be replaced.) Some of the new composite quartz materials are nice and I think they are attractive and would work in certain areas of a kitchen but I would still want butcher block in my prep area. I don't want a stylish kitchen, or a pretty kitchen. I want something that works for me and that is what I have. I have a tile floor and do not like it. Some of the tiles are wearing at the corners which makes the floor uneven in spots. It is presently mostly covered with resiliant and conformable linoleum "rugs" which make it easier for me to roll my carts and my powered chair when I am having difficulty standing for long periods. This material is not for permanent installation but there is a similar product which I am considering. It is much thicker than the old linoleum or vinyl and has a spongy middle layer with a semi-rigid top layer that is skid-proof, even when wet, something very important for me. My contractor is trying to talk me into a wood floor as he has a bunch of teak he salvaged from a boatyard in Long Beach a few years ago. I have had wood floors in other kitchens and was not thrilled with them. He assures me the teak will stand up to anything I can throw at it.

Chef Milani, The first TV chef in Los Angeles (KTLA Channel 5), and one of the founders of the Hollywood Canteen USO, in addition to acting in a few movies, had a TV show from 1948 to the mid 50s, demonstrating things like fish poached in milk, lamb's kidneys, etc. (Those are all I remember after more than half a century.) When I was out here visiting my dad in 1952 I watched his show every afternoon. He was a great showman. He wore the large cloth bonnet, with the pouffy top usually pulled over to one side. I remember that when he would bend forward there was a black and white button or something similar in the center of the top.

I believe that the taffy wrap is a good idea. I buy a box of the pre-cut wax paper squares at Smart & Final (used for separating slices of cheese, meats and etc.) I dust mine lightly with rice flour before wrapping as that will prevent sticking for a time but if they are left for any extended period they will still stick. If you want to make sure they don't stick you can cut the Reynolds Release foil into squares and use that. It works great for sticky candy.

The Musso is heavier (10 pounds heavier than the Nemox) - The Nemox tends to "walk" a bit and so has to be placed on a non-slip pad or on a cart with a raised edge. The Lello works fine, no problems, it just has a smaller capacity than the Nemox or Musso. It is simply personal preference, I like the looks of the Musso and think it may be made for heavier use. My old Simac was the 2-quart model and I would prefer a 2-quart model but at the time I was in a hurry and was able to get the Lello shipped in two days, the others would all have taken much longer.

I still like mine, I like the coffee, use only the dark roast and all the people to whom I gave them as gifts are enjoying them. Compared to regular coffee makers they make a very decent cup of coffee but are not a substitute for an espresso maker. They are, as I have mentioned earlier, ideal for college dorms where appliances with exposed heat elements are strictly forbidden. Frankly I wouldn't want to drink anything stronger than the dark roast, it is strong enough for me. If you are a true coffee geek then you need to get a machine that is capable of doing a lot more and of course costs a lot more. After many months of using the Senseo, I find it does exactly what it is supposed to do and does it well. It brews one cup of decent coffee at a time and the coffee is always fresh. I can't stand coffee that is stale and to me brewed coffee tastes stale within 20 minutes of brewing.

The toque is one type of chef's hat. But where did the "gross bonnet blanc" come from. The one with the snug wide headband and the poofy top. I see these in many illustratons from the late 19th and first half of the 20th century more than the pleated toques. My first teacher in French cooking used the above term and I have often wondered where it originated.

I saw a Czech beer at Trader Joe's when I was in the store last week. Apparently there are enough people around who find it interesting that TJ's stocks it.

Regarding cleaning: I have discovered that the silicone basting brushes are great for cleaning delicate mushrooms, the gentle "fingers" are just enough to sweep out the dirt but not damage the flesh.

If you have an overabundance of morels and can't use them right away, put them loosely in a wire colander or basket and allow them to dry at room temp. Or if you have an oven with a standing pilot you can put them on the oven rack and allow them to dry. Dried morels have even more concentrated flavor than fresh. They don't change much in appearance if dried at room temp, just become lighter in weight and shrink just a bit.

Those are nothing like the ones my friend bought.

I use the paper surgical tape and tape the wound closed with a lot of tension on the tape. You can then put a bandage over it but the tape will act just like a suture. Change the covering bandage but leave the tape in place for at least 24 hours, 36 if you can keep it clean and dry. You will have less scarring than you get with stitches. I once cut across the top of my thumb with a mat knife, exposing the extensor tendons. I taped it closed, covered it loosly with a sterile gauze 4 x 4 and had my boss look at it the following day. He simply applied more tape and said it should heal fine and not need suturing. The scar is virtually invisible, only a faint line.

Bread pudding, yes! And I add it to rice pudding too....

One of my friends went to one of the "demonstrations" (AKA high pressure selling meeting) for the Swiss Diamond pans last spring and forked out 600.00 + for a set. She brought one over for me to try and I didn't care for it at all. I tried it with an omelette and the bottom did not release as it does in my Calphalon comm. non-stick and left shredded bits of egg on the bottom of the pan. I cleaned it and tried a catfish fillet in butter and where the piece of fish will slide around with simply tipping the pan in my Calphalon, it stuck in the Swiss Diamond and did not release when it was browned, which it will do in my copper pans. Those are the two tests I use. I told my friend that I hoped she would be happy with the pans but they were not for me and I did not want to attend one of their demonstrations. The last time I visited her home I noticed the S-D pans were hanging on her pot rack but she used one of her old Farberware mellinium pans to make grilled cheese sandwiches. (The Farberware are thin but have that super tough coating in which you can use metal utensils and they too have a lifetime guarantee. They are good for certain purposes.)

I have one of these and a larger one made by Nemox like this. however if I were to get one now, I would get the Musso Lussion like this one. I used to have a Simac that I used for many years until it would no longer hold the refrigerant and when they stopped selling Freon, it needed a different valve for the new coolant. The ebay seller is one from whom I have bought several other items. You can ask if they will be getting another of the Musso, they just sold one yesterday.

I have used many silver teapots from solid to plate and have never noticed any particular metalic taste.

My mother makes one or two smoothies every day out of frozen fruit, and broke the blades of our Waring! I looked into it and found that frozen fruit is really hard on blender blades--ice, being brittle, isn't so bad--and Vita Mixes are the best blenders to get if you're going to blend lots of frozen fruit. They are expensive, but worth it if you're a heavy blender user. ← I have mentioned earlier in this thread and in others about the Vita-Mix and how tough it is. I do hope you have good results with your Waring. I do know people who have old Waring blenders made for bar use that have to be 30 years old and except for new seals for the bottom of the container they are still working fine with no repairs. If you ever do decide to spend the bucks on a V-M, you will find that it can do things that no other blender can do but not everyone needs all that power. Last summer when I was making some plum puree, I missed a plum pit and it ground it up. I had to discard that batch, but something like that would ruin another blender but the V-M handled it just fine. There have been times when it stalled because something was so thick and stiff in the bottom, but you just turn it off, lift the container off the motor, add a little liquid, stir a bit and give a little turn to the blade (I use the handle of a wooden spoon) and the machine will reset itself after a few minutes and you can start again. This has happened to me many times when making sambals, which are a very thick paste and occasionally when grinding wet mustard seed as it gets very thick, almost like plaster in the bottom of the container. Anything else has been handled with no problems whatsoever. Other than having my 30-so year old one rewired when the cord began to show some cracks (normal in an appliance of this age) I have had no repairs done to any of the ones I have owned.

Take the 5, not the 405. The last time I was down south and got stuck on the 405 (couldn't get over to the left far enough), it took me forever to get past the airport. When you get into range, tune to KNX 1070 as they have the most traffic reports and the most accurate.

I use it in and on a lot of things. I buy the Tradewinds brand (large container) at Smart & Final or the store brand at Costco or Sam's Club. I use it in marinades, brines and rubs, on squash and pumpkin, on many other vegetables, roasted vegetables, particularly root vegetables, carrots and parsnips. It goes into stews, chili, meatloaf I also use it in most of the homemade sausages I make. It goes into my pickle mixture for bread and butter and sweet pickles. It even gets dusted lightly onto some breads. It does nice things for some fruit salads, poached fruits and so on. Don't be afraid to use it but use it sparingly at first to see how it works for you.

I cook very large "butter" beans, AKA large limas - I grew up calling them butter beans and simply can't get my brain to record them as limas. They are very large and yet the regular overnight soaking time is fine. I also use scarlet runners and white runners which are comparable in size. The corona beans I have had are a little larger than the large limas and a little fatter. Fifi, this site has info about the corona beans (and other Italian beans)

I too wonder at the attitude of anyone who refused to have photos taken of their food service. Several years ago I drove down to a town in San Diego county and met a friend and went to a restaurant that had gotten a fair amount of press in the local news recently. They had an outstanding buffet and I was so impressed I took some photos as we were being show to our table. The manager/owner came up to me and tried to grab my camera and when I resisted said he was going to call the police and have me up on "charges". My friend walked up and asked what was the problem. The manager said I want the film that "B-word" took or I will call the police and also my friend Judge So and So and have her arrested! MY friend said, so you know Judge So and So, and the idiot said, "I certainly do." Whereupon my friend said I doubt that as I certainly don't remember you, and if you had bothered to read the local paper you would recognize me, as my picture appeared last week and if you are going to drop names, you should really know the person whose name you are dropping. He went on to say that we were leaving and would advise any of HIS friends not to patronize the restaurant. The place was out of business within 6 months. It's nice to have friends that carry big sticks!!!