andiesenji

Super seeds are melon seeds. They come in different colors at the locak middle eastern market, depending on how they are flavored/salted, etc.

I wonder if this was a process taught years ago but that somehow fell out of favor. The first classes in the French method of cooking that I attended were taught by a Chef Gregoire. He was quite adamant about salting meat as soon as it was cut. (We started out by getting instruction in how to cut portions of meats from large pieces.) The meat was salted then placed in a colander set in a pan in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then rinsed, oiled and wrapped for use in our recipes the following day. (Our classes were on Monday and Tuesday, the two days his restaurant was closed.) I don't recall that any of us ever asked him specifically why we were to do this. We were all so in awe of this man that we accepted just about everything he told us as gospel. One classmate did mention that the process was similar to koshering and the Chef replied that if we bought kosher meat we could skip the salting process as it was already sans sang.

This is definitely a sin, jgm, and yes, you will braise in hell. We will announce your penance shortly. Mind you it's not even close to the sin of being a 'pretend' swallower, which certainly begs other questions, none of which I particularly want to know the answer to. ← When deciding upon the penance, please keep in mind that they were very, very, very good cookies. ← At least you replaced the cookies with purchased ones. Sometimes undeserving people take advantage of donated foods at events such as this. Several years ago I had volunteered to help with the distribution of donated food, picked up by postal delievery people on their rounds, it is easy for people to contribute a few things, usually canned goods and we got a huge amount of goods. While I was sorting things into boxes so each recipient would get an assortment of things, I noticed a postal employee (not a letter carrier) who was putting certain items into boxes and taking them out the side door to the parking lot. I followed him out and found him loading several boxes into the trunk of his personal car. I called a supervisor who came out and removed the boxes and had other employees return them to the area where we were working. This jackass had picked out a bunch of expensive stuff such as canned meats, specialty and gourmet items and etc. When questioned his answer was "Those people wouldn't appreciate this stuff and probably wouldn't know what to do with it." Needless to say, he was put on report and later fired. I thought he should have been dismissed on the spot for theft but that is not the way the postal service works. However he was a temporary employee, still on probation so they canned him at the end of his probationary period. Good riddance. I often wonder, when I donate to these events, who is watching now and if anyone is taking unfair advantage. Oh, by the way, the guy had a brand new car and was wearing the very expensive Michael Jordan athletic shoes. So he could easily have paid for the food he was trying to steal.

I bake ginger scones, made with my homemade candied ginger. However the ones everyone likes best are apricot/ginger.

And she also sells an excellent wok stove. One of the docs at my office bought one and is very happy with it. (I gave him a wok when he became interested in stir fry when he went on a diet. He lost 96 pounds and looks fantastic! Walking is his only exercise and he eats only Asian type foods, vegetables, meat and fish. Amazing.)

I have a separate wok burner. If you have a place where you can cook outside, get one of the turkey fryers, they cost less than 60 dollars and will fire up a wok just fine.

I use a half-sheet pan and a Silpat liner.

I have bought 3 from this vendor the wok place. All of these were gifts and everyone is pleased with them. One is the two-handled one, the one made in China, it has to be seasoned with mineral oil and dried carefully (she sets it on the burner and heats it after drying it with a towel) and oiled before storing. The other two were the ones with the long handle and helper handle, one was a 12 inch and the other was a 16 inch. These also have to be carefully dried and oiled to make sure they do not rust. The heat response time is very rapid.

I have one of these, have had them in my last three kitchens and they are a godsend! Not only pot filling, but if I have heavy, cast iron and heavy copper cookware with stuff stuck in it, I simply run some water into it and turn on the gas. I have a short, round bamboo "broom" that I use to scrub the interior of the pots when the water is boiling. It makes it so much easier to clean them and this does not destroy the patina on my old cast iron. And if you are wondering how I empty them, I have a 3 gallon stainless steel bucket (bought at a local feed store) and ladle most of the water into that with a 1 quart saucepan and empty it into the sink. (Actually my housekeeper does it most of the time, if she is around, but I can do it also.) They come in several different styles and different lengths. I got the one with the longest reach like this! However I can advise you to avoid getting the copper finish.

Freekeh is a green cracked wheat that has been lightly roasted. half way down this page is a recipe for chicken freekeh that is very good. There are some other recipes here that are more complex but also quite good and are mostly recipes for one or two people.

You can get the commercial ones that make 24 at Kerekes but they are pretty pricey. I have the 12 portion ones and the 6 portion ones and simply put them on a sheet pan for baking. Kitchen Krafts has the 6 portion ones for less than 10 dollars each, do the math. Kitchen Krafts I have 6 of these and they are heavy and the muffins bake evenly in them. The 12 cup ones are Chicago metallic and I have had them for many years - they are available at a lot of vendors.

I have a little secret. I cut a piece of parchment the size of the top of the quiche, butter it liberally and gently apply it to the top of quiche about half way through the baking. It allows the top to get a bit of color but keeps it tender.

I simply said he could be found at the Santa Monica market on Wednesday and Saturday, look for "The Mushroom Man".

Larb?

I would absolutely love to be turned loose in those markets. I would need a truck to haul everything home......... Your photos are awesome - that is, I am completely awed by them.

I just sent an email suggestion for this story to KTLA KTLA story email Anybody else want to join in?

Ooooooooh. I love the looks of the Chamba pots, must have one. Probably the 8 quart. It looks like it would be perfect for cooking feiojada. Many years ago we had a family of patients who lived half the year in the Valley and the other half in Brazil. I became good friends with them as their home was close to mine and they taught me how to make feiojada in the traditional way. One year they brought be a cooking vessel carved from soapstone, lid and all. It developed a lovely patina but I decided I did not want to take a chance on breaking it so have used cast iron instead. These pots look more like the traditional shapes used in Brazil.

I have had Vita-Mix blenders for many years and use them all the time. The "newer" one is 8 years old and I got it because it has a second "dry" container for grinding grain for bread baking. I had a hand-cranked mill at the time but was really unhappy with the resulting "flour" and the Vita Mix did a great job. If someone wants to see the video that comes with the V-M, I think I have an extra one. Of course I have since gotten a regular grain mill with a larger capacity, but I make soups with the V-M all the time. Cream soups are a cinch and, as I have mentioned before, you don't have to worry about scorching which makes the entire batch taste awful. I especially love carrot/ginger/sorrel soup made in the V-M. Chicken stock add carrots, ginger, sorrel, adjust amounts until it tastes right, add cream or milk, set for the recommended time and let it go until steam is coming out of the vented top. Pour into mugs and serve immediately. Pumpkin soup is also fantastic made in the V-M. Ditto corn soup, I make the soup, then when it is done, add some cooked and drained black beans, chopped cilantro and scallions. Fantastic, especially if the corn is freshly cut from the cob.

Therese, Thank you so very much for your lovely food and house blog. The food photos are excellent, the photos of your home show that it is a lovely, welcoming place where anyone would love to be invited. Your kitchen is as near perfect as one could wish and your remodel has been most successful. Thanks again for giving us an all too brief window into your life.

When I make rice pudding I use short grain rice. Arborio rice is okay but I get the most consistant results with Calrose short grain rice. In some places this is called "sushi rice" or sticky rice. First cook your rice the way it says on the package - I happen to like coconut so I use half water and half canned coconut milk. Cook it in a rice cooker, in a pan or however you like to cook it. You will need 1 1/2 cups of the cooked rice 1 1/2 cups half and half or whole milk if you are REALLY counting calories. (If you use skim milk I will not be responsible for the results!) 1/3 cup sugar 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon butter pinch of nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon) 1 extra large egg and 1/2 cup heavy cream, mixed together and beaten until frothy In a heavy saucepan or double boiler combine the first 7 ingredients. Bring to a simmer stirring often until it is thick and creamy. This will take about 20 minutes over medium heat. lower the burner to low. Stir in the egg/cream mixture Cook an additional 5 minutes over low heat. Ladle into dishes or (what I use) teacups or latte cups (bigger). If you like cinnamon, dust lightly with cinnamon sugar If you like raisins in your rice pudding, add them half way through the cooking - use Sultanas or golden raisins as they look nicer.

I posted many months ago about my very simple method. After DRY roasting the nuts, I put on my trusty exfoliating gloves, purchased at Cost Plus originally but more recently at Wal-Mart. supposed to smooth your skin, work out the cellulite, etc., but works good on persistent nut skins. It is sort of like using a soft, pliable sandpaper on the nuts. Works on other nuts too, for instance Brazil nuts - I should really post some pictures. Maybe the next time I use them. In the meantime, check at Trader Joes, they also have the peeled nuts as does just about any middle eastern market. P.S. additional non-nut hint! I also have one pair that I keep by the sink and use to remove the fuzz from Kiwi fruit. and to peel Kiwi fruit, I treat them as one would a peach or tomato, dip in boiling water then into cold water, skin comes off easily....

I am the purveyor they would not tell you about and I was told in no uncertain terms that it was illegal for me to continue the sale of wild mushrooms either at the farmers market or to restaurants. VERNY GRAJEDA is the officer that closed me down 310-655-8425 I have repeatedly asked for both in writting and verbaly why was I shut down and what do I do to reopen. Since Feb 2nd I have not recieved a single response. They , I believe , thought I would not pursue the matter and would just close my doors after 10 years. This is not the case I have required that the LA CO Health make a decision and that if it is illegal for clearwater farms to sell them why is it not illegal for Whole Foods, Spago, or any of the other many, many places this product is sold. They are unwilling to enforce anything beyond me at this point, This is why I turn to EGulleters for support. Those of you in the LA area that shop at any of the markets I atttend know me and know my product. I have supplied wild mushrooms to Campanile, Wolfgang Puck ( for his tv show 3 years ago), Mori Sushi, Granita, Capo, Bistro 21, Zax, Amuse cafe, Little Door, Les Duex Cafe ( now closed), Axe, Naya, House rest. ( now closed), and others. As well I have supplied the private chef industry for numerous people both famous and not. A well as hundreds of customers and lovers of fine food. David ← I just had a long conversation with this gentleman. (The correct number is 310 665 8450.) He said that the only permit that was filed was from the Forest Service and not the Agriculture department and the Ag commissioner had never wanted to get into this area of permits and appproved areas and etc. I suggested that he contact UC Davis and get information from the mycologist who has done a great deal of research on wild mushroom distribution, before jumping off into the mess that can develop from shutting down a reliable source of wild mushrooms. He seems to be afraid that if someone gets a toxic wild mushroom he will lose his job and will be blamed for it. I tried to explain that this makes no sense whatsoever but he is convinced that he is on the right path. As I suggested earlier, contact an ombudsman, get all the information you can on the subject and threaten a restraint of trade suit if they are allowing other sales of wild gathered mushrooms in the county - or other wild gathered produce (how about ferns, those are mostly all wild-gathered in this area, certainly not from any "approved" sources). I mentioned the wild-caught fish subject and he said the state does issue permits for catching fish. It seems to be a circular argument that needs someone with some clout to fix. Send a letter to the state's first lady. She likes mushrooms!

I use a fair amount of buckwheat. I include it in a grain/seed etc., mixture that I cook as a hot cereal, use in other dishes, in soups, in "wraps" such as grape leaves, and so on. I also grind my own for pancakes, addition to breads, rolls, quick breads and cakes. buckwheat is a very versatile and interesting grain. I have some growing out at the side of the driveway, which I let go to seed for the birds. I didn't plant it on purpose...... A package fell out of the van when I opened the side door a couple of years ago and I just left the stuff on the pavement figuring the birds would clean it up. They missed a few and it sprouted and I let it grow on its own. There are no sprinklers on that side of the driveway so the only things that grow there are the creeping thyme and another ground cover that needs little water. It does get watered once a week when the gardener hoses off the driveway.

I like it hot or cold and at any point in between. Savory rice pudding is especially good hot and it is difficult for me to wait until it has cooled enough to eat comfortably, before digging in. I like a sauce of a contrasting temperature on some sweet rice puddings. A hot, spicy cream sauce on a cold one, cold sauce on a hot pudding. I especially like hot rice pudding with some of my homemade lemon curd spooned onto the top and swirled into the top layer. (I usually have a dish of the stuff handy so when I get below the top layer and there is no more lemon curd, I can add more......... It is very indulgent.

The L.A. County Health Department does not always have the brightest and the best making policy and there are a great many irrational dictates that make no sense whatsoever. Probably some ignorant busybody filed a complaint and some equally ignorant minor bureaucrat jumped on it and passed it on to the decision makers who probably don't know a truffle from a horseapple and therin lies the problem. One needs to contact an ombudsman to help with this bureaucratic nonsense. It makes the county people look like idiots and they need to have this pointed out to them. Channel 5 and Channel 9 are pretty good at getting the word out when something like this happens, contact them. If a "name" for instance like Wolfgang Puck, would go on the air and point out that these are foodstuffs that are ALWAYS wild-gathered and are impossible to propagate in a controlled enviornment, then you can get some positive action. You simply have to compare it to wild-caught fish or a similar product.