andiesenji

There is some feeling (which some people feel is irrational) against eating horses, especially in this area. A few years ago there was a scandal revealed where a group of people were "adopting" horses that had been rescued from inhumane conditions or were adopting wild mustangs through a society that places them in pet homes. They were then shipping the horses off to Japan to be slaughtered for food. A great many people were horrified that they had contributed to a charity for animal abuse and then had the animals whisked off to be killed. Much outcry, fines and prison sentences for the perps, little girls walking in protest lines and so on. People who love horses (as pets, not on the table) really get up in arms about this subject. I have neighbors who will happily chow down on any kind of animal but threaten their horses with the dog food industry or the people food industry and you will have an "in-your-face" confrontation that will shake you to your shoes. One raises llamas and occasionally butchers one for meat but most of the offspring are sold as pets or for wool production. They are a cash crop. Her horses are pets, pure and simple and she would probably starve rather than butcher one of them for meat. Irrational perhaps, but that is the way things are here. Of course I feel the same way about my dogs. . . . . . . . . Maybe I am irrational too.

I have to confess that I often do not make my own crust for quiche. However I don't use the prepared frozen ones either. I always have frozen phyllo(filo) in the freezer and I use about 10 layers of this, with melted butter (those new silicone brushes are great for this), brushed on each leaf. Sometimes I sprinkle finely ground dried leek or chives between a couple of the layers for a bit of delicate flavor. I just drape the stuff over the tart ring and after I pour in the filling, and make sure it is filled to the outer edges, I roll a wooden pin over the thing to cut the edges. = no soggy crust.

I thought you might enjoy looking at these web sites, aunt Clara's Dominican recipes In searching for goat recipes, you get more USEFUL hits if you use chivo, chevon or cabrito. The following are all good, basic recipes. goat recipes Texas goat cookoff another recipe from Recipe source and if you wanted to know how healthy it is check this!

In my last post where I mentioned the thin jacket of fat, I was referring to the fat that looks sort of like netting and which, for the life of me, I cannot recall the name right now. Perhaps senility IS setting in. It is something I should know but for some reason.........escapes me.

This is another case where the dough may act differently in different climates. Here, in the desert when it is dry, they do not roll out as easily. When it is raining (like today) they would roll more easily and stretch to 10 x 10 inches. The point is not to get them too thin, they should have some substance. I would suggest you make a test batch first, just make the pastries, Anka makes them and brushes them with warm honey and sprinkles with cinnamon (sometimes with chocolate sprinkles) and doesn't layer them. The traditional way is to make the layered thing but she likes to bake them and use them in different ways. Anka calls the puff pastry thing Wien Torta (in the style of Vienna) Czorna is fairly close to the Austrian border and as I mentioned in an earlier post, there is a lot of cross culture. The Hungarian pastry chefs that worked for my mom made similar things and after all these years I can't remember what they called them but most things like this were referred to as torten. They also make something identical to kolachy which are usually considered a Czech pastry, but Anka makes little ones that are two-bite size and simply delicious, especially the ones with cheese and fruit combined. She calls them kolaken. (my phonetic spelling). I dry a lot of fruit, make a lot of preserves - I documented my apricot preserve making in the microwave last July - and Anka loves to use these in the pastries she makes.

I buy chivo (goat) at the local Mexican markets and meat markets (carnicerias). I use it for stew, for chili, roasts or ribs, braised, and for rouladen, again braised but the meat is pounded out into a thin slab and rolled around a filling. Goat meat is sweet and does not have the gamy flavor of "late" lamb or young mutton, which I do not like at all. It is quite lean and I add beef suet or lardons when I do the roasts or rouladen and when I grind it for making a type of spiced meatball with a mixture of bulgur and rice (similar to kefta). A hindquarter (upper thigh) should be cut crossways into rounds by the butcher and you then treat it as you would beef shanks or lamb shanks, braising is best here also. Goat meat from the shoulder makes great kabobs, cut into cubes and marinated in a yogurt based marinade to tenderize the meat and also flavor it. The flank meat is fairly tender and can be marinated and barbecued and sliced crossway as you would a London broil. Kid is much more delicate than lamb and can be roasted whole in a large barbecue, rubbed with lemon and garlic, stuffed with lemons, onion and thyme and wrapped with a thin jacket of fat.

A footnote about the White Lily flour. Anka loves this flour. She says back home they could not always get good flour. Her brother worked at a hotel and sometimes could buy a little pastry flour for special baking. The White Lily is very like the extra fine pastry flour she remembers.

Here is Anka Hargitay's recipe for Zserbo cookie/cake Zserbo Flour, 2 cups regular, 2 cups pastry or cake flour (or use all White Lily southern type flour) XXX sugar, 1 level cup. Butter, 5 tablespoons unsalted 2 large eggs, beaten until frothy honey, warmed and strained, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup. Place first 3 ingredients in bowl of food processor. Pulse until it looks like coarse bread crumbs. Mix together eggs, honey and sour cream and add to mixture in processor. Pulse just until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with bakers parchment. Divide the chilled dough into 4 parts. Roll each part into a square about 1/8 inch thick and place on cookie sheet. If you don't have room in your oven to bake them all at once, keep dough chilled while you do the first two, then make the next two. Set aside to cool. Filling 2 cups XXX sugar 3/4 cup superfine sugar 1/4 cup cake flour 1 cup half and half 1 cup melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Place XXX sugar, superfine sugar and the flour in a bowl over simmering water (or a double boiler) Add the half and half a little at a time, stirring constantly until it gets thick like pudding then stir in the melted butter and beat until creamy. Measure out 1/3 of the filling and spread on the bottom layer cookie. Add another cookie and spread 1/3 of the filling on it Repeat again with the final portion of filling Top with the last cookie. Cut into 2 inch squares and sprinkle with XXX sugar or XXX sugar mixed with cocoa powder. Anka says, "A little whipped cream on the top doesn't hurt."

I love quiche and have been making it for many, many years, long before it became "trendy" and long before it appeared on neighborhood restaurant menus. I think my quiche are pretty good, but the best I have ever tasted and would love to be able to duplicate, are served at the Hotel Del Coranado in San Diego. Coming in as a close second are the quiche served at the Ritz-Carleton in Laguna Nigel at their wonderful brunch on Saturday and Sunday. They are light, almost like a soufflé in texture and the crust is always crisp, never soggy. I have shamelessly begged for the recipe/technique but never get anything more than a smile and shake of the head. Someday..............

There are so many kinds of magic in the kitchen it is difficult to choose which to mention. I suppose the one that most fascinates me is when one starts out with plain milk and with a few minimal additives and a certain amount of time, it turns into cheese with its myriad complex flavors. However another magic is simply GRAVY, one moment it is a smear of fat and starch in the bottom of the pan and the next moment it is a heavenly sauce.

Frankly, Jason has pretty much said exactly what I have to say and has said it quite eloquently.

My lunch today is half a can of stewed tomatoes (DelMonte) and some saltines. unheated, though I could if I wanted to.

Thank yor for that, Jason! I do like a great many heat and eat things, even though I am mostly a "from scratch" cook. And it is not because I don't have enough time. In fact, sometimes when I have lots of time available and could easily cook something from scratch, I find that it just feels right to pick up something that is 99% prepared. I kick back, put my feet up and enjoy the freedom to do what I want when I want. If it is not the healthiest thing in the world, then I am willing to live (or not) with the consequences. It is my life. While I was out running errands KNX radio had an interview with the guy that did the movie "Supersize Me!" He mentioned how much weight he gained and the changes in his liver, cholesterol, and etc., during his month of eating the "bad" stuff. Finally they talked of the anomaly, of people who do eat fast food all the time, but within reason, not including the fries and additional things that contribute to the fat and sugar content, and how they beat the odds and remain healthy. Once in a while an indulgence is not going to cause havoc. I forgot to mention that my favorite heat and eat things are the Chicken Teriyaki bowls I buy at Costco, 8 to a pack and beef and green chile burritos, I forget the brand name but they are the only one made without the soy protein.

Anka makes strudel but it takes a very deft hand (I can't do it) to stretch that pastry out to the required thinness. A few months ago she and some of her friends from school made the dough and stretched it on the big kitchen bench. They made potato/ham strudel, cherry/nut strudel and prune/apricot strudel - it took almost all day. She corrected me on the cake/cookie thing - it is apparently spelled Zserbo but pronounced sherboo, or something like that.

I still have some shopping to do, down here in the Valley (I am at work). Later, probably around noon, I will be taking a run over to the Persian Palace, the local nickname of the large produce market on Vanowen in Reseda. I should have brought my camera along so I could take picutures, the place has an amazing array of produce at fantastic prices, as well as other "ethnic" ingredients that are not easy to find.

First of all let me stated that I make a lot of bread pudding. I have specific amounts of the other ingredients, however the amount of bread can vary with atmospheric conditions, the bread itself and perhaps even the phase of the moon. (Or from the way your quirk your eyebrow, for all I know. When I was a child our cook would scold the kitchen help if they frowned while making some dishes. A superstition, but one that apparently did affect some dishes, may as well play it safe!) This is the way I do it. I use softer breads, often homemade brioche, or panettone, or King's Hawaiian sweet bread, usually the rolls which I buy in the large packages at Smart & Final. I pull them into more or less bite-sized pieces and let them rest on a tray for an hour or so to stale a bit but not get hard. Meanwhile I mix, in a very large bowl the following: 4 eggs + 2 egg yolks, beat till creamy 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 cup sweet sherry (optional) 2 loaves of Hawaiian sweet bread or better yet, two packages of rolls or one large package of rolls, if you can shop at Smart & Final. Tear the bread or rolls into bite size pieces and spread them on a tray and allow to dry for an hour or so, then prepare the above mixture. The NEXT step is the variable one. Dump the bread into the egg mixture and press down, keep adding the bread until all the egg mixture has been soaked up, you can allow it to sit for 15 minutes to make sure it is well soaked and add more if some free liquid comes to the top when you press down with a broad spoon, fork or what I use, a potato masher. If you have extra bread left over, use it for bread crumbs. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Grease a 9 x ll lasagna pan or similar deep baking dish. (or two large loaf pans) Place the pan or pans in a larger pan and set in the oven on center rack. Fill the outer pan with hot water and bake until the custard is set. (Time varies with the size of the baking dish and the amount of custard) For a deep 9 x 11 baking dish it should be done in about 35-40 minutes, a loaf pan will take longer. Test with a thin knife blade at 35 minutes, if not done (knife blade will be wet), continue baking and test every 2 minutes after that until blade comes out clean. This is the recipe I use for my "Mock French Toast" - That is, the bread pudding, baked in loaf pans, cooled and allowed to set overnight in the fridge, then sliced and cooked on a griddle in butter, the uncooked side lightly brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with granulated maple sugar, then turned so that side can develop carmelization. Or you can just griddle it on both sides and serve with maple or your favorite syrup. However the sweet crust from the granulated maple sugar is delicious.

Anka, my housekeeper, says that you roll puff pastry out so it is 1/4 inch thick, cut with a sharp knife into strips 2 inch by 4 inch melt honey in a dish and brush one layer with honey, sprinkle with finely ground walnuts add second layer and spread with apricot jam (also warm so it spreads easy) add third layer and brush with honey and sprinkle with more nuts. Bake like it says on the package (per Anka's instructions) until it puffs and just begins to show color. Cool, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and pipe on some whipped cream just before serving. (Anka says for kids the stuff in the can is good - she means the "real" whipping cream in the pressurized can.) She has a recipe for a sort of cookie/cake called sherbo, it is made in layers and cut - the way she is explaining it, it sounds sort of like baklava but she has to translate it into English and we have to figure out the measurements. How soon do you need the recipe?

I'll ask my housekeeper when she gets home from school. She is from Hungary, (Csorna), which has (from close ties to Austria) many pastries similar to the ones seen in Austria, but usually a bit less elaborate. Lucky you, puff pastry plays a big part and is available frozen in most markets!

You just reminded me of something I haven't made in years. I would brown off wheels of hot Italian sausage, dump the Ro-Tel in there and cook down. Then I would split a crusty loaf of Italian bread, brush with good olive oil and fill with that stuff. Press it for a while and slice into serving pieces and you have pressed sandwich heaven. Sounds almost like the same thing. All great minds! ← The thing with my version is that first you eat the tomatoes and sausage with a spoon, then you pull off hunks of the crusty bread into which the sauce has soaked. It stretches a small amount of sausage into something very filling, with stick-to-the-ribs goodness!

?Chimay

Weekly at least, occasionally more often, Tater Tots or shoestring fries, hushpuppies, fish, falafal, fritters of different kinds, tortilla chiips, potato chips, vegetable chips of various kinds.

I have 4 magnetic knife racks, 3 in various places around the kitchen and one in the pantry because I like to have the knives I use in a particular place in reach so I can take a single step and grab, rather than trek to the other side of the kitchen, open a drawer, etc., etc., etc. The ones I don't use very often are in a case - I think I got it from The Knife Merchant or the other knife place online. I have had several knife blocks, tossed them all out, often my knives did not fit and having something sitting on the counter with only a few slots filled seemed a waste of good space to me. The magnetic bars I have are 3 24-inch and 1 18-inch (longer wouldn't fit in that area) I haven't noticed that they have harmed any of my knives. They certainly hold the Chinese knives (the ones like a cleaver) easier than any place else I have found. The ones I have are like this which apparently has them on sale right now. I do have one of these knife racks with the wire cage (bottom) somewhere on a shelf and have intended to put it up in the pantry for my butchering knives (the big ones) but haven't gotten around to it. It seems to be well made but since I have yet to use it, I can't say for certain. There is one made of stainless steel this one which I ordered in mid December but kept getting back order notices and finally cancelled the order. I thought it would be good to take out to my outdoor kitchen so my knives won't be laying around on the counters or tables. Dave the Cook bought one and I believe he is pleased with it.

Look at a place that carries printmaking supplies. The paint rollers for printing inks (about the same consistency as chocolate) are specifically designed to pick up a thin layer and release it when it is applied to a firm surface. They clean up easily using glycerine then water, for food-safe applications. They come in varioius widths from 3 inches to 12 inches.

Doesn't One Pico at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica still have their nice Saturday and Sunday brunch? It has been a few years since I had a meal there but I liked it very much and it is decidedly French.

You actually have a combination of things, affecting more than one nerve. The Radial nerve will affect how you lift your thumb and fingers dorsally, that is, toward the top. On the palm side, the Median nerve affects the thumb, index, middle and half of the ring finger. The Ulnar nerve affects the outer half of the ring finger and the small finger or pinky. You can stick your finger in the roove on the underside of your elbow (the part next to your side) press and feel the numbness in the pinky and outer half of the ring finger. Radial epicondylitis, at the elbow on the upper or outer side, will affect you if you do constant gripping with your fingers/hand cocked up. You can relieve these symptoms by keeping your wrist and hand in a neutral position or in a straight line from the forearm to the base of the fingers. Sometimes, something as simple as a figure-8 wrap, across the top of your hand, crisscrossing the wrist and fastened on the top of your forearm just above the wrist is enough to remind you to avoid the position that causes the stretching of the nerves. For radial epicondylitis, at the elbow, a strap, fitted snugly around the forearm 2 inches below the bend of the elbow, where the dorsiflexor muscles attach, will help relieve that stress. I have worked for an orthopedic surgeon for 37 years and he always was extremely conservative about surgery in these areas - he said that if you give the body half a chance, it will heal itself. He has always been very good about educating patients about the mechanics of the body that cause problems and how to correct them. He said the carpal tunnel problem that many people have nowadays, stems from the so-called "ergonomic" placement of computer keyboards lower than desk height. Women and men too, typed on regular typewriters, set at desk level for as much as 40 years and never developed carpal tunnel - because with the typewriters in that position, the wrist is straight, not with the hands cocked up putting the wrist at an acute angle. It is all in the mechanics of musculoskeletal use.