andiesenji

I pulled out several of my newer enamel cast iron pots this morning and found that some are not Le Cruset. (The old, old ones I have are Descoware.) I have two Chasseur like these That a friend brought me from England a couple of years ago. They have had plenty of use and I have no complaints. I have one round one that I have used on my induction cooktop with good results. I don't think they have been available in the U.S. for too long, I don't recall seeing them prior to this. (I did a Google search on the name.)

I have some notes on beans from a show by Curtis Aikens. He gave a "quick-soak" method for turtle beans or black beans for a vegetable stew. I have several of his shows, and the ones by John Ash, taped as they were right after each other on Food TV a few years back. I looked through some of the hundreds of tapes I have but couldn't find the particular one but do have a notebook in which I recorded some interesting (to me) side notes. That morning he had washed and picked over the beans, put them in a bowl and poured boiling water over them then allowed them to rest for half an hour, then drained them and again added boiling water and left them to soak for an hour. They were then ready to be drained and added to the vegetable broth along with the rest of the vegetables. This sped up the cooking time considerably.

I don't do much cake decorating now, because of arthritis in my hands. However when I was doing a lot I had all my tips on a thread rack or spool rack, similar to this. However I made my own using an odd cutting board that someone had given me and had a handle on one end with a hole drilled for hanging. I just drilled holes in it at an angle (using a drill guide set to a 45 degree angle) and cut a dowel into 3 inch lengths, sanded one end into a blunt point with a power sander, then dipped the other end into wood glue and stuck them in the holes. I added a wire easel back so it would stand on a counter when I had to take them along with me on a job. It held up for 20 years and is probably still in good condition somewhere in my storage building. The tips are easily identified and it will hold all sizes.

Acid does have an effect on dried beans, it actually stabilizes the protein in the bean which keeps them firm, just as a little vinegar in the water used for poaching eggs causes the protein in the egg white to firm up more rapidly. Soak and cook the beans until they are just tender, then add them to the recipe. Every recipe I have for Italian soups that involve cannelini and tomatoes, stresses that the beans must be cooked first then added to the broth then the tomatoes are added. I remember Maryann Esposito being quite emphatic about this when I used to watch Ciao Italia By the way, I have made the Spicy Black Bean Chowder and it is awesome. I always make my "real" black skillet cornbread to have with it.

I have prepared it using the lime or "cal" but not since the local Mexican markets began carrying the prepared posole (it was in bags right next to the corn for masa but because of some confusion, now is in deli containers clearly labeled 'Posole' and is available in white, red, blue and purple.) It has an extremely short shelf life and has to be used within a day or so of purchase. It is identified with a "use-by" date instead of a sell-by date. They often sell out early in the day, especially on weekends so if one wants it, you have to shop early. It instructs one to rinse it well as some "hulls" might remain. The texture and flavor is far superior to most of the canned hominy I have tried. However I have used Faraon and Royal Crown in a pinch.

Here is a tip to prevent overflow. Get a disher like this of the correct size to fill the tin (I have them from the tiny 1 oz. size all the way up to the huge, and difficult to find 8 oz. size) Once you get the hang of using them, the task will go much quicker and much neater and every muffin or cupcake will be the same size.

Dr. O'Neill was very pleased with your mention of the Syrah and passed it along to Shannon at the winery.

I use the Vegelene baking spray in the big gold and white can available at Smart & Final. I have large "clean-up" cloths that are simple old sheets ripped into pieces and I spread one over the cooktop and turn on the exhaust fan, set the pans on the cloth then spray the pans and set them aside. It takes 30 seconds for the exhaust fan to pull the overspray out of the air. The cloth gets tossed into the kitchen laundry where everything is washed at high temp with Tide and Oxyclean, bleach if needed. No problems If the stuff gets burnt onto the surface of the pans simply spray them with Dawn's Power Dissolver spray, let set for 30 minutes and either place in dishwasher or rinse with hot water, swish with a brush if anything lingers. I guarantee it will come clean.

This is a terrific thread. Thanks for introducing it, zeitoun. Couscous in one of my favorite starches and I have been preparing it, in what I believe is the Moroccan way, since the late 1970s. I hosted a young woman from Morocco who was in So.Calif. attending an artist's workshop for a few weeks. There were not as many "ethnic" markets where such things were available and it was quite an adventure just finding "real" couscous in bulk. There was boxed version but it was deemed not authentic. I liked it from my very first taste and found it went well with many different foods, not just the foods of North Africa. Mira sent me a rather large copper couscousier after she returned home and I still use it, so much so that it has been re-tinned at least 3 times in the last 25 years. Harissa was another thing to which she introduced me and it has been a staple in my spice drawer ever since, along with combining sweet dried fruits with savory meats and vegetables. It is true that couscous can be prepared in just about any type of steamer, however if you want to find an inexpensive stainless steel couscousier, you should be able to find one at any middle eastern market. The one in the town where I live has one for $29.95. and a larger one for $49.95 and they are the traditional shape. Finding an authentic tagine has not been as easy in the past. Now they are available online and at many cookware speciatly stores, even one with a cast-iron base is available now from Le Cruset (Sur La Table). I have several of the traditional terracotta type, both glazed and unglazed from small to large. I have never had a problem with cooking on top of the stove, using a diffuser, so have not considered the cast iron version.

I can speak from experience that this pot holds a 12 pound goose and a bunch of vegetables. It is difficult to lift when full, two people are best. The odd volumes are because they are manufactured to metric measurements.

Here's a tip that might help with this technique: Pre-fold and crease the paper, using a knife handle to smooth and tighten the creases and you can even build in a pleat or two so the paper will conform to an odd-shaped object. If you have all the pieces of paper prepared ahead of time, it makes the prep work much speedier when you are doing several pieces.

I am so happy to see this posted here. I have been considering adding a wood-fired oven to my kitchen for some time, but have not been able to decide on which type would be best for my purposes. Thank you!

Try this sesame seed and honey candy Greek sesame and honey candy. It is virtually foolproof and very, very good.

I would like to add my congratulations also, Katie. Way to go!

As soon as Dr. O'Neill is finished with his patient, I will pass along your remarks. I am sure he will be pleased.

Also sauteed in duck fat!!!

I am so please that someone mentioned this. It is so perfect for cold weather. I have used Henri Charpentier's recipe for many years, but haven't made it in so long I will have to dig out the book to make sure I do it correctly. One of my dad's friends took me to his tiny restaurant in Redondo Beach in 1959, a short time after I got out of the Army. It was one of the events in my life that made me determined to learn to cook in the French manner. Everything was exquisite all the way through to the Crepes Suzette.

The canned Boston Brown Bread is much like a plum pudding when you get right down to it. A little dryer, not quite as dense and the plain contains no fruit. The first time I tasted it, when I was in the Army, I instantly thought of the steamed puddings we had when I was a child. One was even made in a cylindrical shape in a two-part mold and sliced for tea sandwiches. My roommate at that time was from Philadelphia and made an excursion to a grocery store and came back with a big jar of baked beans and a can of the brown bread and a package of chream cheese. On a totally illegal hot plate, she heated the jar of baked beans in a pan of water, sliced the brown bread and spread it with cream cheese to make little sandwiches. We sat on the floor and scarfed up the goodies and I was an instant devotee of the canned brown bread.

I agree.

Fantastic, Varmint! You are on your way with a bang. I think you did great on your appliances and didn't have to compromise on anything. I think the Bosch is an excellent dishwasher and would probably have been my choice had I not wanted one that could do multiple loads rapidly. The price is right also.

I also have a recipe using apple pectin, it results in a product similar to "Aplets". I don't have it in my computer so will have to look for the card and type it up.

Here is a tip for painting appliances, given me by my appliance guy who is a wizard. To keep overspray from affecting rubber gaskets, cords, etc., brush them with vaseline, using a flat, artist brush. After the paint dries, wipe the vaseline off with a piece of gauze.

I guess it's too late for you east coast and midwest people but at 9 Pacific time HGTV has a show called Kitchen Trends 2005. They showcase new kitchen stuff for 2005. And did anyone catch ABC's evening news. Sharp has a new superheated steam oven which has been very popular in Japan and will be introduced to the US this summer. It is supposed to cook things at high heat with steam so the fat cooks away but they don't dry out. This is for people who want to cut fat out of their diet and lose weight. Press release here. And it looks really cool too!! Jeez, I am going to suffer oven envy for several months.

They were "country-style" planks tongue & groove with top & bottom wrought iron straps with a "Z" strap from corner to corner. They were custom made - the job was done by a well-known Kitchen design place in Burbank. The wood was pecky cypress and extremely expensive.

I have had solid wood doors, and will never have them again. The doors in the overcounter cabinets on either side of the sink and the door in the undercounter cabinet next to the dishwasher warped, cracks developed between the boards and the doors would not close all the way. The drawer fronts also warped in a couple of places. These were supposed to be top quality cabinets, we paid a great deal for them from a kitchen design company and I was very disappointed with them. We replaced them with plywood doors which were painted to match one of the tile colors on the wall. They remained in excellent condition, closed with a solid "thud" instead of the clatter of the solid wood (plank) doors and were altogether much better.