andiesenji

I learned to cook turkey, goose, capon, etc., 50-some years ago and I am still fixing it the same way. It requires a very heavy roasting pan with a tight fitting lid - thus the giant Magnalite roasters (and their smaller siblings) that take up so much space in my storeroom. In fact this is the only way I know how to prepare an extra large turkey (30 pounds and up) without having to start in the middle of the night. It also insures that dressing inside the turkey, should one wish to do it this way, comes up to temp early without too much time spent in the "danger zone." It starts out on top of the stove over two burners, turkey on a rack and with enough stock in the bottom of the pan so that one quickly gets a good bit of steam in the roaster, thus the tight-fitting lid. The last big one I did was a 33-pounder and if roasted the normal way it would take 11 hours, figuring the traditional 20 minutes per pound. My way took 5 1/2 hours. 4 3/4 hours on top of the stove and the last 45 minutes uncovered in the oven to brown. All the meat, including the breast meat, is moist and tender and it is done all the way through. I cook by temp, not by time. I always stick a couple of meat thermometers in a bird this size and near the end of cooking time check on the internal temp periodically. Using these is easier for me than using the instant read thermometers as it only takes a couple of seconds to lift off the lid, check the temps and replace the cover. Even the most rapid "instant-read" thermometers take more time. Most stores offer a "free" bird, or greatly discounted one depending on how much other stuff you buy so give it a try with one of these loss leader items and see what you think. If you don't have a heavy-bottom roaster that you can use directly on a burner, you can use them with heat diffusers. However, ebay often has the Magnalite roasters, usually the medium-sized ones, the 4267 but occasionally a 4269 will show up. They are again available new but the price is fairly high. See it here.

I eat my fries with ketchup, often homemade but any kind will do in a pinch. My homemade mushroom ketchup. I also love fries with chile sauce, the kind that comes in the squat, round jar, if I don't have any homemade. Also, the sweet Thai chile sauce, Mae Ploy brand preferred. mustard mixed with the above, 1 part mustard to 3 prts sweet chile sauce. Sweet soy sauce. sour cream, toasted onion dip - mundane, I know, but I love it!

This is dense foam with tiny bubbles. It has almost the consistancy of whipped cream. It is interesting that the instructions say that it will not whip half and half or cream but I have tried half and half in it and it whips also, not as much volume at the low fat, but certainly enough. I think it is really neat, especially since it is so easy to use and there is no danger of being scalded by steam. However I am a nut case when it comes to gadgets and odd appliances and collect them avidly.

Why are you laughing. That sounds delicious. ← Keeps the cardiologists in business. I eat way to many meals like that. ← You must have missed my earlier post (Post # 2 in this thread) It was one of the things I would fix to go with fondue because the kids didn't like bread or toast in fondue but they loved the Tater Tots dipped into the fondue and then into crumbled bacon and green onions chopped very fine.

I am still trying, after many years of making numerous attempts, to duplicate the candied sweet potatos (or squash) that used to be sold by the street vendors in Mexico City. They carried or wheeled around a little metal brazier, (looked like they were made from a metal 5 gallon can) and would spear (with a round wooden stick that looked like a piece of 1/4 inch dowel with one sharp end) a slab of partially cooked sweet potato from a pot that held a sweet syrup (might have been agave syrup), and put it onto the pierced top of the brazier, turn it a few times until all sides were bubbling and beginning to get black and brown on the edges, then twist a bit of newspaper around the stick and hand it over. I can remember trying to wait until it had cooled enough so one wouldn't scorch lips and tongue because it seemed to be about the temperature of molton lava. One did not have to worry about getting "tourista" from this because no germ could have survived in either the hot syrup or on the surface of the brazier. The closest I have come is parboiling until they were just barely tender, slicing into 1 inch thick rounds, soaking in hot syrup, then cooking over the charcoal grill on one of the pierced pans made for cooking small items on the grill. The problem is that I am not sure that I am using the same kind of sweet potato or if there is a step in the pre-cooking process that I am missing. The last time I was in Mexico City we couldn't find a single one of these particular street vendors, although every other type was there in abundance, although it may have been the wrong time of the year for them. If anyone has any idea about this, I would certainly appreciate it.

Oh yes! I agree 100%. I remember when I read Home Cooking, I kept thinking I should write to her and tell her how much I enjoyed it and how closely her philosophy dovetails with mine. Then I picked up More Home Cooking and was dismayed to see the copyright was for her estate. I missed a chance to communicate with a writer who impressed me so much because I procrastinated.

Let me preface my answer by saying that I have a lot of quirky friends, many are involved in literary pursuits of one type or another, the film and TV industry, education and in various facets of food growing, preparation and similar pursuits. Most of my gifts are of things I make, however if I find a book that might appeal I will include it in my gift baskets or "care packages." This year I have already purchased several copies of Ben Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany, after reading it and deciding it might be enjoyed by some of my friends who received the "Original Miscellany" last year and found it amusing. For people who are just beginning to find an interest in food, or a particular aspect of food, I try to find a book on that specific subject, but one that includes something other than just recipes. Perhaps the history of barbecue, regional barbecue, for someone who has developed such an interest, or whom I know is getting a bang-up major piece of outdoor cooking equipment as a gift from his nearest and dearest. I also gave several copies of American Pie to friends who are pizza addicts and/or, have installed either a brick oven or similar appliance in their kitchens. For those who are only marginally interested in cooking, I rely on an old favorite, Peg Bracken's "I Hate To Cook" book. Whenever I come across this book in a thrift store or used book shop, I buy it because I know sooner or later I am going to find someone who will find it fun to read in additon to having some easily prepared recipes.

There is a sealing compound you can spray onto the acoustic material which will seal in the asbestos because if untreated it constantly "sheds" - you can test this by laying a black sheet on the floor in a room and slamming a door. Regular water-based paint will not seal it, you have to have one of the resin compounds.

Let me preface this by saying that I have enjoyed your first book and The Curious Cook since they were first published. I am a collector of kitchen gadgets and I have often wondered why no one has ever marketed self-retaining tongs for the kitchen. I have worked for many years for an orthopedic surgeon and we have self-retaining clamps that work opposite of "normal" clamps, in that squeezing the handles opens the jaws and a strong spring holds them closed. It seems to me that such a tool would be a natural as sometimes one needs a "third hand" for holding onto something. My solution is simply to buy a pair from a medical supply, which, things being the way they are, means they are very expensive. They are also difficult to keep as more than a couple have gone missing after a party at my home. Would you use such a tool if one were manufactured for use in the kitchen and do you think it might become popular with serious home cooks or with professionals?

Any water in which pasta, vegetables, anything but meat and dairy, is cooked, I drain into a bucket, let it cool and it gets poured onto the compost. In very dry weather a little is drizzled into the worm composting bins. It really accelerates the composting effect. Now that the weather is cool, especially at night, there is steam coming off the compost heaps. I have a special thermometer with a 24 inch probe to test it and it has gotten up to 145 degrees.

High tea is traditionally more like supper, with heartier foods. Afternoon tea, cream tea, etc., would be what I would look for. The last time I was in New York, we stayed at the Ritz Carlton on Central Park South and had a delightful afternoon tea. I believe the Pierre also had one that was well-rated. You might check this link Guide to Tea shops at Cat-Tea corner. The site is maintained by one of the owners of the Tea List, the email tea forum. Janis keeps everything wonderfully up to date.

I save just about everything also. I have several sets of "vintage" canisters and kitchen accessories from the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s and just about every one has a "Grease" container. I am still using the grease container (very large) from a set of West Bend aluminum canisters - I have retired the rest of the canisters as I keep everything in Cambro containers now, but still use the grease container for bacon drippings. I never stopped using it because I always thought that cholesterol was more a matter of genetics than diet and never trusted the artificial stuff. (Since I have recently been proved right about some of these things I still trust my own judgement.) My garbage disposal gets only a small amount of use. All vegetable/fruit scraps go to into the worm composting bins or the regular compost. Bread is turned into crumbs or croutons. Cakes and quick breads also. Leftover vegetables go into a container in the freezer for use in soups and stews. Like most of you I save bones and such for stock. I was born at the end of the depression and my family was not affected much by the depression, mainly because the farm was pretty much self-sufficient and the same thing was true during the war. The family was just naturally frugal. Both of my grandfathers had contracts with the government to sell beef, pork and poultry, lard and sorghum molasses, to Ft. Campbell, and Ft. Knox, in Kentucky. This meant they were allowed much more gasoline than most people. I think most of the grease produced on the farm was used on the farm or sold directly to the Army for kitchen use - I know for sure lard was because it was packed into big metal drums and had a government seal put on the rim. The only thing I remember saving for the war effort was tin foil and steel cans, although we didn't have a lot of food in cans, most was canned at home. But "exotic" stuff like pineapple would come in cans, and tuna fish. Both ends of the cans were cut out and the cans flattened. I liked to do that.

Black ones with colored dots? Where? When? Who carries them?

Some utensils have become obsolete during my lifetime. This picture of a place setting of my grandmother's sterling includes an individual butter knife. The service butter knife is shown along with the sugar shell in the upper right. I use this all the time and the only time it ever gets polished is when it has been near eggs. The individual butter knives were phased out during the 40s. In some of the older sets there are several more pieces in each place setting. I have those in a safe deposit box because at the moment I don't have an adequate safe or one that is large enough to hold all the things I don't want to lose.

Viva, who made my MeeMaw's pork cake, first making pork mincemeat and letting it age a week, said she is going to try some of the mincemeat in dressing. She has given me the idea to make up a batch and see how it combines with my chestnut and apple dressing. I have in the past added cracklings to the dressing. I love cracklings!!!

Here is the Froth 'n Sauce in action. 3/4 cup whole milk - I don't use low fat. Pushed button, everything automatic till it stops. Finished, a liter of foam from 3/4 cup milk. And it has good form, holds its shape well. All in all, I am very pleased with it. I did get mine at another vendor at a somewhat lower price. I will try to find the invoice, however it may have been a special offer from a vendor I use often.

I have the Froth 'N Sauce shown here. It is so simple the kids can use it with no problems. I use it also for making some sauces as there is no chance of them burning with this - It has different beaters for different applications. For instance I make a hot spiced and sweetened cream "sauce" for pouring over bread pudding, baked apples and etc. Foolproof. The one with the "Sauce" designation has a heater in it. I love it and so do my guests. The kids are wild about it.

Here is the same message from the University of Illlinois. I also called Amelia Stevenson, owner of The Punkin Patch in Wheeler Springs. She says that only the pumpkins that have the "Jumbo" designation before the name are unsuitable for cooking because the flesh is very woody. These are the monsters that can easily get to 200 pounds and many go way over that with careful selection of a single fruit on a vine and augmented feeding. Amelia sells over 80 tons of pumpkins each year, to jobbers or wholesalers, retailers in the area and from 5 area stands she and her family maintain each year plus the festival at the home farm. Next year they plan to add a corn maze to the home farm in Oxnard for the festival which will be during the last week of October. P.S. Amelia says she has baked so many pumpkin pies over the years that she can make one in her sleep. The smallest one was a 3/4 inch pie and the largest was made in a 24 inch cast iron skillet.

I am not much of an espresso drinker. My hot beverage of choice is tea. However, I do entertain a fair amount and almost all my friends are avid espresso fanciers. Some even fall into the "fanatic" class of being. Over the years I have had various machines including a Gaggia purchased somewhere in the early 80s that hung on bravely until 1994 - it died on 1/17/94 when the cart on which it was resting fell over at 4:31 a.m. (Northridge earthquake). I had to rely on the advice of others as I really have not bothered to learn much about the operation of the machines. I worked my way through several smaller machines which seemed to serve the purpose but I really can't comment on the quality of the product produced. Last March, after being without a machine since the previous Thanksgiving (gave the old one to the son of a friend who is attending college at Cal Poly and "needed" one) I, on the advice of my espresso-loving friends, bought this one. It has a much larger capacity water resevoir than a similar one for the same price, and it is supposedly fool proof. Meaning I can work it without having to read a book or practice tamping. Beans and water in one end, espresso out the other. There was a more expensive one that had a fancier frother, however I already have a bang-up frothing/heating gadget that makes a large pitcher of hot, frothy milk so I didn't think I needed to spend the additional 400.00. The machine has been used quite often when guests are here. My housekeeper loves it and has no problems operating it and says clean up is very easy (however she is a demon at cleaning so consider the source.) My friends love it and it gets a lot of "action" when I entertain. I bought a coffee roaster to go with it and they bring their own green beans when they come to play. I don't use it for myself. I have a Senseo that was given to me a few months back and it is small enough that it fits right here on my desk and I can have an instant cup of a beverage that is fine for me. I don't have the discerning taste of a true espresso aficinado so the niceties of the brew produced by the Jura would be wasted on me. Now if someone came up with another tea brewing machine, similar to the TeaMate which I love and which for some reason was discontinued in this country, I would certainly buy that in a heartbeat.

There are some "all purpose" pumpkins and a lot are grown around here. We have a very long growing season and with irrigation, they do quite well. To get larger fruit the farmers pick off some of the budding flowers with the fruit bulb at the base and sell them at roadside stands, but leave the male flowers (or sometimes pick and sell them too.) You can always cut off a 6 inch x 6 inch chunk of the pumpkin, scrape off the seeds and wrap it in the microwavable plastic wrap, (at least two layers) punch a couple of holes in it, and nuke it at 60% power for 5 minutes. Test it with a fork right through the plastic wrap. If the fork penetrates easily its done, otherwise give it 2 or 3 more minutes and test again. Remove it from the microwave (carefully) and let it cool until you can handle it comfortably. Then scoop up some of it and taste it and see how the texture is. Even if it is a bit stringy, I can guarantee that after it goes through a food mill or a food processor you won't notice the strings. There are only a few varieties that have been bred strictly for growing very large and most of the commercial growers do not bother with them, the common pumpkins are the ones that go to the packers to be canned.

Another great topic Melissa!! Right down my alley as I consider eating utensils much the same as gadgets and collect the same. I do tend to drive my friends up the wall, when watching a period film, where something appears that is an anachronism. Perhaps it isn't all that important but I think that the people who do the research for a film setting should know when some implement or utensil doesn't belong, particulary when a bit of "business" peformed by the actor involves the item. Studying how utensils developed is so interesting, and in particular, with the Victorians, who had a particular utensil for every purpose imagniable. Growing up in a household dominated by real Victorians, I saw this first hand. My great grandmother would no more sit down at the dining table without her fish slice in her array of flatware, than she would come downstairs without her corset. Quite a bit of my silver was inherited, including some pieces that had already been passed down several genrations before I got them. I have several pieces of Bateman silver, 2 by Hester, 1 by Peter and 4 later pieces by Peter, Ann and William. My family often mixed and matched silver services when there were a large number of people for meals. They didn't think of putting the "good stuff" away and only taking it out for special occasions. It was used every day and there was of course some rotation of the various services. I learned early on that silver tarnishes more readily if it is not used and washed and handled every day.

Here is a photo of a good part of my "collection" of measuring tools that I can lay hands on without digging through drawers and cabinets. These were all hanging up. Some are missing because they have taken up permanent residence in various canisters and containers of ingredients. Many liquid measures and a few of the dry ones are already in the tubs and on the trays with already measured dry ingredients for cookies and other holiday recipes as they will be needed for measuring liquid and perishable things. . I use the 2 quart Pyrex measures in the background for microwave cooking quite often which is why I have several.

I have them in every size from the mini 2oz to the 1 quart.

I stopped in at Linens 'N Things on my way home this afternoon to pick up some more cooling racks and took a look at the crockpots and slow cookers. That Rival one looks like a good deal at 39.99. Unfortunately they also have a new one by Cuisinart and I had to buy one. I don't have it yet because they didn't have one in a sealed box on the floor and I didn't want to stick around until they could find a guy to get one down from a high shelf in the stockroom. It is just gorgeous and it has a timer, something I can really use. See it here. I have a timer into which I plug my other slow cookers but having this one with it built in is a big plus. I had one of the programmable ones but it never worked quite the way I wanted so I gave it away. This one is much simpler to operate.

Fantastic floor, Dave. A truly bold statement indeed. Worth all the trials and tribulations. You do super neat work.