andiesenji

I leave all the inner peel when I use Navel oranges. However I do cook them first in three changes of water to remove the bitterness. You can do it in the microwave. Just use one of the 2-quart pyrex measurers, if you have one or a Pyrex bowl of similar size. The easiest way to do it is to top and tail the orange. That is, cut a piece off the top and off the bottom. Then take a soup spoon or spoon of similar size with a rounded tip and work it down between the flesh of the orange and the inner peel and work it all the way around the fruit. Turn it upside down then do it from the other end until the peel is free. Make one vertical cut and remove the peel, flatten it on a cutting board and cut it into the widths you want. Doing it this way will insure that all your pieces are the same size and it is a lot quicker. Place the peel in your Pyrex container, fill with cold water and place in microwave. Microwave on high for 10 minutes - this should be enough time to have the water at a boil. If you have a lower power oven it will take longer. Allow it to set for a few minutes then dump into a colander, drain, return to the bowl and repeat this procedure twice more. At this point the peel should be very soft. Now place in your simple syrup and cook at a simmer (crockpot works great) until translucent all the way through, including the inner peel. Remove from the syrup using a slotted spoon or skimmer, and transfer to a wire rack on a pan or tray , separate so they won't stick together. Place in a dry area, your oven is a good place, and allow to dry until barely tacky. Then toss in granulated sugar. store in a tightly closed jar. If you are going to dip them in chocolate (half-way is good), you still have to apply the sugar so the surface won't be tacky.

Here is the small copper wok with helper handle I have, finally found a pic. here I use this a lot for quick cooking, frying. It is the "tabletop" line and not as heavy as the professional line but is certainly adequate for my needs. The balance is good and it is easy to handle for someone with arthritic hands.

I couldn't find a picture of it right away, however if you take a look at this wok/fry pan by All Clad you can see the type of pan I have that is made by Mauviel - copper lined with SS. Mine has a rounder bottom and I use it on a wok ring. Had I seen this one prior to spending the money for the copper, I would probably had gotten this one. I do have a large wok but sometimes I want to stir fry or fry something that doesn't need to the space of the big wok. I think this is a pretty good buy.

I keep mine on the computer. However what I do while I am cooking, prepping, measuring and testing is dictate what I am doing then transcribe it later. I have one of these which records everything I say. I then play it back and transcribe it later. This way I don't have to stop to write things down and lose my train of thought. There are cheaper ones, and some that are a lot more expensive but I have found that this one works best for me. This way I don't leave anything out - don't forget a step or an ingredient. I edit out all the swearing.............. naturally.

I add masa to chile that is not quite thick enough or has a bit too much fat. The masa seems to take up the fat first and does add a rich note to the taste. Sometimes I add just a little to albondigas that lacks a particular flavor for which I am aiming. I always add it to green chile stew, either chicken or pork. In this case I ladle some of the liquid into a small pan so it is about 1/2 an inch of liquid then bring it to a simmer and add masa, a little at a time, whisking constantly until it is thick like porrige. I continue cooking it, stirring constantly, until it begins to look a bit dry. I remove it from the heat and add more liquid from the stew until it is a slurry with no lumps, then stir it back into the stew. Oh yes, I keep the masa in a shaker just as I do flour. It is much easier to add it to a pot this way, when I want to add it little by little.

Regarding dropped ceilings. Sometimes the only reason is because the owner doesn't like a period accent. One of my friends lives in an old house in Pasadena that had been "modernized" in the early 70s, including every room with a "new" lowered ceiling with that awful "cottage cheese" acoustic stuff, however she didn't know that this had been done until there was some damage to the house. About a year after Gloria bought the house was the Whittier Narrows earthquake and a lot of stuff dropped out of the ceilings. When the contractor doing the repair started in he found that the real ceilings were 18 inches above the new false ceilings which were hung from stringers that crisscrossed the rooms and rested on original molding. The original ceilings were arched, with hand done plaster finishing details and absolutely beautiful. The kitchen had a hammered tin coffered ceiling that was just remarkable. Removing those false ceilings and restoring the originals cost a fair amount, however it increased the worth of the house considerably more than the cost. The kitchen ceiling alone increased the worth of the house a minimum of 8000.00. One would think that if someone wanted a modern house they would buy one, instead of a period house and then screw it up by making inappropriate alterations. Really dumb.

One of my friends had a similar ceiling light problem. They took out the dropped ceiling, removed the florescent fixtures and put in track lights which were quite inexpensive and could be moved anywhere along the track and positioned to put light at the best angle over the counter prep areas and over the sink and stovetop and one that particularly illuminated anything that was pulled out of the ovens. The additional ceiling height allowed her to have an overhead pot rail, not a manufactured rack. It was a piece of U-shaped thick aluminum, made for the top of a hand rail (the open part of the U fits down over the tops of the square aluminum tubes that form the supports) and it was hung from either 3 or 4 hooks, by drilling through the bottom of the 'U' and suspending the rail across the kitchen from the ceiling joists, in a diagonal to get the most coverage. One end, near the prep area and sink, has colanders, choppers, a mandoline, graters, etc., and the other end, near the stove, has pots, lids, cooking utensils, etc. Her husband bought flat aluminum rods, slightly wider than thick, and made a template by drilling holes in a piece of wood and placing a dowel slightly thicker than the rail where the bend that would go over the rail would be and a larger dowel the size of a clothes rod to make the bend where the pots would hang. I whatched while it took him about an hour to make about 30 hooks, bending, cutting and filing the rough spots off. I helped with some of the filing. He made a few longer ones for hanging smaller objects. As I recall, the rail hangs about 4 inches from the ceiling.

I have read this topic with interest. Because I had a somewhat unique perspective. I grew up in a very large house with several black servants. However I had to check with some of my elderly relatives because as a child I had no knowledge of wages and the related things. The situation with my family was quite different from most in the south because we were considered "furriners" by the people around the area because most of the older generation emigrated from England. My grandfather emigrated from England (in 1919) because he despised the class system, in spite of being of the upper class. He hated the system that kept young people of intellect from advanced schooling because of the occupation of their parents. He also felt segregation was an abomination and the separate schools were a particular thorn in his side. His cook, a Gullah woman, was hired away from his cousin in Charleston and along with her family (her mother and children, she was a widow), accompanied my grandfather and his family to Western Kentucky in 1920. Besides the big house there were several bungalows on the farm, all completely renovated after my grandpa bought it and one was the home of our cook. The vet that lived on the farm had another as did the farm manager who had charge of the horticultural part of the farm. My aunt said that my grandfather paid very well, and paid the same scale to both black and white farm workers and the household help, which did not endear him to the whites. In 1938, a year before I was born, he hired a black man, a graduate of Tuskeegee, Univ., who had studied with Dr. Carver, to manage the farm. That pretty much meant that very few whites worked on the farm because most would not take orders from a black man in those days. Even after the war there was quite a bit of bad feeling. My cousins and I stuck together in school because we were often on the receiving end of nasty name-calling. We could never figure out what they were so angry about. The farm was very productive, even during drought years there were good crops. Our cook must have made pretty good wages because when I was little, during the war, she had a little old Ford from the 30s and a year or so after the war ended, she bought a light gray Plymouth. She always dressed herself and her children very well and her house was immaculate. Since most of her children also worked on the farm, they usually had all their meals in the kitchen. However when we had picnics outside during the summer, we all ate together. She was a fantastic cook and also managed the household help. She ruled with an iron hand. She did not read or write more than a minimum, but had in her memory hundreds of recipes, including many elaborate and many-ingredient cakes and desserts. She and my great-grandmother were kindred spirits and loved trying the "old-timey" receipts my great-grandma found. She always called my great-grandma "Miz Fee" (Ophelia) and deferred to her in everything. She was a pillar in the local black church and when they needed a new pastor she went off for a couple of weeks and found one she thought would "suit", and he was installed without further discussion. A powerful woman. It was not until I was several years away from home that I discovered how bad things were in the south in most places. I was shocked and dismayed. I finally understood why my grandpa was so angry about the status quo in the south. I wish that he could have lived long enough to see the changes. Of course he would probably say, it is still not enough.........

Lordy, I have a long, long list. However topping it is an immediate thing, can't wait for Christmas. I would love to be able to hop jet to the UK and join my daughter and her husband next week when they dine at Gordon Ramsay's during a 10-day stay in London then accompanying them for a week in Paris before coming home to California after several months in Inverness, Scotland, all paid for by his company. There is a certain store in Paris, well stocked with tons of copper cookware that is tops on my list to visit. Just not this year. I would like one of the new "well-type" cookers that are sunk into a cabinet so the top is even with the counter top. More refrigerator drawers so I can dispense with the upright one completely - I can no longer get down on my knees to reach to the back of the bottom shelf. A wood-fired brick oven - but that is doable and may happen. A secondary kitchen, semi-outdoor.

I make something similar but with the addition of avocado, it is a sort of inside-out B-L-T with avocado. First I make small dice croutons, so I have about 1 1/2 cups, browned in butter and olive oil, half and half in the oven till nicely browned and crisp. I cut a pound of bacon into small pieces, less than 1 inch (of course it shrinks). Fry or otherwise cook it until crisp - drain on paper towels. I peel and seed very ripe tomatoes and chop into moderately small dice so I have about a cup. Depending on the size I peel and mash 1 or 2 avocados, mix in 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice and half a cup of sour cream into which I have beaten 1 tablespoon of sugar. Now mix the crisp drained bacon into the avocado. arrange 20 small fairly crisp inner leaves of leaf lettuce, romaine, Bibb or oak leaf, in a circle with the small end to the center of a plate. If using a square tray, alternate them, wide end to narrow. In the middle of each leaf place a teaspoon of croutons, a generous teaspoon of the avocado/bacon mixture and top with a teaspoon of tomato. Season with salt and pepper The parts can be prepared ahead but the lettuce has to be kept where it will stay crisp until just prior to serving. These are quick to assemble and people like them as they are light, tasty and crunchy.

Back a few years, when I could still work all day and half the night, I used to give my very best friends the gift of the month of me, preparing for them a special meal, once a month or every other month for a year. They could choose the day and time. (Well in advance so I could work around it but they got priority.) These dinners were just for them, not including me. And for the single ones, a guest. I did romantic dinners, anniversary or birthday dinners, sports dinners, to-go dinners packed so they could dine at the Hollywood Bowl, or picnic on a weekend, dinners to have on their boat for those who spent part of their time living in the marina. I still get notes from friends who remember those gifts. How I did it was to give them two identical calendars and together we marked the dates on each one. I kept one and they kept the other. Often there was much anticipation, wondering what I was going to pull out of the hat on the next one. It was a lot of fun for me, and very challenging. Pushed my boundaries.

I do gift baskets. However they are filled with things I make, bake, cook, draw, paint or whatever. No one has ever sent one back..................

I see a lot of possibilities to make this a much "bigger" work space. First of all, if the cabinets in the pantry are not built in, I would take them out, remove the walls between the pantry and the kitchen, as they are probably not load bearing. Then remove the table. You can put in an inexpensive breakfast nook like this, in the corner where the pantry is now. Put floor to ceiling cabinets where the refrigrator is now, even with the upper cabinet and continuing into the pantry space where the wall is now with a step-back end section with open shelves for dishes, handy to the breakfast nook. The opposite wall could have a shallow floor to ceiling storage unit, either open or closed. Take a look at local unfinished furniture stores. They have a lot of modular units made to fit into tight areas with efficient storage solutions. The refrigerator would go on the wall where the table is now. The stove would be rotated 90 degrees and have a countertop cabinet next to it. You can have open or closed wall cabinets above it for more storage of items in frequent use. This would give you the triangle work route from stove to refrigerator to sink. and more counter space. Opening the room up this way would make the space seem bigger and the work flow would be more efficient. The table is in the worst place and takes up far too much space. It is a poorly conceived construction and I don't believe it is original to the house because I have looked at a great many craftsman homes and have never seen anything like that. I have seen several homes with a similar configuration with built in benches on either side of a room like the pantry and with a mission style table in the center. I would make a guess that the original layout was like that. The fact that there is a window in the pantry is the tip-off. A pantry in a craftsman or arts and crafts home would not have a double-hung window. It would have at most, a high window perhaps 12 inches high and 24 inches wide, that would unlatch and swing up, like a transom, for ventilation. Pantrys were designed in these homes to store things away from light. My dad was an architect and studied the work of the designers of the arts & crafts and craftsman style homes and drug me around to look at a lot of these homes in Pasadena and surrounding areas where there are a great many examples. I listened to a lot of lectures about how and why they were designed the way they were.

I buy cake pan liners which are already sized for the various regular size round pans. However I do grease and "flour" the sides of the pan. I do not use flour for chocolate cakes, I use cocoa powder. I don't know the source of this idea but I have been doing it for many years and find it works very well. I have a very thin and narrow "tomato" knife - the very cheap ones found at Wal-Mart or in grocery stores in a blister pack, with a blade slightly more than 1/4 inch wide and very thin. It is the best thing I have every found for going around the edge of a cake. They come with a sligthly serrated edge, however I take the edge down with a hone so it won't scratch the cake pan. Since they only cost about four dollars, it isn't a big deal. It is much thinner than even my thinnest narrow icing spatula.

I work quite often with slack doughs and my favorite way is to use a large dough trough. I can't do as much kneading by hand as I used to, because of arthritis in my hands. Working the softer slack doughs in a dough trough is much easier and turning or folding is integral to working dough in this type of container. The largest one I have, used most often, is shaped rather like a shallow canoe and it is simple to press the dough flat in the bottom then fold in each end, then tip the bowl so the mass of dough folds over on itself. I usually cover the trough with a piece of waxed linen as plastic wrap will not stick well to the wood surface. The linen is heavy enough to conform to the shape of the bowl and the waxed surface holds the moisture in and even rather wet dough will not stick to it. If anyone wants to know how to make waxed linen (or muslin) I can tell them in an email as it would probably be considered off topic. Dough troughs or bowls are getting difficult to find, however Lehman's still carries them at a rather modest price considering that many "antique" ones are selling for hundreds of dollars. this one is somewhat smaller than the one I use most of the time but it is still a respectable size and very workable. Another advantage is that you don't have to stand while working the dough in the bowl. I injured my back earlier this year and have had difficulty standing for long periods. I can sit with my feet up on a footstool with the dough trough on my lap and work the dough with no difficulty. It may seem a bit odd at first but if you routinely work with slack doughs, try one of these and I believe you will be plesantly surprised at how easy it is.

I have long been a dedicated tea drinker (all my life) and have been a staunch campaigner to get people to try 'good' tea, not the supermarket swill. Many times people are reluctant to spend the money on something with which they are unfamiliar so I give them a Tea of the Month gift from Adagio Teas. Along with it comes a nice teapot. Many times the recipients have told me that they in turn gave the same gift to others, always most appreciated. In the past I have given "Bread of the Month",from this place, Cheese of the month from igourmet, wine of the month from the California Wine club, but one of the doctors in my office owns a winery and he suggested it for someone who loves wine. I do not drink any alcohol so am in no position to pick one by taste. Cheesecake of the month was a popular gift to a friend who loves the stuff. Chocolate of the month was also popular with a couple of my friends who are rabid chocoholics! (I can't eat chocolate either.) One year when I had been ill and unable to do all the holiday things I usually make, I went armed with a list of addresses and visited Hickory Farms and Harry & David and ordered a bunch of their "of-the-month" gift packages, with them all starting in January, since I figured everyone would have a lot of stuff in December. One year I sent some of my Chile-Heads pals "Hot-Sauce-of-the-Month" gifts from a place that advertised in Chile Pepper Magazine. These were received with great anticipation. There is a site here with the "Best" of the month clubs listed. I personally have not received many gifts of this type. I make so many specialty food items myself that most of my friends give me gift certificates or now gift cards, to book stores, Williams-Sonoma, Bristol Farms markets, Chef's Catalog or Amazon. I did get one 'of the month' gifts a couple of years ago. It was not food, but a "Plate of the Month" with paintings of African animals on plates for display. Nice, but my housekeeper complains they are just something else to dust.... along with the hundreds of other plates I already had.

As will my resident squirrel who lives in one of the shade trees. They are not common in this area and I have never seen another. I don't know if this one is an old batchelor or a single lady but whatever, is very fat and very sassy. Sits just out of reach of my dogs and whistles at them. Makes a high pitched sound I have never heard from one of these creatures. Drives the dogs nuts. I have a large tin tray nailed to the top of a post within jumping distance of the tree and I put such things on the tray and watch from the deck while he or she comes down and neatly picks the seeds out of the fibers, fills both cheeks then leaps back onto the tree branch to tuck them away before coming back for more. I put all my "past the sell-by date" nuts that have begun to turn a bit rancid as the creature is not finicky about taking them. If the dogs become too boisterous it will throw things at them. Occasionally one will come in wearing some of the fibers from the melon or squash seeds. Before I had the gardener erect the post, I just would fling the stuff up into the lower tree branches. It was always cleaned up quickly, either by the squirrel or the ravens that hang around. However, with pumpkin seeds, if I am making pumpkin puree, I always cook the pumpkin with the seeds, then run the resulting pulp through a food mill. I have found that the resulting flavor is much better than cooking just the flesh of the pumpkin. The action of the food mill usually separates the seeds from the fibers and makes it easier to clean them then rinse them with hot water in a colander, put in a skillet with butter and salt and pepper, perhaps a bit of cayenne. Cooking till beginning to brown. I then put them on a sheet pan and roast in a 300 degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. They should puff up a bit and become crisp enough that they will break up when squeezed between thumb and fingers.

I was digging around in my storeroom last night and came across a box of pots and pans I had completely forgotten I had. They are "Oil-Core" skillets and a dutch oven. They are so old that I no longer have anything in my files about them so much be from the 70s prior to 78 when I moved from my house in Canoga Park. I don't think I have even opened the box since I moved up here to Lancaster in 1988. The box was taped up with some old cloth tape covered with blue vinyl and that stuff hasn't been manufactured for years. I have no idea why I would have bought these - its possible they were a gift - I can't even guess as to the Oil-Core, designation or why such a thing might be useful. They are stainless steel but the bottom looks like a slab of cast aluminum (dull light gray) about 3/8 inch thick fused onto the SS. Has anyone ever heard of this type of cookware. I can't a manufacture name on it, just a large block "S" in a circle on the bottom.

I have been awaiting it with great anticipation. My much-thumbed and dog-eared original, purchased at Brentano's book store long ago, is never very far out of reach. Many of the pages have been taped where little tears threatened to cause the loss of an important passage. One page that was torn out and into pieces has been pieced together and laminated and stuck back into the book. Highlighter pens of various colors have been used liberally throughout the book with colored tabs glued onto the edges of pages with significant information. I may be out of touch for a couple of days after I get my hands on the book as I plan to immerse myself in it to see if some of my favorite sections have been significantly altered.

There is a fast food stand in my city, Lancaster, Calif. that is owned by a "retired" couple, he is an African-American Korean war veteran and she is Japanese, ex school teacher, both in their late 60s. Their food is very diversified, from hamburgers and hot dogs to barbecue, tempura, shrimp, vegetable and tofu. They also make milk shakes and a combination of kefir and fruit soda which is blended like a milk shake. They don't have this last item on the menu, however regulars know about it and order it. I tried one and thought it was made with Kool-aid but Fumi showed me the soda cans which are entirely labeled in Japanese and I guess the color of the can indicates the flavor. I have tried the orange, the pineapple and cherry. It is very good and should be simple to make at home. Kefir is certainly available just about everywhere. It could probably be made with yogurt also but Fumi says that the kefir comes out more like something she could get at home. Could this be one of the drinks you are describing??

Here is the recipe for my green tomato chutney, which is a great condiment for all kinds of meats. Green Tomato Chutney 2 lbs green tomatoes 1 lb mango (or peaches, or apples, even melon will work) 1 large onion 1 large red sweet pepper 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers (or the hot pepper of your choice) 1 medium carrot 3 large cloves garlic Skin and chop fruit quite fine, by hand is best, looks nicer when finished. (Small Dice) 1 blade mace or 1/4 teaspoon ground mace 1 oz fresh ginger, cut into slivers 6 whole allspice 6 peppercorns 1 stick cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 2 teaspoons mustard seed, black or brown if you can find it 1 oz kosher salt 3/4 lb brown sugar 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or you can use the pulp from Tamarind pods. (if you can’t find tamarind, you can use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the zest of the lemon, however tamarind is the flavor that really makes this special.) 25 fluid ozs malt vinegar. Tie spices in bag, put vinegar salt and sugar in pan and bring to a boil. Add fruit and reduce heat. Simmer for about 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours or until liquid has reduced and mixture has thickened. Remove from heat. Ladle into sterilized pint jars. Add lid and rings and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Cool in the water then remove, wipe dry and tighten rings. The center of the lid should have dimpled, showing a good vacuum seal. Allow to mature for about 6 weeks to allow flavor to develop fully. This makes 3-4 pints of chutney, depending on how much the mixture reduces in cooking. I generally have a couple of extra jars prepared, just in case.

Here is the recipe for green tomato pie/marmalade. This was my great-aunt's recipe, the favorite in our family. She got it from a Shaker society in Kentucky when she visited them for a time in 1925 to exchange herb lore. She made it in big rectangular cake tins because there were so many of us to feed. I have cut it down to a manageable size for a single 9 inch pie. I sometimes add a bit of ginger, either candied or fresh, finely minced and crushed for a bit of a "bite". I have also added Sultanas, or golden raisins when I didn't have quite enough green tomatoes to fill the pie shell. Both variations are very good. You can double the batch and jar it up in 4 pint jars and use it later. It will keep well in the refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks or the freezer for 3-4 months, or longer. Aunt Hattie Anne's Green Tomato Pie 4 cups green tomatoes chopped in bite-sized pieces 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, freshly ground 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch Top & bottom pie crusts 1-1/2 tablespoons butter diced Directions First prepare dough for a double-crust 9 inch pie. Chill dough while you are preparing the filling, then roll out the dough while the filling is cooling. Cut aluminum foil in 2-inch wide lengths, enough to go around the circumference of a 9 inch pie pan. In a large saucepan combine the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring often to keep from burning. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together and gradually add to tomato mix, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until liquid is clear. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the butter. Cool for 15 minutes Now roll out the dough, line the pan and prick it all over with a fork, sides too, to keep it from blistering. Preheat oven to 425F. Pour mixture into the 9-inch pie shell. Cover with top crust and seal the edges so juices will not leak out. Cut several slits in top to allow steam to escape. Fold aluminum foil strips in half lengthwise and crimp all around the edges of the pie to keep crust edges from burning. Place pie tin on a sheet pan on oven center rack or higher. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or topped with whipped cream CHEESE to which you have added a little sour cream. (You may wonder at this last, but wait until you taste the flavor combination.) YIELD: 8 servings (or less! - my neighbor's husband likes this so much he takes about a third of a pie for his serving. So I usually make two.) SUBMITTED BY: Andie Paysinger

Yes I have. I have combined it with maple flavoring. But not on purpose..... It was actually an accident, I was wearing my contact without my reading glasses. I had laser surgery in my left eye to correct severe myopia. My right eye is still extremely near sighted, 20x600 so I can read very well. However I had been shopping and I wear a contact lens in the right eye so I can drive and did not bother to remove the lens or put on my reading glasses because, of course I know where everything is in the kitchen. Unknown to me my housekeeper had cleaned and shifted things around just enough to throw me off. I picked up the bottle and measured and dumped it into the bowl before it registered on my nose that it was not vanilla. It was actually very good.

On several occasions (some years ago) I made, at the request of a client, a sort of banana trifle. I made a banana sponge cake in a tube pan and cut it into 3 layers. I put the bottom layer into the trifle bowl, drizzled it with banana liquor then added a layer of banana pudding into which I had folded sliced bananas, then some whipped cream flavored with the banana liquor. Repeated with the second layer and the third, then filled the center with sliced strawberries and more banana pudding. Piped whipped cream in rosettes over the top. My client loved it so much he would have me make two, one for his guests and one just for himself. This was the same guy who used to stroll around his house, out to the patio or pool and back into the kitchen totally starkers. The first time this happened I was a bit taken aback, however his maid said that he did it all the time. He never seemed to pay attention to what he was or wasn't wearing. I did advise him one time that he should not stand so close to the grill when I was firing it up. He asked why and I said either stand back or cover yourself because if these coals start popping you could get a burn. All he said was "righto, protect the goolies," then took an apron from a drawer and wrapped it around his waist. Up to that time I had always thought Brits were rather modest, however I suppose rockers are a breed apart. It is a very nice presentation for banana pudding, takes it to an entire new level.

I mentioned Cuisine at Home in my earlier post. I just got around to reading the October issue Thursday morning. This issue is enough to hook anyone. Wonderful reading recipes which inspired me to get busy and make two so far. Another is in the works for this evening. I have so far made the Ropa Viejo on pages 10 & 11, absolutely delicious!. To go with I made the Rissolé potatoes (using Finnish yellows purchased at Trader Joes) which turned out much better than earlier efforts to make them using a different recipe/method. Wait, I have made three so far because I also made the Corn salad with Basil-Buttermilk dressing on page 29. For tonight I am making the Butternut Tortilla Soup on pages 32 & 33. The photo made me salivate. This recipe combines butternut squash with fresh corn, also onion, Roma tomatoes and baby spinach, things I have never added to a squash soup. Quite different in appearance, as all of the soup is not pureed, only a portion, and it looks more like a vegetable stew but has ground turkey in it or one can substitute ground beef, pork or kielbasa. The soup is garnished with lime cream. Mmmmmmm. I like this magazine better and better with each issue.