andiesenji

Their bagels are at least authentic, not the fluffy ersats bagels that are the main offerings at grocery stores. But who could possibly take a chocolate chip/cranberry bagel seriously. An onion, o.k. not bad, even one with a cheese coat on top, but some are just too, too trendy for me. Years ago I knew the guys who owned the Brooklyn Bagel Bakery in downtown L.A. I lived in Burbank at the time and it wasn't too much of a trip to drive down and pick up a bag full. They were real bagels and the best I have had outside of NYC. They used to pull some for me before they were completely baked so I could freeze them, then thaw and finish baking. Almost as good as fresh. Western bagel bakery used to put out a decent product, when they had only the one bakery on Sepulveda in Van Nuys and sold their product to small vendors. Once they expanded and diversified and began distributing to supermarkets the product went downhill. I and Joy Bagels in the west valley also put out a pretty good product a few years back. They moved and I don't know if they are still in business.

On another note, I was out in the garden this morning, discussing some changes in some of the raised beds with my gardener. We walked back toward the fence that divides my kitchen garden from the big garden and I noticed some leafy vines showing behind the compost bins. I asked Jose what they were and he went to look. It was several huge tomatillo vines growing out of the side of one of the compost bins. We are talking "Day of the Triffids" creatures here. I couldn't get back there but the vines have completely filled the space between the back of the compost bins and the fence (3 feet), from the ground up to 4 feet high (the top of the bins) and spread 10 feet sideways. Jose found some giant tomatillos, the biggest I have ever seen. He pulled out some of the vines but left three since they were doing so well. He picked 15 of these huge fruits and I gave him several, keeping just these. The largest is 3 1/2 inches across and weight 9 1/4 ounces! Verde sauce is on the list of things to do tomorrow.

I grow Brandywine and it is quite good. However for the past couple of years I have preferred the Beefmaster and especially Park's Whopper. I have several plants this year and while they are not coming on as quickly as Celebrity, Mr. Stripey and Cherokee Purple, they now are loaded with marble-sized fruit. Park's Whopper However my absolutely favorite, which I have not been able to grow here, (in Lancaster) in spite of estabilishing a micro climate with a wind screen to protect them from the hot winds) and trying several growing mediums, is the old pink Ponderosa. I love them, they have very few seeds, the flesh is dense and the flavor is outstanding. It seems to be a problem with this area because no one else I know can grow them either. Pink Ponderosa Where is your co op garden?

Thanks, Samhill for the link. The knife is very interesting; looks functional and the design incorporates safety features. Check your local Wal-Mart, if you are near one. They now have an Ulu knife with a generous grip and a very reasonable price, (less than $10.00) which is easy to hold for someone who has arthritic hands. Ulu knife

Two or three years ago I used to shop at the Farmers Market in Woodland Hills, CA. on Fridays, and one vendor sold lettuce, looseleaf, butter or Bibb, Romaine and oakleaf, with the root attached and wrapped in wet newspaper. He said to set the head lettuces in a shallow bowl of water and cover it loosely with a plastic bag but not close the bag, just invert it over the lettuce, and with the longer leaf lettuce place it in a taller, narrower bowl as one would a boquet of flowers and also cover with the plastic bag. These kept very well, on the counter, without refrigeration (but in an air-conditioned house) much longer than cut lettuce would keep. I no longer work Fridays so have no occasion to drive the 70-some miles down below and we have no Farmer's market here, at least for now. We do have an excellent produce market but this is not like independent vendors. I gathered quite a bit of purslane this morning and have it in a vase next to the sink. This is one of the large leaf varieties and behaves much like any succulent, drinks water like a camel but it does stay fresh much longer this way.

I have made up picnic suppers for the Hollywood Bowl, using deli items, mostly salads containing meat or chicken, tucked into pita pockets. There are so many combinations one can please just about everyone. Waldorf salad with the addition of chicken is a particular favorite, some with a bit of curry sauce to make some a bit more spicy. I make deviled eggs, actually several varieties with the addition of various condiments, crumbled bacon, salmon roe, anchovies, and so on. There are some very clever containers made specifically for deviled eggs, that makes it easy to carry them in one of the soft-sided coolers with a blu-ice pack.

Easy Sugar-Free Spicy Ketchup The following is an original recipe for a very easy homemade spicy (or not) ketchup that also is a nice gift from your kitchen. Andie's Sugarless Spicy Ketchup Yield, 10 - 1/2 pint jars. 4 quarts tomatoes, peeles, cooked and strained (may be canned tomatoes) 1 Jalapeño (or other hot) pepper, seeded and chopped (optional, omit if you do not want it spicy) 3 cups apple cider vinegar 2 1/2 cups Splenda 1 Tablespoon Celery seed, ground 1 Tablespoon Allspice, ground 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon, ground 1 Tablespoon Star anise, ground 2 Tablespoons kosher salt (or sea salt if you prefer) 1 Tablespoon Black pepper, Ground Combine all ingredients in an 8-quart, non-reactive pot (stainless steel, enamel or anodized aluminum, do not use shiny aluminum). Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until it is reduced by half. Remove from heat and allow to cool, process in food processor or put through a medium fine food mill so that ketchup is smooth with no lumps. Return to cooking vessel and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. (may also be heated in microwave, stir after every 5 minutes of heating) Using a canning funnel, ladle into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars, allow 1/2 inch headroom. Wipe rims and apply flat canning lid and ring but do not tighten. Place in hot water bath and process for 15 minutes. Tighten ring. (May use 5 pint jars if you wish.) This is an original recipe by Andie Note: I do a lot of canning. For hot water processing I use an electric roaster. It has a wire rack that covers the entire bottom and will hold more jars than the typical round canner or stockpot. It is also not as deep so it is easy to place and remove the jars. It maintains the correct temperature and additional boiling water can be added from a teakettle.

There is a bagel shop on Imperial in Brea, Orange County, Calif. that advertises 47 varieties of bagels plus a dozen bialy varieties. I refuse to go in the place when I visit friends nearby. Invariably I will be behind someone in line who can't decide on what "flavors" they want. Idiots..

You can drill holes in the lid for rivets. I have one of the big kettle grills, and have drilled two holes in it for thermometer probes. I rarely use it now, since I bought a larger combination unit but keep it in case I need the extra grill area for parties.

My advice is to cook the wild rice in chicken stock and water, half and half. If there are directions on the package, add about 1/4 more liquid than it says. It will take much longer to cook that white rice, about a third longer than whole brown rice. You can tell it is done when the ends split. It almost looks as if it is trying to turn itself inside out like popcorn. Underdone wild rice is hard and has an unplesant feel in the mouth.

I generally do this: Bread & Butter Fridge pickles In fact my gardener picked a bunch of pickling cukes for me this morning and I will probably make a batch this evening, after it cools down a bit.

For several years I have been using a recipe I originally got online at SOAR, now Recipe Source. It is easier than the old recipe I had used prior, fewer steps and the result is very good. Recipe Source

Thank you for saying that! It is one of my pet peeves. The stuff they serve that is light and fluffy, cake-like and sweet is not real corn bread. It wouldn't hold together when dunked into bean soup, which is the criteria by which I measure cornbread. And it isn't baked in a cast iron skillet. Good corn meal is sweet enough on its own - heck there is enough sugar in it to make alcohol so there is no reason to add more. One of my clubs meets at Marie Callendars and they all think the "cornbread" is lovely. Blech!

There is nothing wrong with being obsessed with food. I was bred to it in a family of foodies. My earliest (about age 3) memory is of riding my little tricycle around the big round table in the kitchen and having a chunk of buttered biscuit loaded with molasses tucked into my mouth as I paused next to my grandfather's chair, then continuing on and getting a bite of bacon at the next stop by my grandmother, on to my great grandmother and another treat, and so on. I had already had had my breakfast but because I was indulged by reason of being the only girl born in a generation filled with boys, I was allowed a lot more leeway than the boys, it also kept me busy and stopped my constant asking "why"....... Apparently a work that I used thousands of times during my early years. Food was very important in a house inhabited by a large number of people in an extended family, visitors were frequent and hospitality was a keystone. Almost everyone took part in the planning of special meals, dinners, picnics, luncheons, teas, breakfasts and the enormous holiday dinners. Daily there were usually more than 20 family adults, 10 children, at home for most meals. At holiday time when relatives from away came to visit, that number expanded greatly. We also had the farm manager and the vet who both lived on the farm at most meals. Everyone enjoyed food, and the life of the family revolved around it. When my dad and my uncles came back from WWII they brought new and different foods which were incorporated into the family lexicon. When any of the family traveled, they searched out local foods and collected recipes and ingredients and many became family favorites.

And here is one of the chutneys I make that is hot and spicy. It is a good basic recipe, you can substitute other fruit, increase the heat by using hotter peppers, or leave them out entirely if you do not like the heat. This chutney is excellent with poultry and meats and is particularly good with cheeses. Tiny cheese tarts topped with a dollop of this chutney make nice little starters. This is an original family recipe, not from any cookbook. Hot & Spicy Peach/Lime/Ginger chutney 2 cups 5% acid strength cider vinegar 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, pulp included Zest from the lime 5 pounds peaches nearly ripe peaches 2 or 3 hot banana peppers, roasted and peeled, seeded. (other hot yellow peppers may be substituted) 1 lemon, peeled, quartered, seeded, and diced Zest from the lemon 1/2 pound Sultanas or golden raisins 1/2 pound dried white or other light colored figs, finely chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional) pecans, walnuts or pistachios 3 cups sugar (Splenda may be substituted for reduced sugar product) 1/2 cup candied ginger, coarsely chopped (or 2 tsp ground ginger) Mix cider vinegar, lime juice, pulp and zest in a 5 quart or larger non-reactive stock pot. Glass, enamel, SS or anodized aluminum. Do not use plain alumnum. This is easy to make in a large crockpot, less chance of scorching. Blanch peaches in boiling water for half a minute, immediately transfer to iced water. Skins should slip off easily. Chop peaches into 1/2 inch pieces and add to vinegar mixture. Blister the pepper skins over a flame, remove skin , split and seed peppers, chop finely. Add to peach/vinegar mixture. Mix together the lemon, Sultanas, figs and nuts (if used) and add to the peach/pepper/vinegar mixture. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stir every few minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until peaches are tender and appear translucent. Add the sugar or Splenda and the ginger, continue cooking, stirring often until the liquid has reduced and chutney has thickened. This will take about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, wash and sterilize 5 pint canning jars, and the lids. Place the jars into a wire canning rack in canning kettle. When the chutney is finished cooking, immediately ladle into the jars, using a canning funnel to keep the jar rim clean. Fill to within 1/4 inch of the top. Make sure rim is clean and dry, wipe with a dry cloth if necessary. Place the lids on the jars, then the rings, but do not tighten. Place canning kettle on burner, pour boiling water into kettle to within 1 inch of top of jars. Turn on burner and when water returns to boiling, set timer for 15 minutes. At end of 15 minutes, remove from water bath and place on thick towel. Using another towel, tighten lid ring. Allow jars to cool on towel, you will hear the lids "ping" as they cool down and will see a dimple in the center of the lid. This shows the seal is intact.

Pepper jellies are also very popular out here on the left coast. There are several California companies that produce these fiery sweets that are sold in markets. We even have a local cannery in the Antelope valley that produces hot jellies, jams and preserves to order for local retailers who label it under the store names. One local store sells Sam McGee's hot stuff from Idaho. I make a limited amount of sweet pepper preserves, however I do candy the little chile pequin and chile tepin peppers on request for a group of guys known as the Hotspur club, mostly from Edwards AFB. These are the original red-hots. A bee man in Pearblossom makes honey candy containing a chunk of hot pepper - similar to the Asian honey candies that contain a salted plum. His process is a secret...... Pearblossom is a wide place in the road between Palmdale and Victorville, on the way to Las Vegas, famous for the fruit that is grown there in the middle of the desert. The bee man "rents" his bees to the orchard owners so the bees will pollinate the blossoms. His honey is exceptional and the hot pepper honey and honey candy is unique. Unfortunately he is not on the 'net.

I like it, it is a bit spicier than our "regular" ketchup but actually has a smoother taste. I especially like it blended with mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (I know, I know, but it has its uses) to make the "Russian dressing" popular in the 40s and 50s.

Banana ketchup recipe 2 bananas, large. 1 1/4 cups water 1/4 cup sultanas plumped in 1/4 cup water 1/2 chopped onion 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup tomato paste 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup palm sugar (or dark brown sugar) 1/4 cup Golden syrup (or light corn syrup) 2 tablespoons dark rum 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper, ground 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground Chop peeled bananas and toss in blender with water. Blend till smooth. Scrape into micro-waveable glass bowl and set aside Add the sultanas in their liquid to the blender, then add the onion, garlic, tomato paste and vinegar. Blend well and add to bananas in bowl. Heat in microwave, full strength for 2 minutes Add the sugar, syrup, rum, stir well. Microwave for 3 minutes and stir well Mix the spices together and add to the mixture in the bowl. Blend thoroughly. Microwave for 5 minutes and stir thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl to mix everything. Repeat this process three or four times until the ketchup has reduced by 1/3 and is thickened to the correct consistency. This may take longer in very humid conditions. You may have to continue the microwave/stirring routine several additional times until the consistency is the way you expect ketchup to be. Allow to cool and place in blender, blend until totally smooth. When finished place in a sterilized glass jar. Allow to cool and store in the fridge for no more than two weeks. To make a spicier ketchup chop a small dried hot chile and soak in the water with the raisins.

We are fortunate here in Lancaster in that we have a number of "ethnic" markets, including Thai, Korean and Phillipino, as well as an Indian market in Palmdale, just next door. I love banana ketchup, I began buying it quite a few years ago, picked up a bottle on a whim and found it good. Another shopper in the store happened to remark that she made her own and would I like the recipe.... Well of course I would, no doubt about it. She invited me to her home and copied the recipe for me from a notebook that had seen a lot of kitchen action. A few weeks later I gathered the ingredients and set out to make a batch of my very own banana ketchup. The directions said it would make about two cups and to refrigerate for up to a week. I thought, heck, why not make a bigger batch and can it. so I made a bigger batch, I canned it and processed it in a waterbath and put it in the pantry. One jar was in the fridge being consumed with anything and everything that goes good with ketchup. One evening, I heard what I thought was a backfire, thought nothing more of it. A short time later a louder bang, accompanined by additional noises, tinkling sounds, hail on a tin roof, etc. Also my dogs were scratching at the pantry door. I opened the door and it looked like someone had been butchered in it. Red gloppy stuff was everywhere. One jar was intact so I put it in three plastic bags and relegated it to the trash where it also exploded. I hired a cleaning crew to come in and clean the pantry, I simply was not up to it. Did I make it again? Yes. However after this fiasco I processed it in the pressure cooker. No problems, no fermentation. Do you still want the recipe??????

I have a few of the silicone pans, mostly for small muffin type, however I do have a "Bundt" type silicone. You have to put them on a sheet pan before you fill them. Baked items do come out easily, totally non-stick. To me they are a novelty, I don't need them but they are rather fun to play with.

Dutch process cocoa is necessary. Droste is available in the UK. I have a friend in Yorkshire that uses it. If you use natural cocoa the cake will have a bitter flavor.

I was told some years ago that adding a little fortified wine to a white wine would keep it stable and stop it from oxidizing when using it to make vinegar. I add 1/4 cup sherry to a quart of white. Have had good results.

I have the Dualit 4 slice toaster with two sandwich toasting cages. It does make very good toast, it holds it in the toaster and keeps it warm until I use the lever to push it up. Other toasters do make toast as well. I have many toasters. I collect "antique" electrics, including toasters, mostly from the 20s and 30s, a few from the 40s. All in working condition. I also have two of the best toasters ever made. The General Electric automatic toaster oven that turned itself off and sprang open automatically when the toast, or whatever, was done. It has a smaller footprint than any other toaster oven and it toasted anything perfectly every time. I bought one in 1968 and another in 1974. I still have them both and they still work perfectly. When GE sold their small appliance division to Black and Decker they did not include the patent for this toaster. I have no idea why, because it was very popular but that is just the way it is. I have friends who have combed through thrift shops looking for these and having them rewired when found, after using one of mine. One of mine lives at my office and has toasted numerous bagels, rolls, bread, cheese sandwiches, mini pizzas, pizza slices and various other items. Why do I have the Dualit? It was a gift and I am obligated to use it to keep feelings from being hurt.

I have been preparing garlic infused oil for many years. However, I have never just placed garlic in cold oil as so many do, granted there are few incidents, but one is too many. I place the oil I am going to infuse in a large dutch oven in the oven, I bring up the oven heat to 200 degrees and when the oil reaches that temperature I add the garlic cloves. I roast the garlic for at least an hour, sometimes longer. The garlic actually carmelizes somewhat but retains its shape. I can the oil in pint jars, adding plenty of the cloves to each jar. It then goes into a waterbath for canning and the lids are tightened. I check every lid to make sure it is fully sealed before storing. This is the only truly safe way to infuse oil. I don't like to process it in vinegar because it often turns blue. Not attractive.

In a future post I will relate my "interesting" adventure in making banana ketchup.....