andiesenji

There is this thread about Mustard oil in the India forum from a couple of years back. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=9168 I buy mustard oil at an Indian grocery. I don't see why you couldn't put this up in jars after you make it. You have to use a hot water bath as you would any other canned item. I will check and see if I can find anything more about it as soon as I can find what I did with the cookbook that has all the salsas, sambals, chutneys and etc. I note that this is not cooked. I would process the garlic in vinegar before adding it to the mixture, only because of the possibility of botulism. The waterbath method does not heat the garlic enough to kill the organism, however high acidity will. When I make sambals or other condiments I will not be cooking, I roast the garlic in oil before I add it to the mixture. The flavor is simply richer and there is no possibility of botulism.

ImageGullet is working so here are my mustard photos. Newly threshed mustard seed A close up of the seeds: Black, brown and yellow. Six quarts of mustard seed soaking in the vinegar mixture: A Pyrex bowl in which the partially processed mustard, ground in a Vita-Mix blender and has been microwaved and stirred until it is partially tempered. It will be set aside to mature for a few days then tasted and if needed further heating to lessen the bite if still too strong. It will then be combined with other ingredients and canned. Shown side by side so the color change can be seen.

I do make my own mustard in large batches but I gave the measurements for a small batch because I thought that not everyone would want to make several pints at a time for canning. I have found that I have much more control using the microwave and if I could get my photos up you could see the size of the bowl I use. That being said, you don't need a regular double boiler. A wide stainless steel bowl works best, set over simmering water in a pot that is of a size to keep the bottom of the bowl above the water but allow it to sit deep enough that it is stable. As the mustard is heating, stir it a few times and when it becomes hot, stir constantly and when it changes color and begins to look a bit "slick" take the bowl from the pot and place it on a thick towel. Continue stirring a bit until it begins to cool. Taste it, it is best to put a dab on a water cracker or a bread cube. If it still has the effect that you feel in your sinuses, cook it a bit more. Every batch is different and you have to taste as you go. If you have a very heavy-bottomed, non-stick skillet you can also cook it over direct heat but you have to be very quick, moving it on and off low heat while constantly stirring. This is tricky but much faster than the double boiler method. Regarding the creamy mustards, you have to grind the dry seed to make this, unless you have a wet mill. I advise anyone who is going to grind dry mustard seed (or very hot chiles) in one of the electric "spice" grinders to either take it outside or place it inside a jumbo plastic bag before opening the grinder, or wear a dust mask (and safety goggles). Invariable when you pull the top off the grinder some of the powder poofs up and zowie!

Perhaps I should have titled this "Condiments" - - -Why not, etc., etc., etc... I plan on making a couple of Sambals as last evening I scraped the bottom of the jar of Sambal Badjak. I just ordered the more exotic ingredients which are difficult to find locally and hopefully they will arrive in time to make a batch this weekend. I have a lot of green tomatoes so green tomato chutney is on the schedule. Chile sauce will be on the list as the chiles and tomatoes ripen. I am still trying to duplicate the taste of my favorite sweet chile sauce made by Mae Ploy. I have a liter jar of palm sugar which makes a big difference in the taste and texture of these condiments. Fun to make and tasty, all of these flavor enhancers.

My childhood culinary traditons were unusual (but I did not realize it at the time) because the two people who were most important in the household were Victorians and ran the household their way. My great grandmother was a stickler for tradition and even now, when I go to a formal dinner, there doesn't seem to be enought flatware on the table. The basics were English, overlaid by certain foods of India and the middle east, where my grandfather had spent some years. All these prepared by a Gullah woman from the Carolina lowcountry who had her own traditional way of preparing foods. Many times there were rather ecletic combinations of foods appearing on the table. There was a very large extended family so each meal included several main dishes and numberous sides. Family meals during the day usually included us children, but often we had our supper much earlier than the adults had dinner, particularly if any guests were visiting. We were expected to eat what was put before us without argument (or making faces). This taught me that wonderful flavors can be found in the most mundane-appearing items. Every new food is an adventure.

The apricot/habanero combination is great with cheese, mixed into cream cheese it makes a great spread. White cheeses in particular are a good combination. a thin slice of goat cheese on a cracker and topped with a dab of this conserve is yummy. It is also a good dipping sauce for fritters, for fried mozz sticks, etc. When I use ginger in one of these, I usually cut it into matchsticks first and steam until tender, then chop and add to the apricots and cook as usual. The ginger will retain its form so one gets little chewy bits of ginger in with the smooth apricot. If I want a smooth product I grate it and cook with the apricots without steaming. (I make large batches of candied or crystalized ginger and I always slice and steam the ginger first. This way it retains all of the flavor instead of losing some when it is boiled the traditional way. I grow my own ginger and some of the corms are very large and steaming is the only way to make the slices tender.)

I have to say that Vincent Price is my favorite. He was enthusiastic about food and the cookbook compiled by he and his wife is wonderful. I was fortunate to get their signatures in the book when I worked one of the Motion Picture Country Hospital events during the holidays in 1965. It was newly published and when I was asked to work at the dinner I took the chance and carried it with me. The doctor for whom I worked at the time in his private practice, was one of the doctors for the MPR Fund (later he was medical director of the hospital for several years) and a great many film and TV people were his patients. There were quite a few actors who were interested in the culinary arts and they often asked questions as they were selecting items at the buffet. It is interesting, now that I look back on it, that none of the actors and others in the business, who were food enthusiasts, were ever remote or unfriendly. If they shared an interest with someone it did not matter who or what they were. Invariably, they were the nicest people in the business.

I posted this earlier in Classic Cakes that need Resurrecting. It keeps very well, stays moist, is dense and a little goes a long way so it will serve quite a few people. For shipping, I would bake it in rectangular pans filled only half way, so this recipe should be divided between two of the standard 9 x 11 cake pans. Wrap each in foil (the new "Release" foil is excellent) as soon as they are completely cool then stack them and wrap in heavy duty foil, then place in one of the Jumbo bags with the zip closure. The Hefty One-Zip is 2 1/2 gallons, bigger than the other jumbo bags, and will hold this easily. There is no need to glaze it, the cake is rich enough to stand on its own without icing. Speaking of resurrecting "classic" cakes, this one is truly ancient. Here is a very old family recipe. The earliest mention of the cake is in one of my ancestor's journals ca. 1690. My great-grandmother found the "receipt" and deciphered the recipe in about 1880. Although it was prepared at other times of the year, it was always called Christmas Cake. I brought it up to date about 20 years ago when I was allowed access to my great grandmama's journals. I have continued to refine it right up to the present. Like many cakes of that era it contains dried fruits and is fairly heavy. You can use a combination of dried fruits, but the larger ones have to be chopped so all pieces are about the same size. I have used cherries, cranberries, blueberries, black currants, Zante currants, sultanas and my home-dried extra sweet seedless red grapes, dried plums, dried persimmons, peaches and pears. As long as the total amount is as listed in the recipe, it doesn't matter about the combination. I often make this for parties and most people love it. Technically it is a "fruit" cake but even people who do not care for fruitcake will eat this. Also like most of the English cakes that are served at tea, it keeps very well, as I have noted in the recipe. FRUITED COCOA CAKE original recipe ca. 1690 Notes: It is important to use Dutch process cocoa. I use King Arthur Flour's Double Dutch Cocoa and Black Cocoa Half and Half. However any Dutch process cocoa will do. 1 cup BUTTER unsalted 1-1/2 tsp SALT 1 tsp CINNAMON 1 tsp CLOVES, ground 1 tsp NUTMEG, ground 1 tsp ALLSPICE, ground 1/3 cup COCOA, Dutch process 3 cups superfine SUGAR 4 extra-large EGGS 3 tsp BAKING SODA 4 cups unbleached FLOUR 1-1/2 cups CURRANTS 1-1/2 cups DRIED CHERRIES 1-1/2 cups WALNUTS, chopped or pecans or macadamia nuts, etc. 3 cups APPLESAUCE, unsweetened chunky style if you can find it, even better is homemade. Preheat oven to 350 F Grease and flour a deep 11" x 15" pan or 2 10-inch square pans or 2 holiday mold pans. In a large mixing bowl (or mixer bowl) cream together butter, salt, spices, cocoa and sugar. beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Mix baking soda with flour and sift, reserve 2 heaping tablespoons. Instead of sifting the flour you can simply put it in a large bowl and run a wire whisk through it which does the same as sifting, i.e. fluffing it up a bit. Add flour to batter alternately with applesauce. Sprinkle the fruit and nuts with the reserved flour, toss to coat well and fold into cake batter. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 1 hour or until cake tests done. (deeper pans will require longer baking) ORANGE GLAZE (Optional) GRATED PEEL OF 2 ORANGES 1/3 CUP SUGAR 1/4 CUP WATER 1 CUP ORANGE JUICE 3 TABLESPOONS GRAND MARNIER LIQUOR OR BRANDY Combine ingredients in saucepan, bring to simmer, stirring constantly, continue cooking until liquid is reduced by 1/2. Drizzle over cake ( I use a turkey baster and a perforated spoon as the glaze is too hot to dip my fingers into which is usually the way I drizzle icing) . After the glaze has set, decorate edges of the cake and the plate edges with powdered sugar sifted thru a fine sieve or use a cut-out pattern or paper "lace" doily.

I have a Villaware but I seldom use it just for myself. It is easier to use my grill pan with sear top (press). I use the electric one when I entertain and set out various breads, rolls and fillings so people can make their own.

A cup of strong tea (milk and suger(Splenda now that I am a diabeatnik) and a hunk of crusty bread slathered with home made or Euro style butter.

Baveuse? That's it: baveux thanks for the memory assist.

These guys have peppers which are a habanero/scotch bonnet cross. http://www.peteshydrohot.com/fresh.htm I know there are several people on the Chile-Heads list that grow Scotch Bonnets but I don't know if they have them for sale. Sign on to the list and post the question. They are a helpful bunch. If the information is out there they will provide it. I have been a list member for more than five years. Have attended hotluck meetings, great people. http://GlobalGarden.com/Chile-Heads/list_info.phtml This page has a huge list of links. http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Food/Condiments/S...Hot_and_Pepper/ email Susan Byers, The Chile Woman chilewmn@bluemarble.net She has over 100 varieties of chile pepper plants - great person to deal with. I can't find the printed catalog right at the moment but she may have the plants. They grow rapidly and do well in pots so you should be able to get a crop this year.

I used to go every year, always on Friday. I was showing dogs then and had a motorhome. The Santa Barbara shows were on the prior weekend Saturday through Monday in Buellton and I would stay with friends in Paso Robles on Tuesday and Wednesday and drive to Gilroy on Thursday, spend all day Friday at the festival and drive on to Livermore for that weekends shows. Needless to say everyone knew I had been at the festival. One year, while I was having photos taken of a win with one of my dogs, the judge remarked that when he walked up to examine my dog for the first time the aroma took him back to his first trip to France and his introduction to aioli. The dogs never complained........... I haven't been in recent years because it is difficult for me to walk around for more than a few minutes but I certainly enjoyed every time I did go.

This is the reason I microwave the mustard I make to adjust the flavor and lessen the bite. When it is first mixed, it is so strong that it can irritate the stomach. Heating will lessen this effect and you can use more. Your recipe sounds very flavorful. My other reason for heating is that the mustard will then keep much longer. And of course with processing and sealing it will keep indefinitely. I started growing my own many years ago. I was actully growing it for the greens but was away on a dog show circuit for a couple of weeks and the entire patch bolted (went to seed). I came home to 5 foot tall plants loaded with long seed pods. The stuff grows like a weed and because of our long growing season I can get three crops a year. I pick the leaves from the base of the plant while they are young so I actually get a double crop out of them. Nice!

If the jars are properly sanitized and the filled jars placed in a water bath afterwards, can the unopened mustard be stored in non-refrigerated storage? Nice recipe, Ihope to try it soon. Yes, that is the way I process them. The mustard itself is a preservative and will keep without refrigeration after opening as long as nothing is introduced into it that can spoil. In other words, use a clean spoon to take the mustard from the jar. Don't do as one of my friends did, use a knife to spread mayonnaise on a piece of bread then stick the same knife into the jar of mustard carrying a bit of mayonnaise along. When I yelled about it, he said he would just keep the jar of mustard in the fridge. He had no idea why I was so upset.

I forgot to mention that I also combine apricot jam with my homemade mustard sauce. Everyone who has tried it thinks it is super. I can't get into ImageGullet so can't post the pics of my mustard making. Or the apricot processing.

I have been cooking apricots, for the past couple of days. I also have both my dehydrators full of split apricots. I combine apricots with rocoto (also known as Manzano) peppers. Some people think they are hotter than Habaneros, but I don't. They have an apple flavor and the ones I grow are the same color as apricots when ripe. They are the only pepper with black seeds and I leave a few seeds in the conserve to identify the hot stuff, just in case the lable falls off. Some of this I combine with red onion/garlic marmalade which makes a killer sauce for grilled chicken or pork. I also combine apricots with lime marmalade, layering it in the tall "quilted" jelly jars to make it look like a parfait. I make a jelly from an infusion of anise hyssop (the root beer plant) and mix that with apricot preserves. However, the most popular combination I make is apricot/ginger.

If you are referring to a thin basting liquid, yes I do, but only on meats I am cooking with indirect heat, not on meats directly over the fire. I occasionall mop cold-smoked meats also, if the surface appears to be drying too much, too quickly. I start the meats with a dry rub and about half-way into the cooking I begin mopping every time I turn the meat. One would get flare-ups if mopping over direct heat. I have seen it done but prefer to do it my way.

At the first French method class I attended the chef instructed us in how to make a puffy omelet using no utensils, the pan had to be swirled a few times as the omelet puffed and then the omelet was flipped and returned briefy to the heat then almost immediately slid onto the plate. He did not want the eggs fully set, they had to be very soft. He used a term for this that escapes me at the moment. (Senior moment?) My first few tries were less than perfect, one was a disaster, omelet drape over the handle and my hand, ouch, but eventually I got it. He gave me my first "real" omelet pan, thin steel that practically has to be dipped in oil to keep it from rusting - I still have it....

I chop them and toss with a medley of steamed wild and brown rices along with crumbled crisp bacon. Tucked into pita this is very tasty.

So, Episure, What kind of mustard do you make?

It's nice to know that there is another enlightened soul who uses caramelised onions in homemade mustard. I love the flavor of carmelized onions, shallots, garlic, etc., etc. The flavor of oil roasted garlic is also wonderful. I am reluctant to take a chance on cold infused oil because of botulism so I roast garlic in a large glass Dutch oven in a slow oven for a long period. The garlic carmelizes in the oil, flavors the oil which can be bottled and sealed and doesn't need refrigeration. The garlic itself is canned in just enough oil to cover and it also makes great gifts. My kitchen is redolent of garlic until the exhaust system is able to filter it out, however I love it so no complaints from me.

I have never tried the greens bags, however when I have a lot of leafy greens from the garden, I wash them, then tuck them)5{-washed and bleached pillow case and place them on a plastic filing tray (just a grid, to allow air to circulate under the bag) on a middle shelf in the fridge (fridge has glass shelves.) I do dampen the bag with a spritzer if it dries out completely because of the fan in the fridge. They keep very nicely for at least three days. For iceberg lettuce, I have an ancient Tupperware lettuce keeper with a spike in the bottom which keeps the lettuce crisp and good for a very long time. I had a larger no-name one that worked even better, but a friend "borrowed" it and it has yet to find its way home again.

The base is always a bit sweet. That helps in the cooking to adjust the amount of bite in the mustard. The sweetness then can be tempered by adding other flavors. Capers or caperberries, some of the bitter herbs, horseradish, etc., I also add citrus zest or candied peel, chiles, ginger, garlic roasted in oil, carmelized onions. I have made mustard with stout, for a friend who likes it made that way. The possible variations are endless.

This may seem a bit simplistic, but if you remove the crisper drawers, put a thick terry towel on the bottom of the fridge, you can get a lot more produce in that space, you just have to be sure and put the heavy stuff on the bottom.