andiesenji

Welcome Indeed! We love desserts. And there are many fans of Moroccan foods here. We have had extensive discussions of tagines and other clay pot cookery, breads and pastries. I tried my hand at making walnut fingers, gazelle horns, the Moroccan biscotti - I can't recall the name right now.

I received an Amazon gift certificate for Mother's Day so I purchased this wonderful cookbook which has been discussed at length on a couple of foodie forums. I got it on the recommendation of people that I trust and it has certainly lived up to the promise. It is a thick, heavy (570 pages) book full of stories, history and wonderful recipes. I have been delving into it since it arrived on Wednesday and am so pleased I heard about it because this is the kind of cookbook that really stimulates my imagination and ramps up my ambition to cook something different. At the Amazon site there is the "Click to look inside" option. Take a look at the Table of Contents, page IV, which lists some of the fascinating subjects, such as: The First "Recipe Book" in Human History. Or, Elements of the Medieval Baghdadi Cuisine and Affinities with Ancient Mesopotamian Cooking... Hassouni mentioned this book in a post in this topic in 2011 - and I did purchase the earlier, self-published book from an online site but received a damaged paperback with several missing pages, which was grossly overpriced - I returned it for a refund (and received a rather snide message from the seller, which made me vow to never buy from that bookstore again). I forgot all about the book until I came across a discussion on a blog I subscribe to, also there was a mention on Facebook which noted that it had been updated and published anew in 2013.

That looks perfect, Anna. Would it be too much to ask for you to send me your malt loaf recipe so I can play with it?

In some of my sweet breads that include fruits, nuts, heavy fruit pastes, etc., I add dry whole milk powder and vital wheat gluten to increase the protein and promote a better rise. This is especially effective - with a noticeable difference - with "pull-apart" breads that are made with a lot of cinnamon - which inhibits yeast activity. I know some people dispute this but with 50 years of baking experience, I have seen this many times and it is why layers of dough separate when cinnamon is between them. I used to buy the whole milk "bakers" stuff from King Arthur flour, but more recently have purchased Nido at the Mexican market and now it is available at Walmart. The "non-fat" dry milk powders that are usually found in supermarkets, simply do not produce the same results.

I'm bumping this up to let anyone who has a KA 5-quart bowl lift mixer that I just listed a new steel bowl WITH the copper liner on ebay. Just in case anyone is interested and either needs an extra bowl or really wants a copper liner. I've priced it very competitively, compared to others currently listed - (199.00 and 225.00 just for the copper liner).

I remember Shmoos.(no "c") I was ten and Lil Abner was one of our favorite funnies. I had a Shmoo figurine, glasses, egg cup, pencil box and writing tablets. You are correct! This pan would be the perfect size and shape for a Shmoo roast.

That is gorgeous. I sold my large fish poacher years ago - it was constructed very similar to that vessel. And recently sold my huge copper couscousiere on ebay.

Yes. I have several tagines - various sizes - that work nicely on the plate. Also use my Corning ware which work great, with even heat across the entire bottom - my gas stove top has two large burners, one medium and two small "simmer" burners and those produce hot spots in the Corning vessels that are wider. I use the induction burners when I don't have adequate room on the stove top - or when I want to leave the house with something cooking in a tagine or cazuela or similar pot. I also use it for my "stoneware" comal. My friend who owns a bakery/cafe has a double induction burner (commercial) and he has a lot of aluminum cookware so he needs the accessory discs so he doesn't have to replace all his favorites. He has a big range in the back kitchen but he serves Sunday brunches with eggs cooked to order in the front so got the induction burner rather than install a permanent appliance - he uses that counter for other tasks during the week. Here's a good explanation.

I have an induction burner with an accessory plate so I can use anything on it. I use it with my copper cookware which behaves about the same as on a regular electric burner. Mostly I use it for boiling water in a deep stockpot in which I am going immerse a perforated insert for blanching large batches of fruits and vegetables - I have it placed on a rolling cart that is several inches LOWER than my cooktop because it is awkward (and unsafe) to work on a higher level for me - and I am 5'6" so it would be practically impossible for someone shorter. I also use it for my tagines - because the temperature control is much easier than on gas - even with the copper plate and especially because I can go off and leave it without worrying that the flame will go out - - - I originally bought the Max Burton induction burner that came with an 8" disc but as I also have a BergHoff (to replace my old Supentown that died) and it has a larger diameter coil, I bought one of these because large pans sit firmly on the larger diameter disc. For me this allows more versatility in using the induction burners - I have a lot of ceramic and Pyrex stovetop cookware and this accessory disc allows me to use them.

No jamboniere, that I know of (not sure what that is). I have quite a few inherited antique or vintage cooking vessels. I have several cast iron skillets, baking pans, bowls and a very old dough trough - made from a huge chestnut burl all in regular use. I have several copper saucepans with lids that have the long handles - those are French from the '20s and '30s, all tin lined and I have had them re-tinned a few times. In fact I used a kit for re-tinning them myself once - not too successful - it requires expert handling. I like cooking with copper because I have been doing it for a long, long time and I know what to expect. As I said in an earlier post, it is strictly personal preference - how a handle fits your hand, how responsive the pan is for a particular task. I don't care all that much about appearance - although there is something about the glow of copper that appeals to me but I don't have to have it highly polished all the time.

I saw your post about the Malt loaf. - Every malt loaf I have made - both "quick" with chemical leavening and with years have been DENSE and with very little rise. The one recipe that uses baking powder - calls for a TABLESPOON - "if not using self-rising flour or if your S-R flour is more than 6 months old." I remember it - I made it last December for a potluck - I think I got it out of Good Food, the UK magazine. I used a paper loaf pan and filled it to the top because it stated the loaf would rise very little. It was dark, dense, moist and very tasty.

Do they rise and then fall? If they are particularly dense, they might not rise much at all. I have a couple of recipes that will "dome" in the center a bit but do not rise all that much. Are they going into the oven immediately after beating the dry ingredients into the wet? If they are particularly "wet" batters, try putting the oven temp up 25 degrees for the first 15 minutes and then reduce it to the regular temp. That is what I do with a particularly wet and dense pumpkin bread which otherwise just behaves like a brick. Lastly, try omitting the soda entirely unless there is a LOT of acidic components in the batter. For most applications, unless you are using REAL old-fashioned buttermilk, which is much more acidic than the commercial stuff, the baking powder should be sufficient - you can increase the amount slightly - because in these recipes, soda is only added to promote browning - and in the case of some ingredients (carrots and zucchini) is essential to SOFTEN those raw ingredients. I have a couple of recipes that call for 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder - I use 2 teaspoons and have had good results. Recently one of the segments on America's Test Kitchen had a bit on quick breads and she mentioned specifically that they had found that some of the recipes they tested did much better consistently with more baking powder than the original recipe specified. I make one applesauce/oatmeal muffin recipe that is quite dense and in addition to the baking powder and the soda, specifies 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar - which is a component of baking powder - so I just use additional baking powder, instead of the soda and C of T, and the results are better than the original recipe.

I grow the "French" dandelions that have much longer and more tender leaves. And they are slower to "bolt" or produce flowers, even in the heat of the desert, than ordinary dandelions. They have a pretty blue flower that is also edible - slightly sweet. They are very tasty in salads, as cooked greens and they make a nice decorative container plant. Some of the leaves will grow to two feet - although I pick them at about a foot long. They are easy to grow in almost any soil and once you have them, you can save the seeds for future generations. The roots have long been used as a safe diuretic as the compounds do not cause loss of potassium as other diuretics do. Seeds

I'm assuming it was made in France as that was where it was purchased in 1899 by my grandfather as a gift for his mother. It is fully hand-hammered, only the bronze handles are castings. It's possible it was made in Belgium, but I can't say for certain. In the summer kitchen (detached from the house) where I grew up, there was a low coal or wood stove with a round "lid" which was at least twice the size of those on regular kitchen ranges and that was where this pot was used to cook preserves, jams, jellies and etc. The only time it was fired up during the winter was before the holidays when there was a lot of candy-making. I remember this being used to cook big batches of molasses for making taffy.

One that I can no longer easily lift, even when empty - but is a wonderful preserving and candy pan, is this round-bottom "sugar" pan that requires a wok ring. I had a free-standing propane burner (like the ones made for deep frying turkeys) with a ring in which the pan sat securely. It has bronze handles and was made just before the turn of the last century. I've made jams and preserves in stainless steel and enamel on cast iron pots and in my personal opinion, the bare copper simply works better at cooking the preserves with no hot spots. I have a smaller one for making caramel. I also have this tin-lined soup kettle. It's a 14 quart. I've taken very good care of it, the tin lining is fully intact - I've only used wood or silicone utensils in it. Again, it is too heavy for me to lift when it is full of soup or stew - age and arthritis has limited my activities. I decided I have to part with it so it is on ebay. I do much better with a wider and shallower pot which is easier to ladle from.

I got my first stainless steel lined Bourgeat saucier - 2.5 liter pan when the SS lined pans were first introduced and it is HEAVY. 5 pounds, 10.4 oz. It is 10.2 inches in diameter at the (flared) rim - the current catalog lists a 9.5" and I have not compared them side by side to the newer ones but when I picked one up in a store, to me it felt lighter. When I purchased it the care instructions indicated that the copper body was 2.5 mm plus the stainless steel liner. Then, of course, there is that cast iron handle which is thicker and longer than the handles on my old tin-lined copper pans - which are also heavy, but similar size pans are not as heavy as this one. I really love this pan and use it more than any other because I am used to the way it responds to heat, a balloon whisk exactly matches the interior contours of the pan and it is deep enough to beat things vigorously without spraying the stuff out. I'm willing to "make-do" with some item in the kitchen but I have yet to find another pan of this shape and size (and I have tried many, from very expensive to fairly cheap) that works as well for ME and for this I will not compromise. As in many things, your kitchen tools are personal preference and my personal wishes have been honed during 50+ years of cooking but I'm not going to tell anyone else what they should use. One of my good friends is still using a set of Revereware purchased in the 1960s and has served her well while raising five children and three grandchildren. She does have one cast iron skillet used exclusively for frying chicken...

It's been difficult for me to get my head around the fact of his untimely death. When I first joined eG in 2004 - he and Gifted Gourmet were the first to welcome me to the fold and both encouraged me to expand on some of the topics in which I posted. Over the years he also wrote me private messages to tell me to ignore the posts of people who criticized the content of my posts because the information did not conform to their ideas. He was very kind and very supportive. A true "gentleman" in every sense of the word.

I'm not about to try any tomato leaves in my food. At the senior center last Friday I was chatting with a group of ladies I hang out with (we are all elderly) and since most have been enthusiastic gardeners in the past, I asked what they thought about consuming tomato leaves. All expressed surprise that anyone would bother because they are known to cause problems. One lady who only recently got rid of her goats said that goats will eat just about anything but will avoid tomato plants even if they are hungry and that is the only green plant around. And you can make an effective insecticide from tomato leaves: See the article here. Same formula with potato leaves.

These are very mundane compared to the fancy cakes and cookies y'all are producing. I had some dough left over from making bread several days ago. It has been "resting" in the fridge. This morning I awakened it, allow it to warm up a bit, rolled it out and applied a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and chopped pecans, rolled it up, cut into segments and into a baking pan on a thin layer of brown sugar. Allowed rise until doubled in size then into the oven. Very nice with coffee. Tea would work too...

I phoned the Irwindale City Manager's office: 626-430-2217 -- His name is John Davidson, Receiptionist(sic) Clerk is Claudia Gallardo and Executive Assistant is Laura Snyder. (Obviously someone needs some spell check instruction to learn how to accurately spell receptionist!) I expressed my opinion that only a bunch of idiots would drive a THRIVING BUSINESS away from the city to please what appears to be FOUR individual home owners. Not only will they lose taxes from the company, if the workers no longer have jobs and own homes (several who work there are homeowners) and without jobs will not be able to pay local taxes, the city is going to LOSE REVENUE! Such stupidity is incomprehensible. On their "Business & Development" page they seem to be trying to ATTRACT BUSINESSES. Frankly, I think they are insane. Over the weekend I met and had a chat with some folks visiting relatives here. One guy is a motorsports event manager and said they had been contemplating an event at the Irwindale Raceway in 2015 but after seeing this on the news, decided to take the event to Las Vegas because several board members are huge fans of Sriracha and absolutely refuse to take an event that will generate a lot of income for locals into Irwindale.

I've had The Book of Tea for a very long time - my copy was published in the 1960s - and exhibits the traits of a well-thumbed book that has been read many times. Reprints are available on Amazon or your can go to ABEbooks and get one of the earlier editions - nothing has changed since the author died in 1919. It is still an interesting read, although there are newer books that bring our understanding of tea and the tea trade up to date.

Today I spent a lot of time with my Thermomix. Early this morning made oatmeal (steel cut "pinhead") which cooked on its own, needing no attention from me. Mid morning the bowl came out of the dishwasher - made sure it was totally dry and ground some coffee (my coffee mill is apparently wandering because I couldn't find it today). Washed and dried the TM and cooked some pumpkin puree until it was very thick and suitable for some tarts (to bake tomorrow). Rinsed it out and have it loaded to cook a batch of mushroom and artichoke risotto, which I will start when the roast guinea hen that is currently in the Sharp oven is almost done. I could get along without the TM but I don't want to. I don't use it near as much as the folks on ForumThermomix do (mostly in Australia) but I find that when I do need it, it saves me a log of time and effort. Today I published a page on my blog about the mundane kitchen utensils that we use every day without much thought. The ones in the photos are all "vintage" and some have seen better days, but they are still functional.

Since I have a sensitivity to some tomato plants - the potato-leaf varieties, and have to wear gloves and long sleeves or end up with welts on my arms when working with the plants, I will err on the side of caution. I had what was then called "serum hepatitis" back in the 1960s - from a needle stick when I was drawing blood on a patient who jerked away - and I have taken very good care of my liver and refuse to experiment with any foods that may compromise it. Also I have kidney disease, another contraindication for consuming these alkaloids which may or may not be toxic but are inadvisable for me. Alcohol is not poisonous per se but could kill me because I have an allergy to it. Not everyone is the same and not every person has the same tolerance to certain chemical compounds. My puppy died from eating a tomato plant, which caused liver and kidney failure - the vet said his symptoms and the post mort showed organ changes similar to that seen when pets (or people) ingest antifreeze but there was no sign of ethylene glycol in the tox tests. Consumption of certain GMO foods for GENERATIONS is just now beginning to show the long term effects. The problems, which have been recognized in other countries, which have banned GMO foods, is that these things were INTRODUCED into out diet without our knowledge or consent. We are a nation of guinea pigs and no one knows when the ticking time bomb will explode.

That's pretty much my attitude. I love gadgets and appliances and "stuff" old and new. A friend asked what I would take if forced to move into a smaller place and I tried to make a list but suffered severe angst about having to part with any of my "toys".

My Sharp Convection/Microwave oven - I use it for so many things - when I don't need the bigger oven. I baked a lovely loaf of bread in it today. The rotating rack means the bread rises and bakes evenly every time. Same with cakes - no need to turn them half way thru baking time. And the fan is not as strong as the one in the Cadco oven so I don't need a barrier to prevent ripples when baking custard pies, cheesecakes, etc. I also posted these photos on Facebook right after the loaf came out of the oven.