andiesenji

I've got a story about Chez Panisse from back in the early '70s. A friend and three of her friends were attending a conference in Berkeley for women writers and one of the four had an emergency and couldn't attend so my friend asked if I wanted to go with them as everything was paid and no refunds, and I was free that weekend. I don't recall a great deal about the conference as I just accompanied my friend to the panel discussions and workshops in which she was interested and as I was not a writer, did not pay much attention. However, we did have a memorable late lunch at Chez Panisse which was as I recall, exceptional and the owner came out to chat with us and introduced another lady who also happened to be attending the conference as "Mary Frances" and we chatted with both of them a few minutes before taking our leave. It wasn't until we were in the car, on the way back to the hotel, that we realized that Mary Frances was MFK Fisher. That was before the days of the internet and instant recognition of famous people - and the photos that usually appeared with her books were from decades prior. I have often wished that I could go back and thank her for all of her wonderful writings that I have enjoyed so much.

I'm laughing too because it reminded me of an "adventure" at a Chinese restaurant in L.A.s Chinatown some forty years ago. Not a tourist place but one of the side-street storefronts where everyone else was Chinese. My friend and I ordered the Wor Wonton soup, I had been there before and was familiar with it. The server brought a large bowl, plunked it in the middle of the table and ladled out two generous servings. My friend exclaimed at how "pretty" it was with then tiny purple "flowers" and was downing it with gusto when I told her the "flowers" were baby octopi. She paused for a moment, looked a little askance but then resumed eating and later remarked that as far as she was concerned they were still crunchy flowers because thinking about eating octopus was to her not all that appetizing, even though they tasted good...

That is clever. I have a thingy just for the disposal to keep small stuff from falling in... But yours looks much better and multi-tasking. Just ordered a green one...

I have several Breville appliances and get periodic emails one arrived today so I went to the website as my juicer needs a new jug (I managed to break it - my own fault). And then I went meandering through some other pages. Check this page for "accessories" for the large oven - there is a wire rack for $12.99.

Cook the soup longer, at a low simmer, which will "sweeten" the garlic. You can also freeze it (make sure it is double sealed) because freezing reduces garlic flavor significantly. If you can use dairy, for each cup of soup add a generous tablespoon of sour cream - this is a "trick" I learned decades ago from a chef friend when I was doing some catering. (Odd that back then there was very little "lactose intolerance" or it wasn't recognized.) It saved me having to re-do a vat of broccoli-cheddar soup.

I have also made a spicier version of pimento cheese and the proportions are almost exactly like that in Janeer's link. I prefer 1/2 aged cheddar, 1/4 colby and 1/4 jack. I do use the canned pimentos but to them add 1 or more Manzano or Rocoto peppers, which are quite hot but also sweet and taste of apples. A fruity flavor that enhances cheeses of all types. I don't add the sage but use the dry mustard and a scant pinch of nutmeg. I mix everything except the manzano or rocoto pepper (minced very fine) then add a bit at a time and taste until I get the perfect balance.

I dug out the old sink stopper, which also fits the garbage disposal side, so you can see the difference in construction. You can see that the narrow "flange" on the black stopper is very thin (and cracked in spots, due to age), while the newer one, I posted the link to above, has two flexible flanges. These may degrade with time but they are cheap enough so I have purchased backups.

To give you an example. A year ago they had chestnuts, peeled, in vac sealed bags, for microwaving for 60 seconds and they came out as good, if not better than the ones I cooked the traditional way (8.99 each). In January they went to the "sale" shelves priced at $2.99 each. I bought all of them and put them in the freezer - still have a few and they are as good as ever. The sale stuff may not always be in an obvious spot so ask.

You are very welcome. Years ago my dad used to say I should have been an engineer because of the way I could think up ways to use ordinary things in unusual ways.

No. But I don't use a regular strainer in the sink on the side without the garbage disposal - that side is a very deep sink that I use for soaking fruits in a water with vinegar solution as they keep longer with the "bath". I buy the stainless steel scrubbies, and stuff them down in the drain and put this stopper on top. The scrubby allows water to drain and catches everything that might clog up the drain and especially little bits of rock - because that drain transfers into the garbage disposal and it can get a bit noisy and those tiny pebbles can go right through a regular strainer. I measured my sink drain and from the rim to the bottom is 3 1/8 inches so plenty of room for the scrubby under the stopper. However you can always cut some of the scrubby "foil" off to reduce the size. I cut them in half for the bath tubs to keep hair from clogging the drains. I stick the scrubbies on the posts in the dishwasher to clean them.

It all depends on the store manager and how well he directs the staff. The TJs I shop at in Palmdale always has very fresh produce and they are checking daily to be sure there are no "expired" items in the cold case or on the produce gondolas. They check the other less perishable items weekly and have sets of shelves in the back with crackers and jarred items and seasonal items that are just at the "sell-by" date at greatly reduced prices, same with the breads. If you take anything back, even fruit that has been cut open, with which you are dissatisfied, they will return your money. This happened to me last year with some apples that looked good on the surface, were firm but black in the very center. No questions at all, and I didn't have my sales ticket but the price was on the bag and there was a cheerful refund. Talk to the manager and the produce manager together. I am never unwilling to make some noise when ANY retailer is falling down on the job. It means improvement for everyone.

I have had the same problem. I bought ONE OF THESE Problem solved. Actually I bought 3 so I have one for each sink and it fits the garbage disposal side too.

Lovely experience following along with your life-long food odyssey through America, Spain, England, France and other parts of Europe. I happen to have the exact same cream maker (and a couple of others) in my gadget collection and have actually experimented with using it the way the English had to during the post war decade when milk and butter was available but not heavy cream - except on or near dairy farms. I am especially envious of the cheeses that are available to you in such abundance, even though I have had to reduce my consumption of this ambrosial food on orders from my doctor. The outdoor market photos are lovely. Thanks for the virtual trip to your part of France. I wish I could join you.

I buy it at the local middle eastern market. I soak it in cold water, drain, steam allow to sit, toss and steam again. It is definitely not instant.

I found that blanching extracted a lot of the ginger flavor. I got the idea for steaming back in the very early '80s when I was in the kitchen of a restaurant down the block from my home at the time. I always walked up the alley and went through the kitchen and was familiar with the family (Hunan House, Reseda, CA) I would usually stop and chat and on one occasion I saw ginger cut into matchsticks in a steamer basket and portions were added to stir fry in the woks. I asked about it an was told that the ginger was too tough to go straight into the mix so it was steamed until tender and it retained all of its flavor, unlike boiling or simmering it (as so many recipes instruct). I tried it with sliced mature ginger root and the results were exactly what I was aiming for - which is why some of my ginger pieces are quite large.

I'm glad you are satisfied with the candied ginger process. It took me many years to get the results that I liked and could be made with "mature" ginger by steaming it first because fresh stem ginger was so difficult to get back during the late '70s and the '80s before there were so many Asian markets around.

If anyone is interested, I just put my recipe up on my blog. I've been meaning to do it for some time, this topic just prompted me to take it out of the "to do" folder and add it to the list of recipes. http://www.asenjigalblogs.com/resurrected-recipes-from-long-ago/andies-pumpkin-custard-pie/ I should add that for potlucks, I bake this in a large rectangular baking pan with the doubled recipe. It's easier to portion it into squares and set them on small plates (disposable) which looks nicer on a buffet.

I am also a food mill pumpkin person... I use my Foley food mill when doing large batches (for canning or freezing) but I use a ricer as noted by DiggingDogFarm because using a blender or food processor will give a much looser result and I like a tiny bit of texture left in the pumpkin EXCEPT when I am going to prepare a pudding or other dish where the end result must be very smooth and creamy. Pumpkin pies need some of that texture to remain light and tender. Otherwise it can turn into glue. Here are a couple of photos of a pumpkin custard pie (several eggs) with a closeup detail where you can see the texture. And how it looked immediately after removal from the oven when it had puffed up. The collapse is normal.

I have no idea but am looking forward to it. That photo is so reminiscent of several photos that were sent to me by friends who were traveling in Spain a few months ago. Pictures of the medieval towns of Besalu and Beget, Cardona and others, can't recall the names now. They took some wide-angle panorama views from a hilltop trail above a valley with two or three hilltop villages with similar structures. I think they were in Catalonia.

I've posted this before but can't find the topic. This is a very easy recipe and produces a thin, tender and PUFFY pita. Here is my recipe: This is so much better than store bought. Pita Bread Very easy 2-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (I add 2 tablespoons if all I have is all-purpose flour) 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons rapid-rise or "instant" yeast 2 tablespoons oil, olive or canola or grape seed. 1-1/4 cups water room temp. Measure the flour (unsifted) into a large bowl. Add the salt, yeast and oil. Make a "well" in the center of the flour and pour in the water. Using your hands, bring the flour into the water and continue mixing until a ball of dough is formed. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 15 minutes. (If you have a mixer that has a dough hook you can place all ingredients into the mixing bowl, blend until ingredients form a ball then continue mixing for about 10 minutes with the mixer set on lowest speed. Or you can use a food processor add all the dry ingredients, pulse briefly to mix, add the oil and pulse. Then, with the processor running, slowly add the water until the dough forms a ball, usually takes only about 20 seconds total. The dough should feel silky and soft but not flabby, when a thumb is pressed into the dough it should fill in quickly. Spray the inside of a large Zip-lock bag with Pam or similar oil spray. Place the dough ball into the bag and seal. Set aside to rise until it has doubled in size. At normal room temp this should be about an hour to an hour and a half. Turn the dough out onto the floured board, knead 3 or 4 times then stretch into a fat cylinder. Cut in half, then cut the halves in half, and so on, so that you end up with 8 pieces of dough. Roll the pieces into balls and press flat into a disk. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with oil, place disks on it then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Set aside to rest for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 475 degrees, F. Using a rolling pin, flatten the disks on a lightly floured board and roll into about a 6-inch circle. They should be about 1/4 inch thick or slightly less. If you have a baking stone you can bake the pita directly on it, mist the stone with water before placing the pita on the hot stone then mist the pita. Otherwise, place the pita on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place on center shelf in oven. Mist the pita and close the oven door. Watch closely. In about 3-4 minutes the pita will have blown up like a balloon and are done. They should not brown, but might show a little color around the edges. Immediately remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Depending on the size of your oven you should be able to bake 3 or 4 at a time. You have to leave room above the pita for them to expand. To reheat, fold into a kitchen towel and heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds.

That's a great deal. I paid a lot for mine but pro-rating it over the years I have had it, it has more than paid for itself. And many people have had problems with various appliances like this because they simply DO NOT READ THE DIRECTIONS! One woman had seen a Cuisinart used on a cooking show without the feed tube plunger in place (because some "experts" learned how to "jimmy" the switch inhibitor) and declared it "will not work" because she tried to leave the apparatus off. When I explained to her that it was a safety feature, she wouldn't listen and ended up taking it back to the store. She had purchased it at Costco so no questions asked.

The reason I hang on to my 25-year-old 20 cup Cuisinart (the "commercial size") is because it really comes in handy when I have a large batch of something to process without having to empty the bowl many more times. It has a heavier motor (it weighs a lot more than the 14 cup) and can run continuously without heating up.

Yes. Jaggery is just about the same as panela which is easier to find in Hispanic markets. There is a middle eastern grocery store here that carries it in these big molded loafs but also carries the broken stuff in bags. They used to have it in square slabs but apparently the distributor couldn't get it for a time so they found another supplier direct from India. The black tea and cardamom can work as a base for masala chai. You need to add star anise, cloves, cinnamon and I like to add some peppercorns.

Apple butter is applesauce taken to the next level and it can be glorious.

Jaggery is pure raw sugar in a "loaf" form, molded, pressed and dried no chemicals used. Here's a 2.2 pound loaf - I use a very coarse rasp to grate off small amounts. For larger amounts I break the loaf into chunks and either pound it in a mortar or if breaking up the entire loaf, I smash it into chunks that will fit in the meat grinder and process it through that (a manual one that is solid steel). And an online article.