andiesenji

I received a gift basket of cheeses from Artisanal Premium Cheese - a vendor that had escaped my notice before this. (I'm a huge fan of IGourmet) This one includes Langres, Comté, Chaource, Piper's Pyramid and Ashley. Otherwise I got gift cards...

I have the cookbooks authored by John Ash and he explains the "why" of things in language anyone can understand. It's no surprise that they have won awards. From the Earth to the Table - Winner of the Julia Child "Cookbook of the Year" from the IACP and John Ash, Cooking One on One - Private Lessons - with Amy Mintzer - Winner of the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award I've owned American Game cooking since it was first published 20 years ago. And I am anxiously awaiting the publication (next fall) of Culinary Birds, since I first heard about it a couple of months ago. http://culinarybookcreations.com/portfolio.php

They look great to me, Patrick. I like them with some "heft" to the dish, not a fan of "runny" grits.

You can also get a "heating pad" specifically for plate warming (more expensive - Amazon sells them too) Like these. If you need to warm a lot of plates and don't want to use the dishwasher (like me). You can also use a warming tray. I have several that I used a lot when I was catering and they are often found at reasonable cost on eBay. I saw one at a thrift shop last month, NEW in original box - $10.00.

What a great idea. Do you simply wrap all the plates in the heating pad and keep them nice and cosy? If you have 12 plates or so do you need to layer the heating pad every few plates to make sure they all get warm? How long does it take? I just wrap the entire stack - I set the stack half way on the end opposite the cord, bring the pad up over the top and tuck the end with the cord under - everything sets on a sheet of the non-slip shelf lining material but you could use a towel. I turn it on medium till the plates are warm and then turn it to low which keeps them just right. I actually have two pads because if I'm serving soup I also wrap the soup bowls. I generally set this up hours ahead of time so all I have to do is flip the switch when the time is right. I do set a timer to remind me to turn it on.

I used this procedure for salmon - the "steaks" were about an inch thick and about 5" x 6" - I trimmed off the thinner edges and use the trimmings and the bones to make stock. I used almond wood because there is an almond grower who sells "firewood" from trees they cut down when new ones are needed and I can get it really cheap.

My good china can't go in a microwave because it has gold trim and it doesn't go in the dishwasher for the same reason.

I just use a king-size heating pad. I've tried all the other methods listed above but I keep going back to the heating pad. Mine is like this - I got it at Walgreen's for half price. (17.95) when my old one died after 20 years... It turns off automatically.

Would have been more useful back in your catering days! No one had heard of raclette when I was actively catering (and occasionally working as a "personal" chef). Fondue was still popular and I had (and still have) several of the extra-large warming trays so I could have a "fondue bar" with several types in pretty ceramic pots - I had a bunch of the fancy decorated "bean pots" which were perfect for this. I wanted the raclette for brunches as I had "ideas" for cheese and egg dishes that I thought would work.

When I was told that I was getting a raclette, I thought it was one of the flat ones with the little pans that go under the flat part and the top can be used for grilling vegetables, mushrooms, etc. I would probably have used that type but this one was just too awkward and required a much too large chunk of cheese as I don't entertain large numbers.

Someone gave me one a few years ago like this one I used it once and it is in its box in my storeroom gathering dust. I did a search for TTM raclette and this pages shows yours or very similar.

Just be sure to have the carafe in place before you pour. We had a big double one in my office and I can't tell you how many times someone would use the "working" carafe to fill the tank with water, only to have it begin to instantly start dispensing... I finally had to put up a LARGE sign to READ the directions if one was not familiar with the machine. It had two dispensers and two keep warm plates up top. We went through a lot of coffee when my boss was working full time and we had 10 employees, besides me.

The ones I have seen in action have racks to hold french fry containers or containers for other fried foods, the semi-cone shaped but the holders are not as close to the warming element. A lot are used without any rack at all to keep foods warm in trays or shallow pans. I used to have one similar to this Hatco when I was catering - mine was made by Broil-King when they were still making commercial appliances. That was back in the '80s

My best friend had a Keurig but after having to send it in for repairs - it stopped heating the water - she gave up and bought one of these Cuisinart coffee makers, at Lowe's. They use freshly ground dark roast coffees and say the results are excellent. She said that Kohl's also had them on sale a couple of weeks ago - just before Thanksgiving so if you have a local store, check there.

No. I am allergic to ocean fish - sensitive to iodine. I have used it on trout and used it to smoke sturgeon (a friend caught a 4 1/2 ft one in the California aqueduct and gave most of it away.) It was very good. I smoke the trout whole - they have to be very fresh - but the sturgeon I cut into "steaks" before smoking it.

I have been going through many of the boxes and footlockers in which I have a lot of stored cookbooks and have discovered quite a few duplicates, many that have never been opened (because I used a second copy) and are virtually like new. I'm putting some up for auction, including a couple of fairly rare ones. (Secrets of the Still by Grace Firth it even has a recipe for alcohol fuel) and am going to offer my best copy of California Hospitality that has TWO dust jackets, the inner one well protected by the outer. It's difficult to part with some of them but I have simply got to make more room and this is going to be a long, painful experience - it's like parting with a favorite pet - something else that I find near impossible.

Thanks for posting that Jaymes. We need more positive news about preserving heirloom varieties so the multinational giant ag monsters don't take over everything we eat.

Hey you stole my answer! My fingertips will be ragged from tearing open the shells and eating an entire bag. I have little restraint when it comes to pistachios. I almost fear them. Thankfully they have become outrageously expensive and splurging on the little buggers is kept to "treat" experiences. OK so they are binge experiences. Semantics... I buy the SHELLED pistachios at the local middle eastern store. They are always very fresh because the store has a rapid turnover because we have a significant population of middle eastern and north African residents who use a lot of nuts and dried fruits. The price is also right - actually less than the online sources of pistachios in the shell... These are raw and it is easy to roast and salt them to your taste.

I found the recipe that has come down in my family for "Dundee Cake" that uses lard. One of my great grandmothers was descended from the McIlhenny clan of western Scotland and the Hebrides. The recipe has been modernized over the decades but there are still notes from earlier versions. I'm adding it here because it uses lard instead of butter. I was told that it was cheaper to raise pigs than milk cows in the area in Scotland where the family originated so lard was more readily available than butter. Apparently the original title was "cutting cake" because it was baked in a tin and sliced, instead of individual cakes being baked on a girdle (griddle). It has been titled "Dundee Cake" since the latter half of the 19th century. G-Gmaws Dundee Cake from The McIlhenny laird. 1 cup raisins, "seeded" I use sultanas - no longer a need to "seed" raisins. handful of dried black currants (real black currants, not the "Zante raisins") Optional, use the Sun Maid "currants" if needful. 2 1/4 cups plain flour "twice boulted" (Measure the flour and sift it twice) 1/2 teaspoon rounded - plain salt 3/4 teaspoon saleratus (baking soda) 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar - - - - You can substitute 1 TEASPOON of double-acting baking powder for the previous two ingredients 3/4 cup fine white lard 3/4 cup sugar (original recipe had instructions to nip off enough sugar from a "loaf" and pound it to a fine grain) 3 eggs (large) (originally 5 eggs but eggs were much smaller then) 1/2 cup sweet milk 1/4 cup candied peel and citron, chopped very fine 1 tablespoon of grated orange peel 1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped fine 12 almonds, blanched and halved for topping Mix the fruits with 1/4 cup of the flour add the chopped almonds and set aside. In a large bowl sift the salt and baking powder with the 2 cups of flour cut the lard into the flour until it looks like oatmeal (referring to pinhead oatmeal) add the sugar and toss until well mixed beat the eggs with the milk and stir into the dry ingredients. The dough will be stiff. Add the fruit and nut mixture and mix well until fruits are evenly distributed throughout. Line a 9-inch springform pan with buttered paper (bakers parchment) Spoon in the mixture and spread it evenly and smooth the top. Arrange the almond halves in two concentric circles on the top Bake in a medium oven (about 325°F) for 1 1/4 hours The sides of the cake should have pulled away from the tin. (I use a probe thermometer and make sure the center of the cake has reached 205 degrees F.) Allow to cool for fifteen minutes and transfer from pan to a cooling rack. This cake tastes better after it has "matured" for at least a couple of days.

I left out a single line. The eggs are beaten and added with the treacle and marmalade.

Found the recipe. Bunty Bowers' Sticky Parkin Ingredients: 1 lb fine oatmeal 1 lb medium oatmeal 6 oz butter 6 oz lard 1 lb A-P flour 1 1/2 lb treacle (black) 1 lb Duerrs Chunky Ginger Preserve 3 teaspoons bicarb 2 eggs - large 1/2 oz ground ginger Beer or ale - Bunty recommended Theakston's Old Peculiar - a Yorkshire product! Method: Sift the flour and ginger into a basin, then mix in the oatmeal. Rub in the butter and lard then stir in the warmed treacle and ginger preserve. Lastly, dissolve the soda in half a glass of beer, then mix it into the other ingredients. The dough should be dry enough to fall in drops. It must not run. Turn into well buttered cake tins lined with greaseproof paper, but only fill them three-quarters full. Baking time: About one and a half hours in a slow oven until firm. Cool in the tins for half an hour then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap in wax paper and foil and store in a cool place for a week before you cut into it. Cut into smallish squares, it's more like candy than cake. Note by Andie - I use 4 8-inch square cake pans and have enough left over for a small (4-inch) tart tin. According to Bunty, Duerrs is or was the oldest commercial marmalade maker.

I've got an old, old recipe for "Sticky Parkin" that is extremely sweet. One of the ingredients is ginger marmalade and a particular brand is specified. I can't find it right at the moment but will see if I can find it in one of my card files. I don't know if I ever transferred it to computer.

It's the Pasta Shop in the Rockridge Market Mall - You can phone first to see if they have them in stock. It's tough to get through the place without spending a ton, so don't take a credit card...

A couple of decades ago (when I was still showing dogs) a friend from England, from a town in Norfolk, stayed with me for a couple of weeks while judging some dog shows here. I made gingerbread and she "corrected" my recipe so it was more similar to "Fenland ginger cake" . This recipe is very close to the one I made, "triple" ginger. She said it was usually served with lemon custard or during the holidays, brandied hard sauce. I don't make this now because I am diabetic and it is just too full of sugar.

I will add my congratulations too, Steve. I have recommended your beans and other products to numerous people. My daughter, who lives in Livermore, has bought products at the Ferry Plaza, at Rainbow Market (also my suggestion) and a store in Berkeley. We are both fans and supporters of sustainable agriculture.