Beanie
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Posts posted by Beanie
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Is there a way to convert between egg sizes? To be specific, I have a recipe that calls for a jumbo egg, but I only keep large eggs around. Is it likely to affect the recipe much? I figured that since it's just a single egg I'd ignore the jumboness and carry on, but will it be lacking in liquid or something?
Thanks
Sarah's got yah covered.
Go here: http://www.baking911.com/pantry/eggs.htm#SIZE
Then scroll down one screen full (one & a half pages) to that lovely and genius and helpful little chart on the left:
"To Make One Cup"
So much information, but am I the only one who gets a headache reading that web site?
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I forgot to thank you about the clay pot info
You're welcome.
I'll try it with my glazed nabe pot (Chinese made) and report back.Good luck. I hope it works out well. Please post photo if possible.
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This is a follow up to my previous post about the clay pot. After reading Wholemeal Crank's post, I went home last night and measured the size and capacity of my clay pot. I knew it was small, but I hadn't realized just how small --only 2 quarts.
The diameter across the top is 8 inches measured from inner edge to edge. The bottom diameter is 6.5 inches. The interior depth is 3 inches to bottom of rim, 4.5 inches to top of rim. I did not scale back the quantity of dough. So those of you having problems getting a tall loaf with a 5 qt. pot may want to try something smaller. I took a look at the link to the Lodge pot from Wholemeal Crank's last post and it appears to be 8 inches across along top and bottom. The clay pot has a smaller bottom diameter and creates a loaf with sloped sides. -
I always wrap the tofu in paper towels and weight with a mortar. I think it helps in several ways.
My fav is Ma Po Tofu. Ground Pork browned with a few favorite veggies, tofu added, sauce added. Cover and simmer tofu in sauce for a few minutes. Uncover, thicken and add chopped green onions. Doesn't take 10 minutes of cooking.
I love Ma Po Tufo. Here's a pictorial from the Chinese forum. It demonstrates the use of silken tofu in this dish. Tofu can be substituted in many of the stir fry dishes shown in the Chinese food pictorials. Try some. They're easy to make and delicious.
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I've had great success using a Chinese clay sand pot. I have this one with the double handles. It was only $7.00 at the Asian market in my area.
That's a great idea. I have a few glazed nabe pots, I might have to try it out.
Have you experienced any cracking with preheating the clay pot? Any sticking issues?
Sorry for the delay in responding. No problem preheating the clay pot. Sometime I soak it in water for a few minutes before placing it in the cold oven, but I can't say this makes a difference because I've also preheated it without soaking. The first time I used it, the bread didn't stick; the second time it stuck in a few spots. Now I spray the inside with pan spray just before placing the dough inside and it works like a charm. A few fine hairline cracks have developed on the outside surface, but I think this if from using the pan over a direct flame on the gas range. The enamel surface inside the pot is fine. I think the cracks are typical of this type of pot; the wire around the outside holds it together. Eventually it will break, but then I'll spend another $7.00 for a replacement. I've had it for two years and use it for cooking small quantities of soups and stews as well as baking bread. One final thing: These potholders for really good for grabbing the stubby handles on the clay pots.
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I've had great success using a Chinese clay sand pot. I have this one with the double handles. It was only $7.00 at the Asian market in my area.
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I use an all-butter pie crust recipe that contains egg, water and vinegar as the liquid ingredient. The egg adds richness, the vinegar tenderizes the crust. I agree with paulraphael that the varying size of fat clumps, including large ones, is responsible for a flaky crust. It's hard to describe, but many of the clumps are much larger than "pea sized," which is the standard description in most recipes. I use a stand mixer with paddle attachment and add varying size pieces of frozen butter to the flour. Mix on slow speed. Every so often stop the mixer and stick your hand in the flour to check the size of the butter pieces; some will be very fine, like cornmeal, some will be pea size (1/4 inch or so), some will be larger (3/4 inch.) Add liquid and mix briefly until the paddle "grabs" the flour mixture into a big blob. I dump the blob on the counter in a piece of plastic film and bring it together in a sphere and flatten. I make large quantities and weight out portions, wrap in film, refrigerate or freeze.
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A number of years ago at the Fancy Food Show in NYC, I asked a purveyor from Oregon if he knew of a source for huckleberry preserves. He went into a long discussion about huckleberries not being grown commercially, they must be picked from the wild, and to do so is immoral (and maybe illegal) since this could lead to its depletion. Naturally, he did not offer this product. A couple of years later, these folks had an exhibit at the Fancy Food Show. I always wondered about the accuracy of the first guy's statement. It also made me wonder if wild blueberries from Maine are truly wild or cultivated. The IQF variety from Wyler's are available year round. And yes, I remember Ebinger's huckleberry pie. It seems to me that huckleberries were more prevalent when I was a kid ... but now I wonder if they were truly huckleberries or BB.
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Some Sysco locations have cash and carry stores that are open to the public. Call customer service to find out. If not, maybe you can order through one of their customers.
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Is your friend looking for a bowl to actually mix the dough or for proofing? I agree with the others that glass or ceramic would be too heavy and prone to breakage. Large round or rectangular plastic tubs are available at restaurant supply shops. A friend of mine uses clear plastic rectangular tubs from Wal-mart to proof large quantities of bread dough. I've used them to mix and proof dough for breads that require minimal kneading (just folding, a la Dan Lepard's technique.)
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I just ordered it from Amazon and can't wait to get it. I didn't realize it had been published. Thanks for the heads-up!
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More choices for pullman pans here for alot less money than King Arthur. Your best bet is to locate a bakery equipment store selling used smallwares.
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Dutch Valley Foods has been increasing its line of organic bulk products and currently stocks King Arthur organic flour, Wholesome Foods cane sugar and other bulk products. They deliver to many states in the east and midwest, including Tennessee. Click on "organics" on the home page and you'll see the catalog of organic items. No pricing is given without an account, but you can contact customer service (or send me a PM and I'll check the price for you.)
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After wanting to for years, I am finally going to make this the year to start preserving/canning the wonderful produce I get from the farmers in my area. My dad did all of the canning in the family for years but has kind of lost interest in recent years. So, I am going to be receiving much of his canning equipment, including more jars than I can possible hope to fill.
However, I have been reading the summer preserving thread and ordered Mes Confitures as a result. Not only can't I wait to try some of the recipes - I WANT THE JARS!! I am assuming that they are made in France or somewhere in Europe. Even though I will be happy to use my Dad's jars mostly, I would really like some fancy jars to give out as gifts. Does anyone in America make anything similar? Also, a friend who cans had sealing problems when using a solid lid and advised me to only use two-part lids (lid and screw cap). The few "fancy" jars that I have found online have a solid lid. Is this really an issue?
I don't do canning, but I get jams with my store label from an Amish company. When they switched from two-part lids to solid, many of the seals popped during shipping. I'd suggest you use the two-part lids if you plan to ship the items.
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I would suggest you check out hzrt8w's Chinese food pictorials here. Many of the sauces in these dishes are very basic and can be used for all kinds of stir fries. I have made about a dozen of these dishes and all have been excellent, without exception. The only store bought sauce I like is the garlic black bean, though I prefer making it from scratch.
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Fred's son took over the business but I don't think he inherited his father's snarl. When I was starting out on my own in New York in the late 1960s, I asked Fred's advice about cookware items. His recommendations -- a Sitram pan, Wusthof chef's knive, and a french omelet pan -- were among the best purchases I've ever made and still good as new. I've always been thankful that I shopped at Bridge despite Fred's reputation (he was very nice to me when he realized I was serious about cooking.) By the way, you can register on the Bridge website and get emails about special sales.
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The obvious answer is to do a test: make a cherry pie with tapioca, a cherry pie with arrowroot, a cherry pie with cornstarch, a cherry pie with potato starch...and then invite the neighborhood over to eat cherry pie.
MelissaH
And post the results here.
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I ditto the above suggestions. Another solution is to freeze pies before baking, then bake for about 2 hours or more from a frozen state. By the time the filling bubbles through the slits on top, the crust is well browned all over. You may find this thread on pie crusts helpful (see demo on post #24.)
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pick and sniff
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While I've only lurked on the Chinese cuisine forum, I have so thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated Ah Leung's pictorials -- and have made many a delicious dinner based on them! Just the other night I made this dish, which far surpassed anything I can get from the local Chinese restaurant. So I want to take this opportunity to thank Ah Leung for sharing his recipes, knowledge and experiences. I hope you are able to continue in some capacity. Thank you!!!
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I often contact companies for business, usually by email with mixed results. Awhile back, the pastry forum had several threads going at once about pie crusts, pie fillings, different types of thickeners, etc. A few people suggested using a certain thickener, which was available from one of my suppliers, but I wasn't sure how to use it. I wrote to the manufacturer, Food Innovations, through its web site asking for advice.
Within 2 hours I received a lengthy response that not only answered my question, but provided advice on the use of different thickening products for different types of applications, such as whether the pie fillings were precooked or not, whether the pies were frozen or not before or after baking etc. The customer service rep even discussed the implications of certain products on ingredient labeling. For example, some thickeners are supposed to be described as "modified food starch" on ingredient labels, while others could be described simply as "cornstarch." (I was surprised to learn about the different types of cornstarch for different applications.) We had one or two similar exchanges that day. About a week later, a UPS truck arrived at my shop delivering free samples (1 lb each) of several products that had been recommended. I've never received such personal service from any supplier and continue to be in awe of this company.
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There's an introduction to the show on the podcast on this link. It's geared toward the trade.
I agree with Mark about starting on one end and working your way through. Even when I've planned out an "itinerary," I've found myself wandering up and down aisles, just checking out the exhibits that interested me. One thing that I've enjoyed is the Focused Tastings, located usually at the rear of the lower floor (I think). Each year they pick a few categories of foods to feature, such as salsa, olive oil, etc., and offer tastings of several dozen products in the category.
Also, to clarify my previous post, I referred to the "first level" where many of the international pavilions are located. This is actually Level 3 -- the main exhibit floor that Mark refers to. Level 1 is downstairs, and international vendors are located there, too.
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Here are some additional tips:
1. Preregister. Otherwise, you will be waiting on long lines at the registration booth. You can register on the show's web site, here.
2. If you go on Sunday, it will be very crowded. Even though the show is supposedly open to the trade only, the trade can register "guests." Sunday in NY.... free food. If they're not at Zabars or the Hamptons, they're at the show. Sharpen your elbows.
3. The above web site includes links to floor plans and lists of exhibitors. Each exhibit booth is numbered. If you know in advance that you want to visit specific vendors, you can find their locations on the floor plans. Plan this out now so that when you arrive, you'll have specific destinations.
4. A printed guide will be available near the registration area. It contains the exhibitors and floor plans. Browse through it to get a sense of who is located where. It also cross references vendors by product type.
5. As noted by rooftop1000, the international pavilions are on the first level. So are the large wholesale distributors. The lower level is divided into regions or States. Because of my interest in regional products, I have always enjoyed the lower level where the exhibitors tend to be made up of smaller and/or newer companies.
6. Both floors have many independent vendors who are not part of larger categories. There is no rhyme or reason to their location. So the charcuterie purveyor will be next to the chocolatier who is next to the soy smoothie or gummi candy vendor.
7. Do not eat a large breakfast and don't plan on lunch. You will spend the day tasting dozens of items in random order, as noted in #6.
8. I agree with Markk; number of days attending will make a difference. I've done it in one day, traveling r/t from Albany. Exhausting and not recommended.
9. Most of all, enjoy. It's an awesome experience.
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Are you located near any Amish communities in Ohio? (I'm familiar with the Ashland community, but don't know how far it is from you.) All the Amish bulk food stores get deliveries from Dutch Valley Foods (see link in my previous post) and can order Wheat Montana flours as well as KA and others. You can search the Dutch Valley online catalog to see the varieties of flour offered.
ISO unsulphured citron
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
I checked my wholesale sources and can only find the candied stuff. Let us know how you make out. I couldn't find anything online.