shelora

Thanks sushicat. Could I get your confirmation on what they looked like? Like any of the three photos posted or totally different? I'll contact Allison at Les Amis. Thanks again, Shelora

Will the real gaeta olive please stand up. More research and speaking to the chef who cooked the meal that started this all off, the olives he and I purchased are not gaeta but Alphonso olives from Chile. In the link below you can see the suggested substitutions are gaeta. I had no idea that olive identification could be so confusing. ALPHONSO The chef in question has tracked down another local supplier who claims to have a source for the real gaeta olives. Time will tell.

Presumably, also tomatoes, pumpkins and squash? Birds are not mammals. I figure that the largest land mammals in North America -- and certainly in what's now Mexico -- were bison. I do not know what the limits of the bison's range were, but I do seem to remember that they did roam around at least the northern part of Mexico as late as the 19th century if not later. ← I had no idea that bison could be traced that far down the continent. Very intriguing. What the Mexican people ate before the Euro-invasions is always a fascinating subject. Even more fascinating is what they are still eating and growing. So much hasn't changed. There are all sorts of indigenous fruits - chico zapote and zapote negro are two and so many edible herbs and flowers - the flowers of the tzompantle come to mind - and let's not forget about mushrooms, ant eggs, grasshoppers and grub worms. Theobroma, Caroline, Esperanza and Jaymes and so many others from this forum could shed some light on the subject. I'm sure we've touched on the topic a few times at least.

I just read pepper in the recipe. I guess they're referring to black pepper. I could be wrong but I don't think I've ever seen horseradish served or offered for sale in a Mexican market. Horseradish. What would that be in Spanish? Caballo de rabanos?

Olives are not indigenous to Mexico but an ingredient brought over by the "conquerors". You will find it as an essential ingredient in the classic, ala Veracruzana but often olives are an addition in a picadillo.

Just because something has a pepper in it, doesn't mean it's Mexican. Just like when they call a dish "Tuscan". Like Tuscan beans. I see recipes like this in the local newspaper all the time, pulled off the wire service. Mexican casserole. It's got beans and cheese and some chopped up red and green peppers for colour. Words like "Tuscan" and "Mexican" and "Home Cooking" are used to seduce people into cooking recipes or in restaurants, to order food. You have been seduced.

Hello again, It's never as easy as you think. I went to my local purveyor of gaeta olives. The only place - apparently - that carry them. They've never heard of them. What they did sell that looked very similar and which I purchased were olives called Super Colossal Black or Royal Black. Looking at both of the photos upthread, my purchase looks more like the first image - the same eggplant colour but not quite as round. They are almost an inch and quarter in length. Very meaty. So panel, what do you think I have? Gaetas? Or a reasonable facsimile?

While I have not made that recipe I have made others, in particular the chorizo verde from Kennedy's book The Art Of. I aged the chorizo in my refrigerator by hanging the links over a wooden spoon and then I tied the spoon to one of the rungs of the shelf. I had a tray beneath to catch drips. It worked perfectly and they looked awfully cute dangling there.

Oh, what are you doing with the vault?

If it's a newer stove, use oven cleaner. If it's and old stove and they're made of iron, nothing you can do except sand it off. ← I use VIM actually on the grates of my gas range. Recommended by the serviceman. ← I love VIM.

Funny this should come up today. I just had a good sesh cleaning the outside of my le crueset. I use something I bought in Mexico after watching a young girl in the market cleaning pots at a fonda. An old fashioned pumice stone. So brilliant and I picked up a couple for five pesos. And they last forever. They don't scratch or in any way ruin the finish of the pot. The grime comes off without toxic cleaners or days of soaking. It's a very satisfying experience.

I keep seeing the Pouline bread at UF but I'm sure that they have the dough flown in and the bake it. ← If you order Poilâne's 2kg decorated loaf - with the option of a free personal message - directly from Paris, it will cost you CDN$ 53.00 (including taxes and shipping). Memo ← Man, I can't believe they focussed on that bread. That is so old news. I'll deliver a loaf of Wild Fire bread next time I'm on the mainland. For free.

I guess it's all about who you can stand as bed mates. I'd much rather take a roll in the hay with a Viking!

I haven't done much experimenting with tempeh. I can buy it ready-to-cook in a variety of flavours. I usually grill or steam, depending on which diet I'm on! Seitan - which sounds so much like that guy with the pitch fork - doesn't do much for me. In terms of fake meat, I'd rather eat a steady diet of vegetables and rice than eat fake meat. Please. There is just so much great real food to be had and can you just read the list of ingredients in those products. No thank you.

Hi there, Great sleuthing. Do you understand what their connection to unilever would be? I tend to get my back up when I see a corporate sponsor like that. Check it out here. El Centro Culinario The chef's recipes using Knorr flavour packets is just a tad alarming. Having not eaten at Alkimia (Spanish for alchemy) I really can't pass judgement. It sounds like you had a great meal, the menu sounds fantastic, but do you think those Knorr mixes might have found their way into your meal? While you were touring the kitchen, did you notice any aberrations in the dry storage?

Absolutely. I have been craving that dish with all our cold windy weather. I prefer the red over the green sauce myself. I'll be using dry corn tortilla pieces from Don Pancho, a brand I like out of Oregon. Thanks for providing some inspiration and I love the verb, soggify. I might have to use that. Shelora

I should add that they are fried in peanut oil. Real tasty.

And there are so many different kinds of tofu. Soft, makes excellent dessert, whipped up in a blender with fresh fruit and honey. The extra firm stuff is brilliant on the barbeque, especially if it has been marinated in something delicious first. If are are staring at it blankly, throw it into the freezer. A little sesh in the freezer changes it completely. It seems to become even more absorbant. Here you can cube it and throw it in a stew or wok fry it with lots of chile and garlic. If you know a local tofu maker, you can purchase what is referred to as okara (I think that's the right spelling), for next to nothing. It is the stuff thrown away - kind of like whey - in the tofu making process. Number one it makes killer compost for your garden, but also is very high in nurtrients for humans. You can use it as a filling, adding whatever flavour components you like, garlic, ginger, green onion, etc, then make little cakes and steam or stuff them inside tofu skin and steam, etc. I could go on, but this is probably enough information. Have fun with the tofu.

Very sound practical advice. Well said Eric.

My fond childhood memories of Manitoba involve spending time with family foraging for seasonal specialities. There was the wild asparagus in the early summer and later chanterelle mushrooms and wild blueberries. Winnipeg is absolutely ripe for tauting itself as a culinary destination. From the Hudderite and Mennonite communities reknowned for their cheeses and sausages, to the pickerel and goldeye in the rivers to wild meats, corn, wild berries, mushrooms and fields of sunflowers, there is alot to market and alot for restaurant chefs to source.

Double-fried is the technique of my local yam fry joint.

Panetco is now offereing bread and pastry making classes. Anyone hanging out it Puebla can take advantage of a day class. Here is the latest schedule. Cursos

One thing I would like to take a look at is the final tally from Torino. How much was spent, on what and by whom. This information would give us valuable insight.

Although a recent U.S. poll in a noted food magazine listed Muir Glen at the bottom, to my tastes, Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes are absolutely the best. On occassion, I've eaten them right out of the can. As a person who nevers buys the poor excuse for a tomato in the winter months, Muir Glen canned tomatoes fit the bill. They are great for sauce and excellent for a quick salsa. Give them a whirl next time. They are organic as well.

The information I need. Thanks, Maestro.