Franci

Thanks! I will have to check it out

First of all pescestocco (stoccafisso) and baccala' are a little different. Pescestocco is the dessicated one that need to be beated up. Baccala' is the salted one. Except in Veneto where the meaning is inverted they call baccala' for stoccafisso and stoccafisso for baccala'. A cousin of brandade de morue is baccala' mantecato alla veneziana or another interesting dish is "bandacujun", do you need a traslation? it's a dish from liguria where the stoccafisso + boiled potatoes+ ev oil, by shaking the pan turn into mush. 1. make sure to buy good quality 2. cut it and soak in water changing it very often. Consider that the thin pieces get rid of salt in very short time. 3. I suggest you to use the thinner parts for a pasta sause. it's a little boring task, but peel it from all skin and remove all bones then pull it apart by end. It make a really good pasta sauce, with tomatoes, dissalted capers (I like pennoni with it). 4. The thicker parts are very good for frying. Just dry it very well and flour it with semolina, shake excess of semolina off and deep fried in EXTRA VIRGIN. That is the oil we use, of course, do not use an unfiltered one. When we fry baccala' we normally fry other vegetables ex. califlower (bleanch it first) and make a batter eggs and flour and little salt (need to make ribbons, just like for cakes), or artichokes (don't need to bleanch but cut accordingly to their size). Or another good dish just to start is the one as pizza napoletana suggested, with onions, tomatoes and capers, usually the baccala' is previously deep fried . In any case, what I find is that the quality of the baccala' is VERY important and mainly your results will depend from that (and never hard boil).

Wheat flour is common flour :-). I find that in the States other kind of starches besides corn are not widely used. In the south of Italy, in Sicily, for example, wheat starch is very common, it is use for classical sweets: gelo di melone (watermelon pudding using wheat starch as thickner) or biancomangiare. Like in Turkey all the milk puddings are made with wheat starch. And wheat starch or potato starch are used often for moister cakes. AP flour is generally higher gluten than europeans flour, so, for cakes you can cut your ap flour with some starch (something like 10%) to get something closer to a cake flour Potato flour, I use as short cut, very rarely, when I do make some kind of italian focacce or bread and I don't have time to steam a potato. I did not like bob's mill potato flour...I did find it very glue, it will ruin your bread. Different kind of starches have a different gelifying (is correct in English?) point, for ex potatoes starch reaches its maximum thickening at a lower temperature then other starches (that's why they take less time to cook and leave the cakes moister. Btw, there is a very nice explanation on starches on Amendola book "understanding baking"

Maybe will not brown...but except for a matter of personal taste it doesn't matter if cooks through. We eat pancetta raw with bread (not the one bought in the States, for some reason that taste terrible)

Saltimbocca are with: VEAL AND PROSCIUTTO. My idea is that Marcella Hazan spent too many years in the States , I met her ones and we had different views on a dish that is traditional from my hometown

I had this Delonghi http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=184624 but I bought it at Costco for $300, maybe 3 years ago, I checked, they don't sell the same model anymore, they carry this one http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?...av=&browse=&s=1 the only difference with the digital delonghi is that doesn't have the pizza function (which I didn't use much). I really had a good experience with it. You can choose normal baking and convection, keep warm, defrost (only for thin food). Cons: you cannot adjust the temperature for you rotisserie function and I thought that the broiler is not very powerful.

Al Wadi. I like it. But for others, in Italy they sell a rose water in a cobalt bottle in the pharmacy , but that one is just a skin tonic not suitable for drinking......are we talking about the same stuff? http://www.beautyhabit.com/acquarose.html

I love rose water much more than orange..... When I lived in NY I used to buy it at Kalustyan. I expecially like it with rice puddings and often make a simple syrup for mango or peaches salads with pistachios. But I have your same reaction with peanut butter, I just find the smell disturbing. If you want to send me all you bottles I would not get offended

K8memphis, thanks a lot for the link to the beautiful thread, some decorative breads are beautiful. In Sardinia the are masters with a kind of decorative bread that is called "coccoi". I am more interested in edible breads , I do know that for better shaping it's easier to keep the dough with a general lower hydratation level. Well, this means I will freely experiment with shaping. Thanks

Hi everybody! I am looking for websites on chinese bread shaping or, in case you are familiar with it, would you like to share your technics? I saw many interensting books on the matter, but I don't speak chinese and the translated ones don't seam as interesting. Tepee on the Chinese forum already direct me on this site http://www.jodelibakery.netfirms.com/ For example, I started out from trying steam buns in the shape of flower and I like the idea so much that I tried it out on a brioche dough. The result is not yet optimal, as you can see, proofing some flowers lost the shape, for sure is more suitable for a stiff dough. Thanks for sharing! Franci

Thanks guys, from now on I will just whisk the eggs with sugar.

I need your advice. I always been taught in school that for creme anglaise as well for any other custard I should always "blanchir" the eggs. For my chef was expecially important for the creme anglaise in gelato making. Well, here is the thing: I was just discussing with friends about a recipe that reccomand for creme anglaise to incorporate the less air possible. One of my friend agrees, he thinks that cooking the cream deflates anyway and that creates an annoying unnecessary foam. So, now I was thinking of all the skimming done for pots de creme and so, to much foam for nothing? I am looking for a better technical answer for my friend: is the recipe also my friend right or the whipping effect the final taste of custards and creme anglaise in particular? THANK YOU

Risotto doesn't mean you have to use cheese. Generally risotto is never cooked with oil, but butter, except for fish risotto that doesn't use butter but oil and no cheese. Just to give you an idea, this is really a good one with italian rock lobster and wild asparagus, sorry it's in italian but picture are very helpful. http://www.gennarino.org/forum/viewtopic.p...ghlight=risotto Good luck for your dinner

Why don't you try with Italian food sellers or importers www.portobellofood.com 020 8980 6664 Gastronomica 0207 4074488 These guys only serve restaurants La credenza 020 7070 5070

I am a westerner who lived for one year with my husband parents and grandma'. They are very traditional when it comes to food, before me they didn't have much exposure to western or better saying Italian food. Grandma' in particular is very difficult, she is from Beijing but lived almost all her life in Shanghai and she moved to the States at late age. After one year grandma' really start liking many of my dishes. It's incredible of how much chinese and Italians (not italian americans ) have in common. I try to cook things that are similar but different in flavor. Examples Tortellini in brodo intead of wonton soup. I make a stock of capon and simmer for 6-7 hours, make minuscules tortellini Coda alla vaccinara, it's not really an oxtal soup, more dense and it's very good Risotto (with fish, vegetables, alla milanese, you name it), very different than the way chineses eat rice Dessert, if you don't have an oven, you can make a creme caramel, that can be steamed Sorry.....maybe you were just interested in american kind of food, I alway relate to my own experince on the matter.

My husband left China at age of 10 and let's say that he is not very found of cheese... He only likes good parmigiano reggiano or Grana Padano, in chunck, with wine. One time, on a trip to Lodi (Lombardia-Italy), we sampled the raspadura lodigiana, it's a very fresh grana that is shaved from the whole grana. So delicius that my husband just ate raspadura for lunch. There must be hope for me! I will consider myself happy when he will give a try to stincky cheeses. Funny thing is my mother in law, she loves cheese! Grandma' just runs away at the sight of it......

How much do they charge for it, and will they ship it? I've been looking for leaf lard forever... ← I don't remember the cost and couldn't locate a receipt but I too had searched extensively. If you'll call Dietrich's at (610-756-6344) they were more than accomodating in assisting me in putting together my first order. They do ship and it was packaged well. The leaf lard comes in 1# clear plastic containers and will last a long time if frozen or refrigerated. I believe you'll be so surprised at the quality and the delicous taste. It took me back to the winter hog killing and the cracklins and chitlins that my mother prepared. This thread reminded me to call a local custom butcher shop.Hopefully tomorrow I'll have 5 pounds of fresh (beef kidney fat) to render into suet. ← If you are interested, also this farm sells leaf lard: http://www.flyingpigsfarm.com/ and for who lives in NY city, there are a couple places where you can buy freshly rendered lard and goose fat. At schaller and weber they do sell, but I didn't like it, if you go to the nearby Hungarian deli, their lard is so much better.

Well, I agree, I wouldn't eat French food! I have been in Shanghai in September and I had great food! To me, for such a big city it's tough if you don't know the language. My husband is shanghainese and he know the dialect, but still he left in 86 and he was not used to ordering food. More than the Bond I really liked Xintiandi, it's a relaxing oasi in the caos of the city. Touristy a bit, but nice and good restaurants. I found this places very good: Crystal Jade Unit 12 A, House 6-7, Lane 123 Kingye lu, (tel. 6385 8752), it's in Xintiandi The noodle soup, the wonton soup where excellent!!! and the steam buns (best I had), plus the crispy pork skin cantonese style. Very trendy and chic place, but we spent nothing for american standards, a lot for chinese (about 15$ a person) Also in Xintiandi we tried a place I think is called Best seafood, or similar name. You can pick the fish you like from the tank. We wanted something simple so we ordered steamed fish and shrimps plus bai tzai and other vegetables. I don't think is still season but how to miss otherwise the famous shanghainese crab? Wangbaohe restaurant 603 Fuzhou Lu, tel 633223673 I had very, very good food at Han Tong in the French Concession (350 yaun in 4), but we had family friends ordering for us, the same people took us also to a closed by restaurant, guess is called "chuan san jia" (sichuan food) I also had a chance to try some japanese (very good, indeed!) Zen 1o piano di Jinjiang Gourmet Street, 59 Maoming Nanlu, by Changle Lu (5466 5070), same building first floor there is another famous french restaurant. This place is a little tricky to find. And don't miss a nice mongolian bbq!

A friend, coming to London, just ask me where she can find the osmotolerant SAF Golden Yeast, at home I have the SAF red but I bought it in the States Thanks

In September me and my husband went to the most famous restaurant in Shanghai for hairy crabs, we took 1 hour and half to finish 4 crabs! Never left a crab so clean They are really the best! What is maryland blue in comparison? Origamicrane, keep us posted, I am very interested!

My recipe is 300 g flour 00 type 150 g sugar 3 egg 125 g oil 125 g milk lemon zest 1 bag of pane angeli (or 1 tablespoon baking powder) a pinch of salt Whip the eggs with the sugar, add the oil in a stream, incorporate the flour with the a pinch a salt and the sifted baking powder and the milk. Bake at 170-180, test with the toothpick or a knife. P.S.: in my area very often we use extra vergin and the flour is important. The 00 type is very soft flour, if you cannot find it where you live, I suggest you to cut you flour with some starch.

Schaller & Weber store at 86th and 2nd carry the long sheets and the rounds, ask for oblaten

I have tons of new questions , sorry but I am still very new to London. 1. I am familiar with Italian or American cuts of meat. I am trying to understand what's available. Beef: me and my husband tried the ribeye at Northfield farm, not a good as in NY but better than the others we had before (thanks!). I found less choice for braising cut, I saw cubes, I saw braising steak and ox tail, but if I want a big piece? For example, in NY I used to buy chicken steak (is it's the top chuck shoulder the one with the big vein of gelatine in the middle) or how do you call chuck tender? Still talking about meat. If I want to buy veal bones for stock, where do I find it? Marrow? Veal breast to stuff? Where do I find good demi-glace? I saw tons of derivatives sauces, but the demi-glace? 2. Good portogues place for bacalahu? I went to Garcia in Notting hill and I didn't like it! In those plastic bags... Sorry for having so many questions! Thanks

where can I find a very long rolling pin?? I am trying to simulate a Turkish Oklava, should be long about 80 cm and diameter of 2 cm. In the past I used a long stick bought in an hardware store (they had some wood projects material) and also a stick from a broom. But so far, I looked around and I could see anything of "untreated" material and stable. I went to the turkish food center in Lewisham (thanks for suggesting) but I didn't see any. Is there a do-it-yourself shop where I could find it?

Can I take a little advantage of your kindness??? I am very interested in all the different type of tofu. In the US is more common to eat soft or fried tofu (that I don't like and neither my husband-that is chinese ), but on September when we went to visit relatives in Shanghai, the different types of tofu were a revelation to me! There was one in salad, pretty dark, with cilantro and soy sauce...and also another one, always dark, quite hard, very good. Could you explain to me how many tofu there are and how to deal with it. I asked my mother in law, but her English is not at the level where she can explain to me in details... If I don't disturb I have more questions coming