lperry

You have a camel disk?! I want one! Mirro you say? I have a Sawa cookie gun that I bought at WS years ago. Two clicks is perfect with chilled butter dough. -Linda

I just last week made this white bean, chestnut, and kale soup. I used dried chestnuts from last season's crop. Really nice in cold weather. Great topic! -Linda

I like the crispy/chewy combination, but there always seems to be a firmer texture to the tofu in restaurants than I can get at home. Is it something other than the fresh stuff? -Linda

Can I request a tip? How do Chinese restaurants fry their bean curd to get that great texture? I've never been able to do it at home. Thanks- Linda

When I was in school in Illinois, when my Mom visited me she always brought Blue Plate mayonnaise, Martha White grits, and White Lily flour. One time she was on the plane sitting next to another woman. This woman opened her bag and revealed, you guessed it, the BP mayo and grits. It turns out she was visiting her son in Chicago. Some things are just necessities! -Linda

Maybe I'm a purist, but I think she should just squeeze it into her mouth. Apart from that, fill some thumbprint cookies. I've done it with sweet chestnut puree with excellent results. -Linda

Would you mind explaining the flavor of the grains of paradise? I've never tried them, but the name makes them sound awfully tempting. Thanks -Linda

I have a dehydrator, and, I don't have one of those lovely grinding bowls, but I've got a mortar and pestle. Are there any additions that might be traditional?Sesame? Salt? Nori? Thanks- Linda

Might someone have a recipe for a shiso furikake? I can get shiso leaves easily here. Thanks- Linda

Deborah Madison has a fantastic black bean chili in the Greens cookbook. It has a wonderful chipotle flavor. I've recently taken to toasting and grinding my own instead of using the canned, or adding in a bit of Salsa Negra from Rick Bayless' recipe. That smokiness is so nice in chili. -Linda

Many thanks for the tips. I'm a home pastry maker, but I like things to have a nice presentation. I'll try several of these methods. -Linda

I'm bumping the thread in the hopes that someone out there knows a trick for slicing fudgy brownies. Even on the first cut, the knife comes out with chunks. I use the prototypical "thin, sharp knife" and I even wait until they cool (sometimes). Suggestions? Thanks- Linda

Thanks! What sort of "special dishes" are the red fermented tofus used for?

After reading through threads that mention fermented tofu, I decided to take the plunge and use some to season some stir fried greens. When I got to the grocery, however, I was stumped. There are glass jars, pottery jars, red types, yellow types, chili types, yikes ! I need some expert help. Which types are for which dishes? How do you use them? What should a beginner try? I can't read Chinese characters, but I can write them down and match them to the jar. Thanks- Linda

Did you roast the squash? Or boil? Pan cook? I'm curious if roasting might help with the water problem. -Linda

I found this quote particularly significant.

In this morning's New York Times: (register for free) Being Rachael Ray: How Cool is That? Are you cringing? Or are you happy that more people are cooking because of her influence? Is all the hate mail just sour grapes? -Linda

Dolsot question: I was in Super H today and they have both bowls and lids made of stone. Do you need a lid? There were significantly fewer lids than bowls, and they were priced separately. Is the lid for another dish? Thanks. Linda

It is very well established. The archaeologists were trying to find what kind of grain was used, and the choices were millet and rice. I think the popular press introduced wheat into the discussion. According to the article in Nature, they were able to identify two distinct species of millet used together in the noodles. -Linda

I can't speak for modern China, but I know that millet was the major northern crop in ancient times. This area is much drier than the south where rice became so important. Great article. I'll try to get a copy of Nature tomorrow. -Linda

Make the pumpkin like a pumpkin pie - just cook the custard base and add the spices and roast pumpkin, blender, chill, freeze. We had pumpkin pie ice cream at Halloween when I worked in an ice cream shop in high school. We always sold out. If you can't find a pumpkin, butternut squash is really nice too. Now I want some! -Linda

It is. They are toxic, but because of their vanilla-like flavor and lower cost, they are often used as a subsitute by disreputable or unregulated extract makers. Very nice in potpourri, though.

It's interesting for me to see the beers that are for sale where I buy wine. There are huge stacks of large cardboard boxes full of cheap beer, then there are the "boutique" beers. If I remember correctly, the cheap stuff is in the front and the better quality is in the back with the wine. Next time I'm in I'll take a closer look at where they are placed in the store. Come to think of it, it's the packaging that makes me assume that one beer is cheap and the other is of higher quality. Hmmmm.

Who knew there was a California Artichoke Advisory Board? What a wonderful organization. I will definitely try the goat cheese recipe. It sounds fantastic. Thanks for all the ideas!

Carageenan is from seaweed (big algae). It does have protein in it, but it is not an animal product. -Linda Edited to say: It looks like they were testing for animal-specific protein when the company claimed to use only plant-based protein. The article is a little unclear.