kellytree

bring a babysitter so when the kids get antsy someone can take them out for a walk around the block.

Here's what Mr. Carrot has to show: http://www.mistercarota.com/specia/specia.php?pag=sp007 I had a look on a few italian sites - almost all of them say you should let the cannoli cool down and then carefully take them off the tube. Or you could skip the cannoli all together and make a sicilian ice cream sandwich with .. crap, can't think of the name of the bread..... Maritozzi??? I should go and look it up.

cake- dump the ricotta in a bowl - add 2 eggs- a couple tablespoons of sugar- something to make it rise a little bit, a pinch of salt, grated lemon peel and enough flour to make it into a heavy cake batter Plop it in a greased pan and bake it. You can also put dried grated coconut instead of the flour (or half and half)

besides the $$ factor it sounds like you dont have much time to cook Omlettes are good and easy. When you do cook , make a little more and stick it in the freezer (max 1or 2 extra portions) cous cous is cheap and quick (especially if you have a little sauce in the freezer to dump on top) Keep your house stocked with basic things - flour, eggs, milk , a few cans of beans ( I usually cook up a bag and then freeze some .... worse than fresh but better than canned), a little cheese and veggies that dont rot in a day.

ummmmmmmmm - would you happen to have any photos where the range hood vent situation is central?? We are doing a new catalog and going nuts trying to find photos where something is happening in the kitchen but you can see the hood ....... the only thing is that I have something like a day and a half to come up with pics. (the company I work for sells the filters that go inside the range hood)

My house has walls that are about a yard thick on most sides so it stays cool. To keep my crabby level down I just have to look at this thread after I have eaten or like now - Im hungry but I have a wallet full of money so I can go shopping and buy nice things for dinner - Its a little too hot to cook so it will just be some mozzerella balls and something simple- a couple cherry tomatos from the garden, steamed zuchini and some thing else equally boring and lame but tasty.

Ok- I quit - I can't look at this thread anymore. It just makes me hungry and crabby Too much really really good looking food going on here!

anitpasto involtino: The other day I made an artichoke dip -- the tiny bit of garlic I put in it exploded so it was simply too much garlic. Mistakes bring out creativity Went to the garden and got some nasturtium leaves - plunked a blob of the garlicy artichoke stuff in - rolled it up- tied it up with a piece of chive and stuck a nasturtium flower on top. The spicy leaves mellowed out the garlic so it turned out really good - not to mention the presentation factor - most italians dont eat flowers - except for zucchini or pumkin. Once they got over being scared that they would be poisoned they chowed them all down. and no one died or got sick!

how about pizza- delivered to your home.

Of course it's ok - your the boss in your kitchen!! Its a fine substitute for the real thing - very easy and it works.

Ok, to be a nitpick - that isnt really ricotta. .... although it can be used as a ricotta substitute. Ricotta is made with whey (the liquid left over after you make cheese). - You have to strain the whey to get all the leftover curds out - add a cup of milk (optional - this is just a little trick to get more ricotta) - give it a good stir - bring it almost to a boil ( a light gentle almost just a touch of a boil??...) - do not mix it or touch it or do anything- If you mix touch or move it the ricotta will be broken. - when the whey almost comes to a boil the ricotta will float to the surface- - shut off the burner - let sit for a couple minutes - scoop out the ricotta (which is all at the surface ) very carefully --- just skim off the top - don't get frugal and try to get all the bits that underneath - those bits are usually cheese. - drain and its done. It will keep for a few days in the fridge. Sheeps milk is the best because with less whey you get more ricotta - then cow and finally goat (which personally I wouldnt waste my time with - its more expensive, you need a hellavu lot of goat milk way to make one puny ricotta and sometimes it comes out really tasting like a goat barn.)

How about TUB O' LARD? My recent personal favorite is BUTTERFACE.

the word in Belgium is if you have your period you cant make mayo- maybe thats the problem? there is also some issues with the moon being in the wrong state.

boil the beans until they are soft (not smush but not half cooked either) cool for a few minutes add thinly sliced red onion and cubes of tomato drizzle some oil , salt and vinegar - stick it in the fridge and in an hour or so it's a cold bean salad.

too many eggplant? What about making them "sotto olio" - slice them up into matchstick size - throw in a some salt and let sit over night The next morning squeeze out all the water (an abruzzese friend of mine uses one of those potato press things) - I just use my hands. (1 kilo of eggplant will make about a handful of final product so dont freak when you cut up some eggplants and think it will be too much) now cover the eggplant with vineger for about 4 hours squeeze out all the vinegar mix in some dried origano, a couple cloves of garlic , and some hot pepper pack tightly in a jar and cover with oil Let it sit for at least a day and then eat it. Its the perfect thing for an antipasto plate. Last weekend I was in Abruzzo - but at the beach - The main "speciality" around town was Ceppe - something like a strozzaprete type of pasta. I didnt try it because when at the beach it's seafood or bust for me.

One must train the children young.

It was actually brought over on a ship from China - it didn't swim over. Basically its a piece of the Great Wall of China. This american guy had it brought over to Hamburg - why to Hamburg you ask? Well Hamburg is where his favorite Grandfather was born so he wanted to put up a memorial for him. why a rock from China? Because the grandfather went to China once - fell in love with one of the locals- the locals parents were not happy to see Wan Lin fall in love with the Yank (he was born in Hamburg but raised in the US) sooooooooooo the couple risked being killed therefore they fled and found a little space between 2 rocks and lived there for 2 years before they found a way to get back to Hamburg - actually they flew to the US but couldn't get in so they went to Hamburg and the friendly people let them in and actually gave them the key to the city .. and they lived happily ever after. That IS the real story (more or less)

That risotto was wonderful - The bratwurst weren't that nasty - then again I was happy enough to sit my fatbutt down and not have to walk to the big rock or do other sportive activities. Recipe 5 cups beef broth - hot 1 cup 'carnarino' - water in which a whole lemon rind has been boiled - hot. The peel of one lemon grated. 2 cups arborio rice 8 tbls.. butter 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Melt half the butter over medium high heat in a large saute pan - do not let it brown. When the butter is melted add the rice and toss well with the butter making sure it is well coated. (there is no soffritto in this recipe) Add the beef broth 1 ladle at a time for the first 10 minutes - stirring gently but continuously. After 10 minutes add the grated lemon peel and add the carnarino one ladle at a time until gone stirring gently and continuously. Use remaining beef broth to finish if rice is not done. When just al dente remove from heat and blend in the mantacare - the remaining butter and Parmigiano. The sauce: Saute 4 large cleaned shrimp per person in a small amount of olive oil. Add one cup of white wine and evaporate. Add chopped parsley and 1 1/2 cups cream and reduce until thickened. Serve over the top of the risotto with parsley and lemon strips for garnish.

how about risotto with shrimps and pancetta.

if the yogurt doesnt stay warm enough overnight ( lets say 6-8 hours) it won't set... thin yogurt - great for cakes if it is too hot during its "incubation" ... I guess thats what I'll call it - it gets lots of little lumps in it. My "trick" or foolproof way was to put jars of milk in a bath of water (the water should cover the yogurt - or at least up to the neck of the jar) just a bit warmer than the milk. and wrap it up tight quick. The other important thing is that once its in the hot water bath and all wrapped up just leave it in one spot - if you move it around it may not set.

My tiny garden has thyme,sage,tarragon,rosmary,coriander,chives,parsley,basil,spinach,lettuce,nastursiums,pot marigold,tomatos,zuchini,swiss chard, hot peppers, and a few other things. I wish I had more space (until summer comes and I have to water everyday)

Excellent post. After buying some wine and grappa from the Enoteca in Jesi this morning, I peeked inside the teaching kitchen, which happened to be open and unoccupied. Before being shooed away, I thought of Ore and hathor and decided to check in on this thread again. Inter alia, I picked up two bottles of Velenosi Brut spumante. Tasty. Had one with kellytree this evening. Keeping this about cooking: stay tuned for pix coming to a thread near you, featuring pizza from kellytree's outdoor brick oven... Ooops. cinghiale here. I forgot I was logged in under kellytree.

don't cover and use more oil and high heat