LindaK

One of the best things about TJ is their selection of crackers. Is anyone else addicted to TJ's Pita Chips w/ Sea Salt? Whenever I buy them, even the cashiers commiserate on how much they love them. I'm also enjoying the Pita Bite crackers. Despite the "pita" in both their names, they couldn't be more different. The first with the savor of oil and salt, the second oil-free, w/ crips layers and more flavorful than the typical water cracker.

spatulas and measuring cups, for sure.

Dianabanana, so no water w/ the cherries and sugar? My limited research thus far sees a divide between recipes that require the brandied fruit to be processed and those that do not, usually noting that the alcohol is a preservative. it's tempting to skip the processing step if it isn't needed. Thanks for the brandy recommendation, I'll look for the Rubi but would also love to hear what others are using, esp. with peaches or apricots.

I'm dreaming of having brandied fruit on hand this winter for quick desserts or for use with savory cooking. I've missed cherry season (this year!) so right now am looking at the stone fruit such as peaches, apricots, plums that are arriving in heaps at the farmers markets. Not a clue where to start. I posted a request for cookbook recommendations here. But I'm also interested in knowing how to choose a good but affordable brandy for these experiments, what's the optimal liquor/sugar syrup ratio, and other important technical advice. Anyone here with any experience with this who can help?

Along with pickling, there seems to be a lot of interest in preserving and canning these days. I'm interested in trying my hand at it--small scale, using what comes from my small garden plot or my friends' fruit trees. I'm more interested in preserving (ie., fruits in liquors) than in canning, but I can imagine putting up some jams. But I need to do some reading and learn more about the processes, food safety, as well as recipes. There are a lot of books out there, browsing Amazon is making me dizzy. It's hard to know which ones to choose. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Ceviche Verde con Pepino (Herb Green Ceviche with Cucumber) (pp. 98-99) I feel like I hit the jackpot last weekend w/ my first recipe from this book, which was also tried and given a thumbs up by Dana at the beginning of this topic. The seasoning here is an herb paste, a mixture of cilantro, parsley, roasted garlic and chili peppers. I’ve dubbed it “Mexican pesto” and it’s delicious—-flavorful, well-balanced with just the right amount of heat (I used 2 serranos, seeded). You should think about making this herb paste even if you have no intention of making ceviche. Rick recommends it with all sorts of other food, and he isn’t kidding. I’ve already tried the leftover paste with broiled fish and tonight used the last tablespoon in a vinaigrette on a tomato-green bean salad. Outstanding. So here is my version of the ceviche, using halibut and sea scallops: The combination is wonderful, the fish, avocado, and herb paste rich and lush, the cucumber providing crunch and lightness, and the chili bite cutting through it all. The instructions are straightforward and easy to follow, but I tweaked a few small details—scraping the charred skin from the roasted chili peppers, peeling and seeding the cucumber—that were not called for in the recipe but that I though were needed.

This is my time-saving strategy, too. Except for staples, I don't go shopping with a list either, I like to react to what looks good/well-priced. That said, when it comes to proteins, I almost always buy enough for two meals. Often I'll cook it all that first night and make creative use of the leftovers the next day. During the summer I make a lot of composed salads following this strategy, and in the winter it can be chowders, pastas, etc. It doesn't feel remotely like a sacrifice to have a nicoise salad with summer tomatoes, green beans, and leftover grilled tuna or a chicken pot pie with leftover roasted chicken. So think "two meals" when you do your shopping.

Chris, it isn't pathetic. Fear of badly done electrical work is a sign of good mental health. Electricians aren't cheap but I'd consider it money well spent. I will aways remember the look on my GC's face when he showed me the dangerous amateur wiring job lurking behind my kitchen walls after they were demo'd for the renovation. Changing a light fixture is one thing but I'd consider consulting an electrician for any appliance upgrade. Plus, as others have noted, building code requirements in your city may also have something to say. If I'd wanted to put a new range or oven in my pre-existing kitchen, I couldn't have done it within code without various upgrades. To your question, it's not hard to find the electrical/plumbing specifications for any new appliance. Search the web for its installation manual. It will tell you what the appliance requires, from the necessary voltage and gas line size to specific location requirements for electrical or plumbing connections. The instructions for my range, for example, not only required that it have its own dedicated electrical line but also specified the exact location of the electrical outlet and the gas line. New appliances are finicky. Have you already discovered the Home Forums on Garden Web? That site not only has specific subforums dedicated to kitchens but also electrical wiring and appliances. It's a black hole, but still can be very useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/

used today: my citrus reamer, picked up for $1 somewhere years ago pastry scraper. they scrape down mixing bowls cleanly, divide doughs neatly, lift and turn rolled out pastry doughs. spatulas, wooden and silicone

So we can keep this topic on topic, can I suggest that folks who want to discuss the safety issues related to making confit take their concerns and information over to the topic: Confit Safety: is botulism a concern?. I'd like to hear more about using a slow cooker to make confit, if anyone else has tried. I'm looking through Paula Wolfert's "The Cooking of South-West France" (published 1983) and notice that she says that "the gentle heat of a Crock-Pot is ideal for making confit." So Daniel, you're in good company! She advises a temperature of 190 F and also leaving the crock pot partially (not fully) covered.

Stuffed clams are good for a crowd. Easy to make a few trays in advance, heat them in oven when you're ready. I've had some that included chorizo--really good. You might want to look through some of Jasper White's cookbooks for ideas--Cooking from New England or the Summer Shack Cookbook will have classic recipes as well as updated versions.

Living on the east coast of the U.S. I have more choices than many, and I eat fish probably 2-3X per week. So I like variety. But it didn't take much reflection to recognize that, when shopping for home cooking, I do stick to a core group of fish/shellfish: cod, swordfish, trout (farm raised), scallops, and salmon (farm raised). But that's NOT all I eat, nor my top picks if given a choice. They're what I eat most often because they're available year-round, fresh, affordable, and (arguably, except for the salmon) reasonably sustainable. And when I see other fish from the northeast, such as monkfish, skate, or haddock, I happily substitute. When seasonal fish/shellfish like halibut, turbot, Pacific salmon, Maine shrimp, etc. are available and affordable, I binge. If a friend w/ a boat catches some bluefish, please, please...but i don't like the bluefish sold retail. There are a dwindling number of small retail fish shops around and I support them when I can. Otherwise, I'm dependent on grocery stores, too. Most identify the origin of the fish, so I try to buy fish caught in regional waters. I wish I could depend on more than my usual five.

What a lovely problem! The fig/blue cheese/proscuitto combo is delicious beyond belief, as is a fig tart. I love the ideas of fig demiglace and figs on pizza. Figs are great eating out of hand, but I find they benefit from heat, which concentrates their flavor. Add figs halves to an antipasto platter, they really compliment cured meats. Figs w/ vanilla ice cream and honey is a classic dessert--even better after a quick saute in butter to carmelize them a bit. I get a lot of mileage out of dried figs, if you're inclined to dry them. They're good in fruit compotes, chopped and added to quick breads or hearty yeast breads that also include nuts, and savory bread stuffings for pork or duck.

Interesting. Not very intuitive for a casual user but might improve over time. Worth following to see if it takes off.

Fritters. Clam fritters, corn fritters, apple fritters. Enough for a party.

Oh my. I must try this. If other members have tasted this dish, I'd love to hear. When in London I stay with friends and so like to take them out for a celebratory thank you dinner. I was there in February for a long weekend but we stuck with family-friendly places when eating out, not wanting to leave their 10 yr old behind. But I know where we're eating when I visit next.

The book gets a mixed review in the most recent New York Times Sunday book review: here. Summary: good observer and writer, great opportunities, inconsistent book. Not unlike what's been said in this topic. the most interesting OT tidbit: the review starts off by noting that Bourdain had authored some novels before writing "Kitchen Confidential." One can only wonder.

Wonderful report, thank you. I am thinking that this needs to be part of my next (yet unplanned) visit to London. Looks like a fantastic value, too. And those scallops...how were they on the menu, did you notice?

Today I stumbled across a copy of Culinaria Spain in a used book store, perfect condition, $10 USD. I'd never seen any of the series before and if it were not for this topic I probably would not have pulled it out of the pile. It's an amazing reference volume. The photography is gorgeous.

Paul, your explanation of "shell" v. "enclosure" makes a lot of sense and seems consistent with the recipes I've followed for both types of pastry recipes. I always pre-bake a pie shell when possible. From experience I can vouch for the difference that bakeware material makes when baking anything, not just pies/tarts. Glass and dark metal definitely make baked goods brown more rapidly. That's why I always use a glass pie pan for a double crusted pie, when you can't pre-bake. the bottom crust browns faster and so doesn't get soggy.

The Foods of Vietnam by Nicole Routhier is a good intro to Vietnamese cooking. I also enjoy reading Viet World Kitchen, which includes good discussions of key ingredients (ie. fish sauce) as well as lots of recipes.

I took the easy way out and ended up grilling most of my eggplant last night at a friend's cookout. But during the afternoon I tried my hand at making the pickled eggplant that starts off the Small Batch Pickled Vegetables topic. I'd seen the recipe in Marcella Hazan's cookbook but never thought to try it. And unlike similar recipes, it does not require cooking--an extra bonus in hot weather. It's not clear to me how long the eggplant needs to macerate before it's ready to eat, so I'll start taste-testing in another day or two. One thing that surprised me about the many variations of this recipe that I've seen is that they all call for fresh mint. Not an herb I associate with italian cooking. There was still one big eggplant remaining, so I've cubed and salted it to make the eggplant, tomato, and chickpea stew in Paula Wolfert's Mediterranian Cooking for dinner tonight. Reading through so many eggplant recipes the past few days, I've been struck by the wildly different directions for salting eggplant before using, from 1 hour to overnight--even across recipes that are otherwise similar. I followed the directions in the pickled eggplant recipe for the lengthy salt, since I know nothing about making pickles, but otherwise I usually only bother for an hour or so.

Today there was an incredible variety of eggplants piled high at my local farmers market—from big Italian to tiny Thai. They were beautiful and I bought far too many, with no real plan of attack. There are already some great topics on the forums for favorites like eggplant parmesan, ratatouille, and moussaka. But I'm finding myself drawn to lesser known dishes such as lebanese pickled eggplant and eggplant preserves. Eggplant is really versatile, isn't it? This topic seems to be the gathering place for eggplant ideas from across cooking cultures. Is anyone else cooking with eggplant these days? I'd be especially interested in Indian or SE Asian recipes.

A couple of large foil pans of tiramisu would work--find a recipe and scale up. It can be easily cut into squares, plated, and served.

If you gracefully decline and your friend tries to talk you into it regardless, ask him/her to read the posts here. They only touch upon the work, management, and angst involved in such an endeavor. I'm guessing that your friend doesn't know much about this business.