Darcie B

For those who are interested in the alternate shaping form, I did a pictorial in my foodblog. Bagels. (about 1/2 way down the page) I use Peter Reinhart's recipe from BBA. Here is the formula for anyone interested (although I am very interested in seeing Ann's formula too!) Bagels Starter: 18 ounces high gluten flour (Sir Lancelot from King Arthur is what I use) 1 tsp. instant yeast 20 ounces (2.5 cups) room temp water Mix together until hydrated, then place in covered bowl and let rise until very bubbly on top, about 2 hours. Dough: Starter 2 3/4 tsp. salt 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup 1/2 tsp. instant yeast 17 ounces high gluten flour Mix starter, salt, syrup and yeast until blended. Add about 2/3 of flour and mix until dough forms. Add remainder of flour gradually, and knead (by machine) for about 6 minutes until smooth. Dough should be very stiff but pliable and still be able to pass a windowpane test. It shouldn't tear too easily but should be not at all tacky. Immediately shape into 12 or 18 balls, depending on how large you want your bagels. Let rest under damp tea towel or damp paper towels for 20 minutes. Shape into bagel shape using desired method. Place 6 bagels on parchment sheet sprayed with oil in half sheet pan or cookie sheet. (Bagels need to be a couple of inches apart.) Spritz top of bagels lightly with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest another 20 minutes. Check to see if they pass the "float" test. This means have a bowl (I use a cereal bowl) of room temp water, and drop in a bagel. It should float within a few seconds. If not, blot dry with towel and replace on sheet. Wait another 20 minutes and test again. NOTE: I don't always use the test and usually just let them rest for 30 minutes to be on the safe side. Place sheets, covered with plastic wrap, in refrigerator over night. In morning, preheat oven to 500. Boil water in large skillet or wide stockpot, add 1 Tbsp. baking soda. Boil bagels 1 to 2 minutes per side, more time = chewier. Sprinkle parchment with cornmeal or semolina flour while you are boiling the bagels, or spray with oil again. Place bagels on sheets, and bake for 5 minutes. Switch trays in oven and reduce heat to 450. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Let rest at least 15 minutes before you cut them.

Melissa, I can see both sides to your switch conundrum. How about adding a safety cover over a backsplash-mounted switch? That way you won't accidentally turn on the switch but you won't have to mess with opening the cupboard door each time you use the disposal. Like this one. Edit to add: I don't think this one flips up easily, but I know I've seen them somewhere. Either that, or get a different kind of switch, like a pushbutton switch, to operate the disposal, so you don't get it confused with another switch.

I encountered tomato/water separation while canning whole tomatoes a few years back. Here's a slightly more scientific explanation from various home canning websites (extension services in each state provide the same basic information). What causes tomato juice to separate in the jar? Liquid at the top and solids at the bottom indicates that the juice was made prior to heating (perhaps run through the steamer, sieve, or food mill raw). The enzyme that causes separation is activated by exposure to air and inactivated by heat. Leave tomatoes whole or in large chunks (do not chop). Heat before juicing to minimize separation. Liquid at the bottom and solids at the top indicates too much preheating (more than 5 minutes). Pectin breaks down when overheated and separation results. If separation occurs, shake the jar before opening. Here's one site I found with a procedure to avoid separation: Procedure Wash, remove stems, and trim off bruised or discolored portions. To prevent juice from separating, quickly cut about 1 pound of fruit into quarters and put directly into saucepan. Heat immediately to boiling while crushing. Continue to slowly add and crush freshly cut tomato quarters to the boiling mixture. Make sure the mixture boils constantly and vigorously while you add the remaining tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes after you add all the pieces. If you are not concerned about juice separation, simply slice or quarter tomatoes into a large saucepan. Crush, heat, and simmer for 5 minutes before juicing. Press both types of heated juice through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds.

Heck, for the price of four A/C filters (which I assume you then have to throw away), you can buy a cheap dehydrator. Then you can make jerky forever! I have a cheapie Mr. Coffee () dehyrdator that works just fine and cost around $20. The oven method will work but I have problems with my oven keeping low temps accurately (high temps too for that matter) I really like AB but sometimes I think he has a McGyver complex... edit for speeling...

Happy Birthday, Klary! I second this request...

I've been thinking about this because I generally prefer to buy organic foods when possible, because not only would I rather not have additional pesticide or herbicide residue in my food, I consider damage that can be done to the environment with runoff, etc. This is probably based more on feelings than hard science (although I have read about damage in the Gulf of Mexico near NO that is blamed on excess nitrogen from fertilizers). That being the case, I don't think that eating organic will necessarily keep me healthier or allow me to live longer because there are so many other variables to consider, not the least of which is environmental exposure to carcinogens and other nasties. I live near a bunch of chemical plants, and often in the early morning hours a putrid smell permeates the air. I figure if I can smell it, it's probably not good for me. I think about all the "healthy" California eaters inhaling LA's smog...I guess what I am getting it is there is a more to health than the food one eats and the amount of exercise one gets, and a lot of it is beyond our control. Maybe that's just an excuse for me to eat poorly and not exercise enough Guess there's no sense in compounding the negatives, huh?

Pam, this blog is *fascinating*! I love seeing how many of the traditional Jewish food items are similar to my North Dakota Lutheran family's food. Of course, no matsoh for us. Keep up the great work!

I use a manual scale so haven't had this problem, but I'll throw my $.02 in anyway. First, do you think there may be an internal wiring problem in the scale? It sounds like it may be overly sensitive. If not, then how about putting some silicone/rubber (worn out silpat?) underneath the bowl instead of saran wrap (which is really static-y in its own right)? Sounds like a real PITA - good luck.

I always give out recipes when asked, and will tell people "secret" ingredients that might be in something I made. I recently started baking semi-professionally (I supply baked goods to a small coffee house near my home, using their kitchen). So far no one there has asked for a recipe, but I will provide it if asked. The main reason I don't have a problem giving out recipes is because, as jgm says, Usually this is the case even if the recipe is not very complicated. I tell people when I give them a recipe that it might be difficult for them to make it turn out perfectly on their first few (or even several) tries, and that if they make substitutions it will not work. I figure most recipes go into a drawer or box, never to be seen again. One friend tried recipes for chocolate ganache and chocolate cream glaze (simple, standard recipes) that I gave her. I told her she had to use real chocolate, not coating chocolate. The ganache and glaze didn't turn out because she made the substitution anyway, and she blamed the recipes. I made her a cake using the same recipes with real chocolate and she eventually acknowledged that it was her error. Usually I will just let something like that go, but that one really bothered me because she was so adamant. Perhaps I should be more concerned that someone will spread the word that my recipes are bad when something like this occurs, but if I can encourage someone to bake because I gave them a recipe, I will take that chance.

Has anyone tried making this as a cupcake? Or does anyone have a great carrot cake cupcake recipe?

I have a feeling that I should go and browse some hardware stores. I'm sure there has to be some kind of nozzle or tube fitting or something that fits the bill. ← One other thing to consider is buying a large plastic tip (maybe like these), and cutting it to make the opening even larger. I did that and it worked pretty well.

This is not quite true. Most of the higher end cabinets, even from the big box stores like Lowe's and Home Depot, are constructed of solid wood and plywood, which is a very different creature than particleboard. I know that many people find particleboard acceptable, but it is not for me. It is heavier than plywood and IMO more susceptible to water (and other) damage. I had particle board cabinets in my former apartment, and the steam from the coffee maker caused them to swell and warp. I paid 15% more for the all-plywood construction of my current cabinets (about $1000) and I think it was money well spent. The cabinets were lighter and therefore easier to install, and we needed to watch the weight since our house was not designed to accommodate all the cabinets and the island we installed.

Mostly you are paying for the higher amount of crop loss due to organic farming methods. My brothers had a certified organic small grains farm for several years and their yield was lower due to a higher incidence of pest and weed damage. Also, in some cases, you are paying for higher quality. There are some organic growers who produce a superior tasting product. Not all (perhaps not even many) but definitely some. While I am certain that part of the organic movement is elitist as displayed by the smug superiority of some of its adherents, I don't think CSAs are typically elitist. A lot of people I know that subscribe to a CSA are anything but. It might be elite in that there are small numbers who belong to a CSA, but I generally don't find that "superior" attitude. I don't have wide exposure on this to be certain, though. I agree with you that this is not a "good" vs. "evil" argument. Someone recently posted an another BB that a corporation was "morally bankrupt." A corporation's morals are to make its stockholders a profit, nothing more. However, I do feel that small companies are often more concerned with environmental issues and see consumers as individuals rather than statistics, etc., qualities that I like. I can see how someone would see this as "good" and the converse as "evil," although they really can't be classified that way. In the case of WF, I think it goes back to what you were saying - it is being demonized now because it got big. For me it's a moot point - closest WF is 4 or 5 hours away.

There is another thread somewhere about why school districts serve the food they serve. When I have more time I'll try to find it and link it. Basically the school food programs operate under or in conjunction with the USDA commodities program (this is for free and reduced lunch meals, which applies to most schools). Their hands are tied somewhat, but I am sure there is a way to supplement what they get from the government. Why can't they have a food boosters club the way they have baseball boosters? Oh, wait, I know - it's because hardly anyone cares. Love your sig line BTW.

Cheaper in the short term, yes. But is it really cheaper in the long run?

I have zero problems with this as a parent, in the same way that I think school cafeterias (and fund-raising lunch programs) should restrict their choices to healthier, more adventurous foods. ← I just believe that we are asking way too much of our schools. the real problem is kids are not exercising enough. someone who is engaged in physical activity is simply not eating as much as someone who is sedentary. The problem is not so much what kids are eating in schools (healthy or not so healthy food) but the fact that they don't exercise and when not in school are sitting in front of a TV set or gameboy or whatever, and guess what?!----eating! In fact--if kids were engaged in physical activity more--the food and eating problems would be lessened--they would be burning off what calories they were taking in. Unfortunately physical education--aka "Gym class" has been severely de-emphasized in our schools. I say--give kids a light snack (ok a healthy snack) and get them out on the playground! Schools are not health food restaurants (or any other kind of restaurant). ← While I agree that exercise is of utmost importance, I do think that schools should set an example with the food that is served. Healthy habits are not learned when the daily menu is pizza, burgers and chicken nuggets. We are all paying for it so why not use it as a positive learning experience? I do not at all think this is asking too much of the schools. There are other areas where we DO ask too much from them, but to me this is not one of them. The fact is that many kids who eat school lunches may not get anything else to eat, or may get even worse food at home. Why not have healthy items for them at least one meal a day? It certainly couldn't hurt. To me it's not just a question of burning all the calories consumed, it is why not have calories of substance and nutrition rather than crap?

Wendy, I'm thinking it may just be your area, because when I went trolling the HD and Lowe's three years ago for kitchen advice, both were willing to do an initial design for free. The Lowe's designer even offered to come and measure our kitchen at no charge when drawing up the initial plans. I must have gone back a dozen times with changes but he was always pleasant, even when I did stuff like "move that over there...no, move it back again...no, back over there..." He came up with some good ideas too, even though he wasn't a CKBD. I was under no contract throughout the design phase. When I got my final plan I could, and did, take it without putting down a dime. I did buy my cabinets there but installed them myself (DH helped, of course ). I would be miffed if no one were even willing to talk unless they had money up front. Since my budget was small ($15,000 - nearly all for materials as we did most of the labor) and I didn't want to make huge changes, I didn't hire an independent designer. I'm very happy with the end result.

What do you think happens to thousands of 10 year old dairy cows when they dry up? Ground beef, stew meat, convenience foods, and sausages. ← Gee, I always thought they went to a cow retirement home. I did think that there was an age limit on cows being slaughtered for human consumption. Guess I was wrong. Also, Holsteins (used by almost every dairy in the land) suck for eating, IMO. Really their milk sucks too but they sure do produce a lot of it! Darcie (grew up on a small cattle farm....mmmmm, tasty polled Herefords...)

Beef. It's What's For Dinner. These cases have been so rare that to me it's not an immediate threat. I am much more likely to die as a result of a motorcycle accident than by eating contaminated beef. A 10-year-old cow entering the food supply? That just doesn't seem right...I have never heard of a cow that old going in for processing. Yuck. Anyway, I want to live, not just be alive. And part of living is eating well, including eating beef. It's going to take more than 3 cows in the U.S. testing positive for a disease whose transmission is still not fully understood for me to stop eating red meat. Pass the gravy.

Rochelle, first, sorry to hear about your arm. I hope it heals quickly. I probably won't go to any of these events because there are some closer to Charleston that don't get published. I find out about them by the banners at intersections. The local fire departments usually have ramp dinners as fundraisers, and I sometimes go to one of those. The one I would recommend is the one in Helvetia. If I hadn't already planned a trip to Texas that weekend, I would definitely go there. Helvetia is a very quaint little town with the feel of a Swiss Alpine village (apparently lots of German immigrants settled there). It has a couple of decent restaurants, one of which is known for its weekend breakfasts. When ramps come into season here I'll PM you and send you some if you aren't able to make it out. The farmer's market here carries them and I usually buy some for a taters and ramps fry. You're invited!

I will never again fumble in the bottom of the shopping bag to retrieve an item while not paying attention to the dozen eggs at the top of the bag. The sound of 12 eggs breaking simultaneously is quite disheartening. Scrambled eggs for dinner...

My husband is a master mechanic and electrical wizard so I am not worried about that. We only have one used appliance store and right now they don't have anything I can use, although they are supposed to call if something comes in. My bet is that I am bidding against them in the auction... So far I am winning the auction, but I am sure that most active bidders will be at the live auction on Wednesday, and I can't participate. I have to just hope my max bid will be enough.

This is so exciting! There is nothing more fun than planning a kitchen. My husband and I did this three years ago. We went with the Kraftmaid cabinets, upgraded to full plywood construction (+15% compared to regular cabinets), and got the full slide/self closing hardware upgrades as well. Our kitchen is similarly sized, but our cabinets only ran about $8500. Looks like the price has gone up! We installed our own cabinets and really didn't have any trouble with measurements, etc., and on one wall we didn't even have a spacer for fudge factor! Where we did have spacers it made it really easy. Word of advice: make sure your level isn't wonked. We installed three base cabinets that didn't quite look right but the level indicated they were straight. Turns out the level had been damaged. Grrrr... What kind of apron front sink do you plan to put in your kitchen? I wonder if you really need a 42" sink base - we went with a 36" apron front sink base and put something very similar to this in it. The edges of the sink rest on the cabinet edges, and the countertop mounts over the edge of the sink. We had to cut down more than 5" but it was fine. The edge of the apron comes to rest just above the cabinet doors. We really like it. Here's a view of the sink (sorry, image quality isn't the greatest). If I had to do it over again, I would not get Corian and would use laminate (I too soapstone and it will make an appearance in the next kitchen). Since I have a tiled island, I have a place for hot things, and the Corian was (1) damn expensive and (2) the contractor was a PITA to deal with. The counters are f**ked up since he couldn't figure out how to screw them down near the sink so they go uphill to the sink. Just plain stupid but since this was a subcontractor through Lowe's we really had no leverage. All they could tell us was, "No one else has had any problems with him..." Re: wall oven in regular cabinet. You will have to watch for clearance issues. One thing we did that wasn't required but seemed like a good idea was to get some sheet metal (18 or 22 gauge, can't remember) and line the back of the oven cabinet with it. You might consider doing something similar to an IKEA cabinet if there are any heat/fire issues. Good luck and keep us informed!

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. The kitchen has wiring for a large electric oven and a large gas line plus a large exhaust system so it should basically be a plug and play operation. They are currently buying their baked goods from a commercial bakery, not using the crappy ovens now there. I haven't baked anything in them yet but it's going to take a long time to bake even a small volume in those ovens, which is why I am looking for something bigger. If I don't win this auction I plan to buy a single commercial convention oven but I hope to get this oven for less than a new single oven. We'll see...

For those of you who purchase equipment and/or have started their own bakery, I would like to know how much a Blodgett double bakery depth oven should cost at auction. Here's a picture: I am waiting on details but know that it is at least 5 years old, probably older, and has been sitting for 2-3 years. How much would you bid? I am clueless. I have an opportunity to do some baking for a local coffee house using their kitchen (a chuch kitchen with 30 year old home quality gas ranges), so would like to have something better to bake in. I already checked with local used places and they don't have anything at the moment. A friend alerted me to this auction, which is next Wednesday, so I need to get advice quickly. Thanks in advance for all your help.