merrybaker

Hiroyuki, I tried that for lunch today and it was a very enjoyable combination of ingredients.

Anchovies. Cilantro. Miso. Tofu. Hated them all, now can't get enough of them. Will have to find a dish that combines them all.

I find it's easiest to cut the pain a l'ancienne into strips while it's still cold from the fridge. Then let it warm up right on the parchment.

Thanks for looking that up. If we're gonna do it, might as well do it right! I know there's something to be said for letting a little dirt into our lives, but with new strains of e-coli out there that don't just upset the stomach, but can be deadly, why take a chance?

Have you tried the starter (barm) from Reinhart's Crust and Crumb? That's the only one that ever worked for me. It's different from the one he uses in Bread Baker's Apprentice. I lived in the North when I started it, but used it successfully for two years in Florida. Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.kyleskitchen.net/bar_formula.htm Also, have you tried the free Oregon Trail starter you can get from http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/ A lot of people have good luck with that one. Good luck!

Knitting needles... or what kind? That sounds so interesting. I've really enjoyed reading this thread. I'm going to start now and make panettone every month, and maybe by next Christmas I'll have it perfected!

Since I'm a neurotic who bleaches everything in sight, I called up Clorox for more info on the subject. Much to my surprise I was told that only "regular" noxious Clorox works as a disinfectant. Lemon, meadow fresh, etc. will deodorize, but not disinfect. Since I've been using perfumed bleach all this time, I guess I've just been lucky. For a cutting board I was told to use 3 Tbl. bleach to a gallon of water, and let it soak for 2 minutes. I never do that either, just pour it over and rinse it off. Also, never make up the bleach solution in advance -- it changes chemically and no longer disinfects. Well, live and learn...

Sorry I took so long to reply (things got hectic!), but I DO want to thank you all for your help. Wegman's was my first thought, too, but no luck there. Costco is a distance from here, and I never got there. I'll keep Williams-Sonoma in mind for next year. Thanks again.

Another vote for de Cecco, but it's getting less and less shelf-space. I'll admit that when Barilla goes on sale at 5 for $4.00, it's hard to resist. Ronzoni? Never!! It's made by Hershey, for heaven's sake!

Thank you for that information, Hiroyuki. Now I understand! Yes, "provides harmony between piquancy and fragrance"... that's what I meant to say.

Where does Nanami Togarashi fit in? My bottle of Nanami Togarashi contains chili pepper, orange peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, Japanese pepper, ginger, and seaweed. It's S&B brand, and I love that stuff!

← In an earlier post I praised my bamboo brush for ginger-graters. Later I asked how to clean a suribachi. Now look at the label above -- that same brush cam be used to clean a suribachi! Why didn't I think of that?

I don't know what I'm talking about, but that never stopped me from answering before! When I was researching dried sardines, I read that the name is often translated as dried anchovies. Sure enough, when I went to the store, I found dried anchovies. Whether they are really anchovies or sardines, I'll never know.

Oh no, I may have to pay 20 cents!

Oh my gosh, melonpan, that's the recipe! But I used to toast the ramen bits with the sesame and almonds. (And I always burned some and had to pick out the little black pieces.) It's been so long, I think it's time to try it again! Thanks.

A few years back there was a salad recipe that was making the rounds. It was shredded cabbage, etc. with a rice vinegar dressing. Then a package of ramen noodles (no sauce) was broken up and sauteed until golden. That was added to the salad along with toasted sesame seeds and roasted, sliced almonds. Oh, I think there was shredded chicken in there, too. Anyhow, we ate it so much that we never wanted to see it again! I still keep some packages on hand for a quick bowl of soup, using Hon-Dashi for the broth instead of the packet, and adding tofu and spinach and kamaboko. Campbell's (I think it was) used to sell a baked, rather than fried, ramen. They took it off the market. There's a message there somewhere.

I've seen those in the store and wondered what they were. Thanks, I'll give it a try.

Mmm, almonds sound good. Like Trout Amandine. The stirfry pictures looks fantastic. Also, I found a reference to Korean fried sardines with ginger, garlic, and chili paste. Melonpan, does that sound familiar?

Kris, I’m reporting back on the soup. I was a little squeamish at first -- with all those fish in the pan of water, it looked like cooking an aquarium! But it came out VERY tasty, though next time (tomorrow?) I’ll try a darker miso. Mine sure didn’t look as nice as yours -- everything fell to the bottom of the bowl, and it looked kind of naked. Maybe I had too much broth. But the flavor was great. And it was almost as easy as dashi granules, which, of course, I would never consider using. I’m so glad you started this thread. I hope everyone will keep adding their ideas to it. Also, since I bought a lifetime supply of dried sardines, I tried making tazukuri. Not a big success. I either overcooked them, or undercooked them, and they stuck together in one big lump. I didn’t say anything, so my husband thinks that’s how they’re supposed to be! But I did discover that just heating the plain sardines in a skillet makes them very crunchy and delicious, and would make a great nibble with beer. I’ll have to buy another lifetime supply.

A gadget-related question: what's the best way to clean a suribachi? There's always some sesame seed "paste" that just doesn't come out of the grooves, and hot water doesn't remove it completely. Is there a special brush? Sometimes, when I have nothing better to do, I take a toothpick and clean the grooves one-by-one. One more thing, is it okay to use soap inside the bowl, or is it porous?

Kris, thanks for answering so quickly! I already have red miso and sweet potatoes, so all I need are sardines. I've often seen bags of them in the store and wondered what to do with them. Now I know!

Kris, your soup with niboshi and satsumaimo looked wonderful! Oh, I'm so hungry now!! I've never used dried sardines. Did you use them for the broth, or were they added later? How long did you cook them? What kind of miso did you use? And one more question--do you eat the sardines whole or do they have bones? This looks like a soup to get through winter with...

Does anyone know of a source for Perugina panettone in Central New Jersey (Princeton area, if possible)? The only one I've found so far was at Bon Appetit in Princeton Shopping Center, and the price was, to put it politely, inappropriately high. Or can you suggest another brand that would be similar. I've also liked La Florentine. Haven't liked: Shop-Rite, Romeo & Giulietta, Bauli, Alemagna, Ferrara, Paluani, and thought Bistefani was just okay. I've been in New Jersey less than a year, and never thought it would be so hard to find!

I have only a few -- suribachi, benriner, and ginger grater. But one more is my favorite -- a little bamboo "brush" that cleans all the ginger pulp off the grater. It's saved me so much time and aggravation!

Beware! Some scales use fractions instead of decimals when showing parts of ounces. As a mathematically-challenged person, I would HATE that. I have a small Soehnle, and it is extremely accurate. Couldn't bake without it!