MelissaH

Can you tell us how you do that? I am looking for things to do with my starter. ← My recipe is from King Arthur, and it's written for a fairly goopy starter. I refresh mine with equal masses of water and flour, a little more than 4 oz. each per refreshment. This is one of my favorite things to do with the part of the starter that gets removed in the refreshing. I generally don't measure too carefully when I make these, which is atypical of me! 2 cups flour (can use half WW; about 9 oz) 2 Tbsp sugar, more or less 2 cups buttermilk (I generally don't have buttermilk on hand, so I about half-fill my 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup with plain yogurt and then fill the cup with regular milk, making sure I stir a bit to avoid any air pockets) 1 cup starter (usually works out to about 8 or 9 oz, but I use whatever I remove from my starter jar just before adding water and flour to refresh) 2 eggs 1/4 cup oil or melted butter (melted butter tastes better, but always seizes when I try to mix it in) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda Mix flour and sugar in whatever bowl you'll use for the batter. I like an 8-cup bowl with a spout and a handle. Mix together milk and starter. Break up the starter as well as you can. Stir into flour. Cover (I use a shower cap swiped from a hotel) and leave out overnight. In the morning, blend in eggs, oil, salt, and baking soda. My Black and Decker waffle iron needs about 3/4 cup of batter per waffle. Sometime, I'll try the mix-it-all-together-and-refrigerate method. I'm concerned that if I left it in my fridge, my starter would be too cold and sluggish to do much. MelissaH

I kind-of sort-of made a Russian Grandmother's Apple Cake on Friday. Except that because the farmer's market in town had beautiful little Seckel pears last Thursday, I used them instead of apples. And then because I thought that ginger would go nicely with pears, I used that instead of cinnamon. The pears were a PITA to prep compared to apples, because they're so tiny. And I wound up not using any lemon juice in the filling because I used my last lemon to make the crust. The individual components (crust dough and pears/ginger/sugar filling) tasted good, and the cake looked beautiful when it came out of the oven. Of course, I didn't think to take a picture because I was planning to have it around for a little while. But shortly after the cake came out of the oven, the next-door neighbors invited us over for their night-before-their-wedding party. And since we couldn't go over empty-handed, I brought the pear cake. (My husband brought over homebrew.) The whole cake disappeared rapidly, to rave reviews, and I never got to taste a piece. My husband got some, though, and he assures me that pears and ginger work quite well. I liked that the Seckels didn't turn to mush, but there must be some other pear that holds its shape but is a reasonable size? I actually felt just a little bit naughty messing around with this recipe, because it's one that I generally don't do much with. (It's also one of the few that I actually measure things by volume, because that's how it's always been done.) But then again, it's become MY recipe now, so why shouldn't I play around with it? Note to self: must remember to retrieve deep-dish pie pan some time next week while we care for the honeymooners' cats. MelissaH

Wedding dinner last night: Salad from a bag, with a few slices of red onion, two grape tomatoes, and a hot pickled pepper of the type sold in jars as pepperoncini added to each plate, drowned in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing; delivered to the plates. On the buffet: roast beef sliced deli-thin in salty jus, half-inch-thick sliced ham, rigatoni in red sauce with a little bit of rubbery mozzarella melted over the top, little red potato chunks in something greasy, and baby-cut carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower with some crunch still left. And wedding cake, which was white and sweet. The vegetables were my highlight of the evening. MelissaH

My favorites are all yeast-raised. Light, crispy, and delicious. Originally, I used Marion Cunningham's recipe, as published in the Fannie Farmer cookbook and others, but also available on the Web in many places including this one. But I've modified the method a little bit after reading an article in Cook's Illustrated about yeast waffles. Now, I mix all the ingredients together (including the eggs, but omitting the baking soda completely) and refrigerate the batter overnight. It bubbles up just fine, and the waffles are just as good. Since acquiring a sourdough starter, I've been using that rather than dry yeast to make my waffles. I make up the whole batch, and then freeze whatever I don't eat right away for later toasting. MelissaH

Andie, You've lucked into one of my faves. My husband and I discovered it at the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, better known as PennMac to those who live in Pittsburgh. We made our planned purchases when we were visiting from Ohio, and then asked Dear Heart (that's what she calls everyone, so that's what we've always called her) to surprise us with something else. We got our wedge of cheese home, opened it up, and started eating. We ate it in slices on crackers, melted on bread, grated on pasta, and in chunks with fruit. We loved it, but then couldn't figure out what it was. We described it to them over the phone, but when we said that the rind was stamped with "piave" they said, "Oh, you mean Piave cheese!" Incidentally, we looked for Piave everywhere in NE Ohio, at all the usual suspect markets for decent cheese, and nobody ever had it. When we finally asked for more information about why nobody had it, we learned that for some reason that cheese could not be sold in the state of Ohio. We imported our own for the five years we lived there. Here in CNY, I need to shop at Wegman's if I want it...and pay about half again as much as I did from PennMac in Pittsburgh. But it's still one of our favorites. We pretty much use it anywhere we might use Parmesan, because we like it as much and it's less expensive. HTH, MelissaH

1C of AP measured by dip-and-sweep method is about 5oz. ← Patrick, I realize this. But presumably, the author of any cookbook measures out the flour in some way, and consistently uses this method throughout the cookbook. For me, anyway, it would be useful to know what a cup of flour weighs, as measured by the person who wrote the recipe. MelissaH

Dorie, For those of us who bake by weight: when you measure out a cup of flour by volume, what does it weigh? MelissaH

As of a couple of weeks ago, when I changed planes in O'Hare we got many announcements to the effect of no liquids and no gels, but there was no apparent enforcement either. I didn't see anyone actually try to get their boarding pass checked and head down the jetway with a drink in hand, but the bottle of water I'd bought while waiting and then stashed in my carry-on bag got no notice from any employees or fellow travelers. I never saw anyone being randomly selected for additional screening on any of the four flights. My dad tells me that in Denver, they no longer sell bottled water or other drinks on the concourses. I think that's what they'll have to do if they want to keep people from carrying contraband on board. Of course, that will make for some mighty unhappy travelers.... My first leg of my flight home was a redeye. I wish I'd had the nerve to stuff a small tube of toothpaste down my pants, or into a sock, or something. I'm beginning to wonder if they still make old-fashioned tooth powder! MelissaH

Ah, it looks like I'm going to hit the jackpot. My United Express flight into ORD comes into Terminal 2 tomorrow, but my flight out leaves from Terminal 1. And my flight home (the connection from the redeye) also leaves from Terminal 2. (That's based on tracking the flights the last few days, and seeing what they have posted for tomorrow.) So I get to do a couple of mad dashes through the airport, and I'm guessing that I won't have much time to stop for anything. I did, however, leave enough room in my luggage for a bottle of water, should I have the time to purchase one. MelissaH

Any suggestions on places to snag a *very* quick bite or sip in O'Hare? I'm particularly interested in places that sell caffeinated beverages in the various United concourses that are open between 5 and 6 AM. At that hour, I'm not too picky. MelissaH

Soapstone's nice, but expensive compared to laminate. Countertops are easy to replace after the fact. If your budget is getting tight, this is one place to save. MelissaH

I was also under the impression that no food was allowed. But I looked at the TSA's Web page on banned and permitted stuff, and it doesn't explicitly say "No food allowed." The things it lists as not allowed in a carry-on bag are: *All beverages; *Canned or jarred goods containing soup, sauces, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables and jellies; *Cheese in pressurized containers; *Duty free alcohol and other items; *Gel based sports supplements ; *Jell-O's; *Pudding; *Whipped cream; *Yogurt or gel like food substances; *And also baby items if you aren't traveling with a baby. My flight out leaves at 9:51 Eastern time and if everything's on time I'll arrive at my destination at 2:30 Pacific time (in other words, seven hours in transit, not counting the time to get to the airport an hour early!). I have barely an hour's layover at O'Hare, and even if the two gates were right next to each other, that's hardly enough time to buy something for lunch and wolf it down before being herded onto my connecting flight. I'll have the option to purchase a snackbox on board, but for $5 I can bring something from home that's better-tasting and probably better for me...if I'm allowed to bring it on board.

Has anyone flown with a PB&J sandwich since the new restrictions took effect? And do they confiscate cheese sticks, or baby-cut carrots? I'll need to bring something that can withstand an hour's drive to the airport, another hour of waiting at the airport, a couple of hours of flying, and a quick layover at O'Hare before my cross-country flight. I'm open to suggestions! MelissaH

Malik, thanks for the ideas. I hadn't realized that the convention center is in a pricey part of town. We're willing to travel for good food, but the budget is unlikely to extend past public transit costs. As far as the kinds of food we like: anything goes. The people I'm likely to be eating with are adventurous enough to try nearly anything, but still appreciate something along the lines of a good burger. For us, well-made but still within our price range is more important than the kind of cuisine. Bakeries with good bread, cheese shops with nice selections, and farmer's markets open on Friday afternoon/evening and Monday morning are all good. I know there are probably many more markets on weekends, but unfortunately I'll be in meetings of one kind or another starting at about 8 AM on both Saturday and Sunday. But if there's anything open in the very early morning on Saturday or Sunday, this Easterner will undoubtedly be awake and ready to go. Thanks, MelissaH

Dan, Thanks for the hints. I'll be trying this, but it will need to wait a couple of weeks as my schedule will be crazy enough that I'm not going to be around enough to do anything with my starter between now and then. But when it happens, I'll definitely report back. MelissaH

Hi all, A bunch of us impecunious types will be in San Francisco for the national meeting of the American Chemical Society. We're looking for places to get a few meals. For most of us, $20 a head is at the top end of what we're willing to pay. Any suggestions, along with clear directions on how to get there from the convention center without using a car? Thanks! MelissaH

Hi Dan, This bread looks absolutely marvelous. I think I'm going to have to try it because I'm an absolute sucker for cooked garlic. But I have a question. In my refrigerator, I have a sourdough starter that I've been feeding with equal masses of water and flour. Can I use 400 g of my starter in place of your pre-ferment? I think the flavor of my sourdough might work nicely with a somewhat sweet and garlicky filling. Or in your opinion would this not be a good idea? MelissaH

Mano - As you can see on a previous post the IKEA cabinetry is much admired. The design is good and the components are of excellent quality. Its due to their volume that they can bring the cost down. Yes, some of the side panels are compressed wood with melamine, but so are far more expensive units. When we did a no expense spared kitchen in California the side panels were still only plywood with veneer. Don't think they were really any better or would last longer than IKEA. I'm pretty sure that you can buy the cabinets without doors. Hopefully somebody who has done this in the states can share their experience. Our problem was linguistic; we just were not confident enough of our French to try the more complicated ordering process. I strongly suspect that a knowledgeable sales person who speaks your language would have no problem placing the order. Let's see if we can get some help from somebody else who's done this in the states. ← When we redid our kitchen, we opted to go with IKEA cabinets (intact with doors, mostly). The way it works here in the U. S. of A. if you do your ordering or order planning at a store: First, you sit down at one of their computers with their kitchen planning software, and put in your kitchen. Then you look at the list of pieces/parts required for your kitchen, which the software generates. This next part helps to have a second person: you take the list of cabinets, and transfer the numbers corresponding to each cabinet (or other part) and the quantities of each onto a form. The planning software doesn't collate same-parts, so the second person is very helpful as you go around the kitchen plan and make sure that everything you want is, in fact, on your list. The people who work in the IKEA kitchen section should be able to help you plan for things like the appropriate numbers of legs, baseboards, and moldings, none of which is accounted for in the planning software. If you're doing IKEA countertops, don't forget those. When you have the form filled out, you bring it to the counter. They put the cabinet numbers into their computer and give you a printout of a draft order. On the draft order, every cabinet is broken down into its component parts: sides, top, bottom, shelves, door, etc. You then double-check the form against your initial list (and also against your planned kitchen) to be sure everything's there still. At this point, if there's a part you don't want, you can cross it off the draft list. We did this with turntable assemblies for corner cabinets, because my husband built ones that are better than IKEA's. We also eliminated a door from a base cabinet, where we chose to put the microwave. Then they take your changes, print you a new draft order, and have you check the new draft. If everything's correct, you're ready to actually place the order. Since we don't live near an IKEA store, we took the copy of the draft with us, and faxed it to the national phone order center. I don't know how it would work if you don't live close enough to plan your order at the store, but it all starts with the software (free download). MelissaH

I've always hated messing with pots of boiling water just to peel a few peaches. My preferred tactic: a vegetable peeler. That's much easier for me to deal with, if there's only half a dozen peaches that need to be peeled. My opinion would undoubtedly change if I were going to be doing large quantities of peaches or other fruits. MelissaH

Here's what the apples looked like before I did anything to them. These are the nine that went into the pie. And here's what the pie looked like after dessert last night. The flavor of the apples was terrific, although I could have been more generous with the cinnamon. I added the juice from one lemon, and about 1/3 cup each brown and white sugar. I didn't measure the cinnamon, which is probably my problem. My husband thought the texture of the apples was perfect, as they softened tremendously, I'd say pretty darned close to mush. But then again, my husband really doesn't like it when an apple pie "bites back," as he put it. I know these apples are often used for applesauce, and based on the insides of the pie, I understand why. As you can see in the picture, I did wind up with a bit of a gap in the baked pie, between the filling and the top crust. I guess there's not much I can do about that, short of pre-cooking the filling. The crust...well, it was close to perfect. Nice and flaky, but slightly tough. I used the all-butter recipe from the Baker's Dozen cookbook: 2 cups flour (I used King Arthur all-purpose), 2 sticks of butter, smidge of sugar, smidge of salt, and 1/2 cup water or however much it takes. I did everything up to the water in the food processor (hurray for dishwashers!) but mixed the water in by hand using a large rubber scraper. Either I overworked the dough, or the KA flour is just too high in gluten to make a decent pie crust. I have enough apples for another pie, and it's supposed to be nice and cool tomorrow. I suspect that we will be out of pie by the end of the night, and therefore it will be time to make another. MelissaH

Hi Alinka, I'm very much looking forward to seeing your week. And I second Pan's request to know where you came from. I'm curious about the comparisons between Moscow now, and other places you have lived. When I think of Moscow, I think of cold dark snowy days, since you're way north. But as it's August, I hope you're getting a little sunlight. What time does the sun come up? And when does it get dark again, this time of year? MelissaH

Chefpeon, got a recipe? The pie's made, but not yet tasted. (I resisted for breakfast, instead opting for the more standard cornflakes and milk.) I already know there's going to be a dreadfully huge gap between filling and top crust, because I can see in through the slits. (Does the gap count as invisible?) Stay tuned for lunchtime. I won't be able to hold out much longer. MelissaH

These are definitely on the tart side, and very firm. I've made about half my stash (9 apples) into a pie, which is currently cooling (pictures to come, both of the apples and the pie). They were a real bugger to core, for some reason. Either my technique's flawed, or I should go back to using a melon baller rather than a paring knife. We'll be tasting the pie tonight. It's the first day in ages that I've been able to make crust! MelissaH

I was delighted to find some Yellow Transparent apples at the farmer's market on Thursday evening. I've heard about them as a pie apple, but this is the first time I've seen them. They're a small apple with yellow skin, and I plan on turning them into a pie since it's finally cool enough to think about dealing with pastry dough. Has anyone used this apple for pies? Is there any advice about these apples specifically? Thanks, MelissaH

We've in the past been known to hold a "welcome back" party for the department at the start of the school year. The graduate students and faculty and staff generally come to that one; I don't remember having undergrads at ours. However, last year one of the other faculty members hosted one so we didn't. (That person lives further from campus than we do, way out east of town on the lake. I couldn't make it last year, but I do know that September on the lake is much nicer than December on the lake here.) If nothing else, our house has been appointed as the best place for the holiday party. We have enough indoor space to hold everyone, we have easy access to a campus parking lot, and we're a short walk from campus. The Chemistry Club does most of the work and provides most of the food, so we just provide a space to host everyone, a place to dispose of the used paper plates and plastic utensils, and occasionally a serving utensil if someone forgets to bring one to go with their dish-to-share. December would also give us enough time to make sure the last decorative details are finished, and would also avoid the sense of "Oh, they're throwing a kitchen party, I must bring a gift for them to use in the new kitchen." I suspect we'll still want to have some kind of non-departmental gathering, though, because others have expressed an interest in seeing the place. We'll also definitely invite the person who helped design the kitchen, as well as the electrician. MelissaH