Kim D

"For a limited time, raid Ariane's freezer, at very special prices." Dartagnan is having another freezer sale. My shipment arrives Tuesday.

I'm two for two. I made the Banana Bundt Cake a couple of days ago and yesterday I made the Double Apple Bundt Cake. It's already half gone and I didn't slice it until this morning. I didn't put in the full amount of raisins because the raisins I had were not at all moist and tasted very sugary. I shouldn't have held back. The raisins plumped up just fine when they baked.

I knew I needed another cookbook. But didn't know which one. Until this thread. I made Banana Bundt Cake. I had way overripe bananas, a bundt pan still in its wrapper and a hankering for dessert. My husband loved it and so did I. And now it's gone.

My husband loves my home made ice cream and sorbet. He'll have seconds and sometimes thirds. With the kulfi, he had one helping. Not because he didn't like it. He had one small bowlful because it was so satisfying that he didn't need more. While searching the internet for kulfi recipes, I came across a tip that said to mix the skin that forms on the top of the milk back in. - Kim

I made kulfi yesterday. Incredibly rich tasting. So different in texture than ice cream. Denser. Silkier. I didn't have cardamom powder but I did have cardamom seeds and a mortar and pestle. And that worked just fine. Better than fine. Great taste. Soaking pistachios in warm water certainly does make the skins slip off easily. I had thought that the texture of nuts in a creamy dessert would be off-putting but I liked it. I put the kulfi in my ice cream maker but it didn't seem to change the texture very much. I could have skipped this step. I forgot to add the drop of rose water. This time. Thank you very much for this recipe. I look forward to making it again. - Kim

My rifi arrived a few days ago. Lucky for me, I hadn't cleaned out my fireplace since the last time I used it. I think that was two years ago. So, after soaking the tagine in water for a couple hours, I drained it, wiped it dry, smeared it with olive oil and ashes, and baked it for 10 hours at 250 F. Twice. I made Chicken Tagine with Honeyed Pears and Cinnamon from The Momo Cookbook. I can't wait to make it again. The only thing I'll change is the amount of water. The recipe calls for 12.5 ounces of water for 1.25 kg of chicken and that seems to be more than it needs. - Kim

Kulfi One of the listed ingredients is corn flour. Dumb question follows. Is that British English for cornstarch? Or is it American English for masa harina? Thanks in advance. - Kim

Samy must be overwhelmed.The order status for my Ourika has not changed since April. I'm still slightly hopeful that I'll receive it. The last correspondence from them said that they were still awaiting a shipment. Unfortunately I used a one-time Visa number and it has expired. I figure if I don't hear back from my latest email and voicemail, I'll just reorder at some point. Last weekend at the annual Printers Row Bookfair, I picked up Paula Wolfert's Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. I made Preserved Lemons last year. Now all I need is a good tagine (my Le Creuset Tagine does not count). - Kim

I bought a duck from a Thai grocery store. A whole duck. The feet were sticking out of the bag and I am assuming that the head's in there too. So, what do I do? I was going to use part of the duck to make Duck with Green Curry Paste (from Hot Sour Salty Sweet) and the leftover bits to make duck stock. Should I use the head in my stock? It's going to be tough opening that bag and seeing the head. It's going to be tougher to see it floating in my stock. But if it makes for a better stock, I'll do it. After all I've gotten used to see chicken toes sticking out in my chicken stock. - Kim

I have reservations for Wednesday, May 3. Finally. If it weren't for the upcoming ban on foie gras, I might have procrastinated for another few months. I am so looking forward to that burger! The tasting menu will have to wait for a second trip. And I'm confident that there will be a second trip. It's been a very long time since I've been tempted out of my own kitchen. - Kim

I made the beef braised in butter a week or so ago. I thought it would be nice. But nothing more than that. I was wrong. When the meat was done cooking, I took it out of the butter sauce. I riced my potatoes directly into the pan so I wouldn't miss any of the butter and brown bits. Poured in some warmed heavy cream. Mixed it up, took a bite, and just about swooned. The meat did taste of butter. When I first read the recipe, the thought of beef tasting of butter didn't do much for me. But when I tasted it, all of a sudden, beef tasting of butter did something for me. My husband told a Dutch co-worker about our meal. His reply? "Grandma food." I'll be making it again. Just don't call me Grandma.

Thanks for starting this topic. I've been waiting around on this thread hoping talk about it. I did make the Spicy Banana Yogurt Pachadi as mentioned in that thread. I didn't really have high hopes when I tasted it while it was still warm. Thinking "waste not, want not", I put it in a jar and left it in my fridge for later. We made the Cumin-Coriander Beef Patties and I served the pachadi straight from the fridge over the rice. Excellent spicy sweet flavor. Great meal.

I don't. But that is going to change. I'm going to put the first two on my wishlist. I'm going to have to look for a picture to see what pea shoots look like. That's a recipe I would not have tried but now I'm curious. This morning I made Eggs with Curry Leaves. Awesome. So good I can't wait to make them again. My favorite egg dish is Ekoori from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking. I didn't think I could find a recipe I liked better. But I have. One of the things I appreciate the most about their recipes are the suggestions for side dishes. The Cumin-Coriander Beef Patties suggested Succulent Mountain Mushrooms. Yum! I don't know if I would have tried that otherwise as I haven't found many mushroom themed recipes that I've liked. I like them on the side but not as the main feature. Today I want to make Spicy Banana-Yogurt Pachadi. It was suggested in the Eggs with Curry Leaves recipe. I am looking forward to making more and more from this book. - Kim

Kim, I used Grandma's molasses in the BWJ recipe. Yellow label that says "unsulphured" "mild flavor" on it and I did follow the recipe exactly. I was doing plated desserts at the time, and I did my plating with whipped cream with a bit of orange zest in it and curls of candied orange peel. I didn't, however, taste test against the other recipes in this thread, so I can't say how they compare. But, I do like the dark flavor of molasses. Beautiful cakes Ling -- I think I'll be trying that second one myself when I have a chance! ← SweetSide, thanks for replying! I had one bottle of molasses in my cupboard for several years. It just wasn't a taste that I liked. And then my husband started using it to make barbecue sauce and I developed a taste for it. And now, I really like it. Enough to have a favorite brand. Grandma's. I'll be making the Baking with Julia recipe again. As written. Because I'm stubborn. - Kim

Ling, I'm with you. The cocoa and espresso powder are what keep me trying that recipe. I am so looking forward to trying your final recipe. - Kim

I made Fresh Ginger Cake last night. This time I used Brer Rabbit Mild molasses. The molasses flavor was stronger than I remember it tasting when I used Grandma's Original. I grated the ginger using the large holes on my box grater instead of using my Microplane Grater/Zester. Worked grate. All the stringy stuff got left behind. The cake has a crunchy sugary crust. My husband said it stuck to his teeth. I don't remember the crust being so, um, crusty. Could be the Brer Rabbit molasses. I served it with a bit of homemade creme fraiche as that's what I had on hand and it helped mellow out the strong molasses flavor. I think some lemon curd would be nice but cut with some whipped cream so the lemon taste would be more subdued. I rewatched the Julia Child video and found it interesting. They mentioned the professional technique of mise en place. When Julia tasted the cake, she pronounced it the best she'd had. Makes me want to try that recipe again. So, I am convinced that the ingredient amounts are correct in the Baking with Julia recipe. That leaves the technique and ingredients themselves. Perhaps I need to whip the butter more. Perhaps the molasses used is formulated differently than what I can purchase.

It isn't a misprint. If you read this post, you will see that I thought the same thing. The video proves that the amount is correct. The BwJ thread has a couple of posts from people who like that recipe. I had hoped that one of them would chime in with the secret to making that recipe work. There must be a trick. Some method that I need to use. And since you're the Queen of Sweets, I thought you might know it. I prefer cakes that I can eat as is. No frosting. The fresh ginger cake is great for that. I don't see myself making the BwJ recipe again. I really wanted to like it but it's too much of a waste to make it and pitch it. So, has anyone else out there made that recipe with 2 cups of molasses and enjoyed the result? - Kim

Ling, The recipe in Baking with Julia has 2 cups of unsulphured molasses. Is there any possibility that you'll make that one? I would be very interested to hear your opinion. - Kim

I am definitely up for this. I tried the Baking with Julia recipe twice and am willing to try it a third time. I found Brer Rabbit mild molasses and I'm hoping that that will make a difference.

Thank you Dim Sim. And thank you Shinboners. Do quail grow bigger in Australia? I can't remember ever seeing 7 ounce quail here in The States. You ask how the Maloufs are perceived in the US. I never would have heard of them had it not been for this thread. Neither Arabesque nor Moorish are currently available on Amazon. It seems to me that Moorish cuisine has not made it to the mainstream here. Certainly it is not as popular as Thai or Indian. I imagine that it will be the next trend. Last year, I bought the books listed below. I found them in London. I did not find them here. A Taste of Morocco, Robert Carrier Moro, Sam & Sam Clark Casa Moro, Sam & Sam Clark The Momo Cookbook, Mourad Mazouz Perhaps this should be another thread. But I don't know enough about Moorish cuisine to start it myself. - Kim

We made "Quails in fragrant rice with dates, ginger and pearl onions" a couple of days ago. The dish has potential. If I ever find 7 ounce quail, I'll try it again. Or if I can find boneless. I used "jumbo" quail and they couldn't have been much more than 4 ounces each. I didn't bother cutting them in quarters. I cut out the backbone and spatchcocked them. I must say they had way more flavor than I was expecting. Next time I would cut back on the saffron. I used at least half a teaspoon and that was a bit much. I kept wondering why the dish had a sweet taste. It took me until the next day to remember that it had dates in it. I used three (one more than the recipe called for because I like them) and next time I would use two. I used goose stock instead of chicken stock. And I might do that again. If I have it on hand. I served the yogurt (homemade and very thick) on the side. My husband is a big fan of my yogurt and used twice as much as I did. I undercooked one or two of the quail because I was afraid of cooking the bejesus out of them. Next time I'll be more careful. I think I would have liked to have put the dish in a low oven for a good braise. The quail were tougher than I would have liked and a braise would have helped. So, here's how it went... Assemble ingredients. Heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan. Use your hands to roughly break the vermicelli noodles into the hot oil. Stir vigorously, until the yellow threads deepen to golden brown. Add the rice to the pan and stir so the grains are well coated with oil. Add the spices and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and turn down the heat. Cook for 18 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated. While the rice is cooking, prepare the quail. Trim them of their necks and wing tips then split each bird in half down the backbone and neatly slice out the breastplate in the middle. Season lightly. Heat the oil in a large heavy based pan, then drop in the quail pieces. Turn them around quickly in the oil until they colour, then take them out of the pan and put them to one side while you make the sauce. Put the leek, garlic, ginger and onions into the same pan and saute for a few minutes until the start to soften. Add the spices and stock and stir everything together well. Cover the pan and simmer gently until the pearl onions are tender and everything has deepened to a golden yellow. Return the quail pieces to the pan with the tomato and dates and season with salt and pepper. Bring the pan back to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the quail pieces have cooked through - it will only take a few minutes. Squeeze in the lemon juice. To serve, pile the rice onto a large serving platter and arrange the quail pieces on top. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over and around. Accompany with plenty of yoghurt.

I finally got around to counting my cookbooks. If I found them all, I have 140. Yesterday, my copy of The Bread Baker's Apprentice arrived. Today, just as I was despairing of receiving them before Christmas, the postman arrived bearing: Mangoes & Curry Leaves Desserts by Pierre Herme All About Braising What more could I want? Well, I know the answer to that. I want Saha but it won't be published in the USA until September 2006. It's on my wishlist. - Kim

Thanks for asking... The plan is to make it this weekend. Didn't I say I was going to make it over the holidays? Please don't say the holidays are already here because I'm not ready for them yet! - Kim

I think I am responsible for promoting the '5 day preserved lemon." See page 33 in my book, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, 1973. Please allow me to explain: The quickie method requires cooking of the lemons rather than slow curing. These lemons would rot if left around any longer than 1 to 2 days. Making a big jar of preserved lemons with a 30 day cure allows you to have lemons for a long time. And, the lemons just get better with time. The lemons are more attractive and more useful in Moroccan recipes if partially quartered rather than cut into eighths. Either way, you need to salt for 30 days -snip- ← The more I read, the more I get confused. The 7 day recipe on page 303 of The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen does not call for cooking the lemons. It calls for salt, lemons, lemon juice, a half pint jar and room temperature. Is there a step missing for cooking the lemons? If not, what is it that makes these lemons cure in 7 days instead of 30? I found a recipe* for Preserved Lemons that says to "pour in enough boiling water to cover lemons" and then leave the lemons (a mixture of doqq and boussera) for at least 3 weeks before using them. "The lemons will keep in this mixture indefinitely if stored in a dry place.". What does the boiling water do? Alton Brown, are you there? My degree is in engineering, not chemistry so I don't understand what it is about cooking the lemons that would make them rot while pouring boiling water over them would not cause them to rot. Rober Carrier did have an explanation for why you should not use your fingers to extract a lemon. "Never touch preserved lemons in the jar with an oily or greasy spoon, as fat will spoil the pickling mixture." He goes on to say "Don't worry if a white film forms on preserved lemons in the jar; just rinse it off before using lemons.". That being said, I'm making the 30 day recipe. As written on page 303 of the Slow Mediterranean Kitchen. * Taste of Morocco by Robert Carrier 1987 page 64

That's exactly what I thought the first time I went to Trader Joe's. I walked in and all I saw was stuff that reminded me of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals. And then a Trader Joe's opened up just up the street from Whole Foods. I got hooked because they were selling Cabot butter at half the price. That changed but it's still cheaper than Whole Foods. I've been on the lookout for smallish shrimp and found some rock shrimp at Dirk's but it was really expensive. I decided to look in the freezer section at TJs and was very happy to see that not only did they have them but they were half the price of Dirk's. I add them to Fettucine with Asparagus and Mushrooms even though the recipe doesn't call for them. I was trying to replicate a dish I'd had at Nick's Bar & Grill (the affordable part of Nick's Fishmarket). Yum. I think it's even better which is a good thing as they've changed the menu and the dish is no longer available. But I digress. From reading this thread, I see that King Arthur flour is probably cheaper, too. On the surface, TJs is all about pre-packaged meals. Scratch the surface and you'll be pleasantly surprised. - Kim