Jaymes

Now this is something else entirely. If the question is whether the government should regulate the salt content in the lunches provided at public schools, then I have no problem saying yes. Even the most strident libertarian (guilty as charged) can't see much of a problem with that (although there would probably be questions about what level of government should be doing the regulating and whether there should be school lunches at all... but I digress). However, the idea of going beyond that is just horrifying. I think that various state and local governments already regulate what can be in school lunches. It likely would be relatively easy to add salt content to the list. And probably a good idea. But "horrifying" is a perfect word to describe further government intrusion into our pantries. That is indeed the stuff of which futuristic horror movies are made. ___________________________________

Not to mention that the taxpayers would have to pay for the costs incurred in the setting of these regulations, testing, inspections, enforcement, etc. Of course I know that some folks think the taxpayer funds are limitless and it's only right and proper that they be used for every incredibly arrogant "I'm-going-to-save-you-from-yourself-because-I-know-better-than-you-do-what's-best-for-you," lame-brained, do-gooder, crusader "cause" that somebody comes up with, but I'm not one of them. And just to let you know... I'm 65 and am on a low-salt diet. I was the cook, bottle-washer and caregiver for my very (past 90-yrs-old) elderly parents, both of whom also had been placed on low-salt diets. I had absolutely no problem AT ALL reading labels, and finding low-salt options. Anybody that thinks or reads or cares or is willing to make any effort in that direction whatsoever can do the same. Without government interference. Ludicrous. ____________________

Of course government should regulate salt content. We'll need a new cabinet-level department headed up by a Secretary of Salt to determine correct levels, to inspect all salt-containing products, to disseminate all rules and regulations regarding how much salt is allowable (and to justify why), and to exact and enforce heavy penalties for non-compliance. We'll also need a branch of this department to search out and deal harshly with salt subversives. Once we get this department up and running smoothly, the next step will be to require all US citizens, at a time convenient to them of course, but within the next 30 days, to present themselves to the bureaucrats working in a division of the Department of Salt. Naturally, these bureaucrats will be chosen from among the many self-appointed experts currently busy in the US telling the rest of us how to live our lives, and what is and is not healthful, who can and who cannot put small plastic toys into children's meals, and so forth. These self-appointed experts already have the necessary busy-body-nanny experience and so will require much less training than the ignorant people that believe everyone should get to be in charge of themselves. So every US citizen should be required to present themselves to one of these experts, who will run all necessary tests, and then said expert will give each citizen a complete diet to follow, including a list of all ingredients that will be acceptable, that will be acceptable but only at certain levels, and that will be completely unacceptable. The citizens must present themselves to these health experts on a quarterly basis, so that blood, urine and hair samples can be taken to be certain said citizens are complying. This will be necessary because undoubtedly some citizens will not understand this is being done for their own good and will not comply voluntarily. They will have to be dealt with immediately and decisively, lest their rebellious resistance incite others. _____________________

When I have a substantial amount of candy left over, I take it to a local retirement home. It's true that not all of the elders can eat sugar, but many can, and in years that I've returned to the same home, the folks at the reception desk tell me that "everybody will be so happy to see that you've come back again this year." I dunno. Maybe they're just being polite. But I figure taking it to them beats my eating it. Which is what happens when I leave it lying around here. ______________________

That might be a perfect solution. So when puzzled Thai neophytes look up quizzically from the menu and ask, "Don't you have Pad Thai?" the server could offer that instead.

I imagine that if you ask them, they'd tell you that the number one goal of LOS NY at this moment is to keep their doors open for at least a year. Pad Thai might be pedestrian, but I'd bet it's the number one favorite Thai dish of the majority of North Americans. I go to Thai restaurants a lot, often in the company of friends with far less adventuresome palates than I, and they always get Pad Thai. In fact, I'd even speculate that quite a few of them would probably decline to accompany me for Thai at all if they didn't feel certain Pad Thai was going to be available, and they could order that and leave me to my spicy "exotic" dishes. I'm sure that the lowly Pad Thai finances a lot of overhead for a lot of Thai restaurants. This kind of reminds me of the years I owned a travel agency. I sold a LOT of 3-day Las Vegas packages. Personally, I absolutely loathe Las Vegas. To the point that I hated talking about it, and hated selling it. But Las Vegas saw us through a lot of lean years. I doubt you'll be able to talk them into taking Pad Thai off of their menu. At least not until they're sure they can thrive and prosper without it. _____________________________

Handing out the treats on Friday? Huh? Whatever happened to Halloween? Nobody has come here tonight, and our little ones are happily in front of the TV watching The Great Pumpkin. What's this about Friday? Is this like Castro and Christmas and the sugar harvest?

This is one more of many threads that remind me of the "refrigerator with freezer on top or bottom thread," wherein several people said that they don't mind bending over to access the freezer on the bottom because they're not in it very often. We're in ours all the time. Because we freeze a lot of things. Most definitely nuts. Most definitely pecans. As a southern household, we ALWAYS have pecans in the freezer, ready and waiting for whatever use. In fact, did y'all know that the pecan is the state tree of Texas? For example, if you like coffee and you like pecans, you probably will like pecan-flavored coffee. Next time you throw some coffee beans into your coffee grinder, toss in a few shelled pecan halves as well. _________________

I do that, too! With the plastic containers! They do look like mini file-boxes and they're so easy to flip through with the planks standing on end like that. In fact, I make up a LOT of these things for my 90-yr-old dad, who lives alone and won't cook anymore, and put the frozen zip planks into the plastic boxes that I've labeled for him into his freezer. The zips hold enough of everything for two servings. That way, if he's particularly hungry, it fills him up. And if not, he's happy to have leftovers, but only once. One box says "Veggies" (I just wrote right on the plastic box in large black letters with a permanent marker so they're easy for Dad to read). One "Soups/Stews." One "Mains." "Mains" have things like meatloaf slices, grilled chicken breasts and pork chops, hamburger patties that I've cooked out on the barbie for that smoked flavor, etc. When I go up to visit him, I spend the whole week cooking, including firing up the backyard grill, something that he never does anymore. Those hamburger patties, grilled chicken breasts, chops, etc., from the smoker taste much better than the ones you just fry in a skillet. I used to wrap the stuff in foil and stick into the freezer willy-nilly, but it seemed to be too difficult or confusing or something, even though I labeled them well. I don't know for sure, but until I came up with this latest "filed planks" method, most of the prepared food went unused. I think much of it is the difference between just seeing something and being able to pull it out without disturbing other items, vs having things underneath and behind other things. This way, though, all he has to do is to pull out something from the appropriate boxes, put them onto a plate, and heat a bit in the microwave. It cheers me up immensely to look into the freezer and see that the file boxes of frozen zips are increasingly emptying, and to know that I've made a difference for him. ______________________

You might try perusing this thread: Carrots And this one: Carrots

We are also big fans of Wondra around here when it comes to frying fish. I never knew exactly why, but the crust seems so much lighter than with regular flour. Although, as southerners, we use corn meal a lot for frying fresh-water fish like trout, catfish, etc. And that's not light at all. Nice to have options, I think.

Well, to each his own, and obviously not every solution is going to be the best thing for every person, but I've been doing this for some 30+ years and although I'm sure it's possible, I personally have yet to have a "catastrophic release." I put the bag into an appropriate-sized mixing bowl to fill. Then make sure it's very well sealed with as much air as possible out of it. Then the bag goes onto my toaster-oven cookie sheet to flatten out, and then it goes, cookie sheet and all, into the freezer to harden. Naturally, though, everyone is free to look through all of these ideas and suggestions and select the ones that appear to be most appropriate for their individual situations. _______________________

I do this a lot too but have found that even with heavy-duty freezer bags and regardless of care in storage most of the bags will have sprung leaks by the time they are thawed for use. No big deal as long as one is aware of the possibility doesn't just stick a bag in the fridge to thaw unfettered. True that. I usually fetter by laying them on a plate to thaw, whether on the counter, or in the microwave, or fridge. Usually I just loosen them a bit before folding over to break the frozen stuff inside into halves, and then dump that into another container to heat.

Yes, at least speaking just for myself anyway. The mixture has such concentrated levels of flavors, salt and other seasoning that you need to add something that thins it out, rather than adding more. Of course, that doesn't necessarily have to be just water. Sometimes it's milk or wine or a combination of non-seasoned liquids.

This is a great strategy for freezing and refrigerating make-ahead soups, stews, chilis, stocks, sauces, etc. -- anything with a significant liquid component. If you make it with the bare minimum of liquid, or you reduce it, it will take up a lot less storage space. When you go to reheat and serve it as a meal, you just incorporate enough liquid to get it to the right level. I'm definitely stealing that one. And greetings, Sheryl D! I really appreciate all the ideas here, folks. Keep 'em coming! The easiest and quickest way to reduce your stock to the minimum of liquid is to do it in a skillet on high heat. But keep a very close eye on it. As the liquid gets low, it goes VERY quickly. I've burned several skillets over the years due to getting distracted at the penultimate moment.

We get a lot of use out of ziplock freezer bags for liquids. Put however much liquid you want in whichever size works best, and then lay them flat to freeze. To get them flat, just lay them on any flat surface that will fit into your freezer. I use the small baking sheet that came with our toaster oven, but you can use anything. We have everything from the smallest freezer bags for bits of chipotle sauce, or salsa, or highly-concentrated stock base, or fresh lemon or lime juice, or egg whites, or bacon grease, or anything that you only have a small amount of, all the way up to the gallon size for soups, stews, etc. Frozen flat like that, they stack perfectly. Right now, we've got several flat layers of cream of poblano soup, split pea soup, beef stew (minus the potatoes, which don't freeze well and which I'll add later when I reheat the stew), corn soup, and chili, all stacked neatly, ready and waiting. Fridays are always really busy around here. So tomorrow night around 6 or so, I'll take a flat layer of chili, run hot tap water over the sealed bag to loosen, and then put the chili into a microwave container to heat up for dinner. When you can get your stock, soups, sauces and other liquids to stack flat as pancakes, it really saves on freezer space. Or, after they've frozen flat, you can slide them in like we used to do LP records, or thin books in a bookshelf. Not only are these flat frozen bags real space-savers, it's easy to see what you've got and pull out whichever one you want. ______________________

I have a little dry-erase whiteboard attached to a magnet that is on the front of my freezer door. I make note of things like soups, stews, lasagna, roasts, etc., whatever is in there that I want to use up. Since it's dry erase, it's easy to just wipe off the names of the items as we use them. Also, when they were old enough, my children could read that list much like a menu, and would request this or that. Worked well for me.

Another thought... I was a travel agent for some 15 years, and have visited Athens several times. If you don't want to take a group tour arranged through your cruise ship, I'd strongly suggest you get in touch with George, the Famous Taxi Driver of Greece. Either he or one of his sons will pick you up at the cruise terminal, and give you a guided, personalized tour, including suggestions for restaurants and assorted treats to pack up and take back with you. That would undoubtedly be the best way to go, especially since you are traveling with children. Even though it's late notice, you can email them and make the arrangements. I very highly recommend George, and know you won't be disappointed. ______________________

In Athens, the "touristy part of town" is the Plaka. It's like the "old quarter." There are tons of shops, cafes, bars, etc. You and the kids will find plenty of interesting things to see and do and buy as you wander through. There are all sorts of sweets and snacks shops in there as well. Most of the Athens city tours take you to the famous sites, usually in the morning, and then off to the Plaka for lunch and a little free time to explore on your own. That will be all you need.

We're having a fairly large party next Tuesday night. For drinks, I'm serving "Hot Apple Pies" - a mug of steaming mulled cider laced with a generous shot of Tuaca, and a topping of whipped cream. Out of my crock pot, naturally. ____________________

I agree - LC's is great, but small. If you could get 100 folks in there, they'd be packed in pretty tightly. I'd suggest you start by calling LC and asking them for suggestions. Maybe catering it somewhere with more room would be the thing to do. Or maybe they've got a larger room out back. Or maybe that little place does hold 100. Sometimes, it's hard to tell. But the food is great. And LC is a hoot. He could chat up the students a bit and tell them something about the history of barbecue in Kansas City. Might be a great afternoon.

I'd start by asking if he likes apples. And celery. And walnuts. Separately. If not, I don't see much hope for you. But if he does like apples, and celery, and walnuts, then perhaps a lighter, less-obtrusive dressing, and not much of it. If he does like the ingredients separately, then I'd suggest that you have him sample some various dressings - some a little tarter, some sweeter, some thinner, some less "mayonnaisey," etc. Does he like cole slaw? Most Waldorf dressings have some things in common with mayonnaise-based cole slaws. If he can't stand that either, you've undoubtedly got your work cut out for you. Good luck.

I wondered about that, too. But then read Russ Parson's comments in the L.A. Times. Russ knew Julia pretty well and he had this to say: "Meryl Streep is astonishing. The way she captures Julia Child is something special. Streep inhabits her in a way that is eerie. Watch her move: Pay attention to the way she holds her elbows and cocks her head. That's Julia. "More important, while Streep certainly gets Julia's sometimes loopy enthusiasm, she also gets the deep seriousness that was obvious only to those who knew her fairly well. This is no Dan Aykroyd skit; this is Julia Child with gravitas, which is to say the real Julia Child. In fact, leaving the theater and looking at the poster, I had to remind myself that Julia Child did NOT have Meryl Streep's face." Not only was Streep's portrayal the main thing I liked about the film, she and Tucci were pretty much the only thing I liked about the film. Amy Adams is likable enough so her bits were at least watchable. But, for me anyway, they were not intriguing or particularly enjoyable. As Russ went on to say, likability was very important as Amy was playing a role about a woman whose main literary achievement was "one long whine," but I don't think that likability was enough to lift the Julie portions to the same level as the Julia. For those that find Julie an intriguing character and point out that her blog (or book) gained wide interest, I say that the only reason her blog gained much interest at all was because she was cooking her way though an iconic book from an iconic woman. Had Julie not attached herself like a barnacle to this particular star, nobody would have paid her the slightest bit of attention. She's already fading fast from public view. She's still writing, but nobody cares. We'll remember Julia forever. Julie not so much. Back to Streep. If her performance was good enough for Russ Parsons, it's good enough for me. I'd like to see an entire movie about Julia's amazing life with Streep playing the whole thing. ___________________________

I've had Split Pea Soup on my mind all week. Got a hambone in the freezer, and yesterday, bought a bag of split peas. Was thinking in the grocery store that I needed to get online and find this thread. So, thanks, and I'll be waiting to hear how yours turns out.

Downloaded and printed out your recipe for dulce de leche. Great. Thanks. Now the questions start. My crockpot holds 8 cups. This is large enough for your recipe, yes? Can I with impunity halve the recipe and make it in said 8-cup crockpot. There are only two of us and we are not in Moab for all that long. Of course, I could donate the leftover, assuming there is any, to a worthy cause. DH, Ed, LOVES dulce de leche, a new eating experience for us. You do have to leave a little headroom in case the milk decides to foam up a bit. 8 cups is 2 quarts or half a gallon and my recipe is just 3 cups for most of the cooking time, until the last cup is heated (use the microwave) and added to the cooked milk. You can actually cook it all together with good results if you are going to use it right away. If you do cook the entire quart all together it sometimes will separate after being in the fridge for a couple of weeks - not a big problem. This is the way I learned to make it and since it works well, I've stuck to it. I wouldn't halve the recipe. You have to remember that it cooks down to less than half the original volume of liquid when it is finished. Like you, I also make cajeta in my crock pot. For years, I tried to make it stovetop, and in the oven, and it was just so difficult to get it right. But it's so easy in the crock pot. This recipe only calls for 4 cups of milk, so if someone doesn't want to make 8 cups, they can try this. Here's the recipe: Cajeta (Mexican dulce de leche) 2 C goat's milk 2 C cow's milk 1 C sugar 1 whole vanilla bean, split 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cornstarch Combine everything in your crock pot. Stir well. Cook on 'high' for about 10 hours, stirring occasionally, more frequently the last hour, until the cajeta is thick and caramelized. Strain and store the cajeta in the fridge. Keeps for several weeks. Serve at room temp. Note - you can add a little wine or brandy or rum or other alcoholic beverage toward the end. That makes it cajeta envinada. (Or, of course, if you want something even easier, you can always buy it at any Mexican market. Coronado is the most widely-available brand. It even comes in squeeze bottles. Squeeze cajeta. Ain't life grand?) Cajeta _____________________