Ann_T

Abra, the only reason I slurged and bought a small commercial type slicer was so that I could slice a friends homemade salami paper thin. It was a big splurge. It doesn't get used often but for the times I need it i'm really glad that I have it.

Picked up the baby goat (meat) that I had ordered a few weeks ago from a local farm here in the Cowichan Valley. Geoff has a small farm and his animals are all pasture raised, without the use of antibiotics or other chemicals. The goat had been hanging in the cooler for about 5 days and it was ready for cutting up today. I went out to watch so I could have some input into how I wanted it cut. I ended up with about 25 pounds of meat. I bought one of his baby goats a couple of years ago and for the most part cooked it like I would lamb. The racks and chops were grilled and the breast and shoulder were usually prepared Greek Style. If anyone has any favourite tried and true recipes they would like to share that would be great. I'm going to grill one of the racks for dinner tonight. Ann

Yum, haven't had corn beef hash in a long time. Breakfast today was buckwheat Pancakes with bacon.

I have had LC for a number of years and I recently bought two pieces of the new Mario Batali line. I bought both the roasting/lasagna pan and the dutch oven. I've used them both an number of times and I'm really happy with them and they clean up beautifully. I do a lot of high heat roasting and what I liked about the Batali is that it is safe to 500°F where LC is oven safe to 450°F. Also here in Canada the price of Batali was less than half that of the Le Creuset. Ann

I've had it both ways before too, but I prefer it raw. Drizzled with olive oil, parmesan cheese, capers and a little fresh squeezed lemon. And lots of fresh ground black pepper. I've also had it served with toasted pinenuts . Ann

OOOh I don't think that looks ugly. Makes my mouth water. I had to wait a little longer for breakfast this morning. More like brunch. Rhubarb Pie needed to cool at least a little bit before slicing. Worth waiting for though. Mixed up a little sour cream with brown sugar and vanilla to serve with it.

Yay Susan! Rhubarb for everyone! Maybe you would like some of these, I made them fresh this morning: Rhubarb muffins.. I know, they came out kind of flat, but they tasted really good.. ← Klary, I wish I had seen your rhubarb muffins before I started baking this morning. I bought rhubarb at the farmers market yesterday and used it in a pie this morning. But boy, one of your muffins would have been perfect with an espresso this morning. Ann

Fodgycakes, I have tried the other method of shaping, but I seem to have better results using this method. Glenn, Dockhl, I posted the recipe on Recipe gullet. Ann

Bagels See <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=87103&view=findpost&p=1186182">Bagel Pictorial</a> Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Bagels ======= 2 cups warm water 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt about 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted Large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of sugar Cornmeal 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water Toppings: Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds Place the flour, yeast, and sugar in mixer. Add water and mix to incorporate. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes for flour to absorb the water. (Note: if you are not sure about the freshness of the yeast proof it first) Next, add the salt and turn on machine and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Depending on the mixer this should take 8 to 12 minutes. Dough should be a firm dough, not soft. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until double. Tip dough out on to flour surface and divide into three parts. Working with one at a time, form the dough into a log. Cut into pieces. This recipe will make anywhere from 12 large bagels to 48 mini cocktail size. Roll each piece into a ball and then using your thumb, poke a hole in the middle. Shape bagels (See Pictorial). Let the bagels rest for about 20 minutes on a floured board. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a tablespoon of sugar. When ready, place the bagels in the water and simmer gently for 1 minute. About 30 seconds on each side. Drain on a tea towel or paper towels and then place on a ccokie sheet that has been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds and bake in a 400°F oven until golden, about 20 to 35 minutes depending on size. Keywords: Bread, Hors d'oeuvre, Stand Mixer ( RG1709 )

When I baked bagels yesterday I put together this pictorial to help some friends who were having a problem with shaping their bagels. Bagel Pictorial Ann

Good advice Sony. Another way to cut down on smoke is to use a roasting pan that is just the right size for what you are roasting, be it a large turkey or a small chicken. If you use a pan that is too big than you get much more spatter which causes all the smoke. I very seldom set off the smoke detector anymore. Ann

Yes, that is exactly right Glenn. Roasting a chicken or a turkey at 500°F requires only about 10 minutes per pound give or take a few minutes and I always let roasts rest before carving. Ann

Patrick, I keep coming back to look at your photos. Shouldn't do that so early in the morning. I'll be craving chocolate all day now. Could you please tell me where I can find the Caramel Brownie recipe? Thanks, Ann

I don't know why your bird was tough. It could have been because it was undercooked or maybe it was just a tough old bird to begin with. But I do have to disagree with Glen. Sorry Glen. I've been roasting chickens and turkeys for years now following Barbara Kafka's instructions for high heat roasting. Whether a small 3 pounder or a 20 pound turkey, they go into a 500°F oven and come out wonderfully moist and tender. I use the same method for roasting prime rib and beef tenderloin with equally great results. I'd throw the rest of the chicken in to a pot with some chicken broth and make a soup out of it. Ann

Wow that is one beautiful machine. Here is the one that I have. It is made in Italy. I bought this about 12 years ago when we lived in Sault Ste. Marie. A friends husband made the best Italian salami I have ever tasted, and I needed a good slicer so that the salami could be sliced as thin as possible. It got used a lot back then. But for the last 6 or 7 years it only gets used a few times a year. Sometimes I drag it out to shave leftover Prime Rib or tenderloin to make beef dip sandwiches. Ann

I tried this method this morning. It worked wonderfully for me. I love my poached eggs on the hard side. But I over cooked the two I made for my husband so I fed those to our dog and quickly cooked two more for him but used the traditional method of poaching them right in the water. It was quicker to do this than to start over with the plastic wrap. But I'll definitely try this again though and just time it a little better. Ann

Eggs Benedict with fried potatoes. I didn't have English Muffins so I just toasted some homemade french bread. My favourite is dipping the potatoes in the Hollandaise sauce.

I like to add a few pork ribs to a pot of pasta sauce "Italian Gravy". Ann

You could use them in this Greek Lamb dish. Substitute the Beet tops for the Chard. I've made this recipe using Chard as well as spinach.

Robert, you aren't the only Wegman Groupie. Wegmans was my favourite grocery store when we lived in Dunkirk, NY for a couple of years. I was about 50 miles from Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA and a little less from Jamestown, NY so I had lots of options. I would drive to one of these places at least twice a week just to shop at Wegmans. Tried to kill a a few birds with one stone and hit Preimer Liquors when in Buffalo and have lunch at a favourite Indian Restaurant. Ann

You could poke a hole down the middle and stuff with prunes and apricots and marniate for a few hours in a mixture of white wine, sage, thyme, minced garlic, salt, pepper. Brown the roast and some carrots and onions, deglaze the pan with reserved marinade add a litte beef or chicken broth to the pan, cover and braise in the oven. When cooked, transfer the meat to an oven proof pan and brush pork with dijon mustard and brown sugar and return to a 450°F oven until the coating is bubbly and crisp. Strain the pan juices, skim off the fat and make a sauce. Ann

What a feast. Everything looks sooo good. When I die I'm coming back Italian. Ann PS. I'd like to know what is in the ravioli filling too.

MamaC thanks for posting your recipe for Cozonac. The recipe I used for the Croissants is Julie Child's recipe. It is in her Baking with Julia Cook book. And it is posted on a number of websites like this one.. I used the other half of the recipe to make Chocolate Croissants today. It was worth making this recipe to just to have these.

My favourite is Rhubarb Pie or Rhubarb Crisp. But I'm a purist. I like it on its own without other fruits mixed in.

Has anyone else bought any of the Mario Batali line of cast iron pots? I was in the market recently for a new roasting pan. After doing a little homework and finding some good reviews, I bought Batali's roaster and the Dutch Oven. I've used them both a number of times now and I'm very happy with them. One of the deciding factors was that these are safe in the oven at 500°F. They are very heavy. The roasting pan weights just under 12 pounds.