Rebecca263

Holy Knish, Pam! thanks for this pictorial/tutorial, I've always wanted to know how to shape a knish properly. I, myself agree with Jason, there is NOTHING like a kasha knish, if it's made well. But, I think that a kasha knish is also the easiest knish to ruin. SO, I rarely order them unless I have seen the filling. No potatoes= dry kasha= blechh. I have read a few reports recently here on eGullet (bagel making, knish making!) which really DO require a mixer. I so wish that I hadn't sold both of mine in a frenzy of ePay!

Funny, I thought that although I wouldn't like that purse, I DO like the ceramic version of Greek key paper coffee cups at MOMA. A very iconic design, and pleasant to look at. And, regarding Fallen Fruit, what's not to 'get'? If you plant fruit trees judiciously in a city setting, there is one more source for food for people AND animals. I think that's lovely. The idea of giving away leftovers in not a new one, my kiddle and I have bought many fast food meals for the toys, and given away the meals themselves, and I've given away a lot of food through various restaurants. We have packed our car on the end of the day food from many restaurants over the years, and distributed the food in different ways, mostly at local parks, and often on holidays. I think that giving away excess is a fine idea.

Today I discovered Neopets Islandberry Crunch, by General Mills. Reminiscent of a fruity Kix, BUT- get this- only 120 calories per serving and 3 GRAMS of FIBER! Now if only Cap'n Crunch would up his fiber content...

One of our favorite sushi bars in a chain restaurant (the chefs were all on one of #1 boy's records) used to have boxes with your names on them, and a pair of lacquered chopsticks for you. This was in the early 80's, so it must be a long rime custom.

Ha actually wrote the word terrific. Repeatedly. I found THAT entertaining. I wonder if his descriptions of menu items were as overwrought as his usual writing style is! edited by me: overtwrought, hahahahaha!

Constant Comment Tea. It reminds me of my mother, who, although she was an incredible cook, kept this in the house because it reminded HER of her mother. and, now, of course, my kiddle shall be burdened by the habit, as well. Oh, dear.

Hi! Regarding cookies made with duck fat. Yes, a friend somehow came across this and sent me a copy of the recipe. He said that over the December holidays he made a batch with goose fat, and that they are good, but not fantastic. I'm not really intrigued enough to render some fat for baking, as it's just me and kiddle most of the time, and she isn't a big cookie eater. When her friends visit, they prefer banana bread and such, I've found. The recipe is a raisin cookie. I don't know if it's copyright protected, or not. I suppose PM's for requests would be in order, if anyone has a dire need!

Oh dear, NO! Not to be unnecessarily picky, but for those not in the US who might be struggling with weird US measurements: a stick/cube is 1/2 cup. One pound of butter (4 cubes/sticks) is equal to 2 cups. ← Most of the time I find Abra's measurements to be true, although I don't buy butter very often. However, a few weeks ago my sister bought a pound of butter that WAS in 8 short sticks! I think the butter was not American, though, but Italian. And then to see these posts... how funny!

Hahaha, you'll have to remember THAT on your own. It's been said many times, person tastes like pig. Maybe BBQ accoutremonts should accompany all airplanes and climbing parties. Rebecca, motto- I bite.

As usual, Mr.Maw, you've enlightened and leavened! I have had an epiphany, a change of heart, a growth in grok, and I now cast a teary eye and open arms towards our dear Jackal10. Jackal10, come for a visit, dear! Even in NJ we have summer grilling, and you can bring some lovely British ale and please, a scotch egg? And we will have a meal of some lovely American 'dogs'. Well, I only have a mere newspaper grill, but you can make the rounds. There are many eGulleteers here in NJ/NY/PA... and many of them enjoy a good drink with their hot dog, fresh off the grill. Why, you can visit the Amazing Hot Dog purveyors, as well.

PS: ecoli? I've survived STAPH, I can handle anything. and, although I've eaten COOKEd foods with people who have hence gotten food poisoning, I've never had so much as a whiff of illness. EXCEPT for the time I ate tin after tin of fresh caviar. Four x six ounce tins in one sitting. I was ill for five days. I've since recovered, and now limit myself, 3 ounces! I was salt sick. So, I don't suggest dousing your meat with salt.

I've found my people! I have recently come out of the closet, here on eGullet, in fact. I adore raw meat, and I will even eat raw ground poultry, so kill me. Have you ever tried steak with some balsamic vinegar, or soy sauce? You just dip each bite a tiny bit, glorious. Almost any animal that I eat, I will eat raw, and prefer. And, yes, the butcher shop is intoxicating. Dare I say it? I think that people who enjoy raw meat are somehow a bit more in touch with their, um, natural side (yeah, that's the PG word!), and therefore have a 'je nais se quois', er, QUALITY, that I find very desirable, in a friend or a mate. You just know that someone who will eat raw meat, because it tastes good; and not be bothered by the connotations or social aspect, is a hedonist, and in touch with their own humanity in a deep way. And that can be a middle aged girl like me, a nice grey haired professor who adores his tartare, or a pig tailed three year old who sneaks raw meatballs. I have many friends who are vegan and vegetarians, and I understand their choices, but I have looked in my own mouth, I'm an omnivore, and I like it. I just don't see cooked flesh or refraining from eating others as proof of evolution. Although I DO cook meat, and enjoy it. And I eat a lot of vegetarian cooking, and enjoy that, too. I'd rather give up chocolate than raw flesh.

Um, MAJOR contradiction between your behavior and your beliefs regarding how to treat people, and being mean/condescending?

Actually, there is a very simple technology to manufacturing a bag that does NOT spread, it is employed by some sugar manufacturers for their new plastic resealable bags. The bag is made with 3 sides, a front, back and separate bottom. The bottom is inverted a slight amount, et voila, no spread, and no falling over when you stick your scoop into the bags, either! I wish that Latin turbinado sugar packagers would discover that trick. Of course, another option would be to put cereal into bags similar to the bags that some pasta flours come in, they are lined paper sacks with a tab close top, like coffee bags. Well, I'm just cranky about extra garbage, that's all. And that Canadian milk bag is usually put inside a jug made especially for that purpose. I think for me it wouldn't work too well, as my kiddle can spill a closed container of milk, let alone an open bag in a jug!

I wish that technology would catch up to my imagination already, and we could have aroma-view internet. I am so curious about "bacon bakin' "! Cardamom is one of my favorite cookie spices, it imparts a certain indefinable aroma that is irresistible! edited, because my painkillers are NOT helping my spelling!

I despise cereal packaging. A box AND a bag, what a waste! Whenever I look in my kitchen garbage receptacle I become annoyed. Actually, now that I look in my cabinets, I don't like ANY cardboard boxes. They're so wasteful, and they take up so much space! But, all of the cereals that I like are packed that way. As are a lot of the teas that I buy, now that I'm looking. Refillable bags, jars and tins, that's what I dream of! Tomato paste in a tube, though, I agree, genius. A can is just never the right amount. Ditto for anchovy paste. Plastic milk jugs, I can't stand those. I only buy milk in paper containers, and I wish that we had glass jugs here for milk. I really miss the tins that cocoa used to come in, when did THAT bit of evolution happen? Plastic, foil wrapper 'bags' for chocolate bars, yuck. Remember when you could UNWRAP the foil on a Hershey bar, bit by bit? Well, I miss that, even if I actually eat a lot more of other kinds of chocolate nowadays. I still sometimes want a nibble of a Hershey bar, with the foil all embossed from the shape of the squares of chocolate. Speaking of which, gum wrappers are not as much fun anymore, either. You know how at the market they often want you to use those flimsy plastic bags for the produce? Well, that bugs me, too. I used to have a whole slew of net bags from my old market, they had their scales calibrated to tare for those bags, and I adored using those net bags. You could even wash your produce in them, if you were so inclined. Of course, it's been over 20 years since then. Progress, you know. I collect cloth bags to use at the market, instead of plastic bags and paper bags. Much sturdier, and I can get a better hold on the handles, too. But, nothing beats those plastic bags so far, for holding my recyclables. Infant formula packaging leaves me cold, too. I prefer that we all try to use the original packaging for feeding infants, whenever possible. Whew! I guess this is a real issue for me, I never realized! I know that a few years ago some industry folks were working on using a glass vapor on plastic bottles for importing sodas and beers. The idea is to save on shipping weight by using plastic, but to retain the freshness of the product with the glass vapor coating. It didn't pan out at the time (not cost effective, but the technology DOES work, and the bottles are still recyclable!), but I see squeeze bulbs for single serving drinks in the not too distant future. My last rant? I MISS bottle caps that don't twist off! I've cut myself a few times on those twist off bits. OK, I'm done now. I think. EDITED, because Arthritis Girl KANT SPEL.

DarcieB, thank you for 'blogging' for us this week! Your personal kitchen looks plenty nice to me, with those windows! I've seen some cookie recipes that call for bacon fat, and even a few that called for duck fat recently! I'm interested in finding out how yours bacon bakin' comes out.

This is the most attractive gelatin creation that I've ever seen. Makes me sorry that I don't eat Jello (texture problems, sorry to say). I think that Rachel's mold is just perfection, the shape of her pan adds interest and a certain wavy quality to the finished product that brings this item into visual food porn for me. I've said this before, but the creation deserves repeating, Rachel, your mold is much more than just a gelatin mold. You've got a great eye, patience and creativity going on there. I'm really impressed, every time I see a photograph of your mold. edited by me to add: I just can't help but think of this as Rachel's mold, folks! You're all impressing me, really!

JSolomon, those are very interesting observations. My idea of a hot dog meal is a causal family gathering, where there are also grilled vegetables and other meats done on a grill. I associate both hamburgers and hot dogs with family picnics, although in the past few years most hot dogs that I have eaten have been at hot dog shops, and have a real excursion for us. For some reason I just don't do hot dogs at home. I DO have a fond memory of being taken to a beach pier for a fried hot dog meal in a rain storm as a child, as well. This was singular for me, I believe, because my parents didn't really think of eating as a casual activity, so the novelty of eating a meal in our car (a planned for meal, too!) stands out for me. I'm about middle aged, middle class, second generation American, and my parents were both from very hands on food families, with accomplished cooks on all ends, so perhaps my idea is different than the mainstream? I remember my father discussing the merits of the local kosher butcher's hot dogs over some hot dogs he remembered from his hometown of Revere, MA, with a visitor to our home. My childhood dogs came out beneath, in his mind, but I remember loving the spicy, beefy grilled flavor, and the bite! This was over 25 years ago, so perhaps I come from a family of foodies, and I am just now noticing it. Hmm.

A hot dog is food, like most anything else that we discuss here on eGullet. What someone does with it is what makes it either a meal or a snack, and that is the plain truth of the matter. 'Semiotic' hopes are dashed, if one insists on writing otherwise. I, personally, eat about 6 hot dogs a year. Various kinds, the last one I had was made from a vegetarian's idea of kishke filling, great fatty mouth feel and reminiscent, but, not exactly what most of us would opine a dog is. A favorite hot dog of ours is one that our cousins ply us with in the summers, when we visit their Lake Webster, New Hampshire cottage, "Just-A-Camp". Couldn't tell you the brand, but it is a German style, milder dog than our other favorites are. It seems that my next one will be an Amazing, which I am to understand is a Best's product, and fried! We shall have french fries with that hot dog, and cole slaw, and it WILL be a meal. My heart goes out to folks who find their satisfaction in keeping things to the upper limits. When you fall from such heights, it can be seriously injurious. Not to mention walking into things that can't be seen when one is holding their head at the unnatural angle required in order to keep their nose up so high. And, then, people can see up your nose, and where do you think the term "Snotty" came from, after all?

Just to show you that there are eGulleters EVERYWHERE. Two cannibals were put into an adjoining room in a mental institution. One cannibal was thoughtfully looking through a magazine, tearing out pictures of various people, and shoving the papers into his mouth. The other cannibal looked at him with suspicion and asked, "Tell me, is that dehydrated stuff any good?" Ba-dum-DUM!

OhMyHolyOats, I had NO idea there was so much ,um ,'sauce' in that dish! I have been envisioning something COMPLETELY different. I thought that this casserole was actually string beans with a light coating of a 'gravy' made from that soup! Urp. That almost looks like soup with a soupcon of green beans! rjwong, you rock! I'm really not going to eat that stuff, though.

MizDucky, hotpot! It COULD become a soup, heehee. I hope that your tummy is fine, and I really enjoyed following you around all week. Thank you for being such a sunny spot here on eGullet, not just this week, but all of the time!

Um, my sister has TWO refrigerators in her garage. A New Jersey garage, and they do fine. I had ONE in my Florida garage, and it did fine until one fine storm flooded all of South Beach, including MY garage (wah!). The food was untouched, but the refrigerator's coils were damaged. I think you'll be fine.

For this past Channukah I gave kiddle a three year subscription to Gourmet. I figued that she has been collecting old issues long enough and deserves to own some first hand. Lo, her first issue is this retrospective. My favorite pecan pie recipe of all time is in it. Yay! I hope that kiddle will be grateful AND inspired... Mummy's birthday is in a few weeks!