BarbaraY

Well, it might be useful to someone with a handicap that prevents them from mashing potatoes. Would have been handy when I had my arm strapped to my body for six weeks due to rotator cuff surgery. The review doesn't make it seem to be worthwhile. I'll pass.

One thing I tried that really didn't work was miso in stuffed or deviled eggs. I thought it would be good but believe me it wasn't.

Speak for yourself, Mimi. Give me lamb shanks and ribs any day. I like real food.

Most repulsive thing was a Filo topped Spinach Dish. I had almost forgotten it but was reading some of the posts to my daughter and she reminded me. The spinach was slimy and the whole was tasteless. The only saving grace was the feta cheese I put into it. Yes, I did it myself. Well it read like it would be good.

In my opinion anyone who says they don't like lamb should try braised shanks. It might be a cure. Nice blog and once again we have someone making me want a trip to the City.

I'm in favor of this. I'm not Chinese but I cook Chinese dishes quite often. Wednesday, I made a stir-fry with tofu and Bok Choy and served it with steamed rice. I didn't take any pictures but it was very tasty. I used some chicken broth, a little oyster sauce, some soy sauce, a splash of wine, and plenty of garlic.

I find this to be a very helpful posting. Now I see how to cook the Kabocha I just bought instead of digging through all my books to figure out the proper amounts. Thanks.

We're not vegetarians but sometimes I get meat overload and want something else that fills one as well. Last evening I made a tofu and Bok Choy stir-fry and a sautee of yellow summer squash with red peppers and green onions. Of course we had steamed Jasmine rice with it.

This is the first time I've ever seen Brussels sprouts on the stalk in a grocery store. They just started selling them last week. They cost considerably more than the loose ones. I think it may be a gimick to get people to buy more sprouts. I would buy them anyway. (Well, yes I actually did buy them, loose not on the stalk.)

There are very few foods that I truly dislike but marshmallows are right in there with Spam, Velveeta, and Miracle Whip. My mom used to make candied "Yams" from canned sweets. It was not good. My sister is making the yams this year and her's are good and without marshmallows although I really prefer my sweet potatoes baked and buttered or cubed and pan-fried in butter with a pinch of Alspice.

All the tales of grandparents makes me nostalgic, too. My maternal grandparents were Grandma and Grandpa. I don't remember him ever cooking and she was mediocre at best. My paternal grandparents were Grandma and Skipper. He was the Skipper since my dad started referring to him on a long auto trip. He was the Skipper and Dad was the Navigator with Grandma as First Mate. Grandma was an excellent and curious cook. They had had boarding houses in the boom towns of Nevada at the turn of the last century. She cooked and he worked as a millwright in the stamp mills. No recent family members from any old country so it was mostly American home cooking unless Grandma G got recipes from our neighbors from other lands. She was using fresh herbs long before it became fashionable. She made Pasta e Pesto but as the neighbor called it Basilico Macaroni, that was what it was called by all of us.

I love almost all beans and lentils but old-fashioned pintos are still my favorite. Not fond of dried black-eye for some reason. I just don't care for the flavor although I like them in the green state still in the pod. Cooked absolutely to death with a piece of "fat meat" like my mother-in-law used to make. I have tried one recipe for Rajmah and we weren't imprressed. The one mentioned above looks more interesting. Can't even imagine it without cumin. If kidney beans are poisonous if not soaked, I'm dead 'cause my grandma never soaked them.

I love the smell of Tarweed because it tells me that summer is almost over but I don't think it would make a very tasty honey. That tamal looks fantastic!

So close yet so far. I rarely get to San Francisco any more. It's been over I year although I have been to the South Bay several times thanks to medical trips to Stanford for my daughter and myself. I adore Andronico's. I stop every time we get near one. When I was young it was my ambition to live in The City but it didn't work out that way so I will enjoy it vicariously.

No one mentioned sopping up the last of the Bolognese sauce with crusty bread.

I have never seen Japanese sweet potatoes in any of the markets around here. I love sweet potatoes so I would like to try them. I used to make Glorified Rice many years ago but used whipped cream, not Cool Whip.

The onl things I've done with them is to make jelly and a Persian lamb stew. I really don't understand why we don't use them more often. They must have been very popular here at one time because there are a good number of trees in the area, some quite old. (Reminding self to go check the place where I get them for the picking.)

And has nobody sent a novice to get a "grill stretcher"?

I, too, discovered this tasty little morsel long before I knew there was a name for it and Yes! it's mine! No four legged critters in this house ever get it.

Good cheeses are very expensive in North America. That's why you don't see them in moderately priced restaurants. Not to mention most people around here don't appreciate good cheese. But yes, I love cheese plates. I love making them too. I would always add several accompaniments to my cheese courses, usually one thing to pair with each type of cheese. ← Some years ago I started working at a small historic hotel. The owner wanted to add a cheese plate to the dessert menu and I agreed that it was an excellent ides. We ordered excellent cheeses . We missed out on the idea of, "Know your audience." It was rarely ordered as a dessert and only occasionally as a cocktail accompaniment. After we removed it from the menu I had fun creating things to use a wheel of Stilton. As for myself, I believe there is such a thing as too much chocolate! Would love some housemade dessert if they are made right. I had a wine poached pear with whipped mascarpone but the pear was waaaay underdone. A few toasted hazelnuts would have been a good addition. If only they had cooked the darned pair.

Good cheeses are very expensive in North America. That's why you don't see them in moderately priced restaurants. Not to mention most people around here don't appreciate good cheese. But yes, I love cheese plates. I love making them too. I would always add several accompaniments to my cheese courses, usually one thing to pair with each type of cheese. ← Some years ago I started working at a small historic hotel. The owner wanted to add a cheese plate to the dessert menu and I agreed that it was an excellent ides. We ordered excellent cheeses . We missed out on the idea of, "Know your audience." It was rarely ordered as a dessert and only occasionally as a cocktail accompaniment. After we removed it from the menu I had fun creating things to use a wheel of Stilton. As for myself, I believe there is such a thing as too much chocolate! Would love some housemade dessert if they are made right. I had a wine poached pear with whipped mascarpone but the pear was waaaay underdone. A few toasted hazelnuts would have been a good addition. If only they had cooked the darned pair.

If you Google the Pillsbury site, I think you will find it. When I baked every year I always included these and they are really easy. Or Google Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms. As to me, I think Pecan Pie, Pumpkin pie or Pumpkin Cheesecake are the best. The one thing I don't consume is the nasty, nasty green bean casserole. Fortunately my family doesn't make it. I love sweet potatoes but not candied or marshmallowed. I think they're sweet enough on their own. My family all agrees that gravy is a beverage. We always make lots of gravy. We're having T-day at my sister's this year but I'll bet I get gravy duty.

A word of warning on the micro/convection oven. Don't try to roast a bird on the convection feature unless you are into major clean-up. I roasted some skin-on chicken breasts in mine and it made a terrific mess. I love it for baking potatoes, making biscuits (the best), and some casseroles but nothing that will spatter.

Wow! Spacecake and chocolate porn in one blog! Very interesting to me and a great blog.

Definitely do not get a Frigidaire. I made the mistake of getting one last year when my old Kenmore died. I can't wash as many dishes in it and it doesn't always clean things as well as it should. It is quiet and has racks for stemware, a plus but if I had it to do over I would spend a little more and get something better.