etalanian

Homemade baking powder is single-acting. The stuff we buy in the grocery store is double acting. The difference is that in double-acting baking powder there is a reaction when the moisture of what you are mixing combines with the baking powder, then there is another reaction when the heat hits the baking powder. Homemade baking powder only has the first reaction, so you need to get it into the oven right away - no dilly dallying. FWIW, I prefer using homemade baking powder in biscuits because I can taste the chemicals in the store-bought when I use it for biscuits. Everyone's body chemistry is different, so not everyone will taste the same things in the same way. Eileen

How are you adding the coloring? If you aren't folding it in you may be collapsing the air in the batter. Eileen

Welcome to eGullet, WillTheMarine! It's really important that you follow your passion; so many people ignore the one they have, and spend their lives regretting it. You are wise to listen to your heart. If it's important to your family and you have financial help from the government for the tremendous sacrifices you've made, your idea to go to the CIA sounds like it's a good fit. Everyone will be happy that way. Good luck! Eileen

When I had my business I used the Hilliard machine, which has a shaker. It is also possible to get a cooling tunnel for it. I loved it. And they were very responsive when I called to ask questions, or when the shaker wire was damaged when an employee dropped something into it that got stuck. Eileen

If you are from a little north of the city, Yum Yum donuts make the traditional potato doughnuts that the Pennsylvania Dutch eat. (To my mind Yum Yum makes the best doughnuts in the area all year - not those airy, flimsy things, but really substantial, satisfying, tasty doughnuts.) One shop is at 500 W. Street Rd. in Warminster, PA. Another is Broad Street and route 309, Colmar, PA. And another one at route 309 and N. Broad Street in Lansdale (north of the 5 points intersection.) Eileen

Have you looked at Carole Walters' new book Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More? I have always found Carole's recipes to be delicious. Eileen

I made my wedding cake in 1980. Still married. To the same wonderful guy. Go for it. I think it's GOOD luck, not bad! Eileen

That looks greasy from the photo. Eileen

Try googling "Rosemary Crackers recipe" - I found this recipe, which looked good: http://www.recipezaar.com/266277 Good luck! Eileen ps - most crackers are cut before they are baked.

You should contact Chufi - she does these amazing tours of the food places, and she took us to some wonderful bakeries and pastry shops. Eileen

Meyer lemons aren't as tart, but they have a delightful flavor. You can boost the tartness a little by using regular lemon zest if you like. I would reduce the sugar other liquid in the cake and increase the amount of lemon juice a little. Eileen

Pretty much. I tend to lean more towards the "ignorance is bliss" and "what I don't know won't hurt me until it hurts me... I'll worry about it then" line of thinking for my personal eating. I'm much more attentive when cooking/baking for others or for pay but I don't have the time or desire to scrutinize everything I want to eat or drink that carefully. Probably not smart and maybe it will cost me a few hours/days/years in the end but it's a lot less stressful not worrying over it now. Isn't stress bad for us too? ← I don't find it stressful at all to avoid chemicals whenever possible. Why would it be stressful? I read labels, if I don't like what I see, I don't buy it. End of story. Eileen

And consumption of organically produced foods increase every year. No correlation? Eileen

I bet that records of mortality rates and food-borne illness would show that we're a lot safer. ← A LOT safer. and that includes infant mortality rates and mortality related to congenital anomalies (birth defects). in fact, despite the presence of chemicals, pesticides, artificial sweeteners, etc...infant mortality rates and birth defect rates in developed countries are far lower than in developing countries. despite the hysteria..."natural" is bad. (people once opposed the steel plow on the same grounds) one other thought: when it comes to the food stalls of Singapore....well, that's Singapore...not Champawat. ← The US, which uses many of these chemicals actually has the highest infant mortality rate of any developed country. Third world countries, the ones with the highest mortality rates, have no medical care available for mothers or infants. That is the cause of their infant mortality. Eileen

I'm not a fan for unreined bacterial growth, but this super-hype about it is just crazy. Trying to wipe it all out first of all can't be done, and second of all, could ultimately kill us. It's why armies train - so when the big war comes, they can overcome the enemy. Same with our bodies. They need to have small fights with bacteria in order to be able to fight the big wars more effectively. It builds antibodies. Without them the bacteria win. Would I go out into the bush and drink water out of a village stream? Probably not. But I have no fears about eating in food stalls in cities that have public sewage systems. It's a matter of using common sense. My concern with chemical additives, pesticides and fertilizers is that they are things the human body hasn't learned to handle over the last several millennia. And I don't think the body processes them very well. Sure, we may not be dying from food-borne diseases in the numbers of the past, but we sure as hell are dying of cancer. All kinds. In growing numbers. We have growing birth defect rates and growing infant mortality rates. My personal theory is that it's from what we assault our bodies with on a daily basis. man-made chemicals. And lots of them. JMHO. Eileen

I agree. We are really killing ourselves off by being too sanitized. My son and I went to Morocco last year and ate whatever we wanted in the medinas in Fez and Marakesh, with no concern about whether the food was prepared in sanitary conditions. We never got sick. When my husband and I went to Singapore we ate most of our meals in the food stalls. Never got sick. Some of our friends are appalled at this kind of behavior. They will only eat in bona fide restaurants when they travel. They are missing so much! But then, I don't use germicidal handwashes, antibacterial dish soaps, and germ-be-gone counterwipes in my house. We need to have a certain amount of bacteria around so our bodies know how to handle it. All of this fear of a few germs is hogwash. (No pun intended!) I see this as a completely different issue from the shortening argument. (Geez, I can't stand the slimy feeling I get in my mouth when I eat that stuff.) It ain't natural. Bacteria, insects, mammalian poop - those things are natural. Chemicals are what are really killing us off. Chemical pesticides, fertilizers, additives, "food products". I don't think they are good for us. But, K8 - I'm surprised a good old Hoosier like you would be so very upset about people not liking Crisco. You're cooler than that! Didn't we learn better at Saint Joe's? (Or did we?) Eileen

Gel colorings are very good. Also, you can make lovely green macaroons by using maccha tea powder. Eileen

I haven't heard about it, but I wonder if it's 100% butter. I checked out their web site, but didn't find anything. Eileen

Chilling the marshmallows will cause the tempered chocolate to cool, and make it harder to dip. It's not necessary to use cold marshmallows. If they are at room temperature and the chocolate is tempered (it will be somewhere around 90 degrees, give or take) the marshmallows shouldn't melt. When the marshmallows melt, it's because the chocolate is too hot. Have fun! Eileen

It would absolutely work! I'm making some (a few hundred) on Monday, and dipping them in tempered chocolate. I'll try to remember to post some photos. Brush off as much of the coating as you can before they are dipped. The chocolate will serve as a preservative, and the covered marshmallows will last for weeks. Eileen

Quite a bit of butter wouldn't seem to be the way to go - the butter would harden in the fridge. I'll bet they include oil in the truffles. Wouldn't get too hard in the fridge and wouldn't melt at room temp. Eileen

My grandmother was Finnish, and I used to bake with her; spoon cookies are a Finnish cookie! I used to make them with her - and I haven't made them for years. Thanks for reminding me about them! Eileen

You can make a pudding cake. Pack the cake into a baking dish and cover it with custard. Bake. Very delicious. Eileen

You can substitute some cocoa for flour. Remove a little less flour than you are adding in cocoa. For instance, if you are adding 1/2 cup of cocoa, decrease the flour by 1/4 cup. Eileen

Sometimes it helps if you give them a shot with a hot hair dryer before you put the chocolate in. Eileen