annecros
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Posts posted by annecros
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I love molasses, but I don't really know how to use it to best effect. I use it in any recipe that calls for it, but I never find myself in the position of making something and thinking that it needs more molasses. So I'll be reading this thread with interest!
I'm curious, though, about the reference in the OP to eating it out of the jar. I've only ever seen molasses in waxed cardboard, like a milk container. (Follow Peter the Eater's link to see what I mean.) Is that a Canadian thing?
Edited to add: My partner hates it, too, so that doesn't make it easy for me to incorporate it into my cooking!
Yeah, well, your partner will understand in time.
I don't think I have ever been in a position when I thought "It needs more molasses."
Generally it is "It needs molasses."
I have only ever seen it in a jar.
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Gotta love it. What would pumpernickel be without it?
In all honestly, I lick the spoon after I have measured. It has a flavor all to its self.
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Oh, oh, oh!
I think it's been warm enough in Louisiana to bring them into season, as well.
Mmmm, warm and juicy peaches.
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Oh supermarket tomatoes are an abomination. I just never buy them, but I can grow them here and my season is unusually long (about November through March).
We can't grow any stone fruit here at all. We don't have the chill hours. I think there are a couple of hot weather varieties out there, but they seem to be of the same quality as supermarket.
Usually we get a truck farmer or three by the side of the road who drives a load down from the Fort Valley area of Georgia. I haven't seen them the last couple of summers.
Maybe I can talk my stepdaughter into bringing a box down when she comes in July.
I ate a red plum last night. It was completely inadequate and didn't help.
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You just need to be willing to pay several dollars a peach to have them shipped FedEx. At Per Se restaurant in New York the other day I had a peach from Masumoto Family Farm in California that was the best peach I've had, and I've had some good ones. A few years ago I was visiting a friend upstate and he had found a mail-order source for some pretty amazing peaches from, I think, Michigan. Alain Ducasse favors the ones from Ohio. Although, presumably, those Midwestern peaches come in later on. The California ones, you don't have to wait for.
I know. But hubby won't have it. Waste of money, blah blah.
I will eat a peach this year. Literally and not metaphorically.
Maybe he will give?
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I went to a "Farmer's Market" and they had "white peaches" from California. I'm in Florida.
I am sure that they are wonderful in California.
My son stopped by a truck vendor advertising Georgia Peaches, said "Isn't it a little early in the season for Georgia Peaches?" He said no, "We are two weeks in."
Son got a free sample, and if he didn't know better he would have probably enjoyed it.
He didn't buy.
Daughter was distracted by the peach aroma in Publix. She checked them out, they weren't even fuzzy.
Is a decent peach too much to ask for?
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After Mom went to bed sometimes, Dad and I would have a bowl of Kellogg's Corn Flakes and split the banana that went on top of it.
About a year ago, the subject of my father came up at a holiday (he passed away some time ago) and my son "confessed" that he and Daddy would split a banana over corn flakes after every one else was in bed sometimes.
It did feel awfully naughty.
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Table cloth or bare. No in between.
I have some lovely things to clothe my table in!
I also have some lovely cork placemat's that depict the "French Countryside" that are too good to eat from.
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Faison and Waters are two entirely different animals (pardon my animal husbandry
).Waters will tell you it is "easy" and "free" and that sort of thing when you pick a tomato in your back yard, when clearly it is not.
Faison is a realist.
I hate eating chicken since I have my own chickens. Not for the reasons that most would think. It simply does not bother me a bit that I am consuming the flesh of my pets' cousins. I ate a plate piled high with fried chicken livers yesterday - wonderful. It is just that I know that the poor thing never ate a bug, never scratched the earth, never fluffed it's feathers while rolling around in the dirt.
We overseason because we don't get the flavors from the main object we are consuming. Mostly because that object had a miserable life.
Use it or lose it. That makes sense.
And, you won't get it unless you ask for it. And, if it is worth having it is worth working for.
Oh well, as long as everyone understands that it may all end tomorrow, or in 2012, or whatever...
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I looked at my "kitchen table" today - in my frame of reference in the South, that would be the breakfast nook sort of place closest to the kitchen and an everyday sort of place to eat - and said "Wow!"
I have a large rubbbermaid tote containing an injured chicken that clucks every time I walk by. I have mail. Two day old unopened mail. I have containers of live crickets and meal worms. Two cookbooks and a cooling rack.
I was thinking, wouldn't that table (that is the catch all utility place) and it's contents say a lot about a person?
What's on your "kitchen table?"
I now understand why we eat on the couch in the family room so often.
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Maybe a 7 layer caramel cake this time, and a kugle this fall?
Thanks guys.
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annecros:
Well, it is almost that bad. Upon further examination we did determine that there was a break at the ankle, so we splinted it. I then hand fed her grapes for breakfast (I didn't peel them, but they were quartered) and she will have a boiled egg for lunch. She's eating and drinking fine, no broken skin.
Somehow, feeding boiled egg to a hen with a broken ankle just doesn't sound right.
Oh I understand your reaction.
However, it is beneficial on several levels. The hen can't get out and free range with her sisters now, so the protein and the fat in the egg substitute for the bugs and slugs she would consume while ranging. Mush the shell in with the boiled egg, and that is a great calcium source for the poor broken limb. Sprinkle a pinch of grit on top to keep her digestion going, and she should be good to go.
She also has laying crumbles and fresh water within reach, which is nutritionally complete for a hen her age.
As sparrowgrass (a much more experienced chicken keeper than I am) points out - they are true omnivores, and will eat anything that doesn't eat them.
They are wonderful in that they consume our garbage (leftovers, kitchen scraps) and pests (mine are great slug hunters) and give us an almost perfect protein in a germ proof container.
This one in the hospital is getting really attached. Loves scritches and beak rubs, coos at me when I check on her. Probably because I feed her!
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So, my son is living with the youngest daughter of a Jewish couple from New York. Relocated here about 10 years ago.
I like this girl - she has been so good to my son, and they are in love.
So anyway, for Easter of all things, I drug out Martha Stewart's recipe for Chocolate Babka, because I had never had it - and that Seinfeld episode was really great, and said girlfriend was coming over. So I produce it in front of her eyes, from scratch, and it was marvelous, and I was so darn lucky. I don't know why my Grandmother never told me about Babka.
Her family somehow heard in advance that I was making, from scratch, a chocolate babka - asked for a sample. They really loved it, or are exceedingly polite. I mean, had dinner with them since loved it.
So, now I am invited to the older daughter's welcome home party for her month old baby, in their home.
I have the basket picked out for mother and babe - but what sort of hostess gift should I provide to the parent's of my son's girlfriend - that will outdo MS's Chocolate Babka? Something homemade?
Cheesecake? The Cheesecake of all Cheesecakes?
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Now I have this vision of a chook with its foot up in traction, sipping a cocktailI have a makeshift chicken hospital set up on the bar in the family room with poor Mona (my favorite, of course) with a hurt foot.
We're bordering on the semi-rural, and the yard is like the Wild Kingdom - fortunately the girls are learning to make their way up into the roost at night, so we hope that they will be free from interference.Anyone considering this needs to not take security lightly.I'm working away from home right now, but the phone rang - the chicken farmer calling to tell me that one of the Brahmas laid an egg . The novelty value will wear off soon enough, I'm sure.
Well, it is almost that bad. Upon further examination we did determine that there was a break at the ankle, so we splinted it. I then hand fed her grapes for breakfast (I didn't peel them, but they were quartered) and she will have a boiled egg for lunch. She's eating and drinking fine, no broken skin.
She's such a sweetheart.
Brahma's are beautiful chickens and the names are very appropriate. About the time the egg novelty wears off, one will go broody and the chicken keeper will decide to slip some hatching eggs under her! You do have expansion plans for that coop, right?
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You may get lucky and find one or two "residual" eggs before they decide to punish you for the bag treatment.
You were right - the Americauna did a bit more of the "buawck buawck" & produced our first and so far only egg on day two. They still had not worked out how to get 'upstairs' by nightfall, so under cover of darkness we opened up the tractor and transferred them to the roost area.
I was surprised at their complete docility - they made no reaction at all to being picked up and moved.
That's nice, what color did you get? I want one or two in the future maybe.
Funny you should mention the docility at night. We had an unfortunate run in with a predator (probably a stray cat) and woke up to find feathers everywhere and a poor lame chicken.
Our fault completely. We left the pop door open. We are ashamed of ourselves, and hubby is taking an afternoon off to reinforce the coop. In the meantime, I have a makeshift chicken hospital set up on the bar in the family room with poor Mona (my favorite, of course) with a hurt foot.
For what it is worth, I think the chickens won. No blood, but a couple of bad looking tails and three chickens with post traumatic stress disorder. Poor girls. I fed them strawberries this morning trying to make it up to them. Good ones. I may dig a couple of worms out of the compost pile this afternoon.
I live in a pretty urban/suburban area. I do know we have a possum from time to time, and several stray cats running around - but the neighborhood is well lit, well trafficed and almost noisy most of the time. Anyone considering this needs to not take security lightly.
Chickens are at the bottom of the food chain, and they taste just like chicken!
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They were laying before being carted to their new home in burlap bags. No doubt they'll need some settling in time before they recommence production
You may get lucky and find one or two "residual" eggs before they decide to punish you for the bag treatment. I bet they'll remember that for oh, 24/48 or maybe even 72 hours! Naughty chicken god.
My girls still consider hubby the evil "chicken grabber" - as he is the only one who grabs chickens. They and I wish he would stop!
I think my girls are close to point of lay. Looking forward to first egg, if they don't hide it in the back yard somewhere while they are ranging!
Hubby was thinking to add handles and wheel barrow wheels, but the he went "Oh, nevermind." And that was that. So far!
I want a new coop.
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I agree with mexigaf. I grow mine in flats on the back porch and harvest with scissors when I am ready.
All you need is seed starting mix, a flat, water, sun and seed. Keep the soil moist but not wet, and the greens are ready to go in anywhere from days to a couple of weeks. Much cheaper.
Micro veg? I would probably just purchase.
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That's a cool looking setup you have there Derekw. Is that a tractor? How easily is it moved? Good looking birds, they look to be older than my girls. Are they already laying? Give them a treat for me - mine were introduced to watermelon during the heat of the day yesterday.
We've given up on moving my husband's coop around the yard (I told him so
) and now I just open the run in the AM and let them free range the fenced back yard during the day. We did clip the flight feathers before turning them loose, and they still haven't forgotten that insult, but are really enjoying the ranging. They still consider the coop home, always come to the run when called (because that's where I treat them), and are in and out of the run and coop all day.I am going to have to fence my vegetable plots in the back from now on though.
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I've been known to not only overbowl, but overladel as well. You know, when you select the larger serving dish, then turnaround and go ahead and fill it because it didn't look full enough. Shrimp etouffee just two days ago. Phelps couldn't have handled that portion. I have the same sort of problems estimating volume.
I should really just buy smaller dishes.
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I can't imagine that there will not be a very well publicized dinner at some point, probably sooner than realistic than later, that will feature a "First Tomato" or some such nonsense, course.
This is a very fine page taken from Prince Charles' playbook in the UK. He really was an early proponent, that gets no credit vs. Alice Waters and such. Under appreciated, I think.
All that being said, I get the jist of Hesser's argument, and agree with her overall. Keep the pressure on.
If it doesn't go from dirt to hand to mouth - it is really impossible to understand. Teaching it takes much more effort than anyone seems to have the patience for these days. But any exposure, like planting a seed and going through the whole process and recognizing that the vegetable is actually the seed - well you gotta see it to believe it. They really are blank slates - and you never know what might click for them.
Agricultural Sciences used to be a well respected segment of the educational system. We've gotten too far away from that. It has been some time since I heard of a kid in grade school hatching a chick.
Then going to Home Ec and making a souffle!
Amazing the people who don't want fresh eggs because "they come from a chicken's butt!" - not sure where the people who purchase the two month old eggs off the shelf that came from a chicken who knew no happiness in her life comes from~
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I did talk to my neighbors, most were quite excited about having a few fresh eggs once in a while. I still need to resolve one problem though: what to do with my chicken in the winter? I don't think they could survive the kind of winter we have here and I am convince adding a light bulb in the coop would be enough.
You have gotten a lot of good advice. The only thing I can add is that chickens are so very well adapted to being kept that they will surprise you at several turns.
We just revised our Hurricane Plan to account for the chickens. They have a reserved space in the garage. They will hate it - but not as bad as they would hate it outdoors!
I'll talk sweet to them. They'll be fine, if it comes to that.
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To anyone considering this, I highly recommend keeping a couple of chickens if you are able.
I do have to revise earlier remarks about them being sort of stupid. They really aren't - they are highly adapted to the living conditions that make their lives possible. They behave in ways that the canine or feline wouldn't - but hey, they're birds.
I think about my store bought chickens and eggs entirely differently now. Those anonymous chickens living out a miserable life in factory conditions make me sad. I almost can't stand to eat them when I think of the pleasure that the girls take in scratching, running and living a life.
Very social creatures. As soon as I hit the door (and there is no understanding how they tell the difference between my husband walking out the back door or myself - but the girls know) they are there calling to me. And of course I call back. "Chook Chook" works better than "Chicky Chicky". Or at least with my girls it does. There is so much structure, and individuality, in the barnyard.
Raising a few for meat makes more sense to me now. At least I will know that the creature had the best life I could give it. And, believe it or not, they are some of the easiest pets I have ever kept.
Oh, and lots of treats. Chickens love themselves some treats.
They're rotten, and I haven't gotten the first egg yet. But the ladies are beginning to look like young ladies now, and not small dinosaurs. Actually, there is a lot of eye candy there. Now I wish I could have a rooster.
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As for cooking with organic food, there's no difference in how you use these, except that you should probably wash your non-organic stuff a bit more thoroughly.
This is a popular misconception.
You should really, really, really wash your organic food thoroughly. Unless you want to eat cow crap. And if you don't wash it, you are going to eat crap from some creature.
I'm really proud of my down home and natural growing methods. As natural as possible, but I ain't afraid of putting the pests in their place. I don't mind Mother Nature taking her share, but she can't have mine.
Feeding a tomato horn worm (which actually grows up to be an awesome moth) to the chickens to tear to bits is a pleasure. But, you got to find the darn thing first.
By the way, the tomatoes don't seem to make a distinction between nutrition from crap, and nutrition from the lab. They thrive either way.
The naked truth about bare aluminum cookware
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
I'm Anne, and I cook on bare aluminum from time to time.
The heat conduction is the bomb.
I've seen chemical reactions.
More radical than I have seen on cast iron? Nah.
I wouldn't bother to season it. Toss it and get another, although I have never had to do that with bare aluminum.
I can see it in the commercial kitchen. I mean, it's like Reynold's Wrap. Seen it in my own kitchen. It's like Reynold's Wrap.
Now, the thing that makes me think is cast steel, not the stainless kind but cast steel. Makes you go hmm.
Edit: I think it is also referred to as crucible steel. Very light, not shiny, durable, great heat conductor.
I may have to steal Mom's one day.