annecros

Yikes! Aren't you concerned with trichinosis or salmonella? Or E. coli? ← Not really, many years ago I decided to stop worrying about everything and just enjoy life. Here are some pictures from eGullet Tokyo get together The chicken sashimi platter, top left is chicken tenderloin, moving clockwise there is chicken gizzards, down in the right hand corner is chicken breast and finally the chicken liver raw chicken brains with in 4 flavors ← You are my hero. More gastronomic bravery than I can summon, but that stuff actually looks kinda good.

Sheesh. You gotta eat! In the words of one of my favorite fast food places. I cannot believe that darkening the door at Applebee's is a cardinal sin, although I personally prefer Friday's, because Martini's are the house drink and are always two for one. Any Martini, including a call brand vodka on the rocks. Well kept secret, but if you are in the need a good thing to know. I try local Mom and Pop's, I eat chains, I try a bit of everything. Take what I like and leave the rest. Mom and Pop sometimes cook pretty crappy food. I think the thread should be locked, but for anyone to think that Tyler Florence has committed some sort of awful sin for working with Applebee's, gosh. I don't know how to explain that people have to earn a living, and yes, eat. If it sells, good for him. If it is tasty, it will. I personally feel no need to dictate another's eating habits, one way or another. My opinion only, and for what it is worth.

This is really interesting, and I do my own coffee liquor that other's in the family beg to be offered a bottle. Steep: 750 ml Everclear (or the highest proof grain alcohol that you can obtain) WHOLE coffee beans, a generous chunk of vanilla bean - Minimum of a week if you are in a hurry, but two weeks if you want to do it right. If you like the bitterness of Starbuck's espresso, then by all means use their espresso beans. The best results that I have personally had were using their Guatamala Antigua and most especially their Yukon whole beans.The bit of the vanilla bean puts the smoothness in, without adding any sweetness, to my taste buds. Your milage may vary, but I think that this is the secret. Simple Syrup: I make mine with double strength coffee and sugar, one to one, rather than going the instant coffee route (one cup wet measure coffee, one cup dry measure sugar, bring to a boil, turn off and let cool). I brew the coffee from the same type of bean I have steeped. How much you make and cut the steeped solution is the ticket. Final bottling: Personally, and for the tastes of the people I prepare this for, they like it on the sweet side. So I do 4 cups of double strength coffee and 4 cups of sugar, cool it, and then combine with another 750 ml of 80 proof vodka, and the strained and filtered steeped solution. If I wanted a less sweet version, I would start with 1 cup of double strength coffee and 1 cup of sugar, omit the vodka, combine it directly with the steeped solution, and work up to my desired sweetness from there after it has had at least a week to combine and mellow. You can always add more sugar, but it is difficult to take it out without adding more booze or water or both. You can always do a 1 cup to 1 cup double strength coffee and sugar solution at a time. I would not add more booze until you have two cups of simple syrup to the solution. The only trick here is to remember that alcohol evaporates every time it is exposed to air. My two cents, for what it is worth. And good luck in your quest. I'm kind of picky about my coffee flavor. I want it strong, but not bitter.

Wow, this is hard.. 1. Rare Prime Rib 2. Porterhouse 3. Smoked Pork Butt 4. Stew Beef and about a Billion Onions, Pressure cooked then simmered for a couple of hours and ladeled over rice

Necessity? I am asking, I honestly don't know.

OH, you lovely, lovely people. The Amercian South is the neo-home of offal, and its use via necessity. Chitterlings, utilized as a source of protein, should tip you off. Not JUST a sausage casing, but a source. We took the best of our cultural influences. And that is that. Brains? Kindneys? Livers? Tripe? Sheesh. Been there, done that. Lots of Souse in the bargain. Any way you can use it, it has been used in the southern regions of the United Sates of America. Trotters? No, we call them FEET. PIG'S FEET. They walk on them. And pigs only trot when they are feeling mean. Take it from someone who has been around pigs. When the feet are there for the eating, the pig is no longer feeling like trotting anywhere. OK, off the soapbox. ETA: I should have climbed down off the box, but one more observation from personal experience. If you knew what pigs "trotted" in, and had a personal exposure to the environment across which they were "trotting" you would understand perfectly why the word "trotter" is just silly for the extremity on the pig. "Feet" or "Foot" is doing it too much justice. Now, I will go to bed, and worry this subject no more.

I'll have to think on that for awhile. I love stinky cheese as much as the next guy, but I also like diversity. I also find Gorgonzola very difficult to grate on my pasta. It really gums up the grater. You may also have to take into account that I like pinot noir a lot more than shiraz. Power and stinky-ness in itself does not impress me. If you think Parmignano Reggiano is bland and flavorless - you gotta find some better PR! ← Oh, I'm all about diversity, and I have tried P-R up one way and down the other, in many different modes and methods. Have spent good money after bad, trying to understand. The first taste is always a delight, and it may just be me, but the taste buds here in Annie's mouth seem to refuse to acknowledge the second taste, then it is all downhill and a let down from there. I'm not a big fan of gorgonzola, unless it is crumbled on my spinach salad with great big salty olives and juicy tomato and cuke slices, which I am hungry for right now, and could literally inhale.... Well, have to go check on the bean soup. Putting cheddar on toast to go with. Edited, because I STILL can't spell

The reason people use the name Parmignano Reggiano is because that is the real name of a particular cheese from a particular area made in a controlled way. This is its NAME not an affectation. Parmesan is also a name, but refers to copies of that cheese. These copies are prohibited from using the name Parmigiano Reggiano for very obvious reasons. Because Parmignano Reggiano has been copied so often, it has become more important than ever to use the correct name so people understand what you are talking about. I don't think anyone would argue (not me anyway) that it's not fine for anyone to use as much Kraft Parmesan as they want. Pile it on if you love it! It's also fine to prefer it to Parmigniano Reggiano. What is not fine is to think that Kraft Parmesan is an alternative to Parmigiano. It is a totally different product with a totally different flavor. The only thing they have in common is that that both names came from the town of Parma. ← It is a completely different thing, and should not to be used as a social thermometer. And, it is an alternative to P-R. I personally find P-R too mild, it just goes away. Even straight up on its own, the second bite is no more flavorful than water. I know all the discussion about complexity, but cheese should be inherently cheesy to my mind. If I want something mild, I'll drink milk. If I want mild and complex, I will make a shake. If I want cheese, well then I want the flaor of cheese. Except when I want mozzarella, then I want mozz because it is mild and yummy with tomatoes and basil and vinegar. I find that simple cheese much more complex than the much vaunted P-R, by the way. Cheesiness, I love it, and it is not easy being cheesy. But those are my taste buds, and not yours. I am delighted that you have found something that curls your toes, and I mean that sincerely. "Copies" of that cheese? OK, if you are a purist who insists on the original, and choose not to try anything outside of the scope, then you are entitled to that belief and obviously practice it. But it is like saying that you can't cook Italian in Brooklyn, Asian in San Francisco, or make wine in California. Kosher is kosher, around the world. My favorite hard cheese is an Asiago that is sharp as a razor and that I buy regularly, although I will shake the green can from time to time, when I think it will hit the spot. I prefer the sharper cheeses, and always have. I think that "sour milk" description of Kraft has something to do with the sharpness. I love the creamy blues the best, slathered on a water cracker so nothing gets in the way, but do not personally care for the Maytag that is so fashionable right now. Needless to say, a Limburger sandwich with onion on seedless rye is a wonderful lunch from time to time, and fits the bill when I am hungry for it. I do not eat it on a daily basis. We have a preference for "stinky" cheeses in our house, to be honest with you. Take what you like, leave the rest.

The crystals are not a bad thing - on the contrary - they're indicative of a good aged Parmigiano Reggiano. I find Romano much saltier then Parmigiano, and the stuff in the "green can" is definitely saltier. Could that be one of the reasons you find they have more taste than the Parmigiano? I'm just the opposite - I dislike the saltiness in the Romano, and much prefer the Parmigiano. I won't go near the Kraft stuff. ← What kind of "romano" are you referring to? Pecorino Romano from Italy or commercial American versions? Just like American "parmesan" has little to do with Parmigiano Reggiano, American "romano" has little to do with Italian Pecorino Romano. I think you are correct in saying the main flavor in Kraft and American "romano" and "parmesan" is salt. ← Interesting, in that the P-R you so dearly love is salted, as are most cheeses to varying degrees. In fact, it is the only additive allowed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiano Skim milk, salt, enzyme and a culture. Same recipe as Kraft, but Kraft only ages "at least six months" whereas P-R is aged a year. I am sure there are differences in the cattle feed, recipe proportions, and cultures used as well. Please note that it is proper and expected that any cheese using the same method and recipe, produced anywhere in the world, is properly referred to as "Parmesan" and there is no problem with that and it is in common use. Have you actually ever tried the Kraft? Blind taste test, maybe? Could be fun. Take what you like and leave the rest. ETA Because I can't spell.

Out of curiosity, I went to the Kraft website to see if I could find out how long this product has been on the market: http://164.109.46.215/profile/spot_milestones.html 60 years! For sixty years, well before real parm became widely commercially available, this was the ONLY alternative for many years for the vast majority of the population of the United States. Technically, it is really cheese as well. Milk, salt, an enzyme and a culture. It's not a cheese food fabricated from vegetable oil, a stabilizer and food color. It really is amazing how many Kraft brands are household staples and have been around for a hundred years or better, though quite a few came to Kraft through acquisition (Kraft is only 100 years old as a corporation, but the brand name has been around longer): # Terry's chocolates, 1767, York, England # Grey Poupon mustard, 1777, France # Baker's chocolate, 1780, Dorchester, MA # Altoids mints, early 1800s, England # A.1. steak sauce, 1820s, England # Suchard confections, 1825, Neuchâtel, Switzerland # Bird's custard, 1837, England # Christie crackers and bakery products, 1853, Toronto, ON # Peek Freans cookies, 1857, Dockhead, England # Claussen pickles, 1870, Chicago, IL # Canale baked goods, 1875, Buenos Aires, Argentina # Premium crackers, 1876, St. Joseph, MO # Philadelphia cream cheese, 1880, New York, NY # Breakstone's dairy products, 1882, New York, NY # Côte d'Or chocolates, 1883, Belgium # Oscar Mayer meats, 1883, Chicago, IL # Calumet baking powder, 1889, Chicago, IL # Newtons cookies, 1891, New York, NY # Maxwell House coffee, 1892, Nashville, TN # Shredded Wheat cereal, 1892, Watertown, NY # Freia confections, 1892, Norway # Cream of Wheat cereal, 1893, Grand Forks, ND # Postum cereal beverage, 1895, Battle Creek, MI # Minute tapioca, 1895, Orange, MA # Jacobs coffee, 1895, Germany # Grape-Nuts cereal, 1897, Battle Creek, MI # Jell-O gelatin, 1897, LeRoy, NY # Baker's coconut, 1897, Philadelphia, PA # Uneeda biscuits, 1898, Chicago, IL # Polly-O cheese, 1899, Brooklyn, NY # Nabisco sugar wafers, 1901, Chicago, IL # Milka chocolate, 1901, Germany # Triscuit crackers, 1902, Watertown, NY # Barnum's Animals crackers, 1902, Chicago, IL # Kraft cheese, 1903, Chicago, IL Barnum's Animal Crackers! I would get a box every Sunday morning after I ate my breakfast to snack on until a late Sunday Dinner came around about 3 PM. Loved them! I have quite a few of those other brands in my cabinet now.

I've used Chard and Kale as substitutes, but another substitute that works very well is mustard greens. I think they would be especially tasty with the tomatoes and sausage, but would make a nice contribution to the vegetable soup as well. I've never added greens to a lentil soup, thanks for the idea.

Green Cylinder Confessions: Spaghetti - Kraft Canned Minestrone - Kraft Pizza - Yes, Kraft Mom kept it on the table with other condiments, so we had the opportunity to utilize it in my youth. Mom had a penchant for Hamuburger Helper Stroganoff "flavor" in my youth. If not for the Kraft, I would have never been able to choke it down. I have never bought a box of Hamburger Helper into my household. I think Mom broke me of that in my youth. The other hard cheeses are in rotation here, but the Kraft truly does lend itself to certain foods. I am fonder of the Parmesan than I am of the orange stuff in the mac and cheese box, to be honest with you. There is a place and a time for everything.

Also, you may want to try Riggin's in Lantana, right off 95. I have never had a problem with their fresh seafood, and they will special order.

Check the link Andrew posted. Anne

Well, I cannot allow my mother to die, certainly. Will post a picture tomorrow AM. Stay tuned. By the way, how drunk should I keep mother?

Not nearly as grossed as when I first saw it, and it took me a couple of minutes to realize what it was. I guess the pickle is still good, anyway.

I reached into my fridge today, knowing that there was one, and only one, of the lovely kosher dills left in there that I was craving, and low and behold there was a mother floating in my pickle jar! It looks healthy, a little dark in the center, and very intriguing. I can't believe it grew in the fridge, and am a little suspicious. OK, who knows if this is good to use? I have read up on vinegar making, but never actually done it myself. The kosher dills are very garlicy, will that corrupt the mother? Not that I object to a little garlic in my vinegar. Also, can I eat that last pickle? I have been saving it a couple of weeks. I'm sort of excited. It feels like foraging to me, almost, and maybe fate is telling me that now is the time to start my vinegar making experiment. Some treasures just pop up in the most amazing places. I have a source for some very nice vinegar jars. Anne

I like them very much. More retro I think than other's are citing. Retro right back to punched tin pie safes. As long as the heft, and comfort are OK, then go for it. So much can be done later. Anne

I'm presently infusing a batch on my counter. It is a lemon/lime/orange combo, heavy on the lime. The intent is to make Margaritas with what cello does not get disposed of straight up! My question is, has anyone tried to cook with the drunken zest after decanting? I wonder how it would do folded into sour cream pound cake batter, then a "cello" based glaze on the pound cake maybe? I was also wondering if the limes and oranges also loose all color as the lemons do. The liquor is absolutely a dark chartreuse right now, and I only started the infusion Sunday. The lemon zest looks white, but it is hard to tell with the darker liquid. I can definitely pick out the orange. I went the microplane into Everclear route for the infusion, and will go 80 proof for the additional booze. Anne

Oh, there's nothing wrong with the Lady and Sons. I have no opinion on Paula Deen as a TV personality-- I've never watched her-- but I've eaten at the restaurant several times, and my in-laws have eaten her food for ages. I'm not going to claim that the restaurant has the best Southern food out there; it doesn't. But the buffet offers a good selection of reliably well-prepared dishes, and the restaurant is always crowded enough that there's a lot of turnover: everything stays fresh, crisp, et cetera. The downside is that there's usually a long wait, which I think turns off a lot of locals. Still, it's a good choice for downtown Savannah. ← That's the point. Some of us know good southern food, other's don't. Would it compare to what my granny, mom or I cook for our families? Nope. But I would wager that it would exceed a "Soul Food" place say, anywhere from the southern Maryland border north, and somewhere in Texas west. I've eaten at those places, and people thought they were doing me a favor. If the only thing you have had is "soul food" from a kitchen somewhere in the industrialized, over populated Northeast, then the Lady and Son's is going to knock you dead, and you are better off for the experience. Just the locally sourced ingredients guarantee that. I would wager. Dollars to KK Donughts. Annie

Not sure where you're from...but in these parts of South Carolina, not that far from Savannah, Paula's accent sounds pretty normal to me. ← Well, personally I am from Albany, Georgia - Paula's "home" town. Actually, at least four generations in that part of the country, maybe six. My mother-in-law who was Paula Deen before Paula Deen got her on screen persona (and she must have met Doris, probably at church), was from Commerce, Texas. My ex-husband was from Effingham County, GA. It is a "normal" thing for the "ladies" who genuinely love all, and work hard to feed them well, to exaggerate the accent and attitude. That said, it is still over the top, and meant to be that way. I am not bashing her, I just know what she's up to, and I would think that she would readily admit it. She does have a sense of humor, after all.

Great for grilled pork, my favorite application. Another is a salad of sliced cucumber, hearts of palm, tomato and klamata olives - drizzle a little olive oil and mojo, refrigerate. Really chills you out on a hot day.

So, after reading page after page: Cake or Pie? That just isn't a fair question, is it? The rest of my life? Please, if I can produce one, I can produce another. ETA: I meant to say: "An Other"

Good to know that the freezer works. All is not lost, if you have a freezer.

Is your freezer working? They freeze quite well, and will be easy to fill a pie or cobbler when the oven is up and operational. Otherwise: ICE CREAM! You will get no closer to heaven than homemade peach ice cream. Everyone should do it. I have also sliced them, sprinkled a little sugar over, then poured cream on top and eaten them with a spoon. Anne