FrogPrincesse

@mmlstarr From her website: Worst case, you can always bake them a minute longer in the oven.

My daughter got these chocolate chip cookies from the fridge section and they were pretty good! On the thinner side, very chocolate-y (as advertised). Dozen for $4.99.

I enjoyed the double chocolate croissants this morning. They feel "drier", very flaky but less buttery than a regular chocolate croissant, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as they can taste very rich when they are butter-forward. I would buy them again!

Sadly, I do not especially care for raisin-flavored chutney. But it's these little pieces of mango that really turned me off. I am guessing they used dried fruit? In other mango chutneys I have had, the mango was more integrated into the chutney rather that being little stand alone firm pieces.

Reporting that the "all natural, fresh mozzarella" is pretty nice. It has a good flavor and isn't overly firm like some are. It's even good enough to nibble on as is.

What did you think about the Sri Lankan chutney from Trader Joe's? I was about to throw away my jar last night because the mango pieces are so weirdly square and firm (see picture) and I do not care for its flavor. I much prefer the major grey style of chutney, although I could do without the raisins.

This morning "Ca va deguster", the food podcast on national French radio, was all about jams (link). There was an interesting tip there that I wanted to share. Stéphan Perrotte, the guest chef who won a prize for his raspberry jam, has an interesting technique to extract the maximum amount of pectin from lemons while not imparting a lemony flavor to the jam. In short, he starts by boiling the whole lemon in water for 7 minutes to get rid of the strong flavors, essential oils etc, he then lets it cool, and freezes it overnight. Both steps break down the lemon cells and eventually help release the pectin. The next day, he cuts the lemon in half and adds it to the sugar / water mixture when he cooks the jam like you would do with a normal recipe. I want to try this when I make jam next time! Full recipe here (in French). There was also some good info shared about skimming. He says he doesn't do it until the very end.

From ”driving as a last resort” to a full-on wasabi day trip.

Indeed, it’s Half Moon Bay Wasabi, the same place I sent you the info about earlier that sells to Nijiya and high end restaurants. https://hmbwasabi.com

Her recipes are generally reliable. Check out this thread on her book, Dorie’s Cookies, for more inspiration!

I will respond for France. Peanut butter is very foreign to us. The closest equivalent is Nutella which we all grew up on and love, but you won’t find peanut butter in French households or in French baked goods. It is a very American ingredient.

This is where Nijiya gets their fresh wasabi from. If Nijiya is out, you can buy directly from them. https://hmbwasabi.com

Most of mine are in a drawer, stored upright. There is some excess in an adjacent drawer, and a couple of taller bottles on a shelf. When i run out of space it is usually time to either make a dish that uses a lot of them (curry, etc) or throw away the ones that are past their useful life.

For sure (Nijiya has it). You can use instacart to see if any stores have it close to where you live.

Toasted Japanese white bread with crème fraiche and salmon roe. Little squeeze of lemon juice. So good!

They look like the chipolatas we have in France - long and skinny. Never heard of a Cumberland chipolata, but from I read online Cumberland sausage is meant to be peppery.

Your local Japanese supermarket will likely have fresh wasabi root.

Interesting. Is this served warm?

If I see it in the store I will grab a can, for sure. I always like to try new stuff.

Angry orchard is vile. So is our “local” Julian hard cider (they import most of the apples they use and it’s just mass-produced crap). I think it’s hard to compete with a classic breton or normand cider. That’s the reference for me as I like a rustic, dry style.

That’s a pretty sad state of things. Have you tried contacting @Ed Hamilton? He is no longer active on eGullet but he is on instagram. He should be able to help. https://www.instagram.com/edrumguy?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==

Thanks for sharing, @Shelby! Bookmarked. Hank Shaw is a trusted source.

I have observed this gradual downgrade which prompted me to look for another “everyday“ gin. I have since happily converted to Tanqueray 10 (47.3%).

What’s your favorite meatball recipe? I am still looking for the perfect one (one local place, Tribute Pizza, has perfect meatballs that are incredibly tender, but I haven’t been able to replicate them yet).

They didn’t taste overly salted to me. And I prefer them to the variety in the blue bag.