bjones9942

Ok, the chopped liver was beef, and I'm used to chicken. Very different flavor, and the frozen stuff didn't appear to contain any cream - which made it very coarse and mealy. I think I'll stick to making my own, especially now that I've restocked my supply of schmaltz!

Thanks folks for the U. Village QFC tip! Yes, they had it (yes, in the freezer section) ... and they also had chopped liver (also in the freezer section)! I'll report back when it's thawed and I have a chance to sample it

Yet another, 'Thank You'! Simply wonderful.

Tsquare, If you're willing to part with it then you're missing out! Irwin - I render mine by boiling, so I don't get the grivens One of these days I'll have the patience to stand over the skillet to make sure it doesn't flame and set my house afire ... but until then it's boil, boil, boil ... strain, strain, separate, freeze And thanks for the Albertsons recommendation - I'll give them a shout and see what they say! Brett

The stuff lasts forever in the freezer! It's like bacon fat never going bad in that old soup can on the stove

I'm tired of rendering my own chicken fat and my reserves will probably run out later this year (when I render, I do about a 5 year batch). So, to make my life much easier, does anyone know where I can BUY schmaltz? Surely there are others out there that make their own chopped liver, matzoh ball soup and enjoy an occasional piece of toast with schmaltz instead of butter! Please speak up! I'll even consider mail-order! Thanks in advance!!! Brett

Ok, I braved the traffic tonight and schlepped from Shoreline down to the ID. I'm happy to report it was well worth the effort! Tried the banh xeo, the vegetarian spring rolls and the fried duck noodle soup. I purposely didn't add anything other than the supplied dipping sauces so I could get a better idea of the base flavors of each item. I will say that my favorite was probably the duck noodle soup as the banh xeo was a tad greasy. Not saying that it was anything less than excellent taste wise, but if I had to pick ... it'd be the soup And I enjoyed the spring rolls, but the wrappers were a tad thicker than I'm used to (so much so that my dog unrolled the one I brought to him [no, he's not spoiled at all] and just ate the filling!). It did make them easier to pick up and eat though I made sure I got a take-home copy of the menu, but the result after scanning it was too much to post here. If anyone wants a copy I have it up at Greenleaf menu <-- this link. Next time I'm going to bring someone with me! No, there was WAY too much food for me so my dog got 1 spring roll and 1 (ok, 1/2 - I ate more after I got home) banh xeo. I did finish the soup - barely

Those are great! You put my christmas cookies to shame!!!

I"m wondering just how one can have both 'no fragrances' and 'no stinky sweat' at the same time? I believe the key is to make sure that your deoderant/fragrances are at a level as to allow masking the inevitable sweat, but not so strong as to insinuate you've been frequenting the local brothel. Now if the customers could just be held to the same standard

Chopped liver is a wonderous thing

You can't compare the mom & pop places to the larger operations. They're totally different birds and require different methods of operation. In the little place down the street, the owner can (and almost always does) keep an eye on every table from the time the guest is sat to the time the bill is paid. There isn't the need for the little games to assure the guest is being taken care of because the owner is taking that responsibility. They don't need a computer to track their sales because they take their own inventory daily and know what's selling (or being stolen by the crew!) by what products they're low on. And yes, sometimes things are a little overthought - but you might be surprised at the little 'tricks' that your mom & pop place does without your ever knowing to ensure your good service and good food.

I think rosemary is one of those strange plants that grows for people it likes! Seattle is far from having hot summers / cold winters - but my tuscan blue grows like a weed. Eastern exposure with only morning sun. Perhaps it was the 3 inches of steer manure I tilled into the soil before I planted them? I get a kick out of the little $2 bags of rosemary the store sells. Anyway, back to topic ... I don't have the fungus problem, but I do occasionally see the spittle bug evidence. And spiders. Generally a fungus problem is due to too much water and poor circulation. After the bleach treatment, I'd see about putting it somewhere with a little more breeze.

Here's another vote for the Joy of Cooking, with a couple of exceptions. I use my mother's copy of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook whenever I'm making comfort food, and Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking for any foray into Indian recipes. I've got a ton of cookbooks / cooking magazines that have been read for techniques and pleasure - but those three books are the ones that I stain on a consistant basis.

Annecros - I agree with your assessment 100%, even if you have forgotten hush puppies and eggs cooked in 3 inches of bacon fat! Now, who in their right mind would want a lifetime of so-called 'healthy' foods when a fatty flavor extravaganza will only cost one a few years? Personally, I opt for enjoying each and every day - including the food I eat. If I leave this world at the age of 80 instead of 85 I know I'll do so with chicken fat smeared over the smile on my face. My vision of heaven has always included a big never-empty vat of chopped liver.

Andie - I had to look at where you live ... my rosemary was supposed to get to 4 feet. Six to eight feet later, both in height and width, I find I can no longer make my way down the side of my house (I was thinking small hedge along the house when I planted all 14 of them). I also no longer have the desire to use rosemary when cooking, although I still love the smell.