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jrobin

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Posts posted by jrobin

    Quickies in the 8 x 8

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    I like fruit cobblers in small pans like these. How many times have we been on vacation looking for the easiest of ingredients and a quick dessert to serve?

    The very quickiest I saw was from Pepin's show where he laid fresh fruit in a small pan and maybe put some sugar with it and sprinkled crushed butter cookies on, then popped into the oven. The fruit becomes warm and releases some juice and the cookies brown up a bit more. super easy and extremely tasty.

    Jennifer

    Homemade Creme Fraiche

    in Cooking

    Posted

    The reason I used yogurt was my local dairy puts out buttermilk that is the noncultured kind. So there would have been nothing to grow. Their heavy cream is also so thick it can be sliced when it is cold.

    I believe this is because the milk is pasteurized. The buttermilk nowadays has cultures added.

    I think mukki is right that these things contain different cultures.

    But if the end result is something you like what difference does it make how you got there?

    Jennifer

    Aprons: Do you use one?

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    I wear the white aprons you get for commercial use from Sam's Club-only when I'm doing a marathon of cooking. I also have one my hubby's grandmother made me with lots of pockets, the only time I use that one is for yard sales.

    I'd like to think I look slimmer when it is folded and tied low, down on my hips not up around my waist. Kinda like Giada.

    Once when I was first married the hubby came home and all I had on was an apron- he still talks about that with a wistful look on his face....

    Now these are some cool aprons...

    http://www.ananasdesigns.com/AD_OS1/ad_osc...f63c0b00a19dc70

    http://search2.anthropologie.com/?q=apron&x=19&y=7

    Jennifer

    Do you steal bags from the supermarket?

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    Here in rural PA we can burn. So I ask for paper bags, then we put paper trash in that and burn it out in our 'burn barrel' at the end of the week. I have the pullout trash in my cabinet that holds 2 trash cans-nice and tidy.

    I also use the plastic bags for small trash bins in the bathrooms.

    Can't you just buy one of those rolls of vegetable bags pretty cheap? Or are we talking just the bigger plastic bags at the checkout.

    Jennifer

    The make-your-own vanilla extract experiment

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I am not complaining that the Tahitian beans are inferior, I wish I would have splurged on a more expensive vodka for those beans to have their true smell/flavor come thru.

    At the begining of the experiment it seemed logical that a cheaper alcohol wouldn't matter....so now I know. IMHO.

    I still am very excited about the whole project though.

    Jennifer

    The make-your-own vanilla extract experiment

    in Cooking

    Posted

    After opening my jars and taking some whiffs-the ones doing the best are Madagascar beans in a more expensive vodka-Smirnoff triple filtered.

    2nd place went to Mad beans in cheaper vodka. 3rd place to Tahitian beans in cheaper vodka. The last still has a very alcohol smell along with the vanilla smell.

    Since I have so much I tried mixing a Mad and Tah batch together to see what happens. I liked the smell right away, but will resmell in a few days.

    Jennifer

    Roburrito in York?

    in Pennsylvania: Dining

    Posted

    The Eastern mkt seems to ge going on an upswing from what one vendor told me. When I've been-I can't recall any empty stalls there unlike Central. He also has a stand at the Central mkt and said how that one is really sliding. I'm not sure why that is.

    There is another very old one I think called Market and Penn over on Market St that is having the same troubles. I really hope they find a way because they are very old and beautiful.

    There is another market privately owned out in Shrewsbury that seems to be plugging along.

    http://www.marketsatshrewsbury.com/

    And a huge market in Thomasville, but that is mostly a flea/antique mkt, a few vegs stands and foods stalls, and a few baked goods.

    Jennifer

    Roburrito in York?

    in Pennsylvania: Dining

    Posted

    "Things are changing for the better in York/Adams Co."

    IMO-I think the Hanover has the same problems as many towns. The local government doesn't work well with small businesess which lead them to fend for themselves. They tend to go with building outer areas then realize the downtowns have slowly been dying and go into this "revival" mode.

    Recently we were at York's Central Mkt on a Saturday and were shocked at how it was half empty, not crowded like it used to be. It does have a nice new restaurant, in the back- Mezzogiorno.

    Sam and Tony's (?) over on Market is good. The have "creativity encouraged" written on the menu.

    I went to William Penn High School, my parents still live in York, but they are happy with the chain restaurants, so I don't hear about where to eat anymore except from maybe that Central Penn-which I enjoy reading when I get a chance.

    Jennifer

    Farm Fresh Butter

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    We found a great little dairy farm that is selling fresh milk and a few dairy products. While I love the milk, the butter they make has a slight cheese flavor and smell to it. Is that normal?

    Maybe I have grown so used to store bought butter I don't really know what fresh is.

    Jennifer

    The make-your-own vanilla extract experiment

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I had a half used bottle of extract (kirkland brand) and added a few slit beans and topped it off with vodka. It was fine in about a day. A couple of days and the vanilla smell was nice and potent!

    I ordered the b grade Tahitian beans and did 6 quart jars with vodka (I did about 1 part water 3 parts vodka). I didn't think I liked the smell as much, but the extract-even on it's 2nd day smells so floral/vanilla. I may splurge and buy some Madagascar beans for the 'regular' vanilla extract.

    This is going to be great Christmas presents! You guys are great inspirations!

    Jennifer

    Cork flooring?

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    I heard good things about cork floors when I was researching them. I did put a cork floor in my master bath, which I love. It is 12x12 and I had them lay it on the diagonal. It is a wood product, so we are careful not to leave water laying on it, and I would be weary of putting it in a damp place, like a basement.

    We have tossed the idea around of putting it in our living room instead of wood floors.

    A few years ago when I was part of a team of kitchen designers they had a client with a 50 yr old cork floor in the kitchen and wanted to keep it, they loved it so much. I also remember a church somewhere in Chicago (I think) that had a 100 yr old cork floor-so it is durable.

    The only thing I can suggest it to get someone who has worked with it and will know if it can be used where you want to use it. I think it is a great product.

    Good Luck!

    Jennifer

    No-soak beans, in the oven, in 90 minutes

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I'm so glad this subject came up just as my beans from Rancho Gordo had just arrived.

    My first try took much longer, around 3 hours. I did those with straight beans(Good Mother Stallard) and water, adding the salt after about an hour. Then at the end adding smoked sausage. I can say the first thing I noticed about Steve's beans with just water, was the nice earthy smell that I've never smelled before in beans.

    I hate to cook his product, the beans are just so pretty!!

    Second try I had to add aromatics like garlic, onion, carrot and homemade chicken broth. This was a bag of storebought cannelloni beans. Took about 2 hours.

    I still wonder if I am getting too much evaporation out of my LC pot. Or maybe the pot is just too big, and I should be working with a smaller pot.

    Like FG said, a glass lid would be a big help to see what is going on in the pot without me peeking so much after about an hour and a half.

    I'll keep plugging away with this!!

    Jennifer

    Need DC Restaurant Recs

    in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

    Posted

    Agreed -- I live in Adams Morgan, and I love it there, but the restaurant scene will not keep you busy for long. (Though I do love San Marco, and the sandwiches at So's Your Mom.) Parking is also scarce and the Metro is not entirely convenient. I'd go with Dupont Circle instead, as a home base. Breakfast or lunch at Teaism, stroll down to Firefly for a cheese plate, poke around at the FreshFarm market on Sunday morning, lots of options in the area. Dupont also has a movie theater, little shops like The Propper Topper, and other places 17-year-olds might like to browse around in when they get tired of eating.

    Thanks! This is exactly how we were thinking to spend the weekend. Since the girls have done the usual DC things on school trips we'd like to show them more of the eclectic stuff around Dupont Circle. Except--I don't know how many pocket books and shoes I can stand to look at.

    Jennifer

    Is there such a thing as an adjustable table?

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    You can get tables at 42" high, usually called pub tables, but that is too high for working.

    Tables also come in heights of 36", which is the same as a counter height. I think stools with backs are more of a comfy/safe feel.

    At my island I have room for 4 stools (there are 5 of us, but we don't all need to sit at the island all at once), but only got 3 stools so I can easily push them aside when I need the room and don't want them in my way.

    I do remember seeing a custom kind of hollowed 'block' that fit at the bottom of a wood table leg to make the table higher when it was used for working. When it was in place it looked like part of the turning on the leg. It definately was not with the touch of a button.

    Jennifer

    Need DC Restaurant Recs

    in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

    Posted

    I am so glad I found this thread! We are taking 2-17 yr old girls for a quick weekend in a few weeks. I've found some good ideas here!

    We have it narrowed down to either Adams Morgan(never been) area or Dupont Circle(been to the mkt on a few sundays) to just browse and eat the whole time.

    Keep the ideas coming!

    Jennifer

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