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MargyB

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Everything posted by MargyB

  1. Thank you so much for all of your great suggestions! I think we'll probably end up at one of the spots either near downtown (Pike place etc) or just north. We are expected at the in-laws for dinner in White Rock BC, so we don't want to have too late of a lunch! We've been to Pike Place market several times, but haven't eaten at Matts in the Market....it looks great! Thanks again and I'll let you know where we end up. Margy
  2. Thanks for the suggestion Mary! I'm afraid we'd be there much too late for lunch though....we land at Seatac at 12:30. I think something more in the Seattle area would be good. I love lake Samish though...it's always looked so beautiful, but we've never stopped there. Maybe we can stop there on the way back! Margy
  3. I pay around $3 for the Reynolds quick release foil at Target...I haven't seen a store brand before and I've only seen one size. It's the best stuff ever! I'd try the Kroger's and if it works out well, then you're set! Margy
  4. We'll be driving from Seatac to Vancouver BC at lunchtime this coming Saturday. Does anyone have any ideas for a cool place for lunch along the way, near I-5? We prefer something that isn't too formal. We love anything with seafood...something that features northwest cuisine would be great! Thanks so much for any guidance, Margy
  5. Thank you so much everyone for the great ideas! I never would have thought of using a towel....would you use a thin kitchen type towel folded up I'm thinking? I did find a round rack at the local Ranch-99 store for less than $2 on my lunch hour today....but I left it at work. I'm hoping it fits! I'll let you all know how it works out. Thanks again, Margy
  6. Thanks Emmalish....I've looked for a round rack that would fit, but have only found square ones that would be used for cookies etc. I'll keep looking! Margy
  7. When I was in my twenties I canned all sorts of jams, tomatoes etc and had all of the supplies. Life got in the way and after I hadn't used any of this stuff in over 10 years, I gave it all away. Now of course, I want to make some tomato chutney...I have jars, but hate to buy a new water bath canner. My question is....has anyone used a large heavy pot to process jars that wasn't an "official water bath canner"? I know I can't put the jars directly on the bottom of the pot, but I can't quite figure out what options there might be. Thanks, Margy
  8. MargyB

    Chef Ethics

    Is the "boss" also the owner? If not, does the owner know about the deceptions? Margy
  9. I buy a ton of garlic at once...pre-peeled from the local middle eastern produce store. I slice it thinly, using my Cuisinart, and then cook it slowly in enough olive oil to cover. You have to stir it every few minutes and make sure that it doesn't brown too quickly. This gives you nice, sweet "roasted" garlic. I freeze it in small amounts and then pull it out to thaw as needed. I use it as you would roasted garlic...I make a lot of roasted garlic bread! Margy
  10. After reading this thread, I've checked out 5 or 6 different grocery & liquor stores in my neighborhood (Santa Clara, CA), but all of the Campari was the new formula. Does anyone know when the new formula Campari would have hit the shelves? Thanks, Margy
  11. I knew I was "pushing it" with relating key lime pie to Miami.....but since I didn't have any desserts, I thought I'd give it a shot! I haven't made Cuban sandwiches before, but I know this group (20 somethings) would probably love them! I think I'll go with the fresh fruit for dessert and maybe have a cake. margy
  12. I had thought about spring rolls....you're right, they would be a good salad type item. I can buy those freshly made here in the bay area also! margy
  13. Hi everyone, In a few weeks, I'm giving a Bon Voyage party for my daughter who is going on a 4 month college trip to 14 ports of call. In a moment of insanity, I said that I'd make one dish from all 14 countries that she'll be visiting. I have about 1/2 of the menu determined, but I'm having trouble coming up with a few of the items. I'd prefer dishes that could be prepared ahead of time and that are "typical" for that region. Here are the countries that I don't have dishes figured out for yet: (I'm short on salads/vegetable dishes) -Port Louis, Mauritius -Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam -Shanghai, China -Puntarenas, Costa Rica -Miami, Florida (Key Lime Pie maybe?) Here are the dishes I have penciled in: -Nassua, Bahamas...............Pigeon Peas & rice -San Juan, Puerto Rice.........Fried Plantains -Salvador, Brazil..................Bahian Style Shrimp -Cape Town, South Africa.....Peri Peri Sauce/Beer -Channai, India...................Samosas (from local Indian market) -Penang, Malaysia...............Garlic Noodles -Hong Kong........................Har Gao (from local asian market) -Kobe, Japan......................Sushi (from local sushi restaurant) -Honolulu, Hawaii................Fresh Tropical fruit, pineapple etc Any input/commentary is welcome! thanks so much, Margy
  14. I'm wondering if shops in Paris are closed for "Easter Monday"? Shops here in the states aren't, but I know that Canada and I believe Great Britain celebrate Easter Monday. Margy
  15. Does anyone have a favorite kitchen supply store in the SF Bay area? I'm in the South Bay, but will go elsewhere if need be. I've found a few small kitchen supply stores in San Jose, but they both seemed poorly stocked and didn't have much of a selection. Thanks, Margy
  16. OK....I feel better now. Thanks everyone who rose to my defense! I totally accept responsibility for not putting all of the details in the original posting...but again was trying to err on the side of being brief. I also accept that I probably should have ordered something as many of you do feel that my not ordering anything was rude. I appreciate your opinions and will do better next time. Chrisamirault you had me laughing at your response.....I appreciate it very much! For those of you who felt the need to resort to name calling and nastyness, you said some very hurtful things and I feel sorry for you. I'm now going to go out to lunch with a group of friends from work.....and I WILL order something! Margy
  17. Wow...I had not read every single response until now. I'm amazed at how so many of you are assuming that I said something rude to my in-laws and how mean-spirited your responses are. And calling me a "royal controlling bitch"? Was that really called for? Wow. I said nothing rude to anyone. I simply said I'll have an iced tea when the server asked for my order. And as I said in my post just before this one, we were NOT guests of our in-laws. I'll certainly think twice before posting here again......some of your comments were very hurtful and were completely based on your own speculation without knowing all of the facts. Thank you to those of you who rose to my defense! And I do know how to spell Tucson......forgive me for a typo. Margy
  18. I appreciate everyone's opinions...and I am trying to take them as opinions, not petty criticisms. In my original posting, I didn't give all of the details of the situation in interest of keeping the posting short, but in retrospect that was obviously a mistake. My husband and I are the ones who paid for the lunch...we were not guests of our in-laws. We hadn't planned on going out for a meal, but as we were driving by the restaurant at 3 PM (after eating a very late breakfast at 11:30), my father-in-law suggested stopping to have a "cup of soup". That was fine....but by the time the ordering was finished, all 3 of them (FIL, MIL and husband) ordered full meals. However, now after reading all of your comments, I agree I should have ordered something, if perhaps only some toast. I'll definately do that next time. Margy
  19. I'm interested in the opinions of the board. I was visiting my in-laws with my husband and the 4 of us went out to lunch at an "Arizona Family Restaurant" in a senior community south of Tuscon. The menu consisted of very standard sandwiches, breakfast all day, hamburgers and a few salads. As I've gotten older and more "into" food, I've found that I have become more selective as to what foods I will or will not eat. There wasn't anything on the menu that appealed to me....I really did try to find something! I did ask if I could order 1/2 of a cobb salad (although the picture did NOT look appetizing) and was told no. So....I chose not to order anything. My mother-in-law made it pretty clear that my not ordering anything was not acceptable and that there were "plenty of things" to choose from on the menu. So was I wrong? When you're with a group at a restaurant that doesn't have food choices you like, do you order something you don't want just to be polite? Thanks, Margy
  20. One of my favorite quick vegetarian Indian recipes is Saag Paneer....basically spinach with cheese. I saute a chopped onion until soft in some ghee and then add garam masala, chopped garlic, pureed ginger and fennel seeds. The fennel seeds aren't in the original recipe I had, but I love them! I then add about 1/2 cup of buttermilk and 1/2 cup of 1/2 & 1/2. Add a package of thawed and drained chopped spinach, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. At the end I add some really good whole milk yogurt from the local Indian grocery (maybe 3/4 cup) and about a cup of cubed paneer. It's very quick and easy.....if you like a bit of heat, then add some finely chopped red chile pepper to taste when you add in the garlic. This obviously won't work for vegans, but you could probably substitute silken tofu for the yogurt, soy milk for the buttermilk and cubed extra firm tofu for the paneer. And no ghee of course. margy
  21. What is your opinion of the Kenmore Pro Series of appliances that are featured on the Top Chef show on Bravo? I'm in the very early planning stage of a major kitchen remodel and am trying to get an idea of what appliances to get. From what I've seen, the 36" gas stove top looks like it would be good, as does the double oven, fridge etc. Thanks in advance for anything you can share about your opinion and/or experiences with these kitchen appliances. margy
  22. I am in awe of what you all have to go through to live in that climate! I had no idea. My husband lived in Winnipeg as a teen and I've seen the family pictures with the snow drifts up to the roof line, but that bitter cold is just so hard for me to imagine from here in Northern California. I won't complain one bit about being chilly today when it's 63! Thanks so much for sharing the beautiful breads and soups. I can't wait to see what you do with the dessert bread! Margy
  23. MargyB

    Indoor Smoking

    Hi Daniel! Of course....I buy the large piece of Havarti at Costco and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces....I would say they are probably 1/2 lb each. You don't want the piece to be too small or you will have a puddle of cheese at the bottom of the smoker! I usually use hickory chips...about 2 Tablespoons at the bottom of the smoker. As soon as the chips start smoking, I turn the heat down to the lowest temp (I have a standard gas stove cooktop) and close the lid tightly. I probably smoke it for about 15 minutes, but you'll want to check it about every 5 minutes. The edges of the cheese will start to get soft...which is fine, I usually cut off the edges anyways so I can taste the cheese to make sure it's edible The cheese will start to get a bit of color also....I guess my basic rule is to leave it in the smoker as long as possible without melting. I use a pancake flipper to remove the cheese from the grate and then chill it until firm. The cheddar can usually go a bit longer than the Havarti....the Havarti seems to melt at a lower temp. Good luck! margy
  24. MargyB

    Indoor Smoking

    I use my smoker at least once a week. My favorite thing to smoke is cheese. The one that seems to come out the best is Havarti. It is delicious! Sharp cheddar is also very good. I've also smoked trout that came out great. Another favorite is tofu...I marinate it in soy and maple syrup, smoke it for about 15 minutes and then bake it in the oven for about another 20 minutes. It's fabulous both hot and cold. Margy
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