lennyk

A coffee grinder is the way to go with regards to getting a nice fine powder. It will grind fairly quickly only thing is coffee grinders work better when using small batches. I started with M.Lucia's recipe http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=24767&st=120# But cut it down to 2 egg since I am still experimenting. It appears most recipes for the almond/sugar mix use equal proportions but I find it a little sweet so I am reducing a little. I also suspect that voids inside result from not enough almond powder since the egg whites are basically just air. Drying seems to help a lot with the foot, I used a hair dryer for a few mins to kick it off and let them rest for 20 minutes near a fan. I also suspect that having a shelf below with an empty pan helps keep the heat even and avoid cracking.

Finally got them right after 4 tries. Thanks for all the great advice here.

hi Guys, I tried making macaroons but they came out flat and with not foot, I suspect my folding in the beaten egg whites with the remainder of ingredients may have been too much. When one folds ingredients into beaten egg whites should the folding be as gentle as possible ? Is it more risky to fold too much and cause the egg whites to end up flat and not result in raising ? Thanks, L

did something similar to RosalindD's recipe from another thread. stuffed pork tenderloin with mushrooms sauted with garlic, basil, onions, chives and some red wine vinegar. browned on pan then in oven, made a sauce by deglazing the pan with some red wine and added some more mushrooms, chives, butter and flour to thicken it up.

Here in Trinidad we call them pastelles, usually made with cornmeal/masa and filled with a ground beef/pork mix with raisins, capers, olives and lots of thyme, parsley, garlic etc wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. My Mom incidentally made her Xmas batch today: Rolled into balls beforehand Into the press Pressed Filling Steamer Finished

yeah, finding quality thick belly is hit and miss here

first attempt at bacon dried it with a fan in the weber smokey mountain cooker sliced MMMmmmmmmmm

I did the lamb shanks with curry, came out pretty good, my lamb shanks were cut in sections so was able to suck out the marrow too.

good advice above, the bottom line is no 2 briskets are alike and you should test for doneness with a fork or ice pick once your temps are getting close. smoking a brisket to perfection from tough meat to tender flavour and texture is truly a magical process.

try a mix of a little vinegar or lemon juice with carrots, bitter gourd, onions, chiles, cucumber all chopped up kinda like a Korean Kim Chee pickle mix

well here in Trinidad, shark is very popular as well as the rest of the Caribbean. But it is normally fried or cooked in small slices/pieces this way the seasoning and frying covers up any funky smells

sharks supposedly have a slightly different kidney system, they keep urine in their blood, hence the strong smell especially in the big ones

Pastelles are a traditional item usually made at Xmas time here in Trinidad. The basic construction is a seasoned filling of minced beef, pork or chicken enclosed in cornmeal and then wrapped in banana/fig leaves and then boiled/steamed. The leaves impart a slight flavour. Making them requires a little technique and a pastelle press which flattens the balls of cornmeal evenly so that the filling can be wrapped. See below for a typical Trinidad pastelle recipe Pastelle recipe

this could have been an egg layer bird, these are usually older at least a year or more, hence much more tougher than the regular chickens grown for eating which live an accelerated life eating 24hours.

I am also a satisfied Magnum user, I bought it after spending too much time grinding for brisket/rib rubs