Heidi the Pilgrim
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Posts posted by Heidi the Pilgrim
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It's been a long time since I was here...life and all. Yes, this is a burning question, for the simple reason that I am sick, with the bubonic plague or something, and I am going to my freezer for my favorite remedy, hot and sour soup from my local Chinese restaurant. With the last batch I defrosted, I noticed it was chunky when reheated, it never did break down and smooth out which I attribute to the arrowroot probably used to thicken it. I did search and found many articles on arrowroot as a thickener but nothing about reheating it.
Is there anything I can do to smooth this soup out again, or will I have to suffer with the somewhat rough texture in favor of it's medicinal properties (which are fantastic and should be documented...)? If they delivered I'd order it fresh...but....
Thanks for any help...*coughcough*
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I planted 14 different kinds of tomatoes this year, most of them small pear and cherry, so I was overrun as well. Thankfully they've slowed a bit but when they were at their peak, I actually made and canned salsa, which tastes pretty darn good. Follow a proven canning recipe to make sure you get the right acidity.
I also made Martha Stewart's Tomato Cobbler, not having gruyere I used cheddar in the pate brise recipe - it was to die for, it's one of my late summer favorites.
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My first thought when I heard the report was "Oh no, not again with something that causes cancer", and when I heard what it was I said to myself, 'well they should quit injecting it with all sorts of crap and hormones".
I think, as it always does, it boils down to "moderation". If you eat fatty red meat four or five days a week, you've probably got bigger problems than a risk of cancer, you've probably got a weight problem, high cholesterol and heart disease too. So what else were these women eating? Were they eating plenty of fiber, lots of fresh veg? Or is it one lopsided "finding" that really doesn't mean anything to most normal people with a healthy diet?
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What great recipes in this thread. I always thought the next time I need to bake something for a bake sale, I'd make Ina Garten's coconut cupcakes. I made them for a baby shower once and they were the hit of the day, they're absolutely beautiful to look at and they taste fantastic. You could bake them in silver foil muffin cups for some fancy flash, and put them in individual cello bags (get them at party stores, themed if you want). Tie them with ribbon or sparkly silver twist ties- pretty and they won't get crushed if you transport them in a tray.
Recipe is here:Ina Garten's coconut cupcakes
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Oh Lord..I hadn't even thought of that...we were worried about her smoking in bed. We are trying to get her out...actually, we are kind of hoping she will die, but people like that don't, you know. They live for years torturing everyone around them.
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I quit on January 27....the day I walked out of the most stressful job I have ever had, and also the day that a woman with emphysema moved in downstairs from me. All day, every day, all we hear is her hacking choking puking cough. Starts at 6 am and goes on all day until at least midnight. All she does is sit on the balconey, hack up her lungs and bitch to her partner about how bad her health is and how crappy she feels and why the hell did you put out that smoke? I wasn't finished with that *puff* *puff* *chokechokechoke*. It's disgusting. The stench of a hundred cigarettes a day wafting by the windows and the sounds of wretching are enough to turn anyone rabidly anti-tabacco. We can't even eat a meal on the deck or enjoy a glass of wine because of the smell and the sound. I can't believe this stupid cow has actually destroyed our enjoyment of our home to the point where we are trying to unload it and move away. The last three people that came to look at it heard her and just walked out the door. It's like a freaking nightmare. Smoking has completely destroyed our summer - and we don't even smoke anymore!!!
Heaven help you if she's on oxygen and is still smoking....I've seen people nearly burn themselves to death by smoking while on oxygen. Hello...those warnings on the bottle???? I don't suppose you have any recourse with getting her to leave?
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Heidi, I completely forgot about my things. Have you tried those? They do work. I used them for years and then just rediscovered them during a garage clean-out project!
Nope, haven't tried those, our weather can be so dodgy in the spring that I don't bother to plant anything early (except peas and sweet peas), I start all my tomatoes myself and I would be seriously cheesed off if they got whacked in an early frost. I think they take up too much space for my little postage stamp - I use the spiral tomato stakes about a foot apart, I think I crammed 14 of them in this year, with a couple of small cages for the pear tomatoes.
ETA...Green Zebras are ripe today - so sweet.....
To change topics, but garden related, thoughts on best ways to compost?My landlords had a three-bin composter, they'd turn it every year, and what they got out of it was nice but it was not enough to be bothered with the turning. IMO they never 'fed' it or watered it properly so they didn't get out of it what they could have. Now we just grow tomatoes in it, they self sow there anyway and they're the nicest ones on the property. I do miss the compost though, hate having fruit waste in my house because of the fruit flies!
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THe downward facing "branches" will never produce anything. At this point, I pinch off any new blossoms, but anything that has set a tomato (however small) stays. It is just important to allow the plant at this point to put it's energy into getting those tomatoes to the edible stage rather than working on the green stuff.
Most of mine are producing like crazy, the ones I worry about are the "Striped German" heirlooms, the few I have are just barely half the size they need to be and still dead green, they're really just starting to bloom now - is that late or what?
Next year, I'm going a new route with my tomatoes -- one my father did for many years. I'll stop at the tire store and take a mess of junk tires off their hands. Stack them two high, fill the rim with peat moss and the middle with dirt and compost and plant the tomatoes there. The big advantage of that in this place of the late spring is that the tires get nice and warm on a sunny day -- so the dirt is warmer, and they stay warmer at night (tomatoes don't like cool evenings). It always gave my dad a head start. And, with the peat in the rim, if I'm going to be gone for a few days, just soak the peat in the rim and it will leach out into the dirt and roots over the next few days. The season is short here, and we don't get the plants in until Memorial Day weekend.Big advantage of your tire method is also that you can plant them plenty deep for a better head start. I don't have room for tires, though! I tried something new this year, the red mulch that's supposed to heat the soil and increase production. My tomatoes are better than they have ever been, so I will probably do that again. I don't dare plant anything out here till Memorial Day weekend, but I put the mulch down a week or two before, by then the soil was good and warm and I planted them all with a bulb planter so they went in fairly deep. Even with all the horrible cold rain we had, they survived and thrived.
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I have a few of those type of tomato plants, but I'm pretty sure they were called cherry tomatoes. And yeah they're amazingly good - almost like candy. Mmm mmm...
Currants are about half the size or smaller than cherry tomatoes. I somehow got some orange currant seeds this year - they were supposed to be Sungold, and all the other Sungolds are of normal size, but one plant is tiny currant-size orange tomatoes - delicious nonetheless though!
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Time for those of us in Zone 4 (probably Zone 5, too, and of course anyone north of Zone 4) to start trimming your tomato plants. Pinch the new blossoms, and trim all foliage that's pointing downwards to give every tomato we've got a chance to ripen. Let those plants work on ripening, not growing!
What excellent advice - what is the significance of downward pointing foliage? I usually trim off some extra leaves to thin things out a bit and let the sun in, but I don't know what downward pointing foliage means. I think we may have a few more weeks of ripening here Zone 5, with any luck they'll keep going right until the end of September, but that first frost can come at any time. It's New England, after all....
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Specialty Bottle also has these tins, which I like much better because they're square, not round little space-wasters:
I've been looking for a solution too, I have a cascade of plastic bags everytime I open the cabinet. I like the tin boxes with the watch cases but the square ones really appeal to me. .68 and .88 a piece, not bad.
ETA....Yeah, what JohnL said...
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An update on the home Cuisinart model. I made pistachio ice cream using a custard base, and it froze beautifully this time. Tastes divine, despite the fact that I effed up the nuts totally, I ended up shelling my own while the ice cream was freezing and it worked out fine. Not sure what the difference was, whether it was yogurt that didn't work or the canister wasn't frozen enough, but this time I was pleased.
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With those units that have a canister you must chill first, here are my tips. Make sure the liquid has had at least 6 hours in the fridge to chill. Make sure the bowl has had at least 24 hours in the coldest part of your freezers. Yes, 24 hours. In addition, I chill the liquid in the freezer in 15 minute increments to get it close to the freezing point, stirring it each 15 minute interval.
It also helps to put your freezer on its coldest setting for those 24 hours.
Alrighty then thanks for the tips - my bowl has been in the freezer for a week, but I just turned the freezer up anyway. I just made a custard base for pistachio, with eggs, (now you tell me, down there!) and it's going to be in the fridge for about 12 hours. I have to say, the base is smooth and delicious, with a hint of almond extract. Can't wait to see if this batch turns out any better.
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I'm not registered with NYT but I wonder if we are talking about the same thing. My Cuisinart is like the Krups: a double walled aluminum canister with some sort of slushy liquid between the walls; the whole container has to be well frozen before use.
That's the Cuisinart I have - and I just found the review on line, the one they used was a "Professional" model, not the common home one that I bought. Dern.
I rarely use it, as it has minimal freezing power.If the recipe fails this weekend, the Cuisinart is going back.
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In this weeks Dining section in the NYT, ice cream makers with self-contained freezer units were reviewed here. I'm looking to get away from my Krups freeze-the-container-first maker and move on to something like this, and the article (and current fruit season) has inspired me.
Can anyone comment on these or others?
The ideal machine would be easy to clean, quiet and...I'm not sure what else. Can you control the amount of overrun in these? That would be a plus.
I can't get to the reviews because I'm not registered, but I bought a Cuisinart last week and made my first batch of frozen yogurt last weekend. It was not from their recipe book, that needs to be said - if it makes a difference, I don't know, but the stuff would not freeze. It got to the point where there were a few ice crystals but then it went the other way as the container started to defrost. I put it in the freezer and it did get harder, but it was not at all what I expected. I'm going to try again this weekend with their recipe, using real cream and milk and see if that makes a difference. I expected more of a slushy firmer consistency, what I got was quite liquid. What does the article say about Cuisinart, which was the only model to be had at Bed & Bath?
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The rest of the world bans GM food?!? Huh? From what I've found, most countries don't, some requiring labeling, and the EU had a temporary ban.
Europeans are pretty opposed to GM food, most countries have voted to keep bans in place. The EU was bullied into accepting GM food or being accused of violating trade agreements with the US - safety be damned. http://www.foeeurope.org/ban_risky_gm_food/index.php
This is from 2001, but many may still be in place:
Bans and Restrictions on GM food
It also appears that many US companies have done studies on GM foods, so that assertion of yours also appears false.
Unless you have links to said studies, I'll go by this article, which states that GM food is not routinely tested, and studies that have been done and found problems were hushed or designed not to find problems.:
Myth 1: The FDA has thoroughly evaluated GM foods and found them safe. This is untrue.
Myth 2: These foods have been extensively tested for safety. Untrue.
The usual gang of "the-sky-is-falling" appears to be behind the opposition to GM food. By and large, GM food technology will be beneficial - no technological advancement is without peril.The "opposition", as you call it, wants to be informed about what they eat, and refused to be led down the garden path by the FDA, not heretofore known for their good judgment and acting in our best interest. It's a free country, you can eat whatever you want and so can I, I just want to know what I'm eating instead of being bullied by an incompetent federal agency.
I guess you're opposed to irradiated food as well?I think it should be labeled, for a start. It has not been shown to be foolproof, and isn't getting to the source of the problem, which is poor hygiene and sanitation in the preparation of it. IMO, I think it's unnecessary if you handle and cook food properly.
And that's it from me on this subject, I'm not going to hijack someone else's thread on organic milk.
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Oh, those are gorgeous. (I forgot all about my purple Romano beans, dang it!)
I love the striped ones- how are they holding up as Romas? All my Tigerellas/Mr Stripeys struggle with virus issues. The white ones are coolness, too- a pizza bianca with them is just pazzo, eh? Too much.
These beans are royal burgundy - what variety of purple Romanos did you grow? I grew yellow Marvel of Venice pole beans, they're ok, but I'd be willing to try something else.
The striped ones are fab, but I haven't had enough to make anything with, so I've just been eating them in sandwiches. They came from Territorial Seed, I believe. I just learned about the white ones this year, and I'm dying to try them - do you have cherries or big ones?
Truth be told, my fascination with different colors of cherries stem from Martha Stewart's recipe for Tomato Cobbler - it looks so fantastic with different colors in it that I wanted one of everything. So far, not disappointed.
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It's all "genetically-modified", just some of it by farmers over the last 30,000 years, and other by Monsanto last year. Heck, all farmed food-stuffs and domesticated animals have been genetically-modified by man...
Selective breeding is not the same as genetically spliced.
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The levels of rBGH and IGF-1 in milk aren't normal levels, for anyone or anyTHING, and it's genetically modified besides. You have to wonder how much Monsanto is paying off in campaign contributions to not be required to do human studies on the effects of ingesting this crap. I had enough 'hormone' issues to not touch regular milk, ever, I'll happily pay more for organic....of course for my organic cereal with organic fruit, and Newman's oreos....
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I was told it's not illegal to ship. I called the US postal service one day and asked. I believe it was an 800 number and after much debate and flipping through books on their part, I was told that I could ship vodka from Oregon to Oklahoma. And I did. I never did get an answer on shipping durian though.
Well that's interesting - I first tried a Postal USA place, and they said it was "illegal". Then I got on UPS and it said they ship only beer and wine, and from "approved shippers". I could probably do Fedex, but it's about $30, for a bottle of homemade hooch, that's crazy. I thought the PO considered alcohol "flammable", and therefore not shipable, in fact there are signs inside the PO with pictures of what not to ship. Now this:
says it's not prohobited. What does this mean, 'N' means it's not allowed, or no restrictions? Now this says 'not mailable'
I like your answer better, but it seems like it depends on who you talk to.
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I've not had luck with Cherokee or Pruden's Purple in years of growing, but Black Krim has been reliable for me in the humid South.
I agree, most homegrown hybrids are fully as delicious as their 'heirloom' counterparts, but 'Black Krim' is well worth the trouble.
I am 800 miles from my tomato crop.
Not to mention the red sweet corn & fresh eggs (I am having to make Royal Icing with store eggs, bleah 
I don't even want to discuss the salad.). Nice vacation timing. (However, I do have a lovely rum selection 
.)Maybe this will cheer you up, Susey. I just picked (and picked and picked) tomatoes and beans. There's a Striped Roman, Wonderlight, orange cherry, supersweets, black pearl, yellow and red pears and 4th of July, and my purple beans as well. The colors just kill me.
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I just read on another site that she was offered a contract at Terra Rossa (Rosa?) but has yet to accept it. Who knows, odd that everyone is so silent about it, eh?
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Hey Heidi -- just curious, where have you worked? Are you hot?
NASA.....*sizzle sizzle*
Me? I would have picked the best possible three, then sent them somewhere else. I'd rather crash and burn alone than deal with that bunch of nitwits.Here's what I expected - I expected them to pick their teams and then have Ramsay switch them so they'd end up being challenged by a team they didn't want but had to work with - I was soooo disappointed when he didn't.
Reheating/Resurrecting Arrowroot thickened soup
in Cooking
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Unfortunately that didn't work, I just ended up with thinner, 'chunky jelly' soup.