MissMegan

Darren72 - You're right! The directions are indeed a bit off. I'm glad that you thought so too, I was convinced it was me. I wound up doing the boil 5 times / wait 8 hrs thing only four times in total, rather than five - I had places to be! And the bit about starting the rhubarb the same day as the strawberry mixture, after reading it a few times I thought maybe they meant when we start doing the boil/wait dance. Otherwise, it makes absolutely no sense. At best, it's just poorly worded. I think I cooked mine a bit long, as it set a little more than I had intended. It's spreadable, but needs a wee bit of encouragement to do so. Full disclosure: I have actually *never* used a water bath - though recently purchased one at a garage sale for a full $3. I've only canned jams, jellies, and antipasto. Why, when I've never had issues with jars sealing, would I want to use one? I sterilize the jars and equipment before using anything, and my understanding is that the water bath is used to sterilize...is this the case? I've always wondered...

Thanks for the help, everyone! I've wasted no time digging into the jam, and it is quite decadent. There was no mold on the one I opened, but will check the others - good point, Mkayahara Will probably go back to sealing the way I had been before, but good to know that three days of working over a hot stove isn't going to go down the drain (literally)! And my rhubarb source (who provides on the understanding that he gets some of whatever I make) will no doubt be just as happy...which means in 3 weeks when his plants have grown back, I get a crack at take 2 of the jam. Think it will be her rhubarb, honey, and rosemary one this time...

I bought Christine Ferber's Mes Confitures over the winter, and have finally gotten the chance to start using it! I started with her (3-day) Rhubarb and Whole Strawberry jam Now, when I read her instructions at the beginning of the book, she said that when she preserves, after filling and lidding the jars, she sets them upside down while they cool. I have always preserved with jars upright, but though I'd give it a whirl since if anyone is going to know how to do this stuff right, I assume that it is her! So I did. But now I'm worried about whether the jars sealed ... I *think* they did, but thought I would double-check whether my thought process is accurate... 1- I didn't hear the jars "pop" when they sealed - but, given that the jam is directly on top of the lid, it probably wasn't able to make the popping noise? 2- The lids don't "bounce" when I push on them (as an unsealed lid does) - the top does not move at all when I push on it (I take this as a "yes, it's sealed" sign) 3- I can't pull the lids off by hand when I try (again, a "yes, it's sealed" sign?) 4- When I opened one of the the jars as a test, it didn't pop when I got the top off. Now, granted, the jam is still stuck to the top of the lid (there's airspace at the bottom of the jar and I can't make the jam fall down there! ) but I wonder whether that means it in fact hasn't sealed? There was also a bit of jam on the seal itself, which was most definitely not there when I put the jam in there. So, has anyone done the jars-upside-down preserving? Do your sealed jars turn out like mine did? Think I can eat this stuff without worrying about botulism? Thanks for your help!

Thank you! This does indeed help. I've booked Spago for Saturday night (tasting menu??), and am hoping for at least one deli lunch while I'm there. So much to eat, so little time *sigh* I'm also printing this out, printing a map, and writing notes from this all over it. With a place like LA, a girl needs to be prepared! If any other strokes of genius happen, please let me know! I've got no problem walking significant distances and getting a taxi is certainly always an option...

Hi all - I'm going to be in LA for 3 nights, staying by Beverly Dr / W Pico Blvd. I'm traveling alone and without a vehicle, but am a good walker, will eat anything except hamburgers(!), love seafood (although living in Vancouver get pretty spoiled here) and am looking for recommendations for: 1 - One "nice" meal: perusing the boards, am leaning towards either Spago or Water Grill. Any thoughts (or other suggestions)? Are they about the same $$- and experience-wise? (Not to suggest they would be the same experience, but in terms of level of service, etc.) I have no interest whatsoever in any celebrity spotting, though do understand it may be unavoidable at Spago, at least. 2- Any other rec.s for food or food-related places? I'm up for everything from hot dog stands, bakeries, coffee shops, hole-in-the-wall sushi places, to the above-mentioned Spago/Water Grill. If there are good places to pick something up for the next day's breakfast or lunch (trying to avoid the aforementioned hospital food if at all possible), that would be a *huge* bonus. Also, I'll only have one afternoon/evening and then two evenings (after 4:30pm) when I can go anywhere, so nice breakfast spots (unless they open EARLY early on Sunday morning) are out... Thanks *so* much for any guidance! It's a last-minute trip and I'm at a total loss as far as what to do on "off" time, but want to make the most of the experience, food-wise, as possible.

WiscoNole - there is a link to the gnocchi itself in the ingredients part of the mushrooms recipe, about two-thirds of the way down that list. Or, I've posted it here And now I can add one more variation of gnocchi to the list of ones to make ...

Does anyone know what the difference is between the special "takoyaki flour" and just regular flour? Are there any major differences in the final product? I just got a takoyaki pan and am going to be making them for the first time (and about 10 people!) this weekend. Will also be putting ebi in some because I'm not sure how adventurous everyone is. In that event, I'm assuming I should cook the ebi first?

Panda - if you can read Japanese, there is a recipe for takoyaki included with the pan - of course, I've no idea how good it is although all the recipes I've seen seem to be pretty similar. If you go to the Japan forum and search Takoyaki, the thread The Takoyaki Topic comes up. No idea how to make links in here yet (I will learn!) but one of the recipes that was included is here: http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/dailyjc/ref/tako/tako.html Now I'm off to T & T for the ingredients. So far I've got beni shoga ... it's a start, right?

Mission Accomplished! Am now the proud owner of a takoyaki pan. As per Panda's suggestion, I went to Konbiniya on Robson and yes, price was $39.99. Thanks for all your help! Now I guess I better figure out how to make these suckers ... and who to rope in for testing purposes . . .

Panda - thanks! I will head down there today and hope it is still there!! Hiroyuki - yes, I have been looking into those as well! (Great minds think alike). The only problem that I found with them was that the aebelskiver pans had bigger depressions in them - I think about 2 1/4 inches across whereas the takoyaki ones are usually smaller? Whichever I get, though, I do plan on making both - further reflection leads me to think it might be a love of all things round and edible that is guiding this search!

I *love* takoyaki and I want to make it at home. Have been looking for a pan for ages and I canNOT seem to find one. I searched Richmond today in earnest but alas, to no avail. Does anyone know where I can find one of these (or have one they want to sell me ) ? Friends tell me it is possible to find them here, but the places I was directed to (and looked at today) didn't carry them. I was at Aberdeen Centre and at YaoHan. I don't care if it's a stovetop cast-iron beast or an electric one - just something that makes those little balls of heaven! Thanks for your help!

We have a wonderful neighbour who has chickens. He very kindly brings my parents eggs ... a lot of eggs. And they really seem to only get used when I'm visiting from the city for a weekend here and there. Home for the holidays, what do I find in the fridge but 6 dozen eggs. So, I need to find something to do with all of said eggs. Preferably making them into things that I can freeze so that my parents don't have to cook too much while I'm away. (I like to cook, they decidedly do *not* - no wonder they like me coming home so much!) To throw a wrench into it all, my father doesn't really *like* eggs (the taste) apart from in omelettes. I will make a quiche and an angel food cake, but after that I'm out of ideas. Please, if you have *any* ideas at all for things I can make that will use up this egg windfall, I would be most grateful! Thank you!

I made a huge batch of cider-poached pears (nashi - the so-called "apple-pears") but had to go away for a weekend and couldn't finish them in time. So I sliced them up and froze them and some of the poaching liquid into one big block. (If I'd had more time I would have IQF'ed them but such is life). My question is, now that they are a big pear-block, does anyone have any ideas as to what I can do with them? I had thought of defrosting them, draining off the poaching liquid, and then using them in place of apples in a coffee cake. I have no idea what sort of texture I'm going to get from them when they are defrosted, either. They were still firm to the touch when I froze them. Any ideas? Thanks!

I second the Tom Douglas recipe - made it (again) last week and it's fabulous! I only use about half the whipped cream, however (it means I can eat a bigger piece). It sounds as though it might be the kind of filling you're after, too - more dense.

I have just returned from a trip to Richmond and Aberdeen Centre and YES, Beard Papa is most definetly OPEN. They just have their regular cream puffs right now, but it looks as though the other flavours (matcha, chocolate, earl grey, etc) will all be Coming Soon, as well as their cheesecake sticks, chocolate lava cakes, and eclairs. Mmmm, heaven! The cream puffs. incidentally, were divine! Just as I remembered them from Japan - excellent. Although they do have a 2-dozen / person limit on them at the moment. If anyone does figure out the trick to that crispy puffy shell goodness (their literature says it's "choux pastry on the inside, pie crust on the outside") I would be *very* interested in hearing it!