zoe b

good news--I'm gonna go throw em on the stove now. And gumbo sounds strangely interesting, too.... yes, it's sad, but you feel funny beating up your mom to get the turkey bones, don't you? Z

Being a frugal cook who must use every speck of food up, it kills me to ditch a carcass--but I'm wondering if the stock would take on unpleasant flavors--I've gotten rid of all the skin, which holds the most smokiness. Obviously, the stock could only be used for certain things--but I'm imagining cooking beans in it, or making some kind of peasant soup. Anyone have advice? Zoe

so that's what that is--I see that thing all the time--not with such a nice handle, though--does it work? I could use a proper cutter for angel food--we tend to start just ripping chunks off because a serrated knife doesn't really do a very good job. yeah, you have to go often--and it's better to not have anything in mind--because you'll never see it if you are lookin for it!

I will have to try this--it ssounds interesting--I would guess that Trader Joes has it, don't you think? I just put my yogurt to bed in the oven for the night--I did the standard things that everyone's been doing--Brought a gallon of 2% to 180, mixed 1/4 cup of powdered milk in, cooled to 110, added 1/4 cup of plain yogurt--I transferred it to a large storage container--6 qt size--it's not designed for food so I'm just using it this 1x--will thrift some food safe rectangular containers . placed some boiled water underneath it to keep things at the correct temp. by the way, I made lavender syrup --2:1 sugar:water and couldn't resist testing it over the store yogurt--it is so good--it mellows the sourness of the yogurt perfectly. I'm buzzing with ideas for syrups--thinking of a very strong green tea for the syrup with ginger--or an Earl Grey type--using black tea and bergamot.

well, I'm dead, now! Sounds like so much fun. The hub here tolerates my thrifting--but does not tolerate the Zen experience you describe--beautifully put, by the way--he's a go in and get out fast shopper. So when we are travelling I get to stop at 1/2 of the thrifts I'd like to stop at--and he generally drops me off and comes back, unless he's short of reading material, and then he will have a fast browse around the book section. Does anyone here sell on ebay? I do, I confess--it's a way to keep my collecting under control--do need room to walk in the house, apparently... and I love that art pitcher, andiesenji--I love pottery but know more about American pottery than the European stuff--it was a super find. jan asked "By the way, can Magnalite be used over a flame on the stovetop, like if I wanted to brown something in it then put it in the oven?" my pan is the anodised (dark) aluminum on the bottom and seems fine used on the stove--the older shiny everywhere ML would be fine, too, I think--it's so sturdy, it would be impossible to damage it--even if it got blackened you could soak and scrub it, I'm sure. Zoe

ooh, sounds delish--do you buy this syrup or make it? I buy the boxes of mango and guava nectar to make drinks with--I wonder if they would work to flavor simple syrup???

Rachel said DOUBLE AMEN, SISTER--it's great to find soul mates here I think it was $8--and I just heard from a thrifting list I'm on that Magna-Lite is going out of biz--so we must rescue and cherish M-L when we can my preferred tipple of iced tea has mint in it, but otherwise--I so agree! They sound fab--why is it that glass dessert plaes are so lovely? I wouldn't like them for the main course, but they are charming for dessert. I'm curious--when you say "we" does that mean there's a significant other of the opposite sex involved in your thrifting? If so, I will die of jealousy right this minute. Zoe

about the marbling --or lack of it--in grass fed beef--I just bought an Australian grass fed whole filet at Shop Rite last week--I was dubious because when we cut steaks there was no marbling at all to be seen, but the filets were tender as can be. I thought this was delicious--had more flavor and was less mushy than most filets.

about the manual--unfortunately I have an extremely slow connection--so downloading that manual was taking too long --I had to resort to trying to Google some quick info --as the hub had already plugged the thing in and thrown on the wood. now, with more time, I can get a look at the manual. I did see something about the electric smoker being designed to cook at 250 so that's why there's no thermometer--that makes sense. and Darren, that's good to know that chunks work for you--since that's what we have. Once I get a look at the manual I want to smoke a duck--I did one years ago and I thought it was the best duck I'd ever made. thanks for all the advice--this site is an amazing resource!

ok--so the dinner guests just left--and the chicken was delicious--I rubbed it with a vaguely asian mixture --olive oil, sesame oil, 5 spice powder, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, mustard. the smoking waS HAPHAZARD as a breaker blew out, who knows why, when I read accounts of rational processes it never applies to what is happening at my house--I took it off the smoker at 170--I was afraid of it getting too dried out, but it could have stayed on for another 1/2 hour or so--the bad part of the story is that we were doing 2 chickens and they were up against each other--and the squished up parts were NOT done--so i'll have to roast them tomorrow. But it was a good dinner--chicken, and sesame noodles with bean sprouts and red pepper and cukes and radish and carrot, and a foccacio bread that I make often, and apple and rhubarb crisp for dessert.

just realized you wanted a diagram from me http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.j...oductId=1287362 that's a pic of the smoker--grill on top for meat then on the bottom is the electric unit with a rack for water over it. cajungirl said-- Smoking is long and slow (like so many enjoyable things). dang--I think I'm just getting a quickie, today....

oh, good, am eager to hear his advice. we're just smoking them til they're done--this kind of smoker (even sans bonfire) seems to be too hot to really smoke something--you get more of a hybrid result-- although this could be because we aren't using it properly--the hub just said maybe you are supposed to turn it off for awhile--it doesn't have a thermometer which makes it difficult to work with it.

well, the chips are moist as it's raining here and they've been sitting outside--but there were an awful lot of them-- I did show your post to the hub, Chris--so he is grudgingly letting the blaze die down. thanks! will report back later. Zoe

thanks for all the input here--I'm just about to start making yogurt again. as for the sweetening--for those of you who like it sweetened, how do you do so? I don't like chunks of fruit in my yogurt so jam isn't an option--I like lemon or vanilla or coffee--I used to have some recipes for making a syrup to mix in--I think it was from the NYT--but can't find it--does anyone do this? Zoe

it's not an emergency in the sense of where is the fire extinguisher--more along the lines of spousal disagreement--advice needed. and i've neen searching for advice--here and on the web without luck--the smoker didn't come with directions, being a hand me down. someone gave us an electric smoker a while ago--we never wanted to use it--we live in the woods for gosh sakes--it's not like there's a shortage of fuel here--but we did crank it up over the weekend and cooked a bottom round roast. I know you aren't supposed to smoke them--but it's what i had in the freezer--and it actually was delicious--nothing like a brisket--it was lean and yummy--I did a spicy rub --it was like pastrami, actually--made wonderful sandwiches and a fabulous hash last night. but it cooked too fast--I think the problem was that there's both the electric source and my hub--he thinks the only fire is a big fire--and see above for no wood shortage--so he actually had a fire going of the wood over the electric---I think you're just supposed to have some chunks that are smoking--not an actual bonfire. we're smoking two chickens right now--having some people over tonight--and could use some input here--thanks! Zoe

yeah--that brings up escargot--I think I still have the little dishes for them and the shell holders. Rumaki, yes, delicious--I did a 50s party a few years ago and served rumaki, vichyssoise, caesar salad, and a big chocolate cake for dessert--everyone loved the food--yes, I know, caesar salad is everywhere, but I made a "real" one--I think the recipe was from Joy of Cooking. Another retro pleasure is iceberg lettuce--it is so crispy--a nice wedge of this with a buttermilk dressing. Another salad--this just reminded me--my mother made spinach salad with a warm sweet and sour bacon dressing--I have to find out how she made that.

My mom lives in Houston now and I just discovered the Blue Bell teeny little ice cream sandwiches. Thank gawd I can't get them in NJ or I'd be too big to get through the door--these are the Ur ice cream sandwich--creamy, silky ice cream and crisp little chocolatey wafers. Zoe

I've been baking bread for a lot of years and my cookbooks are the old faithfuls already mentioned here--Beard on Bread, Elizabeth David, Bernard Clayton; I used to make a great Cuban bread from The NYT Cookbook. I read all the newer books--but i get them from the library because my goal is to simplify--I've gotten rid of most of my cookbooks in the past year or so--and the only one i was inspired to buy--and this may reveal that I'm a lightweight--is Beth Hensperger's Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook. I love having homemade bread, but if t takes 3 days of work I'm only going to make it occasionally. Hensperger's biga recipes enable me to start a bread around lunchtime and finish it before dinner in the oven--and with at the most 15 minutes of work--they are stupendous, too--with crisp floury crust and an open crumb--there are some nice foccaccia type breads, also--the Roman bread is a constant for me. I haven't had much luck with her sourdoughs, but every other recipe has been at least decent, and sometimes wonderful. Zoe

this is a topic after my heart--I LOVE to search out stuff--garage sales aren't so great around here, but i have some good thrift shops--and really, almost everything I use in the kitchen is from the thrifts cast iron pans a beautiful gigantic Magna Lite roaster that weighs about 50 lbs and looks like Calphalon all my appliances--I have a fancy Italian coffee maker, a vintage chrome Waring blender, an enameled cast iron Hamilton Beach stand mixer. a set of Denby stonewAre Danish modern stainless flatware all of my French jelly jar kitchen glasses wine glasses--I break em constantly funny and ultimately useless gadgets that I can buy for a dollar and try out and re-donate baskets and plates and tins for gifts--for the same price as the aluminum pans you can put a food gift in something fun and nice many, many cookbooks--and i agree with the Microwave Gourmet positive assessments--the risotto and the green beans are both wonderful, also the polenta is great. Zoe

you are prob right--I was heading through the room when I heard this--but i took it to mean that dying (and being eaten) is part of the natural cycle, not cruel in itself. Zoe

this is weird because the head of Whole Foods was on 60 Minutes last night--I can't believe I'm admitting I actually watched this program--and there was a shot of live lobsters--and the interviewer asked him about cruelty issues and he said something like "we all have to die, don't we". maybe certain WF don't carry live shellfish because of their particular customer base. (I watched because Carl Hiasson was on and he cracks me up)