maggiejiggs

Bought the book a couple weeks ago. Went to a small family reunion and decided to make the corned beef to bring along. Wanted to start with something simple, and I LOVE corned beef. The husband thought I was weird to go to the trouble, even though he admits we haven't had a great corned beef since we moved to Indiana, and that it wasn't "cost efficient." I won't tell you what I told him Bought a whole brisket, and even with all the other food present, it completely disappeared. Juicy, spicy, tender...and a magnificent smell ! Sorry, no photos, but it looked like a corned beef should

O'Banon cheese from Capriole, Inc, an artisanal cheese maker here in Indiana; and a thick minestrone I made yesterday. Feels like autumn !

My aunt sent me this just a week ago. I haven't tried it yet, so can't vouch for it! But she likes to eat, so These don't sound as light as the ricotta recipe, though. 4 cups sifted flour 1 T melted butter 1/2 pint sour cream 2 T sugar 1/2 t salt 5 egg yolks, lightly beaten 2 oz rye whiskey 1/2 t vanilla Make a well in the flour, add all ingredients. Mix well. Let rest a few minutes. Make a ball, knead about 10 min till smooth and elastic. Roll out small amounts at a time, thinly. Cut into squares, slit each square in the center. Deep fry till golden. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I've read through these and they're great, but only a few addressed the issue I'm speaking of. Not home cooked meals by "mom," but the foods you could find in the neighborhood store that were scrumptious, unique, and usually ethnic. I've got loads of examples in addition to the box of butter in the deli. We used to visit our family butcher (yes, just like a family doctor) each Saturday. I was always treated to a visit into their walk in fridge - pieces of cows, pigs, sheep, etc, hanging from hooks; but what I enjoyed most? The brining barrel, full of curing briskets of beef, a bit foamy, spices hovering in the foam. What a delectable aroma. Who sees that in their local supermarket these days? And I felt like such an important individual, to be allowed to visit this inner sanctum of the butcher shop! I love not only food stories, but the stories that surround the food stories, if you understand what I mean.

Perhaps this topic has been covered elsewhere, but I would love to here from folks about foods they remember from their past which they can't find anymore. I'm not really talking about family dinners, I mean things we could purchase that were SO GOOD, but were lost soon after TV dinners, supermarkets, and McD's became popular. For example, I grew up in NJ, on the Hudson River across from Manhatten. The population was very Jewish, German and Polish. My Grandma used to send my "around the corner" (obviously this was city living) to the local deli (Feldman's). I'd usually trot around with my red wagon, bearing soda (not pop you midwesterners, which I now number myself among) bottles - the refund was mine to keep. On to my food memory: farm fresh butter, in a huge cardboard box in the fridge behind the counter. Mr. Feldman would flourish a HUGE knife, cut out a HUGE square of butter, and sure enough, it was damn close to a pound; wrap it in white butcher paper, and off I'd go. Spread that on their fresh black bread, or the wonderful crisp crusted Keiser rolls, and that was our Sunday breakfast. Wouldn't it be wonderful to still live like this!!!

I'm planning on making a couple pâtés from the Ruhlman/Polcyn Charcuterie cookbook, for Thanksgiving. As I will also be making pies at the last minute, I'm trying to work out the best timeline. Can anyone tell me their experience with storing pâtés, how long they can be stored and still having an excellent flavor when served? Has anyone tried the salmon pâté in basil cornmeal crust? It requires 12 -24 hours in the fridge prior to serving. Is that window of time the best for it to be served? Thanks!!!