hummingbirdkiss

yes and it came out really wonderful! I used a cup half of it in the bloom and half in the sugar syrup and it worked out great I would love to make PEEPS!!!!

I would love to do this! my husband makes perfect brownies (one of three things he is able to cook in life) I will have to see what he does and try to copy it.. fudgy but cooked center (I hate raw gooey brownies) and a nice crackly shell on top ...very rich and darkly chocolatey are the best big chunks of walnuts are fine with me I hope I dont gain 10lbs with this one

I still suck at making this sourdough bread!!!! I forgot the salt this last batch and the loaves looked so horrible that I broke them up and fed them to the birds in my yard ..who have yet to really taste it ... I have a few days off this week and will refocus and try again ..but something I am doing is just not working ..I have measured by weight ...increased my hydration ..tried the minimalist no knead technigue ..folded...tried mildly kneading it ..went on vacation and came back....use KA flour ...my starter is very much alive ...my oven is true to temp ..I have tiles in the bottom of it to put the bread on ... my loaves are not attractive ..they taste good when I remember the salt ....but the holes are not impressive at all ...I am just not doing something right at all ...it is making me more crazy than I already am!!!

I love Maggi seasoning as well that little magic bottle but what I really love to use and slip it in when ever I get stuck for something to pull it all together in a dish that just does not seem to be quite there yet... ... the little packets of Sazon they are my cheater packages of magical goodness ..when all esle fails I go for Sazon there are so many types and they never fail me ....I rarely use a whole one usually half is just enough to do it! ... I also love the endless variety of Knorr cubes!!! just when I think I have tried them all I find yet another one..they are magic to I tell you!!!

I am fascinated by the types of cinnamon out there I just went to China Town in Vancouver BC and bought HUGE pieces of cinnamon bark..I also have pieces of what I think is Cassia? but am not very sure .. I have collected so many types of what is called cinnamon I am not sure really what I do have .. they are distinctly different in taste ...and aroma ...many times I just mix them and grind them together to get what I love for baking .... I am not at all sure how I am going to grind this huge piece of bark I bought any ideas? sorry if this is off topic ...I just love this subject and would love to learn more about this spice I thought I knew it all about!

what a great idea on the foil thanks!!! Margarita Marshmallows (use Knightscotsman's perfect recipe) half fresh squeezed lime juice with 1 tsp grated zest and half good tequilla for the base and to bloom the gelatine... a tsp of finely grated orange zest cooked into the sugar syrup ..if you have triple sec you could put it about a tablespoon I guess into the bloom...but I didn't so the orange peel worked well! make as directed adding some green tint to the mix ...just enough to give it a limey/Margarita color ....(I used Wilton icing tint worked fine) when the marshmallows are done add some margarita salt to the powdered sugar/potato flour mixture..to taste..(I used about 2 heaping tablespoons in 1 cup sugar/1 cup potato starch and saved what was left for another batch...) garnish each marshmallow with a toothpick that has a sour lime jelly candy on it (like the sourpatch kids fruits) these are so fun!!!! I could also see adding some New Mexican red chile to the coating

I will be so anxious to see how people tell you to do this ...my grandmother used to make what we called "runny jam" it was whole preserved small strawberries in a heavy syrup ...it was so good but I have never been able to figure it out ..when I have tried myself the strawberries lost all the color and texture ..hers were firm and red still ...I always figured it was the type of berries she had .. if I knew even what type I would grow them myself ..she was so secretive in the kitchen so I never got to see her make this either ...

pure and simple ... I love that my cooking turns men on!!!!

oh PS the first time an owner misrepresented food to me ..then agreed they had done it ..then billed me for it anyway ...would for sure be the last time I spent my money there ....

There is an art to creating a relationship I think ..and there is also a brilliant art to creating an illusion of great generosity with out loosing money! when a patron goes back to a place ..orders tons of food....apprecaites and enjoys the experiance by complimenting, generous ordering and a good tip...then I think it is what makes a wonderful restaurant ..for the owner ...or whomever to make the patron feel like they are getting a little something extra .....no matter what the modest level of the actual gratitude comes out as (even if the owner needs every single penny to keep running) ....that little thing is the defining factor ..in making going out to eat as a "regular" an event vs just not having to cook for yourself! that little something such as a small dish "compliments of the chef" or the waiving of the second corkage fee..has NOTHING to do with "getting something for free" imho..it has everything to do with feeling very appreciated as a generous customer .. this is a very interesting thread I had never realized how I felt until I read it all though....thank you! hope that makes as much sense to the reader as it did in my brian!

Ok it is settle Margarita marshmallows for St Patricks day..it is my dear friends birthday...he loves Margarita's so maybe I will hook him up with a theme basket!!! thanks so much!!!

I am not a good peeler of anything let alone a round beet

it depends on what I am doing with them ...I do not peel raw beets very neatly so if I want them to look perfect as in pickled beets or something like that I peel them after cooking because the skins slide off and they look perfect ..if I am going to slice them up and need the juice or want to roast them and have flavors permiate the beet and visa versa I peel first ...it is asthetic to me ...

Our spring tradition with fresh asparagus is to dip them whole (less the tough ends) in beer batter, tempura batter or even panko ...and deep fry them until golden and crispy... served with broiled or grilled Copper River salmon ...my kids feel it is not spring with out this dish! if you have never dipped and fried whole fresh spring asparagus ...well ...trust me on this one!!!

omg that rye looks spectacular!!!...I am going on vacation for a week and will try this again when I get back...I tried the minimalist no knead recipe after reading through a billion pages of that thread! I was mixed about it ...while the crust was good ..it did not make a very attractive loaf....I just don't like it that much and think it is missing the open oven for some reason...(does that make sense?) ..I like baking on the quarry tiles better... My starters are really very active and I think I proof it long enough... 12 hours? 2 things I think I was doing wrong 1 handling it too much 2 too much flour I am making myself nuts trying to make this perfect ....the loaf I took to work yesterday was pretty darn good ...I did not take a pic but it had nice holes and good crust ..just not enough salt ...it was demolished by my coworkers who insisted I need medication when I started picking it apart...so a break will be good ...I feel like a smell like sourdough now!!! thank you all so much ...I am going to go tell my starters good bye and ask them to please stay really active while I am gone!!! OOOXXX

I believe Goya (or similar brand) makes it check at a Latin, Caribbean or Asian market in the frozen food section if they dont ..just ask that they order it for you ..I have seen it ...take a picture of the fruit if they are not sure what you are talking about...

I spend hours with friends and family eating in Asian and nonAsian restaurants just by ordering a lot of food ..yes in waves if it is appropriate (that is why I love dim sum) ... set it all in the middle of the table always sharing and talking constantly .... I think with busy work schedules and not much time to gather with people... a restaurant sometimes takes the place of a family meal... talk a lot and you will slow down ...and even if they clear your table you can have more tea or beer ...perhaps ask for the menu again and order a few desserts to share... or as mentioned just keep talking at the clean table...if no one is waiting or the place is not closing no one cares.. just tip well

I buy all my shallots at the Asian markets but do find them more watery and take a lot longer to cook down when I making sambals or sofrito ..it is ok though in the end they are cheaper, taste wonderful and less waste ...so it is worth the effort to spend at the stove...getting the water out of them ...besides I love the smell of them cooking so why complain?

what other flavors besides mint and lime do you think could be colored green for St Patrick's day? any ideas? ps I have been using 1/2 tsp Wilton icing color jell good success ...it is just enough color to make it look like the flavor with out being to intense ...

I use tomato paste for my rice I saute a minced up onion a minced up bell pepper in olive oil.. then then toss the raw long grain rice into the pot saute for a second or two add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste ..saute that into it until the rice is completely coated in the paste ...add the water (2 parts water to 1 part rice) ...let it boil uncovered strirring well every few minutes untll rice is poking up through the water and almost all the water is absorbed ...then I add a small jar of (drained) stuffed green olives ..salt, pepper and a pinch of cumin to taste ...turn the burner to simmer and cover for 15 min ...turn the burner off and let it sit a few more min before fluffing... perfect Central American rice

I love the Goya fruit pulp and as I said have been using it for years ..the mango is the only one I am not always thrilled with ..sometimes the flavor shines and sometimes it is blah ....other than that the fruits are always good ..try the soursop/guayabana if you can find it ..it makes a lovely white marshmallow with the nicest tropical flavor..(it is one of my very favorite tropical fruits!) ..I want to try the mamey as a marshmallow ...I bet it is good!

I used and loved the Goya frozen fruit pulps http://www.goya.com/english/products/produ...prodSubCatID=34 I buy them for smoothies usually and when I saw someone had tried making mango and passion fruit I got excited and had to try it! ..these are fuit pulp only nothing else added..my store has a huge variety of pulps... I will have to work my way through them all! I did increase the pulp to 3/4 cup and cut 1/4 cup off the water to increase the flavor ..but you dont have to .....the soursop is really wonderful ...and the passion fruit smells to die for!!! for the lime flavor in the mango and tamarind I used Rosa's lime juice