Shel_B

What Makes Perfect Popovers? This morning I found this article on Sfgate and thought some people might find it useful or the recipes of some interest. http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/article/Baker-s-quest-What-makes-perfect-popovers-4601293.php

I went ahead and ordered the Nordic Ware ... good price (a few $$ less than shown on the page below plus free shipping): http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/10460-nordic-ware-grand-popover-pan-51748.aspx

We sometimes buy the Wild Planet tuna. I find it a little dry and not as flavorful as Spanish or Italian tuna, but certainly a couple of steps above ANY typical supermarket tuna. A while back, Cooks Illustrated tested canned tuna and rated Wild Planet very highly - it may have even won the test. I'm not sure if I prefer TJ's solid white packed in water, but both make the cut here. They are each different enough that having both in the pantry could make sense.

. . . and dishwasher-safe. Being able to put a pan in the dishwasher is a non-issue, FWIW.

Trying to decide on a popover pan. I'm considering two. There's this one: http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Stick-6-Cup-Popover/dp/B003YL3DWO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389033363&sr=8-1&keywords=popover+pan and this one: http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Grand-Popover-Pan/dp/B0055FSMCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389033446&sr=8-1&keywords=nordic+ware+popover+pan Any comments or suggestions on these (or other) choices?

I studded the pork roast and it turned out pretty well. The garlic taste was not overwhelming and afforded a nice background to the meat. Toots would have liked a little more garlic flavor, so next time I'll use more and thinner sliced garlic (although I could probably put more garlic into her side of the roast and less into my side). Thanks to all who said that there's no problem doing this. I don't know where I got the notion that studding a roast with garlic was not a wise thing to do.

Toots wants slivered garlic cloves inserted into the pork roast I'm making tonight. Should I do it? I vaguely recall reading somewhere that puncturing a roast and inserting slivered garlic cloves is not recommended. Is my memory correct? If so, why shouldn't it be done?

Unfortunately, just about all the bread recipes I have use cups, not weight, and I'd hate to toss them all out just because they don't use weight. These are recipes I've been collecting since 1967, when I got my very first recipe from a little café in Durango, Colorado.

Thanks for the pointer! I was at the KAF site but didn't see that chart. Very helpful. All I need is a place to start that has reasonable conversion info. I don't have a scale ... yet. There are some threads here about scales, have to reread them.

Never saw that at the local TJ's around here ...

Thank you for directly answering my question. All I'm looking for is a reasonable place to start since I have no real experience baking. One of the breads I'd like to get around to making is brioche. I've collected a number of brioche recipes, including recipes from Rose Levy Beranbaum, Paula Wolfert, Julia Child, and a fellow by the name of Norm Matthews. All the recipes use cup measurements, not weight.

I understand that cups can be packed differently. I've experienced it myself. If one is to use weights, there must be some standard or reasonable approximation to convert a cup measurement to weight. Most US recipes use cup measurements, so how do I, as you suggest, "use weight rather than cups for precision" when the recipe calls for cups?

As noted elsewhere over the past couple of days, I am going to try my hand at baking bread. Having read a bit about the subject, it seems that many people feel better results can be had by weighing the flour rather than using volume measurements such as cups. I came across this conversion chart today and I'm wondering if the conversions shown are accurate enough to use when getting started on this new project. Any comments on the conversion figures? Any suggestions WRT measuring flour? Thanks! http://www.preparedpantry.com/how-to-measure-flour-convert-cups-ounces.aspx

I have not been convinced that I need, or would even really benefit, from a pair of herb scissors, plus it seems that I can control the size of the cuts better with the simple set of shears I already use in the kitchen. Thanks to all for your input!

I guess that means you like them ...

That's an interesting gadget. It seems like the herbs would all be cut to the same size, yes? Any way to adjust the size of the cut?

Sorry that I'm about a year late in responding. Thanks for the suggestions ... I like your idea even better than a steamed omelet.

Good tip about the comb. Didn't see mention of that when I quickly looked at the Amazon listings. If I decide to get a pair, I'll definitely look for one with a comb. Thanks!

This morning I was cutting up some parsley and, since a pair of scissors was handy, I snipped the leaves rather than chopping them with a knife. I liked the ease and simplicity of the technique, and I can snip the herbs directly into the dish I'm making, avoiding some cleanup time. So I poked around Amazon and found herb scissors: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=herb+scissors&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=35123260829&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17442007941968704989&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5i80dz4d05_b On their face, they seem like a good idea. I'm wondering if anyone has used these things and how well they worked. What, if anything, is the downside? Is it worth spending $$ for them? My scissors seemed to do a pretty decent job. Thanks!

Thanks! I'd been to the site but didn't see that page. You're right, of course, about starting with the basics. I was more curious than anything, and I already have a "traditional" recipe to start with. Just waiting for a pan, of which I have none. Hmmm ... just got an idea for a pan, which I may be able to use this weekend.

This year I am going to learn a bit about baking, and will start by making popovers and an English muffin loaf, and I want to perfect a bran muffin recipe I started playing with a few years ago and let languish. Not much, but it'll make me happy. In addition, I'd like to develop some more vegetarian recipes, and work on creating low fat versions of some of my favorites.

Do you think kefir can be used successfully instead of milk for popovers? What about buttermilk? What, if anything, might have to be changed in a given recipe?

I'm not sure it's the same pan. Amazon is frequently light on clear and complete descriptions. It's the same pan that I have. I just weighed mine - 1 lb. 13 oz. so the shipping weight (2 pounds) shown is correct. And as I mentioned earlier, if you look and feel of the interior of these cups, it will not seem like "non-stick" coating. I have a lot of Chicago Metallic bakeware, including some cake pans that are at least 30 years old - had them prior to moving up here 25 years ago and I still use them, same with my sheet pans and 1/2 size sheet pans. Just returned from BB&B, disappointed. The BB&B site said my local store had the pans in stock, but that wasn't the case when I got to the store. None were on display, none were in the stockroom. Salesman said it would be two weeks, +/-, before the pan was in stock. So, it's good to know the Amazon pan is the same, and I'll order from there tomorrow. Thanks!

I'm not sure it's the same pan. Amazon is frequently light on clear and complete descriptions.