Shel_B

I got lots of coconut cream when I made coconut milk recently. More cream than I wanted from making the milk. Any suggestions on how I can use it? Can coconut cream replace regular cream in some dishes? I was thinking of using it in a panna cotta recipe.

I shed a tear .... Here's the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/04/dining/judy-rodgers-chef-of-refined-simplicity-dies-at-57.html

What sealing? What is "it?"

You're right. I didn't know frozen coconut was available Yes. I did that when making almond milk. Should work just fine when making coconut milk.

Why? What is the advantage? Please explain your suggestion.

Tonight I made a quart of coconut milk for the first time. I was very pleased with the results - 2 cups good quality shredded coconut 4 cups hot water Let shreds sit in hot (not boiling) water for about ten minutes, blend like crazy for two-three minutes, strain into a container. press out as much liquid as possible. Amount of liquid in the container was about 3 cups. Put the pulp back into the blender, add about 1.5 - 2 cups hot water, and repeat the process. Result was just slightly more than a quart. The taste was better than that of many coconut milk brands I've tried, and there is no BPA, additives, stabilizers, or preservatives. This is good stuff ... better than canned.

Your question got me to Google the subject. These are the first two articles I found on the subject. I'm sure there's plenty more. http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/should-you-truss-a-chicken-or-not/ http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/trussing-a-chicken--do-i-really-have-to-do-that--174359162.html Hope this helps in some way.

Trader Joe's Rice Medley: I don't know if this product's been mentioned before. It's a frozen blend of red and two brown rices and black barley. First, I love the convenience of the product, and have been using TJ's frozen brown rice to supplement the rice I make and freeze. The ingredients are simple - just the rice and barley. There are three ten ounce packages in each box, and we find that makes for two or three nice-sized servings - YMMV The medley has a nice, earthy, nutty taste and a nice chew and mouth feel. The rice cooks up, or rather, defrosts quickly - three minutes or less on high in the microwave and it's ready. Unlike TJ's frozen organic brown rice, the Rice Medley is not labeled as such. Give it a try if you've not already. Sorry, no pics as my cameras are in the shop. http://www.cooktj.com/node/4148

I believe you're mistaken. Dried, or dessicated, coconut flakes or shreds, are made by removing the husks and shells from the coconut meat, washing the meat, and then shredding and dehydrating it.

It's been on my mind for a while to make coconutmilk, and I've checked numerous recipes and found it's pretty easy to do. Easier than almond milk. I want to make the milk from dried coconut, and this morning I purchased about a pound of very fragrant coconut shreds. Perhaps those who have made this can share some experiences, techniques, or tricks to maling a nice, flavorful batch of this milk. Thanks!

I am deeply saddened by this news. While far from a friend, I did have the good fortune of meeting her a few times, the first of which was in the Chez Panisse kitchen where I was given a tour even though I was there quite by accident. Judy was charming and accomodating, and that tour helped me to start thinking about food differently. I have eaten many times at the Zuni Cafe - always a great, fun experience with good, unpretentious food well prepared. I will miss her very much, but will always have some fond memories.

Much of it is made in China, and it is, IMHO, nowhere near the quality of the older items. Can't speak to the quality of US made stuff, but, considering the way the brand has been cheapened, I'd be inclined to think it, too, has suffered a quality loss. http://community.qvc.com/forums/kitchen-and-food-talk/topic/248123/where-corning-ware-is-made.aspx

And there you have it - another quality product bites the dust. It's a shame.

I didn't actually say I wanted one, but the thought crossed my mind that, if this was a good deal and a quality product, it might be worth trying eo see if I liked it and how much use it got.

You might want to take a look at the Tartine Bakery books ... http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=tartine+bakery+cookbook&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=28973159527&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9192025372056180523&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2igtmkpb4p_e

They are made with a different glass than the older Pyrex and there have been numerous reports of the dishes shattering. The packaging label on the new dishes STRONGLY caution about the glass shattering. IOW, new Pyrex ain't as good as the older glass and dishes, IMHO. http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/pyrex.asp http://www.techfragments.com/1608/exploding-pyrex-cookware/

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/miu-france/professional-stainless-steel-mandoline-p114711?src=dtw_pro_mandoline&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=

This Thanksgiving has shown me that I can make use of another casserole or baking dish, and I want to get a 9 x 13 inch dish. There are some sales around for stoneware, and some for enameled cast iron. I have some old Corningware dishes that seem to be just fine for my current needs. For the new dish, what material might be best - enameled cast iron, glass, stoneware, or Corningware? What are the pros and cons of these materials? I definitely don't want metal, have no problem shopping garage sales or thrift shops, and I don't want the new Pyrex glass ...

What is your water : rice ratio? I'm assuming that you essentially added rice to water and cooked as above. Did you do anything more to the rice in the way of prep or cooking? Thanks!

I have no favorite apps for the kitchen, however, maybe this is worth a look since you specifically requested a volume to weight conversions: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blogspot.asifrc.Converter&hl=en It might be helpful if we knew what operating system you have.

Well, I can only tell you our experience. Yes, mice can squeeze through small openings, that's why we used appropriately-sized grates over openings, and, of course, made sure they were well secured. I'm sure you're correct about the points you make - I certainly agree with just about all of them, yet following Vector Control's suggestions, our rodent problem was eliminated. It's entirely possible some mice starved to death having been caught in the crawl space under the house, yet upon examining that area three or four times, we found no dead rodents. <shrug>

I'm a big fan of calling in a reputable pest control company to deal with mice problems, too. Sorry, we didn't call a pest control company, we called the county's pest abatement arm, Vector Control. They did nothing to kill the mice, rather, the fellow who came out examined the house and the environment, and showed us ways to prevent the mice from getting into the house. In our case that involved brush removal, trimming trees, putting appropriate screens over potential entrances, filling cracks in the foundation, and so on. We used no poisons to eliminate the problem, rather, we prevented the problem by making repairs and adjustments to the environment.

We had a problem with mice about a year ago, and all the tricks and suggestions noted above were ones we tried. Finally, we called the vector control office at the county. and they sent a guy out to assess our situation. The assessment included a thorough examination of the house and surrounding area, and we got a report on what to do to eliminate the problem. Since then, no more mice ... try calling your county vector control office. It may be called something else in NYC, like pest abatement ... or?

I received the Bineshii rice today. First, I'd like to say how happy I am with their service. I ordered through Amazon and the rice was sent the next day, and arrived but a few days later. A nice, quick, efficient ordering process. Bineshii charged a fair price for shipping and handling unlike some places that charge as much as twice the Bineshii shipping price. Upon opening the Priority Mail carton, I was surprised by the strong and wonderfully vegetal aroma of the rice that came through the two plastic bags in which it was packed. The aroma was more intense than the Canadian rice I bought a few weeks ago, although it, too, was fairly aromatic. The grains of the Bineshii rice are longer by about 1/3 than the Canadian rice, although there are some shorter and broken pieces evident, and the grains look a little smother and shinier. I can see no broken pieces in the Canadian rice package, but then I can only see the rice's top layer in the bags. The cooking instructions for the two rices are different. The Canadian rice recommends a 3:1 water:rice ratio with a 30-minute cooking time while the Bineshii rice recommends a 6-8:1 ratio of water:rice and a 17 - 22 minute cooking time. Clearly some experimentation is in order. I suspect I'll have some fun cooking these rices and comparing their flavors. I have a few recipe ideas I want to try out, but won't have time to do any rice cooking until after the holiday. Happy Holiday, everyone! Edited for grammar, punctuation, and clarity.

The yams will be baked, and they may have a bit of caramelized flavor to them - haven't decided yet. I was thinking that the ghee would be a good choice in that case, but not too sure otherwise. The butter will be incorporated into the yams, along with some toasted, candied pecans.