Shel_B

NO! 👎 Bland, almost flavorless. The honey mustard pretzel pieces have a bit of flavor, but very little compared to other honey mustard pretzel pieces I've tried, like Snyders, and there were only five pieces in the can. There were very few peanuts in the can, and the other pieces seemed stale and were not crispy or crunchy. No discernable chili/lemon flavor to the corn sticks. This is going to be returned.

Now I'm in the mood for a cookie. Thankfully, there are none in the house.

@AlaMoi asked "anyone know of a good quality canned sockeye/red salmon that isn't "Trident" made?" I don't know who packs this, but I've been happy with it, and it's one of two canned salmon products I purchase regularly. Works fine with my middle-of-the-road OXO can opener.

I don't mean in salads, salsas, and similar dishes where the ingredients are assembled uncooked or minimally manipulated, but in cooked dishes like chili, stews, braises, and similar. Yesterday, I made a ground turkey and black bean chili similar to many that I've made before. In the past, I've used yellow onions, but yesterday I used a white onion. I couldn't tell the difference, at least not by memory vs a direct comparison. I've heard some cooks say that in cooked dishes there's no discernable difference, and I've heard others say that the differences can be noticeable. What have your experiences been with the different onions in various cooked dishes?

Sign at the entrance of a coffee shop, Weed, California

My sister was visiting from NY and brought the old family nutcracker, which I always enjoyed.

Might be my favorite frozen pizza certainly in the top two. It took me a couple-three times to get the time/temp right in the Breville BOV800XL

I bought the Chico and the Grande from these folks this time, and am not satisfied. The peppers that I opened and tried, the chico, were dry and brittle, i.e., old. The first batch of these peppers that I bought was from World Spice, and they were beautiful, smooth, supple, and aromatic. They'll be my go-to when World Spice is restocked unless I find something comparable. There are a couple of other sources I'm looking at.

These arrived yesterday ... they have pretty much replaced chipotles in my pepper larder. They're smokey, milder than the chipotles but still with ample heat, and have a smoother, more rounded flavor. The downside is that they are not always available and not many places carry them. But they are well worth seeking. They will be used in a chili I'm making after the weekend.

Fromage Fort: Here are my files including techniques, suggestions, and a recipe or two. Info is kind of random as I just pulled the files together for this post ... no editing, etc. What Is Fromage Fort? https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fromage-fort Fromage fort is a spread made from leftover pieces of cheese mixed with white wine, garlic, and herbs. You can serve it chilled or at room temperature as a spread with crackers or vegetables, or smear it on slices of bread and bake or broil it. While the origins of fromage fort are unclear, it is believed to have been created in the French countryside as a way to repurpose leftover cheese into a delicious, spreadable treat. Jacques Pépin says that when he was young, his father made fromage fort with leftover pieces of Camembert, Brie, Swiss, blue cheese and goat cheese, mixed with his mother's leek broth, some white wine, and crushed garlic. He would let the ingredients marinate in a cold cellar for a week or so (he liked the flavor to be really strong). Pépin’s recipe here is more of a guide, calling for half a pound of mixed cheeses to be blended with garlic, white wine, salt, and pepper. His wife Gloria encouraged him to blend the cheeses in a food processor to make it easier. Feel free to experiment by using different combinations of cheese, and adding herbs, spices, and other aromatics. Start by taking an inventory of what you have on hand. Hard cheeses may need to be chopped up before they are mixed with the other ingredients in the food processor. You want a mix of hard and soft cheeses, but if you only have hard cheese, just add a little more butter, a scoop of ricotta or yogurt, or a little extra wine or cream so that it still comes together as a spread when processed. Go easy on the amount of blue cheese in the mix, as it can overpower the flavors of the rest of the cheeses. The end result will vary with each combination of cheese, but it’s almost impossible to make a fromage fort that isn’t delicious. Ingredients ½ pound cheese pieces 1 garlic clove ¼ cup dry white wine Black pepper Salt Directions Put cheese pieces in the bowl of a food processor. Add garlic clove and dry white wine and a big grinding of black pepper. Process mixture for 30 seconds or so, until it is creamy but not too soft. Taste, and add salt if needed. Transfer fromage fort to a serving dish, or to an airtight container to store until you are ready to eat. You can also spread it on bread and broil it for a few minutes until brown and bubbly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fromage Fort You may use any left‑over cheese you wish, such as Cheddar, Parmesan, Provolone, Fontina, Mozzarella, Camembert, or St. Andre. Make sure that you use a combination that is not too salty. 1 pound left‑over cheese*, at room temperature 1/4 cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves 1 small clove garlic Remove any rinds from hard cheeses. Grate hard cheeses and cut others into 1/2‑inch cubes. Place cheese, wine, butter, herbs, and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 1 hour for a firmer consistency. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. =========================== Fromage Fort This is a good recipe to use up leftover cheese. Mix all types (the more the better!) of cheeses that you have left over. Keep in mind that adding a lot of blue cheese will result in a dominant blue flavor. Ingredients 1 lb cheese (hard rinds and mold trimmed) at room temperature, roughly cubed 1/2 cup dry white wine 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp black pepper, ground 2 Tbsp brandy (optional) Directions Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth and creamy (if the mixture is a little dry add additional wine until desired consistency is achieved). You can serve it immediately or store it in a covered container for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve with crusty bread, crackers or toasted baguette. *You can also add herbs, olive oil, tomatoes, shallots or olives to this recipe. This is a great way to tap into your creative side! Fromage Fort As observed above, there are no rules as to how you put this together. Maybe you want more wine, or less. Maybe you want a heavy hand with salt and pepper, or you want the natural flavors of the cheese to shine through. If you’re using a lot of hard cheeses, a pat or two of butter will help smooth things out. Personally, I go easy on the garlic (one tiny clove) because it really blooms as the cheese sits, and I don’t want it to take over, but maybe you would like that. The only thing I think is important to keep in mind is that even a small amount of blue cheese tends to dominate. With 25% of the weight in blue the result was essentially a blue cheese spread. If that’s not your thing, limit it to just a small spoonful or a few crumbles. If you’re curious, a recent formula was one part each of blue, brie, goat cheese and gruyere, a handful of chives and a full cup of wine. 1 pound mix leftover cheese, harder cheeses grated, softer ones cut into chunks A couple pats of butter, if using mostly firm cheese varieties 1 small clove garlic, minced, or more to taste 1/2 to 1 cup leftover white wine 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary or chives Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Blend cheese, butter (if using) and garlic in food processer until combined. Drizzle in wine with the motor running until you get your desired consistency — some like it completely smooth, others prefer chunks. Add herbs, pulsing the machine until just combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fromage fort can be used right away, or kept in the fridge until needed. In the fridge, it will thicken and age a little; the flavors will mingle and deepen.

Unlike margarine, plant-based butter does not include hydrogenated oils. At least that's my understanding. Please correct me if I'm mistaken. Also, plant-based butter is completely free of any animal products, while margarine may still contain trace amounts of dairy.

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I've created a recipe using the mix as a base. I've never cared for the chips, so I've always sifted them out and finely chopped a portion of a chocolate bar to replace them. I also added my favorite Dutch processed cocoa, dried coffee crystals, and vanilla extract.

@KennethT Thanks for your helpful post and the good information. I'll get the rice paper used in the video for the recipe I plan to make, but the additional info was also helpful. 👍

There's a neat little recipe for Shrimp Cheung Fun I'd like to try that calls for using rice paper. Here's the video should you be interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k25NlGD9_os&t=2s I've heard mention of Vietnamese rice paper, and that suggests there may be other types and styles of rice paper from which to choose. Are there different styles and thicknesses of rice paper? If so, might any one be better than another for this dish? I'm not limited by choice. I'd just like to find the most suitable one for this recipe. What paper do you use and for what purpose?

A few days ago, I discovered a few sealed packages of Ghirardelli brownie mix. Each serving is packed in plastic pouches. They are at least four years old. Might they still be useable? I cannot find a use-by or expiration date on the package.

I try to inform and educate as well 👍

I was surprised to learn how many varieties of cardamom there are and how widely they're used. Click on the links below for more details. The Cardamom universe is bigger than you think How to use Cardamom Left to right: green, black, Chinese, white, and Ethiopian cardamoms.

Thanks for your reminder. I don't think I'll use a slow cooker or the Instant Pot for this, but if I do, I'll pay attention to temperatures. The first batch didn't turn out very well ... 'twas a learning experience.

It's not up to me. My sister does what suits her and has her preferences. I honestly don't know where she obtains the coffee, and until this morning Amazon was the only source with which I was familiar. As an aside, sometimes Amazon prices are less than that of the manufacturer, although price alone isn't the determining factor in deciding where to purchase ... at least not for my sister, brother, and me.

Tyler's coffee, Amazon and elsewhere. https://tylerscoffees.com/products/regular-ground-12oz-bag

The subject says it. My sister wants and uses it but has only found one brand and source, and it's on Amazon. If you have information about such a coffee please let me know. It must be acid-FREE, not low acid. No pods.

Pam spray has been applied to the nonstick pan used for cornbread for about five years. Never once have I encountered the polymerization issue you describe. Maybe the temp at which the cornbread is baked isn't high enough to cause the problem? It's baked at about 350-deg F.

Marie Sharp is considered a "treasure" in Belize and her story is complicated, fascinating, and intriguing. I've been enjoying her sauces since the mid 1980s. Some of her story can be found at the link below. If you like her products, her story might interest you as well. https://www.culinarytreasure.com/marie-sharps-culinary-treasure-interview-with-steven-shomler/