Shel_B

The Argentineans usually prefer cow's milk, but we have some excellent goat milk here, and I'm tempted to give it a try, although not for the upcoming birthday party. Toots likes goat milk cheese, and it would be interesting to see how she'd like a goat milk dulce de leche. She's never tried the local goat milk. Higher humidity as a possible cause for my problem ... hmm. This bears looking into. Now, what about heat? It's possible that there may be temperature variations depending on which burner or stove I'm using. I don't always use the same ones (burners or stove) even though everything else is the same. And what about stirring? Could more or less stirring affect the result? In what way?

No, I've not. The issue is that when I make the ddl, using the same ingredients and (seemingly) the same technique, there are times when the result does not firm up. I have achieved excellent results without cream, meeting the standards of the fussy Argentinean contingent

I've seen the recipe. Lebovitz uses condensed milk. Not something I want to do ...

Some egg substitutes may contain gluten. AFAIK, real eggs are gluten free.

I make it on the stove top, however, I will start recording environmental variations. This batch is for Toots' birthday, and it's got to be perfect. The place will be rife with Argentineans and other relatives. I'll make another batch tomorrow.

Yes. My GF is Argentinean, and I have come to know what good dulce de leche tastes and feels like. Half the time I make it, I get accolades, other times I am banished to a dark corner in the kitchen and hang my head in shame. We don't use cans of condensed milk now, although I tried it early on and my GF did many years ago. That stuff does not taste very good.

I've made dulce de leche several times, and about every other time it does not get thick, and a couple of times it gets too dark (probably as a result of trying to cook it down to thicken it). I use the same milk (i.e., from the same dairy, treated at the same plant), the same sugar, and the same amount of sugar. Also use the same baking soda and vanilla extract. What should I be looking at in order to get consistent good results? I am stumped. I must be doing something different, but I cannot figure out what it is.

The TJ's here has a pretty nice cilantro-jalapeno hummus. I love it!

At what point in the process do you add the cream?

Over the past yearI've been experimenting with making Dulce de Leche. Several recipes, and one or two folks here at eGullet, suggest "shocking" the mixture by immersing the pot with the hot caramel into cold water and stirring for a while. It's been said that this intensifies the flavor. I've made DdeL using this technique, and without using the technique, and really haven't noticed much, if any, flavor difference. I wonder if it's really necessary, or if I may be doing something wrong. Any comments / suggestions on using this "shocking" technique? Thanks!

Maybe this will help: How to Store and Ripen Avocados

I agree. I've taken things back - moldy berries mostly but also a box of frozen stuff that was full of ice and dried up product, and been given an refund without questions. The manager at our local TJ's told us that they want customers to try new items, and that they recognize that not everyone will like every item, so they offer a no questions asked refund or credit policy. If for any reason you are not happy with a purchase, return it. I have returned empty package wrappers or cans and gotten a refund. Some things, once opened, can't really be transported back to the store.

Because I've never seen a definition for a coffee cake, and have seen several cakes so described, but all were different. Plus, I'm just a curious fellow ...

This looks very good. Pioneer Woman has provided a few very fine recipes for me. Thanks for the link!

In another thread it was suggested that dried Cherimoya seeds can be used as a roach repellant. Toots and I have used cinnamon powder to stop ants from invading. She also puts coffee grounds into her garden. And vinegar can be used to make a window cleaner. What uses for food items have you tried (other than eating and cooking), and what were the results?

Shel, this might be too late for this season's Chirimoyas, but they're flat out amazing when simply quartered and popped in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. The result is something like the finest ice-cream you've ever had, but with a fruity texture (and of course the seeds). A good friend in Loja introduced me to Chirimoya this way about 4 years ago, and I was hooked. Well, that's a nice, simple idea. Will definitely try it! Seems like an interesting idea as well, although the idea of adding additional sugar is something to which I'm resistant. No roach problems here, but we do get invaded by ants every now and then. Will this get rid of ants? We've used cinnamon with good results, and we're always loking for new ways to use leftover food scraps. Hmmm ....maybe that's an idea for a new thread.

What makes a cake a "coffee cake?" Any particular ingredient, baking technique, or ... ?

I once looked into liquid smoke and found that some of it was acceptable to me. The kind that Wild Planet uses is - to the best of my knowledge - a natural smoke infusion into a liquid carrier, not a chemical concoction. In any case, the sardines taste very good and we didn't find the ingredient to be unacceptable or impart any unacceptable taste. OTOH, I'd assume that "lightly smoked" might mean just what you suggest, but in todays marketing environment, who knows for sure what any claim means. I've found some restaurants here with "fresh squeezed OJ" on their menu only to see the staff pouring the juice from gallon plastic cartons. Their response to my question about the juice being fresh squeezed was that it was pressed from fresh oranges off premise. To me that means something less than fresh squeezed. This was at a restaurant that used to have a juicer on premise and every glass of juice was made fresh to order.

We recently discovered Wild Planet Sardines at Costco. They worked out to be $1.69 a can, a little more than Brunswick sardines. We like them much better than the Brunswick and other canned brands we've tried.

I like that idea. Been in a broccoli mood lately as well.

Won't anchovy paste in tubes do the trick for you?

Paprika ... I have two or three kinds on hand, but rarely use them. Can't say that I never use the stuff.

I didn't mean to suggest that I wanted to avoid carbs, rather, I found the recipes heavy with them. I'd like to reduce my carbo load, not eliminate it. Casseroles interest me because I've recently been going to family gatherings and pot lucks where, it seems, such dishes are welcome and enjoyed by many of the guests. Plus, as my schedule has gotten busier, it's nice to have something in the fridge that can be quickly warmed and reheated.

Thanks for the pointers. There are a few good ideas there, although so many of the recipes are very heavy on carbs and pretty light on vegetables. However, I am mostly interested in ideas, not specific recipes.

Bill Christopher, in an article written a few years ago, confessed to using Chinese garlic in those products using prepared garlic. He said that he could buy Chinese garlic cheaper than he could grow it himself. Here's the link.