Shel_B

I'd say the long peppers are Balinese Long Peppers, which are a more intense and flavorful black pepper - somewhat oversimplified. Whole Foods in my area carries them, which is where I learned about them. http://www.bigtreebali.com/wildcrafted_pepper.htm I'll see if I can find out more about the other peppers. I'm curious too. scb

I grew up in the area, and Ben's was our deli of choice. It was damned good. Whenever I go back to NY, Ben's is one of the first stops I make, although I've not been back in about eight years. Our family has been going to Ben's since 1947, when we moved into the area. It's upsetting to learn that Jay's not making his own pastrami and corned beef any more. shel

I've been looking for new slaw recipes. This one's no longer available. If someone has it, would you be kind enough to post it? Thanks! scb

Vollrath Tribute cookware was recommended to me by a couple of chefs. When I saw your post I had to look up this Ameriware. Here's one site that I found: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/forums/...topic.php?t=129 Enjoy the discussion .... you may have to scroll down a bit for the pertinant parts. scb

Both are lighter in texture, taste "fresher," spread easier when cold (that's probably because of the lack of gums, stabilizers, and other fillers), have a more pronounced taste of fresh cream. Nancy's is a little smoother than Gina Marie, and has a bit more tang to the taste. It reminds me a little of very thick Greek yogurt, but, of course, it's not. I don't know how well they'd work in some recipes, like cheesecake, only because I don't bake and I assume most recipes are made for a Philly type cheese. However, they are great in dips, with the morning bagel, spread on any bread or cracker, and are a joy to enjoy in any uncooked dish. I bet they'd be fine in cheesecake, etc., but I don't have experience with that. I bet either would add a little something extra to a clam dip FWIW, my cat LOVES Gina Marie and won't touch Philly. He's not tried Nancy's yet. Best advice I can give you is to try a little of each. As I may have said, if you're used to Philly-type cream cheese, these will be different. For me it was easy to make the change - one taste of Gina Marie and I was hooked! If you try 'em, please tell us how you likee 'em. scb

Thanks for jumping in. I'm familiar with the GI (and the GL). I've not found an answer to the question on several GI/GL sites. Other sites are at odds with one another as to the answer. Several say it's true, however, one doctor says it's BS, so I need to read more from and about him. Some of his positions are contrary to "common" beliefs, yet they reflect my own experiences. scb

Recently I read that pasta cooked al dente, or slightly underdone, has less of an effect on blood sugar levels than pasta that is fully cooked, or cooked to be soft. The reason given for this is that it takes longer to digest the al dente pasta and break it down, therefore the sugars are released more slowly into the blood stream. I can't find the citation now - anybody know if this is true, or have any comments on the subject? scb

Nope - don't think I've ever seen one of their stores. Might look for it though just to taste their Hot & Sour soup. scb

WEll, it's not a spread because you don't spread it, but here's something that may give you some ideas. Using a favorite, well-toasted English muffin, hot from the toaster, I add a slice of good cheddar, about 1/8-inch thick, and sprinkle it with some very finely diced/minced chipotle or habanero peppers. The heat from the muffin melts the cheese to my preferred creaminess, and the peppers add a nice bite. Been doing this for years, and recently discovered that there are cheddars now on the market that are infused with chipotle or habanero peppers, so that may make things even easier. Don't know how good these infused cheeses are except for the Bravo farms http://www.bravofarms.com/ cheddar, which I've tasted and liked quite a bit. shel

As was I ...I don't eat cookies much, but when I do I like 'em with a little more crunch and snap. Famous Amos has really gone downhill since Wally Amos sold the company. Big disappointment. scb

Hi, Doc ... I dl'd the recipe - very simple. I like that. Thanks for the tip! shel

Have you tried: http://www.nancysyogurt.com/nancys_products/cream_cheese.php It's a favorite here, along with Gina Marie cream cheese made by Sierra Nevada Cheese Company (http://sierranevadacheese.com/) If you like cream cheese, these are very good, made without fillers, gums, additives, stabilizers, and all that other stuff. Both are very different compared to Philly and other commercial cream cheese, and are different from each other as well. If you're used to Philly cream cheese, these may take some getting used to - maybe not. shel

Actually, the story first appeared in, I belive, a May issue of the WSJ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121193695783324733.html http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp...are-back/143184? http://www.hydroxcookies.com/ Adegiulio, thanks for your post. It got me looking for information. I always preferred Hydrox to Oreo. shel

And don't forget her stint at Bistro Don Giovanni in St. Helena. She prepared a few great meals for my friends and me. scb

So I've learned, however, I was thinking about steaming the eggs in the shell and making the equivalent of a boiled egg. It seems that that's doable and gives good results. Thanks all! scb

I'll sometimes mix barley and oatmeal together ... that's a nice combo. Slice some ripe banana thin and add it to the mixture while it's cooking. The banana melts and adds a nice sweetness and flavor to the porridge. Some good butter added in is also nice. scb

So here it is, almost 2:00am, and sleep is elusive. I just boiled up a few eggs, and made a nice, hot cuppa joe. While messing around in the kitchen, a few ideas came to mind, and maybe you have some ideas about them. First is steamed eggs. Instead of making eggs hard (or otherwise) boiled, how might steaming them work? Also, instead of making coffee using water, would it work to make coffee using hot - boiled, steamed, scalded, whatever - milk? shel

The idea doesn't appeal to me as I dislike my food or drink coming in contact with, and especially stored in, plastic. The boxed wines are stored in a collapsible plastic bladder and are poured through a plastic spigot. As long as I can have a choice between boxed and bottled wine, I'm all for the concept if it really has an environmental upside. shel

Thanks for the suggestions and pointers. Much appreciated! shel

I've used Pacific Low Sodium Organic Chicken broth a few times. I like it. Never tried any beef broth product. scb

I need some beef broth/stock for a few upcoming dishes, but I've no time to make any. What do you recommend in the way of a prepared broth/stock, preferably low sodium. Thanks! scb

Recently I made Rick Bayliss' recipe for Mexican Pork Pot Roast http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=22 - many yummies! Soon after, a friend brought by some store bought pot roast - not many yummies - it was awful. Now I want to make a pot roast, and would love a good recipe - something that may be a little out of the ordinary would be ideal, although any tried and true recipe would be welcome. Any ideas? shel

Lately I've been making a few dishes using Gypsy peppers, one of my favorite peppers. They are not always available, and are certainly hard to come by in areas outside of Northern California. Red, orange, yellow bells are a reasonable alternative, as is the Corno di Toro ... or so I've heard - I've not tried them yet. What other peppers might be a good substitute for these peppers? shel

I'm looking for a reasonably priced kitchen scale. The requirements and preferences are: Able to set tare weight; Weight given in ounces and grams; Digital would be ideal; Not too big or heavy; Available in many designer colors Any suggestions gratefully appreciated. Thanks! scb

These are sweetened ... I'm looking for unsweetened. I did find one source for unsweetened berries, but they are very expensive ($7.50 for 3-oz + shipping) so that's why I asked here. scb