Shel_B

If you like carrots, or are just interested in finding out a little more about them, then The Carrot Museum might be an enjoyable and educational visit. http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/today.html shel

My dad's past on, but he would be 93 now. I don't remember him ever cooking except on Saturday mornings. I'd get up early and wait for him to come downstairs, and hed prepare breakfast. It would just be the two of us, our time. He'd make "bullseye" eggs (fried eggs, the yolk being the bullseye), scrambled eggs, French toast, salami and eggs, or matzoh brie. That was it. The food was OK, but the part of breakfast I liked best was being with my dad. He'd stand at the stove playing around in the pan, and regale me with wonderful stories about when he was growing up, or stories about his time in WWII. The one I remember most clearly was how he made French toast for the guys without eggs, and soaking the bread in milk and water in his helmet, and then frying it up for the guys to share. shel

Just to see if it can be done, but, if it can, I've envisioned some interesting presentation possibilities. Never having worked with squid ink, I've no idea how it would affect the flavor of the dish, nor do I know how to use it or where to get it. Any suggestions? scb

Yes, black beans give a greyish color. They probably won't give the dark color I'm hoping to find. scb

Hi, I've used black garbanzos before - I have access to three different beans here. The one I used did have a lighter interior than the exterior, but was a bit darker than a typical garbanzo. I'll have to check the others to see how dark their interiors are. The flavor of the black beans is quite a bit different than the typical bean, and that's mostly why I use the black beans. I'll look into your coloring suggestions. Thanks! scb

Decided to whip up a batch of hummus today. However, instead of canned garbanzo beans I want to use dried beans, and I realized that there's an Indian grocery nearby that sells black garbanzos. OK! Then it occured to me that there are black sesame seeds, and I found a source for black tahini. Based on what I now know, the hummus will end up a somewhat unappetizing grey, not what I want, regardless of taste. So, what might be used to color the hummus to give it a black color? shel

The article is still on line here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...25/FD107260.DTL

Hi, thanks for the information. Although I've found a couple of ww pastas that are more than satisfactory, the Barilla seems like it may be a good addition to the pantry. I'll be near a market that carries the product later today, so I'' probably grab a box and give it a try. Thanks! scb

There is more than enough space for the spinner. I don't have the patience to hand dry all those lettuce leaves, and some would be a PITA to hand dry, such as the spring mix I often use. With the spinner I now have, a 24yo Copco, the greens are dried very well as long as the spinner is not overloaded. Of course, it is possible that the Oxo and the Zyliss won't dry the greens as well as my current Copco does. shel

Yep, the old one is about to go south. Any recommendations for a good one? Features to look for? scb

Reading all the praise heaped upon Sabra, and never having heard of them, I visited their web site. Hummus made with Canola or Soybean oil doesn't interest me, nor does the other junk found in the ingredient list. I'll continue making my own or buy the hummus made at the local middle eastern deli, where the ingredients are fresh and high quality. Sabra, it seems, is made in NYC - that's a long way from the San Francisco area. scb

I looked up sodium triphospahe: "In foods, STPP is used to retain moisture. Many governments regulate the quantities allowed in foods, as it can substantially increase the sale weight of seafood in particular. Many people find STPP to add an unpleasant taste to food, particularly delicate seafood. The taste tends to be slightly sharp and soapy and is particularly detectable in mild-tasting foods. The increased water holding properties can also lead to a more diluted flavor in the food." Does your wild caught Gulf shrimp contain salt? scb

This morning I paid a visit to the local Trader Joe's and wandered over to the frozen sea food case as I was thinking of getting some shrimp to put into a salad. Reading the labels, I saw that every package of frozen shrimp, cooked or raw, from Thailand or Vietnam, contained salt. WTF, thought I, is this something new? Is this a standard practice with frozen shrimp, or just TJ's frozen shrimp? Or just shrimp from Thailand and Vietnam? Why does the frozen shrimp need salt, or does it? Is the salt there to enhance the poor flavor of farmed shrimp? Or perhaps to afford some "protection" to the shrimp if it starts to defrost on the journey to the freezer? Do other brands include salt? If anyone has frozen shrimp in their freezer, would you be kind enough to check the ingredients and post what you find, including the brand and where you bought the frosty crustaceans? Thanks, scb

OK, I found it: Agrumato scb

There's a type of olive oil that is made by crushing fresh, tree-ripened citrus fruit together with the olives at the time of pressing. I can't recall what that type of oil is called Avagmollo? Something along that line, I believe. Any help? scb

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