Shel_B

I'm guessing that would be unsweetened cocoa powder?

You've brought up some interesting and, for me, unusual ideas, cocoa powder being the most unusual and intriguing. Using only the outside skin is also something that never crossed my mind. I was goingto thinly julliene the zucchini (using Romanesco if I could get it) and then dice the strips, heat them lightly in the skillet along with some finely chopped leeks and the mushrooms cooked with a scosh of garlic. Let that cool and mix it with the seasoned meat and maybe a hit of Worcestershire sauce for the "meaty" flavor. I like using smoked paprika, so I'll try adding a little to the mix. If I have time to grab some cocoa powder, I'll try using some in one or two of tonight's burgers, and compare the result to the ones with the Worcestershire sauce. Thanks!

As it turns out. I just discovered that I already have one. No need, now, to buy any more. I found it along with two other Pyrex pie plates in the back of a cabinet. I'm set!

I saw those. They look pretty nice. I may bid on one.

I have read about the issues surrounding the new Pyrex, however, my intent is to find some vintage glass. I like my old Pyrex items and good quality, older glass is not too difficult to find. Thanks!

<LOL> Somehow I missed your message. At the time of my original post, I'd forgotten about eBay. Today I bought the very same carafe on eBay, and I'm one very happy fella! BTW, that's exactly the one I had.

Not quite ... cook 'em rare first, then freeze 'em, and finally finish cooking them as leftovers.

I'd like to get one or two glass pie plates to use for quiche and a few egg dishes, panna cotta, clafoutis, and the like. I've noticed quite a few variations in design and color - for example, I saw a nice, blue vintage Pyrex that got my attention. So, does the color make much, if any, difference when the plate is used for baking? Is there any type of glass that's stronger and more resistant to poor handling? Should I look for thick glass - how thick? I imagine that most of the older Pyrex would be just fine. Is that a reasonable assumption? Thanks!

I want to freeze patties, either raw or cooked. I might prefer freezing raw as I'm concerned that recooking, or reheating, the cooked patties may result in an excessivly dry or tough burger. Of course, I could cokk the patties to be very rare, and maybe reheating would give a better result. I'm going to pan cook the burgers, at least this time.

Sweetie brought home a small pkg of non-fat TJ's Greek yogurt with fiber the other day. I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison soon.

Well, FWIW, I prefer crunchy PB and OJ with plenty of pulp. Also, I usually grind my PB at the store and make my own juice.

I've not made this before, so I'm glad you reminded me about the water content of the zucchini. Thanks!

I'm going to make turkey burgers for dinner later this week. The burgers are made with the addition of finely chopped zucchini and crimini mushrooms. We like to cook with leftovers in mind, so I was wondering how long these puppies might keep in the refrigerator or freezer, and if they can be frozen without losing too much quality. Thanks!

http://www.ecrater.com/p/14083222/almond-seed-bitter-prunus-dilcus-10?gps=1

Well, Toots picked up a package of Trader Joe's English Muffins for a weekend guest. The guests are gone, but the muffins linger. They had a very interesting, and satisfying, sourdough flavor, but the texture and bread-like consistancy left much to be desired. I'm not sure that the good flavor aspects outweigh the other, poorer qualities, to warrant another purchase. However, my taste buds are strongly urging that I buy another package. What are your thoughts on TJ's Englsh Muffins?

Much more interesting than the recipes I've seen on the web. Thanks ... this one seems worth trying and has given me a few ideas. Thanks!

I have a few recipes that I use for pot lucks, picnics, and the like, which call for the addition of condensed Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Celery soup. The soups are pretty starchy and loaded with low quality items. Any ideas on how to make a home made version that has a similar (not necessarily the same) consistancy but with, perhaps, some more flavor. Thanks!

I made the soup using dry vermouth, and it was a big hit. A friend suggested marsala as an alternative, and I used marsala when I made another onion dish - the results were quite good.

Trader Joe's Soy Sauce: Yesterday I purchased a bottle of TJ's reduced sodium soy sauce, a product we've been using for years. This time there was a new label, and the ingredients indicated the sauce contained vinegar! What's the deal with vinegar in soy sauce? Never heard od such a thing.

Mom's Noodles and Cheese 1 pkg wide egg noodles - good quality eggy-flavored noodles are ideal Cottage cheese (I prefer large curd, full fat, additve-free) butter fresh ground black pepper (optional, not in Mom's repertoire) Cook noodles. Put some butter in the warm pot while noodles are draining, add the noodles back to the pot, turn heat up to med or so, and add a little more butter if needed. Add as much cottage cheese as you like, stir to mix with noodles and butter enough to warm the cheese to your preference and coat the noodles, season to taste with some pepper and serve on pastel-colored Melmac plates or in bowls. You could add a little blue cheese, sprinkle with some Parmesan, or maybe add ahint of fresh ground nutmeg, some lemon zest ... lots of interesting additions can be made.

I'd like to try making a clafoutis or two, and I've seen recipes for the batter calling for milk (low fat to full fat), half-and-half, cream, or combinations of those ingredients. How do these different ingredients effect the texture (and taste?) of the final custard/pastry? Thanks!

I generally use cheese - whatever's left over or hanging around in the refrigerator. I love Trader Joe's shredded pepper jack which is made with habanero peppers. Vegetables like onions, tomatoes, corn, are added, along, sometimes, with beans, once in a while fried potatoes, and often I'll add leftover chicken or pork. Nothing very exotic ... usually just what's hanging out in the fridge. I've used salsa, both home made and jarred, tried zucchini both sliced and diced. I use both flour and corn tortillas, some regular store bought, sometimes locally hand made. Never used a machine ... that sort of defeats the purpose of making something quick and easy, and often spontaneous. Actually, I never heard of a quesadilla machine ... seems like a real waste of money, time, and space. But I guess some peoplelike gadgets and tools ... I was thinking of squash, and Toots and I have been talking about gettng some goat and also some rabbit. She's eaten goat many times, but I've never tried it. Not tried bbq pork either in a quesadilla, either, but I love - and make - 'cue, so that's a good idea. Thanks for some good ideas!

Well, the subject says it all. I'm in a quesadilla rut. Anyone have a good and unusual idea for making these treats? A special spice or herbs, maybe an unusual meat preparation ...

This sounds more like an opinoion rather than any substantiated fact. How did you arrive at this conclusion? I don't believe that the tea analogy is particularly useful - tea and plastic are widely different materials, and are used in entirely different ways.

Thanks!