Shel_B

My GF has an under-the-counter cabinet with fixed shelves. I was thinking of installing shelves that pull out to make things easier for her. She often complains about the inconvenience, but she's too "frugal" to replace the shelves. Can pull out shelves be retrofitted to such a cabinet? Would they be easy/simple to install? Do such shelves come in standard sizes? I imagine her cabinet is of a standard size, but I'm just guessing. Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

I've a recipe for a lemon poppy seed loaf that I've been using for years. In the past I've purchased poppy seeds from the local markets. It's been suggested that there is a substantial difference between poppy seeds. So, what should I be looking for if I want the best, freshest, most flavorful seeds? Any on line suggestions for a good source? Thanks!

There was a Forever Yours bar which was available on and off, and which ultimately morphed into the dark chocolate covered Milky Way. When Forever Yours was available there were no other dark chocolate covered bars except Mounds. When I was a kid and a teenager there was a Van Houten bar, solid dark chocolate ... yummmmm!

My lady friend, an Argentinian, has introduced me to Dulce de Leche. I would like to make it and would appreciate some good recipes. I don't want to just heat up some evaporated, or is it condensed, milk, nor am I looking for some fancy "Martha Stewart" type creation. Rather, something closer to the original recipes found in Spain and some Latin American countries would be ideal. Ultimately, I'd like to make some Alfajores, but first I'd like some good Dulce de Leche recipes to play around with. Thanks!

I agree completely. Marie Sharp's is probably my favorite hot sauce.

I don't know anything about ceramic knifes. Having a knife that can shatter does not seem like a good idea for my GF ... what are the real advantages of a ceramic knife? I read: "Although ceramic knives are much harder than steel, they do not have superior strength. These knives are very rigid and inflexible. This means that you have to be very careful when you're using or storing them. The edge of ceramic knives will chip if you use them roughly. Ceramic knives may also crack or shatter if you use them for pressing, twisting, or prying. The knives may also shatter if you accidentally drop them. They are only meant to be used to cut foods that are unfrozen and don't have any bones in them. You will chip the edge if you cut into bones" My GF does not take very good care of her knives and I wonder of these disadvantages would make ceramic blades a poor choice for her. Yes, Forschner knives need sharpening, but my GF rarely uses her knives, so the sharpening issue is a minor one for her, and when I'm at her place, I don't mind sharpening her knives.

I am looking for an eight (probably) or ten inch chef's knife to use in my GF's apartment. Her knives are terrible, but she doesn't cook much any more, and doesn't need (or know how to use or properly care for) a good quality blade. I was thining of getting a Forschner because of price and because it's more than acceptable for her needs, and will be a BIG improvement over the junk she's now using. However, I was wondering what the next step up in quality might be. What would you recommend as a somewhat better knife keeping in mind that GF doesn't need a high quality blade. In fact, the main reason I want to get her a new knife or two is for my use - I cook at her house several times a week and would like to use something better than what's currently in her knife block (Chicago Cutlery and other no-name blades). Thanks!

Ahh ... that seems like a possibility. My GF often overcooks boiled eggs to the point that there's that green layer around the yolk. I'll look into this possibility. Thanks!

Nope - we had 'em for only a day or so. They were purchased from a store that had a good turnover and gets eggs several times a week. Thanks!

Last evening we made a batch of deviled eggs. When we removed the cooked yolk we noticed a small amount of water in the emptied whites. It seems to have been trapped between the yolks and the whites. How can this be (the shells weren't cracked and the water was in all of the emptied whites? What causes this? How can it be prevented? We had to dry the whites by hand using a paper towel to soak up the water. Thanks

I'd like make a batch of boiled eggs. Some questions: How long can boiled eggs keep in the fridge after cooking? Will hard boiled eggs last longer than medium boiled eggs? Can they be kept for any length of time when the shells have been removed? How long can they last in the shell but unrefrigerated? Thanks!

I'm looking for some vegetarian recipes from the Mid-East, Turkey, Pakistan, etc. It would be a bonus if you have any background on the recipe, such as where it's from, info on any hard-to-find ingredients, etc. Thanks for any help,

The problem was not in making a sauce, but the fact that the chicken was drowning in fat and the meat was greasy. Neither I nor my guests would enjoy such a dish.

Why? Because I wanted to see if the amount of chicken I was going to make would fit into the roaster, and to see if there might be any problems with the concept (which there was).

I'm making dinner for friends later this week and want to make Olney's Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. This weekend I made a test batch using some cheap, supermarket chicken. The test batch was disappointing because there was an inordinate amount of fat and liquid discharged from the chicken (all complete legs). I cannot recall seeing this problem in earlier preparations of this dish, but it's been quite a few years since I made it, and my memory may be faulty. Is this abundance of fat and liquid typical of the dish, or might it have been the result of fattier and water-logged chicken? If the latter, might better quality, perhaps air-chilled, chicken help the problem? If typical of the dish, any suggestions to minimize the effect of chicken pieces swimming in fatty water? One thought I had is to put the chicken on a rack along with the garlic, and let the bouquet garni rest on the vessel bottom to impart flavor and aroma via the liquid. Comments?

What may make a good substitute for the herb, lovage? I want to use lovage, or the substitute, in Olney's recipe for Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. Thanks!

Then it's not Olney's recipe from Simple French Food ...

The article says the recipe is "based on" Olney's recipe, and the credit for the recipe is given to someone other than Olney. Also, some aspects of the recipe don't seem to be like I remember Olney's. Are you sure this is Olney's recipe? Thanks!

Some of my cookbooks are in storage, including the two books I have with Olney's recipe for 40 Garlic Chicken. I did a web search and could not find the recipe. Does anyone have a link to Olney's recipe? Thanks!

My GF bought a jar of gefilte fish in a jelled broth. She is a very frugal lady and wanted to know what use there might be for the broth. My response was to shrug my shoulders, and then I thought that the wide and varied number of people here at EG might have some ideas. So, any thoughts on uses for the broth? Thanks!

I found a few sticks of light butter in the fridge this morning. I never heard of light butter. Is it butter with more water, or in some other way reduced fat? How does it work in cooking? Higher/lower smoke point, does it work well in baked goods? Thanks!

There was a brief review of the Trader Joe's Companion in the local fish wrap's food section today. I'd not heard of this little book before, and perhaps it's unfamiliar to others as well: http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15221100?source=rss http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Companion-Portable-Cookbook/dp/0979938422 The reviews at Amazon are worth reading.

Over the past few months I've seen a number of episodes of this show. What drivel! What junk! It's nothing more than a paean to gluttony, and appears to be quite contrived as well. It seems that everything Adam Richman (I think that's his name) eats is "delicious!" However, what he devours appears to be little more than excessive fat and grease, poorly prepared, and overdone to the max. Comments?

Well, I can't quite convince myself that they are healthier because of the oat flakes, but they do sound like they may be tasty. In fact, when I was at TJ's this past weekend,I picked up a carton along with some choc-chips and the 3X Ginger Snaps. I want to try the Meyer lemon wafers at some point.

I asked a few people and most prefer a less intense cookie. They seem to like chocolate chip more than any other. Of course, I can get a couple of kinds, and keep some of the 3X Ginger Snaps for myself.