Shel_B

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

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