Shel_B

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

Hi Gang - Happy Easter (I think today's Easter Sunday) I am looking for a source of high quality, organic, unsweetened, dried cranberries that are preferably not treated with any preservatives like sulpher dioxide. I found a source on the net, but they are VERY expensive - about $16.00 for 3-oz including shipping. Does anyone have a good, reliable source for this item? Also, anyone have suggestions for drying fresh or frozen cranberries? Thanks! shel

Thanks for all the ideas - soe look wonderful! Sorry for not participating in this thread until now - been dealing with some medical problems. Kind regards and thanks to everyone! shel

Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers is the title of a 1980 film by Les Blank. And Les was right - garlic is good and good for you. However, being of little creativity and imagination, I don't know of many ways to prepare garlic, and I'd ike to start eating more of it. I only know about frying, sauteing, and roasting garlic, and I have enjoyed several versions of garlic soup. What other preparation techniques might there be? I'd also love some recipes in which garlic is the star attraction, perhaps more than just a flavoring or seasoning ingredient. Any ideas? shel

This morning I was preparing some brown rice. In so doing, the rice is sauteed in a little oil - today butter was used - and then cooked on the stove top in a conventional manner. A fair amount of scum floated to the top in the initial minutes of cooking the rice, something I've not observed before, even when using butter . Today a regular commercial brand of salted butter was used, not the usual unsalted, premium or organic brands of butters that I usually use. So, can this scum be the result of lower quality, non-organic butter, or perhaps the salt in the butter? Something else? I uused the same, organic brown rice as usual. shel

BROWN RICE PUDDING Margaret Fox, Cafe Beaujolais, Mendocino, CA 5 eggs, room temp 3 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup brown sugar pinch salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup raisins 1 cup cooked brown rice, cooled Whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add rice and raisins and pour into a lightly buttered 8-inch square pan or baking dish. Set the pan into a larger pan (9 x 13 x 2) filled with water. Bake at 350 deg. F. for one hour. serve warm or cold, whipped cream is a nice topping. ULTIMATE RICE VELVET WITH RASPBERRIES & VANILLA SAUCE 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp long-grain white rice 1 quart milk pinch of salt 8 egg yolks 1 cup sugar 5 Tbsp all-purpose flour 2 cups milk, scalded 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 egg whites 1 pint fresh raspberries Classic Vanilla Sauce (Recipe Follows) Combine rice, 1 quart milk, and salt in the top of a double boiler. Cook, uncovered, over hot water, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg yolks in the large bowl of an electric mixer until light. Sift the sugar with the flour and gradually add to the egg yolks. Beat on medium-low speed for 10 minutes. Beat in the scalded milk. Transfer to the top of a double boiler and cook over hot water, stirring frequently, until thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, about 25 minutes. Strain into a large bowl. Add the vanilla to the egg yolk mixture. Drain the rice and add it to the mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the rice mixture. Pour the rice mixture into a buttered 2-quart souffle dish, and bake 25 to 30 minutes. The center should be a bit wet. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled, with fresh raspberries and Classic Vanilla Sauce. Serves 6 to 8. CLASSIC VANILLA SAUCE 3 extra-large egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups milk, scalded 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 Tbsp kirsch 1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream ----------------------------------- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in the top of a double boiler until smooth. Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, over simmering water until itis thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Whisk in thevanilla. Cool to room temperature. Whisk the kirsch into the custard. Beatthe cream until stiff and fold it into the custard. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Can add some amaretto to custard.

I hope ypu don't think I was denegrating the recipe, because I wasn't. I saw the Penn Cove recipes earlier this morning - some looked to be very good. It seems that you're rightly proud of the shellfish in your area. I understant - I feel similarly about produce and other items here in the Bay Area. shel

Yes, I'm familiar with Penn Cove. They have a very good reputation. shel

Thanks - that's a pretty typical recipe, and a good one. I like the addition of the red pepper. Yes, you do have great mussels where you are - and wonderful oysters, too, if memory serves me. One of the best oyster stews I ever had was up in your area. shel

Hi Kim, I've seen doughnut-based bread puddings that look great. However, Paula Deen's recipe seems way over the top and excessive ... shel

Alton Brown had a show on a few days ago about mussels that got me interested in learning more about these delicious bivalves. I've poked around and found some good-sounding recipes for mussels, but maybe some of you mussel mavens have a recipe or two that you like. I'm especially interested in mussels with pasta, in salads, and eaten by themselves. While I like mussels, I've never prepared them myself. Thanks for any suggestions. shel

OMG! I can feel my teeth rot. shel

When Paula Deen appeared on Iron Chef America, she made something very similar to the fudge and cheese dessert, and the judges, although admitting to be skeptical, liked it. shel

While I understand the compositional differences between 18/8 and 18/10 stainless steel, I don't know if there's any practical difference between the two. Does 18/8 scratch or damage easier? Is it more prone to having food stick to it? Is browning or searing comparable for both? What about staining - is one more prone to stain than the other? Any "stainless" gurus out there? shel

Try this: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/01/0081878 shel

What a great concept for a restaurant. It will be one of my stops the next time I'm in NYC. Thanks for posting! shel

Thanks for all the suggestions. You've provided some good ideas to get me started. kind regards, shel

I didn't realize there was a "standard" tomato sauce. What comprises such a sauce? Thanks! shel

Hi gang, After this last round of buying canned baked beans, I've decided to make my own. Having read numerous treatises on how to cook beans, and having done so a couple of times with garbanzos, I think I've got the general cooking process down pretty well. However, it would be great to get some flavoring ideas, and cooking techniques specific to making vegetarian baked beans, especially for making a nice, thick, flavorful sauce. I'd also like to eliminate, or reduce as much as possible, the amount of sugar in the final dish. Which beans may best lend themselves to such a dish? Any thoughts or proven techniques for making some nice, rich, flavorful vegetarian baked beans? shel

Awww - you beat me to it! I saw the show in which she made that "recipe," and in all fairness to PD, if memory serves me, I don't think she liked it all that well either. shel