Shel_B

Satsumas, homemade cornbread, Kenyan coffee ...

Trader Joe's has, over the years, produced numerous stylish and commemorative bags. Some have become collector's items and command very high price. Here are some of TJ's creations: eliminated duplicates

This mornng I made another cornbread and reduced the temp from 375-deg F to 350-deg F and ended up inreasing the time by 24%. The result was a much flatter cornbread. The edges remained crisp, perhaps a skosh more than when baked at the higher teemperature, a bit of a surprise. I wish I had a before shot to show you. Thanks for your suggestions. I learned something and improved my results.

Well, that's certainly a solid recommendation ...

(eG-friendly Amazon.com link) I like this unit because of its removeable cup and larger capacity than my old and trusty Krups. If anyone here has had experience with this unit, good or bad, I'd like to hear about it. I bought and got rid of another similar model by Secura because it wasn't very efficient. Is there any other spice grinder you'd recommend? I read the previous threads about grinders but they're old and I'm looking for fresher information. Andiesenji mentioned using the dry blade and container on her Vitamix, but there was nothing more than a brief mention. Anyone using the Vitamix to grind spices, and how has it worked for you?

Have you seen the PBS show, Octopus: Making Contact from a few years back. A teacher in Alaska brought an octopus into his home and the show examines the creature's relationship with his family, especially his daughter. https://weta.org/watch/shows/nature/can-teenager-befriend-octopus-67gdhs

As part of my breakfast this morning, I enjoyed some homemade almond milk, made with the organic, raw almonds that arrived yesterday from Massa Organics (https://massaorganics.com/). I've been making almond milk for years and always use raw, organic, almonds from either Massa or another local grower. There's a real flavor difference between them and roasted or cooked nuts, and the older nuts often found in supermarkets. I usually sweeten the nut milk with one or two medjool dates, sometimes I'll add a couple-three drops of vanilla extract or a small piece of vanilla bean (my preference), and always include a very small amount of Diamond Crystal salt. The almonds are soaked in filtered water for at least twelve hours. They are first rinsed well and then the water is changed at least once during the soak. The almonds are then put into a high-powered blender and very cold water is added. The percentage of almonds to water varies by my mood. Most of the time I use about 1.5 cups of dry almonds to about 3/4 of a liter of water. This morning I went a little thinner, using 1 cup of almonds to .8 liter of water. The whole measuring thing is purely personal preference. After whirring for about a minute on high, the mixture is strained through a nut bag. I use Ellie's which is a very well-made and durable product. I've been using mine since 2016: (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) Maybe you'll try something like this. It's very refreshing and very easy to make.

There was a slight delay in getting these picked as there was some wet weather that prevented the harvest. I'm looking forward to some great oranges this year. I once had a neighbor who had an orange tree, and I tred some unripe oranges. They were more like lemons in their taste and astringency, and they worked as a nice alternative to lemons in some instances. If you ever get a chance to taste an unripe orange, give it a try and see what you think.

Thanks for that. I checked my recipe files and, indeed, all the ink recipes call for squid. Don't know why I was thinking octopus other than, perhaps, because I recently watched a documentary about an octopus (My Octopus Teacher, Netflix).

Is there any advantage over getting time and temp dialed in and using a better technique?

@ElsieD Is there any difference between cuttlefish ink and octopus ink for cooking purpses?

Nice soup, nice bowl.

Organic Satsuma Mandarin Oranges From Masa Organics. Capay Valley, California I get a box or two from this grower every year, often along with some raw, organic almonds and their excellent brown rice. Received my annual CARE package earlier today and the Satsumas are being enjoyed ... slowly ... for lunch.

Might lower temp and longer baking time correct this issue? I've been baking at 375-f, maybe drop to 350-f and add some time?

Many times I have looked Death in the eye, and Death blinked. I have, however, always feared my mother's cooking <shudder> Her notorious "Smoke Alarm Meatballs" brought terror to the residents our quiet neighborhood.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-make-death-dinner-black-banquet? It’s the year 89. A group of Roman senators has arrived at a banquet hosted by Emperor Domitian. Instead of a warm, convivial scene of free-flowing wine and comfortable couches, they find a totally black room, from the walls to the dishes. At each of their seats stands a personalized tombstone. Boys, naked and painted black, enter “like phantoms” and dance about the room. And the food? Not only is it black as well, but the menu consists of foods typically offered to the dead. According to the third-century historian Dio Cassius, who provides the sole account of the dinner in his Roman History, the effect was pure terror. As they tucked into their meal, their host talked “only upon topics relating to death and slaughter.” Each senator, Dio writes, “feared and trembled and was kept in constant expectation of having his throat cut the next moment.”

I don't bake much, and my skills and knowledge are pretty basic. When I have baked my cornbread in an 8x8 pan, the center rises higher than the edges. What causes that? Can it be prevented?

Everything I've read (not very much) about this subject suggests that an emulsifier is used to hold things together. From one source: I am not sure this is indeed the complete list of ingredients, especially because there is nothing inside to bind the pasta and prevent it from falling apart. Is it possible that Italian law allows producers to leave out ingredients if used in very small amounts? Many binders are added in sub-percent ratios. Besides, it doesn't say what was done to the corn. It could be in the form of modified starch, and you can never know what exactly they did to the starch to get it to glue together.

This is my Everyday Cornbread, based on a back-of-the-box recipe from Bob's Redmill and modified for my preferences. This is the cornbread I can make in my sleep using the countertop oven. It is made with Bob's organic medium grind cornmeal soaked in buttermilk. The batter was made with lightly browned butter and a hint of black pepper was added. Also added was a small can of not-too-hot, well-drained, Trader Joe's Hatch chilies. It's been a while since I made this, and I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I'm enjoying it right now with a cup of Ethiopian coffee.

No. I was surprised by how well it held up. However, the outer stainless shell was grossly discolored and the bottom of the pot became quite rough. The pan no longer moved smoothly over the hob. The bottom of the interior was partially covered with what looked like carbon, but it seemed like it was embedded or mixed with the stainless. It couldn't be removed with the techniques I knew. The area not damaged by this carbon-like element was grossly discolored and looked like a light bronze color, quite similar to the exterior bronzing on the side of the pot. It broke my heart to see such a nice pan meet such a sad demise.

I finally got around to trying the pizza for lunch today, and in general, I liked it. I have to get the baking time adjusted as it came out a bit over baked, but the topping and the spiciness were pretty good. I blended some fresh grated Reggiano and Pecorino, mixed in some fresh ground Kashmiri and Calabrian peppers along with some finely flaked Turkish Aleppo, and generously sprinkled it over the pie after removing it from the Breville. Overall, a nice enhancement to a pretty decent topping. I'll definitely buy another one and continue playing with the baking time/temp.

I like your poitive attitude. 😃

I long ago switched from "table salt" to Diamond Crystal as my standard salt. I sometimes use other salts, such as Redmond (https://redmond.life/collections/real-salt) or Malden. But they are not for general cooking. I could always taste something odd about table salt, and when I tried DC many years ago I never looked back. There's no need for iodized salt for most people as there's so much of it in the prepared, frozen, and canned foods that most folks eat that adding it to your cooking and meals is not needed.

Goodbye to an old friend: I wouldn't necessarily call this "fun stuff," but the pot I purchased over the weekend is one I love to use. One of my favorite pots is the All-Clad D5 1.5 quart saucepan. I've had it for years and use it almost every day, sometimes more than once a day. It practically lives on my stovetop. A few days ago I ruined it. Left it on a high burner with some water in it, got distracted, and when I discovered the pot, it was toast. Sadness and depression ensued followed by a visit to Amazon to get a replacement. Amazon said it was unavailable and didn't know when it would return to stock. No big deal, off to All-Clad, where it was also unavailable. Uh Oh, this was getting serious. Further checking led me to Williams-Sonoma where I found it at a very good price. W-S has saved me $$ on All-Clad before. Pot should be here in a couple of days. Resting forlorn in the trash is the old D5. So, is this a fun stuff posting, or just a shopping post, or a sad kitchen tale post?

I want to change the cornmeal/flour ratio, primarily to see if it increases the corn taste and perhaps provide a more rustic texture. I thought I'd use ½ cup of flour and 1½ cups of cornmeal. Will doing this dictate a change in the amount of buttermilk (liquid) used? I am not looking for any other recipes or additions or changes. I have numerous corn muffin and cornbread recipes in my files, but the one on the back of Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal, and referenced above, is the one I'm interested in modifying here. All I want to know is if by changing the percentages of cornmeal and flour if it's advisable to change the amount of liquid.