Shel_B

What more needs to be said ...

Trader Joe's Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup Many of us, at least here in the US, enjoyed Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup as kids, and, I'm sure, many people still enjoy it as adults. It's considered by many to be a "comfort food," especially when served alongside a grilled cheese sandwich. I've been enjoying a more interesting version of tomato soup over the years, compliments of our good friends at Trader Joe's. I usually buy the organic, low sodium version, but TJ's also has an organic version with more salt, if that's your preference, and perhaps a non-organic version as well. I always add some red pepper flakes, usually Aleppo pepper flakes, and sometimes add a diced jarred roasted red pepper to it as well. Now that's a bowl of comfort for me, along with a grilled cheese sandwich made with some Chipotle Jack from the Winters Cheese Company in Northern California.

Keeping whole grains refrigerated or in the freezer and stored in tightly sealed containers (I use Mason jars) prevents rancidity for a very long time. Koda brown rice is available in 1-lb vacuum sealed packages which also helps to keep the rice fresh.

From an older Washington Post interview: I’m happy that people don’t seem to harass you for not being totally vegetarian, something you’re very upfront about. In fact, I noticed that there was just one review on Amazon complaining about that, and dozens of other reviewers jumped to your defense to say that, of course, it doesn’t matter. I did have 20 years of hands-on experience, so it’s not like I’m jumping on the bandwagon and discovering my inner vegetarian. I’m doing a book signing this weekend in Santa Fe, at a butcher shop, with Joseph Shuldiner, who wrote “Pure Vegan.” He sent it to me and I thought, “You can’t possibly be vegan, this is way too much fun.” We’re both coming from the same point of view. We’re not interested in fundamental lifestyles of vegetarianism and veganism. We’re interested in integrity, which is the same as the person who started the butcher shop. The meat is local, it’s grass-fed, it’s from here. And we admire that. It’s not about saying no to this or no to that. It can be if you want, or it can be that you simply want to eat some vegetables. And from another interview: Q: Tell us about your background and how you became interested in vegetarian cooking. A: I grew up in Northern California, in Davis. Meat was not very important in my mother's kitchen, but we weren't vegetarians. We just didn't have a lot of meat. When I lived in a Buddhist community in the 1970s and 1980s and we decided to be vegetarian, it wasn't really an issue for me. I just wanted to cook. I cooked in that community in different capacities for about 18 years, including starting Greens restaurant in San Francisco. But outside of that time, I've never considered myself a vegetarian – more of a 90 percent-er. I wanted to be able to work on improving conditions for animals, not just ignoring them...

For the past year or so I've been enjoying Koda brown rice. I find it superior in some ways to the Massa, although both are excellent and I use them interchangeably. Proprietary Conventional and Certified Organic Heirloom Whole Grain Brown Kokuho Rose® brand – medium grain – rice grown exclusively on Koda Farms since the 1950s. Unlike modern varieties, Kokuho Rose is a true heirloom, possessing hallmarks that stand in stark contrast to those considered desirable in industrial scale farming. In essence, Kokuho Rose is slow to mature, low in yield, and tall in stature – adding significant effort to its production. Preserving this proprietary strain of rice requires a three year commitment merely to produce the seed, which Koda Farms fulfills by maintaining their private seed nurseries. A perfect expression of the land it was specifically bred to thrive upon, we consider our rice to be “au terroir”. Whole grain with bran layer intact, our genmai (Japanese for “brown rice”) is complex and subtle, light floral flavor with a naturally slightly sweet afternote. Tender texture, but more substantial than our white KR. . Perfect for table rice, sushi, as well as other traditional medium grain preparations which depend on a similar starch profile such as Italian risotto and Spanish paella. Again, our product averages less than 2% broken kernels. (USDA industry standard allows up to 4% broken kernels.) Versions: Conventional and Certified Organic by CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), certified Kosher by KSA, GMO free (Non-GMO Project Verified), Gluten free. No additives of any sort, pure, unadulterated rice. Package formats: 50Lbs, 15Lbs, 10Lbs, 5Lbs, & 1Lb

It looks to me that there's a big glob of unmelted fat right in the center of the roll. Is that the case? After 48-hours of cooking, I'd have though all the fat would have been rendered out. To what temperature did you cook the brisket?

Elvis was in terrible health. At the time of his death, his weight was estimated at 350 pounds and he was virtually non-functional at the end, being mostly bed-ridden and requiring permanent nursing care. He certainly enjoyed plenty of "Elvis" sandwiches ...not that that was the only factor contributing to his demise. Probably a good idea to minimize intake of those sandwiches though ... "just sayin'"

Looks nice ...

I picked up a jar today. They are a little spicier than I'd imagined although well within my tolerance range and quite acceptable. They will go well on my lunch sandwich made with another of my TJ's favorites. This is not the best pastrami out there, certainly not comparable to the many excellent NYC type pastramis, but I like the flavor, the meat is lean, each slice is just about the perfect size for a sandwich, and it's quite convenient to use. IMO, an ideal convenient sandwich filling. Also works nice with scrambled eggs as an alternative to salami and eggs.

Have you been satisfied with the Epicentre products? So, you're saying that the spice blend from Spicetrekkers are whole spices that I'd grind as needed? That's very nice.

Wherever possible and practical, I buy whole spices and grind or pulverize them before using. And when buying spices, I buy small amounts so when I use them, they are generally fresher. Nothing worse than old, flavor-depleted spices. That said, I may choose to buy some prepared Ras el Hanout spice mixes because of the often large number of spices incorporated into some blends, and buying several different blends will allow for easier comparisons. The links you provided are very helpful. What I noticed is that some have prepared blends that include a great number of spices, more, and more interesting, than many blends and even the recipes I've discovered on line. They seem to be a good way to learn about some of the blends. In that vein, I discovered this online store yesterday. Here's the link to their listing for Ras el Hanout.

The only dry mustard powder I've tried has been Coleman's, and it's pretty hot. Are all dry mustard powders similarly hot or are there milder brands?

Well, let's bump this up and see where it goes ... I would like to play around with making this spice mixture. Various sites on line have recipes, and they vary widely. Certainly some of these mixtures could be a good starting place. However, I'd like to get some suggestions here, where there may be some who have had hands-on experience blending their own mixtures. Looking at the on line recipes, it seems as though I have many, if not most or all, of the more commonly referenced ingredients, and anything that's not here can surely be easily obtained. All suggestions are welcome, including recipes with proportions, techniques, and, of course, some discussion. Thanks!

I like the texture of those muffins. Over the years I've tried making English muffins two or three times, and never got the texture right. Can you provide the recipe and technique used? Thanks!

I received and skimmed through the magazine yesterday, and my first impression resulted in a big shrug. However, I wasn't feeling well, suffering from a severe cold, so I'll take another look when feeling better. That said, I like the concept of the magazine and web site, bringing what might be considered non-traditional recipes and cooking ideas to the readership. That might be a hot idea in many places, but here in the San Francisco area, it's old news. Nothing in the publication jumped out at me and said "Go shopping and get cooking," although I did like the cole slaw recipe even though it's nothing really new here. I guess I just like cole slaw, and there were some interesting and proven (again, not new) preparation techniques used. I like new, innovative, and creative ideas for technique ... hopefully, when I read the issue in depth, I'll become more enthused. I agree with DDF about the font ... a bit small for my old eyes and not one that I particularly like. That there are color pics as opposed to CI's B&W images is a plus. Color always enhances cooking (and other) magazines. However, I do like CI's cover artwork a lot more than the covers on Milk Street. I'm tempted to subscribe just to see where this new publication goes, and if it stays true to it's stated premise. OTOH, I may just use the web site for recipes and ideas. IOW, I'm on the fence and hoping that the magazine lives up to it's promise and potential. $20.00 ain't too much ... I just spent more than that for a few 1/2 pound bags of coffee beans at Peet's.

Please explain this comment. It makes no sense to me. Why should hummus not be eaten before noon or in the evening? What time frame defines "evening" in your part of the world?

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll check them out at my next visit. I sometimes want just that sort of pickle.

Coincidentally, I was looking at This Recipe on Serious Eats earlier, and they showed making the spaghetti in a skillet, with, obviously, very little water. A comment was that the extra starchy water contributed to making an excellent sauce. So, there you have it ... less water than even I was using. Interesting how things have changed. It was always important to use lots of water, now we are using a minimal amount of water.

I usually cook a single serving of pasta in one quart (or less) of water ... I don't measure precisely, but, in any case, I sometimes want starchier H2O than I get.

I understand the dynamics of using the pasta cooking water to add starch and substance to various pasta sauces. However, I often use this whole wheat pasta which doesn't put as much starch into the water as more conventional pasta. What might be a good way to add some starch to the water? Thanks!

Chris Kimball presents a 12 course dinner based on Fannie Farmer's 1896 cookbook, the Boston Cooking-School Cookbook. Dishes were prepared in Kimball's Victoria-style kitchen over a huge wood-burning stove. Watch how recipes were tested and prepared, with everything made from scratch, including making gelatin, working with calves' heads, and recreating recipes using 100+ year old tools. This is a fascinating look back to an exciting time in the United States ... hope you've got a Netflix subscription. Click Here

This afternoon I threw together a little vegetable soup. I added 1 tsp of Diamond Crystal kosher salt while sautéing the mirepoix. A quick taste suggested that would be enough salt. Well, when the soup was finished, it tasted too salty. The extra salty taste may have come from the chicken stock I used (I'll have to check that later). However, I'm wondering if there's a way to reduce the saltiness - maybe drain some liquid and replace with water or some other less salty liquid. That would probably require adding some additional herbs and spices, but that's doable. Can you think of another way to accomplish the task?.

Yes, I, too, would love it if you'd share the recipe. The soup looks to be quite hearty ... yumm!

I don't know why I didn't think of some of our excellent local bakeries. Sheesh! http://www.acmebread.com/bread/rolls

For our annual holiday dinner, I've been requested to bring some dinner rolls. I am not going to bake them, rather, I want to use some frozen or otherwise prepared rolls. What brands should I look for? I think Cook's Illustrated recommended frozen Peperidge Farm rolls, but I'm not sure they are available here in the San Francisco area.