Shel_B

I appreciate all the information you've presented. It does, indeed, look like I grabbed a decent, if not great, bottle of vinegar from the shelf. It should work fine for its intended purpose. Certainly a good starting point for future explorations.

Thans for your helpful and informative post. I'll check the link to Chinese vinegars when I get home. I suspect it will prove quite helpful as well.

There's a recipe for Hot and Sour soup I'd like to try which calls for Chinkiang vinegar. I've not used this type of vinegar before and am unfamiliar with it. This morning, I picked up a bottle at the nearby big Asian market that many people use. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, they only had one brand on their shelves and it was inexpensive (not that that's a disqualifier), so I couldn't try a couple of options at different price points or (presumably) different quality or flavor points. What qualities should I look for when buying this type of vinegar? Are there any brands that you'd recommend? Does it matter much when using a small amount in a soup. This is what I ended up with:

OK, perhaps I felt the power of your influence and support. Whatever term you care to use, you've encouraged me to move forward and I'm now motivated to experiment and develop my own ideas. Perhaps to a lesser extent, I feel that dearth of food products when I travel outside of California and the Bay Area. OTOH, I love exploring the local food cultures when I travel, both inside and outside of the U.S.

G R O A N !

Robin Garr's Hairdryer (Blow-dry) Duck https://www.cheftalk.com/threads/robin-garrs-hairdryer-duck.32389/ Be sure to expand the link for the technique and details.

Yes, I know and knew of both. And there's the International Vinegar Museum in Roslyn, South Dakota. If you're gonna do mustard, you're gonna need vinegar. A lovely and long days drive on I-94 between the two. Stop about midway in Minneapolis for lunch at Marino's Delicatessen and visit Mary Tyler Moore's TV house just a short ddistance away.

I put a locally-made beef/pork brat in the Breville and cooked it to my usual degree of doneness. I picked up a fresh sourdough baguette from one of the local bakeries for the sandwich, and used one of my usual sauerkrauts, warmed and sprinkled with caraway seeds, to create the sandwich. I am satisfied. The mustard worked very well with this combo, and I also used it on the brat without any bread or 'kraut, a situation in which it shined equally as bright. Good heat, not bitter or harsh, yet still strong ... a tough guy in a dinner jacket. I'm still going to experiment with it to see how it may be improved, but right now it's fine for my sausage needs. I'd like to try it on a bockwurst. I have a feeling it would be great.

I'm hooked. The Serious Eats recipe turned out to be a great starting point. I tried it straight from the jar last night and found that it mellowed nicely since it was first made. It's still a bit hot and harsh for my taste, but today I'll try it with some sausage, perhaps a locally made brat, and see how it works when used as intended. I'm already thinking of ways to modify the recipe, including using different vinegars and a mixture of yellow and brown mustard instead of straight brown. I also found this link that's given me a few ideas: CLICK HERE You're a good enabler. Thanks!

I added some information for clarification. Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC commenced a voluntary recall of these products in October, the updated classification comes as the FDA discovered that packages of Kirkland butter don't contain the necessary "Contains Milk" allergy statement despite cream being listed as an ingredient.

Costco Just Recalled Nearly 80,000 Pounds of Butter https://www.eatingwell.com/costco-just-recalled-butter-undeclared-allergen-8742522? There’s an active recall on two types of butter sold at Costco, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This is due to the butter containing an undeclared allergen. The Kirkland Signature brand butter affected by this recall was distributed and sold at Costco warehouses in Texas. The following two products were impacted by this recall: Kirkland Signature Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter (16-ounce) with UPC 96619-38496, lot number 2424091, 2424111, 2426891 or 2426991 and best by date February 22, 2025, February 23, 2025, March 22, 2025 or March 23, 2025 Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter (16-ounce) with UPC 96619-38488, lot number 2424191 or 2427591 and best by date February 23, 2025 or March 29, 2025 Costco is recalling these products as there is undeclared milk in the butter, which can confuse consumers to believe that the butter is dairy-free. If you have bought Kirkland Signature brand butter on or before October 11, check your product immediately. If it matches the recall information and you have a sensitivity or allergy to milk, dispose of it as soon as possible or return it to your local Costco for a refund. Those with dairy allergies who eat or are in contact with this butter may experience an allergic reaction as severe as anaphylaxis. If you or someone you know is showing signs of anaphylaxis like hives, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, tightness of the throat or cardiac arrest, call 911 immediately. Added for clarification: Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC commenced a voluntary recall of these products in October, the updated classification comes as the FDA discovered that packages of Kirkland butter don't contain the necessary "Contains Milk" allergy statement despite cream being listed as an ingredient.

That reminds me of a simiar story involving Joyce Goldstein who, at the time, was operating Square One in San Francisco. Friends and I loved the place and we visited several times a year. My friend, Cathy, loved a roasted duck dish that Joyce made. Joyce told Cathy that, if we gave her some notice of when we were coming, she'd be sure to make the dish for us, which she did a couple of times. After a while, I called the restaurant and spoke with Joyce, and asked if she could send me the recipe. She said she would, and she did. And what she sent was a typed, final draft of the recipe with handwritten notes that was going into her next-to-be-released book. A special treat. Joyce is a warm, accommodating, and friendly person, and our memories and stories of our meals and experiences at Square One are many and pleasant.

The Atlas Obscura books (https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/atlas-obscura-book) and media are a treasure trove of fascinating and informational articles covering a wide range of subjects. This article appeared in todays issue of Gastro Obscura. I hope you enjoy it and Atlas Obscura, if you're not already familiar with them. I subscribe to their newsletter. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sandwiches-of-history-cookbook?

A lot of my oils are stored in the refrigerator and rancidity is not a problem. Also, the temp in my apartment stays around 70-deg F all the time and humidity here is generally quite low. Those things may help me and perhaps the fridge can help you. I remember Costa Rica has being warm and humid, very much like Panama, and we kept a lot of things in the refrigerator in Panama. Well, the filling is easy, and if the wrappers will bake well and get crispy-crunchy, I may give it a try. I can buy wrappers readily enough. Might even consider playing around with other types of wrapping, like puff pastry. They won't be conventional spring rolls, but they might be nice ... gotta think about that. I guess that's not such a new idea ... just found this: https://www.puffpastry.com/recipe/mediterranean-spring-rolls/

Yeah, that too.

Well, yeah, but they've already been cooked and fried, so I'm just reheating them. I was thinking it might be a different situation. Sounds like you're telling me no, at least in the concept.

I was thinking about the splattering, and I wonder if that can be eliminated by shallow frying in a deep-sided vessel, such as a Dutch oven. Can't oil be reused? I remember mom and grandma reusing their cooking oil.

Deep frying definitely, an inch is already pretty deep for me, but I will examine that more closely. But I can't say that it'll make much difference, but .... No air fryer here, no plans or interest in getting one any time soon. However, do you think they can be baked or "fried" in the Breville oven with decent results. Thanks for implanting the idea.

I've thought about it, and that's as far as I've gone. I have a block about frying ... I like the linked page. I'll return to it and go through it more thoroughly, see what manifests ...

Then I stand corrected. Thanks!

BINGO! There are some recipes that I've been working on for years. One in particular has been modified almost every time I make it because each time I make it I get another idea.

Non of that is of great importance for me. I'm an experientially oriented person, i.e., I like to do things to learn and to enjoy the experience of learning. You and I walk different paths. And there's the convenience factor. If I learn to make or do something myself, I can have it most any time I want it without a trip to the store or market, which sometimes is a PITA.

I tried these yesterday, not very good, or at least not what I was hoping for:

It was suggested that a raspberry buttercream might be nice. Perhaps an orange or lemon glaze.

I made the mustard today. It has to rest for a couple-three days, but the first taste was excellent. My nutmeg, even though from fresh grated, may have been a bit old as it has been wrapped well and in the freezer for perhaps too long. Still, the results were very satisfactory. The other spices were fresh and very flavorful, especially the allspice. @TropicalseniorSo, thanks for your help and suggestions. I will definitely try more mustard recipes as it's easy, convenient, and economical, and looks like excellent results are possible. Of course, some adjustments to the ingredient amounts for this recipe may be in order, but I'll see in a few days. It might end up being a skosh thick, too.