Shel_B

I've not tried this one yet, mainly because of the price ... https://safecatch.com/

I'm not asking to recreate FIL's dish. Just looking for ways to lighten a custard dish like flan, crème brulee, and similar custards. However, your suggestions are certainly worth considering and perhaps playing with. Thanks!

won't get an NO2 siphon, but the idea of adding more air is something to consider. I suspect there's another way to do it. Thanks!

OK ... some things to think about here. Thanks!

Over the past year+ we've been visiting Costco about once a month, and some time back sweetie bought the described Kirkland tuna. Not bad for a run-of-the-mill "commercial" product. I'd certainly buy it again for certain preparations.

Last night a friend mentioned that his wife's father, a pastry chef who worked in the middle east, made the lightest and most ethereal custard. I like custard, but usually what I eat and what I make don't come close to being truly light and ethereal. BTW, I'm talking about custards when made like flan or crème brûlée . Recognizing, of course, that there may be different ideas about what "light and ethereal" means, let me ask how a custard may be made lighter (not necessarily low calorie or low fat), perhaps more diaphanous in mouth feel. Would putting more air into the custard help? How about adjusting the amounts of egg, or egg white? Maybe folding in some beaten egg white just before baking? Thanks!

Here's one ... recommended by CI

Thanks for posting this colcannon info. It looks like something Toots would really enjoy, as she loves potatoes and greens. I never heard of colcannon although, back in the early fall of 1969, a friend of mine introduced me to potatoes and cabbage mashed together with some butter and S&P. I guess that could be considered a simple version of the dish, although she didn't call it colcannon. And I rarely make it for myself, so it's not in the forefront of my thoughts. I looked up a few variations and can see how flexible this dish can be, so it will now become a regular in our weeknight dinner rotation.

Thanks! Great info ... I've always trusted Alice.

Some years ago, a friend gave me this recipe: Chocolate Muffins 2 c. sifted, all-purpose flour 3 tea. baking powder 1/2 tea. salt 3 tab. sugar 3 squares unsweetned chocolate, melted 1 egg 1 cup milk 2 tab. melted shortening What is meant by the "3 squares" of chocolate? Can I substitute cocoa powder for the squares of chocolate, and if so, what would be the equivalent amount? How would the texture/flavor of the muffin be effected? For the "melted shortening," I suppose I could use vegetable oil or melted butter, yes? Thanks!

Well, I cannot speak for others, but here in my area, we have a couple of stores that specialize in poultry - chicken, duck, goose, but also rabbit and pork, maybe a little lamb. They sell eggs as well, plus a few other things, including charcuterie. They process the chicken into stock for resale, too. Consider them like a good butcher shop that specializes in poultry. This is the shop I frequent. I will not buy poultry at a supermarket or stores like Costco. The quality of their birds is, to my standards, below par. Commercial poultry of the type they sell is an abomination - everything wrapped or packed in plastic, their providers often having to recall their product for contamination, birds washed in fecal-filled water and loaded with antibiotics, etc. And their chicken doesn't have much flavor, either.

Are you saying that you don't have a decent poultry store near you, where you're not relegated to such terrible chickens?

McDonalds to Offer All-You-Can-Eat Fries I don't know if this is something new - I never heard of it, but I don't follow what's going on at McDonalds. I had a sausage and egg McMuffin about six months ago, and before that I cannot recall when I was last in a McD. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-products/news/a37935/mcdonalds-all-you-can-eat-fries/

A lot of the times given for cooking the frozen items in an oven don't work for me, either, although 99% is way to high a number in my case. I always use the Breville oven for cooking the entrees or things like croissants, so that may be a factor. I don't buy too many frozen entrees, though, and it seems like you are drawing from a much larger sample. I purchased a frozen chicken pot pie because a friend said they were good. I'll give that a try in the next day or so, and see how it cooks up in the Breville.

I have seen the same berries in other farmers markets. Whoever produces these berries must have quite a good size farm and operation. With real estate prices, NY labor and NY taxes, there is no way you can have a real farm unless you are many hours away. I contacted the people who run some of our local markets and asked about what constitutes "local" produce and whether or not a vendor can resell products. Here's what I was told: Hi Sheldon, Typically, local produce is thought of as produce that is within 100 miles of our markets. That being said, some farms at our markets travel further than that, some much less. There can be no reselling at certified farmers' markets all produce must be produced by the seller. Reselling is a major violation! Thanks for your interest. Martin Now, some markets in our general area may not be certified, and there's no telling just where their goods come from. At a market in South Lake Tahoe I saw a vendor selling garlic from China! but that market was not certified. So, my question to you, Dcarch, is this: Where's the fraud at your market (are you even talking about fraud, or just making the point that the produce is not local)? Was the produce that you showed us represented as local? And what is your market's definition of local? We have some markets in the San Francisco Bay Area that are very specific about reselling and defining what local produce is. At some markets only organic, local produce may be sold. Others don't require organic, but the produce must be local (within that market's definition of the term) and only growers may sell, not resellers.

What is the definition of local at that farmers market?

I saw an article describing watermelon infused with, or soaked in, rose water. This interests me. Would adding rose water to watermelon and then using a vacuum chamber provide a good, even infusion?

I recently purchased a large container of kimchi at Costco. When I opened the jar, there was no fizzing or bubbling as is usually the case. Might there be a problem with the contents? The cabbage had a subtle "sourness" that I've not observed in other kimchi that I've purchased.

In the FWIW Dep't, I looked at six or so tests of Vanilla ice cream, from, of course, several sources, which gave a broad range of preferences. Ben and Jerry's came out ahead in many of the tests I viewed, and, coincidentally, TJ's was also rated very well. It would be great if you could do a side-by-side tasting. http://www.epicurious.com/archive/everydaycooking/tastetests/vanilla-ice-cream http://www.cooksillustrated.com/taste_tests/497-supermarket-vanilla-ice-cream http://www.thekitchn.com/the-vanilla-ice-cream-taste-test-we-tried-6-brands-and-ranked-them-grocery-taste-test-220506 http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Blogs/Eat-Drink-Post/July-2014/Taste-Testing-The-Best-And-Worst-Vanilla-Ice-Cream/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/22/best-vanilla-ice-cream-supermarket_n_7372888.html http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/ultimate-vanilla-ice-cream-taste-test-slideshow/slide-9

Blue_Dolphin said: Lacking that homemade ideal, is there a commercial ice cream that you would recommend as far as having the flavor you like? I would be interested in trying and comparing to the TJ's. Yes ... try Ben and Jerry's vanilla

I certainly understand differences in preferences and taste. However, I was wondering, do you use vanilla beans in your cooking, or stick to vanilla extract? Maybe the reason we see the taste so differently has to do with what we're used to.

A Disappointment: Trader Joe's French Vanilla Ice Cream I don't often buy ice cream, but when I do, I like a nice, rich, flavorful Vanilla. This ice cream has a rich mouth feel, nicely creamy, and offers a relatively small amount of overrun. In those areas it's a fine ice cream. However, the vanilla taste seemed muted, and one-dimensional, as if the ice cream was flavored with a low grade vanilla extract. The lack of a good, clear, vanilla taste ruined the enjoyment for me.

What is compressed watermelon? How's it prepared? What taste/texture/result are you expecting or looking for?

I'm looking into this matter further ... if I find out anything definitive, I'll let you know.

Toots received a Martha Stewart cutting board. It's a plastic model about 10" X 14". Toots didn't like the size, and she gave the board to me. I just started using it a couple of weeks ago, and have used it about five times. The issue is that the surface of the board is VERY slippery. When washed, water just beads up on the surface. When placed on a wooden work space, the board will slip and slide. I have two older plastic boards and neither show these characteristics. The Martha Stewart board feels like it has some sort of protective coating on it. Has anyone experienced these issues with any plastic cutting board, or does anyone know what the board may be coated with?