Shel_B

What causes the brownies to pull away from the pan? Most of the time when I make my brownies, the mixture pulls away from the pan a bit, and that seems to enhance the crust around the edges of the brownie, which is exactly what I want. So, why does that happen? I've not been able yet to discern what I do differently when the brownie's edge doesn't pull away from the pan.

Ahh! ... I get it.

I'd rather not spend that kind of money ... never heard of the Waring Xtreme, but I did check into it. Looks like a nice machine from what I saw.

Paul, I find Pacific to be an awful boxed stock. Coincidentally, I was watching a CI video about tasting various stocks, and Pacific came in dead last. While I recognize that we all have different palates, you might want to try tasting a few different brands, if you've not already done so. Maybe you have, and found that Pacific is just fine for you. FWIW, when looking for a boxed stock, I tested perhaps a half dozen, looking not only for taste but at the ingredient list as well, and settled on Costco's organic chicken stock. Also, in various taste tests, Swanson's cooking stock fared well. That said, when making a soup with a full quart of stock, I'll sometimes use one packet of gelatin, and that gives a satisfactory mouth feel and texture. And while this only tangentially addresses your question, when making locro and similar soups/stews, I'll add a pig's foot for the gelatin. The local Mexican market has 'em for cheap.

I like that the chicken (pork) is baked, and that the recipe is simple. It might be a good starting point for my experiments. Thanks!

OK, that's a good start. Thanks!

About ten days ago Toots requested that she'd like me to make her some sweet and sour pork. She's always giving me challenges <LOL> I've never made S&S pork before, and have just started looking for recipes and ideas. I have, however, gone to a few restaurants and ordered the dish, and came away wondering how such crap could be served in what were otherwise reasonably decent restaurants. Some dishes were excessively sweet, loaded with chunks of pineapple; others were greasy and very one dimensional; and one tasted of raw flour (I'm assuming that had something to do with coating and frying the pieces of pork). The version I had for lunch today was grey in color, the pieces of pork were very fatty, and there was little sweet or sour taste to it - but it was redolent of raw flour. So, does anyone have a recipe for good, flavorful S&S pork, not greasy, not cloyingly sweet, and with a nice, round sour taste to it (Toots does love sour and tangy tastes)? Thanks!

What's the difference between these techniques: Mix, Blend, Stir, and Incorporate, especially when making baked goods? All of these should be considered as being done by hand, not with any machines. I always thought they were pretty much the same, but I saw a demonstration showing the difference between mixing and stirring, and it had to do with the direction and motion of the spoon. So I'm now thinking that there are differences between all of these techniques. Thanks for any help.

Finally got over to BB this morning and found the bulk salt ... good tip! The 5-lbs of sea salt I got should do the trick just fine.

I looked in several markets and couldn't find that salt, or that salt type, and these were markets known for having a robust selection of many items.

Yes, the Breville is on the short list as well. Based on reviews and comments about the Ninja, it's dropped a few notches on my list. What about this one: http://video.bedbathandbeyond.com/v/1546/die-cast-hemisphere-blender-by-breville-blenders/ although it is a bit more than I want to spend.

No, I meant 190-degrees ... (typo ... brain fart ... senior moment ... ) choose one <LOL>

It's in the oven now. I brought the water up to about 290-deg on the stovetop while preheating the oven to 300-deg. Slid in the beef, and put the pot into the oven. Checked after about 40-min and there was but the slightest hint of bubbles. Read your messages, and it looks like we're on the same page. Thanks for your help and suggestions. Gonna check again and use the thermometer to check the liquid temp. Looking forward to a nice dinner.

Gonna cook the corned beef tonight. Was thinking that a long, slow braise would be the way to go - maybe 300-deg F. until done. Comments or suggestions welcome.

It won't remove stains, and that's my concern. Others, elsewhere, have suggested that it's good for getting off crusted and burnt on junk, though.

I don't think I'll be using abrasives on my LC interiors.

That doesn't address interior enamel that has become stained. The enamel has become stained even though I wash the pots carefully and soon after they have cooled sufficiently from cooking.

The interior of my Le Creuset Dutch oven is starting to exhibit some staining - not much and certainly not anything (yet) that impedes the cooking process or the pot's usefulness. However, is it possible that, over time, this staining could effect the cooking process? With that vague thought in mind, maybe someone knows the best way to clean the LC interiors - rid them of stains or perhaps cleaning techniques that will minimize staining. I've checked a little on various web sites, and the comments were all over the place. I don't want to use anything that may damage the enamel, nor do I want to use harsh chemicals, such as oven cleaner (which may not be too good anyway). Any suggestions, especially based on experience, would be appreciated.

Why not for brownies? Do you have any trouble getting the brownies out of the unlined pan? Any tips on how to do it? Thanks!

Does freezing yogurt in any way alter the taste or texture when defrosted? Also, does freezing alter the yogurt's cooking properties, such as when baked into a bread?

This has been on my mind for a short while: When making certain baked goods, like brownies, is it better to line the pan (in this case a Corningware Visions 8x8 dish) with aluminum foil or parchment paper? Will the results be different? Should the parchment paper be oiled, as the foil is? What about when making cookies on an aluminum sheet pan? In the past, I've used parchment paper, but have not oiled it? And what about when roasting vegetables? Any clear choice there? Or does it come down to personal preference rather than performance?

A Ninja blender is being considered to replace an old, small unit that was recently been recycled. I don't need something that will crush ice, nor one that will make soup with its supersonic rotating blades. I do want a good capacity (close to, or even above) two quarts, either standard or with an added large capacity container. Durability is of importance, of course. This is the model I'm considering: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/ninja-reg-nj600-professional-blender/3239578 Any comments on this blender, other Ninja blenders, or other blenders that may fit my requirements? Thanks!

Last week Toots bought a box of Streit's matzo, and yesterday we took a look at the ingredients listed on the box. Surprisingly, canola oil was listed. I've always known matzo to be just flour and water, and the other matzo we have, from Israel, lists just that, flour and water. So, what's the purpose of canola (or any other, I suppose) oil in matzo? Oh, as an aside, malt was also listed as an ingredient. What's that all about? Signed, Perplexed in Peoria

Might be worth a try ... thanks!

That's not going to happen for me - no plans to get a vacuum sealer (although I thought I had one).