blue_dolphin

Masala Chai and Jeera (cumin) Biscuits from Dishoom

Yes, it could have been the bourbon. The limoncello recipe calls for the same 2T but the bourbon is higher proof so more alcohol. Neither of them were unacceptably soft, just enough that the little button on my scooper that pushes the ice cream out of the scoop left a little dent in the top of the scoop that I felt I needed to smooth over for the photo 🙃 I'll just have to work on my scooping skills! I like using simple syrup to sweeten my popsicles as I can chill down my mix and taste/tweak the sweetness when it's cold. I was pleased that it worked OK here.

I did hesitate a while before jumping on the Creami bandwagon but finally caved and I'm quite delighted with it. I've always wanted to play around with making ice cream but since it's just me here, large batches aren't a good idea. I want to play around with different recipes, not make a lot of any one thing. For my first 2 batches, I followed in the footsteps of @ElsieD with the limoncello ice cream from the included recipe book and a variation of the David Lebovitz peach ice cream that she linked to above. Both are delicious if a bit soft to scoop immediately post-spin. I used perfectly ripe farmers market peaches and the flavor of that one is especially delicious. Here's my modification of that recipe: Roasted Peach & Bourbon Ice Cream ~ 400g ripe peaches [a 1/2 recipe would call for 300g but I went with 1 large and 1 small] 3 oz vanilla infused 1:1 simple syrup [recipe calls for separate sugar and water, I had this on hand] 1/4 cup yogurt [recipe calls for sour cream - I got none} 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 T bourbon [I omitted the ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract A few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice I cut the unpeeled peaches in half, removed the pits and roasted them in the CSO for 20 min @ 350°F on steam-bake. Let them cool briefly, then threw them in the Blendtec with all the other ingredients. I let the mixture stand a bit so I could stir out the bubbles before pouring into the Creami container. Due to the extra amount of peaches, I had enough extra mix to make 2 popsicles and will pay more attention to measurements next time. My freezer fluctuates between -2 to -8°F and I usually have to let purchased ice cream warm up before serving and I suspect that will be the case with these but we'll see.

I don't have any recommendations but wonder if your interests would be better served by seeking out regional cookbooks rather than broader books divided by region? I see many interesting-sounding options mentioned earlier in this thread but have no idea how easy they are to find and there's relatively little commentary about which ones are best. But over in India: Dining, @Jenni shares her thoughts on a lot of them in this post and just a couple of posts before, she shared a great post that discusses regional variations. Pushpesh Pant's India: Cookbook (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) does delve into regional recipes but isn't organized that way. There's a small eG thread about it here, where @Jenni offers a comment that would also nudge one in the direction of regional sources: I'll also add that last one is a Phaidon book and I've found many of their cookbooks to be beautiful to look at but poorly edited from a cook's perspective.

Coincidentally, the recipe I used today cooked the fried egg using a very similar hot-pan -> oven to finish method. Kejriwal from Dishoom. This is basically the Chilli Cheese Toast that appears later in the book with a fried egg on top. A handful of the chile-cheese mixture gets tossed in the frypan on top of the egg before it goes into the oven. Served with some tomato chutney on the side.

Very good to see ladies lunching up north! I shared a ladies lunch with 3 former work colleagues yesterday and it was a treat to actually socialize with other human beings. We went to Made in Italy, a rare (for this area) non-chain restaurant open for dine-in lunch. With so many office people working from home, lunch business has dwindled. Here's the menu. I ordered the pizza bianca with zucchini, mushrooms, caramelized onions, pesto & pecorino and a glass of vermentino, two ladies had the veggie panini with grilled zucchini & eggplant, caramelized onions, avocado, sprouts & pesto and pinot grigio while the third had penne alla bettola, a tomato sauce. I left my phone in the car so I don't have photos but one of my friends shared this one from which you can gather that the portions were very generous and we all had leftovers to take home. I will also note that all three of my friends used to color their hair but quit during the pandemic while I took it up as a new hobby 🙃

Out and about yesterday and spotted Wild Fork “Opening Soon” and “Hiring Now” signs at a local strip mall. Curious to see what their retail store will be like. From their online job posting, it seems I could get unlimited free shipping as an employee perk. Hmmm…

I can't say that particular photo tempts me, but Max Halley has a recipe for Lasagne Balls in his cookbook - breaded and deep fried as you would arancini - and they sound like excellent drunk food to me!

I agree, the Hatch chile flavor was subtle. I bought a tin of that fish, too. Found some reviews on reddit. My favorite: "It tasted like the color beige." You encouraged me to open it. Mashed up the skin with a little meat and some of the broth and offered to cats. Patrick sampled a bit and left. Michael cleaned up the rest. If it's discontinued, there's really no point in figuring out the best use of it so I'll probably give them the rest.

Like @ElsieD, I'm a buyer not a seller. If you can keep your display samples looking as nice and un-melty as possible, I think it would help your sales. Yesterday, after reading this query, I made a point to stop by the one chocolate booth at my local farmers market. It was 95°F. They do toffee, all chocolate covered, and sell pre-boxed combos of different sizes and flavor combinations, all in cello-wrapped boxes stored in big coolers under the table and out of view. Their display consists of pieces on glass-domed cake stands with flavor descriptions below and cello-wrapped boxes with lids removed so you could see the contents. They had cool-packs under the boxes, hidden beneath the table drape but when I went by at 3 PM (market is noon - 5 PM), they were looking melty and the pieces inside the glass domes were worse. I wouldn't even want a sample and I know I'd be sold pristine stock but those pieces were like a preview of how they'd probably look by the time I got home. It just wasn't a chocolate day 😢

I have this OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). It's 11 inches overall and the wire part is ~ 6.5 inches long. Not sure that suits your size needs but the wires are sealed in the way you describe. They make other sizes, not sure if the design is the same. Here's a photo, where I hope you can see the way the wires are surrounded by a clear sealing material: Ooops. I just realized that you said all-stainless and this one has a plastic handle. Sorry!

Technically, I suppose they are giving out a coupon for more jars - it just happens to be a 10% off coupon rather than a coupon for free jars but I agree the come-on sounds like it would be the latter and wish you well in your efforts!

I made some Pear-Vanilla Jam this morning and sampled some on toast with butter and with blue cheese Both good.

Would you be willing to share your recipe? I'm going to get together on Friday with a friend who gave me homemade limoncello and would love to share some ice cream if my Ninja Creami arrives in time. My major donation will be peach & bourbon popsicles so it's no big deal if it doesn't work for me but I'd love to try!

Vanilla waffles with vanilla bourbon maple syrup, fresh peaches and pecans

Mushroom, for sure. I also like the citrus risotto from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Edited to add - I like that one with shrimp:

Yes, like these people

Me, me, me! I'm also sorry that you can't be in Bermuda but I'd be happy to travel anywhere with you. Your photos are always glorious and I'm not going anywhere so I welcome the opportunity!

Got this Red Butte Hatch Chile cheese from Beehive Cheese in Utah. Can't remember if I've tried it before or not. Cheddar style, so a much more flavorful cheese than a pepper jack but not super aged - the texture is much more creamy than crumbly. Hatch chile flavor is present but subtle with little heat, though I can't rule out the possibility of a hot bit sneaking in. Will have to try it in a grilled cheese. It's $9.99 at TJ's. Info from Beehive Cheese's website at this link.

I don't bake that much so I really don't need more baking books but somehow All Day Baking: Savoury, Not Sweet (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) by Michael James and Pippa James jumped into my cart the other day and turned up at my doorstep. Aside from spoons, measurements are all in weights, including eggs. Both grams and ounces are given but the intro states that the recipes were tested with grams and recommends using those weights. Measuring spoons are Australian standard measures The flavor combinations are intriguing. Kimchi & Cheddar Puff Pastry Tarts, anyone?

Cornbread, revived in the CSO then lightly toasted, with whipped mascarpone butter and warm blueberry compote And an August Lady peach

I picked up take-out yesterday from a local Cajun/Creole place and ordered an assortment of sides for a planned-over breakfast Black-eyed peas, collards and sautéed squash & onions, corn bread with orange marmalade honey butter.

Treated myself to take-out for yesterday's late lunch/early dinner. Creole-seasoned halibut with crab & crawfish étouffée sauce on pappardelle

Coconut, Vanilla Bean & Rum Based on a simple recipe in Pure Vanilla. Just coconut milk infused with vanilla beans and a little sugar. I added the rum, Koloa Kaua'i from Hawaii, because it's what I do 🙃 Not my favorite coconut pop but it's a delicious vanilla pop. Love the little flecks of vanilla caviar.

Today's breakfast was toasted focaccia spread with some of that runny St. Albans cheese from TJ's that came in the little crock and topped with warm blueberry compote. Toasted walnuts on the side