Katie Meadow

Haman was a wicked wicked man, and those look wicked good. Any pastry filled with mohn is in my wheelhouse. I grew up a half block from Lichtman's Hungarian Bakery in NY (and around the corner from Barney Greengrass deli). I'm surprised everyone in my family didn't look like blimps. Lichtman's made a roll that was slightly rectangular, and they sold stale slices that I think they must have pre-toasted and you could then pop them in your own toaster and eat them hot, slathered with butter. The only thing better than mohn filling was toasted mohn filling. That really was the most fabulous bakery. Long gone. Spell check kept trying to correct my description to "moon filling!" Clearly spell check didn't grow up on the upper west side.

If you were on the fence about buying an Instant Pot that mouse trap image is for sure going to send you scurrying out into the snow to find one, right? Just make sure you look inside it first.

That's brilliant. I'm going to make leek and potato soup one night soon for dinner and make sure there are leftovers for breakfast. This would be a real departure for me, although I would have pho for breakfast if it was delivered by a cart, which means I never do. Generally I swear by non-variety for breakfast; ninety nine times out of one hundred it's toast, just toast. Almost always with home made marmalade, once in a while with cinnamon sugar. In the summer when there are good tomatoes, every so often I really like toast with ricotta and a slice with a little salt. One thing I would never turn down is a toasted bagel with cream cheese and lox. If someone else makes it for me I will eat steel cut oats, but only rarely. I dislike going out for breakfast or brunch and if, god forbid, the newspaper isn't delivered, I get agitated. I love reading this thread because it is so not me. Although the pictures of poached eggs make me somewhat ill. In the morning, along with not much variety, I prefer not cooking and not talking. The not talking thing has driven my husband wild for nearly forty years. Right now it is 2am, so I might be just a tad grumpy at breakfast.

@shain That kadaif video is a total treat; just amazing.

No interest in picking them for yourself? There must be an active mycological society on Vancouver Island. I know how secretive mycologists and especially professional pickers can be, but the mycological society in SF, to which I belonged for a few years, did have some generous individuals happy to make new friends and looking for company on excursions. Those prices you are quoting --under $10 a pound--sound far too good to be true. If they are in fact getting that low of a price they must be cutting deals with some restaurants for exclusive sales. And now that I think about it, I can't imagine pickers sharing info with each other, but maybe things are different up there. Anyway, good luck! I know how good Matsutakes are.

I'm confused. How would a grinder help if the salt is already super fine? As finishing salt, a shaker might not be the best way to regulate dispensing it. Maybe just a teensy bowl and a teensy spoon? I use a teensy bowl and pinch with my fingers to get the best control when using finishing salt for the two of us. If serving a crowd I would provide a teensy spoon in case anyone would consider the alternative unsanitary. If I am salting cookies I also use my fingers for accuracy, and assume that any errant germs get baked out. Salts vary so widely in so many ways; pinching is very effective!

I am partial to Lundberg's organic CA white basmati. Amazon has a pretty good deal on it right now if you buy it through Prime Pantry ($3.49 for 32 oz), but generally it isn't cheap. Next time I am at an Indian market I will look for Tilda and try it. We eat a lot of rice, typically 5 dinners a week, one way or another.

Comparing tomato soup made in the summer from juicy ripe tomatoes to winter soup made from good quality Italian canned tomatoes is like comparing apples to oranges. They are simply different, and if you want a yummy bowl of soup in the winter you gotta go with canned tomatoes. I like to cut canned tomatoes in half and roast them in the oven to boost their flavor. And recently I learned a new trick: how to make smoky tomato soup. Of course there are many ways to do that, one being to use smoked paprika. But if you are going for smokiness that isn't paprika or chipotle flavored try this: steep some lapsang souchong tea in hot broth for a few minutes before adding the broth (or water) to the pot. Strictly up to you how much to use, and it doesn't make the soup taste like tea, if you are wondering. It's Campfire Tomato Soup. And if you don't have enough bread for grilled cheese sandwiches try making cheesy pan-fried croutons and add them before serving.

I have one of those paddles with holes but until thirty seconds ago I had absolutely no idea what it was for. I acquired it when cleaning out my mother's apartment and I find that it works very effectively for grating whole nutmeg. As for hard cheeses, I like to grate them on the box grater. I'm partial to the second smallest side, which yields fluffy little strands rather than dust.

That seems like a very untraditional tamale pie. The tamale pie we used to make in New Mexico was really more like a traditional tamale, but cooked like a cake: Spicy shredded pork with either red or green chile between two layers of masa. Of course the filling could be chicken or cheese, or anything, but whatever meat was in it was not likely to be ground. I'm sure there are Tex-Mex or soCal adaptations that vary widely. A filling that included ground beef and raisins sounds like the filling for an empanada; more like a turnover, in a pastry typically made with wheat flour.

I always thought that prunes were specifically dried "Italian plums" aka "prune plums," those small egg-shaped plums. So if you dry any other kind of plum it really would be more appropriate to call it a "dried plum" and not a prune. And I agree, those super moist Sunsweet prunes barely resemble dried fruit, they are so hydrated. I find bulk prunes are often way better, and appear more naturally dried so they are chewy the way other dried stone fruits are without that slimy quality. If I remember my tangled threads, there is a long one on eG about currants, dried currants, champaign grapes, etc. In my book raisins and dried currants are no way the same. Lots of dried grapes are reliably known as raisins, but not all are Sultanas, as far as I am aware.

Fish and cheese has always seemed like a very unappetizing combination to me. When shellfish pasta dishes are served I don't sprinkle any cheese on. Shellfish risotto has always seemed bizarre to me. The only exception, at least according to my own tastebuds, is when it comes to shrimp in Mexican food. A little melty cheese in a crispy shrimp taco isn't bad.

Perfect, we got a pack of two square ones. Now I can get rid of the giant glass jar I've been using for 40 years and that has a large shard missing from the rim on which I risk my life every time I dip in for a cup of flour. Isn't it absurd what completely nonsensical things we put up with or even get attached to? Yes, once upon a time-- so long ago I can't remember-- it was a very nice jar.

Okay, a question for Cambro fanatics: What size container is perfect for a 5 lb bag of King Arthur flour? My husband is on a bread-baking kick (so lucky I am!) and we need to neaten up and maximize our storage. He's going to Smart and Final later. Thanks!

Shain, Did you double the recipe for the long loaf pan? And what are the dimensions of your loaf pan? Thanks.

I much prefer the taste of gold-filtered coffee to paper. I have a terrific gold filter that we've been using for years, so it has paid for itself many times over, I'm sure. Sadly it is fraying from old age. I keep using it because two other gold filters I have purchased have been disappointing. My trusty one seems to have a finer mesh, so the coffee goes through slowly. The newer ones just drain through too fast, no matter how fine I grind the coffee. They are useless. So be warned. If anyone knows of a good brand with a fine mesh to recommend I'm all ears.

I have one freezer, vertical, as part of the fridge. It isn't really large, but it is certainly larger than a top or bottom freezer section in most appliances. Just as a guess, I would say about half the volume is usually stock: chicken, turkey or ham. If I cook a pot of beans or soup I try to freeze a quart, but usually we just eat the leftovers the next day. Every September and October, when fresh hot chiles are available, I roast them and pack them in usable portions in the freezer; a habit I picked up when living in New Mexico. I send away for stone-ground grits and freeze it in portion bags. Typically there are at least a couple of frozen skinned and boned chicken breast that I defrost for stir-fry or chicken salad but I don't keep other meats in the freezer, since we don't eat a lot of meat anyway. When I make a pasta or pizza sauce I try to freeze a few containers of that, but they get used pretty quickly. My husband has started making more bread, so sometimes we freeze a loaf. But generally there isn't a wide variety of stuff in our freezer. No vegetables get in there, so I would be hard put to make a meal just from the freezer. Sometimes I dream about having another freezer, like in the basement to free up room for more stock. The older I get the more I want soup.

Yes, I'm very fond of the High Street Mi Pueblo; their cheese selection is great, and their jalapeños and poblanos are more reliably hot than any other big markets. They sell an unsalted crema in bulk that's really excellent. And they sell fresh masa which is a treat if you are ever making your own corn tortillas. Their in-house chips are good, if you like that style, and they carry a few things I can't find anywhere else. I agree we are pretty spoiled here, and I know many people probably don't have a Mexican deli counter with six different salsas made on the premises.

Today we had variation on a theme of latkes with apple sauce. I made Smitten Kitchen's potato kugel and served it with southern fried apples adapted from a recipe by Ronni Lundy. For my apples I used a bit of something called "Burnt Sugar Syrup" which I sent away for and totally love.

If you live within a reasonable distance of a "supermercado" or a large store that caters to a hispanic population you may find they make their own salsas, and often a good variety. Mi Pueblo, near me, has at least six different salsas that they make and sell in bulk; definitely better than the jarred stuff. Just saying; obviously not everyone lives in a place with a latino population large enough to support that kind of store. If your town has a good taco truck they might sell their salsa to you if you bring a container.

Andiesenji, I have to say my curiosity knows no bounds. I have pantry envy of course, but my imagination is getting the better of me. You must live in some kind of farm/palace. Do you have a cow named Betsy who milks herself and then drops off a bucket to the dutch doors on her way out to graze in the orchards? Love seeing your pix. Wish I was your neighbor!

For me, the important thing about the chicken is that it not be overcooked. I like to use kosher or brined chicken. I slice the breast, cook the slices quickly in oil or butter and drain on paper towels, making sure to remove them from the pan just before they are absolutely cooked through; it will be cooked through by the time it cools. Then I don't see much difference whether I shred or dice the chicken coarsely, since it is tender either way. My chicken salad is of the sandwich variety, but pretty plain: mixed with celery, a restrained amount of mayo and/or creme fraiche, a little dijon or fresh dill, salt and pepper. Or I might go in another direction and add a little curry powder. Actually curry and dill are not bad together, a combo that can be found in some Vietnamese foods. Right before eating I stir in some chopped walnuts. My latest favorite way to eat chicken salad is with some kind of chutney, whether in a sandwich or just a scoop. Right now I'm big on mango pickle. Leftover roast chicken isn't my favorite thing, but I have a husband who loves it, so it doesn't go to waste.

This is a peculiar thread. At first when I saw it several years ago I thought the intention was simply to identify locales in the world where it was common to eat brown rice, but I see no one else thought about it like that. I grew up eating Uncle Ben's. In the late sixties and into the seventies I ate plenty of brown rice and so did everyone I knew. There were a few years of gloppy casseroles and god know's what. Whatever was good for us about brown rice was drowned in cheese and zucchini and tofu. I can't remember the last time I ate brown rice. It must have been 25 or 30 years now that I've eaten exclusively white rice. I just don't like brown rice at all any more, and honestly I don't know if I ever did. When I go out for Asian food it's always white rice. At Thai restaurants I love to order sticky rice. At home I cook rice almost every day, and it is always white basmati; with chicken, fish, stir-fry, curry, etc. I'm an addict. I can be happy with just a bowl of white rice and a little butter and salt. If I want a change, and something heartier and more rustic I switch to bulgur wheat or farro, but that's mostly in soups. I eat white rice with just about everything.

My favorite East Bay liquor store recommended the following for a a gift, which I gave to my husband for xmas: Traverse City Whiskey Co. North Coast Rye. That would be Michigan, but the north coast of which lake escapes me, since I'm geographically challenged. I told him Bulleit was our house rye, which I mostly sip, and that we liked a smooth rye, not too raw, not too spicy. It is delicious. 90 proof. Have no idea where this is available; there are so many ryes I hear about that are simply not available here. I never heard of it before, but if it makes its way to the left coast, maybe it can be found on other coasts. I often read alluring tidbits about Pikesville but have never seen it in these parts.

Pepin's pear example highlights the fact that ingredients vary, even when following a recipe, and adjustments made by experienced cooks are often required. Some recipes for newbies often do warn about variables like that--unripe fruit, the difference that large chunks vs small chunks of any ingredient can make as far as timing, etc. Some might appreciate those warnings, but as Pepin implies, you can't anticipate everything. Other problems might arise as the inexperienced cook tries to interpret instructions such as mince, slice thinly, chop coarsely, etc. These are not really examples of bad recipes as Pepin makes clear. Bad recipes would include omitting ingredients and measurement confusions as noted above; these are often just proofreading mistakes, but they can wreak havoc. To my mind the worst kind of bad recipe is one that makes blatant errors in technique, and I'm sure everyone can think of certain instructions that bug them the most. For me the single most common bad instruction is when to add garlic. If followed to the letter, many recipes would have you saute garlic until it is burnt to a crisp and smells awful, simply because they don't add the garlic at a reasonable time.