haresfur

I think there is a bit more to it than this. I assume by "blending" you mean chopping or liquifying - reducing the solids to smaller bits or to muck. Blenders also blend - or stir stuff together. Counter top blenders needs to blend the material together and pass it through the blades and that's their Achiles heel. The blades are designed to try and do both things. With a stick blender you do the mixing bit so the blades are more knife-like. It seems to me that helps them make up in part for the wimpier motors. But the real difference in tip speed is both the rpm and the blade diameter. For a given rpm a large blade will have a higher tip velocity than a small one. I have no idea what the difference in rpm is, but a small motor can drive a small blade pretty fast and I think it takes a lot more oomph to move a large blade at high rpms. That doesn't mean that your average stick blender isn't underpowered for the task, but so is your average counter top blender. Then there's an inertia effect. If you try to make a smoothie with a stick blender (as my DB does since I blew up the Kitchen Aid) it is pretty hard to whack apart ice cubes with a light blade, no matter how fast it is going. Can't be too good for the motor. I find that with reasonably soft materials just moving the stick blender slowly through the soup works pretty well, although I do use the plunge technique sometimes. If only my Dalmatian had wings so she could clean the ceiling as well as the floor...

Yes. Forgot to quote.

I think about a tablespoon of pimento dram in addition to the rum works. But my favourite addition is a splash of Fernet Branca.

Actually it was a Campari Boulevardier, I wasn't clear due to my attempt to tease our favourite alcohol scientist. Sometimes adding an ingredient seems to help the flavours blend together in a drink so you percieve one integrated taste. In this case, for me, the lime seemed to provide another focal point so my awareness went, "Oh, Campari. Oh, Bourbon. Oh, lime. Oh, some of each." Repeat... Very nice. I wonder also if the lime tempered the bitter more than the sweet. It seems to me it tasted sweeter after adding the lime. More research is in order. Need to try a Cynar version, too.

... because no child should be left behind when it comes to Campari high balls. I made a Boulevardier last night, without the genetically modified Cynar. I used Old Crow bourbon and Cinzano bianco vermouth, built on rocks. Started with 1.5 bourbon: 1 vermouth: 1 Campari but found it significantly improved with an extra splash of bourbon and vermouth, keeping in mind this is 40% bourbon. I also found that a wedge of lime significantly improved the gustatory proportions while maintaining the aromatic tonality. . Nice morphing of taste as the ice melted without falling over into too watery. The best use for the lousy bourbon that I've found.

I was thinking Minoan because of the bull but the falcon looks Egyptian so I'm guessing Egyptian or that someone just thought they looked nice (and they do). The veggie chips look great, too!

Oh yeah, I keep forgetting your cultural deprivations. And fairly easy to obtain in the rest of the world. Certainly worth sampling if you haven't before.

In my experience, airports tend to cater to the high volume sales so it is hard to find unique items. Even Scotch tends to the recognised brands or at least the ones that attract attention through a really high price tag. So your best bet may be to look for something that's a common sip in some part of the world but not the US. You might look for overproof rum. For that matter, in Australia you can get Captain Morgan's dark rum (not spiced) that I haven't seen in the USA for some reason. Even duty free, it's expensive compared to US prices for similar quality. I'd say just look for something you don't recognise and then buy it. You'll probably see it all over afterwards but that's part of the fun. Oh, if you are into bitter, you might look for the real Unicum.

I really like the GoldenVale Muesli especially the blueberry.

Glad it isn't just me. So I guess I need to take my reading glasses along...

Maybe it was just the Woolies near my work, or maybe just me when I was looking for buttermilk. I ended up getting something called something like "extra rich milk". Not an item worth my giving up regional life since I seldom use it. Good tip on the Greek yoghurt.

I tried it, too. Think I added all the ingredients (I have a habit of forgetting one or two and wondering what's wrong with a drink). It was ok but not Wow! to me. I'll revisit it, though and often change my mind on drinks. Although bunnies come out for Easter here, some caution is needed because the Chinese Association wakes Sun Loong, the Imperial Dragon on Saturday for Sunday's parade. With all the other dragons, the lion dancers, and crowds, it isn't the safest place for small furry snacks. But haresfur is an ancient Chinese pottery glaze so I suppose I should make an appearance.

I think the chimney would give better air flow and more concentrated heat than a bed of coals - that's why they are used as a starter. If I tried this, though, I can see knocking it over and ending up with a load of hot coals spilled down my trousers.

Snadra's post from another thread reminded me that I wanted to ask about cream and other dairy products in Australia. I went looking for whipping cream and could only find various thickened cream products. My random pick didn't seem to whip very well. What should I be looking for? For that matter, I couldn't find butter milk. Is it available? Is there a functional equivalent of half and half? Any exPat or foreign cookbook user have a cheat-sheet to share?

Sounds like you have some research to do Dan. I'd be interested in other opinions, but I don't think it does any harm. Then again my choice is based on availability, cost, and wanting to burn through the Bianco before it oxidises. Eeyore for me tonight, I think. I am feeling a bit sorry for myself...

I recently cracked open a bottle of bianco vermouth for the first time and like it very much. Nice clean bitter taste. I think even more than red. I generally only have one bottle of vermouth open at once, which means I can explore some interesting variations, like: Corpse Reviver 2.1 3/4 oz gin (I used Gordon's and found a heavy hand was needed) 3/4 oz Cointreau 3/4 oz Bianco vermouth (Cinzano) 3/4 oz lemon juice rinse chilled glass with absinthe (Obsello) be sure to have some above the liquid line so the aroma hits you at the first sip. shake, strain Corpse Reviver 2.2 3/4 oz gin 3/4 oz Cointreau 3/4 oz Bianco vermouth 3/4 oz lime juice As above. Both good enough to go into the regular rotation. Lime may be a hair nicer, but limes are very seasonal here.

Keep it cold to keep the carbon dioxide in solution (kind of obvious). For next time buy a capper and crown caps at the home brew store and fill some small bottles with as little head space as you can.

Limes are apparently in season and cheaper than lemons for a brief period -$1.98/kilo. So I made a Pegu Club with Plymoth gin. Can't say I was impressed with this one. I see more rum in my future.

According to the font of knowledge, Wikipedia, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and an orange, so I'm not surprised you don't get what you are after for limoncello.

So do you call it walleye? When I was growing up we called waleye pickerel even though it's not a true pickerel. It is my favourite freshwater fish although that is probably in part is nostalgia. I still haven't found any flathead fish & chips or at a restaurant. Which gets me to the point that my favourite fish is primarily what is fresh and well prepared. So that generally means cooked by someone else. Halibut is very high on my list after leaving a Seattle restaurant thinking, "Why do I even bother trying to cook fish myself?" King and sockeye salmon if not caught too far upriver are very nice. I also have some good meal-memories of European plaice. I try to think about sustainability but it is really hard to keep track and it always seems to be shades of grey. I really try to avoid sturgeon for this reason. It's kind of creepy to eat a fish older than I am.

A few ml of Fernet Branca could go nicely in this.

2 oz reposado tequila 1 oz Campari 1 tsp raspberry cordial juice of 1 Valencia orange (do you really want me to measure?) 3 dashes Regan's orange bitters Build in Collins glass. Add ice, then top with soda water. The Valencia oranges aren't particularly acidic so this might be a bit sweet for some. More refreshing than challenging. The raspberry sits in the background at first. I used duty free Jose Cuervo for prototyping and a better tequila would be worth trying. I'll make again as long as oranges are in season.

You might want to start with dishes that use meat in smaller amounts to accent the vegetables, like stir fries or stews. I think putting a wad of sausage in your stomach if you haven't eaten meat in a long time might be hard on the system. Chicken breast should be fairly easy to take. Aside from that - head for the smoked salmon.

If pink slime is a reasonable thing to eat, how come it isn't available in pure form? Has anyone managed to try it to see how it tastes? I come down on the side of it not being ground beef, rather an additive that should be labelled.

I see a whole line of freeze-dried cocktails in your future. Just add vodka...