Darienne

OK. Later the same day. I've been thinking it over and I do have a resolution. I am going to reorganize my kitchen. We now have a dining room and DH has become resigned to building a shallow-ish closet on one wall and into will go all my stuff. I hope. My kitchen stuff is now in the following: the kitchen, the dining room, my old studio, the garage, and the cellar (yes, cellar, not basement...this farmhouse is over 100 years old). I think that's it. And I hate it. Big time. But then is that more his resolution than mine??? But I'm making a start at it today.

I've been cooking Picadillo since before I began cooking. And long before I began cooking Mexican, although it was from a Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking, 1967. Why I bought that book, I have no idea. And like me, expert or not, I ended up combining two of Ortiz's recipes, Picadillo and Picadillo de la Costa, and we called it Picadillo de la Cabana (OK. I know the code now, but I can't make it work...that's a tilde over the 'n') or Picadillo from Cavan which is where we live sort of in Ontario. So my version has the raisins, and olives and almonds, plus the rest of the spices, etc, but also apples, pineapple, bananas (I never have pears on hand) and a large spoonful of cocoa. Not traditional in the least...don't tell the 'traditional chefs' on eG please...but we like it. Now I've never stuffed it into a poblano (which we can now get in East Central Ontario) for the first time, but I have some on hand and will try it at once. And also make the walnut sauce. Thanks Jaymes, as always.

Great fun! And embarrassment. Went back and read my earlier resolutions. Of course I didn't fill them all. We ate okra...and didn't like it...served by our daughter's BF from Grenada who is a heck of a cook. I just don't like slimy food. I did cook lots more Mexican dishes. Good. I did not master phyllo dough. Used it, but didn't master it AT ALL!. I visited Toronto's Hispanic market. Once. I don't like going into big cities anymore and as luck would have it, our local stores are carrying more Hispanic foods every month. Fresh tortillas are still missing and will no doubt remain so. No, alas, I never made my herb garden. And I never taught my neighbor how to use chocolate. She got pneumonia before Christmas so that date was postponed. Phoned her yesterday and set a new date. That's it. I'm not promising anything. Good luck to you all!

Thank you Alex. Now my life is more complete than ever. And so is my Mafé. Huzzah!

David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop is one of the classics for making ice cream. Plus there are a lot of excellent topics on eG already on the making of ice cream. And there are resident experts on the making of ice cream, paulraphael being one and my own ice cream mentor. Mark Bittman and Alton Brown are two others I have followed. To me, a problem with http://icecreamscience.com/ , although an interesting website with lots of excellent information, is that it discusses only its own formula, never referring as far as I can see to the many other formulae for making ice cream. And there are a lot of good ice cream websites out there. For our ice creams, I don't use eggs and I don't use heavy cream. I use half and half and cornstarch basically, with a dollop of corn syrup and a pinch of salt always, and to date have not had any troubles with mouth feel, taste of cornstarch, ice crystals, etc. Maybe I've just been lucky. We do have a very cold freezer in the garage which I use for ice cream and that might be a factor. Good luck in your search for the perfect ice cream.

OK eG gang. Back to the Apple Scone challenge. A gift from my S-i-L and B-i-L who went to Richmond, ON, and picked up a dozen. Brought them yesterday. In fact, they are called "Caramel Apple Scones". Here are photos of the scones: several in the box, one whole on a plate, and one cut in half. (You can see the sugar crystals on the scones and the caramel swirled through them. Sorry the last photo is not that clear. My camera skills are lacking.) Eaten warm (not too enticing cold) Very nice. My DH says well, OK, no big deal. I liked them but not as excited as Elsie is, but still well worth trying to duplicate. First of all, no pie filling. They are made from unpeeled Granny Smiths, cut into teensy weensy pieces. I don't think they are sauteed. There is a caramel sauce swirled through the batter. They are indeed buttery and moist. Soft texture. Cinnamon for sure. Can't say about nutmeg or cloves, but I don't think so...or miniscule amounts. Sugary crunchy tiny particles on top, clear, square-cut crystals. That's it so far. Will try replicating them in a couple of days.

Photos and explanations Mafe (again, no e acute): a spicy somewhat hot African stew meat, vegetables and peanut butter sauce with peanuts. Open to lots of alternatives. I used chicken thighs and sweet potatoes. Eaten on rice. (looks like a dog's dinner.) Capirotada: traditional Lenten Mexican bread pudding with bread, bananas (and other fruits), nuts, lots of piloncillo (raw sugar, Mexican name) syrup poured over. Special ingredient is lots of cheese in between the layers and on top. I used Tillamook Extra Sharp. Margarita pie: my take on two other recipes. Shell of crushed salted pretzels, filling of condensed milk, whipped cream and the ingredients of a Margarita: lime juice, Cointreau and Tequila. Oh yum. Made two extras for gifts to neighbors.

The new dish we liked the best was Mafe (needs an e acute but I don't know how to do one in this format). In fact, we are having it for family tonight and friends tomorrow night. Best desserts are for tonight: Capirotada and tomorrow: Margarita Pie. There you have it in a nutshell.

Is there something that can be wrapped around the handle to lessen its heat?

Well, they look wonderful to me. Good for you.

Sounds delicious. But no photos? I wanted to see a photo of a Mud Hen Bar.

I'm with Emily R. Last night we had green lentil and spinach soup and it was 'arf'n'arf'.

Lovely Kim. Do you have little elves to help sprinkle all that sugar so nicely?

Brilliant!

I'm with Chris Amirault here.

Wonderful, PanaCan. We should all have a friend like you...or Kim Shook.

Saw Thai jasmine rice in the local supermarket today but didn't buy it as it was 'jasmine'. Is this the Thai rice to which people refer? If so, I"ll buy it next trip and try it.

Good topic, Liuzhou. Radtek: just how do you rinse your rice? Our daughter is giving us a 7 cup rice cooker for Christmas and so another piece of tech enters our lives. My DH does not like brown rice in any form. Once he tasted white Basmati rice, that was his rice for years. Now I have converted (pun?) him to white Jasmine rice. If ever I've had Thai rice I don't remember it. Oh, he doesn't like rice pudding either. Probably grew up eating it. My Mother never made rice pudding so I like it, but there's no point in making it. I need a REALLY GOOD recipe. He loves Capirotada (Mexican bread pudding) the way I make it, so perhaps we could work a rice pudding into our lives also. I'll look for Thai rice in our local Oriental market and give it a try.

Found this neat recipe for ginger and chocolate (http://choclogblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/ginger-chocolates.html) and thought how good they would taste. Alas, I am far from home with no little molds to use. Then in the local market I saw this large pan of small molds, Wilton, $11.99 on sale doe $9.99. Should I? Don't be greedy, you have those pans at home. You can't always have everything you want. Put the pan of tiny molds into my shopping basket. Took it out. Two days in a row. Grow up, Darienne. BUT THEN...we went to Wabi Sabi, our favorite second hand store in Moab to find a vacuum cleaner nozzle and what did I find in the kitchen section? The VERY pan for $3. It was a sign to buy the pan and make the candies. We didn't find the nozzle.

This came to my inbox today. Some of you might be interested. http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3456528dadb5a20fba1f09213&id=3d8fb0bf93&e=f8a9c9cfb4

Thank you FrogPrincess for posting. Reminds me to post. I've bought one cookbook since coming to Utah this year and paid an Amazon price: Muy Bueno (the jury is still out about how useful it will be) and from second hand stores: 7 books. (Also 5 Bon Appetit cookbooks for a friend who is collecting them.) It's hard to resist a good cookbook at $.50 or less.

One day late from my promise...sugar burn...ouch, very big ouch. Delicious muffins from the recipe from PanaCan. Thanks again. Oh, I doubled the walnuts, but I always do that sort of thing with the nut measure.

The catalog from Tomric, http://tomric.com/ , gives complete dimensions for every mold. Very helpful.

I forgot. I apologize. It was sweet of you to send the recipe and I shall make them this very night. And shall call them Pumpkin PanaCan in your honour. You can relax now. Tomorrow is Tuesday. :wub:

NO...NO...just send me a muffin recipe. A real recipe. Nothing else. It's come to that. :laugh: