Darienne

I'm with ElaineK on the yogurt switch. It's still full fat, but it's not sour cream. And I'm with her on the 'it depends' angle too. Somethings I pare down...others I do without until I feel I can afford the break. And still others I simply take a tiny portion. And still others I just ban from the house. We have one tradition in our family which I love. One night ever couple of weeks, we have Dessert as Dinner night. Rather than dessert being an add-on, after you are already sated; dessert is dinner. Of course I am not talking about chocolate cake, but rather a dessert which takes in eggs, dairy, fruit, nuts, and grains. But a real dessert...not a pared down one. Well, except for subbing yogurt for whipped cream sometimes.

I have no idea at this point. It's up to the teaching chef I guess. I wrote to her that I had some panela...you can't get it here...but in her reply she didn't mention that. What is your favorite kind? Or favorites? And do you make it usually? Any tips to give me???? Yesterday I made the Mexican equivalent of chikki using a very dark panela (the same pretty much as jaggery) called palanquetas. I added pepitas, almonds, pine nuts and sesame seeds. Delicious. Monday I am going to take some to my dentist who is from India and longs for homemade goodies. (I have this awful suspicion that the chef's chikki is going to call for white sugar. She sort of hemmed and hawed when I asked her today in person.) Using jaggery (or in your case panela) gives a flavour profile that cannot be had by using white sugar. Chikkis are simply awesome. Sometimes in India you can get good rose petal and pistachio chikkis which are also very good. -- Sent from my HP TouchPad using Communities Pistachios. Will get some today. Thanks. And I think I have some rosewater. Would you use both at once? Thanks.

We made both.

Welcome, Lior, to this great topic and forum. There are so many excellent mentors here and you'll find what you need from at least one of them. Can you get chile peppers in Israel? Other Mexican type ingredients? I can't get much of anything where I live, but then Toronto has everything we need. All we have to do is grit our teeth and go to Toronto.

Don't leave us PanaCan. This is way too much fun to read and dream about. If only...if only...I would love to visit you in Ecuador. If there are places I like, they are high upland deserts with mountains. And you have it in spades. And all that wonderful food! The stuff you make and the stuff you can buy!!! Oh my. Never heard of Horchata tea so I will have to look it up on the other thread. Yesterday I made my first Horchata. I had had it only once before in a small Mexican restaurant in Utah and thought it was dreadful. This stuff, under the watchful eye of a Jalisco chef, was wonderful!!! But tea??? ps. Looked at your tea recipe. Not in east central Ontario you don't. Mind-numbing.

Good stuff that. I have all the ingredients set to go for a huge batch too but lack the tofu which we'll pick up in the city tomorrow. Your soup is much paler than our recipe. I'd be interested in your recipe. Manitoba. Hmmm....No snow here in our corner of Ontario. Please. Please. Please.

This wasn't quite at home, but it was at a friend's house. A local Mexican restaurant owner came and gave a hands-on class in making a variety of the less complicated Mexican dishes. She is from Guadalajara originally but now cooks for small town Canadians. (just to give it all some perspective) It was a wonderful day for me. Made my first corn tortillas. Managed to burn my finger also. A warrior's wound. We made the following: * Tilapia ceviche with tostadas * Ensalada de nopal * Cochinita pibil * Hand-made Corn tortillas/tostadas * Sopes/Chalupas * Flan de caramelo * Horchata I made some palanquetas to bring for a little gift and they were well and enthusiastically received. Also brought home some 'doggy' containers for DH's supper.

Made my very first corn tortillas today at my Mexican cooking class. Also made sopas and tostadas. Also burnt my finger on the comal. Great fun.

I have no idea at this point. It's up to the teaching chef I guess. I wrote to her that I had some panela...you can't get it here...but in her reply she didn't mention that. What is your favorite kind? Or favorites? And do you make it usually? Any tips to give me???? Yesterday I made the Mexican equivalent of chikki using a very dark panela (the same pretty much as jaggery) called palanquetas. I added pepitas, almonds, pine nuts and sesame seeds. Delicious. Monday I am going to take some to my dentist who is from India and longs for homemade goodies. (I have this awful suspicion that the chef's chikki is going to call for white sugar. She sort of hemmed and hawed when I asked her today in person.)

No rush, but I would be overjoyed. Found a few not very interesting recipes and I suspect that you'll come up with a doozy.

Well, the Palenquetas are made, and I subbed dark brown Piloncillo for white sugar. But then I added a bit more butter and a bit more nuts. And because Gerson's recipe called for cooking the white sugar until it was a golden caramel color...which I could hardly do, starting out with very dark sugar...I cooked until it was 135 degrees C and then poured it out. I picked 135 because it was in between what another palenqueta recipe called for at 117 and a toffee recipe called for at 145. Didn't know what else to do... Turned out magnificently. Have already eaten far too much. Taking it tomorrow to my 'finally it's come' Mexican cooking class with a bona fide Mexican chef.

Want one of those and one of those and one of those. Question: does Ecuador have its own name and variation for Palenquetas? And do you have a recipe for said? I just made a batch of Fany Gerson's Palenquetas, subbing dark Piloncillo for white sugar which she called for (white sugar?????) and it occurred to me that you might have such a thing also. The whole world has brittle recipes, no doubt. But I see that Ecuador has its own twist for many Latin dishes.

As a gardener, I can assure you - roses. November in Moab, UT, would have green leaves and open markets and roses still. No, I know it 's not Moab. (Do you grow tulips in CA?)

On the other hand, the photo doesn't have to be current exactly. I noticed fresh tulips on the kitchen counter and they are certainly not the flower of the fall. ...I suppose they could be roses...

How on earth do you keep from putting on extra pounds and pounds eating this way? Or do you do as the French women are purported to do...eat everything, but just tiny portions? And the lady in the purple top and black ball cap. That must be your Mother? Correct? PanaCan, it all looks too delicious for words. When one thinks of the average boring North American diet...

One the side benefits of working with chocolate and other goodies...you get to eat the 'seconds'.

Lovely, Chocolot. Looks as if you and your new toy will have a long and prosperous life together.

I am intending to make Palanquetas with panela and have found a number of recipes. Fany Gerson speaks of making them with honey or piloncillo, but her recipe calls for plain white sugar and corn syrup of all things. Can I just slot in panela? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? Thanks.

I'm going to buy one of the cane stalks and try the above. I'll report back.

My nose is pressed against the screen, looking at everything. The mountains are wonderful. A local supermarket has long sugar canes for sale. We don't have a press naturally. What could we possibly do with a 3' length of sugar cane?

You think maybe Ambato is the Garden of Eden? What a market! Such produce! OMG!!! And the panela... Tried the new trick I learned on an Indian Jaggery website about heating the Panela in the microwave to soften it. Saves so much time and arm work. But then you probably knew it anyway. I do envy you. On so many counts. Am enjoying this blog immensely and it's scarcely begun!

Oh my! Also pork butt for $10 for 3 pounds? Not in my neck of the woods.

Been there. Done that. Very nice. Can't think of ever using 'brown sugar' again.

Good idea. Did you use jaggery? Can you get it in your area?

If you like deep and delicious, try for Panela. :wub: Darker than piloncillo.