Darienne

Sorry all. After all that planning and questions and those dreams of immersing myself elbow deep in chocolate, it has all come to naught. And I had so looked forward to meeting you all. Sorry Kerry. Please take my name off the list. Thanks, Darienne

Ended up today in Kensington Market at Perola's and went mad. Spent over $100 in 10 minutes with my eyes darting here and there madly, not able to concentrate really, barraged by too many new products. Bought some tomatillos (which are never in Peterpatch), three kinds of cheese, real chorizo, banana leaves, corn husks, canela, crema, chicharones (boy did the pups love these) and assorted stuff. Wot larks! Bought some fried before my eyes churros stuffed with dulce de leche which we scarfed as we made our way north and out of the big TO. There were some other Hispanic stores which I didn't hit...not enough time, no where to park, currently unable to walk much, etc. Next time...

Hi DianaM, Motel 6, Niagara Falls ON, #5701. 5700 Stanley Avenue, 905-356-6696

OMG. I took cooking classes in a kitchen with one of those taps and neither I nor the other students could manage the taps properly. I can't remember which way they were set, vis-a-vis cold and hot, but they drove me crazy. All the best! (But then you are one very smart guy and you'll no doubt get it quickly! Your youngster won't have any trouble at all!) ps. Yeah. I am more than old enough to be your Mother!)

Just asked the DH how to reverse the hot and cold and he told me how. Mr. Renovations, he is. I see that you have contractors present so they can do it easily. It is a very small adjustment...which I won't bother describing because they'll do it for you. I would change them to the standard and get something to write over the incorrect directions. No question. None. IMHO. Our new stove has the burners opposite from the stove I had for I don't know how long and all the stoves before I guess, and after more than two years I still don't have them straight, even though the knobs have little circle doodads beside them. I don't want to have to figure it out each time...but I do have to. I put labels on the stove which tell me which is which. Rats.

As always I am enchanted by your creations, dystopiadreamgirl. :wub:

I know about the name and the history of the ice cream...I just can't find out what the liqueur tastes like and I can't find anyone who has tasted it.

Last week for fun I bought this little second-hand book, Homemade Cream Liqueurs, Dona & Mel Meilach. It speaks of Haagen-Dazs Cream liqueur, (I don't know how to do umlauts in this format) based on Cognac and "various flavors". Never heard of it, which means nothing, as I am not versed in this area. So Haagen-Dazs liqueur is a product with Hiram Walker. Haagen-Dazs ice cream is now a product of Dreyer's, a subsidiary of Nestle's in Canada and the USA. Apparently nothing to do with each other. I googled it this way and that and learned nothing else. Has anyone tasted this liqueur in its various flavors? My little book says nothing about what it tastes like.

Wegmans is a high end grocery store. There are tons of things to get there. If you have been across the border for more than 3 days your limit is $400 and in that you can bring back 1 litre of liquor. You shouldn't have to pay any duty on that if you aren't over your limits. Sorry, Kerry, my carelessness. I should have added ...and we have never been across the border for fewer than 3 days, usually more than a month at a time. In other words, this will be our very first experience of making a purchase in the USA on the same day of both crossing into the USA and returning to Canada. So, now we will be going across in the morning and returning in the evening of the same day, and we don't know what to expect. The little official booklet certainly doesn't answer my questions clearly. Will we be allowed to bring in more than 1.14 litres of Everclear if we pay the taxes and duties on it? Do you have any idea of what these taxes and duties will be? Is it worth doing? I would love to have some Everclear again for making liqueurs, but have no idea of how the border situation works. Thanks.

Hi Kerry, Would you please give us a for instance of what 'goodies' we Canucks can expect to find at Wegman's? And a bit more info about bringing Everclear across the border, seeing as we have never done that before. (We are always more than 7 days in the USA). So we go to the Duty Free and each buy the prescribed amount of Everclear 1.something litres, and then when we hit the border, we say we have this liquor and they say....and we pay.... Thanks. Oh...no rush on this...

I had forgotten about splitting the hot dog to allow for more charring. Thanks. I like my hot dogs well charred, with cheap yellow mustard and cheap sweet relish on the cheapest squishiest heated hot dog bun possible. Do not give me a fancy bun! Oh, and regular kettle chips, please (which is not really in keeping with the main feature, is it?) Once a month for lunch, please. That is exactly right. If the bun is just right, it will stick to the roof of your mouth, too, which for some reason is part of the perfect hot dog experience. You have hit it right on. Last time DH bought good quality hot dog buns and I was SO disappointed.

Hi MarkM, another one to try is the Hot Aztec Chocolate Ice Cream. Again, you choose the level of heat. My DH won't touch it; I scarf it down. I do love watching the reactions of folks trying it for the first time. For one second, you can see the reaction: 'Hmmm...what's all the fuss about? This isn't hot. Nice smooth cool .... oooohhhhmygawd ....' As the heat hits. (I always do warn them.) We have this huge Annual Dog Weekend in August at the farm and two years ago I did the Orange Szechwan and last year the Hot Aztec as part of the ice cream variety...people LOVE homemade ice cream...and I'll have to find another hot one for this year. Any suggestions? And I'll try the Xanthum gum next...just a smidgen. Thanks. and thanks, as always, ICM , paulraphael, for your explanations.

I had forgotten about splitting the hot dog to allow for more charring. Thanks. I like my hot dogs well charred, with cheap yellow mustard and cheap sweet relish on the cheapest squishiest heated hot dog bun possible. Do not give me a fancy bun! Oh, and regular kettle chips, please (which is not really in keeping with the main feature, is it?) Once a month for lunch, please.

a) did it nicely burn the back of your throat? b) what 'nice texture' exactly did the Xanthan add? I have some (for some other long-forgotten purpose) but have never used it in ice cream. Remind me of its use please and what you discovered in this ice cream.

One more from "Gently Read Books": Homemade Cream Liqueurs. Dona and Mel Meilach.

May I ask who that is and where? Or should I already know?

That's an interesting question, about the taste of butter. I see mkayahara is also a Canadian, and I have always found American butter to taste blander than Canadian butter...no idea why. I know Canadian products often contain more salt than American products while on the other hand, American products contain more sugar. What butters do you use, mkayahara, for cooking and for confections?

Oh my. I am so in awe of that work. :wub:

Just looking through Bayless, seeing if I have actually made more than one or two of his recipes. Even if I make something from another source, I always check in Bayless to see what he says about making the dish. (I check Kennedy's The Art of Mexican Cooking too.) Just wish I could indulge endlessly and buy all their books.

Just made a surprise ice cream...a surprise to me too. A friend came for the weekend and for dessert all she would consent to eat was ice cream, mostly DL's Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream. I had also made Bark Bittman's Mexican Tofu Pudding (if you make it, please think of cutting his prescribed 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon). So the friend is gone and I had left almost the entire pudding and already it was showing signs of long life...weeping...and so I decided to turn it into ice cream. Done. Very easy. Very nice. ps. Interesting. I just watched Bittman's video again and he calls for 'a generous half teaspoon' of cinnamon, not the recipe's 1 1/2 teaspoons. I wrote to him and was answered by a staff member that the test kitchen staff had like the pudding with 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon. ?????

A novice, but very enthusiastic learner, chimes in. I found a Chorizo recipe in Lourdes Castro. Simply Mexican. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley & Toronto, 2009 (library book). I've made it and we found it delicious, but then the only chorizo I had ever eaten was bought at a local Canadian Costco and what do I know? It calls for: garlic, salt, red wine vinegar, black pepper, dried oregano, sugar, ancho chile powder, chipotle, adobo sauce, water, lean ground beef and lean ground pork (one pound of each). I couldn't get guajillos, dry or fresh, where I live.

Just found Baking: From My Home to Yours in the 'new' section of our library. A real delight. Searched as best I can through eG and apparently no one has ever made the 'Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Cake'. I thought I might make it for my birthday this year. Chocolate and Raspberry. What's not to like? With homemade ice cream, of course. Nothing is too much trouble for my 70th. Will report back. I'm thinking I might do a test run of sorts in the interim...

OOOOOOOHH.(sharp intake of breath with drool) :wub:

That was one fascinating story.

I am speechless. I am blown away. Both by the videos and then by your candies. Brilliant! Come to my house and teach me how!!!