Darienne

Five new-to-me cookbooks: one Time-Life, one Williams-Sonoma, a low-carb cookbook (although I have no idea why), a dessert book called Dessert Book with four authors, Canadian publisher AND!!! the prize of all: Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen.

Why and how did you become a foodie, a chef, a home-based cook, a chocolatier, whatever it is that defines you in your relationship with food? For me, the 'aha' moment occurred about three years ago when I found that strange word ‘ganache’ in a recipe in our local newspaper for a Chocolate-Covered Banana Mousse Freeze. What on earth is a 'ganache' I wondered? I looked it up and a long-shut door blew wide open. Of course, I have always cooked. Fifty years of marriage…you cook. But I’ve also made beds, done laundry, raked the lawn, cleaned toilets…and somehow cooking fit into just about the same category. A chore. Give me any other job to do…let me stay out of the kitchen. My Mother didn’t like to cook either. What I learned at my Mother’s knees was my French and German vocabulary. Not how to cook. My parents were originally vegetarians and the paediatrician told my Mother…either feed her meat or I won’t take care of her. Little Darienne, that was. And so my Mother fed me meat every night of my life: either a Porterhouse or a T-bone steak, broiled to shoe leather. Until I was old enough to say, ‘Hold. Enough’. How I hated steak. An only child and not too socially bright, I had no idea that other people didn’t eat that way. And then as soon as frozen dinners came onto the market…well, that was Nirvana for Mother. And all that cr*ppy ice cream. A freezer full. Every night for dessert. No wonder I never liked ice cream. Who on earth would want to eat either steak or ice cream unless forced to? Ate differently at other people’s houses and at camp…yeah, every summer for the entire summer…but never put 2 and 2 together. Bright..but somewhat blank. And so my DH, Ed, taught me to cook…the way his Mother cooked a la Canadienne francaise. Sugar Pie. Gravy on everything. Deep fried stuff. My Mother-in-law made Boston Cream Pie with butter-laden custard, not Crème Patissiere.) …nothing like the food I had grown up eating. But then I hated cooking and so Ed did much of it. I personally have never cooked a turkey. Or roasted a chicken. I seem to recall doing roasts…I know I made wonderful Yorkshire Puddings and I could make Biscuits with my eyes closed. Angel Food Cake, pie crust, bread…these are things I had never made. Learned to make a Bechamel Sauce in Grade Seven, but of course I knew it only as a Medium White Sauce. Had no idea of what couverture was, or gougeres or macerating (sounded like pulverizing something) or mise en place or a thousand other terms. Had two cookbooks. My Mother gave me The Joy of Cooking. Don’t know where the other one came from. But then a few short years ago ‘ganache’ came into my life, and all that was before is now different. Cooking! Baking! Confections! Chocolate! Ice Cream! And on and on. Even scratch bread and Mexican crema. All is new and wonderful…with such awful mishaps and mistakes. We eat ‘em all. eGullet has played a major part in all this. Here I have asked a thousand questions and received generous answers from so many people. And I found mentors: andiesenji, Kerry Beal, Chocolot, paulraphael, jon, Heidih, gfron1, and many others. Who could believe that such a huge and informative forum actually exists? And so now each day dawns with thoughts of what new dish to make that I’ve never tried before. Seriously. What new cooking culture to find? Hey! What flavor of ice cream to make? Rum and raisin, I think. I have missed two chocolate conferences in a row but now I AM GOING TO MAKE IT to the Heartland Gathering in Ann Arbor in August!!! What about you? What is your cooking story? Parents own a restaurant? Grandmother was a baker? Went to school? Drifted into it? Come and share. I really do want to know and others will too.

You know I have never thawed them. I just toss them into the blender as part of the orange julep.

I simply peel them, cut & break them into quarters, and freeze them in Ziplocks that way. Love blood oranges. They make such pretty orange juleps.

The plastic muffin mix square pails, with handles, ought to be available for free at any supermarket/grocery which sells fresh baked goods. They fit into a chest freezer superbly and stack beautifully. And I use Staples white mailing labels and write on the stored goods with a permanent marker. Cooked meats in one, casseroles in another, frozen vegs, frozen fruit, etc. We also became quite ruthless and retired our longtime collection of mis-matched plastic containers & lids and bought an ever-growing set of only one kind of container...all lids now fit all containers...to use in the fridge and freezer...although many freezer items end up in plastic bags. Nothing beats a resealable plastic bag for space saving. The mismatchers go into a closed Rubbermaid container in the garage and are given away with whatever is in them with a 'no return' option. I picked this brilliant idea up from a friend. So now if someone gives me leftovers, confections, baked goods, whatever to take home in a 'disposable' container, I recycle that orphan container into my 'no need to return' collection. All this organization of life is a bit unnerving at times...

A mix of confection and pastry stuff sounds great. I don't have a ThermoMix, but I'm interested in learning more about it. Ditto here... ps. I didn't know anything about the ThermoMix. This website has several good videos which gave me a much clearer picture of what the machine can do.

A kind of a thank-you note to all who participated in the last three or so freezer clean-out/organization/etc topics. They have finally spurred me into a solution for our very long-standing...about 50 years...freezer triangle of unknowns. Computer generated lists now exist and once a week we do a freezer check together...togetherness is necessary because we both cook although different things. We did the freezer check today and it took less than 5 minutes and it will be even easier as we amass more square plastic pails from our local grocery store (muffin mix pails, etc). Who knew that part of our life could ever be rectified? Thanks again.

YES!!!!! Just made it for supper. Thanks, Cathyeats.

I would like to be able to take not only the bread workshop but also a confectionery workshop with Kerry. I don't have a Thermomix...in fact I just looked it up to see what it was. Would it still be useful to take a workshop for a non-owner? Also Scotty's Fish and Chips sounds like a good bet. I do love fish and chips.

No, no...the meat was picked because it was on sale. The called-for cut is a brisket but we can't get them from our butcher. Outside round would be suitable or chuck. I can't tell you further than that. Yeah, a flat piece is a steak for sure. I am a confirmed lessmeatarian (Bitten)

Dear Pierogi, Thanks for the kind welcome. I intend to follow up on all your suggestions, Where were these foods all my life?

Ditto for me. What a lovely report!!!

Ed says it was a sirloin tip. It was very large and half price. (I don't know how to pick meat.) Did it like the pork in the slow cooker on low for several hours. It was incredible. I guess you can 'pull' just about any meat. It sure is handy to cook meat in a slow cooker and not have the oven on. Then I spread it in lots on a cookie sheet in the freezer for fast freezing and then put it all in bags in the cellar freezer for quick access to cooked meat for just about anything. Our eating life just keeps on changing and changing. ps. Should add that our grocery store has a real butcher (half-owner) who likes us.

Want to do the same thing but have to wait until hubby is away from home on garbage day else I will never hear the end of it. The use it before you lose it technique just ain't working. Hahaha! I have to sneak-clean the freezer, too, or else I hear "don't throw THAT away, someone will eat it!" regarding a chunk of something that looked like about 3 oz. of freezer burned, poorly wrapped, chili. I always feel pangs of guilt, tossing all my well intentioned bags of crumbs and ends and bits and bones. I do use some...just not all of em... Omigawd, are they all the same???? With my DH, it's always horrible, rock-hard, tiny bits of bread and buns. Or 1/2 cup of soup that not even the dogs would probably eat...nor my DH for that matter. The game goes on...as it has, no doubt, for centuries... Imagine that SHE comes across last year's frozen disintegrating mastodon soup and...

Never even thought to take photos until after lunch (our dinner), but today I made my first Enchiladas ever using pulled beef (a first, but after last week's pulled pork first)and some canned poblanos which were so far past the can's 'best by' date that it will be a wonder if we don't end up in Emerg soon. So delicious. Will make them for guests coming on Friday evening to stay over. So many firsts...so few photos... So that adds Enchiladas to the Moussaka, the various Chinese dishes, the ice cream, bread from scratch, and the other firsts that I am finally at this late stage in my life, building up a suitable repertoire of recipes to serve to guests. Photo next time I hope.

OK. I have a new one for me. Probably the rest of you knew, but I was too stupid to figure it out. You cannot freeze the rest of an opened can of condensed milk in an ice cube tray. It won't freeze. Of course. Duh... So, if said ice cube tray is somehow tipped on its side while someone is jamming just one more thing into the fridge freezer, its contents will rapidly drip onto everything else in the freezer...except that no one is there to notice...making a monumental and sticky mess which you will have to clean up. So, I'll never try that again. The condensed milk was down the drain...

Good for you, Pringle. I have the cocoa butter, but haven't gotten around to using it yet. Best laid plans... I do love my little Revolation.

Welcome, Moran. Lovely dessert. Wonderful story of childhood memories. I have been 'going' to make Tiramisu for years and years now. Your recipe has inspired me to give it a try. Thanks.

Yesterday in our little local grocery store in a tiny Ontario town called Omemee, $.59 for a pretty small lime.

I had read the story before but had not remembered it as being as bl**dy nasty as this original telling. However, I do get the point about the 'eyes'.

Made two ganaches out of Greweling's 'At Home' book today. Coconut-Lime Truffles: had no white chocolate so made them out of 56% dark Lindt. Vyer different and very nice even with dark chocolate. Well, actually, I don't like white chocolate really. Peanut Butter Meltaways: must have done something wrong because although the ganache tastes quite nice, it gives no sense of a 'singular sensation' when eaten. I didn't temper the chocolate this time around...that may have made the difference???

Am still awaiting reply from chief decision maker and 'buyer'. Your idea is a good one. Thanks.

Photo please at next creating.

Randi, that is incredibly generous of you to offer your box for use. I could easily order the Trudeau spatulas plus a thousand other things with one hand tied behind my back. Thanks.

Thanks Tammy for such a wonderful post. You have been busy! Quick responses: - don't think I would be interested in Jiffy Mix. - Middle Eastern is one of my favorites. Mexican also. - have no response on the scheduled time off part. - Sunday - brunch? I'd help on that for sure. - restaurant supply shop sounds good to me. Plus any of the other ones you mentioned.