Darienne

Duck, goose, goat...they are all out. Not in Peterpatch. DH won't eat lamb as such. I'll try the baking idea...but now I need to get me a Thermapen. Although I could use my thermometer with the long metal probe, couldn't I?

The last two posts have given me hope...now all I need is some specific ideas. DH does not like ginger candy, not even dipped in chocolate. However, he likes the ginger which I add to any Chinese dish which calls for it, like Orange Beef, Mapodofu...just about any Szechwan recipe you could name. Now what dishes could I use ginger syrup in? I don't mean just Chinese...I usually leave out all sugar in our Chinese dishes...but in the cooking of other cultures? Can you substitute say, ginger or orange syrup for something in an ice cream recipe or a coffee cake or muffin?

My Mother (Polish, Jewish) had a way of cooking fish fillets: fish onto pan, large onion slice on top of each piece, can of stewed tomatoes poured over it all. Bake in oven. The first time I cooked fish after being married was like this. My DH hit the ceiling. His Mother always dipped the fish in batter and deep fried it, along with French fries. That was fifty years ago and I've never made fish my Mother's way since. We normally bread most fish in almond meal and pan fry or for salmon grilled on the Barbie in lime juice. DH also hates fish soups although I love them. We don't eat them. Anyone have a really good one? It is past time for more fish recipes for us too.

How long would it take to cook it down roughly...assuming you have four or five cups...and you would have to be careful not to let it get very hot?? or you would get candy???

Wonderful report...enjoyed reading it immensely.

My family is from Sejny and my Mother was born and raised in Montreal...where you get MONTREAL bagels which I love. (I also eat French Toast with only salt on it, something that came from my Mother. I don't think my Bubi ever made French Toast. I am sure my Papa (that's what I called him...that's what my Mother called him) would ever eat something so foreign as French Toast. )

Sounds good. I think I might do it substituting eggplant and perhaps cabbage. Thanks. Emmalish.

I have mushrooms...I have spinach...I would be happy with your recipe. Your photos look lovely.

Lilija, it must be a Polish thing, because BOTH for me too, absolutely. That's the way my Polish mom always served latkes. Although the sugar/salt thing sounds intriguing, may have to do some field research on that.... Hey! Wait just a second there guys. My Polish family served Latkes with salt and pepper only.

Salt and pepper only.

It must be something in my taste buds. Had a friend who couldn't stand the taste of aspartame. It never bothered me. (Wish it had.)

Made a cake of sorts today with cream cheese, almond meal, etc, etc, and granular Splenda. DH likes it. I find it awful...the taste of Splenda. Do other people find Splenda has a strange (and unpleasant) taste?

When is a chain not a chain? In Moab, our home away from home, the recycling station has huge...I mean HUGE mountains of cardboard boxes. Dozens and dozens and dozens from Sysco. Eat out...eat Sysco. Yummm.

I really did enjoy reading your post, Anna. It gives me quite a lot to think about... Bread and potatoes. I could give you a run for your money if the potato chips were Kettle cooked. We just don't have them in the house. Can Club Soda fit into this diet? I am not a water lover. Can do it with lime juice...but only if coerced. I think 5 pounds in two weeks is really quite a lot, especially for a woman. It's tempting to simply 'drop' the weight, but on the other hand, the slower pounds off will be more likely to stay off???? I tell myself that and with some vehemence. It would be good to eat from the permanent low-carbers, should they be out there. (I did Atkins low-carb once many years ago, but I was in a hurry and the end result was a thinner crabby me who didn't feel all that well. No doubt I overdid it. It was MANY years ago.)

Now this BRILLIANT! I don't normally toss things...am feeling very guilty about throwing away the syrups...but we don't drink cocktaily things and don't have syrup on ice cream and so on and what on earth could I do with all that syrup? I've even made candies...which we can't eat more than one or two. But! flavored sugar! Not only could we use it, but what a lovely gift to give to friends!!! Andie, you have done it again!!

Ya gotta love the 'dead cat' dish. Thanks so much for the information about the Pacific Mall. Barbara (confectionery partner) and I have been planning that outing for ages and we would have turned up long before anything was open.

I would if you would give me the eastern Ontario time. (We just switched satellite providers and I can't use the new system properly yet.) Thanks, David.

Thanks for the information, mkayahara. So many wonderful products are available...but not in Canada. Pity. I'll think about your idea of buzzing freeze dried strawberries...

Thought I would start here. Chef Eddy van Damme has a recipe for raspberry-flavored chocolate couverture using freeze-dried raspberry powder. I can't seem to find such a product in Qzina or online for McCall's...doesn't mean they don't have it. Can someone point me in the correct direction for a freeze-dried fruit powder? Thanks. Anywhere in Ontario would do fine for mail-order...or Canada for that matter. ps. Phoned McCall's on Monday, got a mature adult and got some excellent needed information. Thanks again Kerry.

Well, cteavin and Andie, you are both correct. And I have been wasteful. I guess after keeping a number of containers of sugar syrup around for what seemed like a long time, I just gave up and disposed of them. Didn't realize that they would keep almost forever. Should have known. Like jam or honey. OK. Won't do it again. I promise.

I still haven't received the Cheesemonger's book...we are allowed only two books on I.L.L. at a time and I am already over my limit by mistake. Yesterday, at St Vincent de Paul's I bought the following for $1: You Eat What You Are: People, Culture and Food Traditions. Thelma Barer-Stein. It's a huge handsome book and I could not resist. Went to Amazon.com to see what reviews were there...only a few reviews and all except one said it was terrible. The terrible reviews each came from a different country and said basically the Barer-Stein was so off-base and so out of date as to be truly almost without redeeming qualities. So far I haven't checked out Canada...

Hot & Sour soup is my favorite way to eat tofu. We eat a lot of mapodofu...but honestly I am not that crazy about it. DH loves it and that's enough for me. But I make a large pot of Hot & Sour (leaving out the bean thread noodles for freezing) and freeze it in 'enough for two for supper' portions. Tofu does not improve for me in the freezing, but it's not all that prominent in the soup to make a huge difference. Then I would add fresh bean thread noodles each time.

Lovely pie. And served properly. Yesterday was clean out the freezer day and amongst the other surprises was a container of 'tortiere' makings. It was leftover from DH, Ed's, annual tortiere pie at Christmas event. Never would we ever consider eating tortiere with anything but Heinz catsup/ketchup. Good flavor pairing!

Andie is the resident Ginger Lady and can give you the last word on it all. I keep my peels in airtight containers and not in the fridge. So far, so good.

No problem. And you are correct. They just keep on finding melamine, and no doubt other contaminants, in one food item after another. As for liking the White Rabbit candy...I had never even tasted it. I had just bought the Anita Chu candy book and learned of it in one of her recipes. I bought some to taste at our local Asian market and then decided to make it, just for the sake of making it. Milk is not a common ingredient in candy. Gave both the commercial and homemade stuff away...as I give away most of what I make. Not generous. Just devious. - keeps me from getting fat - makes me friends - allows me to experiment and make all sorts of stuff. To me, candy making is almost magic. But then so is bread making and a number of other things. - ingratiates me with our local libraries who sell my stuff for small change. Last week they didn't charge me for my over-dues. - no doubt a number of other things too which won't come to my currently tired mind. However, if you ever do find my mystery candy...please let me know. Thanks.