Darienne

Nope. But I would be interested in hearing the results.

Oldest daughter is always sure that whatever I make has been designed to make her fat. Oldest son is thrilled with anything made by Mom. Youngest son cooks for his wife, but I make him supremely happy when I make cheese blintzes. DH loves beyond all reason Chinese food, especially Szechwan dishes. Lunch today was Egg Foo Yong, Orange Beef and Mapo Dofu with Jasmine rice and tea. Ed is my willing sous-chef.

I am assuming that the above Greek yoghurts cost more than regular yoghurt...supermarket or not. Here's my puzzle: In Canada there is a dairy, Astro, which produces several kinds of yoghurt: regular fat, medium fat, low fat...I don't know. Granted this is all supermarket yoghurt and thus not meant for dedicated foodies. Our dogs have yoghurt every day and they are not fussy. However, for the same low price as the other varieties, Astro also produces Balkan style yoghurt which tastes much better than the rest. How do they do it? And do I really want to know in this case, seeing as it's the same price...

I have used both for making gumdrops...a total disaster - no doubt my error...and chocolates. My quarrel with them is that they are so deep and take a considerable amount of chocolate, which is more than I usually want to use.

Looks divine. There is nothing more wonderful than warm fresh bread with cold butter. Would you please be a bit more specific than 'cream'? Was it heavy cream? Thanks.

I think the topping is coming right out of the computer and into my greedy mouth!

Chinese dishes. A few sous-chefs underfoot is always fun. We have done this a number of times.

I accept with joy. There are few things in this world of eating that can compare with halvah. Well, for me. I think the wonderful memories of such a few years knowing my Bubi are a big part of that. (Perhaps a thread of remembered memories of food plus events, people, etc might work well. ) Now I have about 10 different recipes for halvah, not counting the desserty, carroty kind. It might be good to work through all the recipes and note what I can come up with. The first batch was finally tossed just this morning. A sort of halvah cook-off. And yes, I would love your recipe. I'll send you my address PM. Again, my thanks.

I still have a Sunset Chinese Cook Book in my collection, 1979. And a Sunset Oriental Cook Book, 1970.

Hi Stuartlikesstrudel (aka SLS I guess). That looks like an easy recipe. Doesn't even call for anything which I have to go out and buy. I'll try it also and we can compare notes. Please feel free to PM or email me any of your halva recipes and I can send you the ones I have found. Thanks. Interesting. Went back and re-read all my downloaded halvah recipes and not one of them calls for kneading. All the recipes in your selection call for pulling, folding and/or kneading to give the halvah the flaky texture. I am looking forward to trying your recipes. Thanks.

I would be interested in the parfait recipe, if it doesn't call for the inclusion of halvah. I mean if it ends up being a halvah-type flavor, good. But if it calls for halvah per se, then nope.

I will, but only if I get to pay for it all.

Oh yes, this one too. Starting out too late to make something which will take too long. Dumping it partway through. Well, almost right at the beginning. Just closing the book and putting everything back usually. And then eating popcorn and orange shakes instead. Or toast. Or granola.

One of my favorite confections is Halvah, the kind my Bubi gave me as a child. Just made some awful-tasting awful-textured Halvah from a recipe from Bruce Weinstein The Ultimate Candy Book. I can't think it was the recipe: Sesame oil, white flour, tahini and honey. I probably got something terribly wrong. There appear to be dozens of different halvah recipes. Might try an egg white based one next with sugar. Does anyone have a halvah recipe that turns out well?

Now that is a brilliant idea!!! I do belong to a No Name Group...survivors of regular craft guilds...and I'm going to suggest that.

Just broke my cardinal purchase of books rule: never sight unseen, and bought Peter Greweling's new as-yet-unreleased Chocolates and Confections at Home and hope it doesn't end up on this list!! Canadian prices & Canadian shipping and handling too!!!

Just broke my cardinal rule and bought the book!!!!

So many times when replying to an eGullet thread, I have been able to state with joy and pride, that WE in east central Ontario have this wonderful dairy, Reid's recently changed to Qwickerts, where we could buy dairy products which contained...gasp...dairy ingredients! And at reasonable prices. It was a treat to shop there. And we did. At least once a week. And indeed, only last on Monday afternoon. And we don't even live in the city. No more. As of today, all the Qwickert stores have closed on account of bankruptcy and I am writing this short obit because I am very, very sad. Most of all I will miss the whipping/heavy cream. It contained no sugar or other things which don't belong in this dairy product and it came in litres (sort of like quarts).

My thanks for all the labeling advice. My sticky labels just laugh at me when I shut the freezer door and make a break for freedom. I seldom have those bags with the 'write on' space, or enough of them, or the right size of them...plus they cost a fortune. Masking tape sounds like a good idea. Untidy, but good. That is, good quality masking tape. Not the dollarama stuff. A white board? Brilliant, but who would use it or update it? And how long before the writer made a break for its own freedom. I do use the pencil note for small bags of endless stuff which accumulate in my upstairs freezer and cupboards. Now I even write the year on them. I feel that somehow lead pencil is less toxic than marker ink or ballpoint ink. Probably dead wrong. I think I need a wife. Oops. I am the wife.

Yesterday I started on a new, but longstanding unfulfilled, obsession: to make halvah like the stuff I remember from my Montreal childhood. In our nearby city, you can get Camel halvah...not my style. I have not seen Joyva brand locally. I'm sure you can find delicious halvah in Toronto, but I have ceased to find any joy in going there and fighting the traffic jams...and they are horrendous...and the crowds. So I found some recipes. Some have egg whites, some semolina. There is a great variation in the recipes. I made the recipe from Bruce Weinstein's, The Ultimate Candy Book, provided in this thread by chefcyn, July 05 (I don't know how to do those linking things. Sesame oil, white flour, tahini and honey. Well, I must have done something terribly wrong. The consistency is awful and so is the taste. I'll try an egg white one next, and probably with sugar. Honey is great...if you have a great honey. Help!!!!! please !!!!!

Like the Baroness, I rely on the local libraries, and then mostly on Inter-library loan which is free in Ontario. Our biggest and bestest bookstore is a Chapters which says a lot about the area in which I live. Still...no great bookstores means no big cities which is fine with me.

Just finished making some Sweet & Spicy Pecans from the egg & nut thread from Epicurious through Anna N...and some halvah from Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Candy Bookand half the Italian gelato I am making with the inclusions that go into Nougat...and the kitchen is a total mess. I made this bargain with myself, that I would surprise Ed with a cleaner kitchen, but alas! it was not to be. I suspect it is never to be. Right. I burnt my tongue tasting the halvah and now I won't be able to taste much of anything. Serves me right.

I see that the company has made a pretty fair deal with Canadian orders. I've seen these baking dishes in our local bulk food/ health food store but the prices are at least 3 times the prices quoted. Don't know if it's the same company and seeing as I've phoned our store twice already today (not the usual), I'll wait until tomorrow to find out. I do like the idea...

Just asked the sous-chef, my DH, what my worst kitchen habit is and he replied...and very quickly too...not cleaning up as I go along. My counters and sinks end up looking like a tornado has been through. He admits his is leaving sharp knives in the sink and also cleaned/uncleaned plastic bags in the sink. That second one really makes me CROSS!

What fun is that? I NEED to know how you are labeling the food? I mean the actual labels and the markers. Nothing I use seems to stay put long enough to satisfy my requirements, that is a freezer which has to accommodate two large dogs who eat meat and the fact that I can't really manage the stairs or pack or unpack the freezer anymore with impunity. It's an old chest freezer and it's at least forever old and it's still running well. DH is not an organized man and stuff gets everywhere. But I can't complain (I do anyway), DH is a wonderful man and a huge help: my dedicated sous-chef.