Darienne

Made the Italian Ice Cream...sort of...that I asked about several messages ago. Some changes...what else is new? Used dried cranberries instead of maraschino cherries. Used cashews instead of pistachios. And made the entire thing on a cornstarch base instead of ricotta. And churned it in my Cuisinart instead of simply pouring it into a loaf pan. Hey! We live at least 35 minutes from everything and you work with what you have. Well, it was scrumptious anyway. Served it at a lunch to us and our South African guests. And it was gone in a New York minute. NOW, I have all the proper ingredients and I am going to make it strictly according to the recipe.

Looks good to me!

I am curious. Does anyone check up on you about your labeling? The label inspector? The USA is way ahead of Canada...I live in east central Ontario...in their labeling which is so great when I am buying something in the States but obviously a total pain when you are selling casually, as in fairs. We don't appear to have any laws governing selling in shows and fairs...someone will correct me immediately no doubt...except to have a government-approved kitchen which is no biggie to get...and a lot of casual sellers don't even have that. I have a friend with a government-approved kitchen and an inspector does drop in without notice to check up. But then I know of another who does not have an inspector drop in. ???? So, about that labeling thingy? Who makes sure it is correct? And how much does it vary from state to state? I seem recall a water factor in some other states.

I started this topic in November 08 from our home away from home in Moab. Well, I finally did it. I made my own Gianduja. Not I'm not saying that it was 'good' and it certainly wasn't according to Hoyle but it got done. I have only a food processor, so of course the resultant hazelnut paste was grainy. 150 grams paste mixed with about 350 grams combined milk and dark chocolate. Hmmmm... pretty grainy. Added some chopped walnuts to disguise the graininess and it worked. Poured it out onto a silpat, sprinkled Fleur de sel on top, cut it up. Yummy. Just had another piece to make sure it was still yummy today. And it was.

Was just relating this morning's posts about fast food, Thurmanators et al to the DH and he replied...what about those 'free if you can eat it all' 40 oz steaks you see advertised on the billboards in Texas and other States? Yummm... Not a burger, but still worthy of mention.

Omitting the olive oil or not, my acid of choice is fresh lemon juice.

There. Just because I finally remembered to take a photo of something I made. Guess I'm not a true eGulleter yet.

Made Schiacciata con l'uva (Recipe #1) and either I made a gross error...immanently possible...or I am not in tune with this recipe. Not to mention baking it for twice as long as called for. Have to test the oven this morning. It is to me neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring. Too sweet to be a bread and not sweet enough to be a cake. The grapes taste just fine...it's the crumb. However, DH likes it and that's good enough for me. Fooey. Actually took a photo of the bread and cannot upload it on 'edit'.

I stand corrected, but only innocently at fault. I rechecked the article in alive, and it does say 'million' in the first figure. Now, you don't think that Reuters could be at fault??? An eighteen-fold increase over 30 years.

I'm not sure about the 'worthy' part exactly seeing as I am quite new to the whole realm of cookery, but I do like the Sainsbury cookbooks. I picked up a lot of them in a second hand store in Utah for mere pennies.

Our health food store gives out a magazine, alive. This issue features a new book: The Slow Food Story: Politics and Pleasure by Geoff Andrews, McGill-Queen's University Press, about the Slow Food association founded in Italy in 1986. Well worth reading I think. One statistic from the book: American expenditures on fast food rose from US $6 million dollars in 1970 to $110 BILLION in 2001.

Thanks, Lisa, but these ARE seedless.

We used to have breakfast every now and then at a little local...I do mean 'local'...diner. All local folks. The breakfasts were great, inexpensive, local eggs, homemade this and that. And the most delicious gigantic, moist, tasty Morning Glory Muffins. I loved them. I adored them. Got a few dozen every summer for the Dog Weekend folks. They were part of the local mythos. Come stay at McAuley's farm and eat these wonderful muffins. Oh, make sure you get those muffins again this year... Imagine my chagrin to find out they came from a tub of mix from a local distributor.

Wonderful. There is the pie which I considered making last fall when my neighbor/friend/landlady in Moab had such a crop of various kinds of seeded grapes, including Concord. DH would not consider eating a pie with crunchy seeds in it. Hey! He brings me coffee in bed every morning. He gets to pick what he wants to eat. Haven't quite decided which one to make but I need your advice on what booze to use? A wine? What about a liqueur? I have a goodly assortment of liqueurs. And always vodka is on hand. Thanks.Baroness

They looked lovely in their big clam-shell, all 2 liters of them. And I had never tried them before. A sort of Concord variety I thought. From Canada's grape and wine producing area. And no seeds. Two liters of tasteless grapes. DH said 'throw them out'. Any ideas for that many basically tasteless grapes? Should I make a grape juice? sherbet? rustic grape pie? ...or just toss them?

Calipoutine (Randi) sent me a wonderful bean salad recipe this summer. I've never really liked bean salads, but this one is a real winner. The dressing has no fat. Lots of sugar. I cut down the sugar by one cup. Still I can't imagine putting it on a green salad...maybe a rice salad or a pasta salad??? But you asked for no fat, and here is no fat. Sauce 3 cups white sugar 2 1/4 cups white vinegar 3/4 cup water 1 1/2 teaspoon salt Boil sauce and cool 1/2 hour. Pour sauce over bean mixture and let stand 24 hours

We buy only large and locally. Our small local grocery store became part of a chain a few years ago...in order to survive I guess. They were carrying a local farmer's eggs. Then they were told they could no longer carry those eggs but had to switch to the national (or whatever) brand. The clientele raised the roof and the chain headquarters backed down and we still buy Scully's eggs, large, there. AND there is SUCH a difference between Scully's eggs and all other grocery eggs. They are just as cheap, but I would buy them even if they cost more. Also, our dogs eat eggs for breakfast every fourth day.

Hello Jenni. I seem to be following you around this morning. So kadala is chickpeas, my favorite of all. Next we'll add this curry to our growing list. Thanks. ...maybe not for breakfast at this time...

Thanks, Jenni. A new word, jalebi, for me. Looked up the definition and some recipes. Do you eat them now, assuming you are not in Jodhpur anymore? Do you make them yourself, or are they something which one normally buys ready-made, or both? Find in an Asian marketplace? I think I'll try making some.

Sorry Ilana. My supply would not be more than 100. Good luck with your quest and good luck with the spoons themselves.

The cardboard is shiny gold on one side only, white on the reverse. Dimensions: 12.5 cm x 24 cm. Weight of 12 pieces: 212 gs. They would need wiping from the chocolate which came on them. I am not sure how many I have. I'll count them if Ilana thinks it's worthwhile. Naturally, they are free. I just save them because they are 'pretty' and I love gold anything.

Wal-Marts in Canada sells a one-pound chocolate bar which has a gold card base in it. I have a stack of them...but mailing them to Israel would no doubt be prohibitive. Good luck.

Just found this interesting recipe for ice cream in a library book, The Italian Cookbook by Fiona Biggs: Ricotta Ice Cream. The photo looks at first glance like Montelimar Nougat , and the ingredient list is bang on with nuts and fruit peels, etc. The recipe calls for the usual ingredients of an egg-based ice cream: sugar, egg yolks, vanilla,...but the base is ricotta cheese. The ricotta is not creamed nor whipped, just stirred in. And the mixture is simply poured into a loaf pan. My initial responses are to a) replace the eggs & cheese by whipped cream, pour into a loaf pan and freeze, decant and cover with a chocolate ganache for a bang-up dessert or b) replace the eggs and cheese by the Philadelphia style base and pour it into the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, etc., or c) make the recipe as provided, but cream the ricotta. possible d) play it as it lays. The uncreamed, etc, ricotta cheese part does not appeal to me at first glance. Has anyone made this or a similar ice cream? Any responses to any of this, please? And thanks.

Hard to get excited about their list. Red peppers? Popcorn without butter? Yummmm My fave: a cup of decaf coffee with a jigger of vodka and Panama Jack in it. Substitute your favorite liqueur in the mix. The heat. Good. The booze. Good. The yummy taste. Very good. The only drawback is the intake of calories. Not good. For really really special occasions: The coffee goes into the blender and the booze is added. Froths it up real good.

Thanks to both of you for the information. As for Whole Foods...I actually meant the one in the Southwest...I don't know where else it is...and didn't even know there was a Whole Foods in Ontario. Could it be the same chain? I really liked the Whole Foods in Albuquerque, better than Trader Joe's. And as for a grocery store having a butcher...we are incredibly lucky where we live. We have a real live and wonderful butcher at our small local store. It's so small that it never ever carries eggplant. The butcher has a half-ownership of the store going way back and I guess that's why he's there. We treat him VERY well. So, we'll try the Longo's for fun anyway.