Darienne

I have a 7-quart mixer, in Ontario, Canada, with no special wiring.

Just realized that I have a contribution to make to this thread. I've had fun reading it. Every now and then, I love to have a hot dog. Red Hots or Ziggy's, but for me well-scorched on all sides, in the cheapest squashiest hot dog bun you can find with cheap yellow mustard only and sweet relish. No fancy buns, no dijon mustard. If it's not the way it was when I was a child...then I don't want it. Oh, and potato chips. But only Miss Vicki's Original, which I must admit does not go back to my childhood. Last time I tried to drink a Pepsi with this meal...but that was just too much. I have grown too old I fear.

Thanks John. I warmed up the pudding in the oven during lunch and served it with ice cream. Wonderful. The entire meal was, if I may say so, and who, indeed, can stop me?, was a brilliant success. My friend, Annette, said that they had had some memorable meals at our place, but this topped them all. So glad. I am delighted to add some new items to my repertoire and shall serve this one to guests again. Thanks again to all who helped.

Quick question: do you serve Malva pudding hot, cold or at room temperature? Unfortunately I need the answer in 4 hours. Oh well...I guess I'll heat it up again. We really like the pudding and tried it hot with vanilla ice cream. Made the Bobotie again, this time with no topping. I'll add it today when I do the second part of the cooking. Made two containers and one is in the freezer. Stewed apricots are done. All is in readiness. Thanks again for all the help.

Actually, our garage fridge is not a special fridge but when it's really, really cold we simply put a 40 watt bulb inside it and it works fine and so does the freezer. Right now it's going up to plus 8 today and there's a 25 watt bulb in it. Then in the summer, out comes the light altogether. And all is well. ps. Note that we live in East Central Ontario.

Not exciting and not difficult, but still adorable for Easter. Haven't made one for 6 years now. (sorry, it's not a very good photo. The bunnies came out really well.)

We've solved our fridge storage problems. ....long pause..... we have two fridges. Sorry. I couldn't resist. We had our son living in the house for a couple of years and bought him his own fridge. He's long moved out but we still have the fridge. Makes life much simpler.

And, furthermore, DH suggested that I cover the pan next time...one of my four recipes does...as he found it a bit too dry. I didn't. Yes, he is a cook too. In fact, he taught me how to cook when we first got married.

Well, the meal has now been moved up to Saturday. My friend is a PSW and must work this Sunday and Monday. People needing care do not take weekends off. Made a test meal today: - chutney: JohnT's Quick Apricot Chutney - rice: Boschendal's Yellow Rice (recipe sent by ElsieD) - Bobotie mostly (but only mostly) from Epicurious's recipe taken from Lannice Snyman. Rainbow Cuisine: A Culinary Journey Through South Africa, halved. With additions from an SBS recipe. Meat fried according to JohnT (Ed's choice to fry or not to fry) and then the entirety cooked according to JohnT's directions. - not made: stewed dried apricots called for by Boschendale. Mistakes: didn't realize that it is supposed to be thicker than I made it. It did come nicely out in pieces, like Lasagna. I had thought it was going to be more like a loose 'spoon-it-over-the-rice' dish. I should have googled Bobotie and looked at the photos. A deeper dish would also have meant the topping would be thicker. Next time. Dessert is still a toss-up between Melk Tert and Malva Pudding...or both. I LOVED the Bobotie on rice with chutney. Loved it! The spicing is wonderful. I did add from the other recipe: coriander, cumin, ginger and allspice and some hot chile. ...I was very prudent in my additions... I am not known for my prudent cooking nature. DH's response was much more guarded. He really wasn't sure how much he liked it. First he decided he would have preferred it more like a loose dish. Then he decided it should be cooked in a meat loaf type pan. So in a much deeper pan it will be next. All in all, he was not thrilled. Not at all. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. And, besides I adored it. :wub: Thanks all, again. Oops. Forgot the photo. Not elegant, I'm afraid.

I hope I am not re-posting something that has already been posted. A friend sent me this website this morning and I think I'll try it. Low tech and no cost way to vacuum pack your foods. (Sorry about the obnoxious opening commercial.) http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2015/3/23/the-low-tech-diy-way-to-vacuum-seal-your-food?xid=DISH032915TheLowTech

Well, well. Thank you Anna. If we get up to Markham again, our nearest Longo, I'll get some. In the meantime, we have a local store, the Firehouse Gourmet, which stocks hot stuff and I'll call them when they open. Nope, they don't.

Wonderful post, Nancy. What a terrible shame that you didn't get to meet Rob. I would bet that he was just as disappointed as you were when he found out that an eGulleter had made a special trip to his restaurant.

I'd love to try Huitlacoche. I first learned about it right after the last corn crop was harvested on our farm...and boy! did we have it that year. Oh well...

OK. So I googled Balut. And made a frightful noise of alarm and disgust. No, I won't eat it either.

I guess Ron is correct. Honestly, it was almost 55 years ago and I can't recall except that it was a bit rubbery I think.

jmacnaughtan's post reminds me...it may not be 'exotic' but it certainly was outside my comfort zone: fish head stew with the fish heads complete.

Tri2Cook, there's an untold story in your post. Do tell.

Menudo. Never tasted it. Never will. Glad some of you love it. A great favorite with Hispanic folks.

Fried rattlesnake in Ontario.

Well, GRoston, I am not much for following recipes either although I do use Poblanos in this recipe and few hot peppers. Good luck with the pan situation.

Puerco Pibil is my 'go to' pork recipe and I make large batches at once and then freeze the shredded meat to use in other ways also. This recipe looks good although I prefer the one by Roberto Rodriguez. I used to cook mine in a large slow cooker until it bit the dust and now I use an (unbreakable) electric roaster.

Thanks JohnT. Looks delicious. Can you please tell me the approximate capacity of a 'large Dariole mould'? Thanks. Sorry, I can't tell you how the post links work. Still haven't figure it out myself.

Finally got hold of my friend and asked her all the pertinent questions. Father was raised in Java and then Holland. Came to SA as a married adult only and settled in first Johannesburg and then Gilletts, Durban. Her Mother was English and cooked English. She's the one who eaten SA food. Melk Tert, Malva Pudding, Bunny Chow, Mrs. Ball's Balls (she called it). etc. She thinks her Father has never eaten Bobotie. And Father is too old to manage Bunny Chow. So I was way off base. Sorry. And there's a SA store nearer to the Oshawa/Whitby area but she shies away from going there because she says she always spends a couple of hundred dollars...and then eats all the Biltong driving home in the car. So we will still have Bobotie. But with her agreement, I am rather leaning towards making Malva Pudding for dessert. Any recipes for Malva Pudding besides the one I found on Epicurious? Thanks.

Wonderful story about the Chutney. Thanks, JohnT. And Anna, I guess you know Peterborough pretty well. Certainly you have read my 'complaints' about shopping there a goodly number of times...and often been able to point out to me in which grocery store I can find such and such...usually Metro, where we don't shop as it's way off our beaten path. This thread is turning out to be quite a treat for me. Thanks all.

Thanks Chris. John and Elsie have both sent me recipes for the chutney so I think I'll make it. The small city where we shop, Peterborough, Ontario, is not noted for exotic ingredients (don't tell them I said that) so Mrs. Ball's chutney might not even be carried there. No doubt I could get it in Toronto. Still I'll look next week.