memesuze

According to Shirley Corriher on page 93 of Cookwise, the "long, straight starch in bread, called amylose, changes to a hard crystalline form near refrigerator temperatures. Bread will actually stay softer longer at room temperature than refrigerated, but it is more likely to mold." She recommends freezing or room temp storage, emulsifiers such as egg yolks to slow staling, acidic doughs, and breads made from doughs that have spent a night in the refrigerator. However she points out that the changing form of the amylose is only part of the question, which still needs more answers. Breads made with starters or prepared with cold rises also have longer shelf life, but it is unknown whether it's the acids produced by the bacteria, the strain of yeast or some other factor slowing staling. Mold inhibitors include cinnamon, raisin juice concentrate, and raisin pulp.

WWCalc is a points calculator as well as a journaling tool - once the points for a particular food item or combination have been calculated using a part of the software, WWCalc remembers the calculation and plugs it into the journal. I understand the protection of their patent on the name and concept- but for me, it's too late, I'm already using the software, the formula is readily available at the patent office, and I've given enough money to WW. I don't want to get into any arguments about open source code and such....

Using the USDA data for red and white wine respectively for a 25.36 ounce bottle plugged into WWCalc, a piece of PDA software that was once available on the internet until WW forced the author to remove it, I calculate the points for a whole bottle to be 10.6 for red and 10.1 for white. This agrees with a formula I found on the net that referenced Patent number 6,040,531. The formula is P = (C/50) + (F/12) - (R/5), P being points, C, calories, F, fat grams, and R, fiber grams capped at no more than 4 grams. I suppose one could use a spread sheet and this formula to create a points calculator. Me, I just use WWCalc. And I appreciate this thread - it's returned my to the straighter path - although I join Abra in preferring my beverage points to be wine, rather than juice or milk. I've always gone for fruit in my hand rather than in my glass - need that fiber too.

but one wild girl has been on the road again this summer....

A tamalada is a gathering of many folks for many hours with many laughs and tales that produces dozens and dozens and dozens of tamales for the holiday season - frequently multi-generational, and often, these days, amongst my crowd, lubricated with tequila - it goes back centuries, I'm sure

Throw it in a Mexican vegetable soup with whatever spring/summer vegetables you have lying around and use a puree of dried chiles to pep up the broth

Curra's here in Austin serves delightfully smooth avocado margaritas

I'm wondering if this will take over the corporate model and when we're driving on the interstate we'll be able to have something a bit more tasty and healthy than slimjims....

In terms of manual models of the small variety, I much prefer the Mexican press to the basic reamer on which you screw the citrus half round and round to produce juice - the press lever action is easier on my wrists and arms. Found mine for $3 at a garage sale.

That's right across the street from my work site - in days of yore some of the folks who couldn't wait until they went to lunch for a cocktail would go for a quick one in a little brown bag for break - lately I just see the Slurpee and cigarette crowd crossing the parking lot - guess I'll have to go exploring....

I agree with the "poised for action" comment. For me, tequila has always had more of an "upper" feel to it, while other liquors are "downers" - sipping my first tequila decades ago beside the Rio Grande in Santa Elena Canyon while the stars rose was definitely reminiscent of some psychedelic moments....

After making Zarela Martinez' mole negro, I finally understood the concept of layers of flavor - as Anna N said it, "amazed by the sheer complexity of the taste."

Do you mean the Chambers range? I have one in robin's egg blue that I keep threatening to sell to get a big oven - but it reminds me of home, where I grew up with a gray one.... I'd love Alton's drawers full of every cooking toy imaginable, even the ones that came from the hardware store....

I'll wait for Jaymes to chime in - but I can't imagine what milk could possibly add - why are you thinking of adding milk to the mix? I think the recipe is to produce a tender tasty melange of pork bits - and I don't see milk as a part of the process.

I'll wait for Jaymes to chime in - but I can't imagine what milk could possibly add - why are you thinking of adding milk to the mix?

I think the better option is if you can make a cold steep brew successfully - put twice as much as you would if brewing normally, with cool water into the container with the water and let steep in your refrigerator overnight - strain, and drink what remains....

check the paper's classified ads under food products or call the county agent or check the state department of agriculture - that's where we in Texas would find them....

I confess to having eaten two to three carrots every day, yes that's every day, for the last fifty years, since I was in grade school - never noticed an orange tint to my hands, but now I'll have to check them in all manner of light - better orange from carrots than yellow from jaundice!

oops - better make me a postit for the Prague materials - where are you located physically now - I might be able to mail you the guidebook and some maps I used....

"Why can't more airports have restaurants representing local food?" Actually there was a recent controversy in Austin because the City Council was asked to permit a non-local food vendor in the airport - when the new terminal was built, all vendors were to be local. Not sure what the final outcome was. A more recent controversy is the lack of vendors outside security - there's only one little "coffeeshop" where folks can get sustenance while awaiting arriving planes.

see, you go to eat in Santa Fe and we cover for you

I'm no insider, just a contented customer. It will be several months, they are adding space from the shops to the north of the store [previously Origins and an empty space], will be moving the cheese to near the wine so they can have a wine and cheese bar, will be putting in a coffee and tea bar, with more estate teas for purchase, and I'm not sure what else. Hard to believe it's been 10 years since it opened....

I also weigh in as a fan of green teas, but want to add a cautionary note: these are not brewed in the same manner as the usual black teas most of us encounter. You should use cooler than boiling water - anywhere from 150-165 F, and brew from 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes. Failure to follow this advice might leave you with bitter or ashtray tasting tea. But doing this will give you the opportunity to have several successive infusions from the same leaves, starting with less time for the first one, and adding 15 seconds to each successive infusion. And since green leaves are typically fluffier thatn blacks, or even oolongs, and thus weigh less per volume measure, if you have access to a gram scale, I'd suggest 3 grams per 6 ounces of water rather than the black's 2 grams per 6 ounces.

all I knnow is the name of the fungus: huitlacoche - someone else will have to drop in with the suggested recipes

I'll go home and dig out my Prague travel materials from last October - I remember a very good, relatively cheap Thai meal, and a cheap but hearty vegetarian pay-by-the-weight meal - my attempts to find good inexpensive Czech food wasn't quite as successful, but I only had a brief time there.