Norm Matthews

despite all the discussion about what is and what isn't soy sauce and when it is used in different cultures, the original query was about take out packets that comes with Chinese restaurant food in the US. Here is a link you may find useful: http://kariout.com/product_list_details.php?id=13bb4c48d5c45b&productid=13bb4ca730e25b

I had that feeling for many years too. I'd say to myself "I have been cooking for xxx years and never needed one before, why should I get one now?" I was gifted an Oster Kitchen Center with a mixer and never used it either. But then I did get a KitchenAid and wondered how did I ever get along without it? There were things I'd think twice about making that I don't think twice about doing now with a stand mixer.

Besides the muffin method, there is the biscuit method where the fat is cut into the flour before adding the liquids. This in effect coats the flour to help prevent the formation of gluten when the liquid is added. Reduction of gluten formation in biscuits help keep them tender.

When I first started cooking I got the James Beard Cookbook and bought two more after each of the others started falling apart.. They were paperback. I got a first edition on line and then got another to keep the first edition in good shape. I had three copies of American Cookery. The first one had a tattered cover and dog eared pages. I keep the second one on a bookshelf with glass doors. It still has the dust jacket. I use the third one which replaced the first one. I have a first edition of BakeWise and a second copy that was given to me when I thought I'd lost the first one, then found it.

I like the stoneware bowl. (food looks great too) But is that hand thrown?

I'd be very happy to share the recipe for the game hens. I suggest covering wing tips and leg tips with foil to avoid over browning. Here it is: Honey Lacquered Game Hens RecipeYield: 6 whole hens Parade Magazine March 27, 1994 6 Cornish game hens, about 3/4 to 1 pound each (see note)4 Garlic cloves, peeled1 1" piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped1/2 c Soy sauce1/2 c Light honey2 tb Peanut oil2 tb Fresh orange juice1 tb Finely minced orange zest Here's a new and exciting dish that's easily prepared. It's especially delicious served with sesame noodles or your favorite rice pilaf. For an ideal meal without much effort, simply steam up some fresh snow peas to serve on the side. 1. Rinse game hens and pat dry. Place in a bowl. Trim off wing tips, necks and any excess fat from the neck cavities. 2. Place garlic and ginger in the bowl of a food processor; process until nearly smooth. Reserve. 3. In another bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, peanut oil, orange juice and orange zest. Add the reserved garlic and ginger. Pour mixture over game hens to coat well. 4. Let rest at room temperature for 4 hours, or refrigerate overnight, turning game hens in marinade 3 or 4 times. 5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place game hens in a shallow roasting pan to fit. Pour marinade on top. 6. Bake game hens 1 hour or until cooked through, basting every 15 minutes. 7. Remove hens to a serving platter. Pour cooking juices into a small, heavy saucepan and boil over high heat for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Pour over the hens just before serving. NOTE: These birds can be served whole or, for smaller portions, are lovely split in half. Just be sure to remove the backbones and wing tips before preparing. Per serving: 185 calories, 7 grams fat, 12 milligrams cholesterol.

I was an art teacher with a major in ceramics and made these on the wheel. If I had not retired, I could make some for you but now that I don't have a kiln anymore I can't. The face mug would fit your requirements I think. They are stoneware, lead free and don't get hot in the microwave. I generally preferred to make smaller ones so the coffee didn't get cold before the cup was empty.

Everyones food looks delicious. When my ex-girl friend and I split several years ago on mutual agreement, she asked for some of my recipes which I gladly copied for her. A few days later my son, then about 11, told me when he got home from school his basketball goal and my BBQ smoker were loaded in the back of a pick-up truck and the two guys told him as they were driving away that they were getting these for the ex. A few days later I discovered one of my son's favorite recipes missing from my hand written cookbook. She must have taken that too. It was before computers and subsequent searches in food sites brought up nothing. Then last week, I found that Parade digitalized their magazines and I found it in a 1993 issue. It was Honey Lacquered Game Hens. We had it today. We decided I had changed the recipe and now need to experiment some more but I am very glad to have the original again. We remembered that I used Cointreau in the recipe and that was not part of it originally. I bought a new rice cooker today too. It is a Tiger made in Japan. Our old one - same brand and same size- is about 30 years old and still works but is wearing out and missing a part or two. Along with the chicken and rice, I grilled baby bok choy and stir fried Chinese eggplant with sugar peas, mushrooms and a few other vegetables and tossed in a dressing with pecans, peanut oil, tangerine vinegar, orange zest and honey.

There are some Ramen noodles that are air dried but the most common (and cheap) kind are deep-fried in oil. The air dried kind take a little longer to cook. There is also some fat in the flavor packet.

Ramen is made with noodles that have been fried. That is why the cook faster than other kinds of pasta.

Thanks Dejah. That looks like the one that got me interested and sounds a lot like the one I found with a search. I just used 4 boneless, skinless chicken half breasts for mine.

I can't find it but someone did a citrus marinated chicken recently and it looked good so I made some today. Along with the chicken was bok choy with water chestnuts and Korean marinated bean sprouts.

Quick supper tonight. Ham steaks with a sherry/cherry sauce, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli and onions stir fried with a little Koran teriyaki sauce and honey. I made cake doughnuts with a doughnut pan I got from King Arthur. It was dark metal, non-stick and so the bottoms were darker and more well done than the tops. I expected better from King Arthur.

My mom used lunch and dinner interchangeably and supper for the later meal. Right or wrong, I tend to use dinner and supper interchangeably.

We had it around 3pm. It was our big meal of the day. I planned it for then because Cassie works in the evening on Sundays. We'll probably just have snacks or sandwiches later on.

We had our corned beef dinner today. Corned beef was homemade then simmered in beer with garlic and other seasonings. Cabbage served with a balsamic reduction. new potatoes boiled, smashed, buttered, seasoned and roasted. We also had soda bread, rutabagas and carrots.

I guess I can live with lopsided lava cakes. Whipped cream hides a lot of it and no body cares what it looked like right after it's cut into.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/silicone-baking-cups-set-of-6 Ref. # 4953

I just got 6 of these from King Arthur. Problem is they aren't round. What does everyone do with these? Do they round up in the heat of the oven or do I need to put them in custard dishes to help them hold their shape? .... or do you just bake with them and overlook the asymmetry?

I don't know if there was any green beer that first year. I think they had a green calf in the parade a few years later. All the CB I found was $3.49/ lb.

Kansas City had a lively Irish Day parade tradition in the 19th century but it died out until in 1973 when Dan Hagerty, Mike Murphy and Pat O'Neal decided to resurrect it and walked 1 1/2 blocks from the Continental Hotel to Hagerty's Cocktail Lounge for drinks. It has grown somewhat since then. http://kcirishparade.com/history/the-modern-parade

Darch, I am always in awe of the great food prices you find. I didn't find anything that compares here in Kansas City when I went looking for a bargain on corned beef today. If I could find any at those prices, I'd get some for the freezer to use later in the year for sandwiches, hash and colcannon. However once a year in March I always make it at home because St. Patrick's Day is a special meal for us and homemade is so much better that it is worth the extra effort once in a while. You seem to be such a perfectionist, that I am surprised that you would use store bought but I can understand it. Most people use store bought and New York has those legendary deli's. Just for comparison here is what I found out here in the midwest today. I found that there is deli corned beef, corned beef in a bag-ready to cook and corned beef in 15 ounce cans. The deli corned beef is uber expensive, not made with brisket but top round and is good for sandwiches. Canned corned beef is not very good at all and I avoid getting it unless i am really lazy and plan to make it with eggs. Finally the corned beef brisket in a bag, ready to cook is very good but we can tell the difference. So at Price Chopper, deli corned beef was $9.99 a pound, in a bag was on sale for $3.49/lb and canned was $1.87 for a 15 ounce can. Aldi didn't have a deli but the bagged ready to cook corned beef was not on sale but still $3.49/ lb and the canned was $1.89 Hen House Market where I usually shop had top round corned beef in the deli for $12.49/ lb. Bagged corned beef brisket on sale for 3.49/lb and 15 oz can corned beef for 1.94. Brisket at Price Chopper was the best deal at 3.99/ lb. Aldi didn't have brisket and Hen House was the worst at 7.99. I did not think to notice whether Price Chopper and Hen House had different grades though.

I did some checking at the Costco website and brisket was 2.73/lb while corned beef brisket was 3.25/lb.

There was a minor revolt in my family one year when I said I thought I'd just buy a corned beef instead of making one from scratch.

Saltiness in home-corned beef is analogous to country cured ham. Ham is skinned, soaked in hot water for around 24 hours, water changed, then boiled, baked, sliced and sometimes simmered in water again to decrease the saltiness. The result is ham, not leg of pork. Corned beef is cured beef, not roast beef.