Mottmott

Making your own pasta will help stretch your food dollars. At the same time it will allow for infinite inventiveness in using up bits of things in raviolis. I don't know where you live, but if you're in seafood territory, mussels are a delicious and cheap food. Now that they're farmed, they hardly need de bearding. When the world catches on that they're not as much work the price will doubtless rise. If you have Asian, Indian, Mexican markets, you will find many foods that are much cheaper there than in others. Also, I didn't notice anyone mentioning polenta.

Marron Glace are something I always buy. Its hard to make quality ones at home, and the process is time consuming and fiddly. They fall apart and you end up using the bits in chocolates, or chestnut balls, or Mont Blanc recipes, and the whole thing costs more in money, as well as time and frustration than buying in. I also find them too sweet. Peeling chestnuts is a pain, and difficult to keep the nut whole. When I need chestnuts to cook with, or for stuffing I buy the vacuum packed whole ready peeled nuts. Whole fresh nuts are best for roasting by a blazing fire, and eating with salt and loved ones... Since a quick Google doesn't reveal any reasonable recipes online (only ones packed in jars of syrup, which is not the same) here is a recipe adapted form HMSO Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables, that essential book referenced in the last unit. 2lb/1Kg sweet chestnuts 1lb/500g sugar 1 lb/500g glucose or dextrose 1 lb/500g additional sugar to glace vanilla pod Snip the tops off the chestnuts, and scald for 3 minutes then peel, including all the brown inner skin. Put into fresh cold water, and slowly bring to the boil, simmer until tender. Drain carefully The chestnuts need gentle handling, as they fall apart soon as look at them. Make a syrup from 1lb/500g sugar, the glucose, and 1/2 pt/ 300ml water. Bring to the boil, add the chestnuts (carefully), bring back to the boil Remove from the heat and leave, covered, until the next day. Next day bring back to the boil, uncovered, remove from the heat and cover, and leave until the next day The third day add a vanilla pod, or 8 drops of true vanilla essence, bring back to the boil, let get cold, and then take out the chestnuts very carefully and let drain on a wire rack over a tray or newspaper where the sticky drippings don't matter. Many of the chestnuts will have fallen apart, and you can either roll the bits into balls, or stir into good melted chocolate, or pass through a sieve to make Mont Blanc. Next day (day 4) Make a glace syrup with 1lb/500g sugar and 1/4 pt/150ml water, Bring the syrup to a boil, then keep warm. Put some in a cup, and individually dip in the chestnuts, before letting them dry on a rack. If the syrup goes cloudy throw it out and replace it with fresh warm syrup. Put the rack in a warm (100F/30C) dry place until dry, turning the marron occaisionally. Wrap up the marron invidually in something airtight, and store sealed, otherwise they will get damp. If the atmosphere is damp when drying they won't dry and will go mouldy. Good luck. Its a challenge, and not one I think worthwhile, when good marron can be bought. Thanks for the recipe and the advice. I did google around to find a marron glacee recipe with no success. I guess its absence should have been a tip off. I'll take your advice and turn my energy to other things - mincemeat being high on the list.

Another outstanding lesson, Jack. I found the grapefruit peel recipe interesting. I've done peel, but never left the fruit on. Have to try it your way. I really like homemade peel, the taste, the texture. I may also try the mincemeat which looks scrumptious. Also, I wonder if you have a recipe for marron glacee in your kit?

I'm happy to say Ming's show is in Philadelphia. It's a really good show. I like the organization. He takes a basic element such as a sauce or his "cracker dough" and then uses it in 3-4 different dishes. Also he has a guest chef - Jasper White today - who incorporates Ming's master sauce or dough in one of his own recipes. And while he's very personable, you sense he feels the show's about the food, not him, which is admirable.

Actually, Jimnyo, I have one in the fridge. But five cents a pound? No way. I'll ask my mother to mail a few from Ottawa. My preferred way of cooking cabbage is in the microwave. I cut it up, leaving it a little moist from washing, put it in a deep dish which I cover with plastic wrap and cook it. It's so sweet I often eat it without doing anything more than putting a little butter on it, but it could be incorporated into all sorts of other dishes. I think it works better in the microwave than in a steamer. Commiserations on you situation. I know you'll come through it soon. And with your ingenuity you will continue to eat better than most people!

Here's a tip for people who still struggle with the cuisinart with the abominable multi-piece top. When I pour liquids in, I stick a funnel in the hole to make it easier to pour things in without having to clean out the little wings on the side of the hole. And you don't need to aim at something the size of a half dollar.

d'angelo's is very good. pricey, though. my husband questions the integrity of a toupe-wearing butcher, so we don't go there all that often. anyway, we've been living in philadelphia for about a year and a half. for the first few months, we shopped almost exclusively at either the super fresh at 10 & south or reading terminal. that changed after i found a decent produce store (jin's, on 20th just above chestnut), and we started shopping at whole foods. we'd buy most of our produce from jin's, pantry stuff, chicken and beef from whole foods, and occasionally fish, though it's too expensive and not of the best quality (previoously frozen, occasionally stinky). now we're getting the small amount of pantry stuff we need from trader joe's (but not their pasta), produce and meats are still primarily coming from jin's and whole foods, as well as from the farmer's markets. i am pretty happy with this set up, but need a place to get good fish at a reasonable price. i do intend to try reading terminal again, based on suggestions, and am happy to pursue other avenues as well, though chinatown is unfortunately out. What I really meant, but didn't say, was what city did you shop in that had such a better selection.

I don't think anyone's mentioned oyster stew. Does not one else like oyster stew?

It's a great thread Holly, but where's the Philly steak?

I like pyrex too. That said, I've recently taken to at least starting off my pies and tarts directly on the baking stone on the bottom of my oven. It does wonders for the bottom of the crust. I'm afraid to do so with the glass. I compromised by either using metal or putting the glass dish on a baking sheet that then goes on the stone.

I get some good pricy meat at d'Angelo on 9th St, too. ALKronin, Just out of curiosity where did you used to shop?

I add my voice to the chorus of admiration and thank you. I wonder, could you speak about how different Lebanese cuisine is from others in the region and place it in context for me?

I think the granite version is probably available in most Asian markets with small price variations. Mine was a few dollars less in Philadelphia

Home made pear preserves are lovely and delicate. I like them even better than pear butter.

Could someone post a picture of dried posole?

Do try to return it. And if the bookseller won't deal with it, contact the publisher directly because there's a good chance they will replace it. It's outrageous how shoddy some books are these days regardless of how expensive they are.

Sounds whacky to me, and under ordinary circumstances I'd pass on that recipe. You, however, are doing a review so you might at least test cooking 1-2 sacrifice shrimp to see what does happen.

but you're not usually fasting. why have numbers that show your body in a state that it is never in? people generally eat 3 times a day, with coffee, soda, snacks, tea, whatever, in between. many doctors (and yes, even well-respected doctors), don't suggest fasting before a run-of-the-mill test (obviously, if there's another reason, such as an isolation approach, or another scientific approach, then i'm sure some say to fast once in a while). the only numbers, as far as i understand, that are really affected are the triglycerides anyway. so the blanket statement of "always remember to have get checked when you are in a fasting state" is probably not accurate. let your doctor decide. Tommy, I think one of the points of always fasting a certain amount of time before getting the test is to be able to compare the results of one test with another in a constant fashion. While you're right that we always eat, we don't always eat the same things nor do we always get tested at the same time of day. You may have oatmeal one am and a couple eggs and bacon another, and get tested before lunch. Or you may be tested one am after oatmeal but on another day not only have the eggs and bacon for breakfast AND topped it off with a lunch of mac and cheese and a milkshake, etc.

Wow! I'm playing eG catch up and guess I haven't gotten to that part of the story. The more time passes, the funnier you'll find it until, one day, you'll try and won't be able to recall the details in the midst of all your successes. (You should keep a journal of your adventures in starting this business venture. It'll make a good story when you write your book.)

I'm just going to lurk until my life settles down, so my $.02 is gratuitous. But I'll throw it into the pot anyhow. Why not chose a project, say, roasting chicken, or whatever, then some people can use Making of a Cook while others use J&J, or CT (for example) and compare your results and compare the differences in the usefulness of presentation well as the final product itself. After that, there may be more consensus on which of these books to use as a group or perhaps you may decide that the process is enriched by combining these sources. Whenever I take on a new complex dish or technique, I keep Pepin, Kamman, Peterson, and Corriher on call. I'm an equal opportunity employer.

Go for the 75% to cover yourself legally. After all, you're doing all the work and their cut is to cover rent. If you feel you've profiteered after you've been at it for some months, then make a nice tax free donation.

Jim Crace, Devil's Larder (and a physically beautiful book, too-great for gifts)

Your napkin idea is brilliant, but I'll give it a twist and use a terry wash cloth. I've discoved Value City has thin terry washcloths for about $4 for a dozen and a half. I've bought 3 batches so far and will get more next time I'm near there. (I also like keeping those really thin "floursack towels" in the kitchen.) They're in little stashes around the house for the kids. I find that I sometimes use one as I might use a paper towel: one use then toss it in the washing machine instead of the trash. It's handy not just to clean a grubby face but also to lift a pot lid.

Your napkin idea is brilliant, but I'll give it a twist and use a terry wash cloth. I've discoved Value City has thin terry washcloths for about $4 for a dozen and a half. I've bought 3 batches so far and will get more next time I'm near there. (I also like keeping those really thin "floursack towels" in the kitchen.) They're in little stashes around the house for the kids. I find that I sometimes use one as I might use a paper towel: one use then toss it in the washing machine instead of the trash. It's handy not just to clean a grubby face but also to lift a pot lid.

After clearing out my cupboards of all the moth infested flours, etc., I followed up on a hint I read somewhere and began storing these things with a couple bay leaves in each container. So far it seems to help. But like you, I keep some things in the freezer both against moths and rancidity (some flours, cornmeal, etc.)