Suvir Saran

You probably say the same thing about a Twinkie. Do they ever go stale? Of course some people raise the question of whether they are ever fresh. I feel the same way about bottled Mayo and Lemon Curd.

Why is that strange? I did read the weed and brownie thread and I'm seriously jonesing...

DO you make your own Fruit Cake? Do you get it from Canada?

Mitchell London makes a wonderful red potato and green bean salad. Tossed in vinegar and herbs and pine nuts. It is sensational. Has been at least 2 years since I last at it, but even 2 years later, the taste memory is intact.

why so?

I have never had it with potatoes... How does it taste?

As Mary Ann always says, "Fried caramel colored onions are the life of imm jaddara".

eew.....yuck... DO they really make a garlic mayo? Who would buy that? You are teasing Jinmyo and I? For we admit to using Hellman's.... I am sure this is a bad joke. Oh, I just saw a commercial for this last night. They make an herb flavor and a tomato/bacon flavor, too. I am so glad I do not own a TV and have no cable access. Just my video and DVD players and a 20 inch computer monitor. No such torture for me to endure.

I feel edumacated. Thanks! Jokes apart, I always guessed this is what it meant.. and now I am sure. Thanks for taking time to explain what must be so second nature to a professional chef. PS: I was going to ditto Cakewalks post.. but you answered before.

What is that?

eew.....yuck... DO they really make a garlic mayo? Who would buy that? You are teasing Jinmyo and I? For we admit to using Hellman's.... I am sure this is a bad joke.

I am no 4 Star chef.... sorry! I just used Hellman's.

Am I the only one that also loves the color of home made Mayo? I love that golden hint in the home made version. Hellman's is too white and pasty for my eyes...

It does things that we will not know for a long time... and then.. sometime, someday.. some scientist will prove its connection to some disease.. And then decades after that, another will come along to disprove the previous theory...

I have had to resort to Hellman's once when catering for a group of 225. Embarassed as I was to do that, I felt it was the best I could do. So, here... I have come clean.

You got it! Yes it is indeed rice, masoor dal and fried onions.

I wonder...and thus I never bother with store bought versions of these easy to make classics. And frankly, those that eat home made mayo or lemon curd, are always mighty impressed even with the dishes where one would use these two in very small amounts. A good home made version of each of them is FAR Superior to any of the brands that a supermarket may carry pre-packaged.

I have always wondered what they do differently. I have the same questions for Lemon Curd....

7 Years ago for my first ever Annual Holiday Open House, I planned a table for fruit cakes. I prepared fruit cakes of many different kinds and using different spirits. The party was a great success... We were able to fit 125 plus people in the apartment. The Tandoor was able to cook enough food for all those people and after the party, most of the friends that came, marked the Open House at Hudson Mews as their preferred holiday party for they "real food" served in this home. Some of the fruit cakes I made for that party are listed below: I had made the classic Fruit Cake that my mom and aunts prepared with cognac. I had an armagnac version of it for fun. I had a Florida Fruit Cake, I believe the recipe was from a famous dessert book. I made a caraway seed and Irish whisky based fruit cake. A rum and tropical fruit cake Grand Marnier and three citrus fruit cake Bourbon, pecan and apricot fruit cake Champagne and mixed berry fruit cake My favorite just happens to be the classic cognac fruit cake that was left behind by the Brits in India.

As I said in the first post... we used Rum in India. But I prefer cognac and armagnac over Rum or Bourbon.

What spirits should one use in the making of fruit cakes?

I have made it three times now. I cannot thank mhadam enough for having introduced me to this wonderful cake. It is the most amazing aromatic and tasty cake I have had. I have had far too many cakes that are flavorful but do not come out being tasty.. simply as spicy, over spiced cakes... This cake is most subtle and yet so full in flavor. It is amazing. It could be Middle Eastern, Iranian, Iraqi, Indian or Sri Lankan.. it would go well with any food and at any time. I would be very curious myself to know how the magazine got to that recipe. And who the first person to come up with this combination was. It is spectacular.

Could that be the same thing as a banburry (sp?) tart. That too is nothing but a butter tart with a fancy name. English in origin. We had it in India as kids. It certainly would deserve it's own thread either way.

Aunt Susan and Aunt Betty used to bake over 50 pounds of fruitcake (my mother was a co-conspirator and I an active helper) for Christmas to be distributed amongst family and friends. Beautifully wrapped parcels would be sent with the driver to homes of relatives and friends as a Christmas and New Year gift. Mind you, Aunt Susan (Christian from Kerala) is married to Uncle Raj a Hindu. Aunt Betty is really Dr. Prabha Manchanda (Sikh by birth, secular by practice). This is a tradition we all follow not for religious reasons, but to continue what was brought to India with the foreign rulers. It makes for great festive mood. And all us kids loved this cake. The fruits were soaked in Gigantic Jars for 21 days in rum. Rum was more affordable than Cognac for certain and also easily available. I use Susan Auntie’s recipe each year. It is a big hit at the annual Holiday Bash that I have become famous for amongst friends and theirs. The cake is 9x12 and is made using 2 bottles of Cognac. I make at least 6 batches for the season. One with Armagnac and this is the one I serve for New Year. The reason I wanted to start this thread is that as I was putting stuff into the refrigerator, I realized that I had a 9/12 inch Fruit Cake from last year. I save each year at least one cake for the next year. This is a custom in the family and I am told it is also practiced in the UK. Is that true? We save the cake in a tin but the cake is wrapped in several layers of fine muslin that has been soaked in rum (Armagnac in my case) and every month you add more rum (Armagnac) into the cake. I drizzle lots of it all over the cake and then wrap the cake again and drizzle more over the already soaking muslin cloth. I then sprinkle confectioners sugar and wrap the muslin in Saran wrap and then place in the box, use another layer of Saran wrap and seal the box securely. The cake is always moist and by the next year, it is sublime. I had a nice piece of it just a few minutes ago. I have a buzz. There is LOTS of alcohol in this. Do others have their own Fruit Cake stories? What recipes do you use? Where do you get them? Do you even like Fruit Cake? Who eats them anymore? What makes a good fruit cake? What fruit do you use?

Impressive!