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JohnT

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Everything posted by JohnT

  1. @DianaB, how many people are you going to cater for?
  2. Looks superb! It is known locally as "Millionairs Shortbread".
  3. Sartoric, when I first looked at the above photograph, the first thing I thought was "pregnant?" - but then it struck me - wrong gender! Hope you enjoyed it.
  4. JohnT

    Oreo Cookies

    Okay folks, in South Africa we appear to get two versions of Oreo Cookies - the one has white icing in the centre and the other has chocolate icing in the centre. I am not a huge "cookie" guy but my other half, although she professes not to like any "cookie", will scoff a whole packet of the white centred ones when I have not hidden them properly, but will not eat the chocolate centred ones as, she claims, they are tasteless. I write "cookie" in inverted commas as we call them biscuits here. Also, the Oreo's we get are manufactured in the UAE. Now, the above said, what does an "original" Oreo look like? Is it with the white icing or something else?
  5. Okay HC, you got me! How much (size) is a "bobcat bucket"?????
  6. [HOST'S NOTE: This discussion was split from a general gardening discussion on our Off-Topic forum]. @liuzhou Do you use any of the water plants in cooking? In South Africa we have what is called "waterblommetjie bredie" which translates to "water flower stew", which is a very popular stew, normally cooked with lamb. Looking at the buds of the flowers in the pond, they would make a superb stew!
  7. JohnT

    eG Cook-Off #72: Ramen

    So, you have a bunch of us drooling over our keyboards with your post above. Out of interest, which of the two prawn batters did you prefer? Which whispers to your tastebuds the best?
  8. The clusters of berries look a bit like a Guelder Rose but, from what I can see, the leaves do not correspond.
  9. The mixing of ground meat in a stand mixer with a paddle is basically to develop the myosin which acts as a binder to keep the meat from breaking apart when cooked. It is a process used in sausage making. There are a few things that need to be followed to ensure you are left with the correct or wanted texture. Firstly, the mixing of up to a couple kilos of meat should take only a few minutes - not more than 5 minutes. Secondly, make sure the meat is kept well chilled during the whole process - 0-5ºC (32-40ºF). This ensures that the fats do not smear as you really want them to not be melted in the mixture. The whole process can easily be done by hand but a person needs to be careful that the meat temperature remains cold. Adding a little iced water makes the process easier, with the water cooking out of the meat quite quickly. Do a Google search for developing myosin - it should dig up better info than what I have posted above.
  10. JohnT

    White fuzzy mold

    A few thoughts - who does the turning? Are they actually doing it? Were the bus tubs properly sterilised before use? Why not seal the briskets, with the cure, in ZipLok bags to prevent contamination and simply flip the bags when you need to turn. There really should be no sign of "fir" if the salt is correct and if proper hygiene guidelines are strictly followed (and your cure mix is correct).
  11. Because they originated from the Assam region, it does not mean the ones you purchased are now grown there - they could now be grown locally in China or anywhere else in the world. Two years ago we had very similar looking lemons in one of our local fruit & veg. shops that are produced on our west coast region. I never saw them last year but will look out for them this year - the first crop of lemons this year are now starting to appear on the shelves and I will keep my eye open for them. For all we know, those could come from South Africa as we are exporting ship loads of citrus to China at the moment.
  12. It looks very similar to an Assam lemon which originates from the Assam region of India. See if you can find it on Google. Have a look at http://citruspages.free.fr/lemons.html#longilimon
  13. Anna, the photo shows a good looking loaf, but with the problems you encountered, what was the crumb like?
  14. Iggy, your avatar is so small that I cannot actually see what is in your bread roll! The reason I was asking is that I was given a recipe for Ajvar last week by a Macedonian friend of mine. It is a relish served with ćevapčići, which is a really tasty uncased type of sausage/patty from the old Chez area and now appears to be spreading through Central Europe. The main ingredient in Ajvar is roasted red sweet peppers with some roasted eggplant, garlic and herbs in an evoo base. I am making it tomorrow for dinner of ćevapčići. I thought it may be similar to what you were looking for. John.
  15. Were these whole roasted red peppers or in the form of a relish?
  16. Perfectly correct! Thank you Iiuzhou.
  17. Currants are simply dried zante or corinth grapes, which are small seedless black grapes. They tend not to absorb liquid and swell up and thus are often used in small baked goods. Raisins are made from larger grapes and sometimes contained seeds, depending on the grape variety used. They also absorb liquid after soaking - great after soaking in brandy! Sultanas are simply dried sultana grapes, very sweet and seedless. John.
  18. When in Grenada in December I purchased a bottle of Angostura Orange Bitters, something I was unaware existed. Like an idiot, I forgot to pack it when flying back home! I am sure it would make an incredible addition to certain baked items.
  19. I must admit that I cannot see the point of somebody serving food on old boards etc. I was flying back home from the Caribbean this last December and managed to get as far as Heathrow without getting food poisoning. I went to one of the few restaurants that appeared pretty good and ordered a "pulled pork burger with chips and a salad". The whole lot was served on an old wooden board! I looked at the board and noticed that it was encrusted with old scraps of food, called the waiter and told him to tell the chef that it was unacceptable. He took the lot back to the kitchen and a minute later arrived with the same food, now on a plate. I objected and was told if I did not want it, I should go and eat elsewhere. I found another pretty bad pub to get a regular burger with chips. It was pretty bad, but I did not suffer from eating it! The Brits appear fixed on this sort of thing and I cannot fathem out why their health authorities do not ban the practice.
  20. Ha Anna, love your "automatic bread-stick maker"
  21. There is an old baker in Salé Medina (Rabat), Morocco, that in his small bakery, which measures about 5 x 10 foot, bakes hundreds of identical looking flatbreads from about 3am to about 7am each day and is sold out by 9am - wonderful bread eaten with evoo instead of butter! Through an interpreter, I found out that he has been doing this for over 50 years after taking over from his father, who had being making the flatbreads for over 60 years, in the same small shop.
  22. There is a DuPont product called Corian that we use on sailing yachts for countertops. It is also a resin/stone mixture which can take a lot of abuse, is easy to repair if damaged and can be shaped to fit. Do a Google search - maybe the same or similar to what you are looking at. The three counter top surfaces below are all Corian.
  23. Have a look at http://www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/4176266/0011/665.html
  24. Just do not store potatoes on the rack. Potatoes need to be stored in a dark place to prevent the chlorophyll developing in the skins. Not too good for human consumption!
  25. The easiest way to make small chicken pies is using puff pastry. Cut a rectangle or circle to a size that is basically double the finished pie. Roast a chicken (or two) and shred the cooked meat off the carcas. Mix the shredded chicken with a quantity of mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and put a dollop on the side of the recrangle or circle. Fold over the one half and seal the edge by pressing down with a fork. With a skewer put 2 holes in the top. Place on a baking sheet and brush with some egg-wash. Bake in a 200°C/400°F oven for about 20 minutes - until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. And that is it! And do not think the filling is dry - mayonnaise makes a nice moist filling. I often make about 100 of these at a time for catering at functions.
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