cyalexa

I think it was well worth the effort. Can you keep a big bowl cold at your "Dog Weekend"? If I was making this for an event I would consider making individual servings in clear plastic cups. My husband used to have show dogs. Now we just have 3 misfits: one born deaf and dumped here; one with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, found injured in the road near my house; one hugely paranoid female "retired" from a breeding colony, probably culled for producing crazy puppies.

The trimmings of the chiffon cake just tasted sweet. Once incorporated into the trifle I appreciated its texture and of course, it tasted of berries and cream sherry, ie. good! I make a fair number of things from ATK. Typically, I am pleased with the results.

It took most of a day to make and generated a lot of dirty pans and bowls but was very good and impressed my guests. I would make it again, assuming berries in season and adequate time. My bowl was a little smaller than called for in the recipe so I only used 1 lb strawberries and had a little pastry cream and cake left over. the recipe is at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/7412-summer-berry-trifle

Have you seen the BA recipe for lamb burgers grilled inside pita? I have not made it but plan to do so. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spiced-lamb-burger#recipe-ingredients

I think I will buy some next time in am in OKC, to have on hand. That said, both my brother and husband have a sweet tooth and I made it for them. In fact my husband just said "Good pie Dear", as he finished a piece for breakfast. The thought of something sweet, especially that sweet, for breakfast makes me feel a little queasy! I really appreciated your help with the crumb crust. It stuck to the pan slightly but was otherwise successful and certainly easier that a pastry dough, which I used last time (pic below). It seemed buttery enough when I was patting it into the pan. Do you use pan spray on your pan before this type of crust or was it the excess sugar?

Used the vanilla wafer and coconut crust idea. Turned out pretty well. Way too sweet for me but brother and husband liked it.

Sadly, I have to drive to Dallas to go to Trader Joe's. I do so at least twice yearly.

Thanks to those who replied. I'm putting vanilla wafers on the shopping list! Andiensenji, I only have sweetened coconut on hand and no time to go the "big city" before I bake. Will cutting the sugar down to 2TB work? Also, the sweetened coconut tends to be rather moist so I may decrease the butter a bit as well, unless you think that is a bad idea. Have you by chance ever weighed 1 1/4 cups of roughly crushed vanilla wafers? I'm probably over thinking this, typical of me when I'm baking sweets. I'm much braver with bread and savory.

I use mine for farro. I made oatmeal in it once but wasn't pleased with the result.

A coconut cream pie has been requested by my brother for his birthday. I am pie-crust challenged. The CI crust using vodka is the only one I know I can make successfully. Do you think I can sub coconut rum for the vodka? Also, I looked at the Sweetie-licious crust recipe made with graham crackers and coconut and am tempted to try that. Any comments on that? Thanks in advance.

I sent you a recipe to check out. It is one of my husband's favorite dishes.

The chicken was already cooked and I was worried about cooking it further so I just baked the composed dish until it was bubbling hot, about 25 min at 325F. I didn't take notes so will save them here. I used a glass pan, 8x11 I think (it's in the dishwasher so can't measure it, but it stacks inside the 9x13), sprayed with no-stick spray. Pasta made with one large egg and the amount of flour needed to make a proper pasta dough, rolled to # 6 on the KA will be just enough for 2 layers of filling (ie. 3 layers of pasta and yes, I boiled it briefly before use). I will use 2 eggs worth of pasta if I go up to a 9x13. Two chicken breasts was barely enough, could have used 3. I used about 2 cups cooked chopped broccoli. Each layer had about 2.5-3 strips of crumbled bacon. The cheese sauce was made with 265g chicken broth, 11g sodium citrate, and 285g grated swiss cheese. I barely had enough for the 2 layers and it seemed too thick, even though it was still warm. I think it loosened up during baking and ended up being about right. Over the top layer of pasta I spread about 1.5 cup of bechamel and covered it with about 1.5 cup of grated swiss. After roasting a chicken I always have both breasts left as we eat the dark meat and wings at dinner. I will probably try this "Chicken Divan Lasagna" in an 8x8 with all bechamel after our next chicken dinner. One less pan and I don't like the way MC cheese sauce browns so wouldn't want it on top.

Thanks to those who contributed. I decided to leave the sour cream out. The dish was good enough to warrant hauling out the KA to make pasta sheets to make it again.

I'm trying to use up some leftovers including a generous cup of thick bechamel, sour cream, fresh pasta sheets, bacon, swiss cheese, broccoli, and cooked chicken breasts. I'm thinking of a chicken divan-like lasagna with bacon instead of ham. My tentative plan is to make a MC cheese sauce with chicken broth and swiss cheese, and mix in the chicken, bacon and broccoli. I will layer this mixture between the pasta sheets. I am trying to decide if I can combine the bechamel, sour cream, and swiss cheese for a topping but am afraid the sour cream might curdle in the oven. I don't like the way MC cheese sauce browns so don't want to use it in the top layer. I guess I could just thin the bechamel with a little chicken broth but I am trying to put the sour cream to good use.

Today I'm making a variation of Tartine basic country dough to use for pizzas; and a chocolate and raisin levain, adapted from How to Make Bread.

Ann, your slashes are lovely. I'm slashing impaired.

Don't laugh: as an after dinner drink I'll put a generous splash of coffee liqueur in what's left of the malty ale I was drinking with dinner.

I had a good sushi lunch at Wasabi Wasabi Japanese Restaurant 912 E Douglas, Wichita, KS 67202 (316) 927-3524 . If you like checking out grocery stores there is an upscale Dillons Marketplace at 7707 East Central Avenue Wichita, KS 67206. But, my favorite thing of all is to take hwy 177 to hwy 77 (instead of I-35) through Ponca City and go to Head Country. Best ribs ever. If you find somnething good, please report. I am in Wichita every now and then.

What shortcuts have you taken that resulted in less good results? Why do you think the results were less good?

If they are fresh figs try David Tanis' Fig and Almond Cake. It should be easy to google, if not I can copy and paste for you.

Yummy cheesy pepperoni rolls Those look wonderful. Will you share the recipe?

Green Apple Books, a/k/a San Francisco's Cookbook Wonderland; secret Bed, Bath and Beyond of San Francisco; Falletti Foods I have never been to any of these - that will be corrected on my next trip. Thanks for posting about them.

Artisan Cheese Festival is in Petaluma in March. It is a blast.

It was a little funnier than the time I tried to carbonate wine in my Penguin Sodastream . The angel food cake episode created a river of soda flowing across the counter. The wine episode was more like a mini hurricane of sticky red liquid all over me, my bar and into all the nooks and crannies of the Penguin. If you have a Penguin Sodastream follow the warnings re. trying to carbonate anything other than water.

that's the best part!