gulfporter

Have not bought them, either dry or jarred. The neighborhood bars in the Italian part of Scranton, PA, served them hot with a heavy dose of salt as bar food. You'd 'score' the skin with your teeth, then squeeze with fingers and slip out the edible part into your mouth, discarding the outer skin. Last year in Barcelona, they were served as a cold tapas with a drizzle of olive oil, but were already skinned and ready to eat.

Mmmmm....salted chilies. Surprised I haven't stumbled across them before; we're both a couple of chili-heads. In googling, the most referenced recipe is that of Fuchsia Dunlop's, link here courtesy of the LA Times. There is no mention of siphoning off any accumulated juices. Is the basic recipe similar to the one you're using? FWIW, I have made preserved lemons and limes which is a similar process of salting and waiting; I do not remove any accumulating juices in those recipes. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/20/food/la-fo-congeereca-20100520

Dinner last night.....homemade Banh Mi sandwiches (I even made the baguettes) with '33' beers. Sorry no pics! Shelby...Happy BD....40, cripes you're just a kid!

In my husband's family, it's creamed onions. For my family (I'm first generation from Lithuania), it's fresh kielbasa. Yes we have turkey, but also the kielbasa. What's your family's one must-have Turkey Day menu item?

I appreciate all the ideas here, especially freezing the meals in baggies. My 90 y/o FIL has a caregiver who makes his meals, but we visit for a week every 6-8 weeks to give her a break and we always leave some meals behind in the freezer. Those bulky storage containers really take up a lot of room in his freezer compartment.

Looks cumbersome. Anyone actually tried it out?

Hate microwaves and won't use them. Love my gas grill....we live in central FL and the grill is three steps out the kitchen door; it heats up far quicker than the oven. Anything bread-y, I reheat on the gas grill....from pizza to savory croissants to flatbreads to spanakopita to naan. The gas grill (mine is well seasoned) adds a bit of smokiness to the leftover. For lunch today I reheated leftover 'delivery' calzone on the grill. Anything 'wet,' I heat up on the stove-top. Rarely do I reheat in the oven as I find it dries most leftovers.

I agree that it all depends on one's local offerings. When we lived in Central Mexico, we were surrounded by farms that grew produce for export; while some of it (including tomatoes) were shipped 'green' to the US and CDN, the ripe stuff was sold dirt cheap to us locals. When we lived in a small isolated mountain town in Arizona, pickin's were slim for local produce most of the time. Currently we are in Central Coastal Florida where the local food producers are constantly selling new items all year round; we have two very large weekly food markets in downtown St. Petersburg and in Gulfport that allow us to eat local without much effort on our part. In northern climates, this would simply not be as feasible.

I've always zapped honey in the microwave, at 50-70% until barely warm, but flowing easier. Never had sugar crystals.

I keep coffee beans in freezer, removing as needed. I also freeze butter until needed; when I remove it, I keep it in a pottery dish on the counter (other than in the hottest months). I stopped refrigerating eggs when we moved to Mexico; on my first grocery trip there, I hunted and hunted for eggs, until I found them on pallets, stacked in the bakery department. However, if they're out on my counter for a week, I move them to the fridge. I've never refrigerated onions or potatoes; growing up they were always kept in a dark cupboard so I do the same. My DH insists on refrigerating ketchup, mustard, jelly/jam because that's the way he was raised; I think a lot of what we chill is what our mothers did and it's a carryover from childhood.

I'll list this as "new to me." This quail egg cutter works well and is a terrific time/stress saver. http://www.amazon.com/Seki-Quail-Egg-Shell-Cutter/dp/B000AR2J5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412790286&sr=8-1&keywords=quail+egg+cutter

I use dried fruits and nuts when I make mole'. I freeze leftover bits and pieces of the fruits and nuts that accumulate over time from other recipes, then add whatever I have to my next mole'. We lived in Central Mexico for 5 years where I wrote a recipe column in a monthly expat magazine using local ingredients from our local tianguis (open air market). I was lucky to meet and have lunch with Diana Kennedy. While her cookbook recipes are specific and detailed, she readily admits that Mexican home cooks tend to use 'what's available.' I can attest to that as when I would meet and talk to the local women in our village about recipes, there was rarely any measuring device in their kitchens, nor did they ever seem to make the same exact recipe twice!

Love the convenience of their frozen crushed garlic cubes (plain and with basil); imported from Israel. They thaw quickly and are great for a quick vinaigrette. None of that funky aftertaste like the jars of crushed garlic. Also in love with their meringue cookies of various flavors. Way better quality and low price compared to those found in most groceries. My nearest TJs now is almost an hour away, but there is a new one slated for opening later this year within 15 minutes from me. Yippee!!!

My sweet treat is often accompanied by a 'short' sherry or port.....shhhhhhhhhhh, our little secret!

I have to work hard to maintain my weight (I went from a size 14 to a size 8 about 15 years ago and have kept the weight off). I find the best solution for desserts is portion control. I don't make 'low fat, low sugar' recipes; I make the most luscious recipes I can find. BUT, but I only allow myself a tablespoon of mousse; a slice of pie the equivalent of 1/32 a pie. When I make panna cotta, I use wide shot glasses; when I cut brownies, they're never more than 1" squares. I freeze leftovers and only thaw a few portions at a time. I eat desserts/sweets just a few times a week and usually mid-afternoon, then take a nice long walk (I average 2 miles a day walking). That's what works for me, YMMV.

Most of the splatter occurs when it's on the side-burner and lands on an adjacent bougainvillea, which doesn't seem to mind too terribly

But won't hot stuff (like your candy) melt the wax in the wax paper??

And what is it good for?? It seems so old fashioned, I'm surprised they still sell it. Between parchment, foil and cling wrap, I don't see a need for it. But wax paper (or is it waxed??) is economical compared to the others....are there good uses for it in the kitchen these days?

When I type "gremolata' at epicurious.com, I got five pages of recipes. Ingredients included: grapes, jalapenos, onions, pinenuts, pomegranate, horseradish, tarragon, dried chilies, dill, spinach, hazelnut, rosemary, chives, grapefruit zest, pecans, fennel....it goes on and on. If Bon Appetit and the former Gourmet are comfortable calling it gremolata, so am I!

If he's not a pasta fan, how about Polenta Lasagna?? I have made and frozen with good results. Polenta Lasagna (8 servings) 3 3/4 cups water1 1/2 cups cornmeal1 tsp salt 3 tbl olive oil2 med. head escarole, chopped2 c chopped onion1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes1 c fresh basil, chopped1 1/2 cups red wine1 can tomato paste16 oz neufchatel cheese (or low fat cream cheese)1 large egg2 c grated parmesan2 c shredded jack cheeseOPT: 4 links hot Italian sausage to put in sauce Butter a 9x5 loaf pan. Bring water to boil, add meal and salt and whisk to make polenta. Transfer to pan, cover chill 3 hours or overnight. Heat oil in large pot over med heat. Add sausage (if using) and onion and saute till done...8 to10 min. Add escarole and saute 3 more min. Add tomatoes, basil, tomato paste and garlic. Stir. Add wine and simmer 20 min. Season s&p. Beat neufchatel cheese in large bowl till fluffy, add egg and other cheeses and combine. Oven 400. Oil 9x12 pan. Cut polenta into 20 slices.Spoon 1/3 sauce on bottom of dish. Arrange 10 slices polenta on top of sauce. Spoon `1/3 sauce over polenta. Drop cheese mixture over. Arrange 10 more polenta slices, then top with remaining sauce. Bake on baking sheet 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut and serve.

Of course I'm including Asian soups. Asian-style gremolatas I have made include variations of the following: lime juice, lime zest, Thai bird chiles, green onion, garlic, shallots, chives, ginger, tamarind, peanuts, coconut, sesame seeds,sesame oil, cilantro, basil, mint, in whatever combo hits me at the time of tasting the soup. Whatever complements or is even in, the soup or stew (I'm sure I've left out some others).

I had one and YES it dulled my knives quickly. The only 'plus' to a glass cutting board is the visual....virtually invisible on my granite counter and the glass doesn't scratch, so it was nice to leave it out on the counter, rather than stowing it away which I do with my other boards. But really....it dulled my knives in a matter of a week!

What are three little foodie things you do regularly to rather routine food items that make people say, "Why didn't I think of that?" And, then, when you visit them, you find they've adopted your little trick. I'll start: No matter what the soup or stew recipe is, I make a fresh gremolata to spoon over it at the table. I keep a can of whipped cream in the fridge expressly to top our morning coffee. Puts an early smile on everyone's face. Whenever I serve sangria (I'm partial to white sangrias), no matter the recipe, I use frozen grapes as the 'ice cubes.'

Love crisp duck breast, but oh, the splatter! My new method is to use an old dented cake tin, line it with parchment paper and sear it on the side burner of my gas grill for 10-12 minutes on skin side, medium flame. At the same time, I use the grill itself for the side, usually grilled radicchio or asparagus. After the duck beast skin is crisp, I flip it and park the tin on the high rack inside the grill at around 375 degrees for a few minutes. Bring it in the house, let it rest a few more minutes, then enjoy.

Basic nutritional information, at the very least calories and sodium content per serving.