Margaret Pilgrim

Good luck with your taxes. i was on the phone, either waiting or on hold by the agent, with IRS today for over an hour. Received a letter that I had a large credit balance that needed to be addressed. After much back and forth and holds, I convinced her that they were estimates that should have been applied. She agreed and said I should file an amended return and include them. "They are listed on the current return, line 33!" "Ah, so they are. You can disregard this letter." I decided it was time to take a nap!

I totally understand. My recipe came with the same caveat which explains the effort I took to find the aji called for. And I agree that it's always smart to follow good instructions at least the first time. (After that, I usually wing it.)

Pssst! Shhhhhh! Just between the two of us, I, granted a Hun and without taste credentials, did not find the imported aji paste that singular in flavor or, indeed, worth the trouble of tracking it down. When we did, and at that only had to cross town to buy it, husband insisted I buy two so I'd have it on hand, and the recipe called for half a cup. As I wrote on another thread, I used little more than 2 tablespoons so have 90% of opened jar left as well as full jar. Unless there is a very special reason besides "authenticity" for using this product, I would rather substitute an on-hand pepper.

It is my sense that Driscoll, like Sysco, has a menu of products that differ by quality and price, so that while berries shipped to different locales can be branded, they may indeed be of different quality. But in the end, time from picking to sale is the biggest determinant/detriment. Having grown up in strawberry country, I was brought up on berries literally hours from the field. Even now, I am reluctant to buy from farm stands because they often pick too ripe, resulting in a fruit lacking that burst of fresh flavor.

A neighbor brought me this soup that blew my mind. The recipe for this fresh pea soup reads ordinary but the result is anything but. Super flavorful, extraordinarily satisfying. Smooth as silk.

I HATE "either/or" situations. I always think I'll remember which is which, then, push come to shove, it's a coin toss!

Confession: I use recipes as suggestion rather than scripture. Theresa, when I approached this recipe, I, too,was taken aback by the quantity of aji paste. I tasted the paste and reduced the amount to a tablespoon, adding to taste as I went. This is not a spicy dish but rather a complex broth with noticeable cumin and cilantro notes. Important are the vegetables. The sweet potato adds definite location flavor. I have at times added butternut squash and hominy. I also use pseudo confit: slow roasted duck legs. re directions, I would simply follow your usual vegetable soup protocol.

TdV, will this backdoor link work for you?

Now that you have this aji product, you can also make one of my favorite dishes. A tiny Peruvian restaurant used to feature "chugo de pato", a soupy stew with a confit duck leg in the middle. I ordered it every visit, which was often, but this little treasure closed and I started searching for the recipe. Nothing. Then I came across a recipe for seco de pato, and "light bulb"! Transliterating, I realized that this was my chugo. Not 100, but 95% works for me. I hope you'll give it a go. That jar of Aji goes a long way!

I hope you're talking about Oaktown Spice. Good people, excellent products.

A friend occasionally brings by a batch of homemade fresh pasta. Out of inertia and sloth, I often leave it in its loose foil covering until the spirit moves me to deal with it. It is totally dry by that time. I recently cooked up a batch and texted him a photo of the finished dish along with a second "thank you". He called immediately, asking how I had kept it during this time, fridge or freezer. Hearing that I had left it at room temp (68F), he was upset, reminding/warning me of the raw eggs in the pasta. I have very often let fresh egg pasta dry at room temperature with no adverse effects. Have I just been lucky or is there something in the drying process that makes the egg unlikely to become toxic?

I LOVE them! Am reminded of an art installation in the Palais Royale, Paris, circs 2012: a dozen or so wolf statues.

Mr Google suggests microwaving for 10 seconds then rolling them on a hard surface-> more and easier juice

SWISS NAVY brand?

I would think one could order simply in most cultures. Rice, pasta, veggies, simple meats. Our young son lived on roast chicken (kotópoulo psitó and pollo arrosto) during a month in Greece and Italy, and learned how to neatly bone out bird parts neatly as well.