Margaret Pilgrim
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Posts posted by Margaret Pilgrim
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From way back I remember Bootleggers. 1 part grapefruit juice, 1 part gin or vodka, 1 part fresh mint, 1 part crushed ice. Whir and pour. More than two and you also feel whirred.
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A wonderful journey and reunion! That get-together was worth all of your planning and effort.
I had forgotten about that homey lunch, Ploughman;s picnic". That was one of my standard pub orders. Simple, predictable and always satisfying. Thanks so much for sharing all of this with us.
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I posted this very simple method previously on another forum. So called "descending hear" method. Equipment needed: a heavy, lidded pot; small (1/2 cup) containers; blanket or equivalent.
Water is set to boil in a heavy lidded pot, like enameled iron or similar. Milk is brought to a simmer and left to cool until you can hold your finger in it for 10 seconds. Add a spoonful of commercial yogurt to the milk and mix well. Empty water from pot and place small jars in it. Fill jars. Replace pot lid. Place pot on a folded blanket and wrap snugly. Leave until it has cooled to room temp. We left it overnight. The yogurt will be somewhat creamy but will set up more as it cools more in the refrigerator.
I used whole organic milk (1 qt) and organic plain yogurt (1 teaspoon). DELICIOUS product. Stupid easy. The hardest part is folding up and putting away the blanket or comforter.
It was suggested that this was the troglodyte method and indeed it is! No special equipment or long power input necessary.
ETA, one teaspoon of yogurt is all that is necessary for a quart o milk.
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1 hour ago, kayb said:
Tell me about it. This forum led to my acquiring an Anova, an Instant Pot, a CSO, and countless cookbooks and gourmet ingredients. I have so far resisted an air fryer, but Prime Day is coming...
We had to make major concessions to fit one in. It means making "personal choices" about what you want out and what you can live without. Amazing how one adapts!
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Another pantry/fridge meal
Tomato
Bratwurst
Caramelized apple
Greens
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(I'm now heading downstairs to look for a drip tray! Thank you, Anna!)
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Question: do you empty the water reservoir after each use or several uses or just leave it. I started emptying it when leaving town for a week, then never got in the habit of refilling it. Therefore it requires a little TPP to use it on steam.
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Thank you ALL for these thoughts, plus for the link to a previous thread. Lots to chew on here...
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lemniscate, thanks for this unlikely sounding method. I have found Patricia Wells pretty reliable in the past. Will definitely try this.
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We've finally aced deep frying chicken, fish and prawns, veg tempura too. But French fries continue to be soggy. I've read that pre-soaking and thorough drying is the clue. I get the first but not terribly successful on the latter.
What's your method?
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3 hours ago, kayb said:
What I really WANT to build in is a wood fired pizza oven. And I don't even bake pizza that much. But I guess I could use it as a tandoor, couldn't I?
As my sink is on an outside wall that gives onto the deck, it wouldn't be hard to take water out there. I had a friend who built a bricked enclosure his gas grill fits into; I'd like mine to accommodate both the gas grill and a next-door pellet or charcoal grill. His has "doors" so he can roll his grill out and replace it when needed. Then I want that to turn the corner onto a counter that could accommodate bar-height seating and serve as prep space. It would be small -- my deck is not large, but opening onto it is a sunroom where I plan to put a patio dining set.
Down the road, there are plans for a pool in the back yard, too.
An outdoor oven is a lot of fun and can be as luxe or rustic as you choose. Ours is the latter.
and provides plenty of opportunity and challenge. As you say, a pizza oven, a long slow roasting oven, a roaring hot tandoori. You will be limited only by your imagination and willingness to experiment. Go for it!
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26 minutes ago, kayb said:
....
I really do like their sweet onion salad dressing, though.
So does DH. The reason we go there. Do realize that if there is evil at Subway, it is the sweet onion dressing. https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/subway-sweet-onion-sauce-copycat-467442
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Do you have a recipe for meltingly tender beef brisket? Need to cook it in the oven. Am thinking like 6-8 hours at 250F. Experiences and thoughts, please.
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We made a side trip to the Brentwood area of Contra Costa County tor Blenheim apricots. For those who don't know Blenheims, they are what apricots are supposed to but seldom taste like. Last year we bought a whole 20 lb box and made both jam and canned fruit. This year we cut it to 10 pounds since we simply don't eat jam and still have some of last year's even after giving away about half the production.
We continued to the country for several days and left the cots in a back room where our housemouse found them and had two nights of bliss. Fortunately, he/she only nibbled one cot at a time rather than sample many, as birds tend to do, Upshot was that we now know what to use for mouse bait since walnuts, peanut butter and hot dogs have been ineffective. 1/4 apricot and job done. Back to preserving...
I put up half a dozen pints this morning, extra heavy syrup for DH, waterbath method. Cots are easy to prep since they are regular and halve easily. Canning apricots is a job that is always bigger in anticipation than the actual doing. The only reason i bother is that we have not been able to find a commercial or artisan product that compares to these simple jars. $12 a pint at our farmer's market for tasteless fruit and light syrup. Don't know why it's hard for a larger scale producer to put up an excellent product.
Now I have to tackle the 20 lbs of tomatoes I bought on the way home...
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On 3/7/2017 at 6:35 AM, lindag said:
I often think that the key to Subway is who's making the sandwich.
The one nearest me is operated during the day by the manager, a woman of about 50 or so.
She's clean, the shop is clean and the ingredients look fresh.
On the other hand, the shop in the next town is run by a group of teenagers who couldn't care less about the food or the job as a whole, they're busy grab-assing; I won't go there.
Bumping this forward because it is so true. We often stop at a Subway on our way home from the country. We patronize two particular shops in the town of Lodi, CA. Both immaculate FOH and prep areas. Staff seems to vary considerably but each server has been conscientious and their products while not totally consistent, totally acceptable and delicious. What you get is basically what you ask for. At under $5 for an overstuffed 6" sub on decent house baked roll, they'e a steal and certainly a full meal.
DH orders a spicy Italian on and Italian roll -> 3 kinds of italian deli meats, 2 slices provolone, lettuce, tomato, red onion, olives, mayo, "sweet onion dressing". Sandwich is grilled if you wish after the cheese iis added and before veggies. Today I had a baked ham with pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo, srirachi mayo, dill pickles and jalapenos = $3.99, as the 6" sub of the day. That's pretty hard to beat.
eta the veg garnishes are pristine fresh at both of these shops. As in all businesses, product and service are determined at and percolate down from the top.
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On 4/2/2019 at 8:22 AM, kayb said:
Having lived all my life in the South, I'm used to the "dear" and "darling" and "honey" address; most people do it without thinking, and I will confess I'm as guilty as the next person. I am, however, less likely to do so when speaking to an older person, in part because a respectful form of address was always drummed into me as a child when speaking to an older person. So it's "Miss" or "Miz" so-and-so, or Mr. so-and-so.
That said, it grates when someone other than a child addresses me in that fashion. I guess because it confirms my supposition that I'm getting old.
But, hey, it beats the alternative!
Indeed it does! For some reason that is totally beyond me, I find people calling me "Sweetie". Now even you people who know me so little must realize that that is not my bag. But they are well intended and I leave them with their illusions. But what really galls me is being called "Young lady", mostly by butchers and ilk. Nothing makes you realize your age more or faster than being called "young lady", and I cringe when someone calls DH "young fella".
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On 4/1/2019 at 6:59 PM, kayb said:
Oh, do I feel this one! And I've been in that position more times than I care to think about, because I dearly love some of the "trendy" places frequented by millenials. And I find more and more of my go-to spots are now being appropriated by folks much younger than I, who look a bit askance when this 60-something grandmother wanders in and demands a drink.
No matter. They'll deal with it. I have to confess, the only time I felt somewhat uncomfortable was at an Alabama Shakes concert. I went with a friend who, when I said "Do you like Alabama Shakes?" said, "I don't know, what's in them?" We were, by a factor of 30 years, the oldest folk in the ampitheater. No matter, that gal can sure sing. And I comfort myself that I can likely mix a better martini than any of 'em.
DH and I have broken the age barrier in just about every restaurant we've dined in for a number of years. We've never noticed a problem with service and are always welcomed back and back. To be honest, we notice in some of the hotter places the young people just are checking off a "been to" list, whereas we spend time chatting up staff about the food, chef's concept, wine program. It's sad to see spectacular food set before a table of loud party-goers who take no notice what's going down.
We're old enough to have been there and done that at the kind of restaurant that caters to our demographic. One way we've found to have a really interesting yet serene meal is to beat the food writers to new places, to go while they're still not mobbed. After that, it's usually not for us.
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19 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:
I am pretty particular about what my zucchini is stuffed with.
For me, bread crumbs make for a stoggie pasty filling. Much prefer cooked rice.
what is the browned strip on the top of yours? Bechamel?
Oaxacan cheese. Not a great choice because it added little flavor.
The filling was chopped zucchini, onion, garlic, panko, egg, parmesan. I lacked the "mustiness" I remember from Mrs. Crocetti's. As I remember, she always used Grano Padano rather than parmesan. Also different curmbs.
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It is said that in order to tie a scarf well one has to have been born in Paris. Well, we've debunked that one. But then there's the one that to make a proper stuffed zucchini, you have to be Italian. One of my treasured childhood memories was visiting my sister-in-law's mother who was born in Genoa. I loved her pantry where one always found scraps of extraordinary things. Foccacia. Cold fried fish. And if you were lucky, cold stuffed zucchini. (I won't get into the platters of ravioli she would send over on Christmas...) But back to stuffed zucchini.
Tonight, home from the country, we wanted a simple veg dinner. Corn on the cog. Okay. Really it just depends on the corn.
Seared/grilled cauliflower. Rather good but no awards.
And "don't quit your day job" stuffed zucchini.
Maybe in my next life...
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Spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and Italian sausage
Watermelon
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DH invited neighbors for dinner. Ooops. Stone soup is in order.
Gaspacho with corn bread tiles
Roast pork belly, pretty small but sharable portion
Beans with pork jus, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf
Vegetable tian
Kind neighbor brought scrumptious brownies. They say you always remember a meal by its last bite.
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Country dinner from the WSJ
Peppers subbed for green beans
Israeli coucous
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On 6/27/2019 at 7:04 AM, Paul Bacino said:
Pan Roasted Quail ( S and P )/ Fregula in a wild turkey ( as in animal peeps )stock/black berry Gastric
Someday I will have a personalized license that reads "I brakel for Frugola" Quail? They can take care of themselves.
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1 hour ago, weinoo said:
Had Jay called Frenchette to inquire about their corkage policy (i.e. they don't allow it), he could've saved himself the aggravation.
Don't get me started on Jay. Talk about someone who has made a career out of pretending to know something.
As I've said elsewhere, many very knowledgeable wine drinkers need to be able to ace a wine list. With the profusion of these newcomer natural wines, they often find themselves with not inexpensive and, to them, undrinkable bottles. Sure, there are reliable natural winemakers who have been practicing this method in one form or another for many decades, like forever. But there are a lot of newer winemakers out there who are making a less familiar style.
I have had no problem at so-called natural wine cellars by simply asking the som to bring me something "without cloud, fizz or funk". And they come up with some really nice stuff.
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Best Greek yogurt starter?
in Cooking
Posted
Just a rinse with boiling water. Nothing prolonged.