Tropicalsenior

Yep, I definitely did a double take.

I think extract nowadays has an entirely different meaning than what we used to think of. It is simply the flavor of whatever it claims to be and that flavor is made up of chemicals not the actual product. For instance, If I buy a maple extract, I don't expect it to contain any actual maple. This article is rather lengthy but it explains the process by which these extracts are made.

I found this salt in our supermarket this week. I'm going to give it a try. The interesting thing is the ingredients. Yodo is iodine. Costa Rica seems to have the lowest requirement of all the central American countries.

I am too, in fact, I am pastry phobic. I live in fear of making pie crust like my ex mother-in-law. Her own sister suggested that she sell her pastry recipe to a Paving Company. If they paved the roads with her pie crust they would never have another pothole. I have learned a little trick that has stood me in good Stead for 20 years. Living in a hot climate makes it doubly hard to have flaky pastry but this method works every time. I mix the flour, salt, and whatever shortening that I am using until it is a fairly course texture. Then I put it in the freezer for at least 3 hours. When I remove it and add the water I don't have to use ice water. I mix in a minimum amount of water. Pat it into a disc and return it to the refrigerator for at least an hour to relax the gluten. I use half butter and lard for a sweet pastry and half lard and shortening for a savory pie. Knock on wood, I haven't had a failure yet but I live in fear of mother-in-law crust.

How about a battery powered pepper grinder and a selection of pepper?

Which recipe did you use?

I made a small Quiche Lorraine for dinner. I don't like to make pie crust but I'm practicing for my Christmas Tourtiere. If it turns out this good I'll be happy.

I couldn't find my mold. I guess I gave it away and forgot about it. However I did find this link that gives a pretty comprehensive idea on how to use the mold. It also has quite a few shortbread recipes. Some recipes go for powdered sugar or cornstarch but I like the simple three ingredient recipe. I first became a fan of shortbread with Walkers and this is closer to their version.

To get back to your original question, I'm not sure if you butter it before or not. I have a shortbread mold that bakes one at a time and for that reason I have never used it. I think I know where it is and I think that it still has the original directions with it. I'll see if I can find it. You should be able to use any of the recipes that have been given here. And I imagine that you would bake it at 325°, as all the recipes say.

I haven't made shortbread in ages and amazingly I have that same exact pan. Looks like I'm going to have to pull it out and make some because that looks so good. Thank you

Exactly!

One of my favorites on a nice crusty roll.

Well this one is nothing to write home about. I think the cheap one that I bought is much better. This one is very dry and I have yet to find a piece of fruit, just a few raisins. When I go shopping this weekend I will see what else I can find.

Two of my very favorite things and both look wonderful.

Okay, second panettone of the year. The last 5 years it has become very popular down here and you can buy it just about anywhere. This one was a gift from one of Carlos's clients. I don't know what it cost but it was probably more than what I paid for the last one that I got although it's a little smaller. Doesn't say on the package anywhere where it is made, just that it is imported. I haven't opened it yet. It looks a little darker than what I like but it's still going to be good. I'm going to use all my willpower and not open it until breakfast. I'll let you know how it is tomorrow.

So true, and why do people who know nothing about it insist on carving the turkey? My husband always insisted on carving the turkey. The man of the house must carve the turkey. Only he didn't carve it he butchered it.

I make this every once in awhile. Not on purpose, of course. At least now I know what to do with it.

For several years my husband and I spent Thanksgiving at friends of ours. They were both Boeing engineers. She was Cuban exile, probably one of the most intelligent women I ever met but she wasn't much of a cook. I can only describe the turkey as turkey jerky. The rest of the meal was Cuban style sides and not exactly what you would expect for Thanksgiving. The rest of the guests were mostly Cuban expats. They were wonderful company and we always had a great time so nobody even paid much attention to the food.

I don't suffer from dry mouth but I do eat too fast. It goes back to my days of working in restaurants when you always seem to be eating on the Fly. Lately, Foods just don't seem to taste as good. Well, last night I decided to try something different. I had a small bag of Doritos and I ate them very slowly and chewed them thoroughly. I was amazed. They actually tasted like the Doritos I remembered. So there definitely is something to letting the saliva do its job.

I bought my first panettone of the Season yesterday. Carlos's family is here for the weekend and I bought it for their breakfast today. It's made in Costa Rica and not the best but I love it all and I will happily eat mediocre with the same enjoyment. No picture of the panettone itself, it really wasn't that photogenic and we ate it all. It was the equivalent of about $12. Believe it or not, the best that I have had here I bought on an after Christmas sale rack at our little Chinese store for about $2.

Mine is only two and a half inches tall and a little less than 4 in in diameter. They had them in four sizes and this one was the smallest.

It was on a thread about salt pigs if I remember correctly.

This post and responses to it have been split from Salt: Iodized or Not?, to maintain topic focus. That could very well be because salt corrodes metal terribly as anybody that has lived near the sea or in an area where they use salt on the roads can tell you. I can't tell you how many salt shakers with metal lids I have thrown away before I learned my lesson. I keep mine in a little terracotta pot that I got at a Chinese restaurant supply store. I love it. @liuzhou tells me that it is a funeral urn but it is so small that it would have had to have been for a very tiny person. I can buy things from Amazon but living in Costa Rica, the price of shipping and customs is usually three times the price of the item.

Here it is impossible in the supermarkets to buy any salt without iodine. I'm not bothered At All by the taste of iodine but I make my own ham, corned beef, and pickles and I don't like to use iodized salt for preserving. I used to be able to buy kosher salt from a Jewish deli here but it went out of business so now the only place that I can buy it is in macrobiotics store. Right now my macrobiotic Guru is looking for some for me and he is even having trouble finding it.

I'm not a fan of jerk chicken wings but that is one beautiful plate.