chezcherie

ok, i did. and that sauce is seriously slurpable. next time i will use hard cider in the sauce in place of white wine. and maybe stick a bay leaf in there. i used a red and a yellow onion. i popped a couple red potatoes into the dutch oven, too. definitely a keeper.

gambas al ajillo--shrimp in garlic-is quick and easy, traditional and delicious! ETA: and gluten-free

i agree. will have to check judge's comments about how they attempted (or IF they attempted) to balance this out. having an extra day would be an enormous advantage, it seems to me.

Am i the only one who doesn't care to select a size? The size I always want is the old-fashioned size, back when it was one size fits all. And I always seem to pull off the little size with those rolls. Plain, white, non- select a size rolls are harder and harder to find. Mostly I use terry side towels.

i got one for christmas. came with a bunch of samples of flavorings, none of which we liked. but i have been drinking tons of VERY FIZZY water, straight from the tap, since we opened it. we tried bottled water, filtered water and tap water, and the tap water was my favorite. i like it so fizzy that when i have a glass of it next to me, i can hear it fizz-fizz-fizzing. verrrrry fizzy. and delicious. i'm hooked! and much better hydrated.

i use these frozen garlic cubes. all the time.

in a week, the thawed puff will turn greyish in the fridge. i'd freeze it until then, or get some more.

a student recently told me about this method for crisping duck skin. i cant get past the bitter flavor i imagine it would impart, but i'm intrigued.

how long was it in your work fridge?

katie, i believe that terrific brioche is seasonal, so you might want to freeze a few loaves before it disappears! and nolnacs, that "cookie butter" as tj labels it is so, so good! i have started hoarding it, as i think it has "discontinued" written all over it...just not the type of thing i think will catch on with the masses, so...i've got a few jars in the "earthquake kit". it's a knock-off of the biscoff spread they sell in europe, and i used to bring a couple jars back in my suitcase, wrapped in least-loved sweaters, so i'm really glad to have this option--and so is my dry-cleaner!

i use the garlic cubes constantly. a cube =a clove. so simple, and a really true garlic flavor. (there is a small amount of citric acid and soy oil, but much less than in the jarred stuff.) purists will disagree, but i can't tell the difference between this and fresh in my recipes. the ginger (not sure if they include that in the costco 4 pack) is also very convenient. instead of clattering through the fridge shelves to unearth the jar where i've sashed the sherry-covered stub of ginger (my preferred method of preservation), i love the quick-cook aspect of this convenience ingredient. i still mince or grate fresh when the true bite and sizzle of fresh ginger is required. the soft herbs--cilantro, basil and (shudder) parsley, are, in my opinion, hopeless, and good only for flecking one's teeth with green.

What was on the judge's table--broken glass? Spilled ice? I found it so distracting, I had to replay the segment twice to get the gist of their comments. Kept wondering what the set design team was thinking?

ameraucanas, and i'm hoping to get a couple marans in spring. i would dearly love ot have goats, but i live in the 'burbs. maybe someday!

it's been explained to me by several cheesemakers, that sometimes the curd is better quality milk than that available commercially. that makes some sense to me, especially where i live, where raw milk is considered poisonous or worse. if you can buy curds (as i can and do) that are produced from better milk than you can otherwise obtain, i don't see it as a total sell-out. i've taught a mozzarella class at my cooking school. i source good (very expensive) milk, and demo how to form the curds. then students pull curds, but they pull purchased curds. if i had to make curds for them all to pull, that class would be a LOT more costly, and the result maybe not as good.

no chipotle? (or "chipolte, as i frequently hear it pronounced...)

i just returned from a visit to jerez, but my memory must have been clouded by all that tasting! however, this link confirms my cloudy memory that the criadera refers to the place in the solera system. so i believe your brandy comes from the 8th level of the barrel-stack. http://www.answers.com/topic/criadera

you win.

it seems to me that mr. rayner's tongue is so firmly planted in his cheek that there's precious little room for food in there.

kinder's bbq sauce! when my middle son was at ucla, one of his NorCal buds swore by the stuff. ended up buying a couple cases for the house...they drank the stuff, i think. (when they weren't drinking beer, i guess...)

Thanks Cherie. I was sorry to see the store/school close. (I still had a free class credit too!) I also took the knife skills class. My folks still live in Orange County (where I grew up) and we get down there about 8 times a year. And my son is about to move to Century City. He also loves to cook, and is pretty good, but I'll see if he wants to take any of your classes and maybe I can come too! i'd love that!

hahaha! what a little blast from the past. i was a teacher at homechef(pasadena), a sf-based chain of cookware stores/cooking schools, which viking bought. i taught that 12-class basics series many, many times! i really think it gave a solid foundation for students, and was a great value. when homechef folded, i opened my own cooking school--that was 11 years ago. i still have students i met at homechef. will be looking forward to your postings, and to seeing some of those basics reflected in your meals!

whaaaaa? turkey skin crackers??? TELL ME MORE.

i would sure wear a breathing mask while i sanded.

i've been told that heat, light and oxygen are the culprits. i suppose any extreme conditions don't improve the oil.

i do it with fancy-pants olive oil i want to extend the life on--stuff i've spent a lot on, or carried home from italy personally, at great peril to my packed sweaters. i do it with all nut oils, as i use them less often, and they are more quickly rancid.