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Marmish

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Posts posted by Marmish

    What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? (2006 - 2016)

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I am with Badianne, I freeze them in quart or gallon Ziploc freezer bags. I bet I have 30 bags of frozen herbs in the freezer right now. They retain their color and flavor, and some of them even their texture (which is creepy). When you thaw sage, it springs back to it's original turgor and totally looks fresh. Weird.

    Cilantro is the only herb that won't freeze that I've found. It just doesn't taste like anything, it loses all it's flavor. I chop leafy herbs (like basil) to the size I use most often. I freeze thyme on the stem and then just crinkle the frozen bag when I want some, the leaves fall right off the stem. Same with rosemary.

    While this method won't give you a fresh basil leaf, it will have most of the flavor of fresh if you use it in a cooked dish. I will use it in a salad dressing, too.

    I've tried freezing herbs in ice cubes with water, but I like the flavor frozen dry in a bag much better. Herbs freeze well in oil, but for the amount of herbs I freeze it's WAY easier (and more space saving) just to chop them and pop them in a bag. Plus I don't want to use that much oil in my cooking always. And I can use frozen herbs in rice without making it all greasy from the oil cube if I freeze them in the bag.

    Call me the bag lady.

    good to know about the sage. sage is the reason i clicked into this thread.

    PLAN: 2011 Heartland Gathering

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    Marmish - we did late July the last time we had it in Cleveland. The only reason not to - most of the best produce doesn't materialize until August. I'm game for whatever the group wants.

    Ah, good point. I'm sticking to my story. It's not a total dealbreaker if it's in August, but it would make it waaaay easier for me in July. I'm with Hennes

    I'm for first weekend in August after the long weekend - but I want to be sure to see Marmish!!! Ah, what to choose!

    :wub: :wub: :wub:

    Things from the professional kitchen that every home cook should have

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    For example, I think every home kitchen would benefit from having a big roll of commercial food film (what we home cooks call plastic wrap). The large-format commercial rolls make a mockery of the ones you get at the grocery store.

    I agree. I buy the Reynolds Film 904 food service wrap 1000 ft that comes in a sturdy box with a secured roller and a very sharp cutter. This wrap is easier to handle than the thinner ones and clings well to itself and can also be heat sealed.

    I also buy butcher paper on the large roll - I find a lot of uses for it.

    Ditto aluminum foil.

    Parchment paper in sheets.

    I used to buy the full size sheets when I still had the big Blodgett oven and cut them in half when I got rid of it until they were used up.

    I recently bought another supply from the ebay source that I have used several times.

    1000 sheets 1/2 sheet size

    I use a lot of it and buying 1000 sheets, compared to 500 sheets, saves almost twenty dollars.

    I no longer use the full size sheet pans for baking but as they fit perfectly on the industrial wire shelving, I have placed them where I am storing bottles, jars and etc., that do not set securely on the wire shelving.

    HPIM2820.JPG

    (And if a bottle cracks or leaks, there are no drips onto stuff on the lower shelves.

    I have a couple in a lower cabinet where I have some liquids stored (vinegars and etc.) also to catch drips and leaks to protect the wood.

    Also have a few in my small pantry.

    Dishers or ice cream scoops - me too.

    Cambro containers - you bet. I have been writing about them in various topics for years. I have mostly the translucent ones - in my opinion they seal better and the cost is much less. They can go from freezer to microwave for defrosting and heating food and even my oldest ones are still in good condition.

    I have every size from 1 quart/liter to 22 quart/liter.

    I have a few of the square clear ones but as noted above, I have found that they do not seal quite as well as the round ones.

    There are many more items that I have purchased over the years. I am very fond of Star Restaurant Supply in Van Nuys, Calif. I have been shopping there since 1967.

    I also am a big fan of Smart & Final.

    I did have a certified commercial kitchen for nearly ten years, did some catering and contract baking for some local cafes and a tea shop, so I did have a legitimate excuse for having the commercial items. However, I agree with some of the previous posts that many of the commercial utensils are made better and sturdier than the consumer types and are cheaper to boot.

    that's where I get my parchment, too. Probably because you recommended it in some other thread. :smile:

    Black Forest Cupcakes

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted · Edited by Marmish (log)

    those hershey kiss type things are usually made by adding the kisses at the end - like the pb cookies - or part way through the baking. i'd make a ganache to use as a filling after they are baked. scoop out a bit of the center, pipe whipped ganache in, stick cherry in the center of ganache, top with ganache, and frost with your whipped cream. i've made a chocolate cherry cupcake in the past that was really good. i think it was a nigella lawson recipe. i can try to find it if you want.

    Home Made Ice Cream (2002–2012)

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Churn longer than you think it needs. I read somewhere the overrun takes place mostly in the last minutes of churning. I started letting my ice creams churn longer and they improved. Ditto on keeping the canister and dasher in the freezer and prefreezing the container you are putting it into.

    Long distance cooking buddies share their food

    in Cooking

    Posted

    DSCN0789.jpg

    The rug rat and I went out for a little walk (well, I walked - she rolled). One of the staff at the clinic mentioned she was sick of picking raspberries in her backyard and that I was welcome to come get what I wanted. We quit when the mosquitos started snacking more than we were.

    I think perhaps the crumble top bars from smitten kitten with raspberries and blueberries.

    I love those bars. They'd be delicious with a combo of berries.

    Anna, sorry the dinner was so challenging to prepare! That deck and pool make up for a lot of hassle, I bet.

    Selling Chocolates at Shows and Farmers Markets

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    i'm so proud of steve :) and marmish...was just thinking about you! did you decide to sell? YOU SHOULD!!!!!!!!!!! love and kisses to the eG's :)

    I'm still looking into it. I found out that a local chocolatier is selling at the market I had hopes for next season. The good thing is that I love their chocolates. The bad thing is, I doubt the market is big enough for us both. I'm going to try to make it over there this week to check them out. I've got to recruit my farmers market research buddy soon, too. One more week of work, a quick trip to Ohio (baking with Peter Reinhart anyone?), then I'll have time.

    BUT, I also went to the Kendall College open house on Saturday to check out the college. They have a baking and pastry certificate I could earn while keeping my day job. Decisions, decisions.

    Selling Chocolates at Shows and Farmers Markets

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    As the farmers market season is getting started here, I was wondering how everyone was doing this season?

    I've had 3 Sunday markets now, with the first 2 being fabulous. The opening day was "Mothers Day" here in the US and I sold completely out. My 2nd week was also great, doing about 60% better than my average week last year. Last Sunday had rain, and even with that, we did OK. I'm curious to see how this weekend goes with a long holiday weekend (Memorial Day). I'm expecting many people to be off traveling.

    That's great, Steve! I don't know many people here who are traveling, so maybe it will be the same by you and still busy.

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