achevres

I was already planning to do the upside-down method this week. I'm a pretty good pie baker, but also have trouble with the shrinking crust. I've done all the other things already to no avail.

Last month someone was looking for this book on chowhound.com. I just checked it out of the library and plan to copy it. I cannot resist a cookbook people rave about. A few years ago I really wanted to find a copy of "The Unprejudiced Palate," by Angelo Pellegrini. The small paperback was going for $200+!!! Finally it was re-issued in 2005. Let's hope the same happens with The Last Course.

I'll chime in. Many central and South American countries have a "dulce de leche" type sweet spread. Some are just with milk and sugar and flavoring and some, like cajeta, have bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to get a darker brown color. Cajeta also has variations, and the one with vanilla is the one being talked about in this thread. Other names for the sweet are: Arequipe, in Colombia & Venezuela (milk, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, salt) Manjar blanco, in Bolivia and Panama, Chile, Ecuador, Peru (milk, sugar, vanilla). And of course, Dulce de leche in Argentina, Paraguay, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, República Dominicana & Uruguay (milk, sugar, bicarbonate, vanilla). Doce de leite in Brasil (milk, sugar, lime juice/peel optional) Manjar in Chile y Ecuador (milk, sugar, flour, cinnamon) Cremita de leche in Cuba. Confiture de lait in France That was interesting, at least for me. I looked up wikipedia in Spanish, plus latin recipe sites. But back to jsmeeker in Dallas.... you could try Lucky Layla's cowsmilk cajeta, locally made in Garland TX, or visit Fiesta Mart 611 W. Jefferson, Dallas; 214-944-3300 (there are other locations) where they have the goat's milk cajeta.

Thanks Kate!! Anita

I also read this topic with awe and eagerly wait for the next installment. Calipoutine, you are doing an amazing job. K8Memphis, any chance you could post the casserole recipe?

From the excellent site baking911.com: Baking pan substitutes. There is an extensive chart, plus instructions for any other pan.

I do the exact same thing when I write recipes for myself! AMEN! This is how I follow a recipe. First I read it and get the ingredients. Then I place the book/magazine/printout on my counter and start cooking. I have pretty good eyesight for my age, but font, typeface and color make a big difference. When I print a recipe on the computer, I've taken to making the ingredient list font 14 (the rest 12). Back to the Saveur layouts, there's no way any of those test cooks actually cooked following the recipes as printed on the magazine: a paragraph with small font and no ingredient list. They could at least boldface the ingredients. I just remembered another pet peeve. Why do most cookbooks have to be written for people who do not know how to cook? I got "The Silver Spoon" Italian cookbook last year and is was so refreshing to read a cookbook that didn't explain how to boil water for every recipe. They explain the techniques at the beginning and then the recipe instructions are uncluttered.

I like old-fashioned rolled oats and make them the most. I also like the steel cut oats (and even whole oats) but they require advance planning, so I rarely make them. Try oatmeal my way, it's sooo good. I grew up in Puerto Rico and this is how my grandfather always made oatmeal for us, except he used the regular rolled oats. It was always perfect, and this was amazing because he never tasted it, since he never drank milk. As you'll see, the way of making it is a lot like making a Spanish custard, with the lime or lemon peel and cinnamon, and this taste combination was brought to Spain by the Moors, and then to the America by the Spaniards. Just as important to me as the way of cooking it is the way of serving oatmeal. I make if fairly thick and pour is unto a flat plate and sprinkle the cinnamon and then let it sit for a few minutes. On to the recipe: Old-fashined rolled oats -1 part by volume 2 parts of milk pinch of salt per serving 1 stick cinnamon 1 piece lime peel (about 1 inch per serving) or lemon peel sugar (or substitute) to taste Put everything in a heavy saucepan. Cook at low heat about 5 minutes and at medium heat another 5 minutes or until thickened to your liking. Stir occasionally the whole time to prevent/minimize sticking. Pour on plate and sprinkle with cinnamon. For a killer variation: Add 1-2 TB sweetened shredded coconut per serving to the above.

I would like to add to this discussion on the matter of poor recipe writing in general, not just the volume/weight issue (which has been covered already and in previous threads and there is even the The Kitchen Scale Manifesto). In other words, I think there are other problems with recipe writing. Here are some of my pet peeves: I'll start with Saveur magazine, where some recipes are written up in paragraph form and called "Method." These are regular recipes, as far as I can tell, but with ingredients and intructions together -- no ingredient list. So you can't look at it and quickly determine if you are missing an ingredient. etc. I'm not sure how a recipe gets to be a "real" recipe and how it ends up as a method. The font is small, to boot. When recipes don't even suggest an amount of salt. For some chicken cutlets or similiar I can understand, but when the main ingredient is a leg of lamb or some other expensive ingredient, I would really appreciate some guideline, since salting/fixing oversalting at the end won't help. When ingredients have divided usage, but this is only specified in the body of the recipe. You are baking a cake, for ex. and the recipe lists: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, etc. I usually just start creaming the cup of butter and the 2 cups of sugar.... and it's happend to me that the sugar was really 1.5 cups and the other half cup was for something else, like the glaze. Argh! I would like to see: "2 cups sugar, divided usage," or just 2 listings for sugar. What else can be improved?

The way I read Gretchen's recipe she butters each phyllo leaf (in the phtoto, also). It looks like a traditional Backlava recipe. My most recent fantastic blaklava was Turkish pistachio baklava at Kalustyan's. Supposedly hand-made phyllo.

Here is the one recipe in English that I found. Pao di Milho If you google "broa recipe portuguese" you will get many more, including this one from the excellent site Leite's Culinaria. David Leite is Portuguese and a member of egullet.

I finally tried this recipe!! It is as easy as everyone says and the bread is great and even better considering it's soo easy. I did the variation posted earlier with 1/4 cup cake flour, the rest bread flour and 1 TB olive oil. I wanted to post because I used a pot no one has mentioned yet, a cast aluminum baker by Guardian (vintage) and that worked very well. Mine has an aluminum lid.

Well, the actual title of the piece is "80 cooking tricks with utensils (or gadgets)." I just saw the first ones and it does not seem like an infomercial to me, unless it's an infomercial for a whole kitchen supply store. Some items are quite commonplace, like the eye dropper or the paintbrush. All that aside, I am thrilled to see and hear "the" Ferran Adria' and to see him demonstrating quite common gadgets as he uses them and also as we can use them. Really, I'm so happy to just see him on video. Luckily, spanish is my first language. We know he knows what he's doing, but he also appears so genuine, charming and down to earth. Thanks so much for the link Rogelio

Nothing worse than watery pizza toppings or underbaked crust!! There was a time when I made pizza every Sunday. I always pre-baked the crusts just to set them up, like jk. Then, in addition of being waterproof, they are sooo much easier to handle. And you can put more toppings on if you want. Always preheat the stone. I would freeze any leftover pre-baked crusts. Now I have a Hearthkit, which simulates a brick oven, and have made thin pizza without pre-baking, but the toppings need to be few and you have to be quite agile with the pizza peel. These pizza topics have come up before and I think the basic problem is that we are trying to duplicate pizzeria pizza at home, but our ovens only go to 550deg at most (instead of 800+). So I think some modifications are needed sometimes.

Just got mine yesterday at TJs at the Gateway Shopping Center in Wayne -- off 202 near King of Prussia. I'm so excited. I rarely check the dessert section at TJs, so without this thread who knows when I would've found it. I've made my own, but would rather buy it, of course.

My favorite TV teacher, who was a real teacher and inspired many real chefs, was Madeleine Kamman. She taught technique, technique, technique!!! I learned so much from her shows. I wish they would rerun her shows (as well as Julia's and Jacque's ) on late night FoodTV, like they did when the network started.

I think this is the best thread to post this... I´m here in Bogota Colombia visiting my sister and, to my amazement, saw a poster that Tony is giving a talk at one of the colleges here. Tonight. I´m going, of course!!! The topics will be elements in common of great cuisines, from street food in Mexico to Michelin-starred restaurants. I think there is also a Q & A. I can´t believe I have to the southern hemisphere to see him, but I can´t wait. Edited to say...near the southern hemisphere

One option would be to use a pain de mie or pullman loaf pan, which has a lid and thus the dough expands into an even shape: Pain de mie pan. The shape would be squarish and not oval, but definitely all the same. Then again, that would be a lot of new pans to buy

Before I ask friends to go looking for him... Does anyone know if Mauro Berardi (the dried herb stand) is open at the Campo dei Fiori in August? I got several herb mixes 2 years ago (our guide highly recommended them) and they are fantastic. I have friends going to Rome and wanted to put in an order, but I know a lot of Italians take August off. If anyone has any particular mix they like, please let me know. I've tried the meat, the fish, the tomato sauce and the arrabiata.

I should clarify that the Festive Spoon Bread is scooped out and served on a bowl like a pudding cake, rather than cut into neat squares, because the fruit ends up in the bottom of the pan.

Here is the recipe, originally from the package of Sun-Maid mixed fruit. Sunsweet also has a similiar mixture. Or mix 8 ounces of whatever you have on hand. Dried peaches would be a great addition. Festive Spoon Bread 1 (8 oz) package mixed dried fruit (apricots, prunes, apples, pears) 2 cups water ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon allspice ½ cup sugar ¼ cup soft butter 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup milk Powdered sugar (optional) Pit prunes if they are unpitted. Cut all fruit into smaller pieces. Put dried fruit, water, ¾ cup sugar, lemon and allspice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix by hand the ½ cup sugar and butter. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture alternating milk and butter mixture. Grease an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan and spread the batter in the pan. Place the hot fruits and liquid over batter. Bake at 375 deg F for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. The original recipe has you sprinkling with powdered sugar before serving, but I think vanilla ice cream is the way to go.

I have a recipe for a 8x8 cake using one package of mixed dried fruit: simple batter, top with dried fruit and water and bake. The fruit go to the bottom and get syrupy and the cake ends on top of the pan (the same principle as a pudding-cake). If you want it I'll post it (I'm at work now...). Let me know. You do need to have the dried fruit; the rest of the ingredients you have already. I was just thinking of this recipe yesterday, because I haven't made it in a long time, but liked it so much.

We finally went to Yeah Shanghai Deluxe last Saturday. We had the crispy turnip ham pastries, the crab and pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and the tong po pork. Prior to this, our only soup dumplings had been at Grand Sichuan International (several branches) and I really liked them. I wanted to try others, however, since I read so many opinions from egulleteers on the different xiao long bao. Also, at GSI most of their best dishes are spicy and my daughter (though getting better) so far can only eat food with a little spice. After much research on and off egullet trying to find the "best," I've come to the conclusion that which is the "best" soup dumplings is a matter of personal preference. Personally , I'm happy to get them at all and happy that I enjoy the ones I've had. (Read this blog entry of a guy who only found a couple of good ones in Shanghai : The Spring 2005 Shanghai Xiao Long Bao Survey -- sometimes it's better not to be sooo knowledgable). All that to say I can only compare these to the GSI ones. The Yeah Schezuan xiao long bao are smaller and with thinner skins. The taste is very similiar to the GSI, but they are lighter (not as greasy). So I would rank these as better than GSI, but I would be happy to get either in the Philly area! The tong po pork is the braised pork with steamed buns and baby bok choy. I had this written down as an item to get, but didn't write down what it was. What a great surprise. Just that day we had had the pork buns at Momofuku and my daughter went nuts over them. I liked them even more at Yeah Shanghai because you can make your pork bun "sandwich" however you want it. Really delicious, like a Chinese pulled pork. We ate way too much! The Turnip ham pastries were OK, but very greasy at the bottom. We should've saved that stomach room for the dumplings and pork buns. The service was excellent. We wanted to move to another table after we were set up and it was no problem at all. Our dishes came out almost all at once, so be aware. We will definitely return. Thanks to all of you for the advice.

I googled this by the method and ingredients and found this link: Caggionetti and the person asking for the recipe called them "caganettes." So I don't think there is a definitive name for them. I also found a few very similiar recipes simply called "Italian filled cookies." I live in SE PA and my guess is that people who came from different towns in Italy had a slightly different name for the same cookie or even if they came from the same town when they learned to write English each person transcribed it a little differently. The word for chestnut in Italian is "castagne," which to me appears related to all those names.

What I meant to say is that if Plugra helps the basic recipe I'm sure it will work well in the other ones.