browniebaker

You assume that a person "of color" cannot or will not discriminate against others of his own color? My experiences and observations persuade me otherwise.

No, seriously, good chips start out crisp. Ironically, the best fish and chips I have had, despite having lived for a year in England and visited again recently, are found at Murphy's, an Irish restaurant and pub in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia, just outside of D.C. and near where I lived, thank goodness. North Sea Fish was on our itinerary, but a sudden rainshower as we walked through Bloomsbury Square was the last straw for my two chiuldren, who pleaded to return to the hotel room with some take-out Cornish pasties. After the experience of the soggy crisps at Rock and Sole Plaice (the first chippy we tried in London), the kids lost all interest in fish and chips and asked for Cornish pasties every chance they got. Other reputedly good chippies that we never managed to try last month: Fryer's Delight (Holborn), Sea Shell (Marylebone), and Costas Fish (Notting Hill).

What's all this about whether ties are "required"? Doesn't anyone like to dress up anymore? Why are men striving only to meet the minimum standard of dress at a restaurant? Last month, on holiday in London, I was having dinner at the Dorchester Grill Room when I saw at another table a man who had obviously removed his dinner jacket and was wearing only black tie, white shirt, and black trousers. Need I say that, without the dinner jacket, he was dressed less attractively than even the waiters, who were wearing waistcoats? So come on, gentlemen, please wear a tie, keep your jacket on, and raise the bar.

My family and I just ate there for dinner last month, and our impressions are mixed. We ordered three kinds of fish-and-chip platters (cod, haddock, and rock), a fish cake, and mushy peas. We were told there would be a fifteen minute wait for sole or plaice, so we settled for the quicker. The batter coating the fish was delicious and crisp. Cod was our collective favorite: light and flaky and tasty. Second came haddock, very flavorful. Rock came in third because of its too-dense, tough texture. The fish cake was good. The mushy peas? Just mushy peas; I'm afraid none of us "gets" the appeal of mushy peas. The big disappointment for us was the chips: they were not crisp at all, just limp and soft. My family takes chips/fries verrrrrrry seriously, so limp chips are a major demerit. I went to sleep on a full stomach of this meal and woke in the morning with a stomach ache. It was the first time this cast-iron stomach has ever failed me after a fried meal. Don't know whether it was the meal or me. In short, ehh. We'll try another fish-and-chips place next time.

Good point. It's like liking Big Macs and hamburgers.

I desperately want to like natural peanut butters. I have tried many brands of them. But I keep going back to Jif, which is what I grew up with. What I really want when eating peanut butter is a taste of my childhood, not just of peanuts.

Is there any reason that I, who does not keep any bean flour around, cannot simply add about 1/4 cup mashed cooked beans to a bread dough for the same benefits as bean flour, adjusting the amount water, of course? I'm going to try it this week.

Another excuse: gift-reciprocation baking. Last week a dad in the parent-child exercise class that my daughter and I take together gave us a sizeable bag of Sri Lankan tea to try, and it was delicious. What to do when you don't know someone very well and they have given you a gift? Bake a gift!

Okay, came up with another excuse this morning: apology baking. Yesterday afternoon my guest parked her car in a way that blocked my neighbor's half of our shared driveway. I didn't know it until I found the neighbor at my front door, obviously miffed because he had been knocking on my door for a while and I could not hear him from another part of my house. So I baked a plate of chunky chewy cinnamon--y oatmeal-raisin cookies. He gave me a kiss and hug and I feel better.

In Paris and in the Burgundy region I found that three-star restaurants had staff who spoke English and other foreign languages. The same was true in smaller, less-known restaurants in Paris. However, out in the countryside of Burgundy, lots of locals spoke only French, even restaurant staff, and my French came in handy there. True, you can always point to a menu, but I think travel is always enhanced when one can speak the local language, even just a little. Having a few polite phrases at hand is a charming way to break the ice. And I do like to know what I am ordering off a menu! Even though I speak French all right, I rarely use the ability in the U.S., so I always brush up on it before travel to France. When I travel to countries where I do not know the language at all, I try to learn the language before I go. I borrow tapes from the public library and self-teach, which costs me nothing but an investment of time and effort and enhances my trip immeasurably.

Broken eggs -- yes, that's one excuse I have used, too. I have thought of some more of the excuses I have used: - baking will also heat the house (only good in cold months, though) - have to season cast-iron pans in the oven, so bake - time to calibrate the oven, so bake - need a hostess-gift in a pinch; bake shortbread - baking is healthier than frying - kids know not to bother me when I am standing at the oven because it's dangerous - "Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' in the oven." (I actually SAY this.)

One end of my kitchen is at the front of the house on the driveway side and there is a lot of foot traffic in my area. I often have neighbors wander over and ask about my baking. The aroma draws a lot of attention, espcially during the pre-holiday baking marathons in the fall. I enlist some of my neighbors to help in packaging things to be shipped. I bake plenty of extras for them to take home. Whenever I have need of any minor handyman work I can depend on one of the neighbor's husbands, sons or in one case, brother, to do the little tasks. My gardener and his crew always time their appearance for late enough in the day that the baking is finished and I send them off with various goodies. I also bake for the local center for battered women and children at least a couple of times a month. The senior citizen's center already has several seniors who themselves bake for the center but occasionally I help out with a fund raiser. Wow. Sounds no less than a bakery. Are you zoned for commercial use?

For me it's white nectarines in summer, chestnuts in the fall. Wouldn't want to eat these any other time of year, even if available, because they would lose their seasonal associations.

Oh, oh, another good excuse: home-baked can cost a lot less than store-bought, so tell yourself that and bake gifts for all family, children's teachers, the postman (got to have something on which to attach the envelope enclosing the end-of-year tip), the garbage collectors (ditto). . . .

Hmmm, must put my house on the market and have an open house, just to have an excuse to bake the requisite warm and aromatic cookies to set out in a basket on the kitchen countertop. How do I know my friend is NOT a baking maniac of the world-class category? She likes to bake, yes, and the proof that she likes to bake is that she is baking a surprise birthday cake for a friend today -- supererogatory, gratuitous baking is usually a good sign of baking mania. BUT her son has a bake sale at school tomorrow and she thinking of just wrapping up slices of leftover birthday cake to sell at the bake sale. What, I said, and waste a good opportunity to bake?! (edited for typo)

Another one: look for local bake sales and show up with a donation. I can hear it now: "Who are YOU?"

LOL! Celene, you and I know we must have desserts in MULTIPLES because. . . . . . if one dessert fails in the execution, there's one or more other dessert as a back-up; . . . if someone does not like chocolate, there's an alternative flavor; . . . you want to offer a version with nuts and a version without nuts; . . . everyone has a different favorite dessert, and you want to please everyone; . . . nothing wows like a table full of desserts; . . . it is too hard to choose among all the recipes you want to try; and . . . let's face it, dessert buffets are soooo much fun. Plus, even if a kid wants a Barbie cake for her birthday, it's too easy just to plunk a Barbie doll on top of the cake as sane people counsel me to do. I must fashion a marzipan Barbie. (If it doesn't hurt, you're not doing it right!) Maybelline, I'm with you on using up the old flour! And the pecans before they get rancid, and the leftover 2/3 cup of shredded coconut that is in the freezer, and the way-too-much candied orange peel I made for fun last winter . . . .

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To the baking-obsessed: What are some of your excuses for baking more than you need or should? My son's Cub Scouts end-of-year potluck-picnic-dinner is this evening, and I signed up to bring oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies, so why did I spend four hours this morning baking not only the cookies I had promised but also a chess pie and a pecan pie? That's what my husband asked me, and all I could say was, "Uh, in case there aren't enough desserts at the picnic?" I confess, I make up excuses to bake. In addition to the above in-case-there-isn't-enough excuse, here are a few of the ridiculous excuses I use: - Child's playdate at home: must bake some muffins for a snack since my son's seven-year-old friend will appreciate home-baked over store-bought. (Not!) - Newspaper article on cheesecake-baking: must try different ingredients and/or methods to perfect my cheesecake recipe that I already spent the last ten years perfecting. - New neighbor down the street: must bake a pound cake or chess pie and take it over. - Birthday party for one-year-old: must bake and decorate a theme-cake so the photos will show that I cared enough to knock myself out. - Transfats in store-bought baked goods: must come up with a healthier home-baked version of the same, e.g. vanilla wafers, graham crackers, and oreo cookies. - Going out to dinner at a restaurant or a friend's house: must bake a dessert to eat in case restaurant's or friend's dessert(s) turns out to be less than appealing or satisfying. - Babysitter coming over to watch the kids: must have a plate of brownies on the kitchen countertop for her. - And, last but not least, always have some baked goods in the freezer in case people drop by. It's crazy, I know! So, what are YOUR excuses? (Maybe I can use them!)

China Cottage: a Chinese restaurant in Nashville. The name makes me think the place sells porcelain nick-nacks.

Uh, some people are taking this discussion very seriously. I view my particular peeve (half-spoonful-eaters) in a lighthearted manner, and I hope my post on the topic was taken in that spirit. I certainly took Don Rock's initial post as being tongue in cheek -- or tongue on fork!

Little Ensworth Biscuits Make these biscuits little; they are very rich and very savory. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Position oven-rack at center of oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Stir butter and cream cheese together until blended. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Stir until well blended. Knead gently into smooth dough. On lightly floured surface, pat out to thickness of 1”. Cut into rounds with greased and floured 1-3/8” cutter, pressing cutter straight down without twisting. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are golden-brown. Remove from oven. Serve hot. Makes 16 biscuits. Keywords: Bread, Side, Easy ( RG1029 )

Little Ensworth Biscuits Make these biscuits little; they are very rich and very savory. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Position oven-rack at center of oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Stir butter and cream cheese together until blended. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Stir until well blended. Knead gently into smooth dough. On lightly floured surface, pat out to thickness of 1”. Cut into rounds with greased and floured 1-3/8” cutter, pressing cutter straight down without twisting. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are golden-brown. Remove from oven. Serve hot. Makes 16 biscuits. Keywords: Bread, Side, Easy ( RG1029 )

Muskmelon Pie Serves 8 as Dessert. In the summer, a surfeit of ripe muskmelon (cantaloupe) is a great excuse to bake this fragrant pie. pastry for 9" single-crust pie 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 4 large eggs 2 cups pureed fresh ripe muskmelon Line 9” glass pie-plate with rolled-out dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. Freeze for 30 minutes just before baking. Position oven-rack at lowest level in oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt. In large bowl, whisk together butter and eggs. Add sugar mixture and muskmelon, and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Pour into pie-plate. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Cover edges of crust to prevent excessive browning. Lower thermostat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or just until metal tester inserted in center of filling comes out clean. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature. Do not freeze. Keywords: Pie, Fruit, Easy ( RG1028 )

Muskmelon Pie Serves 8 as Dessert. In the summer, a surfeit of ripe muskmelon (cantaloupe) is a great excuse to bake this fragrant pie. pastry for 9" single-crust pie 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 4 large eggs 2 cups pureed fresh ripe muskmelon Line 9” glass pie-plate with rolled-out dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. Freeze for 30 minutes just before baking. Position oven-rack at lowest level in oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt. In large bowl, whisk together butter and eggs. Add sugar mixture and muskmelon, and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Pour into pie-plate. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Cover edges of crust to prevent excessive browning. Lower thermostat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or just until metal tester inserted in center of filling comes out clean. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature. Do not freeze. Keywords: Pie, Fruit, Easy ( RG1028 )