browniebaker

Please bring back: lard and tallow simple pies for dessert ice-cream trucks afternoon tea cafeterias lively Chinatowns full-fat anything Martha Stewart R.S.V.P.s Please take away: flavored popcorns chef's tables trendy Thai restaurants Asian fusion low-carb diets, foods, and labeling celebrity chefs children being allowed to bring only packaged, sealed, commercially baked treats to school, no homemade treats trick-or-treating in shopping malls

Lay's kettle-cooked BBQ potato chips. Very hard-crunchy. Enough spiciness. New favorite.

I read Kitchen Confidential and enjoyed it, but please remind me: what is it about Eggs Benedict?

Eleventh-hour revisions to itinerary to add the cheeses mentioned in posts of the last two days! Thank you all for the abundance of specific cheese recommendations. They're all added to my list. Hadn't had plans to go as far up as Islington or even Marylebone, but will try to get to the Moxon Street branch of La Fromagerie in addition to the already-planned visits to Neal's Yard and Paxton & Whitfield. I leave in 35 hours. Wish me luck!

Granola bars that I made to take on my flight to London, if there are any left.

Thanks, Morda, for the report on Ben's Whole Hog BBQ. I had been wondering whether it was worth the trip from D.C., especially following the change in ownbership. Now I'll have to give it a try. Up until now, Red Hot & Blue has been the closest that I (a transplanted Nashvillian) could find to Memphis-style ribs, but I am not that thrilled with their side dishes and desserts. The potato salad is terrific, as are the batter-dipped spicy fries. The baked sweet potato with brown-sugar-butter is good, too. But the greens are way too bland,the corn muffins too sweet (Please bring back the fresh-baked rolls!), the cole slaw just okay. The desserts are too pre-fab.

I grew up in Nashville but only get back to Nashville once a year for the winter holidays. We don't do much "fine dining" in restaurants when there, but a couple of years ago my husband and I had a fanstastic dinner without the kids at Mere Bulle's (with an acute accent over the "e" in "mere" which I have forgotten how to type on my keyboard; French for "mother"), downtown near the waterfront.

Granola or Granola Bars Serves 32. Make your own granola or granola bars to your specifications, subsituting ingredients and decreasing or increasing the amount of sweetener. For vegan granola or granola bars, omit the dry milk. GRANOLA or GRANOLA BARS 1 cup honey 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup nonfat dry milk 4 cups rolled oats 2 cups chopped nuts 1 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit Position two oven-racks in oven, one in upper-third and one in lower-third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave honey and vegetable oil until warm. Stir in dry milk until dissolved. Stir in oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until well coated. Spread onto two cookie sheets lined with non-stick silicone baking mats. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden-brown, stirring granola and switching positions of cookie sheets halfway through baking. Remove from oven. For chunky granola, press flat with spatula. Cool to room temperature. Granola turns crisp upon cooling. Break into chunks. Mix in raisins. Store refrigerated in airtight container to keep crisp. For crunchy and chewy granola bars, position oven-rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9" x 13" rectangular baking pan. Mix together all ingredients as for granola. Stir in raisins. With damp spatula, press firmly into pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Cut into bars, using serrated knife and light sawing motion. Makes 32 bars, 200 calories each. Keywords: Breakfast, Snack, Easy ( RG965 )

Granola or Granola Bars Serves 32. Make your own granola or granola bars to your specifications, subsituting ingredients and decreasing or increasing the amount of sweetener. For vegan granola or granola bars, omit the dry milk. GRANOLA or GRANOLA BARS 1 cup honey 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup nonfat dry milk 4 cups rolled oats 2 cups chopped nuts 1 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit Position two oven-racks in oven, one in upper-third and one in lower-third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave honey and vegetable oil until warm. Stir in dry milk until dissolved. Stir in oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until well coated. Spread onto two cookie sheets lined with non-stick silicone baking mats. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden-brown, stirring granola and switching positions of cookie sheets halfway through baking. Remove from oven. For chunky granola, press flat with spatula. Cool to room temperature. Granola turns crisp upon cooling. Break into chunks. Mix in raisins. Store refrigerated in airtight container to keep crisp. For crunchy and chewy granola bars, position oven-rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9" x 13" rectangular baking pan. Mix together all ingredients as for granola. Stir in raisins. With damp spatula, press firmly into pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Cut into bars, using serrated knife and light sawing motion. Makes 32 bars, 200 calories each. Keywords: Breakfast, Snack, Easy ( RG965 )

Soft and Chewy Granola Bars Serves 24. Inspired by the favorite Rice-Krispies Treats of my childhood, these granola bars are deliciously soft and chewy and irresistible to kids, especially the peanut-butter-and-chocolate-chip variation. 3 cups crisped-rice cereal 2 cups toasted rolled oats 1 cup toasted chopped nuts 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds 1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup honey or corn syrup 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 7 ounces marshmallows Grease 9" x 13" rectangular pan. Combine rice cereal, oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, and sesame seeds. Set aside. In large saucepan over low heat, heat oil, honey, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add marshmallows. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal mixture until well coated. Spread into pan. Press firmly into pan. Cool to room temperature. Cut into 24 bars. For peanut-butter-and-chocolate chip granola bars, substitute chocolate chips for raisins, substitute peanut butter for vegetable oil, and omit spices. Spread one-third of mixture onto bottom of pan, cool slightly, and sprinkle one-half of chocolate chips evenly over mixture. Repeat. Spread remaining one-third of mixture on top before pressing firmly into pan. For chocolate granola bars, heat 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa with oil and honey, and omit spices. Keywords: Brownies/Bars, Snack, Easy, Vegan ( RG964 )

Soft and Chewy Granola Bars Serves 24. Inspired by the favorite Rice-Krispies Treats of my childhood, these granola bars are deliciously soft and chewy and irresistible to kids, especially the peanut-butter-and-chocolate-chip variation. 3 cups crisped-rice cereal 2 cups toasted rolled oats 1 cup toasted chopped nuts 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds 1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup honey or corn syrup 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 7 ounces marshmallows Grease 9" x 13" rectangular pan. Combine rice cereal, oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, and sesame seeds. Set aside. In large saucepan over low heat, heat oil, honey, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add marshmallows. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal mixture until well coated. Spread into pan. Press firmly into pan. Cool to room temperature. Cut into 24 bars. For peanut-butter-and-chocolate chip granola bars, substitute chocolate chips for raisins, substitute peanut butter for vegetable oil, and omit spices. Spread one-third of mixture onto bottom of pan, cool slightly, and sprinkle one-half of chocolate chips evenly over mixture. Repeat. Spread remaining one-third of mixture on top before pressing firmly into pan. For chocolate granola bars, heat 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa with oil and honey, and omit spices. Keywords: Brownies/Bars, Snack, Easy, Vegan ( RG964 )

Chinese Coconut Squares Serves 8 as Dessert. Here's the recipe for the fluffy, snow-white, coconut-flavored gelatin squares served at Chinese dim sum. 2 tablespoons powdered gelatin 1-3/8 cups boiling water 1 5-ounce can evaporated milk 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon coconut extract 2 egg whites Lightly oil shallow one-quart square dish. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in evaporated milk, sugar, and coconut extract. Cool to room temperature. In separate bowl, whip egg whites until it is fluffy and holds stiff peaks. Place bowl of gelatin mixture in a larger bowl filled with ice. As gelatin begins to chill and firm up over ice, fold egg whites in. Spread into prepared dish. Refrigerate until set. Cut into squares. Serve cold. N.B.: To avoid the risk of salmonella in raw egg whites, one may substitute the appropriate amount of pasteurized egg whites, or egg whites reconstituted from a powder. Keywords: Dessert, Pudding, Chinese, Easy ( RG962 )

Chinese Coconut Squares Serves 8 as Dessert. Here's the recipe for the fluffy, snow-white, coconut-flavored gelatin squares served at Chinese dim sum. 2 tablespoons powdered gelatin 1-3/8 cups boiling water 1 5-ounce can evaporated milk 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon coconut extract 2 egg whites Lightly oil shallow one-quart square dish. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in evaporated milk, sugar, and coconut extract. Cool to room temperature. In separate bowl, whip egg whites until it is fluffy and holds stiff peaks. Place bowl of gelatin mixture in a larger bowl filled with ice. As gelatin begins to chill and firm up over ice, fold egg whites in. Spread into prepared dish. Refrigerate until set. Cut into squares. Serve cold. N.B.: To avoid the risk of salmonella in raw egg whites, one may substitute the appropriate amount of pasteurized egg whites, or egg whites reconstituted from a powder. Keywords: Dessert, Pudding, Chinese, Easy ( RG962 )

Popeye's spicy fried chicken and I go back a long way, to college when we would make midnight runs for a big box (each). If you ever see how the chicken sits in crater of congealed white fat when you take it out of the fridge, you might think you'd become immune to its charms. But, no, I love the stuff anyway. But a fried chicken I like just as much as Popeye's is something different, sui generis: the fried chicken-wings at Chinese restaurants. The ones I get at my favorite Chinese buffet are fried mahogany-brown with a very thin, crispy flour-coating on the skin. Wings are the perfect medium, giving a high ratio of crispy coated skin to meat. The meat inside is deliciously marinaded. I wish I knew the secret. Maybe it's lots of MSG. edit: typo

Giant pizza-size chocolate-chip cookie that arrived on our doorstep by UPS during Christmas week when we were out of town for two weeks. It was stale when we got back. (But the package included was a nice ceramic mug that I now use a lot.)

Gosh, I'm glad someone brought up this "unmentionable." I thought I was the only one with hair problems! My hair shows up about once ot twice a week in food I make for my family, and I have to wonder how often it shows up in food I prepare for guests. I'm so nervous about it that last year I instituted new measures when cooking for guests: hair- net; clean shirt with tightly buttoned cuffs reserved just for cooking and folded tightly right side in when not in use; total countertop wipedown with wet cloth followed by dry. One thing I found harbors a lot of hair: these Polartec fleece tops I love to wear are a no-no in the kitchen. Three-year-old loves to help in the kitchen, and I bought her her own hair-net. Really. But I don't bother when cooking just for just the four of us. We just pull out the hair, I feel embarrassed, and we continue eating.

Forgot to say: Moby, your description of the Stilton is killing me! I'm bringing back as much as I can. Thank goodness it's totally legal.

Oh, my. My, my. You all are wreaking havoc with my trip itinerary, and I leave in four days! The shops some of you have mentioned in these latter posts, I had not even heard of -- much thanks for the info. I am having to plan the trip around the interests of my husband and two small children (though the three-year-old is a budding caseophile and will be a joy to bring with me on cheese-shopping expeditions in London). But my consolation is that whatever shops I don't get to this time around, I will get to later this year or at least next year. (Planning the itinerary made me decide to start going ALONE to London each and every year.) Fat Guy, I hadn't even thought about French cheeses, but now that you mention it . . . . Good advice on identifying cut cheeses for Customs -- thanks. We'll see how "brave" I feel. My M.O. is always to declare. The stress of committing fraud is too much for me when I just want to have fun, and being fined would ruin the fun for me. I'm no goody-two-shoes, just chicken.

Japanese Fruit Pie Serves 8 as Dessert. A classic from the American South. Southerners called the pie "Japanese" because coconut was considered quite an exotic ingredient when it first became available in the region. There are legions who think this pie better than just-pecan pie. pastry for 9" single-crust pie 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 4 large eggs 1-1/3 cups sugar 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup raisins 1 cup toasted chopped pecans 1 cup shredded dried coconut 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. Whisk together butter and eggs. Add sugar, vinegar, and salt, and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in raisins, pecans, and coconut. 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. Remove from oven. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature. Freezes well. Keywords: Pie, Dessert, Easy ( RG951 )

Japanese Fruit Pie Serves 8 as Dessert. A classic from the American South. Southerners called the pie "Japanese" because coconut was considered quite an exotic ingredient when it first became available in the region. There are legions who think this pie better than just-pecan pie. pastry for 9" single-crust pie 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 4 large eggs 1-1/3 cups sugar 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup raisins 1 cup toasted chopped pecans 1 cup shredded dried coconut 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. Whisk together butter and eggs. Add sugar, vinegar, and salt, and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in raisins, pecans, and coconut. 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. Remove from oven. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature. Freezes well. Keywords: Pie, Dessert, Easy ( RG951 )

Buttermilk-Sky Chess Pie Serves 8 as Dessert. A classic from the American South. pastry for 9" single-crust pie 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons cornmeal 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 6 large eggs 1-1/2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 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, cornmeal, flour, and salt. In large bowl, whisk together butter and eggs. Add sugar mixture, buttermilk, and vanilla, 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. Remove from oven. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature. Do not freeze. Keywords: Pie, Dessert, Easy ( RG950 )

Buttermilk-Sky Chess Pie Serves 8 as Dessert. A classic from the American South. pastry for 9" single-crust pie 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons cornmeal 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 6 large eggs 1-1/2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 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, cornmeal, flour, and salt. In large bowl, whisk together butter and eggs. Add sugar mixture, buttermilk, and vanilla, 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. Remove from oven. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature. Do not freeze. Keywords: Pie, Dessert, Easy ( RG950 )

I'll say it again: pimiento-cheese sandwich. Sometimes three times a day. Can't think of any other food that comes close to PC.

Thank you all for your responses. Sounds like most British cheeses will pass Customs. The thought of coming home with a round each of Montgomery's Cheddar and Colston Bassett Stilton has me unable to sleep at night. And the cheeses I have on my to-try list are Caerphilly, Stinking Bishop (the name intrigues me), and Wensleydale. I'm sure I'll find more I must try once I am in the shops!

Newt week, when on holiday in London, I will of course go to Neal's Yard Diary and Paxton & Whitfield. If unaged raw-milk cheeses are banned for import, does that mean I am limited to hard aged cheeses? What can I bring back? Or will the sales clerks at the shops be able and willing to tell me? Any specific cheese recommendations would be much appreciated, too. Much thanks!