MarkinHouston

I ended up making aspicy Cherry Ginger chutney, tart pickled cherries, and IQF for a cobbler when cherries are $6/lb! I have a few pounds left so Paula's sweet and sour cherries could fit the bill. Thanks.

I have frozen, pickled, and made into jam the abundance of cherries in past summers. Any other ideas? I was thinking along the lines of a chutney or some other savory creation that could be preserved and used throoughout the year. I suppose brandied cherries would work in a pinch, but for some reason this year I would like to branch out from the sweet to the spicy profile. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I lost the original recipe when my computer crashed a few years ago, but here are the basics: Saute 1/2 cup chopped onions in olive oil until softened. Transfer to a blender, add a can of drained pinto beans, two or three canned chipotle chiles with a lttle of the adobo gravy, and then blend until desired "smoothness". Season with salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. (You can blend in some cilantro if you like). Return to a small saucepan to warm trough and serve warm with tortilla chips.

Excerpted from Molto Italiano"the only thing that makes octopus tender is a cork...I've heard that the effect is the result of an enzymatic reaction between something in the cork and the protein in the octopus flesh, but beyond that I cannot say." The scientists in the Molecular Cooking thread are welcome to examine and explain.

Mario Battali suggests adding a wine cork to the boiling water for the octopus. He assers that some enzymes from the cork activate in the boiling water and actually assist in the tenderization process. I don't know about the science part of it, but it did work for me.

I think I would reverse the process.Do the cure for 24 hours, and then cold smoke. Leave the monster smokerfor other jobs--this one requires some delicacy. Using the Weber kettle, ignite about six or seven Kingsford briquets (no, not eight, ten, more than ten, just six or max seven. WHen covered with gray ash, put fillets on grill, indirect heat please, for seven minutes. Do not smoke longer than seven minutes for this particular recipe. Remove from the grill. Sort of a lox/smoked salmon combo.

I have used Tarbais, and they were excellent.I purchased two kilos of lingots the last time I was in France, and my cassoulet was superb. I buy the scarlet runner cannelinis from Rancho Gordo,and I have to say I wouldn't trade them for either of the others, and I can (usually!)get beans from Steve without any angst in only a few days. Rancho Gordo is a wonderful source for quality beans--we are so lucky to have this source!

This is my go-to method for walleye, and I suppose it would work fine for trout or whitefish: Pan-Fried Walleye with a Bound Breading Roll fillets in flour; shake off excess. Beat two eggs well and dip floured fillets in the egg. Coat completely with seasoned panko. Now the lost important part--put fillets on a rack and let them rest for 15 minutes. This will allow the panko to "bind' to the fillets (hence the "bound breading") and stay on the fillets while you pan saute in butter. Saute on both sides until golden and serve with a lemon wedge. No breading stuck to your skillet.

Thanks for the memory jog. I took a brief look at their online site and prepared a must-have list. A visit to the store is on my agenda.

Somewhere in the forums a store which has every sausage-making ingredient and piece of equitment except the oink has been mentioned. I think it is on Airline just off of I-45. Hmm..maybe that is the address for the Fiesta where I get the nice fresh lard for tamales. Help--I need some more casings and Insta-cure #1. Does anyone have the name & correct address for this supplier? Thanks.

I ran across a discussion about making sweet hot jalapenos from fresh jalapenos last week. I saved the recipe, or so I thought, and now I can not find it in any of my likely computer files. I would appreciate help in locating the pertinent information---I have the jalapenos and the sugar, but I don't recall the exact directions. Thanks in advance.

I use this recipe from "le Madeline" several times a year. It is quick and has great results. Le Madeline’s Tomato Basil Soup his is a tried and true favorite from Le Madeline, a "French bistro" sort of place which originated in Dallas. It's good anytime of year, but I only use fresh tomatoes during the summer tomato season and use good quality canned the rest of the year. Ingredients: 4 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped, OR 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed ( last time I used a 28-oz can of whole tomatoes and a 10-oz can of Rotel Italian-style tomatoes..worked fine) 4 cups tomato juice, or mixture of tomato juice and chicken stock 12-14 fresh basil leaves + more for garnish 1 cup whipping cream 1 stick unsalted butter, softened salt to taste 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper Crusty bread Combine the tomatoes and juice (or juice- stock combination) in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Cool slightly, then place in a food processor or blender with the basil leaves. Process to puree; this should be done in two or three batches. Return mixture to saucepan and add the cream and butter; stir over low heat until cream and butter are incorporated. Stir in salt and black pepper before serving. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with the bread.

I get my Aleppo pepper from Penzey's, and the label states that it is from Turkey. The Turks did alot of damage to the Armenian population at the end of World War I; perhaps pepper was part of the booty.

We are taking New Year's Eve low key this year. Weather is damp and chilly (relatively speaking) so we are staying away from the crowds out and about. For appetizer, I made some gravlax which I subsequently cold-smoked for eight minutes. I use the customary accompaniements of capers, onions, egg yolks, and Champagne. The entree is turkey carcass gumbo with home-made wild boar andouille sausage. I used Bruce Aidells' andouille recipe but increased the fat content and seasonings to match the boar meat. This really adds a new flavor dimension to the gumbo. Dessert is Blue Bell ice cream and apple pie.

"What was going on in our great nation during that time"! We had unannounced nuclear attack drills in which we either went into the school hallways and closed our eyes or crouched down under our desks in the classroom. The likelihood of success in both cases is almost laughable!

Are white acre peas similar to Lady Cream Peas or purple hulls? Thanks

The chest freezer has three 20-pound organix turkeys which were a post-Xmas sale at 30 cents per pound. God knows what two people are going to do with that wonderful bargain, but we are baby-sitting a 150-pound Leonberger for ten days in October, so he will likely get a lot of turkey. Then there is about sixty pounds of wild boar meat (some hams, ribs and loins, but thirty of the sixty is destined for making into salami, etc..... and that explains the ten to fifteen pounds of pork backfat to add to the wild boar. I also have fifteen pounds of Boston butt roasts which will become Arkansas bacon in the very near future. Those items plus the meat grinder/ice cream maker attachments command the large freezer. The two top freezers for the refrigerators have a few chuck roasts, a few containers of duck gumbo and pork chile verde, frozen peas, tortellini and venison. Another hurricane would prompt a huge cooking extravaganza as all of this stuff has "arrived" since Hurricane Ike came through almost a year ago.

I am sure the signs should read $18.99 for a bushel of unroasted chiles. They have gas-fired hooppers to roast the chiles on the spot. Pork and green chile stew, posole, and green chile cheeseburgers are all super options.

Like so many others, I have just come across this thread, and I was quite pleased to read of your experiences in Singapore. We also had the chili crab at the marina and the fish head curry on the banana leaf. For me, however, was the minced pork and noodles (dry version) at the Hill Street Tai Hwa. I think it cost less than $3.00 and was one of the best lunches I have ever experienced. I don't suppose you know where a recipe could be found? Thanks.

I believe I read in Charcuterie that freezing the wild boar meat for a few weeks would eliminate the possibility of trichinosis. My supply has been frozen for two months now, and I have over sixty pounds of young boar meat waiting to become sausage, etc. As Kent mentioned, the flavor is extraordinary.

I usually make "Brookville Coleslaw" which originated in a 19th Century hotel in the mddle of Kansas. It's sweet and creamy--a perfect side for fried chicken. Brookville Cole Slaw 1 head green cabbage, shredded (and pre-salted if not serving within an hour) 1 cup heavy cream 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup cider vinegar 1 tsp kosher salt Prepare cabbage and set aside. Combine dressing ingredients and mix well with the shreded cabbage. Serve or refrigerate.

I can appreciate that logic. To me, dried jalapenos basically equates to chipotles without the sauce. Penzey's sells powdered chipotles, and I also can find the whole smoked/dried chipotles in Houston. Preference for one over the other?

A friend posed a question on summer sausage. He said his jalapeno summer sausage did not hold its shape well, and he used fresh jalapenos. I think using pickled jalapenos would be a better solution. Any advice would be great; thanks.

Last weekend I was talking to the a friend about making venison summer sausage. He always uses a recipe which calls for Morton's TenderQuick as the curing agent. I know that Ruhlman's Charcuterie uses pink salt and dextrose for the cure. Can they be substituted for Morton's, and if so, how can you determine the ratio to use? For example, I saw a recipe which calls for 4 Tbsp of TenderQuick for four pounds of meat. Ruhlman's recipe for 4.5 pounds total meat cites 3 Tbsp kosher salt, 3 Tbsp dextrose, and 1 tsp. of pink salt. Anyone ever translate one cure for the other? Thanks in advance.