tejon

Amazing lesson - thanks to all! The pictures made a world of difference. I have seen recipes for dosas in the past, but couldn't wrap my brain around how exactly to spread them so thin, and what they should look like as they cook. Now my questions are answered. The steamed breads look delicious, and I've wanted to try ildis for a long time so here's the chance. I was also very happy to see the traditional way to grate coconut meat - I had been prying out the meat and grating on a box type grater, which always seemed to coarse to me. I've seen those graters in stores, but never knew what they were for. Time to buy one! There is nothing like freshly grated coconut. Now I'm off to my local Indian grocery to buy some ural dal and start experimenting. I'll be back with more questions, I'm sure :-)

Both my boys were allergic to corn - and you're right, it is in everything. A couple of tricks I found to locating corn free food items were to look for foods produced outside the US (corn is a cheaper sweetener in the US, cane is cheaper elsewhere), and to look for Kosher foods, especially Kosher for Passover. I'd be happy to put together the information I learned while dealing with their corn allergy & send it to you, it'll just take me a day or so. Yogurt is definitely easy to make at home, and so much better than anything you can buy. Now that my youngest has taken a liking to it, I'll have to start making some again :-). Chutneys and relishes are a lot of fun, especially if you're new to canning. Leave yourself plenty of time the first few times around, and be sure to read everything over several times so you know all of the steps beforehand.

Definitely pick what you plan on making from scratch. I had to make almost everything from scratch for several years because my son had extreme food allergies, and it was overwhelming. I learned quite a bit, and did change the way we all eat in many positive ways, but I wish I'd been able to tackle less all at once. Also, like anything else, there are some foods that are difficult to recreate well at home (mustard I was able to do, but it didn't come out as well as my favorite premade type, kechup would fall in the same category if you use it, tortillas are pretty time consuming if you eat a lot of them). Among the things I now prefer to make at home: stock, applesauce, salad dressings, breads and baked goods, kimchi, chutney, breakfast sausage, and chile oil. I would love to follow along as you start making more from scratch!

Is that weird? I always do that. I also have my master grocery list on my desktop, sorted by category/aisle. Maybe I am a nutcase. I always sort, too. I figure it helps whoever is bagging, and ensures the best possible treatment of my groceries. Master list on the computer by category and aisle, too - that makes my trips to the market go much more quickly and easily. Not weird - just very well organized.

One question: could you share a recipe for hard sauce, please? As for the food porn pictures....truly gorgeous. Now I really wish I had a yard and a garden.

This is an excellent restaurant! It doesn't look like it could possibly could be much, but the food is wonderful. Do they still do karaoke? That was always most entertaining, especially when the Japanese businessmen turned to singing Abba

No, no - I consider crispy chicken skin to be a fair trade for all the work of stripping the meat off for everyone else :-)

Chicken skin tends to be a snack here, but that lunch sounds delicious!

Thank goodness for some forwarning! I had no idea ahead of time, and was in for a huge surprise the first time I used a rest room in Hungary . Learned very quickly to carry forints and spare toilet paper in my purse at all times.

Will do :-)

Someone who loves playing with fire! Can I hang out with you?

I think glurt can be used as both a noun and a verb

If you throw goldfish crackers just to the edge of a fire, they will eventually burst into flames in a little puff of smoke.

That's pretty close to me - I'll have to check it out even if the group doesn't go

I'm also learning about pressure cooking - just got a cooker from my grandmother and can't wait to try it. That pot roast recipe looks delicious!

Where do I even begin? My grandmother loved to cook - she taught and inspired me in all things food related. The recipe box alone is a treasure to me, and looking through has left me even more impressed with my grandmother and the way she ran her kitchen. Cookbooks: The Joy of Cooking Mastering the Art of French Cooking Wolfgang Puck's Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen McCall's, circa 1965 Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, circa 1950 (very interesting reading - and the pictures!) Larousse Gastronomique, circa 1965 various Sunset cookbooks on canning, herbs, BBQ, etc. many Tex-Mex and Mexican cookbooks several regional cookbooks, church compilations, etc. Then, the recipe box. Ahhh.....what riches. Each recipe has notes by my grandmother, including a list on the back of every time she served that dish, complete with dates, who was there, what she served with it, and how much each serving cost. In it is the sourdough pancake recipe I remember having for breakfast when I stayed at their house, the rolls our entire family demanded for every holiday meal (they were that good), the sweet chili sauce recipe from my great great grandmother, and more. I'm still going through all of it, reading all the little notes in each margin, and am immersed in memories. What a gift.

Add another 39 to my count - just received my grandmother's cookbook collection, along with her HUGE index box of typed recipes

I bring cloth bags, or if I'm only getting one or two things, ask for no bag (always gets me a funny look, too). I know it isn't common here to bring cloth, just from the reactions I get when I do it. I've actually had to explain that I wanted my groceries in the bag at one store - twice they bagged my groceries in plastic and tossed the cloth bags inside I like cloth bags for many reasons beyond environmental concerns. They're much stronger than plastic or paper, and can hold much more securely. They're also much more comfortable to carry, and there's no worry about anything breaking. Trader Joe's sells canvas bags for $3 a piece, and I find 3-4 bags is plenty for just about any shopping trip.

That has to be the best jingle ever listen to it here!

Mmmmm...soup Top three for me would be: * French Onion made with long caramelized onions, crusty bread and lots of cheesy goodness * Pho * Lentil soup with ham - made with ham stock simmered long and slow....had that last night

Lucy's, a tiny little box of a place on the corner of Washington and Sepulveda in Santa Monica - carnitas to die for. Recently changed owners and names, but the food and the staff are the same. Taste of India, at Magnolia and Warner in Huntington Beach - cheap, incredibly good Indian food. Sag aloo and chicken tikka masala are incredible. Peacock Garden on Golden Springs Blvd. in Diamond Bar - wonderful, complex Indian cuisine, with a surprisingly cheap buffet lunch.

I'll second the request for dosas - I have found few recipes, but would really like to make them at home.

Just making lunch now. My dad brought over a Honeybaked ham last night ("It's on my way home - can I bring you one?" Who would say no to that?), so ham on a slice of sesame Ezekiel bread, topped with some sharp cheddar, toasted. A braebrun apple to go along with it, plus some celery sticks.

I always get an odd look when I buy canning jars. Must not be the only one around doing it, since there is a pretty good selection of jars, lids, pectin, paraffin, etc. in the spice aisle of our local supermarket. Didn't have time to can peaches and tomatoes this summer (is there anything better than home canned peaches? Mmmmmm...), but I did make up some mango chutney and also chili sauce from an old family recipe. I think next on my list is some apple butter and maybe some preserves or jam, along with some pickled garlic and peppers.

Your neighbourhood 7-11 sells alcohol? Yep - mostly cheap beer and wine coolers. You can also buy alcohol of all sorts in any grocery store - from beer to wine to vodka and everything in between. It was quite a culture shock, the first time I went looking for a bottle of dry sherry in PA and was told to find a state store.