Toliver

A wonderful article. And Mamster survived the Julia-Test...if she's bored with an interview, she turns it around and starts asking the interviewer questions (see Larry King). Well done, Mamster!

fifi, I am bumping this thread back up to see if anyone has smoked salt or knows how to do it. My brother smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving and I asked him to try smoking some Kosher Salt, too. He ended up making a small tray out of foil and put some salt in that and placed it next to the turkey while it smoked. The results were disappointing. The salt smells faintly of smoke but there isn't a smokey flavor to it. How can the home cook/smoker make their own smoked salt? Would you lightly spray the salt with a liquid of some sort to help the salt absorb the smoke as the moisture evaporates? Or, as fifi said, should a mesh be used to hold the salt? Parchment paper maybe? Perhaps col klink, Jim Mcgrath or other eGullet BBQ-er's/smokers can provide some suggestions.

My niece and I just start our yearly holiday baking the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We do it for my mom who can't bake like she used to. Mom likes to give out "goodie plates" where she volunteers so the goodies don't last long. This year we did cut-out sugar cookies and spent the evening frosting and decorating them while listening to Christmas music to get into the holiday mood. We also made a batch of Butterball Cookies, as well as some Million Dollar Fudge and a large vat of Chex Party Mix.

Recipes, people, recipes! Having said that, I, unfortunately, don't have recipes () for the hits on our Thanksgiving dinner table. I didn't make either the Cajun Sausage Stuffing that had a heckuva kick to it, or the Whipped Sweet Potato Cassserole topped with a melange of brown sugar, oats & pecans that was more a dessert than a side-dish. Simply dreamy.

Heyyy... Where's the Velveeta?

Make sure to secure all sharp objects before they arrive. And open the wine early to make sure it tastes okay. edited: to clarify

Besides maple syrup, what is typical Vermont fare? Cusina in Wisconsin had her sausage brats. What are the regional specialties of Vermont?

Noooo, it can't be over, yet. We haven't heard how the treasure hunt birthday party came off. And we need the recipe for the Mississippi Mud Cake. Please?

I would kill or maim for a dishwasher. My apartment doesn't have one. I loathe the clean-up. If I don't clean as I go then I procrastinate and wait until "later", whenever that is, to do the dishes. And doesn't that make me a Grumpy Gus!

It's too bad you don't know anyone with a decent woodshop. You could slice the board horizontally and create two less-thick cutting boards from the one big honkin' board.

Garden grown tomatoes & herbs can be enough. They sate the soul in so many ways. You are fortunate to have such treasures a few footsteps away in your backyard. Living in an apartment and not being able to grow either, I look forward to the day when I'll have a home with a garden. I was glad to hear you have a farmer's market up there. I can only imagine the bounty. I remembered I have a Wisconsin connection. I have a dear family friend living out in the countryside near Marshfield, which I think is central Wisconsin. She often speaks fondly of the beauty of the Dells towards the south. From what part of Wisconsin are you writing (you don't have to say which city)?

Click here for a picture. This is what is recognized as biscotti here in America. It can come in all kinds of different flavors. Some are half-dipped in chocolate. It's a twice-baked cookie. Cooked as a "loaf" the first time, then sliced and cooked as seperate biscotti's the second time. Edited to add, yes, they are probably the wine cookies you're talking about.

You're doing great so far, cusina! I am looking forward to hearing more about your Wisconsin food life and your box o' recipes. Besides the brats, what is typical Wisconsin fare? What do you always find at a potluck, for example? And do you have farmer's markets in your area? How's your grocery selection? What kind of stores? And during the Spring & Summer, do you have a vegetable garden? More, more!

The cake sounds wonderfully decadent. Will you serve that same cake to the adults, as well, or do you put a "grown-up" spin on it for them? Nailed it on the first try, plus you've been hitting almost 50% dessert penetration in a night's seating...time to ask for a raise!

Does anyone have a tried and true recipe for a good milk gravy like the gravy that is one gets from fried chicken? I haven't seen it covered in the eGCI. The gravies I've made do look like milk gravy but tend to be flavorless and who wants to put that on a good batch of homemade mashed potatoes? Should I "cheat" and throw in some chicken bullion or broth to help give it flavor?

Marsha, I wanted to haul this thread back up and ask how it turned out. What did you end up doing? And how did the kids like it? Did the adults partake, as well? Was there a food fight? Were the paying customers happy? Details, details...

Here were some previous salty discussions: Salt varieties..., How many do you have? Salt, How do you use it? Preferences, nitpicks, etc. Salt, varieties, uses, etc. Fleur De Sel, A great discovery

Butterball Cookies This is a cookie recipe my mom made for us every Christmas while we were growing up. The name of the cookie comes from the amount of butter in it. These cookies are similar in looks to Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes. However, Butterballs are not as hard/crisp as these look-alikes. Be careful not to over-stir when adding in the flour and walnuts and you will have a light, tender cookie when baked. Fair warning: Due to the cookies being rolled in powdered sugar, don't wear black when trying to eat one and don't attempt to breathe in while taking a bite. 1 lb butter, softened (4 sticks) 1 c powdered sugar 1 T Vanilla extract 4 c flour, sifted 1 c walnuts, chopped Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together (You don't really need to use a mixer to do this recipe. A sturdy wooden spoon should work fine though the dough will get thick by the time all the flour has been incorporated). Add the sifted flour one-cup at a time, mixing it in each time until just incorporated. By the 4th cup, the dough may seem too thick to stir with a wooden spoon, but it can be done. After all flour has been mixed in, stir in the walnuts, mixing thoroughly until just combined. With your fingers, grab enough dough to make a decent-sized ball (golf ball sized). Roll the dough in your hands until it is in the shape of a ball (the warmth of your hands will melt the butter in the cookies enough to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands). Place the cookie balls on an ungreased cookie sheet**. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending upon your oven. Recipe should make 50-60 cookies depending upon how large/small you made the balls. The cookies are done when they become a pale golden brown and will even crack a little on the top. Let cookies cool completely. Put some powdered sugar in a bowl with deep sides (I actually use a plastic "Cool Whip" container). The deep sides will help you as you roll each cookie ball completely in the powdered sugar. Don't press too hard when rolling the cookies as the cookie can crumble from the pressure of your fingers (they're very flaky!). That's all the originally recipe called for, however I go one step further. As the powdered sugar-covered cookies sit, the sugar gets absorbed by the butter in the cookies and then they don't look as pretty as before. I let them sit for a day (or overnight) and then I roll them again in the powdered sugar to give them a final coating and then they're ready to eat. They will look like little snow balls. **Note: For this recipe, I prefer to use the cookie sheets with the "air cushion". I used to use a cookie sheet that was just a dark brown single layer of metal pan with small sides on it, but found the cookies got burned on the bottom before they were completely cooked. The "air cushioned" pans seem to allow less burnt cookie bottoms. If you get burnt cookie bottoms (like I used to), don't worry. After the cookies have cooled completely, take a 4-sided grater and gently grate the burned bottom off of the cookies on the small grating side (press too hard and the cookie will crumble). Brush away any burnt crumbs and no one will be the wiser! Proceed to roll them in powdered sugar. Enjoy! edited fer spelling and clarification Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cookie, Christmas ( RG756 )

Butterball Cookies This is a cookie recipe my mom made for us every Christmas while we were growing up. The name of the cookie comes from the amount of butter in it. These cookies are similar in looks to Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes. However, Butterballs are not as hard/crisp as these look-alikes. Be careful not to over-stir when adding in the flour and walnuts and you will have a light, tender cookie when baked. Fair warning: Due to the cookies being rolled in powdered sugar, don't wear black when trying to eat one and don't attempt to breathe in while taking a bite. 1 lb butter, softened (4 sticks) 1 c powdered sugar 1 T Vanilla extract 4 c flour, sifted 1 c walnuts, chopped Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together (You don't really need to use a mixer to do this recipe. A sturdy wooden spoon should work fine though the dough will get thick by the time all the flour has been incorporated). Add the sifted flour one-cup at a time, mixing it in each time until just incorporated. By the 4th cup, the dough may seem too thick to stir with a wooden spoon, but it can be done. After all flour has been mixed in, stir in the walnuts, mixing thoroughly until just combined. With your fingers, grab enough dough to make a decent-sized ball (golf ball sized). Roll the dough in your hands until it is in the shape of a ball (the warmth of your hands will melt the butter in the cookies enough to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands). Place the cookie balls on an ungreased cookie sheet**. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending upon your oven. Recipe should make 50-60 cookies depending upon how large/small you made the balls. The cookies are done when they become a pale golden brown and will even crack a little on the top. Let cookies cool completely. Put some powdered sugar in a bowl with deep sides (I actually use a plastic "Cool Whip" container). The deep sides will help you as you roll each cookie ball completely in the powdered sugar. Don't press too hard when rolling the cookies as the cookie can crumble from the pressure of your fingers (they're very flaky!). That's all the originally recipe called for, however I go one step further. As the powdered sugar-covered cookies sit, the sugar gets absorbed by the butter in the cookies and then they don't look as pretty as before. I let them sit for a day (or overnight) and then I roll them again in the powdered sugar to give them a final coating and then they're ready to eat. They will look like little snow balls. **Note: For this recipe, I prefer to use the cookie sheets with the "air cushion". I used to use a cookie sheet that was just a dark brown single layer of metal pan with small sides on it, but found the cookies got burned on the bottom before they were completely cooked. The "air cushioned" pans seem to allow less burnt cookie bottoms. If you get burnt cookie bottoms (like I used to), don't worry. After the cookies have cooled completely, take a 4-sided grater and gently grate the burned bottom off of the cookies on the small grating side (press too hard and the cookie will crumble). Brush away any burnt crumbs and no one will be the wiser! Proceed to roll them in powdered sugar. Enjoy! edited fer spelling and clarification Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cookie, Christmas ( RG756 )

Thanks, Pollyanna Pollyanna, eh? How'd you like a knuckle sammich?

I think "sammiches" and "puhsketti" (also "buhsketti") come from young children who can't pronounce the words correctly. When an adult uses these words, on purpose, it's a sort of affectation or an attempt to be cute (as in my case and often failing to come across as such ). It's no big deal and if it drives someone crazy to read it, then I'd suggest they start skipping threads or posters. C'est la Strunk! I am not a fan of the "grammar-spelling-punctuation correctness police", either. If a poster doesn't spell correctly or perhaps doesn't write using the best language, just assume that English (english?) is a second language for them.

Nooooooooo. This not a grilled cheese sandwich. I believe the weighted-down sandwich is called a panini (sp? Just where is that spellcheck feature?). Now if we were talking about a Dagwood, then I could see weighting it down to make it, at least, bite-able. But who'd want to squish their grilled cheese sandwich? It's thin enough as it is. edited to add: I think what makes a grilled cheese a grilled cheese is the butter on the bread. No butter, no grilled cheese.

Yes. You can always put it on a shrine in the living room until the day comes when the Bosch dies.

Has anyone else used the turkey-sized Reynolds Oven Bags? The turkeys cook in much less time than a regular oven-roasted bird and when they are done they are practically fall-apart done. A couple years ago, my mom went to check on how done the turkey was (in the oven bag) by wiggling one of the legs and the bone came completely out of the turkey leg. DOH! One complaint that my mom has is that she says the skin doesn't get as crisp as the regular oven-roasted birds. The oven bag-roasted birds do brown but they're not peking-ducklike-crisp.

Velveeta. There. Someone had to say it. Take a fry pan and sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder in the pan. Take a slice of whole wheat bread, slathered with butter, and place it butter side down in the fry pan (so it will pick up the garlic powder). Add a layer of Velveeta then another slice of whole wheat with more butter slathered on the top of that slice. After browning both sides of the sandwich, remove it from the pan and pry open the gooey sandwich. Insert sliced kosher dill pickles. Close it back up and eat the sandwich with Campbell's Cream of Tomato soup with Fritos on the side. Nummers.