drinking vinegars?

I live in Portland and love Pok Pok! I read on their website that they are going to start producing their drinking vinegars commercially in the near future. Here's an explanation of the vinegars and an email address so you can be notified when they go on sale.

http://www.pokpoksom.com/main.html

mellycooks in General Chowhounding Topics

What five cookbooks would you keep?

I just checked out Eat Your Books and I am so excited!! what a great idea, thanks for the tip.

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Looking for fresh Soft-Shelled Crabs

Yep they're all from the east coast. I used to find them at gourmet grocers down in LA, so if they can get them there....Otherwise I guess I will have to order them direct from the East Coast.

mellycooks in Metro Portland

Looking for fresh Soft-Shelled Crabs

Any one know of grocer with soft-shells in PDX?

mellycooks in Metro Portland

Your best Sweet Potato Recipe

It's not thanksgiving in our family without these sweet potatoes. A nice rich, not to sweet puree, topped with caramelized praline crust.

2 lb. Sweet potatoes or yams, cooked and mashed (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teas. salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
Heaping 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Fork potatoes several times and bake in 350 oven till fork tender. About 45 to 60 minutes. Put potatoes on foil because they will bleed and make a mess.

Scoop out potatoes and beat together with milk, egg, salt and pepper. Spoon into buttered 2-to-3 quart shallow casserole dish. Combine sugar, butter and corn syrup and spread over potatoes. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, until set, about 40 to 50 minutes. Topping will be slightly soft but will harden as dish cools a little.

Makes 6 to 8 generous servings.

Note: I use yams because they are just a little sweeter but a pretty orange color. Also don't fill casserole to the top because the dish will rise and boil over. Talk about a sticky mess. Enjoy

mellycooks in Home Cooking

What to use in place of Bacon?

My husband doesn't eat pork either and I've found that beef bacon is the best substitute. The problem with veg or turkey substitutes is that they cut out all the fat. I'm not trying to cut fat, just pork! I've seen beef bacon at whole foods and occasionally at other stores. For recipes where you're trying to get smoky-ness, you can use smoked turkey thighs.

mellycooks in Kosher

Ideas on how to use Quince?

I just made a really outstanding Quince Balsamico Chutney this weekend. The recipe was from this site: http://fxcuisine.com/Default.asp?language=2&Display=24&resolution=high

He has pretty generally amazing posts....

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Canning time!

I've had my eye on this quince jelly for a while now

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quince_jelly/

mellycooks in Home Cooking

I Had NO IDEA There Was So Much Sodium, Fat, HFCS In This!

You might want to read up on how it's produced however. They're clear-cutting Orangutan habitat to produce it in huge quantities. Very, very bad

http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/problems/forest_conversion_agriculture/orang_utans_palm_oil/

mellycooks in General Chowhounding Topics

What's a good canned/boxed chicken broth/stock?

I usually do home-made, but when I can't I've found Kitchen Basics to be the best. Especially for Beef Stock.

mellycooks in General Chowhounding Topics

Can't See Search Results Past First Page

When I do a search and get, lets say, a hundred hits. I can see the first page, but when I click to go to the next page of results I get some kind of page with hints on how to search. I know there are more results, but I can't see them.

mellycooks in Site Talk

The 'tipping point' or how many times did you learn to cook?

My husband is Bosnian and Sujo Meso was a revelation to say the least! There was a Bosnian cafe where I could buy it in Los Angeles, but I haven't found a source for it here in Portland OR yet.

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Sriracha Chili Sauce Condiment or Crack?!

Siracha mixed with Red Shell Miso Dressing , over cold noodles = Heaven!! OR you can dip veggies in it, or pour over lentils or rice or.....

Seriously, it's one of those magical combinations. BTW, Red Shell is a brand name creamy miso dressing found with refrigerated dressings.

mellycooks in General Chowhounding Topics

Best Homemade Food Gift

Oooo, quince jelly sounds so good, and I'll bet the house smells amazing while you make it. Do you have a recipe you'd be willing to share?

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Malo Restaurant Burnt Habanero Creme Salsa

Update---One of the servers told me it includes honey, chipotles and orange juice. I've come up with a few similar salsas but nothing dead-on.

mellycooks in Home Cooking

How do you use coconut milk?

That sounds great, could you paraphrase the recipe?

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Searching for a crab ravioli recipe

Actually Crab with cheese is one of my favorite combinations as long as it's fairly mild. I've had fabulous crab and chevre ravioli, and I love Crab Rangoon.

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Bevmo 5¢ Sale Picks

Hi all, I noticed that Bevmo is having their buy one bottle, get an equal value bottle for 5¢ sale. Any particularly good picks in the $10 range?

mellycooks in Wine

Burnt Habanero and Crema Salsa

I was the op but had no luck with my experimenting. If you have any luck, please post! Maybe someone should just ask the restaurant for the recipe. Not me though, too shy.

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Small Kitchen DIY Fixes: Submit Your Stories

That counter top with trash-hole is brilliant!! Must go in the article!!

mellycooks in Not About Food

Stuffed baguette?

Darn, thought I had seen this on the boards but this is a different (though similar) recipe.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/331269?query=stuffed%20baguette

mellycooks in Home Cooking

foods you didn't realize might have HFCS

Freaking horseradish for god's sake! Talk about things that aren't supposed to be sweet! I had to look through about 10 bottles to find some without HFCS.

mellycooks in Not About Food

My Chicken Stock: Spectacularly right or horrifically wrong?

Wow, all those hours of fighting to skim the gunk and leave the veggies are passing before my eyes in a blurr. So simple, so obvious, never ever would have thought of it!!

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Your favorite oldie but goodie appetizer

oohhh, #2 sounds great! Maybe with sweet potato fries!!

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Best Conejo Valley restaurants?

Cafe Provincial is amazing, authentic French food with a great atmosphere (Despite being in a strip mall) cafeprovencal.biz
2310 E Thousand Oaks Blvd
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
(805) 496-7121

mellycooks in Los Angeles Area

What's your go-to spice?

Savory

mellycooks in General Chowhounding Topics

Short ribs - Niman Ranch?

If the OP is braising the shortribs, the bones are an important part of the equation since they add flavor, body and unctuous-ness. If you do go bone-less be sure to throw in some oxtails or similar cut.

mellycooks in Home Cooking

Halal v. Kosher [moved from General Topics]

I'm just curious as to why this post was moved to "not about food" board. How on earth is a discussion of Halal v. Kosher not about food?

mellycooks in Not About Food

Grocery Delivery?

Does anyone have some experience with getting some or all of your groceries delivered? I'm thinking this would be a great time saver on a semi-regular basis and I'd love to get some feedback. I'm located in Silverlake BTW. Did you use a specialty company or just the Ralphs or Vons delivery? Quality, prices, service??

mellycooks in Los Angeles Area