kanosis's Profile
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
Anybody have a juicers with a motor as powerful as a lawn mower? Supposed to give gallons of carrot juice.
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
I always use my low tech can opener. I tell my kids that when the power goes out, we will have our trusty can opener handy. I have so many electrical appliances but I've never bought an electric can opener. There is something about the handy can opener that I've never given up. Must be something primal!
What was the worst food you HAD to eat as a kid?
Mom used to boil the heck out of the brussel sprouts. Sucked the life out of them. No one ate them during Thanksgiving. I'd toss them ensuring no "left over" b-sprouts the next day.
What was the worst food you HAD to eat as a kid?
I hated peas. They were small round disgusting little buggers! I'd put them all in my mouth at once and run to the bathroom to spit them out. Now, I just love them. Same with liver and oinions. Hated them but love it now!
Peanut Butter
Do you happen to have the recipe for the large round vanilla cookies served in the 60's from the LAUSD? I loved them so much, I would save it and eat it after school on the way home.... until a bully girl yanked my braids and demanded I give her my cookie! My first after school fight ! The cookie tasted even better basking in victory!
Strange Pairings that Taste Uncommonly Good
Geez, what is it about that salty sweet thing. I used to eat polly seeds (sunflower seeds) with m&m's. Haven't done that in decades!
What did your Mom always have on hand, that you NEVER do?
Yup, I think it was the little things that made those homemade flour tortillas so good...like pork fat after rendering the chicharrones. She also let those little balls of dough rest before rolling.
Is there ANYTHING decent at Dodger Stadium?
Bringing your own food is your best bet. The food at the Stadium is over priced and terrible. I'd stop at a supermarket and buy a sandwich before the game. Take your own water, too.
Strange Pairings that Taste Uncommonly Good
I enjoy corn or flour tortillas with peanut butter or flour tortilla with mayo and iceberg lettuce.
What did your Mom always have on hand, that you NEVER do?
Things in mom's late1950's cupboard:
1. mixes! lots of them- sloppy joes, sweet sour chicken, taco mix, gravy mix
2. canned vegetables especially string beans and spinach mixed with eggs for burritos. Can't remember eating fresh vegetables.
3. canned corned beef for taquitos
4. spam
5. Lawry's salt with spice- put on flour for fried chicken
6. Mom was queen of ground hamburger. Can't remember eating any other kind of meat except for chicken in that sweet and sour mix .
7. Never Hamburger Helper (maybe introduced in the late 60's (?))
8. Manischewitz wine for Good Friday meals-lasted years
9. Processed kraft cheese and Oscar Mayer bologna for sandwiches
10. Grits
11. cornmeal
12. space snacks
13. lard
14. lots of flour must have been a 25 lb. sack! She made lots of home made flour tortillas with lard. Needed something to slap that ground beef and canned vegies in! Used to make doll clothes from the sack cloth.
15. white tequila that the kids took a swig every once in a while. I think we filled up the bottle with water. We told her it was old and the flavors died out. Time to buy more!
16. Spices? still must be in her cupboard!
Good memories! We never went hungry that's for sure.
Arrowroot Powder Substitute in Cookie Recipe
Thanks for the tip. I keep buying tapioca flour at the Asian markets not quite sure what to do with it. It is dirt cheap. Many years ago I received this gorgeous cake from a Vietnamese student of mine. I remember he said he used tapioca flour and agar. He had this lovely clear as glass topping underneath the gel was a scene of swans and palm trees cut from fruit. I never found a recipe but I remember he mentioned tapioca flour and agar. I stopped buying the agar too. Don't think I can duplicate his creation.
Arrowroot Powder Substitute in Cookie Recipe
I am making cookies that call for arrowroot powder. Could I substitute tapioca flour?
homemade yogurt
I think I didn't control the heat. Once I have mastered the whole thing, I want to start adding fruit to the bottom of the jar before adding the yogurt. I learned that the key is everything is at 105-110 F --fruit, yogurt starter and milk. The second batch I added more powdered milk. It tasted creamier and the kids liked it better, but I liked it with less powdered milk. I live in the highdesert and the tap water's fine.. I want this whole process to be cost effective. (got 3 hungry teenagers! ) Thanks for getting me started on this. Why did I wait so long to learn...!
homemade yogurt
Yea, you could have a point there. I did stir the heck out of it. After reading the Nebraska link, I learned I should have gently stirred it. But I think I just had the heat too high the first time and I really didn't know I could use it even if it looked like baby burp. Live and learn! Thanks.
homemade yogurt
I shouldn't have thrown it away, you are right, But it looked gross to me. The kids wouldn't eat it.( It takes only one to start the eeeeoow thing.) Now that I think of it, I could've used it for cooking. Well let me tell you and Sam, I started another batch. I just couldn't believe I couldn't make yogurt! My god, you guys rave on how easy it is! So my second batch...on Monday was delicious!!!! My yogurt lasted one day. Friends, family and my sons' friends came over and ate the whole batch! So then I tried another batch yesterday! Again, I screwed up the batch but at least I know why! I set the oven to 350F. ( I was making cookies earlier but forgot to reduce the temp. when I started the yogurt! ) Well although it looked gross, I emptied all the jars and strained the whole mess . I combined blueberries and honey and whirled it in a blender. It's been 24 hours and half of that batch is gone!
So, long story short, the whole family is happy with the yogurt and now I have a group of teenagers who want to learn how to make it,too. (fFrst lesson tomorrow!) So thanks for your suggestions and support. :-)
homemade yogurt
My batch of yogurt didn't work out. I don't know what I did wrong. It had the consistency of baby burp, watery and curdled. I want to try again, but maybe stick to something conventional. I started the process late so by the time I needed to reheat it in the micro for the 10th time,, well I just fell asleep! But still I thought I'd see it "jell" by hour 8. No such luck. I threw the whole batch away.
:-(
Where to eat in St. Louis
Does anyone know of a good rib place in St. Louis? I've heard of the St. Louis ribs but where would I find authentic St.Louis style ribs?
Thanks
how do you eat a tamale?
Day old tamale: eat by taking the husk off, fry it in a little oil and top with a fried egg. Do the same with enchiladas. It is all good.
how do you eat a tamale?
If you're eating a sweet tamale, eat it with cup of champurrado, hot Mexican chocolate, or a cup of coffee. Mexican red or green tamale eat with whatever beverage you like. I like Mex. tamales with lots of "masa", dough, so eating by hand doesn't do the trick since you will need to scrape off the tasty morsels of masa left on the husk. No one will look at you funny if you eat with your hands or a fork! But don't eat the husk. :-)
Frugal meals
I never had problems when I was younger, but now lots of stuff irritate me..but I am learning to adjust my diet by deliberately choosing whole grains and more vegys. I've never had problems with broccoli and cauliflower, but the round head of cabbage doesn't like me. I thought of subbing it with savoy or napa. They are a little pricey though.
homemade yogurt
I'm going to try it Sat....is the powdered milk the grainy stuff from the store or is the powdery milk for health food stores?
Thanks for responding.
Frugal meals
I had mentioned the soup lines at the local church or salvation army, but I can remember working as an elementary school in a poor neighborhood years ago and the kids would tell me they would go "dumpster diving" at the market garbage cans or they might ask the produce man for the vegy throw aways. They would take the whole lot home and their mom would see what she can use...very sad but true. Oh, one kid told me he also scrounged the florist shops for "free flowers" for his mom...So from lil Johnny to you....try dumpster diving.
Frugal meals
What a delicious recipe... I'll try it tonight! I'm wondering if lemon grass would do the trick. Would it be cheaper than a lemon...if we think frugally.
Thanks so much
Nopal ideas?
I am wondering if the "terrible" nopales came from old pads. Nopales should be picked young without the thorns getting too hard. I don't think I've ever seen family recipes "frying" nopales...I've grilled them, but frying? Do you fry them like a fried chicken or just a lil' oil? Thanks for sharing.
Request for Vegan Rice Pudding Recipe
Are we talking about cacao beans? They are available in a well stocked Hispanic market too. I'll give the recipe a try. Thanks.
Crock pots for something other than stew?
Along with the mulled ciders, I use my crocks as warmers for parties.
Especially:
1. Spanish Rice
2. Beans-mashed
3. Warm dips
4. Placing warm tortillas in the crock relieves the labor intensive heating tortillas during a party.
Old stand by for parties:
A can of Nacho Sauce and the side of chips.
lemon in ice water
OMG! My teenage son does the same thing. He orders water with ice and a "side" of lemon wedges. He squeezes all the lemons and adds sugar to his water! He just loves it! I don't think he's cheap (I'm paying) but he loves the tartness. Wait until I tell him to visit his chums in Boca Raton.
