The Old Gal's Profile
fresno fruit?
Any Asian store should be able to produce a pomelo this time of year. And even some Safeway and Raley's should have them for new years. (They have to be at the bottom of the stack of fruit for Chinese New Year) I don't know all the rules. I was in an Asian market yesterday in Antioch (to far for you, I know) but I found some bottled Durian that I did not know existed.
Top-5 Cooking Goals for 2009
Beard on Bread (I hope it is still in print) is an excellent beginner's bread book because it explains why each ingredient is in the recipe and the recipes in the book are good, but not complicated. After you master that there are many others.
I want to explore Indian food, an other curries. I really want to learn how to make a good (Thai) yellow curry.
Family Lost in the Kitchen
I occasionally cut things in my hand. I am not from the middle east, nor do I have any Italian blood that I know of. However I got my come uppance this year. My 9 year old granddaughter called me on it while we were doing our Thanksgiving chores. And to think, I was the one who sent her to Sur la Table for cooking lessons. She learns well, and I am chastened.
save me from a food-sad Christmas
I don't know how old your mom is but at a certain age we (includes you) come to a point where our "executive abilities" fail us. Putting together a huge dinner for a lot of people at an important time requires a great deal of this ability. Each person deals with this in their own way. I watched my mother-in-law do this without realizing what the problem was. Towards the end each brought a dish, or two, and the dinners were perfect; still the organization, for her was a misery.
Thinking about that, perhaps you could tell her how much her dinners meant to you and offer to take over the organization, each of you learn a dish, and promise to put her kitchen back in apple pie order when you are finished. Working well in advance for next year you might get back to a facsimile of what you had.
Good Luck ps, don't tell her she is lacking any ability, though!
Shout out to Ruth Lafler for inexpensive spice tip
The oregano found in the Latin section is not the same plant as the Mediterranian oregano. As the nursery person explained to me the Mexican plant is a tall bush. However, I do prefer the Mexican oregano because it is less "sweet". Heaven forgive me, I use it in Italian dishes,also.
If you find the herbs and spices tasteless, perhaps there are not enough Latins patronizing that store thus the turnover is as slow as the others.
How far ahead can you make bread dough
"Refrigerator Rolls" are made to store in the fridge. I use my recipe for weekend guests. I make the dough Thursday, make rolls for dinner on Friday and then sweet rolls of some kind on Saturday for breakfast.. If the recipe you have has a reasonable amount of sugar and eggs, as most dinner rolls do, this should not be a problem.
A vegetable for a Brazilian Christmas dinner...
Collards are a fairly tough green, not like the Chinese cabbages. It can easily be done in advance and warmed before serving.
A recipe for Vadouvon/Vadovon
Thanks to you both for introducing an entirely new idea.
Stopped my subscription to Gourmet many years ago but I am beginning to think I need to start it again. They really have improved.
I Need an Elegant Soup Recipe
Sounds elegant.
How about this. Make Irostron's rich chicken broth and set aside what you need for your soup. Take the rest and reduce it down until, when cold, it makes a firm gelatin. Cut the gelatin in squares. Seal them between wonton skins. To serve gently simmer these gelatin filled, flat, wontons in the set aside broth. Ladle into your soup plates and garnish use a thin slice or two of mushroom and a little chopped chives.
freezing apple pie question?
I have been most lucky freezing pies by using this method.
Cover the inside of a pie plate you will be using with plastic film. Use enough to cover the top well
Make the pie filling (any fruit) and place it in the pie plate and wrap the top.
Freeze. When the filling is solid remove from plate and you have the plate to use for other things. By the end of summer I have a stack of different fillings to use through the winter.
To cook this make a pie crust as usual line the pie plate, pop the filling in, cover with pie crust or crumble topping and bake. Takes a little longer.
I also make the pie custs in advance. Just make the pie crust as usual, form it into a disc and freeze. Take it out about 12 to 23 hours in advance and let it thaw in the fridge.
Roll out and use.
Have fun!
Are packaged raw nuts blanched?
Never heard of that trick. Sounds like it is worth a try. I assume the nuts didn't get soggy. "Dip" sounds like a short time.
Anyone have a recipe for Grappa?
You would have to have access to a vineyard, first. If you have that, pop out to the vineyard that produces grappa and talk to the wine maker. Actually a lot of small wineries who do not actually sell the stuff make it for "internal distribution". Small wineries are still friendly like that and could be a seriously good help for you.
Costco has fingerlings potatoes again! [moved from Home Cooking]
You could probably grow them yourself most of the year. It is really not hard to do. You just need a deep pot, bucket, old garbage can.
That's really eating local.
Hamburger and wine?
Only a suggestion.
Make small meatballs using wine as the liquid. Bake in a fast oven. Do not overcook. You want them brown and slightly rare. Then use those in a recipe of beef stroganoff instead of the usual beef strips.
Are packaged raw nuts blanched?
Icool, I think that is because almonds skins slip off so easily. I doubt you could get a hazelnut skin to come off by blanching it. You sort of have to "burn" it off in the oven, then rub it, and stil not get it all.
Siberian style pie at Cinderella- recipe?
Have you tried asking someone at the restaurant, the chef, maybe?
I have had about a 33% successful. They might not give the exact recipe... once I got a written recipe in spanish and the hotel manager who insisted that he translate it; I was in Mexico..... but you could get enough of an explanation to guide you on to success.
Rice Oil
I have a small bottle of "rice bran oil" in the pantry... never opened. It has been there so long I can't remember why I bought it, probably because I thought it would be healthy. As small as the bottle is, I can't imagine it was cheap enough to do any deep frying.
Looking forward to any answers you might get.
Additions to homemade Pasta and Bread
I tend to stick to more natural stuff to soup up my bread to a healthy level. I substitute a little barley flour, considered to be high in fiber. I add ground flax seed, which also ups the fiber. I use part white whole wheat flour, also.
Then I add 1 cup walnuts per loaf. Just because they are good for you and I like the taste. And I now longer use and fats, instead I substitute granular Lecithin.
You can jiggle whatever recipe you like to include any of these substitutions and include a whole grain bread enhancer to keep the loaf light (available at Sur la Tab and King Arthur, to name two places)
I eat yogurt for the "beneficial bacteria" good for colons.
Homemade greek yogurt
Once a thread has wandered off it is really hard to get back, no?
I have made just plain yogurt, though never Greek yogurt. I never had the need for a "plastic" anything, but a scrupulously clean container is needed. Something that can be covered to retain the heat. A normal class lined container would work.
I would assume you get the starter from a container of Greek yogurt... should say "active bacteria", or something like that. What the medium is, I wouldn't guess, it is much thicker than ordinary yogurt, so, does that mean whole milk, or even some cream? I assume you have a recipe and are only questioning the plastic thermos part.
Good luck.
When is Beet Sugar Okay?
Julia Child once warned her listeners to avoid beet sugar and only use cane sugar. Not long after that she recanted this statement. After a little education on the subject she agreed that beet and cane sugar could be used interchangeably. It was the only time I have ever heard a TV cook do that. Lord knows, those on TV today say the most outrageous things and never correct themselves.
I have used these sugars interchangeably any time I have had beet sugar in my cupboard. The only difference I have noted is that the beet sugar often is a coarser grind.
Guests the day after Thanksgiving?
If he doesn't, just drape a sheet of puff pastry over the top, paint it with beaten egg, plus 1 tablespoon cream and a pinch of salt. Every body gets the day off!
I make individual pies from leftovers all the time and that's my time saver.
I am so impressed with myself.
I saw someone this week, I can't remember who, take left over dressing form it into balls. Then he/she dipped them into the flour/beaten egg/bread crumb routine and deep fry them. I think they were going for croquettes. You would only have to cook it long enough to brown it as everything in there has been cooked. If there is enough fish in it that would work with a salad. If there is not enough protein there then that is your starch.
instant yeast screw up??
You are going to love working with instant yeast. It saves steps. Do remember, however, if the original recipe called for proofing the yeast in x amount of water, or other liquid, that you mush add that much liquid to the rest you will be using.
Do not confuse it with rapid rise yeast. Rising rapidly is not the way to get good tasteing breads. Instant yeast is another thing altogether.
Thanksgiving's over. Can we talk about Christmas now?
This year I hope to be making Crackling Pork Roast. I was intrigued when I saw it on an episode of Midsommer Mystries and then I more recently found it on the BBC food newsletter.
Anyone out there want to give me any hints, warnings (I already know the Crackling part isn't going to be healthy) or help???? What do the British serve with this?
Lane Cake questions
I agree, that is not a Lane.
I am sure if you search Southern Living Magazine there would be one. I remember there was one in their Cake Book
Costco has fingerlings potatoes again! [moved from Home Cooking]
I am not sure where in No. CA you live, but if you are anywhere near Sebastopol Andys usually has them. Potatoes do have a season; here it is late fall, into winter and late spring.
Baking a Sweet Potato? - side dish
I bake them as gini does, and occasionally as Channa does. Then I serve them just as I would baked Russet potatoes..... opened, with butter and salt and pepper.
Chinese cookbooks?
I must agree.
Gloria Bley Miller's Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook is still the definitive tome on Chinese Cooking. Which is why it is still in print after all these years. She is sort of the Julia Child of the wok.
