decolady's Profile
Family Lost in the Kitchen
I was a home-ec major in a family of home-ec majors. They all knew how to do it right. LOL. But the women on my Papa's side of the family do over cook pork. It is the way they were raised and nothing I can say would change their minds. So I just let it go. Never ask for a BLT at any of those houses unless you truly like burned bacon.
fun, interesting, seasonal jams for a bake sale
Kind of late for the OP, but the last couple of years I've tried some combos we've really enjoyed:
Blueberry Opal Basil Jam
Blueberry Lavender Jam
Kiwi Lime Marmalade
Blueberry Lime Jam
Cherry Peach Preserves
Blueberry Peach Jam
Blues N Bay (blueberry and bay leaf)
Strawberry Mango Jam
Vanilla Rosemary Peach Jam
Plum Cherry Brandy Jam
I'm anxious to try the white peach/rose petal jam that was mentioned in another post. It sounds delicious.
Things kids think are "normal" these days...
I don't know what is the big deal with coffee and kids. In Louisiana when I was growing up the kids always drank cafe au lait. I don't ever remember not drinking it. Coke was a treat that was maybe drunk a few times a year.
Things kids think are "normal" these days...
Interesting thread. Whatever food I fix for the adults is also for the children, so if prosciutto is served to us, it is served to them.
Things my girls consider a normal part of their diet that I didn't know about growing up:
tofu
sushi
edamame
hummus
falafel
soy milk
rice milk
Starbucks
EPCOT recommendations please!
Thanks so much for your report. I'm glad you enjoyed the Scotch Eggs. And I agree that we have always had excellent service at Jiko. We make a point to go there at least once every time we are at WDW.
Didn't make it into Epcot during wedding week - too much else going on. But the crepes are on my list for our Christmas visit.
Canning bible?
+1
I really do like that book, too, but agree that many of the methods need to be checked with new safety guidlines. That's also the book with Euell Gibbon's Dill Crock, something my family has been making since we first read about it.
Canning bible?
Actually, the Ball Blue Book will have the latest safety recommendations. Those can change from year to year basis. Some of that is due to the varieties of fruits and vegetables you are canning and preserving. I've been canning for somewhere around 40 years now (started out as a child helping my grandmother). Many things have changed in that amount of time. Including the fact that today's tomatoes are right on the edge of not being safe to can in a Boiling Water Bath and should have some commercial lemon juice added to each jar. And some things have changed since 2004 when the Ball Complete Book was published.
For someone just starting out I would recommend both the Ball Blue Book and the Ball Complete Book and would cross check. Personally, I also love Putting Food By and several other "old" books. Do check out the website of the National Center of Food Perservation for recipes you know are safe to can.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html
Botulism is noting to play around with.
Mugs vs cups & saucers
I have both mugs and cups & saucers. The mugs are informal - used for very close family only and it depends on the situation. Cups and saucers are always used for guests and sometimes for family, too. And depending on the formality of the event, the cups might be my fine china or my grandmother's cups, or they might be Fiesta or Harlequin.
Getting a coffee service is a nice idea. It wouldn't take up nearly as much space as a whole set of dishes. And there are so many choices! As for me, my grandmother collected teacups and I inherited quite a few of them. If I use hers, every cup and saucer is different from the others, they are all vintage, and that is kind of fun, too. Mostly I use those if I have friends over for tea in the afternoon.
Charged For Things In Restaurants That Other Restaurants Give You Gratis
No, when you say "coke" in my part of the South it is Coca-Cola. It's not Pepsi (nasty stuff) or any other soft drink. An RC is always RC, not coke. Dr. Pepper is Dr. Pepper, not coke. Root beer is root beer, not coke (and it is often asked for by brand). If an establishment doesn't carry Coca-Cola products, the servers normally ask, "Is xxx OK?" If it's not coke, then no it is not OK. And there is no affectation.
EPCOT recommendations please!
I will preface this by saying we go to WDW about once a year or so. When we were there in December we went to the San Angel Inn (inside the pyramid) in Mexico and it has gone downhill, imo. I did still like their ceviche, but service was spotty and the rest of the food was not as good as in the past. It could have just been that day. If you decide to try it, ask for a table by the river as the ambience is better. :-) There is a new place in Mexico, but we haven't tried that yet. And there is a tequila bar inside the pyramid.
For table service (lunch or dinner):
Restaurant Marrakesh - Morocco
Le Cellier - Canada
Chefs de Paris - France
Bistro de Paris - France
Rose & Crown Dining Room - England
Snacks:
Rose & Crown Pub - England - Scotch Eggs (photo attached)
Boulangerie Patisserie - France - various sandwiches, baguettes and cheeses, plus pastries
Tangierine Café - Morocco - I usually get one or more of their salads
Kiosk in American Pavillion - funnel cakes
Another kiosk in the American Pavillion if you are into the turkey legs, which seem to be a Disney tradition for many
In Germany if you go inside the wine store, they have wine tastings available. That is fun, too.
Often if we spend a day in Epcot, we laughingly say we drink our way around the world. All of the countries in the World Showcase have bar kiosks and places to get snacks. Normally we are there for a number of hours so we try different wines from the different countries and get something for a snack to go along with it. We will be at WDW next week for my daughter's wedding and I want to try a crêpe from Crêpes des Chefs de France sometime during the week. That is not something we have done before. I do miss the Beaver Tails (a decadent fried pastry) in Canada.
Because of how Disney pushes and markets their Dining Plan now, it is much more difficult than it used to be to just go eat. Some places fill up weeks or months in advance because you can make your dining reservations 180 days out. Not sure when you are going, but if there is a specific restaurant you want to try, I suggest you make your reservations ASAP.
And although not in Epcot, our current favourite Disney restaurants are Jiko, Artist Point, California Grill, and Narcoosee.
I hope you have a most magical time!
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California Grill
Disneys Contemporary Resort, Orlando, FL 32830
Artist Point
901 Timberline Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
What is the best dip you ever had and the recipe?
It's so easy that kids could make it with no problem. And the colour is particularly great for Valentine's. Last night we had some of this spread on crostini as an appy before dinner. It worked well that way, too.
What is the best dip you ever had and the recipe?
I made this dip and it is TDF good. Thanks so much for the recipe. I only used one clove of garlic, as what I have on hand is pretty strong.
What is Central South? OK - Birmingham I Think Now
A name that many of us who live in the area think is non-descriptive and makes no sense.
Anyone have great grapefruit dessert recipes?
I haven't baked this, but I've had the cake at the Brown Derby in Disney Studios. It's delicious.
Popcorn.
I normally buy popcorn in bulk from my local health food shop and store it in a large jar in the refrigerator. As mentioned upthread, as popcorn ages it loses moisture and can get stale. I periodically sprinkle a few drops of water into my jar of popcorn to keep it moist and tasting fresh. Wait several hours (normally I give it overnight) before popping.
How much Le Creuset does a person really need?
You join the "OMG, a new colour club" only if you like the new colour or are an LC fanatic. I collect Fiesta and other colourware. We all go gaga over new colours. And as I have dishes in all different colours, my LC/Staub collection reflects that. I have about a dozen pieces of ECI, more Staub than LC, but I like them both. I don't get new colours just because they come out, but none of my colours are duplicated. I am thinking of a piece of the Caribbean Blue because I like the colour. But I haven't decided what piece I don't have and will use the most. Do I need it? No, not really. But I would like to have it.
I have two pieces that don't get used very often: LC pizza tray and Staub mussel pot. The pizza tray was a gift, but I keep a stone in my oven all the time and don't think about getting out the LC. As for the mussel pot, well we just don't eat mussels very often. But when we do, that pot is perfect. :-)
February 2011 Cookbook of the Month: THE ESSENTIAL NEW YORK TIMES COOKBOOK Chapters 9-12
Great review and wonderful photo. I too have made notes based on what you said. Hoping to make this soon.
Best food-related gift you ever received or gave?
+1, though mine came from my great-grandmother and are now over 100 years old. Her collection also included 6" & 8" skillets and a griddle. I've had them since 1976 and wouldn't know how to cook without them.
Best food-related gift you ever received or gave?
My Easy Bake Oven has to be one of my best gifts. I wonder if they will disappear when standard incandescent light bulbs are phased out.
Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies in 4 pound blue tin can
I was wondering that, too.
Substituting ground (what?) for ground beef
Yes, I liked the idea of baking, too. It seems like it would be easier all around. I'm working on my grocery list now. :-) I've got some of Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce put up in the freezer and I might just use that with the meatballs, rather than making more sauce.
Substituting ground (what?) for ground beef
Just went and looked at that meatball recipe and am also intrigued. I'm going to try it with Italian turkey sausage. Thanks!
Substituting ground (what?) for ground beef
I have used equal parts ground turkey and ground pork. OR you could easily make your own sausage mixture from ground pork and mix that with the ground turkey. Salt control is then not a problem.
Cooking with smoked paprika
Smoked Paprika Glaze
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp Spanish smoked paprika
2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Mix all together and use as a glaze for grilled or roasted salmon, chicken, etc.
Cooking with smoked paprika
I agree. We love jícama around here. I make a salad with jícama, cucumber, and red onion, tossed with an olive oil and lime juice based dressing. Delicious.
Cooking with smoked paprika
Dip ends of jícama sticks in it and serve to garnish Mexican Shrimp Cocktail.
How Many Oysters?
Are you having only oysters? Back when I was in grad school at LSU in the 70s there was a place that during happy hour sold oysters on the half shell for $1/dozen. A pitcher of beer was $2.00. Given that my best friend and I were poor students, the oysters, beer and crackers were often our dinner. Fixings for cocktail sauce were provided (ketchup, horseradish, lemon wedges). I'm sure we ate at least 2 or 3 dozen each.
THE NEXT IRON CHEF: Viva Las Vegas! aka "Inspiration" (Season 3, Episode 6) [Spoilers]
Maybe they could just give Donatella a big bowl of plain white rice and she won't complain it has too much seasoning. I am getting so sick of hearing that from her. She's a terrible judge. And Simon with the pork and pineapple is getting VERY old.
How Large is Your cookbook or recipe collection or magazine collection
Several thousand cookbooks. Maybe three or four dozen magazines. I've been working on purging the latter. And about a dozen or so recipe boxes with all the recipes filed according to category. Several file drawers full of clipped recipes, including many my Mom cut out over the years. I love looking at the ones from the 50s and 60s. I also have a digital recipe library in Word.
