Flavor: What We Thought We Knew Is Wrong
JerseyWarren, I agree with you whole heartedly. That is one of the reasons that I tend to enjoy our meals cooked at home, from scratch.
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The Ten Most Recent Comments By DancingShoes
Classic Cookbooks: Barley Casserole
I simply adore barley and it put a smile on my face to see this recipe. I have used this for years. For a period, several years ago, I was putting barley in everything! My father-in-law was staying a spell with us and had to politely ask me if I would make his food without the barley. He was a prisoner in a German POW camp during the end of WWII and turns out that was all he ate for over 18 months. He hasn't been able to eat it since.
Dancing Shoes
In Gear: Hacking Mason Jars
I use these for so many things, I make sure I keep a box each of the Wide Mouth quart, pint and 8 oz in my pantry. I store my different salts in them, dressings, marinara for freezing, canning jams & jellies, storage in my shop in the garage..just about everything!
The other weekend I even used the large metal rings as molding forms for a recipe!
Cook the Book: Cowgirl Cuisine
My father was the real cook in the house, but mom had a couple of specialties like her lentil soup she made every New Year's Day (along with the black-eyed peas, of course!). But, one that I really remember (because it reminds me of how she would always make the best with what we had), was a time when my dad had been without a job for awhile and money was very tight. She took a couple of can's of spam, whole. She scored it and studded it with cloves, then basted with her brown sugar/mustard/honey sauce and baked it. Just like she would do when we could afford a real ham!! All of us kids loved it! It was like eating mini hams.
Where is the best place to get BBQ in Dallas/Forth Worth?
It is worth the drive to Springtown, Texas to Woody Creek BBQ. Absolutely the best chopped beef sandwich I have ever had.
A little closer to the city: Railhead BBQ and Cousins, both in Fort Worth. In Dallas, I have always liked, Sammy's BBQ on Leonard Street (uptown)
Good eating to you!!
A conundrum with dates
Have not read all the comments so I don't know if this has been mentioned. The way I love to use dates for cocktail parties is:
Whole, pitted dates
Whole, blanched almonds
good quality, thick sliced hickory bacon
Your amounts will depend on how many appetizers you want to make. You will need equal amounts of dates and almonds. Each slice of bacon will be sliced into thirds, so figure how many slices of bacon you will need.
- toast whole, blanched almonds on a baking sheet until brown in a 350° oven.
- Stuff each date with toasted almond.
- Wrap each date with a third slice of bacon and secure with toothpick.
- Bake dates on cookie sheet in a 350° oven until bacon is crisped.
These are, surprisingly, just as tasty at room temp as they are hot out of the oven; well not AS good as hot out of the oven, but still tasty!
Responses to Comments by DancingShoes
Flavor: What We Thought We Knew Is Wrong
One of the most delicious dishes I ever had was a bite of my friend's vegetable Napoleon which included roasted beets AND goat's cheese. I was very sorry I did not order it and every opportunity to find something similar has been a disappointment.
We were eating at Nana's which is an excellent restaurant in Durham, NC which has far more sophisiticated eating opportunities today than in the past. Matha's good friend Sara Foster has her place offering fresh and delicious American fare right around the corner from Nana's.
I think that America's palate overall has become much more sophisitcated over the last 30 years and the breads and cheeses and fine French culinary experiences etc that were concentrated in large metropolitan areas are now much more readily available including central North Carolina. Pork barbecue is no longer the only excellent thing to eat here!
My mother drank instant coffee and served us canned asparagus. I can't imagine having to consume that low level quality of sustenance by choice.
Yes, there are many depressing examples of inauthentic and homogenized foodstuffs available to the undiscerning public. But I remember TV commercials for making pizza at home from a box of ingredients included canned sauce and a sprinkling of dry, tastless ersatz parmesan cheese.
We've come a long way baby.
dnc
Flavor: What We Thought We Knew Is Wrong
JerseyWarren, you are SO right! I live in Flint, Michigan and if I want a hamburger I still go to Halo Burger where they make them the same as they did back when I was a kid in the forties. When I want Italian food, I make it here at home. If I want Mexican food, I make it here at home. Having lived a few years in Queens, NY, my Neopolitan landlady taught me how to cook Italian, and having lived many years in Texas, I know how to cook mexican food. I have pretty much given up eating in restaurants that can be found in any city in the US and just stick to the same little places where I ate in the different places I have lived that have been carried on by the families who started them so many years ago. Nothing can compare!! And, I love beets AND goat cheese!
susi
Where is the best place to get BBQ in Dallas/Forth Worth?
The best place to eat BBQ in Ft. Worth is Angelo's located on White Settlement.
In Gear: Hacking Mason Jars
@Kerosena: For what it's worth, I've nuked Mason jars (without their metal rings or lids) in the past with no repurcussions.
According to the FDA you should only use vessels labeled as safe for microwave use.
Less conservatively, a Michigan State University page I found provided the following guidelines for determining the microwave safety of a glass vessel: Microwave the empty container for one minute. It's unsafe for the microwave if it's warm; it's OK for reheating if it's lukewarm; and it's OK for actual cooking if it's cool.
You can read more from both points of view here:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fs-mwave.html
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/01500615.html
As an aside, several other websites I found pointed to the benefits of using microwave-proof glass or ceramics for microwaving, especially for fatty foods, in order to avoid the possibility of the migration of toxic constituents from plastics to food during heating.
In Gear: Hacking Mason Jars
There was a cool little gadget holder in a recent issue of a magazine my grandma subscribed me to. (I think Country Living) Basically it was a painted piece of wood (could just be a board, I think about 1" thick) with metal brackets attached to it to hold the jars.
Personally, I use the jars mainly for canning, but I have used them for other food storage, mixing, vases, etc..... I have enough around the house, both modern and antique. Actually, several of the larger antique ones are filled with yarn scraps that are too pretty to throw out.
In Gear: Hacking Mason Jars
I grew up on a farm where Mason jars were reserved just for canning and used everywhere, particularly the wood shop. If you attach the lid to a surface, you can unscrew the jars and fill them with nails, tacks, screws and so on. My friend used one as the cover for his light bulb in his very beautiful sandstone tiled shower. It looks clean and clever and does not detract from the overall design. From year to year, I replace the lid linings but not the screw caps - these are good for years as long as, after you eat the jar's food contents, you wash and dry them. I can's imagine using a plastic lid - seems antithetical to the jar's purpose.
In Gear: Hacking Mason Jars
I usually pick them up at a local hardware store (not sure if Home Depot or Loew's carries them). I've seen them at Target and some grocery stores during tomato canning season. Uses are endless, and I don't mind giving them away (filled with jam), because they are so cheap.
I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway...can I put an uncovered mason jar in the microwave for reheating leftovers? I'm guessing "not."
In Gear: Hacking Mason Jars
@Maureen: I'd say Mason jars definitely beat plastic containers for storing spices. Glass has little or no permeability, but some/most plastics have quite a bit (which is why plastic containers tend to stain and hold on to flavors and aromas, despite washing and soaking). Mason lids in good condition also seal very well - in my experience far better and more reliably than most plastic storage containers - keeping contents fresh. The one thing to keep in mind with spice storage, no matter how airtight or impermeable, is that spices are light sensitive and should be stored away from direct light sources (e.g. in a cabinet or closet), particularly if they're being stored in clear glass or plastic containers that provide little protection from light degradation.
In Gear: Hacking Mason Jars
happyhoarfrost - what size are you using for toddler sippy cups, and what kind of lids are you using?
Cook the Book: Cowgirl Cuisine
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