What are you cooking today?

[obbie]

JD  it looks fantastic.   
Robyn

[cookie1]

You clever cookie Judy.

I like the idea of drying the vanilla beans. My home made essence is nearly at an end, I might dry those beans.

[CreamPuff63]

The sitting the pod in the rum and squeezing out makes it look very much like the paste, just need some rum.  

You're onto something JO. Do you just marinate the pods in rum I wonder, although you would need a lot of rum...then pulverise the whole bean, or scrape the seeds out...

My bean paste jar says the ingredients are vanilla bean extract with vanilla seeds, sugar, natural thickeners (inulin, tragaganth)

[JulieO]

CP if you look at the link I posted up a bit, the woman just cuts the tips off the pods, and sits that end in about 2 inches of rum in a jar.  I would think you would put a lid on the jar otherwise the rum would evaporate.  You then leave it alone for about a month or so. It all depends on how dry your beans are.  Just keep checking and when you are able to press some of it out like in that video, then they are ready.  They also said that no more than the 2 inches of rum is required as you only need enough for the open end to sit in. 

[andiesenji]

what did they taste like uni?

JO I will be very interested in how the vanilla powder goes. I have been looking at my vanilla paste and thinking how expensive it is when I have so many vanilla beans lying idle in the pantry. (don't worry, I have some vanilla essence doing its thing in the linen cupboard) Just recently I was toying with the idea of seeing if there was a vanilla paste recipe somewhere on the web.

I posted this on the eGullet forum a few years ago:
"Here's another project for using those vanilla beans!

After sending a flurry of emails last night to one of my friends who makes his own vanilla paste, he finally phoned me this morning, explaining that he can get email on his phone but right now is unable to send. (Connects to the internet via satellite and his link is down- he lives in a remote area.)

Anyway, he uses only organic products, no alcohol "spirits" and is a moderate vegetarian.
He buys vanilla beans from the same source as Steven and also from other sources but said the quality of the beans from this company is quite good.

For the vanilla paste he splits, chops and crushes the beans.
He places them in a jar and barely covers them with Xylitol base, a liquid sugar "alcohol" which he says is very good for extracting flavor from the beans.
He uses a combination of - 8 Mexican, 4 Bourbon or Madagascar and 2 Tahitian - beans. The combination is because the various types have different flavor components and a blend gives a better overall taste.

Information about Xylitol and his supply source is Here!

He allows the beans to soak in the liquid for 4-6 weeks.
He then puts the beans and the liquid through a food grinder with a very fine die. He says he actually uses a poppy-seed grinder as most food grinders, unless you can find one of the old ones with a nut-butter disk, won't grind finely enough. (This is a hand-cranked device, not electric.)

He said do not use a blender - he has tried it and the results are not good, the fibers in the bean husks do not get chopped as fine as with the "mill."

He uses a tablespoon or so of hot water to rinse as much of the residue from the mill as possible, and spreads the "slurry" (his word) over the bottom of a Corning ware skillet(he said enamel is okay, do not use bare metal). He places it over very low heat - actually he uses a Salton electric warming tray - and stirs and folds it periodically with a silicone spatula until it has thickened to a paste consistency, i.e., when scraped off the bottom, it should stay in place, not collapse back into a puddle. Commercial pastes include thickeners but he doesn't like to use them, even the "organic" ones.

Store tightly sealed in an opaque glass or porcelain jar with the least amount of "head space" - do not store in metal, plastic or in crockery containers.

I have not tried this myself, but I intend to do so. I have been the recipient of a 2-oz jar, as a Holiday gift, and I found it excellent. Better than the commercial paste by Nielsen-Massey or Cobra. (I think TJs is made by Nielsen-Massey). I got a sample of another brand that used Tahitian beans but it was too perfumey for my taste.

I want to add that made this way, this is halal and can be used by Muslims. "

[CreamPuff63]

thats fantastic andie, hope you have a little experiment and do let us know how you go.

[CreamPuff63]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOtz9gDcj2o

oops thanks for pointing that out to me. I have listened to it now, and have written down what she says:

(she uses at least 10 vanilla pods)
Slice the little tip off at the end
Place them (sliced tips down) in a jar with a little rum (she had 200ml) and let them sit for 2.5 weeks.
After soaking, run your finger down the pod and squeeze it out, and it will (all the seeds and juice) come right out the end and there isn't really any waste. What you have = Vanilla Bean Paste

She then goes on to say, "the pods when dried are fantastic. Put them in your coffee machine (TM) and grind them up and they become like cinnamon dust. Sprinkle in doughs, coffee, cookies and whatever you want to use your delicious vanilla for."

[fundj&e]

that looks so easy CP i have plenty of vanilla pods hunging  around 2, + i will be stocking  up very soon,  18 more sleeps







 

[ElleG]

I made halloumi today. Tastes OK, but will need to tweak my technique to get a neat shape. Very pleased 

[Halex]

Kids who came today were spoilt,

Hanas best ever chocolate brownies,
Chookies hot x buns
julie Os sticky buns, i cooked these 2 at the same time.
Nigellas bannana chocolate chip muffins.
i gave them some fruit too, just to feel less guilty

H

[Delightful Den]

Tough day at work and a bad tooth ache to top it off. Skipped the gym tonight and cooked for Therapy.

Made Chookie's Swedish Ice Cream Cheese Cake to take to work tomorrow for morning tea. Umami Paste from Dinner Spinner in preparation for making the Beef and Black bean nachos on the weekend. and Potato and Leek soup from EDC. 

I didn't bother to clean the TMX bowl after making the Umami just cooked the potato and leek soup with what I couldn't scrape out.  iused a little less vege stock concentrate. The flavour was quite nice.

[andiesenji]

thats fantastic andie, hope you have a little experiment and do let us know how you go.

I posted this on eG back in 2007.  Since then I have made several batches of the paste and one batch using some beans that had been soaked in alcohol to make extract.  (kept this separate as it was not halal and I have several Muslim friends who often come for meals.)

[Cornish Cream]

2 x loaf of no fuss bread,lemon curd and Salmon Patties from QFITT.

[Mary Brown]

Cornish Cream can I please ask what QFITT stands for... sorry I must be having a blonde moment 

[DizzyGirl]

Dede, So sorry to hear about poor Molly. Animals are so loyal and become a big part of the family. I know she will never be replaced, but I do hope DH finds a suitable working dog to help him.

DG