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Messages - andiesenji

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16
Spice Mixes / Re: Vanilla Extract - from Shayla
« on: October 23, 2013, 07:18:17 am »
The beans should be split or crushed prior to putting them in the alcohol.  I usually chop them into 1-2 inch sections and smash them a bit.

17
Chit Chat / Re: excalibur food dehydrator
« on: October 02, 2013, 11:32:20 pm »
Thanks Andiesenji....can I ask is the 30 year old 5 try still working after all this time?

It looks like it will just make sense to get the bigger one even if I dont always use it full

Deeau


No, I used it up.  The 5-tray died after working great for twenty years.  I had it running constantly for several days and probably pushed it beyond its capability.  It was also outside on the deck during very hot weather.
I certainly got FULL value and then some from it.

18
Chit Chat / Re: excalibur food dehydrator
« on: October 01, 2013, 02:31:29 am »
The first Excalibur I got (thirty years ago) was a 5-tray and it was adequate for a while.  Then I moved up here where I could have a more extensive garden, vegetables, fruits and herbs and could buy local fruits and bought one of the 9 tray models.  I bought a second 9 tray units when I began making candied ginger and glace fruits - as well as using them as proofers for big batches of dough (with the shelves removed) because it gets very cold up here during the winter and that was a less expensive option for me.

I slacked off on the amount of stuff I dry during the past year or so and gave one of the 9 tray units to a friend.  I still use the other 9 tray for apple slices, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, mango, the ginger, cranberries and other berries,  and I put macaroons in to "crisp" during the rainy season when they tend to get chewy and tough.  Also great for crisping lavosh, pita and other flat breads that also get tough when the humidity is high - not often but we do occasionally get some humidity. 

Last weed I made a big batch of dried celery and onions (chopped) to use in soups and stews. 


19
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: September 28, 2013, 03:18:28 am »
I have no photos of the cakes or cupcakes. 

They were made and baked in a neighbor's kitchen - I mixed the batters here - and did not think to take my camera along.

The neighbor has nine children - five are adopted, and there seems to be a birthday almost every month and buying cakes has become so expensive that she wanted to learn baking.  Two of the kids are diabetic so she wanted to make pretty cakes that did not need icing and making the cakes themselves decorative works nicely.
I have a lot of recipes for sugar-free and low glycemic index cakes. 

20
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: September 26, 2013, 10:15:54 pm »
I just ordered this...have been meaning to for ages and finally have done it!  :D

I have three - using batters of different colors/flavors, you can make "pinwheel" cupcakes (or larger cakes) and I have also make "polka-dot" cakes with contrasting colors of cake batter.  In one case, chocolate cake with pink polka-dots...

21
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: July 04, 2013, 05:11:45 am »
Yes CP mine is much better now that I have been wearing the shoes, i think it is called planter faciatis (spelling is probably wrong)
after I walked around the shops (before new shoes) I could hardly walk when I got home so annoying. It would be good if more shoes were available

Another part of the problem, is inflammation of the ligament attachment on the bottom of the heel - the structure that supports the arch.

Putting a pad in the shoe just adds more pressure on that point.

What you need is a pad that is shaped like a horseshoe - so the outer edges of the heel support your weight and there is an open space for the irritated spot.   There are "gel heel cups"  which are cup-shaped silicone with a very soft center and firmer outer rims.

You can take a regular heel pad and cut the center out.  

22
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: June 11, 2013, 02:32:47 am »
I need some advice! Given that this is the "Shopping" thread I thought I'd ask all of you seasoned shoppers for some ideas! My frypan is in desperate need of replacing. It is just hopeless! Even cooking french toast (how hard can that be) today is a disaster!

Have you got any suggestions as to brands or types? non-stick, not non-stick, stainless steel, cast iron...I'm a novice and have no idea! Given the sales at the moment I think I need to go shopping ASAP!

Thanks! :)

If you are near a Costco, check out their "house" brand of cookware - the 18/10 Stainless steel.  It is very popular here with professional chefs and "semi" pros who cook a lot.   In several tests it outperforms AllClad.
My friend Ben, who owns a bakery/cafe, has at least a dozen of the frypans and they have been heavily used and he is very picky.

23
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: June 01, 2013, 04:33:58 pm »
How long do tea leaves remain fresh? I was given some very expensive green tea leaves which is about 2 years old!

The black and oolong teas will keep for a long time - some teas are intentionally aged - as long as they are not exposed to damp or very high heat.  I have some Assam teas, very malty, sweet with a chestnut flavor, that I have had for eight or nine years.  A friend who was visiting India sent me TWO POUNDS and I have kept it in a large tea caddy that seals snugly. 
I have very sensitive taste and have noticed no appreciable loss of flavor. 

Green teas do oxidize with time but I have some five-year-old gunpowder that still has excellent flavor. 

I have been told that with some of the white teas they are purposely aged for ten to twenty years before being sold and some tea fanciers will buy an entire crop of the rarest and keep them until "properly" aged. 

I have belonged to TeaMail for many years and was also a member of a now defunct online tea association that started with user groups and Compuserv  when the "internet" was still in its infancy.

When you ask a question on one of the groups, you will get as many answers as there are active members and everyone has an opinion, as it should be.  I have always held to the idea that it should be PERSONAL preference that determines what you drink and how you drink it.

Twenty years ago I remember when one of the discussions was about adding milk to tea and the  MIF vs. MIL (milk in first or milk in last)  got rather hot and heavy. 
The thing is that my great grandmother, a very "proper" Victorian lady,  always wanted the milk in first and said it was to protect her antique bone china cups.  One of my aunts, who grew up in the 1920s, considered that terrible and insisted on milk in last.  However, as my great grandmother was pretty much the boss, until her death in 1949, guess how tea was served when she was sitting at the table....  (She was almost 105 when she died - born in 1844 and still had all her mental faculties.)

24
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: June 01, 2013, 05:42:08 am »
After reading and then writing about tea, I had to have some.

Using my TeaMate - the best automatic tea brewer ever.  It was only sold in the U.S. for three years in the later 1990s.  Apparently people thought it was too expensive.
I saw an ad for it in the Tea Magazine and of course just had to have one.  I liked it so well that I bought a second one as a backup.


25
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: June 01, 2013, 03:39:44 am »
I have LOTS of teas.  Some friends have accused me of being a "tea junkie" because I have so many.

At present I have 35 teas from The Republic of Tea plus numerous others from other vendors.  RoT are my favorites although Adagio Teas are a close second.

My tea "collection" pictured about 15 months ago - I have added to it since then.

While I usually drink coffee first thing in the mornings, later in the day and evening I drink tea, hot - rarely I may have iced tea but to me much of the flavor is lost with chilling.

26
Breakfast / Re: Faffa's best yoghurt recipe
« on: May 06, 2013, 05:06:13 pm »
I made yoghurt yesterday, all good.


I usually make with 1 litre ( as per recipe in Indian Cookbook) and place in warmed Easiyo container, with great success, using 3 tablespoons of previous batch as the starter, and its gone in no time -  I know wish to make 2 litres using the warmth of fan in my oven , so do I double the amount of starter?? Pls advise, Bugsie

After making the first batch with a purchased starter, I do 5 or 6 subsequent batches using 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the yogurt for 2-quart or 2 liter batches.   I get one Bulgarian starter that will produce a good result with 10 batches but after that I have to start all over again to make sure I get CONSISTENT results. 

27
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: April 19, 2013, 10:27:17 pm »
I have two of the Zojirushi water boilers as I like to have near boiling water instantly available.  I do have an "InstaHot" faucet at a kitchen sink but I like having the boiler in my office so I don't have to trek out to the kitchen every time I want some tea, cocoa or ?.  
The one I have in the office is 3 liters.  

I also have one in my bathroom so I can sterilize my toothbrushes, etc., and occasionally I want near-boiling water for mixing facial stuff.  (I have an oatmeal based facial mask that calls for boiling water to mix the stuff before it is left to set for 15 minutes to cool and thicken)

The boilers can be set to hold the water at the temp you wish.  I use filtered water so they don't have to be put through the cleaning cycle as often.  Before I began using only filtered water I had to clean them about every three months because my water is high in calcium.

28
Chit Chat / Re: Any tips on making yogurt?
« on: April 19, 2013, 10:11:55 pm »
The higher the butterfat content, the LESS TANGY the end product.

Using half milk and half cream will give you an end result that is  more like sour cream than yogurt.

Using heavy cream will give you an even milder result - flavor more like cream fraiche  or soft cream cheese.

29
Breakfast / Re: Faffa's best yoghurt recipe
« on: April 18, 2013, 07:59:28 pm »
The thing that should be emphasized in making yogurt is that ANYTHING that is not milk or the yogurt cultures, can have an EFFECT on the development of the culture, usually bad. 

NEVER add anything except the culture to the milk.  Sugar will inhibit some of the important enzymes from fully developing and can cause growth of unwanted bacteria in the culture that stops the BREAKDOWN OF LACTOSE.

This is important because it is the lowering of the lactose that makes yogurt more digestible than whole milk.

Alcohol, even small amounts, can inhibit the growth of the most important components of the culture and vanilla extract contains alcohol.

Make the yogurt WITHOUT any additives and when it has fully cultured, then add the flavorings to it. 

Fruits, both fresh, frozen and canned can FERMENT in the process of incubating the yogurt and that fermentation produces alcohol, which will inhibit the development of the desirable enzymes. 

30
Chit Chat / Re: THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)
« on: April 14, 2013, 09:50:44 pm »
The flatware is just beautiful, Maddy.  I wouldn't be able to decide between the Bee and the Peacock...

I have to take someone with me when I go to Neiman Marcus -- :o  and I leave my credit cards at home. 
I have a similar problem at Dillards - I try to avoid the entrance where the  handbags are sited with the center display counter with only Coach bags, to which I seem to be addicted.

I have no excuse for buying another set of flatware.  I have several sets of SS as well as my great grandmother's high Victorian silver with all the odd pieces that the Victorians loved so much.  My grandmothers is more modest with an Art Deco design from the early '20s and I have the set I received for my first marriage in 1961.  All require polishing so I keep them in their "tarnish-proof" chests except for very rare "special" occasions.
My favorite SS is a set of rather heavy, old-style Towle with a "beaded" edge detail but otherwise quite plain. I like it because the dinner forks are large  with long tines. 

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