What is in your cup?

[Aurora W]

Remains of a Diet Coke in my glass.

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Now look at ANY and EVERY manga... look at the faces... see any differences other than hair style or color?

And the eyes. Though due to a certain obsession I have with a certain manga, there is a manga-ka's style I can pick out...

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Stitchwal: What are your favorite recipies from the bread book?

I'm not a fan of 'specialty' breads. Even something like cinnamon-raisen bread is something I might eat once every few years. I like my home baked breads to 'match' the dinners I cook, so they tend to be pretty basic... unless I'm following a recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.

Mostly I've been making a simple French bread or Seeded Rye, neither from that book, and a Brioche bread, also not from this book. But following the book I've made Bohemian Black Bread, Cornmeal Honey Bread, Three Grain Bread, Peasant Bread, and Semolina Country bread. I like the Bohemian Black bread the best of those. I've posted the recipe for the Brioche bread in the "Recipes/food and drink" thread already as that is really wonderful as a breakfast bread. I'll put the French bread recipe there in a minute. It's simpler than the cookbook one and I think tastes more authentic.

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

WHEN the Bear is harvested is of uppermost importance to the flavor. only "berry bears" are palatable. all other times they are subsisting on fish, rodents, small game and scavenging

Yeah... same with deer. Corn-fed young doe is a lot tastier than an old buck that's been feeding on Spruce tips... Unfortunately, the seasons for both (in New England) tend to be from October on...
BTW... triva for you... the first law passed in the new country called the United States was a law to set a deer season! They had been hunted almost to extinction in New England, and that law was needed to preserve the food supply!

I'm sitting here with a large mug of hot chocolate with out any little marshmallows, no whipped cream, nor even a shot of rum. I'm roughing it today.


Stitchawl

[wannabee]

Hey Stitch
I just found a great spiky thing called a Durian. I bought it at the local supermarket. We've not had them in our part of the woods before. I rembered your posts and decided to give it a try. Now if I remember your posts there is an odor associated with them.
This thing is the size of a small water melon. I won't be able to eat the whole thing. Will I be able to keep what's not eaten?
A glass of white wine by my side.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wannabee

Hey Stitch
I just found a great spiky thing called a Durian. I bought it at the local supermarket. We've not had them in our part of the woods before. I rembered your posts and decided to give it a try. Now if I remember your posts there is an odor associated with them.
This thing is the size of a small water melon. I won't be able to eat the whole thing. Will I be able to keep what's not eaten?
A glass of white wine by my side.

If it's the size of a small melon that means it's not been opened. Good...

The edible parts are the globular pods inside the spiky shell and are much smaller than the whole thing. Figure about 60% edible compared with the entirety, and it will keep in the fridge for a few days. When the inner pods are at the correct degree of ripe, they will have the texture of soft ice cream and the consistency of a very ripe banana. If the pods are harder, that means they are not ripe yet. Carefully make an entry cut (see video) into the shell so you can get a finger into one of the pods to check for ripeness. If not ripe, wrap with clingfilm and set aside for a couple of days. Do NOT eat until it is ripe. No real flavor before.

Here are two good YouTube videos to help you get it open;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWrhD0uyMQU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzoHh0TDvQM
Watch both before you start to insure maximum finger safety and maximum Durian yield.

I hope you like it. People tend to either love it or hate it. I can take or leave Durian, but it is named 'The King of Fruit' for a reason. Enjoy!

Stitchawl

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

I use the King Arthur's flours but add gluten because the recipies in the book call for gluten. I think that there is a difference in making bread in a bread machine and not in a bread machine.

Because bread machines work (to a great extent) to a set programme, it does require stronger flour, I've found.

Even flour that's labelled as "strong bread flour" might not work well in a bread maker.

I use either the strong white flour from the local watermill, or I use this or this white flour from the supermarket. The wholemeal from the watermill isn't strong enough on its own, so since I sometimes want a pure wholemeal loaf, I tend to buy this or this from the supermarket.

Coke Zero #2 in my cup.

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

If it's the size of a small melon that means it's not been opened. Good...

The edible parts are the globular pods inside the spiky shell and are much smaller than the whole thing. Figure about 60% edible compared with the entirety, and it will keep in the fridge for a few days. When the inner pods are at the correct degree of ripe, they will have the texture of soft ice cream and the consistency of a very ripe banana. If the pods are harder, that means they are not ripe yet. Carefully make an entry cut (see video) into the shell so you can get a finger into one of the pods to check for ripeness. If not ripe, wrap with clingfilm and set aside for a couple of days. Do NOT eat until it is ripe. No real flavor before.

Here are two good YouTube videos to help you get it open;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWrhD0uyMQU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzoHh0TDvQM
Watch both before you start to insure maximum finger safety and maximum Durian yield.

I hope you like it. People tend to either love it or hate it. I can take or leave Durian, but it is named 'The King of Fruit' for a reason. Enjoy!

Stitchawl

Thanks for the tip Stitch. I'll check in tomorrow.

[ProfCrash]

On Durian: I have seen this on many a travel show. According to Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmer (Anthony loves it Andrew hates it), durian has a very strong odor. There are some parts of the world where you are not allowed to open it in a public space.

I have no idea how much of that is true or how much of it is the hosts having fun with the audience but you might want to open it outside your house just to be safe.

[maianhvk]

Oh come on, it smells bad, but not that bad... Just make sure the windows are all opened. You'll survive.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by maianhvk

Oh come on, it smells bad, but not that bad... Just make sure the windows are all opened. You'll survive.

[orlok]

Rioja in my glass, about to take my first sip of the evening. Cheers!

[CRussel]

Peet's Major Dickason's was in my cup. But it's empty and I'm going to have to go brew a pot of tea. Maybe some Dragonwell?

[dreams]

Morning coffee is gone and getting ready to make hot chocolate and contemplate going out to mow the lawns. It is a beautiful day and is suppose to turn cold again in a few days.

I so wish "contemplating" meant "doing", as I really don't want to get up and out there.

Where are the neighbor kids, that want to make a little money, when you really need them?

[Stitchawl]

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
Gonna mulch it deep and low
Gonna make it fertile ground

Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless these seeds I sow
Please keep them safe below
'Till the rain comes tumbling down

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3FkaN0HQgs )

Good morning, all! Happy Sunday! Chores today will be working on the veranda garden, cleaning up all the old dead stuff, loosening up the soil, and planting some purple onions and garlic. Good thing the veranda is small...

The East India Company was kind enough to send me some wonderful Assam tea for my breakfast this morning. It will sit beside toasted bagels, Norwegian smoked salmon, Danish cream cheese, and homemade butter. I'm ready to start the day!

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

On Durian: I have seen this on many a travel show. According to Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmer (Anthony loves it Andrew hates it), durian has a very strong odor. There are some parts of the world where you are not allowed to open it in a public space.
I have no idea how much of that is true or how much of it is the hosts having fun with the audience but you might want to open it outside your house just to be safe.

Absolutely true! Big money fines in Singapore and Malaysia for bringing Durian into public buildings, onto public transportation (buses and trains, etc) and almost all hotels have signs prohibiting bringing durian inside. But note: it's not opening them that causes the smell. The stink comes from the outer rind. The inner fruit has very little smell... comparatively. And as Anh says...

Originally Posted by maianhvk

Oh come on, it smells bad, but not that bad... Just make sure the windows are all opened. You'll survive.

It really is just a 'strong' smell, very pervasive like skunk. But once you've tasted durian, you tend not to mind the smell. You might not 'like it,' but you don't mind it unless you're in a closed environment. All the supermarkets in S.E.Asia sell durian already removed from the outer shell, and wrapped in clingfilm. No smell...

Originally Posted by dreams

Where are the neighbor kids, that want to make a little money, when you really need them?

You need another little flag on your mailbox, one that will signal the neighbor kids instead of the postman!


Stitchawl

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Good morning, all! Happy Sunday! Chores today will be working on the veranda garden, cleaning up all the old dead stuff, loosening up the soil, and planting some purple onions and garlic. Good thing the veranda is small...

Happy Sunday, Stichawl. I wish I could be doing that on my Sunday tomorrow. But I'm driving (in SNOW) down to the US to work on-site for a week. Sigh. But I have a good book to listen to while I drive.

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

The East India Company was kind enough to send me some wonderful Assam tea for my breakfast this morning. It will sit beside toasted bagels, Norwegian smoked salmon, Danish cream cheese, and homemade butter. I'm ready to start the day!

Oh, lovely. One of my favourite breakfasts. Though I'd substitute home made bagels and cream cheese, and home smoked, locally caught BC salmon.

Finishing up a second brewing of that Lung Ching Dragonwell. Time to go pack and get myself organized.

[VydorScope]

Found this recipe while wondering the flotsam of the web that I think I will try...

Ingredients

1 cup coffee
1/4 cup heavy cream (warmed, slightly [unless you prefer a cooler beverage])
1 tbsp cocoa
Sugar/artificial sweetener to taste

Method
Mix Cocoa, Heavy cream and sugar/artificial sweetener together until Cream begins to whip, add hot coffee and continue to mix for 20-30 sec. Top with a little whipped cream. Enjoy!