Monthly Cooking Thread - March 2018

[Jamestown1630]

Dear Cooking FRiends;

Due to issues at home and at work, I am going to be unusually busy for the foreseeable future, and I have decided that I will have to reduce our Weekly Cooking Thread to a monthly thread. Often, the thread is still quite active when I’m ready to post the following week’s installment, so I don’t think it will make a great difference if we continue each thread over a month.

I’ve greatly enjoyed the camaraderie that we’ve developed here; learning about all of your family culinary traditions and cooking secrets; and just sharing TALK, as our conversations wandered - often into ‘terra incognita’, as a lot of threads on FR do ;-).

You have all taught me many things, and introduced me to new horizons – not all of which have had to do with food and cooking - and I’m grateful for that, and for all of you.

I’ve also enjoyed and learned a great deal from the sheer effort of posting on a weekly basis for the last couple of years, ‘digitally challenged’ as I am. I’m still not very smart about using this little 'spaceship' as I call my computer; but at least I can post a picture and have a little HTML under my belt (Thanks, Liz!)

Instituting a cooking thread was one of my priorities when I ‘signed-up’, because I had always enjoyed the cooking threads on FR during my many years as a prior lurker – especially the Thanksgiving ones! - and I hope to continue for a long time.

I will probably post around the first of each month – and will always be checking in!

***********************************************

I recently discovered Stephane of the ‘French Cooking Academy’ YT channel. He does great videos that are packed with information on ingredients and technique, and I’ve been especially impressed with everything he does with Potatoes.

Here is his video on Gratin Dauphinois - the Classic French Potato Bake; but check out the Duchesse potatoes, as well - they look fancy, but aren't that hard to do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QCdN89DAYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjdzwYREr48

-JT

[Liz]

This is a most fantastic web site----has everything the pastry chef might need.
Including (drum roll, please) "a kitchenware shop."
The diverse assortment of items are, all of them, "must haves." Checkout those chocolate molds.

The recipes range from vintage to those used by professionals----many and varied----
covering all manner of sweet stuff. Go to pastrysampler.com to get all the goodies.

[MomwithHope]

roadkill??? We used to joke when seeing a flattened squirrel or other small varmint on the road. We called them “road ready flat snacks”.

[MomwithHope]

That vegetable garden cake is absolutely adorable!!!

[Liz]

Here's a luscious vintage recipe from the pastrysampler.com web site.

GRATED APPLE CREAM PIE

ING • 5 lge apples, peeled/grated • 2 lge eggs • 4 tb melted butter • 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 cup h/cream • tb brandy • Pinch cinnamon • 2 unbaked pie crust shells

METHOD: Mix ing; divide between two pie crust shells. Lattice top, if desired.
Bake til crusts are browned, filling is set, using standard pie baking oven temp.

[Liz]

It’s a bit of a challenge to make ....but you possibly could find the edible mini vegetables online.

[MomwithHope]

I would never try - have to watch my sugar plus I am not a chocolate fan nor a very good baker. I do like watching cake decorating videos on youtube, have seen some amazing artwork and they are very relaxing somehow.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Poor little critter in the road...where were you tryin’ to go?”

(Steve and Lou Berryman - local folk singers - the kids and I would sing that song whenever we passed roadkill.)

[MomwithHope]

Hubby just reminded me that the “road ready flat snacks” was a Firesign Theater creation.