renewbee's Profile

I tried the slow cooker method just this week, without foil - scrub potatoes well, soak in salt water overnight. Rinse well, then stack potatoes ends down in slow cooker (I have a venerable corning ware cooker - works great), put lid on, and cook on low for six to eight hours (until done). These were very, very good potatoes. I would still say they are steamed, rather than baked. If I wanted crispy skins, I'd pop them in the toaster oven at 400 degrees F for ten or fifteen minutes. We really enjoyed these potatoes, and will be doing this again!

Years ago, I was married to a guy whose folks raised cattle. His mom thought it would be amusing to give me a heart to prepare, and as frugal as I am, I couldn't just discard it - I made chili. The heart meat, as it is a very strong muscle, is very dense, and has an intensely concentrated beef flavor. I can't feature how it could be construed as a substitute for steak, as it is, of course, tough. We found it to have a rather "bouncy" texture, and I ended up fishing out all the larger chunks, and dicing them smaller. If you are dedicated to the notion of cooking with heart, I would recommend a very small dice, if you have the stomach for it. Use a long, slow cooking process - a slow cooker at a low temp would probably be best, as the braise would tenderize this muscley meat. I still look back on this experience, and shake my head. The rites of passage into some families are challenging. I'm sure my in-laws were giggling to one another when they sent us home with that little prize.

Wow. Way to put a negative spin on a nice story. I think this is a wonderful idea, and will be seeking these cups.

When we first tried millet and quinoa, because they are both about the same size, and the cooking times are similar, I mixed them half and half. This was really very good, and the two contrasted in a delightful way - the millet was a little firmer, and the quinoa a bit more more vegetable-like, if that makes any sense. Millet is also less expensive than quinoa, so for those who want to try quinoa, but find it a little too dear for their budget, this will allow you to get a feel for it at less expense. Both are quite nutritious, so this is a healthy combination, in addition to being tasty. Do be careful not to overcook, as the millet can become a bit on the mushy side.

I don't believe you would want to use seed packet seeds for microgreens - many are treated with fungicides. Seeds sold for sprouting are probably good for this though, as may spice seeds, if they will sprout. Some spice rack seeds won't sprout - I've had no luck with spice rack coriander seeds, for example (when planting to grow plants rather than microgreens or sprouts), although my seed packet coriander germinates in late summer/early fall. I'm anxious to try this microgreen technique with basil seeds sold in our local Asian markets as a drink ingredient. I think those should sprout, they get rather sticky or glutinous when wet.

Bittman has made a rather major shift in the way he cooks and eats. He is now several years into that shift. Some criticize because he has written three or so books on this topic already. Is it inconceivable that he may still have something to say on the topic? He has had longer to experience this style of eating, and he may very likely have a great deal more to say. I have to say, I treasure the books of his that I already have, and look forward to this one, as well. His recipes are extremely well thought out - they not only work, but he gives additional riffs we can make on each more basic recipe. It is amazing in reading the comments on this post to realize, we are all so very different. Different diets suit each of us, and we are living in a time and a culture where we have great freedom to customize our diets to our own preferences. Although Bittman's recent approach may not be mainstream, it may become more and more so as time goes on (especially if we are lucky enough to have folks like Bittman to continue to offer guidance in this direction). I'm delighted that he continues to share his thoughtul viewpoint.

I may have discovered this link through AT, but perhaps not . . . .

www.wordle.net

Wordle is great for constructing "word clouds" using your choice of phrases, words, quotes, etc. It would be perfect for this project. So glad I could still find the link - recently lost my computer to a very nasty hard drive/motherboard crash - don't forget to backup your browser favorites, among the other things you back up.

Have fun with wordle, it is really a wonderful tool/plaything.

Baking powder will deteriorate much more quickly than baking soda - I've never had a problem with baking soda, and in fact, buy it in 5# bags - I use it for a lot of things. Baking powder, however, is an entirely different matter. I pick it up in the bulk section, and only buy a couple of tablespoons at a time. Using expired baking powder can ruin your baking projects, and I simply hate to waste food. I could never use up an entire can of baking powder prior to expiration, either, so I'd rather buy a small quantity. Saves money, and prevents dreadful baking accidents!

This sounds wonderful! I have recently been making a whole wheat sourdough bread with Bob's Red Mill whole wheat bread flour, and no AP flour at all, only a tablespoon or two of gluten flour. I make a sponge with starter, most of the flour, the moisture, and leave it overnight. In the morning, I add the rest of the flour and other ingredients, including the gluten flour, it always rises beautifully - the gluten net is somewhat delicate, and timing is crucial - if it is left to rise too long, it collapses a bit, but still makes lovely, light whole wheat bread (just not as pretty). I understand this technique is called autolyse. Earlier attempts made "doorstop bread", so I'm very tempted to use this technique with your recipe. Sometimes, the starter is a bit of a hassle to use, it would be very useful to be able to make a simple whole wheat yeast bread once in a while. (I agree with mary.beckett re: molasses, it is the sweetener I use in my recipe).

OK, do you two think you could stop sniping at one another, agree that there is a difference of opinion, and move on? It is disappointing to read arguments over nothing on these boards, especially when if folks were to talk rather than write to one another, you'd find you have more in common than you may imagine. As Americans, many of us are dismayed to discover that our consumption habits are in stark contrast to those of people in other parts of the world, and may in fact, cause us to appear to be a bit witless and greedy. Many of us who were raised in an atmosphere of plenty are beginning to re-evaluate the values we were raised with. It is possible to live very well with far less than we have become accustomed to. It is difficult to imagine how consumer-based economies will adapt as we adjust our habits. This is food for thought - it is too bad some have found it food for controversy.