Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Hiskid]

Thank you. Some good ideas indeed.

[pugmama]

Have made this one and it it always popular.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fig-and-walnut-tapenade-with-goat-cheese-105649

[Yaelle]

Oh my gosh, those apples are pretty. (They were a no show in the first post)

[Yaelle]

Need urgent advice for Carmelitas storage! We had never heard of them until this thread, so I had to bake them. Did it last night. My tasters say they are delicious. I knew to keep them in the fridge after baking and then slice, which worked fabulously. But before serving? Until tonight, in fridge so that they are cold (but I imagine a bit hard to eat with the caramel layer maybe too chewy?)? Or left out (hiding on the top of the fridge for obvious reasons) and eaten at a comfortable room temp? It’s 74 or less in here.

Brownies are good cold with that little bite in their chewiness. That might not be true for caramel filled bars.

This is the recipe I found and read a lot of reviews for the tips.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/11272/oatmeal-carmelitas/

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve never made them, but I think Aliska posted a recipe?

If you keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for freshness, they might get a little hard; but should soften up after sitting out awhile.

[Hiskid]

Looks delicious. Figs not available in the middle of nowhere where I live. Do you have a recommendation for a substitute? We can get dates once a year around Christmas.

[pugmama]

Do you shop on-line?
I buy a lot of things from this company. Their fig prices are really good as are their nuts/flours etc.

https://nuts.com/driedfruit/figs/

[Liz]

The Carnmelita recipe is fab......so many luscious flavors in one bite. I haven't made them yet....but I believe the recipe does say "they keep airtight at room temp a week"....... or freezer up to 4 months.

[Liz]

The technique for the Apple Roses is so simple.....can make dozens in no time......for that special party.

[trisham]

The Boston butt is finishing in the oven, finally. It spent about two days marinating and all day today in the smoker.

[Jamestown1630]

I’ll bet it’s good! We only have the facilities to do it in the oven or crock pot, but it’s one of our favorites.

[sweetiepiezer]

Here is a recipe I just got for

Biscuits

A visiting Priest was attending a men’s breakfast
in Ohio Farm County. He asked one of the im-
pressive older farmers in attendance to say grace
that morning. After all were seated, the older farm-
er began———
“Lord, I hate buttermilk.”
The Priest opened one eye and wondered to him-
self where this was going.

Then the farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard.”

Now the Priest was overly worried. However without
missing a beat, the farmer prayed on, “And Lord, you
know I don’t care much for raw white flour.”

Just as the Priest was ready to stand and stop every-
thing, the farmer continued,

“But Lord, when you mix ‘em all together and bake ‘em
up, I do love fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come
up we don’t like, when life gets hard, when we just don’t
understand what you are sayin’ to us, we just need to re-
lax and wait ‘till You are done mixin’, and probably it will
be somethin’ even better than biscuits.

Amen.”

[Aliska]

The recipes are almost the same but the one I posted is at #88. Looks like it's on the longer thread from last week:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3580140/posts?page=88#88

I had this all written out and my browser hung up when I was trying to load Yaelle's recipe at her link, and I had to force quit it and lost my whole composition I was about ready to post.

I haven't made them yet but am going to try the following. Mine calls for 1-1/2 sticks butter; Yaelle's the same (3/4 cup). It's an awful lot if I double the recipe at some point, guess I don't want to tinker with that as I don't want to disrupt the puffiness/niceness/deliciousness of the topping.

I want to use the recipe calling for Werther's caramels melted in 1/2 cup cream ONLY I am going to try to reducee the cream and melt over hot water. But the caramel MUST be runny enough after melting so it will still pour fairly easily. That might cut down on the gooeyness, can't know until I try, but I still plan to refrigerate the equivalent of overnight and preferably serve at room temp. Cold I do but it can impact the taste, texture and whole impression. And I want the caramel just right, not running all over but very soft.

I also want to use half chips and half chunks. Nestle's makes both.

I can't make them until I acquire some missing ingredients but they are at the top of the stack and my daughter wants me to make them after she saw the picture on my printout.

CB, I will get back to your nice FReepmail when I'm in a different mood, found out by accident a couple days ago I lost a dear old friend last December. I don't know why I am feeling this desolate about it, expected her to live a lot longer. I was also very close to her mother and younger brother (who committed suicide in 1983, very sadly). We had drifted apart because our lives became so different, she was such a wonderful, young-at-heart, talented person and we did so much together at one time.

[Jamestown1630]

That’s good! and appropriate to all the news we’ve got swirling around us.

My grandmother used to like the story about St. Francis: while working in his garden one day, he was asked what he would do if he learned the world were to end tomorrow. His answer was that he’d keep hoeing his garden.

[Liz]

Things to think about.....

[trisham]

Thanks! I’m looking forward to it. :)

[Liz]

You're gonna have a problem after those carmelitas are gone.
I'm here to help....whip this up in a jif in the micro.
Rich and creamy, w/ deep, caramelized taste. Stores/friged two weeks.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL FUDGE

METHOD Micro 3 cups wh/choc/chips, 14 oz dulce de leche (store-bought or homemade), 4 Tb butter in 30-sec increments, stirring to prevent scorching. Cook/stir/melt; fudge is smooth. Stir in tsp vanilla, one quarter tsp salt. (Can add cup coarse-chp toasted nuts). Scrape into foiled/sprayed 8x8" pan; smooth evenly. Chill/set 2 hours. Cut inch squares.

SERVE at room temp.

[Yaelle]

Oh, I did double the recipe. I needed it to fit the big glass pan. Thanks for the advice!

[Yaelle]

I just need a special party! Lol.

[Yaelle]

I’m sorry about your friend. It’s sad no matter when you hear someone has gone.