Monthly Cooking Thread - April 2021

[Jamestown1630]

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by miniatures – dollhouses, matchstick cars, all kinds of little models - and I still am. The thing I remember most from the Easter Baskets that my Grandparents gave us, were panoramic sugar eggs – eggs made of sugar, with peepholes and little scenes inside.

I looked recently to see if you can still buy these, and you can; most places may be out of stock by now, but try next year - lots of people offer them, including the Vermont Country Store, vendors on Etsy, etc.

However, if you want to try making your own, here are some instructions from Confectionery House (please note that these are not really intended to be eaten; but can be saved for years, properly stored.)

http://confectioneryhouse.com/blog/post/how-to-make-panoramic-sugar-eggs/

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

When I first saw a picture of 'Wool Roll Bread', I couldn't figure out how it was made - until I saw this YouTube from the Apron channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGw0GuSx3_c

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

I've been sick the last few days, just sitting on the couch and watching TV. I've become enthralled with this beautiful little family in Alabama, who have a small family farm and a young daughter who is amazing. (I've been a bird aficionada all of my life; but at 67, I still don't know as much about birds as the pre-teen Mary Carl does, and I probably never will. Herewith, the Cog Hill Family Farm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtwRexhVy4w

[Jamestown1630]

A little early with the cooking thread this month. I hope that everyone enjoys a blessed Easter and Passover.

(If you would like to be on or off of this monthly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[leaning conservative]

Yay, it’s JT! Sorry you are sick. I hope you are well soon. I so remember those eggs. They were works of art. I’m sure I devoured mine : (

My husband put one of our bird feeders on a long hook. When I am on the couch & the blinds are open I love watching them. It never gets old. Our cat perches right by the window.....we call it the catquarium.
Be well FRiend.

[TianaHighrider]

Thank you!

[MomwithHope]

Get well soon! Thanks for the thread. Happy Easter to all! 3 days in a row in church and then roast a leg of lamb on the outdoor spit on Sunday.

[boatbums]

Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. Hope you get better soon.

I’ve also been watching the Apron videos on YouTube. It seems like she uses pretty much the same recipe for all the enriched breads - similar to a brioche dough - just different methods of forming them. I have made babka now several times and the fam loves it. I watched the bagel one just last night and plan to try her version as it only makes six. I think they have started listing the ingredients in cups/tablespoon/teaspoon form rather than just metrics, though I probably should learn both.

[Jamestown1630]

I was probably guilty of nibbling on mine, too :-)

We’re waiting to put up our Hummingbird feeder - usually goes up on Tax Day; but over the past few months, they’ve ‘paved paradise and put up a parking lot’ across the road from us, and took down a couple of acres of woods; so I don’t know how many we’ll get this year :-(

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve been lazy about learning metrics.

(The Internet has been my friend :-)

But I do like the idea of weighing things for baking, instead of measuring; I just haven’t done much baking in recent years.

[lizma2]

Get well soon.

Just started to watch bird. Had 2 flying around here that were totally white underneath, and another one that tweets in a coo/caw.

Both are new to me. Need to figure out what these guys are..

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks. Joyous Easter!

[kalee]

I have one given to our daughter when she was a toddler. It’s over 30 years old. I got it out last week for Easter still looks good. It’s stored in tissue in a plastic clamshell in a cool dry place

[Jamestown1630]

Where are you? I thought you were near me, MD-Metro DC...

[MomwithHope]

hummingbird migration map updated hourly

https://www.hummingbird-guide.com/hummingbird-migration-map-2021.html#spring-migration-map-2021

[Jamestown1630]

I’m sure they can last a long time, if they’re made and stored well.

I seem to recall them being more elegant and complex, when I was a kid, than the ones you can buy today.

But after all, I saw the Easter Bunny (about 6 feet tall, with a basket over his arm) climb through my grandmother’s bedroom window when I was about 4 years old :-)

At least I haven’t seen any ‘aliens’...

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks for that. I think we watched it in previous years, and I had forgotten it.

[MomwithHope]

It’ll be awhile for us being in Michigan.

[boatbums]

That's one of the things I miss most about leaving North Carolina - the hummingbirds! The next to the last year we were there I put out three different feeders and one of them had like 8 ports. I was going through a 5# bag of sugar every week making my own nectar. Some days I had to refill them several times. We were swarmed!

[Jamestown1630]

I remember one year when we went to the Outer Banks in late September or early October.

The Catbirds, which are one of my favorites up here, had left Maryland; and when we got to NC, the yard of our rental was full of them.

There’s something fascinating no matter where you live, and everything is always ‘revolving’ :-)

[Jamestown1630]

I think the rule for us here is that they arrive around Tax Day (April 15) and leave on the same date in September.

We’ve found that to be pretty accurate in general; sometimes we get more traffic earlier in the Spring, and later in September. It has varied the most with earlier leaving times. I think they probably have ways of getting ‘clues’ as to weather...

[Jamestown1630]

OOOPs! ‘MatchBOx’ cars’ :-)