Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

Back in the 1970's-80's our family had a friend, a young Naval officer, who traveled all over the world and frequently came home with exotic gifts for everyone.

I remember a Summer when he visited and brought us a big bag of what must be one of the loveliest soaps ever made - Macedonia Soap, from Spain. It had a light, citrus scent and a kind of 'fizzy' spirit; I always felt effervescent after showering with it, and the memory of that soap still epitomizes Summer for me.

I've tried for years to find it again, even to stamping my foot and demanding that friends traveling to Spain look for it there; but I've had no luck, and don't think it's being made anymore.

However, in the process of searching I learned how it got its name: the soap - a clear glycerin bar with brightly-colored chunks of milled soap captured inside - is named after the Italian fruit-and-wine dish 'Macedonian Salad'.

Here is a short article, and a recipe for Macedonian Salad; it would be wonderful for a Summer evening party on the lawn or porch:

http://www.divinacucina.com/2014/02/macedonia-italian-fruit-salad/

I think my favorite fruit salad is the Waldorf Salad as we know it today, with walnuts, grapes and sometimes raisins in it. The original recipe, created at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the late 1890s, contained only apples, celery, and mayonnaise on a bed of iceberg lettuce. At some point, walnuts were added; and over the years many other variations developed. (I've also found some recipes that use candied walnuts, and that would be a great tweak.)

Here is the version I like, from 'The Joy of Cooking':

Waldorf Salad

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced cored, peeled apples

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved, optional

1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise

Combine celery, apples, walnuts, and grapes in a medium bowl. Stir in mayonnaise.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

That’s a very interesting recipe - Bourbon, maple, bacon...and Old Bay! I’m curious to make it - I want to know what it tastes like.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

That’s a very interesting recipe - Bourbon, maple, bacon...and Old Bay! I’m curious to make it - I want to know what it tastes like.

-JT

[pugmama]

I like to add other melons in season.

[Liz]

Rest assured.....our b/w collections are reasonable compared w/ Ann Getty (of the Getty oil billions). She bought a whole shipload of rare b/w Chinese export porcelain. It has been found after being shipwrecked ages ago. She put some of it in her exquisite dining room....perched on shelves.

[Jamestown1630]

I guess everything is relative, and folks are different; but I wouldn’t be happy living in a museum instead of a home. There’s a point where you have so much money that nothing’s really fun anymore ;-)

I’ve tried to have a rule: nothing comes into the house, unless something equally space-inhabiting goes out. Our problem is *books*: they are the hardest things to divest ourselves of, and we never quite hit the mark there.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

I was so intrigued by this recipe that I showed it to my husband tonight. He’s, in my opinion, a little weird in his distaste for melons. But do you think this would work with mango? (He’ll eat that, go figure :-)

-JT

[mschalock]

Lemon yogurt sounds delicious. I am going to try your suggestion. I have never been a big fan of mayonnaise.

[pugmama]

Yes I have made it with ripe mango and papaya.

[Liz]

How cute are these?

Sprinkle chocolate wafer dirt on chocolate frosted cupcakes.
Pipe on two circles of orange icing for the carrots;
green gumdrop sticks for the carrot top.

[Trillian]

The closest I’ve come to a fruit salad is cut up strawberries, cherries and carrots. I know part of that doesn’t count ;)

[Jamestown1630]

I found a very nice vintage Tupperware mold for a gelatin salad or aspic; it’s been so long since we’ve seen those at parties, etc., and I’m trying to find a nice recipe to try.

I’d actually like to find a tomato aspic or other kind of vegetable side dish. The one tomato I’ve tried was kind of nondescript. Somewhere I think I have a Gazpacho gelatin salad recipe...

-JT

[Trillian]

Have you tried ebay or amazon? I found some old hamburger presses and containers on ebay that I had been looking for, for a long time. Ebay is loaded with older Tupperware products.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, I have a really nice mold; I want a recipe for it ;-)

This is the one I have, from the thrift store; I like it because it looks lit it will unmold easily:

http://jellomoldmistress.com/2009/06/15/tupperware-jel-ring%C2%AE-mold/

I think I’ll get the book at the link.

[Liz]

This looks like it.

Cherry Walnut Jello Mold---from food network web site

[Jamestown1630]

That’s exactly it!

[Calvin Locke]

Re: Tienda.com $92 for liter (2x500ml) of olive oil?

Even if I was a connoisseur instead of driven by common sense, I can’t see spending that kind of money with all the OO fraud about, and at that price point, it’s sure to attract more than its share of counterfeiters.

[Jamestown1630]

I wouldn’t spend that either; I like good olive oil, but am not a connoisseur. Look at some of their prices for that special Serrano and Iberico ham - you can even buy a special holder for it, for $2K ;-)

https://www.tienda.com/products/iberico-hardwood-ham-holder-jh-03.html

[Liz]

WRT olive oil——I was preparing a picnic basket lunch. Rather than put in my lge bottle of EVO which is costly and delicious, I wanted the smallest bottle of evo I could find.

I went to an imported food store and found a tiny bottle perfect for my basket....Gem brand....not very expensive at all.

But before I served it I decided to try a smidgen on a crust of bread to make sure it was edible.

Absolute heaven...tasted like sitting under the Tuscan sun on an ancient stone patio, eating a fresh olives and bread appetizer.

[Liz]

WRT olive oil——I was preparing a picnic basket lunch. Rather than put in my lge bottle of EVO which is costly and delicious, I wanted the smallest bottle of evo I could find.

I went to an imported food store and found a tiny bottle perfect for my basket....Gem brand....not very expensive at all.

But before I served it I decided to try a smidgen on a crust of bread to make sure it was edible.

Absolute heaven...tasted like sitting under the Tuscan sun on an ancient stone patio, eating fresh olives and crusty bread.

[Jamestown1630]

I hadn’t heard of that brand, but I see that they have it at Walmart; I’ll look for it.

Here’s an interesting article about olive oil, and the recent news about the problems with certain brands:

http://www.crunchybetty.com/when-your-extra-virgin-olive-oil-isnt-so-wholesome