[Jamestown1630]

This Week: Christmas in July!
(Busy! And posting very early this week.)

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

-JT

[SaveFerris]

Made some awesome asparagus stuff a couple weeks ago. And only learned to like it in the last 4 years or so.

Recipe later if anyone is interested. Pretty straightforward.

[Fiddlstix]

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[dainbramaged]

A pleasant summer afternoon here near the southern reaches of Puget Sound - 18 chicken wings in the smoker, fresh picked green beans from our garden and a pot of jasmine rice. Dessert will be small cantaloupe halves with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I’ve been using the rice cooker to cook artichokes. Just put a couple of cups water in and set the artichoke top down and cook about an hour. Any suggestions?

[Califreak]

I made tamales on Sunday.

[leaning conservative]

Holy cow, cookies are my favorite thing in the world! I know some bakeries intimately. I love pepperidge farm & even $ Tree cookies, so your post perked me up. I bought warm cookies in town & took one to my hairdresser today. She was thrilled! (Although I have to say the cookies were overpriced : ( oh well, it was on my bucket list for the summer. They were good though! I won’t buy them again)

I always say that I will start Christmas things early, but then life & work gets in the way. You might be my motivation!

I love cookies!!!!!!!!!

[DNME]

I suppose this rightly belongs in the gardening thread, but it has definite application to cooking as well. I’m a firm believer that every good cook should have their own “kitchen garden” out the back door.

Today I walked out of my garden with a bucket full of garlic bulbs, greens still attached. After a few days of drying, my year supply of garlic will be ready to store in a dark, dry place.

Growing garlic is ridiculously simple. Break up a head of garlic in late September and bury each clove “root end” down, about three fingers deep and about 8 inches from its nearest neighbor.

Keep the weeds in check (I cover mine with dead leaves for the winter) and they should be ready to dig up in July, when their leaf tips turn brown. That’s all there is to it. A six-foot stretch of border garden should yield about 30 to 50 heads of garlic. Enjoy!

[Trillian]

I have two like that.. One for pinwheels and one for Kaiser rolls. I love the smell of these cooking during Christmas. They taste so good. This is a recipe most similar to the one I use. I use the liquor in my recipe.

Authentic Italian Anise Biscotti
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
4 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoon anise extract OR 2 teaspoons anise seed OR 2 teaspoons Anisette liqueur

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Position rack in the center.
2.Grease and flour (or use non-stick spray) three 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans. Alternately, prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4.In a large mixing bowl, or bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment beat the eggs on medium speed until light and frothy (about 2-3 minutes).
5.Add the sugar and whisk for another minute or so.
6.Add the oil and extracts. Whisk for another minute.
7.Incorporate the flour mixture. Mix until combined.
8.Pour mixture in the 3 prepared loaf pans. [If using a cookie sheet, pour ¼ of the batter down the middle. Will need to repeat this step. Word of caution: the batter will expand].
9.Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
10.Remove from loaf pans and let cool for a few minutes.
11.Transfer to cutting board.
12.Using a serrated knife, slice cookies about ¼ inch thick (or thicker).
13.Place slices flat down on parchment lined baking sheets, and bake for about another 5-8 minutes or longer, depending on your personnel preference and your oven (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get). Make sure to turn the slices over to ensure even toasting.
14.Can be stored at room temperature for a few weeks...if they last that long.

Notes This is not your typical biscotti batter that you can roll into a "log" shape. The loaf pans help keep the batter confined. If using sheet pans, expect the batter to expand and the final shape of your biscotti will be longer and thinner, but just as tasty :) Enjoy!!!
Authentic Italian Anise Biscotti