I have been baking cakes for a long time. i am still confused about when to sift flour. Do you sift first and then measure out the amount of flour needed or do measure first and use all the flour measured? Maybe I could answer this question myself I knew why do we sift? when and why sift???

here's a link to some info on sifting flour:
click here.

mainly, you want to spoon flour into your measuring cup because flour gets compacted during delivery and just sitting around so if it's really compact and you just scoop into the bag with the measuring cup you may be getting a lot more than just the one cup you think you are.

i use a spoon to first fill up my measuring cup, then level it off and then sift it with other dry ingredients if the recipe calls for that.

hope this helps,
steve

Diane, this one is from amish country...delicate in flavor, not overly sweet and no bubbles.

VELVETY CUSTARD PIE
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
2 & 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 & 1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
nutmeg

preheat oven to 350. scald milk. beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. add 1 cup of hot milk and beat slowly. add rest of milk, beating slowly (to ensure little or no bubbles). pour mix into pie shell. sprinkle with nutmeg. bake on lowest rack of oven 40 minutes. cool completely.

Hi Steve...My boyfriend is allergic to rosemary. Is there a substitute spice that is similar to rosemary?
Thanks Steve you ROCK!!!

susn,
while nothing can surely substitute rosemary, sage, savory and thyme are the three best ones to try.

Below is a new link to the infamous recipe found online by PK visitor, Corennea Pleasants. Thanks, Corennea!
enjoy,
steve

Picadilly's Carrot Souffle

Ann,
the thickness of the batter you mentioned reminds me of jewish apple cake:

3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 orange juice
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla
5 T. sugar
3 T. cinnamon
3 apples, cored, peeled and sliced thick into wedges

preheat oven to 350.
grease and flour tube/bundt pan
combine dry ingredients and wet separately.
then combine the two.
spoon half of the thick batter into pan.
top with half the apples and half the cinnamon sugar.
repeat and bake for 65 minutes.
cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cake for wire rack.
this cake gets better the 2nd and 3rd day.

yvonne,
there may be a way to do this, but i don't think it will give you the end result you need. crockery cooking is a moist-heat cooking method, while oven-roasting is, of course, a dry method which gives prime rib roast its signature taste that you've probably come to love. utilizing the crock pot during the holidays is a good way to free up room in the oven, but i wouldn't recommend it for your roast. hope this helps.
happy holidays,
steve

if time is an issue, consider this.
it is always good for meat to sit for 10-20 after it comes out of the oven anyway. this lets all the juices and blood that race to the edges, relax and come back to center and make the meat look much prettier when you slice into it, so....
cook the potatoes at high heat after the roast comes out or cook the potatoes the night before and re-heat at high-heat after the roast or during the last 15 minutes of the roast.
hope this helps.
steve

green peppercorns are pickled green peppercorns, while capers are pickled flower buds. tho not the exact same, they are similar enough to be interchangeable in a pinch. notice the taste difference to learn what you might make of the remaining ones so that jar doesn't just sit in the 'fridge for a year.
hope this helps.

dear Deborah,
if it's homemade dough, you can try to make breadsticks with them. cut portions off the size of golf balls. flatten and roll out into sticks using hands, rolling out to edges to extend stick to 12". roll in a mix of seeds and seasonings (poppy, caraway, fennel, black pepper, etc). bake at 375 for 10-15 or until golden. cool. enjoy.
hope this helps,
best,
steve

Monique,
i think i found what you were looking for. this recipe doesn't sound like it hails from new orleans, as i found this on a site full of recipes submitted by home-cooks in Iowa. anyway, it sounds right:

Date Nut Roll
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
1 pound diced dates
1 cup nuts
1 1/2 cups coconut

Cook sugars and milk to soft ball stage. Add cut up dates. Stir and cook to soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Beat until creamy. Add nuts and coconut. Spray aluminum foil with vegetable spray oil. Drop candy onto foil. Form into log. Let cool to set. Cut into slices and serve.

Evie Hoover
Independence

recipe found on this website:
Cedar Rapids Gazette - recipes
happy holidays,
steve

as far as i know, here's the skinny on a simple recipe with which you can compare yours.

1-1/2 cups cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

combine water and sugar in saucepan and bring to boil.
stir in cranberries.
bring to boil again.
reduce heat.
simmer for 10 minutes.
transfer sauce to glass bowl.
cover and chill.
sauce will thicken as it chills.

so perhaps it was either not the right ratio of water to sugar, or the two times it needs to boil.
at this point, trying to use what you have already made, i think it best to either start from scratch or try mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a half cup of cold sauce. mix it well and then add this back to the remaining cold sauce. now reheat, slowly, to a boil, stirring constantly. it will thicken.
hope this helps. happy thanksgiving.

Dear Steve,
For a project for my tenth grade French II class, I have to prepare a dish from Martinique. Now, I'm pretty open to new things, but the rest of my class probably won't be.. My partner is already making the traditional bananas and cream cheese, so I'm pretty out of ideas.. Can you help me?
Thanks in advance--
Kat

hey kat, thanks for writing in.
here's a recipe for Gratin of Chayotes that I found on a site with creole recipes from Martinique.
Chayotes are a gourdlike fruit that you'd prepare like potatoes in the following recipe. it's about the easiest thing i could find. a supermarket should have them. in the south they are known as mirliton. best wishes

- 2 chayotes
- 15g butter
- 1 glass of milk
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 glass of soft bread (she probably means one-two cups)
- Salt, pepper
- Grated Gruyère (cheese)
- 1 garlic clove, chopped

Boil the chayotes for 20-25 mn. Cut them lengthwise and remove the pulp with a small spoon, then crush it thoroughly with a fork (or in a mixer) along with the bread. On the heat, mix the flour, butter and milk, then, add the pulp and the garlic. Leave to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Fill in the skin of the chayotes with this mixture; sprinkle the Gruyère and brown in the oven just before serving.

My grandmother made a egg cookie that was deep fried and then covered in iceing sugar.  They were called Nothings. And that was about all that was left. I'd love to make this for my kids.

i had never heard of these before, but it turns out that Nothings are Amish Wedding Cookies. my Mennonite girlfriend had heard of them once before. anyway, follow this link to a recipe i found for them online. best of luck and please let me know how they turn out.

Nothings - Cookie Recipe - aka Amish Wedding Cookies

dear chef steve how do i soothe the top of my mouth when i burn it on a hot sauce... usually i just let the hot suce flow right down my throat, but this time i had hot sauce shoot into my mouth , cuz my tongue was blocking the back... what should i do about my hot sauce burn?

dear adam,
according to Lost Contininent, a website for Hot Sauce Traders, the best relief for hot sauce mouth-burn is milk, yogurt or any dairy product.
hope this helps. best of luck.

Please send me the recipe for Shrimp & Grits from the Magnolia's restaurant that you mention in the forum.  I tried the link you provided and it did not get to the recipe. Thank you very much!!

mike,
try this link:
Magnolia's Shrimp & Grits

Correct procedure for boiling shrimp, please. Thanks.

shrimp take hardly no time to boil at all - like 3 minutes. fill a large stock pot half-way with water and Shrimp Boil Seasoning (in Maryland we use Old Bay) and chunks of thick-sliced onion (2). bring water to a boil. if you are doing a "shrimp boil" you can now add wedges of potato and ears of corn snapped in half (8-10 halves). otherwise, just add your 5-pounds of shrimp. brning back to boil and cook for 3 minutes only. drain water immediate and serve. if not eating right away, fill stock pot with ice and let shrimp quickly chill to stop the cooking process. hope this helps. please let me know how it turns out. steve

P.S. here's a link to authentic New Orleans Shrimp Boils.

pat, i'm not sure how elaborate you want to get with this class project. i'm not that familiar with african cuisine, but here's a link to a site i found that has a pretty good collection of authentic recipes.
hope this helps,
steve

how do you make shrimp alfredo?

peel, devein shrimp. marinate in 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.

now alfredo is usually made with heavy cream, but i prefer to make a thin white sauce:

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
1 medium onion, minced
2 T. fresh basil, minced
salt and pepper
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

melt butter over medium heat in heavy saucepan. stir in flour and cook two minutes. whisk in milk. cook over low to medium heat until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. stir in minced onion and simmer 15 minutes.
meanwhile cook pasta, drain and immediately toss pasta with the fresh parmesan (freshly grated parmesan actually melts. it adhers to the pasta, which in turn helps the sauce stick to the pasta). drain shrimp of access oil and drop into sauce. cook 10 minutes. stir in basil and salt and pepper to taste. toss pasta and sauce and serve.

hope this helps.
steve

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Hey steve I can not seem to find a good recipe for fried pickels??? And I can't find anywhere that sells them since I moved can you PLEASE help me I really love fried pickels!
Melissa

melissa,
sorry it took me so long to get back to you as i a was on vacation. anyway, i found a recipe for you. the fried pickles are called Elvis-style - so they must be southern and decadent.
please let know how they turn out.
steve

fresh nutmeg is very fragrant, but i still think, in this case, a 1/4 tsp of dried, ground nutmeg would work just as well.
best of luck.
steve

Hello - New to your web sight - Love it! Couple questions - What's the best way to make corn beef and cabbage, so thats it's nice and tender. Slow cooker? I'm thinking of purchasing a Pressure cooker - any ideas on which one I can buy? Thanks.

hey there - thanks for the compliments about the site.
i'm not a huge fan of corned beef and cabbage but my brother is and makes it all the time. he uses a 6 qt. crock pot. i think a crock pot is more versatile than a pressure cooker. i love coming home from work and smelling dinner already done, that's been slowly cooking in the crock pot all day.
below is a link to an online recipe that's pretty exact to how my brother cooks his corned beef.
best of luck,
steve

Slow-Cooked Corned Beef & Cabbage

beckysue,
here's one i found online. i haven't tried it yet but it sounds great.
best,
steve

This is absolutely the BEST rice pudding I've ever found. VERY custardy and creamy at the same time.

6 eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 cup light raisins

1. Break eggs into a 2-quart buttered casserole; beat slightly with a fork.
2. Add milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.
3. Blend well.
4. Stir in rice and raisins.
5. Set casserole in pan of water.
6. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring once after 1/2 hour of baking.

recipe found on www.recipezaar.com

usually it means copper or metal pans, like when you want to beat eggs, it's best in a glass bowl rather than a stainless steel one to get the best results. in baking casserole, ceramix or pyrex is preferred, since it does not conduct heat as strongly as metal (aluminum).
hope this helps,
best of luck,
steve

2 eggs, separated
2 cups hot mashed potatoes
1/3 cup hot cream
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon butter
Salt

Beat the egg yolks into the potatoes. Add the remaining ingredients except the egg whites. Beat vigorously until light. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the mixture. Spoon the potatoes lightly into a buttered baking dish. Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees F) for 15 minutes, or until well puffed and delicately browned.
KAT - PERHAPS IT'S THIS UKRANIAN RECIPE THAT HIS GRANDMOTHER JUST ADDED BACON TOO FOR HER OWN TWIST.
BEST OF LUCK,
STEVE

rather than a department store, which is crazy to shop in these days, look in the yellow pages for restaurant supply stores in your area. even a decent set there is better than you find at the other shops (and much less expensive). these are the knives that chefs use day in and day out. while you're in the yellow pages, also look up knive sharpeners, every town has one - some hardware stores do this service. perhaps along with the gift you can get a gift certificate good for a session of knive sharpening. it usually runs about $1-$2 a knife. i've done this kind of gift before and it went over very well. knives that are sold "never need to be sharpened" are too good to be true. best of luck and happy holidays,
steve

the salmon in foil baked in the oven is a great idea and the simplest of all to prepare. i'd keep it real simple.
spray the dull side of long sheets of foil with cooking spray and lay down first some fresh dill. salt and pepper the salmon and lay on top of dill. top with more dill, some finely minced shallots (about a tablespoon or two) and squeeze some fresh lemon on as well.
when you wrap up the foil just be sure it's properly sealed to keep in the steam that will be created and also that there is enough airspace above the salmon for this steam to expand. if you bake it in a hot over, say 400, on a cookie sheet, and the fish is not that thick, they shouldn't take much longer than 10 minutes, maybe less if they're real thin.
hope this helps. best of luck and have a great holiday,
steve

here's a quick one

preheat oven and cookie tray at 350.

Combine:
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 C light corn syrup
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. butter, melted

Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups of crushed pecans into frozen 9" deep-dish pie shell. Pour filling in. Bake on hot cookie sheet for 45-55 minutes. Cool to room temp.

I found this on a very informative site at
thechoppingblock.net:

Defrosting times:
This is where people can make the biggest errors, either by not allowing enough time for proper defrosting, and or defrosting in an unsafe manner. Although it takes a long time, defrosting in the refrigerator for the whole defrosting time is the safest, but make sure to give yourself ample time, approximately 24 hrs per 5 pounds of turkey. The second way is to keep the turkey under a continuous flow of cold running water until defrosted. In my opinion the second option should be used only in an emergency situation, or to finish the last stage of the defrosting, there is more room for food born illnesses to develop.
Hope this helps.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Steve

hi again, here's one i found on the 'Net. I lost the one I've done in the past, but this one is as close to the original as I remember. Best of luck and Happy Thanksgiving.
Steve
(anything with 2 sticks of butter in it HAS to be good, right?)

12 tb Butter
2 1/2 c Onion -- yellow
3 Apples -- cored
1 lb Sausage -- bulk breakfast
3 c Cornbread -- homemade
3 c Bread, whole-wheat
3 c Bread, French
2 ts Thyme, dried
1 t Sage, dried
salt and pepper
1/2 c Parsley,Italian -- chopped
1 1/2 c Pecan halves

Prepare ingredients: Core apples and cut into chunks. Do not peel. Jonathan and Winesap are good choices. Breads should be coarsely crumbled. 1. Melt half the butter in a skillet. Add chopped yellow onions and cook over medium heat, partially covered, until tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes. Transfer onions and butter to a large mixing bowl. 2. Melt remaining butter in same skillet. Add apple chunks and cook over high heat until lightly colored but not mushy. Transfer apples and butter to the mixing bowl. 3. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to the mixing bowl and reserve the rendered fat. 4. Add remaining ingredients to the ingredients in the mixing bowl and combine gently. Cool completely before stuffing the bird; refrigerate if not used promptly. 5. if you do not wish to actually stuff the bird (goose or duck, for example, can make the stuffing greasy), spoon it into a casserole. Cover casserole and set into a large pan. Pour got water around the casserole to come halfway up the sides. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 325øF., basting occasionally with the cooking juices from the bird or with the reserved sausage fat if necessary. Enough stuffing for a 20-pound turkey, to make 12 to 14 portions.

liz,
here an resourceful site I found on the 'Net. Hope this helps.
Steve

Conversion Table on Gourmetsleuth.com

Barbara,
I couldn't locate my mom's recipe (she makes it often, with leftover salmon, and does it by eye), but below I've included 4 versions that I had on me. They range from the very simple to the elaborate, though the latter is still easy to prepare. Following these, I've included a recipe for a sauce to accompany it upon serving. Best of luck. Let me know how it turns out.

SALMON LOAF #1
1 15 ½-oz. can salmon
½ c. self-rising corn meal
1/4 c. crushed cracker crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. butter, melted
1 c. buttermilk
salt and pepper to taste

Drain your salmon, flake and remove bones. Mix all ingredients well, pour into a greased 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and set, light brown on top.

SALMON LOAF #2
1 can salmon
2 T. butter
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup milk
1 T. onionsalt & pepper
(may grate 1/2 cup cheese in if desired)

Butter casserole. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into casserole.Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 min. or until done.


SALMON LOAF #3
1 can (19 oz.) salmon
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1 can tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce)

Flake salmon, removing the skin and the bones. Add egg, then bread crumbs, to make firm. Shape into a loaf in a roasting pan. Pour tomato sauce over loaf. Cover. Cook at 350 F to start for 1/2 hr. - then 300 F for 1 hr. Remove from oven. Slice and serve.


SALMON LOAF #4
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 white onion, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 7-ounce cans pink salmon, drained, rinsed, and flaked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a small frying pan. Add onion, celery, and dill and saute' over medium heat until onion begins to brown (about 5 minutes).Remove pan from heat and transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except butter and mix thoroughly. Transfe rmixture to a 9 1/4 inch loaf pan. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter. Brush on top of the loaf. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Makes 6-8 servings.


SAUCE
Heat one pint of milk and thicken with one tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of butter, rubbed together. Add the liquor from one can of salmon, one tablespoon each of tomato ketchup and Worcestershire with a pinch of cayenne. Pour over a well beaten egg, beat well and serve.

if it's wrapped in the husks, it should stay fresh for a solid week. i'd keep it at room temp and away from moisture, not in it. if a slimey substance appears around the silk up top, it's turning. best of luck - steve

cherylann, i search the net and found this recipe. please let me know how it turns out. i think you can substitute the fruit as you see fit.
best wishes,
steve

lauren,
i found these tidbits on the Net about this fish:

Lake Victoria perch was formerly called the Nile perch. However, it is not a true perch, nor did it ever live in the Nile. The fish was introduced into Lake Victoria to control the population of another species. It has nearly destroyed the lake's 350 native species of fish and has worked its way to the top of the lakes food chain. It can grow to enormous sizes. Perch weighing 240 kg (530 lbs) have been reported. Typical commercial sizes range between 3 and 6 kg (7-13 lbs). This fish is the most important fish food in Africa.

If like perch, simple preperations are best. bake in a 375 oven wrapped in foil with lemon juice, white wine, maybe some capers, salt and pepper and a pat of butter for 25 minutes, depending on size.

best of luck. please let me know how it turns out.lauren, i found these tidbits on the Net about this fish: Lake Victoria perch was formerly called the Nile perch. However, it is not a true perch, nor did it ever live in the Nile. The fish was introduced into Lake Victoria to control the population of another species. It has nearly destroyed the lake's 350 native species of fish and has worked its way to the top of the lakes food chain. It can grow to enormous sizes. Perch weighing 240 kg (530 lbs) have been reported. Typical commercial sizes range between 3 and 6 kg (7-13 lbs). This fish is the most important fish food in Africa. If like perch, simple preperations are best. bake in a 375 oven wrapped in foil with lemon juice, white wine, maybe some capers, salt and pepper and a pat of butter for 25 minutes, depending on size. best of luck. please let me know how it turns out.
Steve

Thanks Steve! I cooked the fish with white wine and lemon juice, like you suggested. I also cooked vegatables with it. I sliced zuchini, onions, red bell peppers, and threw some corn in (just another pretty color). I placed the fish on top, and sealed it all together in foil with vent holes. It was awesome. Even my husband ate it (he doesn't eat fish). I plan on purchasing the fish on a regular basis now. It is not very expensive. It has a good texture to it. It kind of reminds me of tuna, but it is not as "meaty". I can't really think of a better way to explain it. Thanks for the tips. I'm sure I will be needing your advice again. I try to take advantage of living in a different country, so I always shop on the economy to try something "new".

Kathy,
you pose a great question to which I may have only an inadequate answer - I don't know. I've never tried tamales with parchment paper, but I think they certainly could be done with similar results. The corn husks really don't impart much flavor, they are just good wraps and traditional. At a neuvo-mexican place I frequent, they don't seem to cook them in husks at all either. I think your idea of doing several long ones in parchment and then slicing them is a fantastic idea. It's both resourceful and creative. Please let me know how they turn out. Best of luck,
Steve

I cooked a small boneless pork shoulder roast a few days ago, and still have a pretty good sized portion of it left-over (probably about a pound) . I'm looking for a suggestion for serving the left-overs. I have a fairly well equipt kitchen, so I'm pretty flexible, just can't find my creative side on this one. Any suggestions?

I think the best thing to do for this time of the year is to shred the meat from the pork shoulder roast and make one of two mexican dishes:

for one you can simply place the shredded meat in a roasting pan with perhaps two cups hot sauce and a can of beer and slow roast the meat again at 250, giving it frequent stirs when the top layer dries out and adding more liquid when necessary.

another idea is going to a latino grocer and picking up a jar of mole sauce (pronounced mo-lay). It is very difficult to make from scratch, but is divine tasting. Make the sauce according to the directions on the jar (it's concentrated, so you add broth or water), then place all the shredded pork in with the sauce and simmer for about an hour.

for either of these recipe wrap the pork in flour or corn tortillas. For the mole dish, wrap into tortillas, lay on a plate and top with shredded iceberg lettuce and shredded white cheese (an everyday mexican cheese also available at the latino grocer)

hope this helps. please let me know how they turn out.

Reheat pizza by wrapping it in foil and baking it in a 375 oven for 10 minutes to thoroughly warm it. During the last 3 minutes, place a bare cookie sheet in the oven too. Let it preheat. Remove pizza in foil from the oven. Discard foil and place pizza on hot baking sheet and now broil the pizza for one to two minutes to melt cheese. This method keep the crust crusty and the cheese melted; just like you ate it when you made it/got it deleivered.
Hope this helps.

Jan,
thanks for writing in. When my folks were in the restaurant business we used to serve blackberry iced tea in the summer. I believed we used blackberry-flavored tea bags. Searching the Net I did find a place to purchase it. Use this link to buy Wild Blackberry Tea and please tell them that Pulp Kitchen sent you; I bet they have directions for iced tea right on the packaging. Best of luck - Steve

Collen,
were the corn husks green (from fresh cobs) or whitish (like they use for tamales)?

Whitish...the presentation was the salmon filet was resting inside the cornhusk and the salmon was lightly topped with sweetcorn , roasted peppers, diced tomatoes, jack cheese and the Lime Beurre blanc sauce...very ...very..delicious...I don't know if it was baked or grilled...probably baked...the corn husked turned brown on the edges.

Colleen,
if you go to a latino grocer (or the international aisle at a large chain) you will find a inexpensive bag of dried corn husks (for tamales).
Soak the husks (you'll need probably 2 or 3 for each salmon filet) in warm water for an hour. This is soften them and provide water which will steam the fish in the oven.>br? Lay several husks flat and place a filet of salmon in the middle. Top with the corn and peppers you mentioned and whatever else you'd like. Wrap the filet with the husks and then the whole thing with aluminum foil. Crimp the edges, but leave a small airhole open on top to release some steam. Bake in a 375 oven to 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully open (hot steam!). Transfer to plate and top with the lime beurre blanc.
(Prepare the beurre blanc recipe you saw on our site with this variation: stir in 1/3 cup fresh lime juice after the cream has reduce, but before adding the cold butter). I'd love to hear how it turned out. Best of luck -Steve

You are great...never would of thought about soaking the corn husks....I'll let you know the results...I'm serving the dish on Friday....any suggestions about a rice or side dish to go with this recipe?

try couscous.
It's very simple and quick to prepare - just like minute-rice. You can flavor it by cooking it in chicken broth rather than water, by adding frozen sweet peas for color - the possibilitites are endless. All the best - Steve

Hi,
I did some searching on the Net and found the following advice:

Freezing the top tier of your wedding cake is a wonderful tradition. You can defrost it and share it for dessert on your first anniversary. To make sure your cake is as tasty as it was on your wedding day, use vapor-proof, moisture-proof large freezer bags. Freeze the cake for five to six hours to set the frosting, then wrap it in plastic to seal and double-bag (or even triple-bag) it in large freezer bags. Suck out all the air from the bags using a straw to get a vacuum-tight seal (extra air will leech moisture from your cake). Place the wrapped cake in a bakery box to protect it from being damaged by other goods in the freezer. If your cake had custard filling, freezing it is not recommended because the filling could separate.
(for more information, use this link to go to iVillage.com)

So I guess the answer to your question is one year - if properly frozen. Best of luck and thanks for writing in - Steve

Eileen,
what cut of ham do you want to use? Also, do you want this to be only of those long-cooking, one-pot recipes? This may help refine the search.
Steve - any cut of ham but the butt would be fine with me and yes a one-pot recipe would be great. I use to have a recipe that used vinegar and sugar as ingredients but that is all I remember and for the life a me I cannot find the recipe. Thanks for the quick respose.
Eileen,
I've searched my cookbooks and the Net high and low and am coming up empty-handed. All I find are ham and caggabe soups. I think what would be great is to bake the ham plain and simple and then serve along with sauteed cabbage and apples in the following manner:

2 large apples
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup butter
8 cups cabbage, shredded
1 teaspoon each, salt & pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 T. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar

Prep apples - peel/core/chop. Saute onions in butter on med/low for 5 min. Add apples, cabbage and seasonings. Stir well, cover and cook on low for 15-20 min. Combine vinegar/sugar and stir in. Cook another 5 min. Serve with ham/pork/duck/etc.
Hope this helps.
Hi Steve, I just wanted to let you know that I did a test run of your ham and cabbage this past weekend for a couple of friends (guinnie pigs as I call them) and it was a big hit they really enjoyed the way the cabbage was made so now I will make it next weekend for a planned party. Once again thanks again for all you help in making this meal happen.

Gary,
THIS RECIPE IS ONE FOR SALMON BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ONE YOU HAD WITH HALIBUT. GOOD LUCK - STEVE

This recipe is from "The Chez Piggy Cookbook" by Victoria Newbury, from the restaurant that carried that clever name. This book retails for $24.95, and although it has recipes of all types, I was most impressed with the meat recipes and this delicious easy recipe for Salmon. (This glaze is a perfect match for the taste and texture of pan-fried salmon and can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)

2 Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. lime zest
1-1/4 C dry white wine
3/4 C orange juice
1/4 C lime juice
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C brown sugar
1-1 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
6 salmon fillets (each 6 oz.), grilled or pan-fried

Blanch zest in boiling water, then remove from water and set aside. To make the citrus glaze, place remaining ingredients, except salmon, in a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat until reduced to one-third. Strain through a fine sieve. If salmon is pan-fried, remove it from pan. Pour off excess oil, and deglaze pan with citrus glaze. Pour glaze over salmon, and garnish with zest. Serves 6. Tip: To cook salmon, rub both sides of the fillets with olive oil, then grill or pan-fry.

Steve,
I tried it, and made one change. I left out the lime zest and juice. Now it is perfect for that Alaskan Salmon, and Halibut. I thank you kindly!
Gary

I have had this dilemna before - i feel the need to use all the leftover pulp after juicing oranges. To date, I have had no luck finding recipes calling for it, but I will dig deeper. Meanwhile, use the pulp to begin a compote outside.
best wishes,
steve

Steve,
Thanks for your response about the orange pulp. I think I found a use for it other than composting.
I took about a cup of it, added a cup of pineapple juice and the juice of one lime and put it in the blender to break it down even more. Then, I added some honey to it and baked two boneless, skinless chicken breasts in it. We used the extra liquid the chicken cooked in to put over rice. It was delicious!!!
Joyce

Thanks-
Amy Kennedy

Amy,
the best recipe for shrimp and grits I know hails from Magnolia's in Charleston, SC. Luckily for all of us, they have their recipe for this dish posted on their website. Please visit it for the recipe. The URL is listed below.
Best of luck,
Steve

Magnolia's Shrimp & Grits