[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Italian Cook. I've printed the recipe. One of these days I will try it. I'm thinking that she must have used coarse salt, which is why the recipe was so salty. Cutting it in half for standard salt is probably the way to go.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks skeptic7. When I get around to baking the recipe, I'll post my results. I'm not sure that my husband would eat it, which is why I asked if it could be frozen. Possibly I would try making it in two small Bundt pans.

[BakerAunt]

We are actually doing our family Thanksgiving on Saturday, since my husband, the dog, and I will be making a quick trip to California, and eating dinner there with some of my family.

There will be at least four of us, and maybe five. The menu:

Turkey
Pepprridge Farm Stuffing (made with my homemade broth, some celery, and parsley; onion omitted for husband.)
Green Bean Casserole--and some kind of vegetable for my husband who does not like GBC
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (I'd skip it with the stuffing but my stepdaughter loves them.)
Dried Cherry-Cranberry-Cardamom Relish (which only I will eat--hey, more for me!)
Applesauce (homemade of course)
Pumpkin Pie (my variation of my mother's recipe; I'll try the buttermilk crust with it)
Small Eggnog Cakes made in my Nordic Ware Thanksgiving mini-loaf pans My stepdaughter does not care for pumpkin pie, and she can also take some home with her. We can eat the rest on our trip west.)

• This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I'm somewhat puzzled that the first chef does not seem to realize that interest in whole grain bread has been around for some time now. I do like his point about varieties of wheat flour, and I'm glad that the place is experimenting with them, and perhaps encouraging more varieties to be grown.

At that price, I won't be eating dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns either.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Skeptic7. Your comments on the recipe are helpful. Do you think that the cake would freeze well?

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic 7: Is this election cake similar to the recipe in the link I posted under "Make America Cake Again"? I had no time to try it last week, so I've put it off for another time. How did you like the taste and texture once it baked?

[BakerAunt]

Luvpyrpom--I usually use 1/2 tsp. or so of smoked paprika with my pot roast.

[BakerAunt]

To cut costs, I re-use parchment when I can. For the cookies I baked this weekend, I scraped off any crumbs, and I will reuse the parchment for other cookies or scones. It only works for recipes that do not have a heavy amount of fat.

Be sure to check the heat rating on whatever parchment you buy. Some are not suitable for higher temperatures.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for letting us know about this company's excellent service and appreciation for its customers.

[BakerAunt]

If you re-heat the rice in the microwave, it won't be clumpy.

[BakerAunt]

I have used chicken stock in place of water in the rice cooker, and all was fine. I usually cook rice to have with something else, so I don't usually worry about flavor. However, there are various kinds of rice around (brown, red, black) that all give a great flavor. Sometimes I mix them.

Welcome to the world of rice cookers--what Roger Ehbert called "The Pot" in his book on the rice cooker. He used his for all kinds of cooking. I also like it for steaming broccoli.

[BakerAunt]

Well, a gallon of milk is still a gallon of milk. And a pound of butter is still a pound of butter (but a lot more expensive). It helps if the quantity is identified with the product. Otherwise, the incredible shrinking act kicks in.

[BakerAunt]

I also keep my opened yeast (regular active and the higher sugar one) in the freezer. I have that acrylic jar with the locking lid that KAF sells. It won't hold two pounds of yeast, but I can put the excess in Tupperware. I use it straight from the freezer with no problem. I always proof it, having had a bad experience when I first baked bread, even though I know that the prevailing wisdom is that it is not necessary. I enjoy seeing it bubble up before I add the rest of the ingredients.

For me, it works best not to freeze dough, since if I've got time to take it out, let it come to room temperature and rise, I might as well have baked it first. It's easier for me to pull out a frozen loaf or rolls and let them thaw overnight. I just have to watch my husband who has been known to attack a frozen loaf with a bread knife because he did not tell me we needed to thaw another loaf. I think that cutting it while frozen compromises the thawing, the taste, and the texture.

[BakerAunt]

Barley flour is sweet, but it is low in gluten, so if using it, do not substitute in too much. I've not tried it in yeast bread, but I do recommend the barley scones and the large soft barley cookies in the KAF Wholegrain Cookbook. Even those call for some unbleached flour.

[BakerAunt]

Cwcdesign, it was our intrepid Mrs. Cindy. I emailed her about it, and she sent me a chuckle back!

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