[Italiancook]

I would have stretched & folded if I would have had some semblance of a dough. As it was, I had a stick-to-the-hands mess. I couldn't even get it out of the bowl without a scraper. When I plopped it into the greased bowl, my hope was that the flour would absorb the excess water during the proofing time. That somewhat happened. But, it still needed the little extra flour I worked into it on the board. I ate one of the rolls with soup for dinner, and the roll was delicious. I'm really pleased that sliced, no one would ever tell I had a dilemma. Hubby had a roast beef sandwich on a roll. He reports no complaints.

I have been in search for a replicate of an onion roll I had as a guest at a Madrigal Dinner at a high school in another state decades ago. It's taste has lingered with me. Over the years, I've tried every onion roll I can find in stores -- even when traveling. None have compared. The KAF Onion Bun is the closest I've come to the taste. But the one I'm searching for is softer. More like an onion dinner roll than a sandwich roll. So, the search goes on.

[Italiancook]

I baked KAF Onion Buns for sandwiches. I made a rookie mistake, and I know better. KAF offers a range of water, with instructions to use higher amount in winter. So I dumped in the whole 1 cup water, and it was too much. Even though I didn't really have a dough, I used my plastic scraper to plop it all into the greased bowl for rising. That gave me time to think about how to rectify the problem given I didn't have anymore KAF AP flour.

The recipe says to roll dough out on a lightly greased surface. I figured that meant the dough would shrink back when rolled. Nevertheless, I put Gold Medal flour on the board instead of oil. The dough had risen, and I gently kneaded in enough flour to take away some of the stickiness of the dough. Not all. I didn't want to work the dough so much it needed to rise again. It worked, and I have 8 beautiful sandwich rolls. Have no idea what they look like inside as I won't use these until tonight.

[Italiancook]

My guess was wrong.

[Italiancook]

I tried a tasteofhome.com recipe. It's titled, Grandma's Honey Muffins. I reduced salt by 50%. Used the 1/2 cup sugar called for (half sugar, half white Splenda), but next time, I'll only use 1/3 cup sugar. I had a problem mixing the honey into the wet ingredients and then into the dry. I left behind too much of this precious, endangered ingredient. One reviewer said to heat honey in microwave to make it mix in better, and that's what I'll do next time. The muffins are good, and I was pleased with the oven rise.

[Italiancook]

I'm making Mariola from The Romangnolis Table for a light dinner. I just made the omelet pieces that go in the soup. Recipe calls for 5 cups chicken broth. I'm going to use 4 cups chicken and 1 cup beef broth.

[Italiancook]

I used Melissa D'Arabian's (Food Network) recipe for skirt steak, and we all enjoyed it. I wasn't sure of the difference between skirt steak and flank steak, so I looked online. According to kitchen.com, there is a difference, but they can usually be used interchangeably in recipes. Below is the link to Melissa's recipe that I used, French Cut Steak. Maybe it would work with flank steak.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/french-cut-steak-recipe-1949683

[Italiancook]

I made a Texas Chocolate Cake for my computer tech. Normally, I make him (and his colleagues) Double Chocolate Brownies, but I still haven't purchased chocolate chips. Nevertheless, they have a good snack. Making the cake this time was easier than the one I posted about recently. I measured everything for the frosting before I started the cake. That made the frosting less time-crunched to make. But I started cooking the frosting too soon. Partly, because the caked needed 4 extra minutes baking time. Partly, because I was unsure of how much time it'd take. The frosting was on the stove too long, and I think too much water from the milk and butter evaporated. The frosting was thicker than last time. I was in a hurry to get cake done and cooled, so I used the thicker frosting. I'm sure I'm the only one who knows the difference. My husband has eaten what I didn't give the tech, and he hasn't complained.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

I knew this, but I managed to choose the wrong answer. I was in a hurry is my excuse.

[Italiancook]

This is fascinating, Mike. Thanks for the photos. I'm looking forward to next week's bread tests.

[Italiancook]

Mike, do you buy the frozen creamed chipped beef or make it yourself? My husband has been buying the frozen version for his breakfasts. When we were first married, I mixed a package of chipped beef with cream cheese, and we ate those on bagels for lunches. Since hubby and I are in a nostalgic mood with chipped beef, I wonder if they still sell it in the dry packages. Haven't found it yet. If you buy it dry and make it creamed, would you please share the name of the brand chipped beef you're buying.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

Nancy, thanks for the suggestion. I read in reviews that she has info on buying slow cookers. I'll be interested in reading that. I bought the 6 quart cooker on sale at Christmas. My plan was to make Ree Drummand's (Food Network) slow cooker ribs, but that hasn't happened yet.

Skeptic, I've been wondering this since you first mentioned cooking bread in the slow cooker. What do you do about all the water that accumulates on the bottom of the lid and falls back into the pot? Do you cover the cooker with a towel before putting the lid on?

BakerAunt, like you, I haven't had good success with beef and pork in the slow cooker. It's not to my liking. I also haven't been happy with chicken. I recently learned from a Food Network recipe that I've been cooking the chicken too long in the slow cooker. Eventually, I'm going to do a chicken again, following that recipe. If it comes to the proper temp in less time and is better quality, I'll know for sure I was wrong.

I cooked a large chicken breast in the slow cooker from an online recipe. I added a little chicken broth to the bottom of the pot on a friend's suggestion. Recipe didn't say to do that. I cooked it the time the recipe said, and we were pleased with it. Trisha Yearwood (Food Network) has a recipe for a pork roast that I may try to see if my timing was also wrong on that. I won't try another beef roast unless I have a specific recipe, because it's too much money not to be happy with the results.

Overall, I don't mind tending a pot on the stove. I find it fun to stir every once in a while. But I do see the advantages of slow cooker cooking, and would like to expand into that.

[Italiancook]

I missed this. I rarely buy ground beef. When I do, I look for leanest. At least now, I know what it's costing me.

[Italiancook]

I've never eaten a fava bean, but I picked up the correct answer from Food Network.

[Italiancook]

Thanks for the info, Mike, on the cake. I think your modification of coating pan in cocoa is much better than using flour. I used flour. When I cut two pieces for neighbors, I had to cut off the floury edge before I could take it to them. I compared my stepmother's recipe to the one you use. There are some differences. Below is beloved stepmother's recipe. I don't know where it's from or how old.

TEXAS CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 sticks oleo
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend sugar & flour & set aside. Bring to a boil, oleo, cocoa & butter. Pour over flour & sugar mixture. Add buttermilk, eggs, cinnamon, baking soda & vanilla. Mix well with mixer. Pour into a greased and floured pan. Bake at 360 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. The last few minutes of baking, prepare the frosting.

As a separate note, she says the pan size should be 17 x 9 x 2", but she always made it in my grandmother's cake pan, which is what I used. It measures 8-1/2 x 13 x 1-1/4". I had just enough frosting for it without it being too thick. I'm thinking, but don't know for sure, that for the larger sized pan, a double batch of frosting may be needed, but that may be too much. Maybe 1-1/2 batch.

TEXAS CAKE FROSTING

Bring to a boil:

4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick oleo
6 tablespoons milk (she used regular milk, not buttermilk)

Remove from heat and add 3 cups confectioner's sugar. Beat with a mixer. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla & a heaping 1 cup of chopped nuts.

Remove cake from oven and pour the hot icing over the hot cake. If this is too thick to spread, add a little more milk.

[Italiancook]

I made lamb soup a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't authentic, apparently, because I missed this. The soup was good, but too rich for how much I made. We had a hard time finishing it. If I ever make it again, I'll halve the recipe.

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