[Italiancook]

BakerAunt, does "concentrated" beef stock mean it has to be diluted with water?

[Italiancook]

I had it right, but that's only because my guessing skills are becoming better.

[Italiancook]

Mike, the recipe I used, from Cook-Ahead Cookery, calls for a cup of wine & a cup of beef stock. I don't make my own beef stock -- I use it rarely. Like you, I use Merlot for cog-au-vin.

Glad to hear I didn't waste my time or ingredients with the Merlot.

I don't drink alcohol, so I'm happy you mentioned white wines. When I need one for a recipe, I never know what to buy. Usually, I use Sauvignon Blanc, because I heard it used on a cooking show. But I know nothing about what type of wine it is -- dry or not.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

I have tomorrow's dinner in the oven. Beef Merlot. That's Boeuf Bourguignon gone wrong. It's impossible to buy burgundy wine in this area, except in giant bottles. So I use Pinot Noir, which is readily available. When I was planning out my day last night, I discovered that my husband had purchased Bordeaux instead of Pinot Noir. I Googled and found out Bordeaux has red and white wine. So, I Googled to find out what substitutes for Pinot Noir. Merlot is one substitute, and we had a bottle of Merlot. So today I'm making Beef Merlot. I hope the finished product tastes alright.

[Italiancook]

I also guessed 10. My first thought was correct, but I decided to go with 10. I even debated with myself the high school teaching to go with your first guess when taking a quiz and you aren't sure of the correct answer. I threw that teacher's advice out the window even though it had served me well in college. I've never baked with corn syrup, but even if I had, I probably still would have clicked on 10.

[Italiancook]

I haven't wanted to cook or bake for the last 2 weeks, so I'm saying I was on a staycation. But this afternoon, I felt hungry with no suitable food. I had one red pepper, onions, and mayo. I made an onion dip and enjoyed it with sliced red pepper. I suppose this means my staycation is over.

[Italiancook]

Because "pome" is so close to pomodoro, I decided that must be the answer. I would never have guessed berry. Good question and choices, Mike!

[Italiancook]

It surprised me to learn carrots have more Vitamin A than sweet potatoes.

[Italiancook]

Chocomouse, I use grated zucchini only for zucchini bread. I'm not accomplished enough as a baker to try it in other baked goods. Thanks for sharing how you deal with the liquid from frozen zucchini. I guess I'll give frozen bananas another try, because I could also use that liquid to eyeball the batter. Thanks!

[Italiancook]

Chocomouse, when freeze zucchini, do you squeeze it dry first? If not, when you thaw it, do you add the thawed zucchini water to the recipe? I've never frozen zucchini, because I know it thaws out watery, & I wasn't sure what to do with the water. I quit freezing peeled bananas for the same reason. Thanks!

[Italiancook]

I made Irish Soda Bread a few decades ago. I don't think I had the best recipe. My husband is a big bread-eater, and he didn't ask me to make it again. I'm sure there are now better ones on the Internet, probably at KAF.

[Italiancook]

Count me out. I never acquired a taste for corned beef, but I sure love cooked cabbage.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, BakerAunt, for the update. I had been wondering how you and your husband were doing with it. I didn't know you were planning on doing the painting yourselves. That's quite a task. I understand your disappointment over Easter. Hopefully, everything will be done in time for a Memorial Day cookout.

[Italiancook]

I buy my chicken from a meat market, because they sell ones without hormones and (I think) without antibiotics. They're pricey, but for medical reasons, I need to avoid the hormones and the antibiotics. So when I check-out and pay, I write it up as a medical expense. Fortunately, they're still selling a good product.

I ordered chicken breasts at a different meat market for the first time. I didn't specify that I wanted them from a 3-1/2 pound chicken. I ended up with meat weighing 14-16 ounces each (my guess). I had never before seen such large chicken parts. They were for the slow cooker, so they worked out fine and tasted normal in spite of their size. I didn't know beforehand that chickens were allowed to grow so big.

[Italiancook]

I am SO glad you're back online and posting here. I've been worried that you had lab tests that came back iffy in spite of your journey with reducing saturated fat. Sorry to hear you incurred computer repair expense. I'm glad the tech could fix it.

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