OT - New Wireless Printer

On 1/16/12 12:34 AM, in article , "Joyce in RSA"
wrote:

On 2012/01/13 06:13 PM, Ellice K. wrote:


I often look at the ads for these gadgets, and wonder if they're worth
buying - it always looks so easy on TV! Your slicer, Ellice - I've
never heard of Oxo other than the meaty cubes! i suppose that's
available only in USA?

Joyce in RSA.

Ah, I don't know. But I'm putting link to them here. The slicer itself is
called a Mandoline, and until the past few years, really something only
serious cooks or chefs would have - as they're pretty dangerous tools. But,
the company OXO (not the ones who do the bouillion cubes) which has won a
lot of design awards, made what I think is the first relatively safe one.
Also known as OXO Good Grips. OXO specializes in kitchen/cooking accessories
that can be used by people with arthritis, have comfortable grips, etc. I
have several things from them - peelers, salad spinner, tongs. Anyhow -
here's the link to the OXO web site,& the mandoline. You can get a lot of
their stuff thru Amazon.
http://www.oxo.com/default.aspx
http://www.oxo.com/p-543-mandoline-slicer.aspx

Looks like on their website there is an international inquiry link ;^)

Ah, the things we find...

Ellice

That looks great, but way out of my league pricewise! Our exchange rate
makes a big difference!

Joyce in RSA.

Ah, yes - didn't think about that.

Ellice

On 1/16/12 8:01 AM, in article ,
" wrote:

On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0200, Joyce in RSA
wrote:

I had a wonderful trip, thoroughly enjoyed everything. I stayed in
Newcastle a couple of days, where Trish and her family treated me
royally, and Mike took me for lunch while I was in Canberra. I stayed
mostly in Perth with DD Margot, and met cousins I hadn't seen for more
than 50 years, if ever.

We had to move from Bethulie, because it's too small to have the
facilities one needs with age. We're now near DS in Johannesburg, where
we can have all the medical attention without 2 or more hours'
travelling. Still getting things organised, but mostly settled.

Cathy is now arranging for me to go to UK for my 80th birthday in March,
so it will be another eventful year!

That's a lovely time to go, all the spring flowers and the trees
flowering but you are going to be shell shocked when you see England


If you get the suet raw, you can see that it is genuine, and rendering
it down is easier than mincing, with all the membranes to contend with.

Joyce in RSA.

I am not sure that we get true suet here (should come from round the
kidneys I think) the suet here often has traces of blood in it.

Wow - the things the people here know. I just recently gave in and bought
rendered duck fat for cooking some potato & morels dish that we used to make
in France. Right next to it, I saw the netting stuff, I think it's called
something like "caul" - it's the membrane from sheep, again I think, and
some sausage casings. I just saw either something on Julia Child with
Master Chefs where they cooked something - a stuffed turkey leg (deboned)
and the guy wrapped it in this caul netting rather than tie it - so the fat
kept it basting, plus kept the whole thing together. Who knew.

So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork" phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

Ellice

On 1/17/2012 12:05 PM, Ellice K. wrote:
On 1/16/12 8:01 AM, in article ,
wrote:

On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0200, Joyce in RSA
wrote:


If you get the suet raw, you can see that it is genuine, and rendering
it down is easier than mincing, with all the membranes to contend with.

Joyce in RSA.

I am not sure that we get true suet here (should come from round the
kidneys I think) the suet here often has traces of blood in it.

Wow - the things the people here know. I just recently gave in and bought
rendered duck fat for cooking some potato& morels dish that we used to make
in France. Right next to it, I saw the netting stuff, I think it's called
something like "caul" - it's the membrane from sheep, again I think, and
some sausage casings. I just saw either something on Julia Child with
Master Chefs where they cooked something - a stuffed turkey leg (deboned)
and the guy wrapped it in this caul netting rather than tie it - so the fat
kept it basting, plus kept the whole thing together. Who knew.

So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork" phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

The only thing we use suet (beef suet) for is feeding the birds.

Nancy

On 1/17/12 1:11 PM, in article ,
" wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:05:24 -0500, "Ellice K."
wrote:


So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork" phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

Ellice

The pastry for steak and kidney pudding, and it's needed in mincemeat
for Xmas mincemeat pies (Canadians actually put meat in it but we used
all fruit) - make when fruits are cheap and preserve with the suet so
it doesn't start to ferment in the jars before Xmas.

Suet is usually from beef but can be from sheep. Pork I don't know.

OK - thanks. I had no idea, the only time I've seen it used was in bird
food to be hung out in the winter. Guess I just assumed it was from pork,
but interesting.

Ellice

On 1/17/2012 1:11 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:05:24 -0500, "Ellice
wrote:


So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork" phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

Ellice

The pastry for steak and kidney pudding, and it's needed in mincemeat
for Xmas mincemeat pies (Canadians actually put meat in it but we used
all fruit) - make when fruits are cheap and preserve with the suet so
it doesn't start to ferment in the jars before Xmas.

Suet is usually from beef but can be from sheep. Pork I don't know.

I've never made mincemeat pie from scratch so never used suet for that.
Once DGM went the condensed Nonesuch route I don't think anyone in the
family has made it from scratch. Instead we now order several
packages from Smuckers since none of the local grocery stores carry
it anymore. Mincemeat pie is a favorite around here and is eaten at
Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin and many other times of the year. In
fact half a pie is awaiting dinner tonight.

Nancy

On 1/17/12 1:32 PM, in article , "Nancy Spera"
wrote:

On 1/17/2012 1:11 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:05:24 -0500, "Ellice
wrote:


So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork" phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

Ellice

The pastry for steak and kidney pudding, and it's needed in mincemeat
for Xmas mincemeat pies (Canadians actually put meat in it but we used
all fruit) - make when fruits are cheap and preserve with the suet so
it doesn't start to ferment in the jars before Xmas.

Suet is usually from beef but can be from sheep. Pork I don't know.

I've never made mincemeat pie from scratch so never used suet for that.
Once DGM went the condensed Nonesuch route I don't think anyone in the
family has made it from scratch. Instead we now order several
packages from Smuckers since none of the local grocery stores carry
it anymore. Mincemeat pie is a favorite around here and is eaten at
Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin and many other times of the year. In
fact half a pie is awaiting dinner tonight.

Nancy
Can I come to your house??? I'm trying to get it together and head out for
the necessary minimal Costco run, including gas. And thinking about dinner
- I had planned chili, but forgot to soak the awesome dried bean mix I have,
so it's something else. We'll see. But, could do something with the
leftover pound from the roast lamb I did the other night.

In new or old cooking things - the other night at a friends, I got there
while only the teen & her buddies were present. With a can boiling away on
the stove (in a saucepan of water). It was sweetened condensed milk -
evidently this is the way they make caramel in her mother's family. When
mom came home - she checked, and well, the kid had the stuff boiling for 5
hours - according to Wikipedia (mom checked) it is some southern way to do
this, and should be about 2 hours - the kid said that her big sister told
her "I don't know, maybe 3 hours" so typically that meant ok - let's just
keep on going. Then it came out, quenched & she chilled it down in the
freezer. Kind of ended up like a sweet glob between caramel & pudding in
consistency. Don't think worth all the time on the stove, but hey...Anyone
else ever seen that?

Ellice

Brought up as a young child during WW11 in a small village. Keeping a
pig was a favourite thing for food in the winter time.
from September onwards it was a regular village activity to see a pig
slaughtered on a Sunday morning in the village pub yard. My grandfather
always had a pig.
if you are squeamish do not read any more.
The pig was stunned with a stun gun then had its throat cut. As the
blood flowed into a bucket it was stirred quickly to prevent it
clotting. The blood was used for making black pudding.

The pigs was covered in boiling water to assist in scraping all the
bristles of it. Then its insides were removed. The caul was from the
inside and was used for making savoury faggots using various bits of
meat like liver , sweetbreads, lights and melts.

The small intestine was washed thoroughly and used as sausage skins.
The large intestine was also washed thoroughly and boiled and was called
Hodge and eaten with salt and vinegar.

After hanging the carcase for a few days it was cut up. Some for fresh
pork but the rest was cured with saltpetre and salt and hung up to be
cured for bacon and ham. Since we did not have freezers in those days it
had to be preserved.

We were lucky to get some fresh pork from grandfather. Odd scraps pork
was made into pork pies and sausages.
Only the squeal was wasted. The bladder was used for filling with pork
fat but mainly given to the village boys who blew it up an allowed it to
dry and used it as a football

Seventy years on and I still can see how it was then.
Of course now people do not keep pigs to slaughter themselves due
regulations.

Shirley







On 17/01/2012 18:01, Nancy Spera wrote:
On 1/17/2012 12:05 PM, Ellice K. wrote:
On 1/16/12 8:01 AM, in article
,
wrote:

On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0200, Joyce in RSA
wrote:


If you get the suet raw, you can see that it is genuine, and rendering
it down is easier than mincing, with all the membranes to contend with.

Joyce in RSA.

I am not sure that we get true suet here (should come from round the
kidneys I think) the suet here often has traces of blood in it.

Wow - the things the people here know. I just recently gave in and bought
rendered duck fat for cooking some potato& morels dish that we used to
make
in France. Right next to it, I saw the netting stuff, I think it's called
something like "caul" - it's the membrane from sheep, again I think, and
some sausage casings. I just saw either something on Julia Child with
Master Chefs where they cooked something - a stuffed turkey leg (deboned)
and the guy wrapped it in this caul netting rather than tie it - so
the fat
kept it basting, plus kept the whole thing together. Who knew.

So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau
made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork"
phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

The only thing we use suet (beef suet) for is feeding the birds.

Nancy



--
Shirley
www.allcrafts.org.uk

On 17/01/2012 17:05, Ellice K. wrote:.

Wow - the things the people here know. I just recently gave in and bought
rendered duck fat for cooking some potato& morels dish that we used to make
in France. Right next to it, I saw the netting stuff, I think it's called
something like "caul" - it's the membrane from sheep, again I think, and
some sausage casings. I just saw either something on Julia Child with
Master Chefs where they cooked something - a stuffed turkey leg (deboned)
and the guy wrapped it in this caul netting rather than tie it - so the fat
kept it basting, plus kept the whole thing together. Who knew.

So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork" phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

Ellice


Pig's and lamb's caul was used for covering "savoury ducks" or "faggots"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(food) now unobtainable after the
BSE scare. Fortunately steak & kidney pudding is still easily obtainable
but the tastiest are the home-made versions, at least you know what's
gone into them.
Suet dumplings were a delicious addition to a thick beef stew. And don't
forget apple dumplings with custard - definitely not for weight watchers!
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
(Remove dentures to reply)

On 1/17/12 2:02 PM, in article , "Shirley
Shone" wrote:

Brought up as a young child during WW11 in a small village. Keeping a
pig was a favourite thing for food in the winter time.
from September onwards it was a regular village activity to see a pig
slaughtered on a Sunday morning in the village pub yard. My grandfather
always had a pig.
if you are squeamish do not read any more.
*snipping the well written details*

Seventy years on and I still can see how it was then.
Of course now people do not keep pigs to slaughter themselves due
regulations.

Shirley

*snip*

Thanks for sharing, Shirley. When I was very young, the family friends who
lived next to the house my grandparents had in Brooklyn (they no longer
lived there) still had a kosher butcher shop. My DM would regale us with
the tales of growing up with the neighboring grandfather and the chickens
running about, then what to them was both horrid & fascinating of the
chickens being killed. Only once did I get that thrill on some visit.

But, the first year I was working in France, I had gotten quite close with
my French counterpart. I lived in a small town (5000??), and it's pretty
rural - lots of geese, sheep raised in that area, as well as other things.
Anyhow, my pal Marc was from outside of Lyon, and his family had a farm &
restaurant. So, his home down near us (sort of north of Toulouse, South of
Limoge, edge of Bordeaux) was several kms outside of the town, in a mixed,
more rural area, and he actually raised some pigs - I think on property
shared with some uncle. I'd broken the social barrier, and been to a fair
amount of dinners, casual meals, parties with he & other folks who were now
friends. But, then came the big invitation - he was taking 2 days off work
- as it was the weekend-Tues that they slaughter the pigs. Yup, our head
tech went nuts when he found out that his boss has asked me to come to this
and warned me I'd not have fun. But, indeed, it was kind of a full-fledged
family affair - his young kids evidently were there, and they did pretty
much as you described. I believe someone with a license to put down the
animals came, and then Marc & his uncle did all this butchery - the extra
time being taken for hanging the pigs. It was way too much for me. IIRC
the techs were always a little annoyed with their boss, as they didn't get
why this engineer did some of these things, and, truth be told, he tended to
be quite thrifty with things when we'd do communal dinings out - so they
never let him pick the wine 'cause when he did it was usually horrid.

Shirley, your description really reminded me of this event...For me, I'm
glad I didn't see the animals being put down, but some of the rest, and then
the big sausage making party - that I was allowed to participate in. Once
was enough.

Ellice

On 1/17/12 2:08 PM, in article ,
"Bruce" wrote:

On 17/01/2012 17:05, Ellice K. wrote:.

Wow - the things the people here know. I just recently gave in and bought
rendered duck fat for cooking some potato& morels dish that we used to make
in France. Right next to it, I saw the netting stuff, I think it's called
something like "caul" - it's the membrane from sheep, again I think, and
some sausage casings. I just saw either something on Julia Child with
Master Chefs where they cooked something - a stuffed turkey leg (deboned)
and the guy wrapped it in this caul netting rather than tie it - so the fat
kept it basting, plus kept the whole thing together. Who knew.

So, what do you use the suet for?

I don't think I've ever used suet - but having grown up without cooking
pork, well.... Freaked me out the first time that in NM the then beau made
some dough with real lard. But, now if I'm in the "I'm eating pork" phase,
then I'll use it for some things.

Ellice


Pig's and lamb's caul was used for covering "savoury ducks" or "faggots"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(food) now unobtainable after the
BSE scare. Fortunately steak & kidney pudding is still easily obtainable
but the tastiest are the home-made versions, at least you know what's
gone into them.

I understand, I think, about using the caul. My father's mother would make
a tripe soup/stew thing that stunk up the whole house, and my father adored.
My DM would only let this happen about once a year. As for Steak & Kidney
pudding, I really, really, dislike it - something about the smell of the
kidney's puts me right off. I think that is the secret of why the first
XDH's SIL hated me. On our first day at their home in Richmond (outside of
London) she was quite thrilled to have prepared (not homemade, I'm sure),
Steak & Kidney pies, and I shiver to think of my reaction when the crust
broke on mine, and I began to wince.

True about the home-made things. I've gotten thru eating rillettes (which I
don't really like), and had kidneys done for me, personally by the chef
where I lived, but I couldn't get through more than a forkful. Strange, as
I do like liver, and cook calves liver, make chopped chicken liver (very
Jewish deli treat) - just not kidneys.

Suet dumplings were a delicious addition to a thick beef stew. And don't
forget apple dumplings with custard - definitely not for weight watchers!

As is often said on some cooking shows, you can't go wrong with bacon, or
natural fats cooked into things - it certainly does add taste. Yum - apple
dumplings with custard. I had some craving recently, and actually got a tin
of Bird's custard - for that easy custard with whatever dessert. DH
certainly didn't mind.

Ellice