Custom Search

2001

TODAY's CASES:

Apple City Baby Back Ribs

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Guy 
  To: phaedrus 
  Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 12:41 PM
  Subject: Question-

  I have been looking for the address, phone and webpage (if they have one)
  for Apple City Baby Back Ribs.

  Can you help?

      Thanks    
      Guy

Hi Guy,

Well, I could not locate a web site for apple city baby back ribs, just recipes. I also found the recipe in the "Smoke and Spice" cookbook, with no mention of a company. I think that perhaps there isn't an apple city baby back ribs company, that it's just a recipe. The recipe is below.

Phaed

  Apple City Baby Back Ribs
  Smoke and Spice

  1 1/2 cups apple cider -- or juice
  3/4 cup cider vinegar 
  1/2 medium onion -- minced 
  1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
  1 tablespoon oil 
  1 teaspoon dried thyme 
  2 slabs baby back ribs (approx 3 lbs total) 

  Apple Rib Rub

  1/4 cup brown sugar
  4 teaspoons onion powder 
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  1 teaspoon dry mustard 
  1 teaspoon salt 
  1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 

  Apple Rib Mop (optional)

  1 1/2 cups apple cider -- or juice
  1/2 cup cider vinegar 
  4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 

  Apple City Sauce 

  1/4 cup butter
  1 medium onion -- minced 
  2 1/2 cups apple juice -- or cider 
  2 tablespoons dark molasses -- unsulphured 
  2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
  2 tablespoons cider vinegar 
  2 tablespoons tomato paste 
  1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
  1/2 teaspoon salt 

  The night before you plan to barbecue, combine the soak ingredients 
  in a large lidded jar. Place the slabs or ribs in a plastic bag or 
  shallow dish and pour the marinade over the ribs. Refrigerate them 
  overnight. Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature 
  to 200 - 220 degrees. 

  Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and drain them, discarding the 
  marinade. In a bowl, mix together the dry rub ingredients and pat the 
  ribs with about half the mixture. Let the ribs sit at room temperature 
  for 25 to 30 minutes. 

  If you plan to baste the meat, mix together the cider, vinegar 
  and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan. Warm over low heat. 

  Transfer the meat to the smoker. Cook the ribs for approximately 
  3 hours, turning and basting them with the mop every hour in a 
  wood burning pit, or as appropriate in your style of smoker. 
  About 45 minutes before the ribs are done, brush them with Apple City 
  Sauce and repeat the step shortly before you remove the meat from the 
  smoker.

  When the slabs are ready, the meat will bend easily between the ribs, 
  and the sauce will be gooey and sticky and caramelized in spots. 
  Allow the slabs to sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing them into 
  individual ribs. Serve with more sauce on the side. 

  The Sauce: In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. 
  Add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes, until onion is softened. 
  Mix in the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and cook the 
  mixture until it reduces by abou one-quarter, approximately 30 minutes. 
  Stir frequently. Serve the sauce warm.
 

Pistachio Ice Cream

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Pat 
  To: phaedrus
  Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2001 6:50 PM
  Subject: pistachio ice cream receipe

  7/22/01
  Phaedrus:
  I would like to know if you could find a receipe for
  pistacchio ice cream that is like what I had when I was
  a small girl. It would be in the 1940's. The best I ever
  had was from King Cole Ice Cream located in Utica, NY.
  I tried the receipe in Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook but 
  it was too heavily flavored with the nuts.
  I tried Ben and Jerry's but it was too bland.
  Hope you can help.
  Thank you.
  Patricia 
  

Hi Patricia,

Well, pistachio was not a common flavor for ice cream in the south where I grew up in the 1950s. I have eaten pistachio ice cream, but not enough to know good from mediocre. I'm sure you know Emeril Lagasse, the TV chef? Although Emeril made his name in New Orleans, he was originally from Massachusetts. He has a pistachio ice cream recipe that is supposed to be very good. I'm sending you two recipes, his is the top one.

Phaed

  Pistachio Ice Cream

  Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001
  1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios 
  1 cup sugar 
  2 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat) 
  3 cups heavy cream 
  12 large egg yolks 
  1/2 teaspoon almond extract 
  1 cup whipped cream, for garnish 
  1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted, coarsely chopped, for garnish 
  
  Finely grind 1 cup of the pistachios and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food
  processor, being careful not to turn the mixture into butter. Bring the 
  milk and cream to a boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. 

  Combine the egg yolks and remaining 1/2-cup sugar in a mixing bowl and 
  whisk to blend. Gradually whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the 
  eggs. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream into the 
  hot cream in the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 
  until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and 
  reaches 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes. 

  Remove from the heat and strain into a large bowl. Add pistachio mixture 
  and almond extract. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the 
  surface to keep a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator for 
  at least 2 hours. 

  Remove from the refrigerator and pour into the bowl of an ice cream 
  machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. After 
  the ice cream is made, transfer to an airtight container and freeze 
  until ready to serve. 

  Garnish with whipped cream and toasted pistachios.

  Yield: about 2 quarts
  Prep Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
  Cooking Time: 20 minutes
  ---------------------------------------------------
  Pistachio Ice Cream
  
  2 1/2 c Milk
  3 Eggs
  1 c Sugar
  1 c Whipping cream, whipped
  1 1/4 c Pistachio nuts.
  1 tb Pure vanilla extract
  1 tb Pure almond extract

  BLANCH the nuts by placing in a bowl for one minute and pouring boiling 
  water over it (the nuts should be out of the shells). Drain and peel. 
  BLEND the nuts, the milk, the eggs, and the sugar until you have a 
  green smooth liquid. Pour into a saucepan. COOK over low heat until 
  the custard thickens, about 25 minutes or so. Do not boil or it will 
  curdle. 
  COOL. When cool, add vanilla and almond extracts. Stir. 
  FOLD in whipped cream.

  FREEZE in an ice cream maker or in a container or bowl in your freezer. 
  If you use the bowl in freezer method, you should pull the bowl out 
  2 or 3 times and mix the mixture with a mixer. The frozen custard on 
  the sides of the bowl should be moved into the rest of the mixture. 
  This incorporates air and breaks up ice crystals.

  This ice cream takes a LOT of time, particularly considering that you 
  have to blanch the nuts. If you don't mind lots of peel in your ice cream, 
  you can pass, but this makes a really unsavory ice cream.

  If you've never had homemade ice cream before, you will be surprised at 
  the richer, tastier, smoother, and denser ice cream a homemade version 
  will give you. You will have to soften it before scooping it, as real 
  ice cream always requires.
 

Balsamic Vinegar

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: ed
  To: phaedrus 
  Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2001 8:48 AM
  Subject: Why "balsamic?"

Why exactly is balsamic vinegar called "balsamic?" Learned people in the cooking business have been unable to tell me.

Ed

Hello Ed,

The name "balsamic" ("balsamico" in Italian) comes from the fact that the vinegar has a strong smell of balsam. Balsam is the resin exudation of certain trees and has been used to make cough syrups and the like in the Mediterranean area for centuries. The "balsamic" odor of balsamic vinegar comes from the wood that is used to make the barrels that the vinegar is stored and aged in. This wood comes from the same kinds of trees that exude the balsam resin. Balsamic vinegar originated in the area of Modena, Italy.

Phaed


Musty Smelling Basements

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Camille
  To: phaedrus 
  Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 10:56 AM
  Subject: (no subject)

  What is the best way to rid a finished basement of a musty smell? 
  Thanks 
 

Hi Camille,

Well, lessee. I'm assuming by finished, you mean that the walls have been covered. I have a few tips.

The mustiness is caused by moisture. The ultimate solution is to get the basement dry and keep it that way. The best way to do that is to remove the finishing from the walls and seal them with a good waterproof sealer, then replace the finishing, if you wish.

The medium-term solution is to put a dehumidifier in the basement to take the moisture out of the air. This can be very successful or it can also be almost useless, depending on your particular basement. There's a special kind of dehumidifier that works better than ordinary ones. It's called a "Humidex". See this link: Humidex
If you can open up the basement and let outside air circulate through it for a time, that may help, too. The short-term quick solution to just the odor problem is:
Mop concrete floor and walls with a bleach solution (3/4 cups of household bleach to a gallon of water). Rinse and dry after 5 minutes. Open windows when applying the bleach solution.

Also, place a lump of dry charcoal in an open tin/metal container to absorb odors.

Phaed


Queen Margot AKA La Reine Margot

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Camille
  To: phaedrus 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 3:32 PM
  Subject: Films

  I recently saw Queen Margot with Isabelle Adjani. THe film is based on a book 
  by Alex Dumas. I wanted to see if the film was historically correct or if the 
  producers took many liberties with history. I am trying to get the book but 
  can not find it. Any ideas? 
  Camille 
 

Hi Camille,

Amazon has the book. It's listed under the original French title of "La Reine Margot"

See

La Reine Margot

Phaed

""


Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Phaedrus