In article . com>,
"maxine in ri" > wrote:

> How about if you videotape yoursef cooking? Then you can review the
> tapes and figgur out what you did and how much of it you threw in.
>
> Sounds like you're gonna be one busy star on too many media outlets.
> Careful, or folks will get tired of seeing you.

Dying of overexposure? :-) Nah, I'm not worried. It will be over in
7 days, the Gedney folks are promoting Blueberry and Cherry Jams this
Fair, and Beth Campbell (the BlueberryJam Lady) and I are just making
the rounds for the PR folks. It's just how it works. Besides, they're
different audiences.

> Hope Sam enjoys her first fair. While you show her the wonders of
> country living, I'll be caring for my Mom back at her house, since they
> let her out on Sunday. Only 5 months for them to get her up and out of
> there.

Uffda!! That's a long time! Take care of both of you, Maxine.
-Barb
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Several notes since 8/18/05

In article >, Stan Horwitz
> wrote:

> In article >,
> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> >
> > It's good to be me. I hope it's not bad being you.
>
> More good days than bad days, so I can't complain. Will you be putting
> the video on your web site too? Congrats on the awards! You deserve them
> and I am sure they were well earned!

What video? Actually I think I can post video files (though I'm not
sure about the .avi format my camera kicks out) but on my connection it
would take till hell freezes over.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Several notes since 8/18/05

In article . com>,
"maxine in ri" > wrote:

> A billion electrons later, Melba's Jammin' said:
>
> > LOL! I know what went into them; just gotta
> > remember how much. And you
> > can't exactly measure frosting ingredients,
> > anyway. And a consultation
> > with Favorite Niece Sandra affirmed my
> > belief that I may hold back the
> > Secret. "-) So maybe they won't get the
> > WHOLE truth! "-)
> >
> > -Barb
>
> Weren't you just commenting on the ridiculousness of not giving out
> recipes, or giving out recipes missing some ingredient??? For Shame!
> (I'm just jealous becasue you're such a good cook!<g>)
>
> maxine in ri
>

Teasing above, too. I've posted the recipes to my website and will do
so here in a separate thread.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Several notes since 8/18/05

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> You are such a snot, Bubba. Really. Seriously. I'm prone to
> depression but have never been suicidal.

What?! You've just thrown away *at least* a dozen blue ribbons and
received just four measly black ones and you are not suicidal?! Have
you neither honour nor shame, woman?!

> Homicidal, maybe, when the
> Beet Boy knocks on the door. "-)

Yes, we all know about all those Beet Boys knocking on your door at all
hours, delivering bushels o' beets. Are you angry with one of them for
delivering less than stellar quality ones?

> Do you like pickled beets? I need to
> know because I'd hate to waste the postage if YOUR TRUE COLOR shown
> through and YOU don't eat them, either. Come to think of it, I've
> never seen you express much interest in them other than to needle me.

Never express interest? How about my borscht recipe I posted about a
thousand times? How about beets Trans-Volga-style I posted almost as
often? How about svekolnik, for which pickled beets are eminently
suitable? See the recipe below.

> Hmmmmm?? I gotta say, though, that the Beety Beauty schtick never fails
> to crack me up. Prevert. (And that's how it's spelled, by the by!)

I'm Jacques Prévert? But that means I've been dead for quite some time,
or else I've been channeling him.

Now about svekolnik (cold clear beet soup). Note: original svekolnik
was made with beet greens, but with no beetroots. Nowadays, it is a
vegetarian version of the Polish chlodnik, made with beetroots and,
often enough, and also with beet greens. The traditional recipe is
below, but svekolnik can be made with pickled beets and I do it often
enough. If using pickled beets, you will need the pickling liquid
(which is often identical to beet kvas (fermented beet juice)), as well
as a quantity of additional kvas. You can make your own kvas or buy it
if it is available (in Germany, it is sold at health food shops). If
you make the soup this way, there is no need to cook anything but eggs.
Wonderful in hot weather. It is bound to become your favourite.

Svekolnik (pronounced sveh-KOL-nik)

2-3 medium-sized raw beets with leaves (more, if desired)
1 l/1 qt beet 'broth,' i.e. liquid in which the beets were cooked
lemon juice to taste
sugar to taste
1 hard-boiled egg or just egg white, chopped if desired
50 g/1.6 oz spring onions, chopped
2-3 medium-sized cucumbers, diced
2 tablespoons sour cream
5 g/0.16 oz parsley, chopped
5 g/0.16 oz dill

Wash the beets, cut off and reserve the leaves and cook beets in water
with lemon juice added, until soft. Take the beets out, let cool and
peel them. Strain and chill the 'broth'. Julienne or dice the beets,
combine them with the 'broth,' add sugar, eggs, chopped beet leaves,
spring onions, and cucumbers. Mix in sour cream. Before serving,
garnish with parsley and dill. If desired, one can also add cooked
diced potatoes and/or peeled and diced raw apples.

It might be a good idea to add some beet kvass (fermented beet juice).
In Germany, I can find it bottled. If you can't, you can easily prepare
your own. Here are some typical recipes (of kvass and of simple
infusions):

Simple beet infusion

Peel the beets and grate them. Cover with boiling water and put in a
warm place for 3-4 days. The ratio of beets to water is 1:2 by weight.

Boiled beet infusion

Peel and coarsely grate the beets. Cover with a cup of hot meat broth,
add citric acid and bring to the boil over high heat. Take from the
heat and let stand for 30 minutes.

Beet-bread kvass

Cube 0.5 kg (a bit over one pound) black rye bread, cover with 1.5 l
(1.5 quart) warm boiled water, add 6 peeled and sliced beets and let
stand for 2 days (in the sun during the day and in a warm place during
the night. On the third day, strain.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> In article >, Jeff Bienstadt
> > wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>
>> > The good news: I placed in 10 of the 20 canning lots I entered and 1
>> > of
>> > the 3 baking lots. There really isn't any *bad* news.
>> >
>> > First place ribbons (canning) were for Blackberry Jelly, Cherry
>> > Amaretto
>> > Jam, and Bread & Butter Pickles (Yesss-s-s-s-!!). Winning the Bread &
>> > Butter lot for the third consecutive year means that I will not be
>> > allowed to compete in that lot for two years. (*^;^*) Ain't that a
>> > shame.
>> >
>>
>> [more entirely justified bragging snipped]
>>
>> Congrats, Barb. It's always fun to read your reports.
>>
>> ---jkb
>
> Thanks, Jeff. I've posted the Brownie recipe to my website,
> www.jamlady.eboard.com.
>
> Will post it here under a new subject line.

And thanks for that. I've already grabbed it and e-mailed it to my "home"
address :-)

---jkb

--
"Mmmm... forbidden donut."
-- Homer Simpson

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 14:55:10 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>The good news: I placed in 10 of the 20 canning lots I entered and 1 of
>the 3 baking lots. There really isn't any *bad* news.

<snip of really cool results at the Mini-soh-tah festivities>

<Clap!><Clap!><Clap!>

You make us proud, girlie!

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> The good news: I placed in 10 of the 20 canning lots I entered and 1 of
> the 3 baking lots. There really isn't any *bad* news.
>

<snip>

Congrats!

As if we had any doubt...

-L.

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

>The good news: I placed in 10 of the 20 canning lots I entered and 1 of
>the 3 baking lots. There really isn't any *bad* news.
>
It's now time for a real big "ATTAGIRL" bARB.

--
The Doc says my brain waves closely match those of a crazed ferret.
At least now I have an excuse.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >,
> wrote:
>
>
>>On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 14:55:10 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>The good news: I placed in 10 of the 20 canning lots I entered and 1 of
>>>the 3 baking lots. There really isn't any *bad* news.
>
>
>>You did great. What is the secret to your B&B pickles? Sounds like
>>you may have some secret ingredient.
>
>
> Thank you.
> I have no idea. "-) The water? Cheap cider vinegar?
> I like them about (digs through drawer for ruler) 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inch
> diameter. Not more than 2" diameter. Straight, firm, and fresh are
> always good. Unless you pick them yourself, you really don't know how
> fresh they are. I never pick my own. I buy what looks good at the
> market. Varietal? Color me Clueless. I slice them in the Cuisinart,
> 4mm thick, I think (Godalmighty, I gotta write some of this stuff down
> because every freakin' July I look at my set of blades, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm,
> 6mm and think, "OK, Dipstick, which WAS it!) Like I said, I've posted
> the recipe any number of times and I actually follow it. There's always
> brine/syrup leftover. Just had a thought: I may make a half batch of
> these suckers for Rob and NOT can them -- they'll stay in the fridge
> till who won't have it! (Every once in a while I come up with a good
> idea.)
>
> I brought some to a brunch at Margaret's a year or two ago and they
> weren't exactly snarfed down. Heathens.

No, not Heathens, just people who are not used to Bread & Butter Pickles.

In New York and the surrounding States, Jewish Pickles are the ones to
which we are used, New, Half Sour and Sour, if possible fresh out of
the barrel.

Sorry, although I seem to remember that you received many compliments
and that there was nothing or little left over.

On Sat 27 Aug 2005 06:44:08a, Margaret Suran wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> In New York and the surrounding States, Jewish Pickles are the ones to
> which we are used, New, Half Sour and Sour, if possible fresh out of
> the barrel.

I came across this recipe in a cookbook by Gil Marks, "Olive Trees and
Honey", in a quest for New and Half Sour dills (I don't care much for Full
Sours). It makes the best Kosher Dills I've had outside of a really good
Jewish deli.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Kosher Dill Pickles

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
24 the freshest 4-inch pickling cucumbers
8 cups soft water
1/2 cup kosher salt
12 sprigs fresh dill -- (12 to 16)
8 cloves garlic
16 whole peppercorns
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Soak the cucumbers in ice water for between 1 and 8 hours. Drain. Snip the
end not attached to the vine. In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the water
and salt. Simmer, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from heat and
cool.

Sterilize four 1-quart jars, lids and rubber rings. Divide the seasonings
among the jars. Pack 6 cucumbers upright in each jar.

For new pickles: Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers to cover,
leaving 1/2-inch headroom. Tightly cover the jars and shake. Place upside
down and leave overnight. If any liquid seeps from the jars, tighten the
lids. Place the jars lid side up. Refrigerate.

For half-sours: Place jars in a dark place at room temperature to ferment.
After 2 to 3 days, bubbles will rise in the liquid. Two to three days
later, bacteria begins souring the cucumbers, which remain bright green
outside. Refrigerate to slow fermentation.

For sour pickles: After 2 to 3 weeks, bubbles stop forming. Pickles are
greenish-brown. Refrigerate.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

In article >, x-no-archive: yes
wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> >The good news: I placed in 10 of the 20 canning lots I entered and 1 of
> >the 3 baking lots. There really isn't any *bad* news.
> >
> It's now time for a real big "ATTAGIRL" bARB.
>
> --
> The Doc says my brain waves closely match those of a crazed ferret.
> At least now I have an excuse.

Thanks, Gator.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Several notes since 8/18/05,
including the Blue Ribbon Brownie Recipe and a sad note added
this evening, 8/27/05.