pennyaline wrote on 23 Apr 2005 in rec.food.cooking

> Alex Rast wrote:
>
> > A cast iron skillet does a better job of crisping. As for
> > perfectly
> flat
> > bacon - I find that eerily artificial.
>
> Bacon curls up because the meat fibers shorten. Snipping a strip
> of bacon at intervals can help it to lie flat while cooking --
> nothing artificial about that. What's more, bacon cooked in a
> conventional oven at lower temperatures lies nearly flat, is
> lovely and crisp, and significantly less of a burn and fire risk.
>
>
Bacon is best cooked in the oven...never curls.


>
> > I find that virtually all leftovers are more evenly reheated on
> > the stovetop or in the oven. And an oven does a LOT better job
> > with things
> that
> > need to be crisp (e.g. pizza), and things with pastry crusts
> > (i.e.
> pies).

I plan leftovers...I live alone and cook meals for 4...Freeze and nuke
the other 3 servings at various times during the week.


> Reheated pizza need not be crisp (especially breakfast pizza)! And
> who reheats pastries and pies??
>
>
> > [about getting the last bits from a jar] A spatula accomplishes
> > the
> same task in less time.
>
> I'm abashed, but I agree with you on this point.
>
>
>
> > Better results by steaming them.
>
> See my comments about time frame.
>
>
> > Invariably I find the hot potatoes do a good job of heating the
> > milk
> and
> > butter. And the cool dairy prevents the potatoes from being
> > scalding
> hot
> > when you bring them to the table. If you *had* to heat it,
> > though, I
> can't
> > see how the microwave would offer any advantage to stovetop.
>
> Mashed potatoes should not be scalding hot by the time they come
> to the table, no matter what temperature milk you use!
>
> Heating the milk and melting the butter does help to prevent
> potatoes from lumping.
>
>
> > That's where fresh meat is preferable anyway. I think of
> > freezing meat
> as
> > mostly a way of saving some large buy (in which case you can
> > plan to
> use it
> > up and integrate the cuts into the plan) or in order to buy
> > something unavailable unfrozen (which usually means you have a
> > specific plan for
> it
> > anyway). My experience with microwaves and meat defrosting also
> suggests
> > they do a poor job - much worse than putting it in the fridge.
>
> We can't all purchase fresh meat daily. Some of us... in fact I'll
> wager that most of us must freeze meat.
>
>
> And as the prior poster put it:
> > >Could I have accomplished these things without the microwave?
> > >Absolutely. Would the alternatives have been as effective, as
> > >fast,
> as
> > >easy? No way.
>
> To which Alex replied:
> > From my POV the alternatives seem to be just as fast and easy.
> > The
> things
> > the microwave seems to address are the problems of
> > absent-mindedness
> and
> > poor planning. My personal view is that these are issues better
> > solved
> by a
> > few trips through the school of Hard Knocks - a few disasters
> > and you
> learn
> > not to forget to do something, and also to think creatively when
> > you
> do
> > forget.
>
> Waaaaah. On the other hand: "...a few trips through the school of
> Hard Knocks...": ROTFLMAO!!
>
>
>
>



--
No Bread Crumbs were hurt in the making of this Meal.
Type 2 Diabetic Since Aug 2004
1AC- 7.2, 7.3, 5.5, 5.6 mmol
Weight from 265 down to 219 lbs. and dropping.
Continuing to be Manitoban