On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 20:40:24 +1300, Daisy >
wrote:

>I'm so sorry if I hit a nerve. It was totally unintended. I have
>to admit to not being a sweet-tooth, and I really and truly do find a
>lot of food additives in the US overly sweet. When one is travelling
>or vacationing in condos, etc. purchasing mayonnaise to accompany
>salads is essential. And this was where I found the American stuff so
>very sweet.

These things happen. I have traveled quite a bit and there is always
something surprising in cuisines one finds abroad. Take, Thai food,
for example...it is a fine balance between sweet, sour, spicy, salt
and bitter. The sweetness, balanced as it is, has always struck me as
odd...though not so much that I have not done my best to cook Thai at
home and do my best to achieve the particular balance that each dish
requires.


>>
>>> I can't tolerate American
>>> mayonnaise because of the sugar content either.
>>
>>
>>If it has sugar in it, then I don't think it is mayonnaise. Neither the
>>mayo in my fridge or the most common US brand have sugar. There is
>>something called Miracle Whip which some people like. It looks like
>>mayo and is used in similar ways. It has sugar in it:
>>
>>Ingredients: WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, VINEGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP,
>>SUGAR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, EGGS YOLKS, SALT, MUSTARD FLOUR, ARTIFICIAL
>>COLOR, POTASSIUM SORBATE AS A PRESERVATIVE, SPICE, PAPRIKA, NATURAL
>>FLAVOR, DRIED GARLIC.

There is, indeed, sugar in the most popular may in the US. IT is
called Hellman's in the eat here, and Best's in the west from their
webpages:


"INGREDIENTS: SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR,
SALT, SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT
QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS."
>>
>>

Boron

Daisy wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 23:01:53 GMT, Dan Abel > wrote:
> >
> >Have you eaten a fruit cake in the US? Perhaps they are different?
>
> I never even saw a fruit cake in the US - anywhere. I tried
> specialist cake shops in New York and Boston - no luck. And I asked,
> believe me. There were plenty funny reactions, as if the words fruit
> cake denote something hilariously funny to Americans.
> >
> >


Fruitcake is a "holiday" cake here. You'll only find it in bakeries
and on store shelves from around the first of December to perhaps the
first of Janurary. And it is looked on with much distain from quite a
few Americans as many of them are horrible concoctions.
> >
> >
> >Obviously you have a typo in your recipe, kind of a funny one for
> >someone like myself with a perverted sense of humor. 6 pounds of sugar
> >in a 7 inch pan is not cake, it's a brick of sugar.
>
> Yes of course it is a typo. It is 8 oz of brown sugar as everyone who
> cooks anything would recognise at once.
>
>
It's your recipe, how would we know what the _correct_ measurement
would be if we were unfamiliar with this particular version of
fruitcake? Proof-reading anything posted is quite the useful tool.

On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:43:20 +1300, Daisy >
wrote:

>On 27 Oct 2005 15:26:34 +0200, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:
>
>>On Thu 27 Oct 2005 01:37:24a, Daisy wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>> I am given to understand that Americans are not greatly into festive
>>> fruit cakes, and the recipe given has only ONE egg! I have never made
>>> a really rich festive fruit cake without using at least 5 eggs.
<snip>
>I didn't understand the reason for the lack of popularity for these
>wonderful cakes,

I do enjoy some when it crosses my path. It's just that fruitcake
rates merely "OK," and I wouldn't go out of my way to acquire any or
make it.

Except panforte. Now there's a fruitcake to get excited about.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:43:20 +1300, Daisy >
> wrote:
>
>>On 27 Oct 2005 15:26:34 +0200, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu 27 Oct 2005 01:37:24a, Daisy wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>
>>>> I am given to understand that Americans are not greatly into
>>>> festive
>>>> fruit cakes, and the recipe given has only ONE egg! I have never
>>>> made
>>>> a really rich festive fruit cake without using at least 5 eggs.
> <snip>
>>I didn't understand the reason for the lack of popularity for these
>>wonderful cakes,
>
> I do enjoy some when it crosses my path. It's just that fruitcake
> rates merely "OK," and I wouldn't go out of my way to acquire any or
> make it.
>
> Except panforte. Now there's a fruitcake to get excited about.

Fruit cake is excellent eaten with a good cheese

In article >,
Boron Elgar > wrote:


> >>If it has sugar in it, then I don't think it is mayonnaise. Neither the
> >>mayo in my fridge or the most common US brand have sugar. There is
> >>something called Miracle Whip which some people like. It looks like
> >>mayo and is used in similar ways. It has sugar in it:
> >>
> >>Ingredients: WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, VINEGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP,
> >>SUGAR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, EGGS YOLKS, SALT, MUSTARD FLOUR, ARTIFICIAL
> >>COLOR, POTASSIUM SORBATE AS A PRESERVATIVE, SPICE, PAPRIKA, NATURAL
> >>FLAVOR, DRIED GARLIC.
>
> There is, indeed, sugar in the most popular may in the US. IT is
> called Hellman's in the eat here, and Best's in the west from their
> webpages:
>
>
> "INGREDIENTS: SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR,
> SALT, SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT
> QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS."


Sorry, I looked at the same web site yesterday and didn't see it. I
think I need to clean my glasses, because it's sure there today.

I looked in my fridge again, and the stuff in there (Western Family)
doesn't list it.

--
Dan Abel

Petaluma, California, USA

On Sat 29 Oct 2005 11:41:12a, Ophelia wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "Curly Sue" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:43:20 +1300, Daisy >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>On 27 Oct 2005 15:26:34 +0200, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Thu 27 Oct 2005 01:37:24a, Daisy wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>
>>>>> I am given to understand that Americans are not greatly into
>>>>> festive fruit cakes, and the recipe given has only ONE egg! I have
>>>>> never made a really rich festive fruit cake without using at least
>>>>> 5 eggs.
>> <snip>
>>>I didn't understand the reason for the lack of popularity for these
>>>wonderful cakes,
>>
>> I do enjoy some when it crosses my path. It's just that fruitcake
>> rates merely "OK," and I wouldn't go out of my way to acquire any or
>> make it.
>>
>> Except panforte. Now there's a fruitcake to get excited about.
>
> Fruit cake is excellent eaten with a good cheese

I'd never heard that until you said it in another thread. Will have to try
it with the new cakes.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/eikz78.jpg

Meet Mr. Bailey

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
-snip-
> In the US, I think the main objection to candied and glacéed fruits is
> based on the quality available, most of which is poorly produced.

Nonsense. I can't imagine who told you that. We *love* to experiment
with untested, unpredictable, possibly carcinogenic chemicals in our
foodstuffs. We particularly enjoy foods like our candied cherries,
which offer colors never before seen in nature or art.
Shoot, I bet your fruitcakes taste like fruit, nuts, and stuff like
that...

> Unlike
> the UK, candied and glacéed fruits usually only appear in the stores inthe
> Fall, and for a rather short period of time.

True. And every fruitcake season it's the same: "Now, what was I'm
supposed to do with these sticky expensive globs of putative
edibles?..."

> USians are relatively unaccumstomed to using them. Apart from fruitcakes,
> candied peels are often only seen in hot cross buns during the Easter season.

Have you ever _tasted_ our candied peels?
You'd quickly become relatively unaccustomed to using them, too.

Daisy wrote:
> I didn't understand the reason for the lack of popularity for these
> wonderful cakes, but one respondent alleges the fruit makes these
> cakes way too sweet. This from an American? I cannot cope with soft
> drinks (Coke, Fanta, 7-up, etc) when I am in the US - apart from Dr
> Pepper which is sugarless I believe. I can't tolerate American
> mayonnaise because of the sugar content either. So the idea that an
> American could find a traditional rich fruit cake too sweet seems odd
> to me.

The fruitcake habit seems to have died out over my lifetime. For
those who want sweet, we can get sweet baked goods from grocery stores,
quickie marts, and vending machines absolutely everywhere, so we don't
have a pent-up need for sugar. Many of my fellow Americans don't enjoy
complex flavors in sweet or savory foods. (Ask me how I know this...)


>
> Anyway, here is my recipe - tried and tested over many years. The
> ingredients are given for a basic size 8 inch round or 7 inch square
> tin. The recipe for other sized tins are at the end.

Thanks, I've saved it and we're going to try it. :^)


> Carthage demands an explanation for this insolence!

...found on a partially burned scrap of parchment sealed in glass?

On Mon 31 Oct 2005 04:57:06a, wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> -snip-
>> In the US, I think the main objection to candied and glacéed fruits is
>> based on the quality available, most of which is poorly produced.
>
> Nonsense. I can't imagine who told you that. We *love* to experiment
> with untested, unpredictable, possibly carcinogenic chemicals in our
> foodstuffs. We particularly enjoy foods like our candied cherries,
> which offer colors never before seen in nature or art.
> Shoot, I bet your fruitcakes taste like fruit, nuts, and stuff like
> that...
>
>> Unlike
>> the UK, candied and glacéed fruits usually only appear in the stores in
>> the Fall, and for a rather short period of time.
>
> True. And every fruitcake season it's the same: "Now, what was I'm
> supposed to do with these sticky expensive globs of putative
> edibles?..."
>
>> USians are relatively unaccumstomed to using them. Apart from
>> fruitcakes, candied peels are often only seen in hot cross buns during
>> the Easter sea son.
>
> Have you ever _tasted_ our candied peels?
> You'd quickly become relatively unaccustomed to using them, too.

FWIW, I buy candied and glaceed fruit and peels from a specialty source
that bears no resemblance to the crappy commercial varieties sold in the
stupidmarkets.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/eikz78.jpg

Meet Mr. Bailey

Daisy wrote:
> -snip-
> I can't tolerate American
> mayonnaise because of the sugar content either. So the idea that an
> American could find a traditional rich fruit cake too sweet seems odd
> to me.

Next time you visit the U.S., be sure to specify that you want
*mayonnaise. The food you were given used an icky sweetened
mayo-lookalike called "salad dressing".

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
-snip-
> > Have you ever _tasted_ our candied peels?
> > You'd quickly become relatively unaccustomed to using them, too.
>
> FWIW, I buy candied and glaceed fruit and peels from a specialty source
> that bears no resemblance to the crappy commercial varieties sold in the
> stupidmarkets.

...sigh... Of course you do.
I would love to make fruitcakes using that kind of good
ingredients...but now you're going to say that it's a very small
company that carefully sells its products only to the local market in
your town...

On Mon 31 Oct 2005 05:42:55a, Florida wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> -snip-
>> > Have you ever _tasted_ our candied peels?
>> > You'd quickly become relatively unaccustomed to using them, too.
>>
>> FWIW, I buy candied and glaceed fruit and peels from a specialty source
>> that bears no resemblance to the crappy commercial varieties sold in the
>> stupidmarkets.
>
> ...sigh... Of course you do.
> I would love to make fruitcakes using that kind of good
> ingredients...but now you're going to say that it's a very small
> company that carefully sells its products only to the local market in
> your town...
>

I have order from this place and the candied fruits are excellent...

http://www.thenutfactory.com/section...=fruits-glaced

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> > Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> >> FWIW, I buy candied and glaceed fruit and peels from a specialty source
> >> that bears no resemblance to the crappy commercial varieties sold in the
> >> stupidmarkets.

> I have order from this place and the candied fruits are excellent...
>
> http://www.thenutfactory.com/section...=fruits-glaced

Thanks for the suggestion. I will give thenutfactory a try.
Anything to avoid those lurid stupidmarket products...


> --
> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
> ____________________________________________
>
> Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
> Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Florida wrote:
>
> Daisy wrote:
> > -snip-
> > I can't tolerate American
> > mayonnaise because of the sugar content either. So the idea that an
> > American could find a traditional rich fruit cake too sweet seems odd
> > to me.
>
> Next time you visit the U.S., be sure to specify that you want
> *mayonnaise. The food you were given used an icky sweetened
> mayo-lookalike called "salad dressing".


Won't help. Our jar of US Best Foods/Hellman's Mayonnaise has sugar in
it, listed on the label.

Arri London wrote:
>
> Florida wrote:
>
>>Daisy wrote:
>>
>>>-snip-
>>>I can't tolerate American
>>>mayonnaise because of the sugar content either. So the idea that an
>>>American could find a traditional rich fruit cake too sweet seems odd
>>>to me.
>>
>> Next time you visit the U.S., be sure to specify that you want
>>*mayonnaise. The food you were given used an icky sweetened
>>mayo-lookalike called "salad dressing".
>
>
>
> Won't help. Our jar of US Best Foods/Hellman's Mayonnaise has sugar in
> it, listed on the label.


But look how far down the ingredient list it is. IIRC, it comes after
"salt".

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > Florida wrote:
> >
> >>Daisy wrote:
> >>
> >>>-snip-
> >>>I can't tolerate American
> >>>mayonnaise because of the sugar content either. So the idea that an
> >>>American could find a traditional rich fruit cake too sweet seems odd
> >>>to me.
> >>
> >> Next time you visit the U.S., be sure to specify that you want
> >>*mayonnaise. The food you were given used an icky sweetened
> >>mayo-lookalike called "salad dressing".
> >
> >
> >
> > Won't help. Our jar of US Best Foods/Hellman's Mayonnaise has sugar in
> > it, listed on the label.
>
> But look how far down the ingredient list it is. IIRC, it comes after
> "salt".
>
> Bob

Still adds a detectible sweetness and sugar doesn't belong in mayonnaise
at all. Not to mention the mayonnaise is quite salty in any case

Daisy wrote:

I have never made
> >> a really rich festive fruit cake without using at least 5 eggs.

> Beat eggs and add slowly to mixture - add a little flour if curdling.
> Fold in flour and spices
> Stir in fruit and peel.

I wouldn't presume to be on the same levels as you all. I was passing
through, looking for great fruitcake ideas, and saw that in many
places, they mention about eggs curdling. My mother told me years back
the same thing Daisy wrote above.
Last week I was making sample cakes prior to my Christmas cake baking.
Usually we cream the butterr/sugar by hand in a copper bottomed
shallow pan using a wooden ladle. This time I used an old AEG dough
mixer with the cake mixer attchment. The butter and sugar creamed well,
but the fifth egg curdled the mix.(I made around 200 kilos of cake last
year, and not a single butter/sugar batch curdled)
I thought the situation was beyond recovery. But my helper, he had
wanted to mix by hand the whole time, dumped the batch into our shallow
pan. There was the curdled mass, and a little uncombined egg white.
Maybe you all can suggest what went wrong. I did add one egg at a time,
the eggs were room temp. I addeda pinch of flour with each egg (unlike
normal, where I add the spices separately, for this one batch, I's
sived in the dry spices too)
Anyway, the curdled batter was given a thorough mixing and believe it
or not, the whole became one again!
I guess the mixer speed was noo great in the first place.
Or else it is not the speed, but the uniformity of combining the
ingredients and the slower, but smoother beating by hand which makes a
better batter.
Our cake is rater fine grained, with the nuts visible on top after the
baking, with the fruits evenly spread, and the cake slighly dry
immediately after baking, but moist after a couple of weeks.
I preheat to 400, then reduce to 375-350 when placing the cake, after
15-20 minutes we reduce to 300, after 30-45 minutes we then check and
reduce to 225-250, cover the tins with paper and cook through for
another 1.5 - 2 hours.
I made my own wooden cake box last year, and used the same this year
too for my samples. The wooden box bakes best. It can be made with a
common 8mm plywood.
I hope this comes in useful for someone.

On 28 Oct 2005 18:54:25 +0200, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>Well, my usual fruitcake recipe makes well over 20 lbs. of cake, and this
>year I'm cutting it down to one cake weighing about 4-5 pounds. This will
>allow me to experiment with yours and the others that I've decided on. I
>will eat fruitcake all year! But, then, I usually do. :-)

My recipe is completely overwhelming, too. I appreciate that people
are posting smaller recipes. Maybe I'll have fruitcake this year.

OH! I just remembered Margaret's fabulous "fruitcake for people who
don't like fruitcake." This is excellent stuff!



* Exported from MasterCook *

Bishop's Bread (Bischofsbrot)

Recipe By :Margaret Suran
Serving Size : 30 Preparation Time :1:30
Categories : breads-quick

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup water -- boiling
1 tablespoon butter -- melted
1 cup raisins -- soaked
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs -- beaten
1 cup dried apricots -- chopped
1/2 cup pecans -- coarsely chopped
1 cup dried fruit -- chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Soak raisins in boiling water and butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and sugar.
Add the beaten eggs and mix well ((it will be very dry). Add the
raisins with the liquid and mix again. Add the other ingredients.
3. Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans with
butter and flour the pans. Divide the mixture between the two
prepared pans. Bake for about one hour, until tester or toothpick
inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Description:
"Quick bread with fruit, nuts, and chocolate."
Cuisine:
"Viennese"
Source:
"rec.food.cooking"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 147 Calories; 4g Fat (25.4%
calories from fat); 2g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber;
20mg Cholesterol; 54mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean
Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : May substitute fruitcake mix for dried fruit
--
Wash away the gray to respond.