1. Does it really make a difference if I use white or red wine - or dry vs. sweet - in cooking? I mean, I don't know about you, but I'm only cooking with wine that's no longer fit to drink anyway; how much does the original taste matter?

2. This will sound really silly, but I keep kosher, so bear with me: Do imitation bacon bits taste anything like bacon? I keep seeing recipes that call for crumbled bits of bacon, like German potato salad, and I'm wondering if I can substitute.

3. What, exactly, is chili? Also: chili powder? Chili paste? And uh, chili oil?

4. ....chutney? Explain. I have this idea that it's something like salsa, but if so, is it meant for cold dishes or also hot?

5. How do you tell if a grapefruit is sweet from the outside? This I ask mournfully, having finally made the avocado-red grapefruit salad which was the subject of my very first topic on digs, only to find it much more unpleasantly tart than we were prepared for.

I know you know these. When you're done snickering, help me out!

Chutneys are a way of cooking here - you can make various kinds of chutney (kind of a chunky preserve). So it would depend what kind of chutney - but generally it's used cold here (ie on roast beef sandwiches). I find it very gag inducing sweet most of the time.

Chilli - I tend to use fresh regardless - I haven't found it matters too much?

Chili is also a type of stew-like extremely spicy food popular in Texas. The debate continues on whether or not it contains beans, but I believe that vegetarian chili exists and therefore must contain beans. My dad's version has beans, beef, onions, a whole lot of tomato, and a lot of various spices (including chili powder and some chili peppers).

As for bacon bits, I think that you could substitute them in stuff like German potato salad without much adverse effect... there are a lot of other flavors mingling in there that the imitation stuff would work. I just wouldn't eat them straight, of course.

In general, you should try to use decent wine when cooking. Food freaks suggest cooking with the same wine you'll be drinking with the meal, but I think that's overkill. But I don't use wine I wouldn't drink on it's own, expecially when it's an important part of the recipe, like in a risotto.

What exactly are you using this for? Rolled fondant to mold into shapes like marzipan or to cover cakes? There are three different types of fondant, Rolled (the one to cover the cakes), Poured (used as a covering for petit fours- its heated till liquidy and then sets after it's poured on) and Cream, which is the filling used in York peppermint patties and chocolate covered cherries. So anyway to answer your question (sorry this took so long) in my baking and pastries class, we only made cream fondant, because the Rolled fondant we were told was way too time-consuming to make and is much more efficient if it's bought instead. So if that's the kind, I'd recommend going to a bakery that does wedding cakes and seeing if they can point you in the right direction to buy some. I have a recipe for Cream Fondant that you might try.

Cream Fondant

4 fl.oz. cream
2 fl.oz. milk
14.5 oz sugar
1.5 fl.oz. corn syrup
pinch salt

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5. How do you tell if a grapefruit is sweet from the outside? This I ask mournfully, having finally made the avocado-red grapefruit salad which was the subject of my very first topic on digs, only to find it much more unpleasantly tart than we were prepared for.[/B]

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Generally speaking, look for red or pink grapefruit, it should usually be specified on the product sign. Texas 'ruby red' and it's counterparts are much sweeter than your typical white grapefruit variety.

BranMuffin, that's why I was so disappointed: it was a ruby red grapefruit. Just unlucky, I guess.

Becca, I seem to remember someone saying that if the oil spatters when you first put the food in, it might be because there was some water in the pan. Yee-fan maybe?

septembergirl: There is a kosher beef product that mimics bacon (called, I think, "Breakfast Beef") and there are hechshered soy versions of bacon in the produce section of my grocery store. I'm not sure but I believe they are made by Yves and maybe also Melissa's. Melissa's has a good soy version of pepperoni, too.

About cooking with wine--I wouldn't cook with ingredients that aren't fit to eat, so netither would I cook with wine that's not fit to drink. That's just me

Whats the best way to prepare a clove of garlic?

This was not easy to describe hope you understood.

With garlic: Get a clove and smack with the side of the knife, the skin should flake off. Then cut thin length-ways slices and then cut those lenght-ways, then cut them sideways. (works for ginger too)

The best knife is a wide cleaver or one with a nice curve so that you can roll the knife over the vegetable.

I wear glasses and these help with the vapours. To cut down, don't have your head directly over the onion or have a draft from a window blowing it away.

I still suck at this, though.

Also, the way my mom taught me to do it was to cut off one end then cut a grid down into the onion. Then turn it on it's side and slice. Voila! Chopped onion! (Similar to ralphyr's method.) I use this method sometimes if I don't need very much.

You can also chop extra and get all the pain over with at once. Then freeze it and break of as much as you need for quick cooking.

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Originally posted by BionicGirl:

You can also chop extra and get all the pain over with at once. Then freeze it and break of as much as you need for quick cooking.

[This message has been edited by BionicGirl (edited 10-15-2002).]

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I am such a big fan of this. When D is cooking I always make him do twice as mcuh as I need so I can freeze it for when he's on nights.

[/i] becca cackles evilly[/i]

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Originally posted by yam:
and then I get to do my melodramatic "onions make me.. so SAD!" monologue to anyone within earshot.

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Originally posted by becca11:
2) is squash=pumpkin (i'm deeply sus about the picture of a squash in that nourish article)

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Originally posted by BionicGirl:
What hermia said. And the squash pictured in the Digs article is a butternut squash.

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I would call it a butternut pumpkin and use in in soup. Our squash is a small yellow/green vege that is totally tastless.
other veggies that I know of
capsicum aka red/green peppers
zuchini aka courgette

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Originally posted by yeefan:
Yeah, there are all sorts of differences between what fruits/veggies are called in Australia/UK and in the U.S. -- that totally threw me when I was living in Australia. Scallions were labeled eschallots, cilantro was labeled coriander, eggplants were called aubergines. I had a recipe book that called for mange-touts -- it took me forever to figure out what the heck those were (snowpeas).

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This is weird, those are all the French words. I didn't know that Australia had such a strong French background?

I have one of those broiler drawers underneath my oven, and it's embarrassing, but I don't get how it's supposed to work. As far as I can tell, the flame is on top, and there isn't a whole lot of vertical space. So when I see recipes that say "broil 4 inches from the flame" or "broil 2 inches from the flame," I'm... confused. Are they talking about the kind of broiler which is in the main compartment of the oven, so you can move the racks up and down? Or do they mean horizontally?

I told you this was embarrassing.

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Originally posted by yeefan:
Yeah, there are all sorts of differences between what fruits/veggies are called in Australia/UK and in the U.S. -- that totally threw me when I was living in Australia. Scallions were labeled eschallots, cilantro was labeled coriander, eggplants were called aubergines. I had a recipe book that called for mange-touts -- it took me forever to figure out what the heck those were (snowpeas).

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My next one was going to be cilantro. So thanks!

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Originally posted by Liv:
How do you eat Frijoles Charros? By itself, or does it go on something?

How long do you cook beans in a crockpot to get them mushy? I tried it last week, and they were still hard-ish when I got home; I had had them on low all day.

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They're usually a side dish for Tex-Mex/Mexican, BBQ, burgers, whatever. I do sometimes eat them by itself when I want a little snack (and I have lots of leftovers).

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Originally posted by LJBrad7:
Anyone know how to make the queso you get with "chips & queso" at Chili's? They sell queso in the store, but it's totally different (yellow with no meat - Chili's is orange and has meat). I love it and would love to make it, got any ideas?

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