I’ve looked up high altitude cooking and most of the substitutions are in baking (cookies, muffins) and in breads.
When I parboiled potatoes they took quite a while to come to a boil and cook. We had a leaky tea kettle here so I put it up in the cupboard and bought us an inexpensive electric pot that boils water for tea in 1/4 the time as it takes on a high-powered gas stove!
So when I went to make corn on the cob (two ears for $1.00) I tried a trick. I husked the corn, measured the water I’d need to cover in the pan and placed that water in the electric kettle. It came to a full boil and the machine shut off. I immediately poured the water over the corn and lit the burner and it took nearly five minutes to bring the water back up to a boil (the corn, two ears, was at room temperature).
After that, I left the corn on a rolling boil for ten minutes and then let it sit in the water while I put dinner out. It was very crunchy. Not tender-sweet crunchy but barely nearing cooked crunchy.
We’re at 7,500 feet above sea level and I haven’t yet checked at what temp water boils around here. Probably 150-160 degrees. Any ideas? Chime in Chowhounds and Leftover Queen! Thanks, Dee
Categories: Cooking Utensils · Editorial · Utah
Tagged: Chowhound, high-altitude cooking question, Leftover Queen
February 17, 2009 · 1 Comment
A favorite grocery store is a very personal thing. First off, it depends upon whether one cooks or not, because priorities are different. When I lived on the “left coast” I had the luxury of a farm stand, Trader Joe’s and a major grocery chain a few feet away from each other. I’d start at the farm stand, move on to TJ’s and then the grocery chain store if needed.
I loved Trader Joe’s and miss them for the past five years we’ve been in Texas. Chowhound recently had a TJ’s forum and I didn’t write in. I must confess to taking 15 minutes at TJ’s while Mom was in hospice to buy French flat sponges, plastic dish scrubbies and a hunk of parmesan cheese. I didn’t really need the cheese but the others are staples in my kitchen.
At home, Central Market is a culinary mecca. I don’t get there often, perhaps six times per year. That’s where I go for exotic vegetables, any meat my heart desires, breads and cheeses. Also they sharpen 1-2 of my knives I can’t sharpen myself, the 10″ chef and 7″ Granton edge Santoku as the first is too big for me to use a stone and the second requires a specific and different angle.
Spec’s is a wonder in that it is a deli, specialty foods store and liquor and wine depot like no other. They also have esoteric beverages for Jim like original Dr. Pepper with Imperial sugar, or strange brands of root beer. This is where I buy many of our cheeses, pasta and vino. Over the holidays they sell fresh lebkuchen and it is marvelous, especially that no-one around me likes it so I get it all to myself.
A serious nod goes to Randall’s Midtown, my grocery store. The people are friendly, prices are lower than elsewhere and their produce and butchery people are fantastic. If I’m stuck in an aisle someone comes up and asks if I’m finding everything I’m looking for, when I’m having a “senior moment” and can’t remember the last item on my mental grocery list. The checkers are great and tell me that with my club card I’m entitled to 36 eggs for the price of 18 and I run back to get another. The manager deserves kudos for hiring and maintaining such a qualified team, and I haven’t yet gotten to the security guards! Or the florist. Kudos to all.
Wherever we end up in the next few weeks we would like to thank the people who put food on our table every day. Sometimes I mess it up. Rarely. I like to take good ingredients and treat them well with little muss or fuss. If this is our Texas farewell, we’d like to take all of you with us! Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial
Tagged: Central Market, Chowhound, Randalls, Spec's, Trader Joe's
