Sugars, Types & Processes

From my dad the sugar-maker:

Sugars

∙ icing sugar - 11% cornstarch plus regular sugar pulverized

∙ berry - finer than fruit sugar by use of a finer screen

∙ confectioner’s - next finest to icing but has no cornstarch

In order of Fineness:

Icing

Confectioner’s

Berry

Fruit

Table

Browns:

Demerara - has the most molasses. Sourced from cane

Golden Brown - raw cane with some molasses removed

Brown - cane with a little molasses still in

Cube sugar has some clear syrup. It’s pressed into a cake and heated.

 
R

ruthab

Well-known member
I have a few suggestions...

Potato-Fennel Gratin - can be made ahead & reheated
Vegetable Tian - Potatoes, zucchini & tomatoes - tasty & looks nice too
Rainbow Rice - oven baked & colorful
Cilantro-Lime Pilaf - (can substitute another herb - oven baked too)

Let me know if you are interested in any of the above and I will post.

Gail, your Cornish hen recipe sounds wonderful - would you please post it? Thanks.

Ruth

 
Here is another idea, Gail- REC Red Poatoes in Parchment Packets

This is a real favorite at our house- you bake in parchment paper and cut the top open just as you serve- the fragrance is amazing and the potatoes are too!

RED POTATOES IN PARCHMENT PACKETS

For each serving:
12x12" piece baking parchment paper
3 small red potatoes, quartered
3 cloves garlic
1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
2 T olive oil
sprig of fresh Rosemary (or 1 tsp dry)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Fold the paper diagonally (like a diaper!) Crease it then open up again. Put potatoes, onions and garlic on paper, center it next to the crease. Add Rosemary, salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 T Parmesan on top. Drizzle oil over all and fold packet edges so that they are tightly rolled and the finished packet looks like a half-round.
Bake 45 minutes on a cookie sheet at 350°. Serve on bread and butter-size plates as a side dish. Before serving, cut an "X" in the top of the packet and open up a bit- let each guest open packets completely.

 
and one more idea REC Hassleback Potatoes

HASSLEBACK POTATOES
6 servings

6 medium baking potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp shredded Swiss (or Parmesan) cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut potatoes almost through cross-wise in 1/8” thick slices. Place in ice water to prevent darkening. Drain well and put in shallow baking pan. Brush with butter (or drizzle). Bake until tender- about 1-1/2 hours, basting occasionally with cream and pan drippings. Sprinkle with cheese in last few minutes. They "fan" out and get brown with no "goopy" consistancy- so they would go well with your stuffed game hens.

 
Here's a potato recipe I've served with cornish hens. Rec: Parmesan Baked Potatoes

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

6 tbsp butter, melted (Pat's note: I use slightly less)
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (Pat's notes: definitely at least double the cheese)
8 medium unpeeled red potatoes (about 2-3/4 pounds), halved lengthwise
Pat’s optional: paprika and/or cayenne pepper

Pour butter into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over butter. Place potatoes with cut side down over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400º for 40-45 minutes or until tender. Yield: 8 servings

Pat's notes: These are yummy. I really like at least doubling the cheese so the potatoes develop a nice golden crust on the potatoes. Goes well with roast cornish hens, roast chicken, ham, pork tenderloin, and beef. I find that freshly grated Romano cheese or Asiago work too in place of the Parmesan. One of my favorite variations is to sprinkle a bit of paprika or cayenne pepper over the butter and before adding the cheese.....very good. You end up with potatoes that taste as though they've cooked around a roast, don't require any basting, are beautiful (serve brown side up), and you don't need more butter....they taste great.

Source: adapted from recipe by JudyW

 
Now that I've seen the recipe, another starch which might work for you...Rec: Baked Rice

Baked Rice

2-1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
3 sprigs parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 400.
Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring with wooden spoon until onion is translucent. Add rice, stir briefly over low heat until grains are coated with butter. Stir in stock, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Cover with a close-fitting lid and bake for exactly 17 minutes. Remove cover and discard parsley, thyme and bay leaf. If rice is not to be served immediately keep it covered in a warm place. Yield: 4 servings

Pat’s notes: I’ve found this rice holds very well in the oven once finished, even up to 45 minutes on low, which makes it especially nice when entertaining.

 
Cathy, these look very interesting. Do you drizzle any cream right from the beginning?

Are the potato "slices" more "crispy" or are they like baked potatoes? Can the cream be eliminated, or does it serve a particular function that I cannot visualize? Do they take the full 90 minutes to bake? They sound like they would be very pretty. TIA

 
After about 30 minutes I start to drizzle cream too- they are really good and pretty if

you cut them correctly. Too much left at the bottom and they don't fan. Too little left at the bottom and they fall apart when baking so you really do need to use a chopstick or pencil or something similar as a guide. Yes, you need the cream- it helps make the consistancy of the slices kind of au gratin-like but the outsides of the slices are crispy. Sprinkling a little parmesan just at the end makes a lovely "finish" on them.

The timing of course will depend on the size and quantity of potatoes but I find myself using the entire 90 minutes or even more if the potatoes are large.

 
One without cream

This recipe, adapted from one served at Stockholm's popular old Restaurant Hasselbacken, proves just how easy and delicious potatoes can be. For best results, choose oblong potatoes of uniform size and trim if needed so they'll lie flat without wobbling as you cut into them.
MAKES: 4 servings
PREP: 15 minutes
BAKE: 55 minutes

4 medium all-purpose potatoes (6 ounces each), peeled
1/3 cup butter, melted and divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unseasoned fine dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.

2. Arrange potatoes spoke-fashion in a buttered 10-inch pie dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted butter evenly over potatoes, and sprinkle with salt.

3. Bake potatoes at 425° on middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over potatoes, drizzle with remaining melted butter, and bake 20 more minutes.

4. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes, baste with butter in pan, and bake 5 more minutes or until potatoes are golden.



~RuthAnn

 
Another baked rice

1C Uncle Ben's rice
1 onion, cut in small dice
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp bouillion granules (if not using stock)
Herbs to taste--basil, tarragon, marjoram, parsley
Up to 1 stick butter
20 oz. water or stock.
Cover tightly and bake at 350* for one hour. Fluff to mix herbs and mushrooms.

 
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