According to Sean Hogan, Chusqueas grow very high and far South in the Andes so perhaps z6 is not out of the question for some selections.... but these are probably not C. culeou. Perhaps such plants would be classified under C. andina. Also, Chusqueas such as C. culeou and C. valdiviensis have shown greater cold hardiness in maritime climates than in the Southeast (though few people have tried them in the Southeast)... in the case of C. culeou this could be a genetic thing but for C. valdiviensis, it would seem that the stress of growing in a climate with hot summers and wide swings in temperature in fall and spring detracts from its cold hardiness (this is also true of some palms). Specifically... it has withstood 10F with no damage here, but has frozen to the ground every winter at a friend's garden in SC from temperatures in the mid teens. Larger and more established plants can handle more cold of course, within reason. I would generally rate Chusquea and Yushania hardiness as follows based on their performance in the Northwest.... C. culeou anywhere from 0-15F C. culeou 'Cana Prieta' 0F C. cumingii at least 10F C. gigantea/breviglumis about 5F but late shoots may be destroyed by cold C. macrostachya at least 10F C. valdiviensis at least 10F Y. anceps incl. 'Pitt White'... at least 0-5F (fully hardy here) Y. maling 15F... no problems in my sheltered garden but some report late shoots are damaged by cold... could be hardier in SE. That's what I've seen... as for other Chusquea and Yushania spp. I'm not sure and can only quote books and web sites!

Mine own invention is sundried tomato that is already in olive oil, minced garlic and canned chick peas. Run through food processor. This may seem to be hummus to some but I don't puree it I make it more of a topping like bruschetta rather than spread consistency. It is real yummy. Susan in NC

Cathy, this is SO easy, but it's time consuming. I love it because it candies the rind and it's not bitter at all. Also, you can change up this recipe with different kinds of citrus. I made a lemon and Key lime version this past weekend! Anna's Orange Marmalade Recipe source: Ina Garten "At Home" (I think) 4 large oranges 2 lemons 8 cups water 8 cups sugar Wash citrus and cut in half from "pole to pole". Cut citrus in very thin slices, being sure to remove the seeds. Place citrus slices and any juice in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot. Add 8 cups of water and bring citrus & water to a boil. Remove from heat and add sugar; stir till dissolved. Place lid on sauce pot and leave citrus mixture to sit over night. The next day, bring citrus mixture back to a boil; reduce temperature and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring regularly. After 2 hours, bring back up to a steady boil, stirring continually, for *30 minutes or until reaching gel stage. Ladle mixture into prepared jars and process in a BWB for 10 minutes. * Sometimes it doesn't take the exact 30 minutes at the end to come to gel stage. I guess it just depends on the water content of the fruit, moisture in the air, etc. I've had mine gel at 20 minutes or less, so just use good judgement.

Well, despite my good intentions, I didn't get any baking done because my son-in-law awoke before everyone else yesterday, and used all the eggs to make us Mother's Day breakfast. Who could complain about that? ;) I spoke to my brother (nephew's father) who does most of the cooking for their family; he said they'd made spaghetti using the gluten-free product we'd given my nephew. They all, including the two teenagers, liked it, and brother said he couldn't tell any difference in taste from semolina pasta. Most of the time, I try to tailor recipes to my family's tastes, or convenience, so I appreciate the discussions of different methods and substitutions of ingredients. Thanks again to all of you who have shared real life experiences and advice about gluten-free/vegan cooking and medical issues. My SIL (nephew's mother) shares a practice with a local internist, so I think they have the medical issues covered. I'm just trying to help out with my specialty--as the family baker.