Oops. didn't see I needed to respond. Yes, it does. I also take my bread dough and make bread "sticks". Pinch off dough, roll into fingers Roll in hot oil, roll in a mixture of paremsan,oregano and some black pepper Bake til done - watch, cheese on bottom tries to burn You can also add ground hot pepper to the dough, then make the fingers etc. My buddies at the pub all get excited when I arrive after my Sunday baking. I bake these and also lots of hot bread. I use the small loaf pans so that I can spread "the wealth". Oh, and did I tell you, I don't like eating hot or spicy food? I grow and process, bake, make jelly, sauce and pizza sauce for mini pizzas with these peppers -primarily for my husband! My reapers are still green. Looks like I'll have to turn on the heat in my little gh again this year. This post was edited by CanadianLori on Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 15:35

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Creamy Coconut Cardamom Rice Pudding ==================================== adapted from Kate Zuckerman's The Sweet Life makes about 6 cups, serves 8-12 Rice: 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp jasmine rice or basmati rice 1/4 cup sugar 1 (13.5 fluid oz) can coconut milk 1 cup whole milk 1/4 tsp salt Custard: 16 cardamom pods 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar 1 cup whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 5 egg yolks 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Cook the rice: Preheat the oven to 325F. Place the rice in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Place the rice in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan with 2 cups cold water. Bring the rice to a boil and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Strain the rice and discard the starchy water. Place the blanched rice back in the pan and add the sugar, coconut milk, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and cover the pan with aluminum foil or the lid. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the rice expands and absorbs all liquids, 30 minutes. If the pan is not oven proof, transfer the rice to a metal or glass baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. If there is still runny milk in the pan, continue to bake, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes. When the rice is done, remove it from the oven, leave it covered, and set it aside. 2. Make the custard: While the rice is baking, make the custard. Using the bottom of a small frying pan, crush the cardamom pods to split them open. (*I used a mortar and pestle.) In a heavy saucepan combine the cardamom pods and seeds, 1/2 cup of the sugar, milk, and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and allow the cardamom to steep for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, egg, and remaining 2 tbsp of sugar and briefly whisk for 1 minute. Using a ladle, slowly whisk some of the hot cream into the egg mixture to warm it. Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot cream, whisking the cream constantly as you pour. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain the custard to remove the cardamom pods and seeds. 3. Combine the custard and the rice: Scoop the rice into a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot custard over the rice and, using a whisk, slowly whisk until all of the rice granules are dispersed evenly and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract. Allow the rice pudding to cool completely. This pudding will keep, refrigerated, for 3 days. Variation: "Brulee" Spoon pudding into ramekins and chill. Sprinkle sugar over top of custards and place under the broiler or use a torch to caramalize. . My Notes: Substituted a vanilla bean for the cardamom pods. I split a vanilla bean and scraped the seeds into the milk and cream, along with the sugar, brought to a simmer and left to steep for 10 minutes.

Most recent find was red savina pepper powder. I was ordering garden seed for spring and they had powder for sale. Not as good as fresh peppers but it has merit. Using it on my hamburgers and in my soups. LOL... website mentions that it is not for sale to minors. I like a fair amount of heat but the red savina has a fruity flavor I enjoy in my lentil or black & kidney bean soups. It can't replace the fresh cayenne I grow in my window but winter has crimped production of those. I saw chocolate bars with cayenne pepper in them. Sounded rather nuts so of course I tried one. Now I'm addicted to them. I've shared them around the breakroom at work with positive comments from those brave enough to try them (really not very hot). Got serious with my black pepper this year. I have always put lots of black pepper on most of my food. I got on the Penzey's site and ordered some of everything as whole peppercorns. Crush them a few at a time with a mortar and pestle. Found I really like the cheaper malabar peppercorns.... a sharper more intense bite then the tellicherry. Really gave a nice boost to my cooking in general. I was buying pretty good black pepper but the fresh crushed peppercorns outshine even the best ground I can buy locally. What I really need is to find a good source of coffee. Tempted to start roasting my own. With Renee gone I just sort of drink cup after boring cup of stuff that is similar to coffee. : ) lyra Here is a link that might be useful: powerful pepper powder

Growing up, sweet potatoes were a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner treat. Always, just baked in their skins, and eaten as a regular white potato would be, slit open and lots of butter & some salt added. That is still my favorite way to eat them, but they are a year round treat now. I had never even heard of the casserole with all the 'stuff' on it until I was grown. Really don't care for it at all. Sweet potato chips and fries are a fairly new experience for me, and I love them! ! Thank you for starting this interesting thread, Always1step, I'm going to be trying some of the methods described here soon. Rusty