Kitchen

[Snowpuppy]

On 3/31/2015 Mothertrucker said:

I finally had to start buying my poppy seeds in bulk from Penzey's -they keep for a long time in the fridge- can I freeze them, I wonder?

No personal experience but from what I'm reading online it looks like you can freeze poppyseed. Not sure about freezing prepared poppyseed fillings.

Maybe Poodlepet or one of our Jewish sisters who is familiar with Hamentaschen can comment?

Okay, so now I'm officially homesick.

[alicedee]

On 3/31/2015 Snowpuppy said:

On 3/31/2015 alicedee said:

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Ladies, don't forget your butter lamb!

I'm not the least bit Polish but have extended family who are. Was at Polish Market in Detroit this weekend, picked up the butter lamb, some fresh pierogi and poppy seed roll!

Nobody up here knows what poppy seed is. It's tragic I tell ya.

Snowpuppy...I'm "Up North" also, and we do indeed know what poppy seed is! DH makes the rolls every year for Christmas, and they are big at all of his family gatherings (they are Hungarian). It's very good!!!

You'll have to tell me where to find poppyseed filling up here! I've tried Meijer for canned Solo, came up empty. A few small, local grocers, came up empty.

A friend recommended a small Italian grocer in TC, came up empty there, too!

In Detroit I can find poppyseed in many grocers downriver.

We get ours at the Tom's Markets in TC. I have never looked for it at Easter time, but we always find it around Thanksgiving.

[OkeyDokey]

Poppy seed chicken, macaroni salad, pistachio salad, steamed green beans, perhaps a layered green salad or cucumber salad. Not sure about dessert yet. Pistachio salad is dessert-isn to me. Oh, and deviled eggs, of course (my fave)!

[adoreqvc]

On 3/31/2015 rosehill said:

On 3/31/2015 adoreqvc said:

On 3/31/2015 ciao_bella said:

Hello ladies... Like many of you, I too have decided to have mac and cheese with my Easter ham this year. Over the years, I've tried different types of mac and cheese without a real favorite. Would love if you would consider sharing your recipe. We like a creamy mac and cheese that doesn't get dried out when baked. Thanks in advance..

The key to creamy Mac N Cheese is using a variety of shredded by hand real cheeses, and also making your own béchamel sauce because that will give the creaminess you crave.

Then boiling whatever pasta you use....We love elbows with the twist so the grooves hold the cheese, and then we assemble the mac & cheese, and add buttered bread crumbs on top.

Then it is baked in the oven until lightly browned and the cheese has melted well.

It can also be served straight from the stove top if you prefer no buttered bread drums...and as for the breadcrumbs they can be panko, redo flavored or regular bread drums, and some people use crushed corn flakes although we don't.

We have many favorites through the years, but below is a new favorite which is very creamy and delicious...and it was a big hit when I served it for a large gathering.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/30436-homerooms-classic-macaroni-and-cheese

Sounds like a nice recipe, Adore. The béchamel sauce is that same way I make scalloped potatoes. I was going to make potatoes this year, but maybe I will make this mac & cheese recipe. Does this make a good amount? We are not having that many- around 12 people.

Edited to add: I now see the yield on this recipe. Serves 6. Does it really serve 6, or more?

Serves 6 but you can make the portion size larger or smaller.

This specific recipe serves 6 and uses one 5 qt casserole pan, but you can double the recipe and use either two 5 qt casserole pans, or one extra deep large lasagna type casserole pan.

Hope this info helps.

[adoreqvc]

Poppy seed rolls, buns, breads, and bagels are great tasting, but do not eat anything with poppy seeds if you are having any kind of lab testing or testing for employment relative to their drug tests, as the drug test results can be incorrect, due to the poppy seeds being mistaken for heroin use.

See web site link below for full description

http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/poppyseed.asp

For those who like poppy seeds in general, and like to make their own poppy seed items, below is a web site link for Easy Old World Poppy Seed Roll recipe.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-world-poppy-seed-roll/