Allotments 4 All

 ???

On a roll now...just found a recipe which requires a "stick of butter"

It's American (no shock there, then) and all of a sudden I feel like I can't cook anymore.

What the heck is a stick of butter?

:-\

Trust them to be different, with 4oz against our 8oz 'stick'??

lol katie, where are you getting these furrin' recipes from then? ;)

Butting back in, is the term newish? None of my American cookbooks use it. And my American Grandmother never did. But it's so common in on-line recipes - which, for some reason, are mostly American!

It aroused my interest so I did a web search and came back with the information that a stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup of butter. I assume from the site that this is an American cup. Why can't people just weigh things?

 :-\

Have mostly managed to avoid googling for recipes, it's an easy way to lose a morning! This time I was looking for a chutney recipe someone told me about and went off wandering in cyberspace. That's where I found "stick of butter" etc!

I agree with Mike, why cant they just weigh stuff?!!

Thanks for the answers folks

;)

I've got a usa cookbook written in the mid 90's and the stick of butter mentioned in that also states 1oz sticks.  The Q is: do sticks come in different sizes?

What are you cooking? It may help in our fumbled assistance.

Seems so  - even more confusing.

But 1oz is more logical??

 ;D

Right, that's cleared that up then.. ??? lol

Bennett: this is where I rest my case, was looking for onion chutney (found one) but fell over the stick of butter whilst looking!

The chutney is okish...used up lots of my o/w onions which will not keep, spent most of the evening in tears yesterday!!

:-\

hmm onion chutney,  could you post the recipe or a link to it please katenotsonewbienow. i think i would like to give that a go. :)

we used to buy butter in packets that had 4 sticks of the stuff in it, wrapped and marked with oz and 1/2 cup 1/4 cup etc etc, was really handy, wish they did that with our butter here!
Erm and I think, 1 stick equalled 2oz.

 :-\

Sarah, this is the recipe, must confess to not being too impressed! As a virgin chutney maker I did my best, but it does not look like any chutney my mum used to make!! If anyone wants to give it a go and report back on improvements they have made that would be great!

Onion chutney


Yield: 1 servings
6 c Chopped sweet onions
½ c Fresh lemon juice
2 t Whole cumin seed
1 t Whole mustard seed
½ t Tabasco sauce
¼ t Red pepper flakes
2 t Ground chili pepper
¼ c Light brown sugar
1 ea Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. When mixture comes to a boil, immediately remove from heat and pack into hot sterilized jars. Vacuum seal. Makes 4 1/2 pint jars.

;)

katy

Something doesn't ring quite true with that recipe - can't put my finger on it but it certainly doesn't inspire me to try it.  It think it's too many flavours which can mask the onions instead of enhancing them.

Try:
2 tbsp Olive oil (basic, not extra V etc)
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
3 red onions, sliced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
100ml Barolo wine
3-4 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar

To make the chutney, heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan.

Fry the onion slowly untill they start to brown, and garlic & toms and cook for a further 10 minutes or so. You can add the toms earlier depending on how much you want them to disappear. You can also omit the toms entirely, just keep an eye on the moisture levels.

Add the Barolo wine, balsamic vinegar and sugar.

Cook until reduced and thickened, stirring now and then. Do not let it catch. The onions will mostly break down.  Monitor the texture AND the flavlour until they reach your expectations.

The balsamic vinegar is the most important ingredient: the sweet/sharp flavour is perfect for onions. 

No recipe is cast in stone, feel free to play so it suits not only your pallette but also the food you intend to eat it with.

 ;D

Now that's more like it! Thanks lots, will try it immediately!!

;)

I'll try that one too. :) thanks

Sorry if I am butting in but I think the reason the American recipes don't use weight measures is that it is nearly impossible to buy a set of scales there!!

We lived over there last year for a goodly while and all baking is cups and sticks.  Actually easier in a way since you don't have so much stuff to wash up after!!

Mind you, most of them don't cook!

 ;D

Why cook when you can drive your huge car to McD's?!! Lol, sorry, cynical, me? 8)

Bennett: Onion chutney is great, thanks!

;)

OOH, cruel person.  Actually, in 6 months there I think we went to McD once.  There were loads and loads of lovely restaurants and it was just so cheap to eat out there.  Four of us could have a lovely meal for under 20 quid and it cost nearly a fiver to buy a weeny chicken for roasting!! guess anyone would go out to eat with that!!  Mind you, we were in Georgia and all veggies had to be transported from California - other side of the states - so they cost a fortune - hence easier and cheaper to eat out.

However, it is no surprise the folks are so big there - the average portion in some places would feed a whole family!  We got used to taking it home in a 'to go bag' and eating it cold for lunch!!

And yes, we had a huge car.  I had a little car but wouldn't drive anywhere in it coz it was scary!!  I used to picture myself as a tally mark on the side of a juggernaut!!!! :o

 :-\

Didn't mean to offend, Shirl...just couldn't resist buying into the stereotypes! Our American cousins had wound me up with talk of cups and sticks and such!!

;)