What is your definition of COMFORT FOOD?

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Well ya' know I'll bet you $100.00 that was my Mom's secret too!!! My Mom shore wuz secretive 'bout her ingredients back in the day! My Mom she used 2 jars of whole button mushrooms in hers and she did not use macaroni, but canned corn and mixed vegetables (Veg-all) to be exact, and tomotoes & of-course the trinity and diced celery as well (I know as I spyed on her) but I never saw the tomato soup (she was sneaky). Dang that stuff tasted some kind of good!

You know what else she used to do: she used to hide chocolate milk mix, and cans of sweetened condensed milk, and I actually caught her drinking ch. milk one night after we were scurried off to bed. Another occassion found her there in front of the TV with a spoon feasting upon sweetened condensed milk straight from the can!!! She only had 5 hungry kids who would devour everything in sight, so she hid back her little indulgences hee-hee!!!

[chubbyalaskagriz]

This is a GREAT story, Cathy! Your Mom sounds like a cool woman- who sure knew how to indulge well! My own Mom kept coconut and a can of crushed pineapple hidden. She enjoyed sampling from them often and she THOUGHT we didn't know about them! Hee-Hee!

Speaking of Eagle Brand Milk- I LOVE me some "Magic Bars"! YUM! By the way- have you ever made Caramel Sauce from heating a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk? At work we would put several cans (unopened) in the HOT water of the huge steamtables on the buffet-line for all day long to slow-heat. Slowly the canned milk would turn a rich brown color. We would then open them and without adding any other ingredients, or doing anything else, it turned into the lovliest-ever rich, thick caramel sauce for ice cream, desserts, etc. I replicate this at home by placing a can of the milk in a hot water bath in the crock pot all day long. SO YUMMY. If you've never tried it- YOU MUST! Also good to dip sliced granny smith apples into, or simply poured over a warm square of plain chocolate pan-cake!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Or to top egg custard! Thanks I will give it a try Kevin.
I find that I am a product of my Mom and simply adore sweetened cond. milk, although I do not indulge as she did or.....there again that darn 14 sizes big problem would have me

[KYHeirloomer]

Sure, now you share the condensed milk secret, Chubby. After I went out and bought a jar of caramel sauce to go with the banana panna cotta I just made.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

It's really fantastic, KYH. And the longer you allow it to warm (hell- I often forget it and leave it in 8, 10, 12 hours!) the darker and thicker it gets. It's also fantastic on bread pudding...

Panna Cotta? You glutton!

For my sweets-fix tonight, I grabbed myself a bag of "Poppycock" at the gas-station mini-mart just now. I went over to finance a tank of gas and my credit-rating allowwed me enough extra to get the crunch toffee-popcorn! How lucky am I?

[shipscook]

Another condensed milk secret--I have had this for years and never tried it. A nice lady just posted it on Finer Kitchens and asked if any one had tried it??

Eagle Brand condensed milk made from
powdered milk. I'm wondering if anyone has made it and if so, was it successful? Here's the recipe.

Borden's Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup water
1 Cup plus 2 Tbls. powdered milk
Combine all ingredients. Heat to boiling.
Cook until thick, this will take 15 to 20
minutes. This equals one can.
Borden's

would be cool if it works,
Nan

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Nan,
I made this once it was ok to cook with I guess, but it sucked otherwise (just my opinion)
of-course ya' know what they say about opinions........

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

I went over to finance a tank of gas and my credit-rating allowwed me enough extra to get the crunch toffee-popcorn! How lucky am I?

You crack me up CAG!!!

And here I sit sipping on my homemade coffee drink and call that dessert...an' then I read Panna-Cotta, Poppy-Cock!!! Gawd you guys sure know how to live

Mama I am just gonna throw up my hands break down and say "Hand me that Mu-mu, shuck that grass skirt!" I want my poppy-cock and to eat my panna-cotta too!

[KYHeirloomer]

Actually, as things go nowadays, panna cotta is probably one of the cheapest deserts you can make.

The most expensive item would be the 1 3/4 cups cream this recipe calls for, followed by the bananas. But it makes eight servings, which brings the cost per down to mere pennies.

If anyone cares, it's one of the great recipes in Camilla Saulsbury's wonderfull little Panna Cotta Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy. There are about a hundred versions, both sweet and savory. Here's the one I made last night:

Banana Panna Cotta with Caramel-Pecan Drizzle

4 ripe, large bananas, peeled
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup banana flavored schnapps or water
2 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 recipe Caramel-Pecan Drizzle

Place the banana in a blender or food processor. Puree until very smooth. Measure 1 2/3 cups banana puree into a 2-cup glass measure cup; mix in lemon juice and set aside (save any extra banana puree for another use)

Place schnapps or water in small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 5 minutes to soften gelatin.

Bring the cream and sugar to simmer in heavy, medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture and whisk until dissolved. Whisk in the banana puree, vanilla, and nutmeg until blended.

Ladle or pour mixture into 8 3/4-cup custard cups, ramekins, or small molds. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours or up to overnight.

Unmond each panna cota onto a plate. Spoon the caramel pecan drizzle around each.

Caramel-Pecan Drizzle

1 cup premium caramel sauce
2/3 cup pecans, coarsely choped and lightly toasted

In a medium saucepan set over moderately-low heat, heat the caramel sauce with the recans, stirring until warm but not hot.

[StickyPirate]

Oh, my, my, my. This caramel secret sauce will fit quite nicely with my current ice cream obsession, thank you very much. The question is...should I swirl it in or spoon it on?