[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: help needed for school project

[P. Alexis Nguyen]

Carol:
>  But in the U.S. (not counting brown sugar, sugar in the raw, or sugar
>  cubes for coffee and tea) we have granulated sugar and powdered
>  sugar--nothing in between. I guess the kids would have to use powdered
>  sugar.

Ali:
Actually, there is also fine and superfine sugar - superfine being
easier to find than fine, but really, a few whiz in the food processor
would give you fine sugar so I don't quite know why anyone buys the
stuff (other than folks like pastry chefs).  Superfine, if I remember
correctly and I might well not, is essentially powdered sugar without
the anti-caking agent (usually corn starch).


Carol:
>  And you haven't answered the question of what to do about suet
>  (shudder!). Would vegetable shortening work even though it's the
>  consistency of tub margarine and

Ali:
Suet can be found in specialty stores or, on rare occasions, the local
farmer's market.  And then there's always the great equalizer, the
Internet (or, as according to my company styles manual, internet).
Besides, most recipes calling for suet are calling for the packaged
stuff, which is a combo of dehydrated fat and flour, so you would
really also want to modify usage as according to recipe.  (For
example, for things like popovers and other savoury bread-ish type
things, I use bacon fat instead.)  And one last note, you can totally
find spotted dick recipes not using suet.

That's all I've got.  I'm not even that well-versed in Brit food, but
I kind of sound like it, don't I? :)

~Ali