Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 04 October 2011 - 23:28

Hyundai. My friend had a small 4x4 and it was cheap to maintain, fairly nice to drive.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 30 September 2011 - 15:21

You could pour it into a plastic bag (check for holes beforehand!) or a plastic/ glass jar with screw-on lid, then dispose in trash. Re-use depends on the type of veg oil. Corn oil doesn't break down into offensive odors as easily as canola oil. you could store veg oil intended for re-use in a cold, dark place, including the freezer, for up to 1 yr.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 26 September 2011 - 00:45

Just want to warn you to avoid the DAMAS (ficus) trees! If you go to the Plant Souk saying you want a fast-growing tree, they will sell you a DAMAS tree and that will be the end of your home's sewer system. This tree's roots grow very fast and invade all areas, will suck all the water from surrounding plants, block up the sewerage. I have also successfully grown papaya from seed, very nice plant and grows fairly quickly without damaging its host garden!

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 26 September 2011 - 00:34

I don’t know much about ordering via Amazon. Cant we order stuff from them from UAE? Another question regarding frostings, Do u know what type of frostings do bakeries (like Mr Baker, Mukhtar Bakery) or the ones in lulu and C4 use. They r so yum, soft n light unlike buttercream. ThanxYes, you can order Amazon from the UAE, using a UAE-issued credit card. Just remember to put in your po box number anywhere they ask for a postal/ zip code. I think the bookstore in Al Ghurair Ctr no longer exists! I went there 12 yrs ago, and Al Ghurair Ctr had a major refurbishment since then. Magrudy's and Kinokuniya have a service where you can special order books; cost is not much more than ordering thru Amazon plus UAE shipping. There are a few recipes for bakery style frostings posted on www.food.com; many of them use non-dairy coffee creamer and all use veg shortening. People here prefer whipped cream-style frosting so what you get at grocery store bakeries may be made with a non-dairy whipped topping like Cool Whip (frozen, at Spinneys or Lulu). I personally prefer the buttercream frostings made from cooked sugar syrup.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 25 September 2011 - 23:18

I saw many cans of cranberry sauce and packets of stuffing mix in the Reduced to Clear area in Choithrams Safa Park last week...

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 25 September 2011 - 22:51

Any recommendations for swim classes for 3 yr olds in Jumeira? Thanks!

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 25 September 2011 - 20:41

BBQ Delite catered for hubby's company annual dinner, 70 ppl in my garden, and the price was very sweet. Food was amazing.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 25 September 2011 - 20:32

Choithrams and Spinneys have the Dr Oetker packets.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 19 September 2011 - 21:45

Thanks for checking. Sorry you didn't find anything today that fit your LOs feet, those Ecco sandals looked really promising.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 19 September 2011 - 21:41

We did this a few times during our UK trip this summer. Taxi from Birmingham to Alton Towers; taxi from Alton Towers to train station. 3 yr old was always in a car seat; one taxi driver said he couldn't do 2 car seats at once so I held the 1 yr old in my lap, strapped into Ergo against my chest.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 19 September 2011 - 21:37

Wow, great to know that another fan of Rose lives in Dubai! I agree, she is so generous with her baking knowledge. I bought The Cake Bible, 12 yrs ago at Book Corner in Al Ghurair Ctr, took it home to Sharjah and started learning more than I could've imagined. Learning how to properly weigh ingredients, paying attention to protein content on flour packages (so useful in Dubai where you can potentially buy flour from UK, France, local flour mills), fat content in dairy products, significantly improved my baking. I found her blog a few years ago, there's a great recipe for "Kate Flour" that really works. She did a baking series for PBS some years ago called Baking Magic and I convinced my aunt to tape me some episodes. Haven't seen the baking videos on Youtube yet! My life has suddenly become much busier due to motherhood, moving to a villa, etc but I knew I had to buy Rose's Heavenly Cakes, read it through a few times, absorb the info even if I don't bake from it for a while. The quality of the binding, paper, etc is great; my only gripe is that unlike "Cake Bible", there isn't a photo of each completed cake project. The book is just under $30, free shipping to US addresses. I had my family bring the book over. Wow, loved your description of your guests' enjoyment of the Bostini! Isn't that one of the great rewards of passionate baking?! "All I did was follow this recipe in my home kitchen..."

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 19 September 2011 - 21:06

Oh dear, just checked both LOs Clarks today (we treated the kids to proper shoe fittings at Clarks in the UK AND full-price shoes) and both have G width. Looks like a case of Shop n Ship... And my DH says that Dubai Mall sells EVERYTHING....Grrrr!

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 19 September 2011 - 20:28

this month's magazine has some great recipes - the pea soup is yum!Are you trying to tempt us? I also stopped buying BBC Goodfood once they switched to 'middle east" edition, all of the recipes are repeats from previous years, very little original content or even content relevant to "seasons" or what fruit/veg is most available here (cauliflower, marrow, eggplant, green beans). Yeah, the online sites are almost better...but not as fun as flicking thru a magazine.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 19 September 2011 - 20:17

I've had good Australian avocados from the Carrefour Market in Oasis Mall in the past 2 months. DH has been thrilled.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 19 September 2011 - 11:15

There's a nice Arabic kids channel called Baraem; most of the shows are from BBC and PBS (American) and dubbed into Arabic. It's free to air, and age appropriate from pre-nursery to 6 or 7 yrs (programming for the older kids is shown from 3pm onwards). My 3yr old initially couldn't follow much of it, but now he can, and enjoys it.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 23:31

I'm happy you found the black beans in the end, I think we've all been thru that moment of buying out the store's entire stock (and giving the cashiers something to talk about!). What do you eat with your black bean soup? I like a swirl of plain yoghurt, and if I can make the time, some cornbread alongside.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 23:12

Dont' overthink toasters. edited by marycatherine on 18/09/2011Believe me, I don't want to overthink toasters, but after choosing 2 failed toasters in 5 yrs, I accepted that I need some help in this area. And DH wants toast back on the menu!!

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 19:41

Thanks for the input Princess_I, Braun is an easy brand to find in Dubai :)

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 19:36

It just started last night on Fox Series channel, 9-10pm! Very nice.... It's on tonight as well at same time.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 16:55

Congratulations! Defensive, confident driving will help you through!

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 16:53

Small box was Dhs 80; family box was Dhs 140 or 160. They contained small potatoes, tomatoes, plenty of mushrooms, cucumbers, basil pot, 2-3 aubergines.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 16:49

Or is there an Ecco store here? What's that one in Mercato on the upper floor?Ecco moved from Mercato :( They have an Ecco Kids store in Dubai Mall near Oilily and Early Learning Centre (top floor of mall opp exit from Dubai Aquarium).

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 16:40

Will keep an eye out...Choithrams in Green Community often has it.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 16:39

The earlier veg boxes at 9.45am contained basil pots.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 16:38

I went today and wasnt impressed at all. No? Why not? Haven't been this year yet.Unfortunately for me, the veg box contained things I had already bought the day before at Al Wasl Spinneys. I was keen on buying some locally grown organic onions, watermelon and zucchini. I think I was expecting stalls from more farmers, like the Souk Al Bahar market, where you have some veg stalls, some people selling free-range eggs, etc. I did have a good browse thru the House of Prose stall without darling LOs to interrupt.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 16:24

Hmm, looks like it's either buy the super duper Dualit or the basic Philips... Norak, can I come over to your home to make toast? How many slices does your Philips hold? Sugarbeach, did you get your Dualit toaster here in Dubai? The Breville toaster at @HOME was Dhs 299 for the basic 4 slice model, the fancy models had "crumpet" and "defrost" buttons.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 13:53

If you're feeling flush, you can give the dr a nice watch.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 13:51

I have a Lebanese DH and his tip is to warm up the drained, tinned chickpeas with a little clean water in a dish in the microwave before pureeing. Gives the finished hummos a smooth, silky finish, not cement-like.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 00:22

I went today and wasnt impressed at all.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 00:21

Fatafeat channel tends to air some "healthy cooking" shows. They were showing Ellie Kreuger's show for a while. A lot of low fat yoghurt! They also air a show in Arabic aimed at diabetics, hosted by a skinny nutritionist and a chubby man, the real-life Type 2 Diabetic.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 23:50

Try entering labour supply into www.yellowpages.ae and select Sharjah as your emirate. For some weird reason, when I called back in June, most of the Sharjah maid agencies specialise in Nepali or Bangladeshi maids. You can hire a maid from a Sharjah or Ajman based agency even if you live in Dubai/ Abu Dhabi. (just be prepared to pick your maid up from the agency in Sharjah/ Ajman when she arrives).

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 23:43

Currently looking at moulineux unit which has every function i need (plus some) but given it is consciderably cheaper than the other two options, I'm reluctant to purchase it if it's not going to be any good in the long run.I got a Moulinex as a wedding present when I first moved to Dubai 13yrs ago! Loved it until it was stumped by cream cheese pastry for some apricot bar cookies, after 6 months of use. Gave it away to a good friend, she still uses it to chop onions, etc. It's fine but not the greatest. Loved my Magimix to bits until its motor stopped working after 2 yrs of use. Painful process of sending motor base to France (2 months! silly amt of money!) and it came back not repaired. Now I have a Kenwood Chef and a Kenwood food processor I got on Eid offer at Geant 2 yrs ago. Don't like the Kenwood fp, it's clearly more flimsy than the Magimix but I know that if something goes wrong, Jashanmal provides good and fairly reasonably priced after-sales service. I love my Kenwood Chef, just wish I had more time to play with it. Having it on the bench reminds me to do crazy things like make bread dough once a week, the LOs enjoy that.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 22:50

Got a take away on Thursday from their MCC branch using a gonabit voucher. Reached home to find 1/2 of the meat cubes were in fact aubergine cubes....I was very disappointed could it be because I used a voucher?No, it depends on the type of grilled kebab you ask for. I ask for Orfali kebab because I enjoy the grilled eggplant bits! There was a Kebabji near the hospital where FIL underwent chemo; DH and I had many meals there.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 22:43

Harry Potter!! DH and I put the kids to bed and literally caught the last showing at Mercato. It was us plus an expat family, great audience for a great film :)

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 22:31

Geant (in organic section) and Organic Foods & Cafe.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 22:28

I make them, have a recipe from an old issue of Cooking Light. Recipe is nearly identical to that for homemade Indian breads (roomali roti), only Cooking Light suggests a few drops of sesame oil in the dough. You could also order some roomali rotis from your nearest Indian restaurant, cheaper and fresher than Galleries Lafayette!

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 22:25

that sounds great, esp if it means you don't need to butter/oil outside of sandwich (more fat can go into the filling, hee hee hee).

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 22:24

No, but I just got a new cookbook from the States that has a step by step guide to making tamales. Also grew up reading Triple A and Sunset magazines (for residents of West Coast), they had annual articles on tamale making tradition around Christmas time in San Antonio, Tx and elsewhere in Southwest.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 20:56

How did your Bostini come out? Did you use the recipe in "Rose's Heavenly Cakes"? I just got that cookbook from Amazon! You can use Cream of Tartar to make homemade playdough. There's a lady who makes it and sells it for Dhs 15/pot at the ARTE fairs and at my son's nursery, a surprising money-maker.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 17 September 2011 - 20:47

I have 3 double strollers at home now! Currently using the phil&Ted's E3 I bought via Dubizzle last weekend, DH says it's the best of the lot (the other 2 are a Mamas&Papas inline stroller and Mothercare Phoenix). He says it's the least fiddly to fold up, truly lightweight, easy to steer. I quite liked the Mothercare Phoenix and used it a fair bit along Beach Rd, in Safa Park, etc. My LOs are 3 and 1. On our UK summer holiday to the great family magnets of Alton Towers and Drayton Manor (Thomas Land) and Cadbury World and Glasgow Science Ctr, DH joked that I was more interested in the double strollers being used by parents than the main attractions (guilty as charged!). I saw so many Phil & Teds being used (Sport, E3, Explorer) and parents not kicking stupid stroller, that I decided it was worth the extra money. Other faves were Mothercare Phoenix and the Graco equivalent, Graco Duoglider. Congrats Farasha on the Donkey :0)

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 08 September 2011 - 00:16

My OH is convinced that they ask for nationality on lotto tickets because it plays a factor in your chances... Of course it does. If you're a westerner - forget it. You only have to look at the winners for National Bonds to see that. My kids and I must be really lucky National Bond holders then. Despite our Western passports, 1 out of the 3 names gets drawn once a month. My girlfriends and I used to joke about Indians and Filipinos being guaranteed winners of the Mashreq Bank Millionaire draw...

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:37

My 14 month DS2 has blue bruising where his molar tooth is coming in, like on the gums where the new tooth is trying to come out. Do I take him to a pediatrician tomorrow morning or a pediatric dentist? Any recommended docs? Poor kid has obviously been in pain, reduced appetite, v clingy, wants to nurse constantly and I only noticed it when I was wrestling with him to brush his teeth at his bedtime...

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:29

Nope. You just feel more confident, is all.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:23

I special ordered mine from Toys R Us in Times Square. It took a month for the shipment to arrive.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:21

I usually take out all the spices that I"ll be using in a recipe before I cook, so I get DS1 (now 3) into kitchen, pour out some spice into a small metal bowl and have him smell it, then dip his finger into it and taste it, then he usually dumps it on the ground and has fun dragging spoons or his fingers through it. He is very scared of the noise made by the blender and stand mixer so now I try to warn him before using, and invite him to watch "the engine" (he loves cars) in action as it chops or stirs.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:11

Chinese Pavilion in Beach Ctr is great! You could try the Chinese restaurant that's after Choithrams Safa Park and let us know how it is!

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:09

My friend's mother in law uses Marmum yoghurt as the starter and it works well for her.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:05

I would try Safestway and Choithrams, they tend to import Latino ingredients from the States. Choithrams and Safestway can also place special orders for customers, but you have to be prepared to wait and pay accordingly for this service. BTW, for tamales you would also need to get the dried corn husks, unless you're planning on forming them inside aluminum foil.

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Apricot

1987

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Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 23:02

I would use slightly less. 1/2 cup of cumin seeds yields less in powdered form. I frequently grind spice seeds to powder. If the finished recipe tastes like it needs more flavor, you could boost it by heating a little oil in a frying pan, then adding a sliced garlic clove and small amounts of the same spices used in the recipe and stir, cooking it only until the garlic slices turn golden and the spices start to smell fragrant. Then mix the flavored oil into the finished recipe.

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