Fat Guy

Ooh. Interesting. Please say more. Posted from my handheld using the Tapatalk app. Want to use eG Forums on your iPhone, Android or Blackberry? Get started at http://egullet.org/tapatalk

It's a complex issue. Running an inner-city grocery store presents challenges. Were it the road to riches the better chains would be clamoring to get in. Not to mention the history of organized opposition to better supermarkets. Posted from my handheld using the Tapatalk app. Want to use eG Forums on your iPhone, Android or Blackberry? Get started at http://egullet.org/tapatalk

The entryway is 9' high so there is plenty of headroom. I hadn't thought to use some of it for deeper items, though I guess my comfortable standing reach is only to about 7' (a couple of inches less for my wife). The width of the kitchen entryway is 36", so I think it could still be comfortable with smaller tools hanging there.

Those are very sharp looking. I don't think I can do the exact same thing because the protrusion of something like a paper-towel roll is probably too much. I'm hoping to mount this in the kitchen entryway, so I don't want to narrow that passage any more than is absolutely necessary. That's part of why I find pegboard tempting: it has a very low profile so even when you add small kitchen tools on hooks you only come out three or so inches.

Has anybody installed pegboard or a grid system in a home kitchen? I'm considering it as a way to de-clutter. I'd love to see photos, hear wit and wisdom, etc.

Unfortunately, all I have access to at the moment is this out-of-focus cell-phone photo of the table. The area of damage/rot is at the absolute dead center of the table. I'll follow up with a closeup and a better photo in about a week. Speaking of lazy Susans, I was just at a crafts fair and there was a couple there selling handmade lazy Susans that were very nice. I just couldn't see one going well with this table, though. I think so far the bowl of nuts idea is best. I have a beautiful handmade wooden bowl that doesn't get displayed enough, and filled with walnuts in the shell it would probably look really nice. I'm not a big fan of tablecloths and runners. Maybe for special occasions but not as permanent fixtures. For everyday dining we're a placemat family.

I think the tile inlay trick is mostly effective with farmhouse-style tables. This is more of a dark, shiny finish on a more formal table. I think tile would just look weird. I may have a photo of the table I can post from the road, but I'm sure I don't have a closeup of the damage. I'll look at my cell-phone photo inventory now.

When I get home at the end of the week I'll try to post a photo of the affected area for all of your consideration.

A melon was left on the table and its underside rotted, unbeknownst to the previous owner. A few days later when she lifted the fruit it had eaten away at the table. I don't have a complete understanding of the depth of the damage. I'll have to see if refinishing is an option. I'm not sure if it is.

I had Hunt's ketchup last night for the first time in years. During Passover we avoid grain-based foods, including those with high-fructose corn syrup. I remembered that Hunt's is HFCS-free so I grabbed a bottle at the Food Lion. I have to circle back and do this as a true, comparative, blind tasting. But I'm shocked to report that, preliminarily, I and the other two members of my core family group (wife, son) liked Hunt's a whole lot. I think they must have changed the recipe, because I could swear Hunt's used to suck. But now the family is considering a switch.

We recently posted our volunteer ethics policy for your consideration. These are the guidelines our staffers have agreed to follow for the past several years. A few highlights: "When reporting is based on complimentary products or services, it must be disclosed, as must relevant potential conflicts of interest. It is usually sufficient to disclose a potential conflict or a comp, e.g., a close tie with a particular restaurateur or chef, or the fact that a meal has been provided free of charge, once. However, repeat disclosure is required when it is central to subsequent discussions." "A volunteer involved in a debate may not act as a moderator in that debate." "We will comply with copyright and other intellectual property laws. We will not tolerate any form of plagiarism." "If we report on an organization or individual who funds the Society, we will disclose that relationship." "We will not give favored editorial treatment to Society donors, underwriters, friends, volunteers, correspondents or special-interest groups." The complete volunteer ethics policy is available here.

Code of Ethics The reputation of the Society is a critical element in maintaining both access to sources of news and knowledge and the trust and support of our membership. This reputation has taken several years to build and is easily damaged. This code of ethics is designed to help Society volunteers and correspondents uphold our reputation. Fairness We will consider all sides in any culinary debate; this applies both to editorial and educational policy and to moderation of the public forums. We will strive for impartial treatment of all subjects, no matter how controversial. We will treat the people we write about with fairness and civility. We will treat our members fairly, in accordance with our policies and guidelines. We will treat our members' posts fairly, never editing their content without permission. Integrity We will not give favored editorial treatment to Society donors, underwriters, friends, volunteers, correspondents or special-interest groups. Volunteers and correspondents may not use non-public information gathered through Society channels for personal gain, nor may they use their association with the Society for personal gain. Society volunteers (or anyone on assignment for a Society service such as the Daily Gullet, the eGullet Culinary Institute or eG Spotlight, i.e., correspondents) will not accept gifts of food, wine or other inducements in exchange for providing publicity or favorable reviews. Accuracy We will do our best to check all of the facts that we report, especially where these facts have come through secondary sources (newspapers, internet, etc.). We will correct substantive errors of fact in a timely manner. Where possible, we will base our published views on facts, but given the inherent subjectivity of judgments about food and drink, we aspire not to objectivity but to open and fair consideration of multiple points of view. A quote or paraphrase from an interviewee or speaker must accurately reflect what that person was asked or was responding to. We will tell members and readers about the circumstances of an interview (such as the time the interview took place, the fact that an interviewee was speaking to us while on the fly, etc.) if that information is pertinent. Sources We will not allow sources or interviewees to dictate how a topic will be covered, or which other voices or ideas will be included. We will not pay for information from sources or newsmakers. We will comply with copyright and other intellectual property laws. We will not tolerate any form of plagiarism. Independence We will maintain separation between our editorial volunteers and our funders. While volunteers will inevitably end up talking to experts and officials who work at organizations that fund us (and their grantees), we will not discuss the planning of eG Forums topics, eGCI classes, Daily Gullet articles or eG Spotlight events with grant-making officials. If we report on an organization or individual who funds the Society, we will disclose that relationship. Conflicts of interest, complimentary products and services We will strive to avoid undisclosed potential conflicts of interest in our editorial publications and in our moderation of the public forums. A volunteer involved in a debate may not act as a moderator in that debate. Society volunteers and correspondents who report on restaurants or food events may accept, in furtherance of their reporting duties and not for personal gain, complimentary products and services, including food, drink, travel and press passes or tickets customarily made available. When reporting is based on complimentary products or services, it must be disclosed, as must relevant potential conflicts of interest. It is usually sufficient to disclose a potential conflict or a comp, e.g., a close tie with a particular restaurateur or chef, or the fact that a meal has been provided free of charge, once. However, repeat disclosure is required when it is central to subsequent discussions. The directors of operations and executive director will be consulted if there is any doubt about the appropriateness of an arrangement, the appearance of a conflict or the extent of necessary disclosure. Scope The code applies to Society volunteers (e.g., managers, hosts, specialists) and correspondents (e.g., people on assignment for eGCI classes, Daily Gullet articles or eG Spotlight events) The code, last revised on 6 October 2007, took effect on 2 April 2006 and applies to conduct thereafter. Violations Suspected code violations should be reported, only via e-mail or personal messenger (PM), to the directors of operations and executive director. Plausible claims will be investigated and handled by an internal review team. Code not complete This code does not present a complete list of behaviors that would violate either our fairness or conflict of interest rules. Application, extent and content of the code will evolve as we identify specific situations.

Are the nuts ready to eat, or are you talking about nuts in the shell?

We recently drove down to the North Carolina coast and took an unsuccessful shortcut from I-95 to I-40. The one nice thing about the routing was that we drove through a couple of legendary barbecue towns (Goldsboro and Wilson, not that we stopped). And at one point we passed through a place called Mt. Olive, where the signage claimed the town is the pickle capital of the world. I made a mental note and then, as with many of my mental notes, I forgot all about it. A couple of days later I was at the Food Lion getting some food supplies and a section of one aisle caught my eye: there was a whole block of shelf space devoted to the product line of the Mt. Olive pickle company. I bought a jar of kosher baby dills. Later, I ate a couple. I must say, they were probably the best shelf-stable pickles I've had. Very crunchy with a nice balance of salt, vinegar and seasonings. Certainly much better than the major supermarket brands. I'd have to do a more rigorous tasting against B&G -- my previous favorite brand -- to be sure. The location of Mt. Olive's facility, by the way, is the corner of Cucumber and Vine. The company's website: http://www.mtolivepickles.com

I have a new (to me) dining-room table, handed down to us by a friend. It's a great table, but it has a serious abrasion right in the center. So I'm thinking the best move is to keep that area covered up with a centerpiece of some sort. This got me thinking about centerpieces in general and therefore about all of you. My major requirements are that I don't want anything alive that requires maintenance, and that I don't want anything tall that makes it hard for a person to see across the table. I'm looking for thoughts and suggestions, and discussion of centerpieces in general.

This is pretty dense, but here's the report on the assessment New York City did ("NYC DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION The Impact of Food Waste Disposers in Combined Sewer Areas of New York City"). The conclusion seems to be that the impacts are minor and if anything save a little money on trash collection.

For the first time in my life I have a kitchen sink equipped with a garbage disposer. When I was growing up in New York City nobody seemed to have one. I'm not even sure they were legal. Now I know a lot of buildings still forbid them. But I moved into a place that allows them. The unit I have is a Franke. I haven't the slightest idea what to do with it. I haven't put anything down the sink yet. Is anybody familiar with the Franke line? If so do you have any advice for a newbie?

Rob, have you had anybody heavy (like 200+ pounds) sit on them?

There are actually a lot of interesting options there. Good find. One of the models is the same as one I saw on Amazon and the complaint was that it couldn't accommodate a person weighing over 200 pounds (which I do). I'll have to do some deeper research on some of these.

Great idea. So far my top contender is a shop stool, so a drafting stool makes sense.

You are correct. I was looking at the wrong dimension. The counters are 36" high (91.44 centimeters).

I've looked at all the first-line specimens that Google turns up. Most fail the test of adjustability. I really need height-adjustable because we have a growing 5-year-old and his requirements are ever-changing. I have a friend who shelled out for the Moser barstools. Call me a philistine but a thousand bucks for a chair without a back?

I'm having the hardest time finding stools/chairs for my kitchen counter. The height of the counter is the standard 30 inches (aka 76.2 centimeters). Ideally I'd like stools that 1- have a back, 2- are adjustable in height (so as to work for a child), and 3- are not crazy-expensive. I should also note, I like my counter (and bar) stools slightly higher than the recommended 10" lower than the counter height.

This seems to be the right answer. I guess it's the inevitable outcome when you design on paper and then build in the physical world. So we have no choice but to mount it with the controls forward-facing. I'm encouraged by LoftyNotions's comments, though. I think I'll take the position that we mounted it this way on purpose because the right-facing orientation is flawed. I may or may not paint over the hot-and-cold indicators, but the lines have now been reversed and cold is to the right as is normal in these parts.

We're still unpacking and soon I head to North Carolina for a week. So it may not be right away. Yes I'm exhausted. Posted from my handheld using the Tapatalk app. Want to use eG Forums on your iPhone, Android or Blackberry? Get started at http://egullet.org/tapatalk