Alex

Ha! Must be an eGullet thing. I ordered black, too. I was tempted by red, as our dining room walls are red and the room is open to the kitchen, but uniformity prevailed over sparkle. I didn't get that error messge, though.

Thanks, Steven. I just purchased one. Your post about using the Blendtec to make fondue was the decision maker. Well, not really, but that's pretty cool nonetheless. I also remembered that the for the basil oil I made at last year's Heartland Gathering, Edsel's (?) VitaMix absolutely pulverized the basil; my KA blender hadn't been quite as efficient at the task. I'm looking forward to smoothies, sorbets, and quick soups. I'm also curious how peanut butter will turn out. My KA food processor does a credible job, but I have a feeling this'll be better.

As much as I'd love to get involved in an ethics-related discussion, I have a more pressing product-related issue. I have a Blendtec in my cart right now, but I'm going through an internal debate about whether to click the Buy button. It's undoubtedly a great deal, and I certainly would use it (although not frequently), but I'm wondering if it would provide a significant enough advantage over my current blender. I have a relatively new (less than 1 year old) five-speed KitchenAid blender. I use it primarily for pureeing soups and the like, making pesto, and crushing ice. I have no complaints other than how loud it is. What could the Blendtec do that my KA could not do at all, or not as well?

I imagine the Whole Foods in West Bloomfield would carry it. Worth a call, anyway.

Macy's online has a sale (2-day?) on a Calphalon Contemporary stainless 8-qt multi-pot for $99.99, with an extra 20% off with code VIP20 (good only until Sunday). If you buy something else to bring the total to $99 or more, shipping is free.

Sorry, but your friend won't be able to have access to the terminal concourses unless he/she is on a flight or is an airline employee. So that won't work. Right. Wasn't thinking. Thanks.

Just finished Beyond the Great Wall, by Alford and Duguid. Valuable not just for the food, but for some insights into modern China.

Yes: "typo's" Or was that intentional? or the Canadian spelling?

It's not minus the water, it's minus the whey, which also contains lactose and protein. I also don't think there's a 1:1 relationship between thickness and calories (and in any event, how do you judge X times as thick?).

I second the TJ Maxx suggestion. IIRC, several years ago I got my Dansk there for not much $$, complete with steamer, pasta insert, and glass lid. It's made in China, but it has a sandwich bottom so it works fine for stock.

Here's my post about this Breville. I'm curious to hear how the toasting works out for you. P.S. Wouldn't a Dalek-shaped toaster be beyond cool?

Would your friend be willing to meet you at the airport? It's about 45-50 minutes from the Loop via the Blue Line, if all goes well (+ a bit of a walk to the actual terminal). Rick Bayless recently opened Tortas Frontera, in Terminal 1, Concourse B. Frommer's Travel Guides just named it one of the 10 best airport restaurants in the U.S. eGullet contributor nsxtasy offers other suggestions here.

I agree with BadRabbit. Microwave leakage is a thing of the past. Continue with your research and buy the best combination of features, performance, and price. Panasonic generally has a good rep.

At 60, I still eat and drink the same stuff, just in a bit less quantity (both food and wine). I'm more discriminating about sweets. Midnight snacks have moved to 9 p.m. That's pretty much it.

Blu-Tack

Responding to several posts... Ms. Alex and I had the pre-theater dinner at Galileo III during our end-of-December visit. It was quite good (as was pre-theater at Bibiana), but Tosca still is our favorite. Unfortunately, it's not open on Sunday. Other Sunday ideas: 701, Circle Bistro, Ardeo (haven't been there since the remodeling), or, for a hoot, Birch & Barley (all-day brunch, until 8 p.m.). For lunch, the $12 bar menu at Proof is tough to beat. We didn't make it there during our last visit, but the pastrami at Loeb's New York Deli is supposed to be pretty good. Any recent reports?

I think we might need a separate eGullet thread dedicated to putting together tables of 2, 4, or 6.

Just ordered The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups, by David Ansel

Making wonderfully soft scrambled eggs the s-l-o-o-w way (in butter, of course).

Full story here. I can sort of understand the reasoning, but still, a chain is a chain, even if it's a cut or five above Applebee's. Not to mention we already have several steak houses (and other places to get a good steak) in the downtown area.

Ah...so you cut it pole-to-pole and lay it in the pan with the small end down, yes? Have you ever tried this with a ricotta-based filling?

I haven't used a Chemex in ages. However, this web page (with pdf option) is almost identical to what I used to do. The only difference is that I pre-heated the carafe by swishing around a little boiling water. IIRC, I used an automatic drip grind, but this can be adjusted one way or the other, of course.

I just added Cooking with the New American Chefs, a 1985 semi-classic (imho) by Ellen Brown, featuring stories about, and recipes by, many of the major figures of the time. Most names I recognized (Lydia Shire, Jeremiah Tower, Larry Forgione, et al.) but some were completely unfamiliar (Anne Greer, Jim Haller, Bruce Lefavour, Susumu Fukui). A few chefs are still with the same venue (Patrick O'Connell, Marcel Desaulniers, Paul Prudhomme sort of) but most have moved on to other restaurants or projects (or have retired from the biz). A few, sadly, are no longer with us (Barbara Tropp, Jean-Louis Palladin, Michael Roberts. I've even eaten at the restaurant of one (Jimmy Schmidt, then at London Chop House in Detroit) and took a class from another (Jackie Etcheber, now Jackie Shen, at Red Light in Chicago).

Yes, that's what we've been using, after living with (and eventually selling) a smaller DeLonghi and a full-size Krups. I think it works wonderfully for everything except toasting sliced bread. The top of the slice usually is fine, but the bottom is striped (i.e., partially underdone) because of the thick bars of the grating. Does anyone have any ideas how to solve this annoyance? If I were more mechanically inclined and had the tools (and the time), I'd develop and patent a grating just for toasting, with ultra-thin wires for bars. Anyone who's reading this post may have this idea for free, so long as you send me one or two of your final product.

Yes, I just placed an order and was going to say that, too. Agreed about the customer service. Thanks so much for the great tip. I've been wanting one of these for a while. I was going to also order an AeroGarden 3 ("Now: $5.99 Was: $49.99"), but they're sold out. (Mostly with a little )