dougery

Well the Ronco glass cutter can turn any ordinary wine bottle into a beautiful water glass or vase... Really though, I went on a wine tour in Kelowna Canada and saw a beautiful and creative way to use wine bottles. They cut the tops off just as the neck of the bottle completes its taper to the base. They then converted these bottle tops into lamp shades and also one large chandelier. This bouqet of blue wine bottle tops was breathtaking. I vowed to recreate this masterpiece when I had some spare time... That's about 18 years when our son has moved into his own digs.. We went on several tours, but I'm sure I can dig up the name of the winery if your interested.

Good call Daniel. I say: who needs a quality knife when you have a Ronco flavor injector... Just inject your foods straight into your stomach and bypass all of that unecessary mastication.

Here is a forged set for under 40 bucks. You might like the handles on these a bit more than the "ergonomic" steel handles of the Tools of the trade. Quite often, these ergonomic handles don't work out for many people. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001GZO7...itchen&v=glance

I have a soft spot in my block for Mundial... Mundial was my very first Chef's knife. Althought the steel is a bit soft and my handle is delaminating (this is an OLD knife) it has done its tour of duty in quite a few kitchens. Not a bad knife for the price!

Wasabi/lemon/garlic butter for sea foods... Just watch the amount of wasabi

Saving up for a quality knife is a great recommendation (I would personally lean toward a PS Tojiro, Hattori, or Masamoto), but Forschner makes a very good knife at a reasonable price. I have a couple in my block that sit right next to their high priced cousins. They easily stand toe to toe with some of the bolstered German knives!

You've definitely paid your dues Peter!

My cooking scar is from pulling a pan of liver out of a convection oven about 20 years ago. Hot boiling oil and forearms were not intended to be intimate partners... Also, I was chasing the popsicle truck when I was about 7, and ran into a unicyclist. Got a nasty scar on my left foot. Does that count?

Sex sells, baby. It even sells glorified turkey basters. Um, ok, I'm stopping there. ← When an artist friend was asked what his art is based on he replied: "all art is inspired by sex and food". So according to him, your answer is right on topic!

But on the other hand… The Ronco flavor injector is well worth those 3 low monthly payments! There is something about the way they market the flavor injector… It seems almost, shall I say… obscene?

Not very well balanced, mediocre steel, And the majority of them are serrated so when they do get dull, you'd be better off just throwing it away. They probably will last a couple of years, but you're not going to be the happiest cook during those years! Personally, I would take the 40 Bucks and buy a Forschner Chef's and a paring knife. These two will serve most of your needs. IMHO of course.

One area I am not too sure of are the legal ramifications (yes I agree, quite sticky) if you do ask a parent with an unruly child to leave. I see your point though, if you have your regular clients who fall into category 1-4 and then in comes the rogue parent/child, the natural reaction is to protect your regular's business. On the occasions when I ran into this situation, I found that respectfully requesting that the parent controll their children (more customer service oriented verbiage used of course) worked. The vast majority of the time the parents will reign their children in and apologize... I'm sorry to say that there is no helping the minority that will basically tell you to go somewhere south of heck...

Coffee shops and the culture they embrace attract unique slices of society. 1) You have the soloist… The person who comes in for some peace and quiet so they may enjoy their double, breve macchiato along with the NYT in a nice corner seat. Their ultimate goal is to have a small slice of peaceful solitude prior to the start of their hectic day. 2) Then you have your commuter: just dropping in to pick up their double tall to go.. In and out before you can bat an eyelash. 3) The morning health walking groups: usually groups of 1-3 with their full exercise regalia, sitting down with a double tall soy latte and a bran muffin. 4) Two old friends getting together for lonnng chat. One decaf drip and one full caf drip, sharing a plain scone with jam. 5) The mom with two kids (I hate to support this stereotype, but 9 out of ten times it’s the mom with kids, not dear old dad). Grande non-fat, one hot chocolate with whip and one without. So the question is, why do coffee house kid’s run rampant? My perception from past experience is that parents with unruly kids (not all parents and kids mind you) used to, prior to having kids, fall into category 1,2,3, or 4 and still wish to enjoy the lifestyle they previously enjoyed. In many ways I see these folks with unruly children as being quite selfish. They are prioritizing their needs and desires ahead of everyone elses, including their children’s. Often, these parents are engaged in conversation and let their children roam free, some times dangerously. Sadly, I think that it’s just the evolution of child rearing. Parents have a much more relaxed attitude on their children’s public behavior. It’s part of our culture and, has sadly, become the norm. We do have a voice $$ though. We can opt to visit another cafe. BTW, I am a parent as well and try to be sensitive to other patrons. If my son starts to act up and refuses to calm down, I am out the door OR my wife and I take turns with him outside.

Try searching the word "chicharron".

Beautiful!!! Man, that burner looks like a giant burner cup for an MSR XGK stove! Wow, I would love to have a go at that burner! Thanks for sharing!

I don't have any experience with this spread but it might make a nice filling for a pastry.

Arroz Caldo! My father in law makes this wonderful Philippine equivilant of chicken soup. It is spiced up with a LOT of ginger and works wonders on my cold! I used to eat Chinese and Japanese Congee until I found this gem.

Les, This is one fantastic hollow edge Santoku, Mac truly does make some nice knives and they offer one of the best hollow edge santokus for the price: http://www.macknife.com/professional.html And here is some great eye candy: http://www.oldtimecandy.com/images/assortm.../assortment.jpg

I would be quite happy with a new Benriner asian mandoline. Old one is close to buying the farm.

This thread seems to have raised more questions than answers. Many of you seem quite knowledgeable on this topic, and I appreciate the thoughtful discussion. Although there seems to be ample evidence that rBGH does not transmit through the milk in a noticeable quantity, have there been any long term studies on how this effects future generations of cows after years of rBGH use and breeding? Can repeated, long term use of a hormone eventually alter the DNA of live stock in unexpected and dangerous ways? Have there been any long term studies on it's effects on growth of human's (infant to adult) after generations of consumption? I find little comfort in the fact that the FDA has approved this hormone. I recently attended a product liability seminar (presented quite objectively) and the case study we followed was a class action law suit against a large pharmaceutical. It appears everybody was in bed with each other (what's new!) and the FDA turned a blind eye to a very dangerous drug. ALL studies were tilted either to the right or left with very little objective, unbiased scientific research being done. Money has a strange way of creating some of the most curious bed companions. From the information gathered on this thread, it is most probable that consumption of rGBH milk would not be detrimental to an individual in the short term, but will continued consumption grow more problems for future generations? Little problems certainly do seem to experience growth at exponential, viral like rates once they have a good foot hold established. Being a new parent has me thinking much more about long term effects on the environment and the human race. Although we do many things today with good intentions, sadly, much of the time they are done with much disregard for the future of our species and is motivated by quick monetary gains. I know I have a choice to drink whatever type of milk I want, but my concern is more on the long term ramifications these drugs will have on future generations.

Andiesenji, I sincerely hope you do not live in the heart of earthquake country... If you're in your kitchen during a quake, you'd end up 4 inches shorter with some serious dents in your head! Great photo!

Wow... don't check the forum for the weekend and look what you get! I'll need an entire evening to read through this thread!

A bread bowl to serve the chili in, plenty of raw veggies, tortilla chips, fresh salsa, and an artichoke dip to "cross dip" the bread bowl, veggies, and chips into.

Does anyone have links to reliable (scientific research) resources on this topic? I have heard some disturbing, but also conflicting, reports on the safety of this hormone and how consumers of rGHB milk might be at risk. TIA! PS here is one site I have found but I would like to find a more unbiased information on this. http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbghlink.html

Yea.. I like to live on the wild side, I push the limits as far as possible on the "do not sell after" date. I also like to down a couple of cold ones and then go wild by tearing tags off of my mattress and pillows... Really... I'll usually drink milk a couple of days after the do not sell date, then use it for cooking. Ever since we had a baby, I've become much more conservative when it comes to freshness and quality.