Smithy

That's a great idea, cyalexa. Thanks! Now I know what I'll be doing when our cherry tomatoes stop ripening. :-)

So...it isn't as though I expect much use for this, but I confess to the occasional temptation for a kitchen torch. Look what I found at Goodwill! 3 bucks, never opened.

In the "cheap thrills" department, behold my new favorite spatula: iSi Basics Slim Spatula. All silicone. Skinny, with two different edges. Heat resistant (it says) to 600oF (315oC), although I've had no cause to try it that high. Rigid enough that I can mix bread dough with it. Flat enough that I don't have to dig stuff out of a cupped surface, as I'd have to with a standard spoon. Skinny enough to get down through most bottlenecks for that last bit of squeezable mustard. Until now, my preferred bread-dough-mixing implement - other than hands, or sometimes my mixer - has been one of my several silicone spatulas with wooden handles. The wooden handles have been a problem when it came to cleanup. By comparison, very little sticks to this nifty spatula, and the little that sticks comes off easily. Best 8 bucks I've spent in a while. I liked the first one so much, I got a second for the trailer kitchen.

Whoops! Sorry for not reading more carefully!

Anna, in re-reading your post on marmalade I now see the clear comment that it's a lot less fuss and bother. My other question remains: is it a special recipe or is a new technique required? And a new question: what is that thing that looks like an oversized safety pin in the last photo?

In this post in the Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker topic, rotuts shows some TJ's South African Smoke seasoning blend. It's clear that he thinks the grinder is no good, but not whether he also thinks the blend itself is a bust. My questions, for anyone who's tried this (rotuts, that includes you of course) are: 1. What is supposed to make this blend South African? 2. How does it taste, when you can get it out of the grinder? An ingredient listing would be welcome.

I used to think I detested marmalade: too sweet, too sticky, sometimes also bitter, and generally an insult to good oranges. Then a friend gave me some kumquat marmalade she'd made, and it was lovely. Now, seeing your lemon-lime setup. I wonder whether I've been missing something wonderful. Can you describe the level of sweetness? Finally, and most importantly for this topic: does the IP make this easier somehow? Is this a special recipe? Edited for focus.

Shelby, are those green tomatoes a second batch on the same prolific vines you've been harvesting, or do you have a variety that sets fruit later than the rest? And are you a bit relieved that the pace has slowed somewhat?

I'm loving these tests and detailed notes. That potato salad looks like just the ticket! Thanks for the Penzeys spice mix recommendation, rotuts, as well as the TJ's South African Smoke spice anti-recommendation. Anna N, that brown bread looks well worth trying. I wish I were brilliant enough to have thought of your coffee can treatment on my own. Since I'm not, I'm very pleased to take the idea and run with it! rotuts, Don't Cut Raw Beets By Hand...at least, not without armored gloves. The microsurgeons may adore your choice of weapon, but they will not admire your judgment.

I suspect you're right about the corn syrup. However, here's another idea: could the pH of the vinegar affect the glaze's ability to form a shattery surface? I think your fritters look wonderful. I'd be pleased to help you test. :-D Still, I can understand your disappointment at the finished texture.

If I don't like the food at a restaurant, I don't come back. If I don't like the staff or service, I don't come back. If I thought the executive chef at a restaurant looked down on customers like me, I wouldn't patronize the place. It's that simple, and I'm not one of the oldsters you're disdaining. As others have said, you need to please your customers. The ideas uptopic about offering special menus or dishes sound like good ways to see if you can broaden the customer base and express your creativity, at least a little bit. Maybe you can get support from the owners if you pitch it as trying to bring in additional customers.

Andie, do you have to put the ravioli in a single layer, or can they touch in the pasta boat? I too have problems with them breaking up in the boiling water, and this might be a good solution for me.

This Bosch oven is a convection/microwave oven on the upper half and a conventional oven on the lower half. Is that the specific combination you're after? If so, Alex has provided some terrific information above. Now, at the risk of unwelcome confusion: when I clicked on your link I also saw wall oven combinations with a steam option. In light of the many discussions here on the benefits of steam cooking, I'd give that some thought. (Expense, and how/where to vent the steam, would be two considerations.) If you haven't thought about that, check out these topics: Built-in combi oven Steam ovens Baking Bread in a Steam & Convection Oven (Combi Oven) and finally, as an example of what steam can do for you, the ever-popular Cuisinart Combo Steam/Convection Oven. Edit: on second thought, you could go with the microwave/standard wall combination and then get the Cuisinart Combo as an auxiliary oven. ;-)

I think cdh is onto something. In my experience, shrimp gets tougher as it marinates in acid (a) longer and/or (b) at a lower pH. You should be able to pickle those shrimp enough without pre-cooking. Freeze and thaw them first, if they haven't already been frozen, to kill any parasites they might be carrying. I'd love to see the recipe you used, but can't find anything recent in the NYT Magazine site. Can you post a link?

Ohh, I should absolutely not be reading this topic. (Peers over the brink)

This is wonderful news! I look forward to seeing the finished product and comparing it to the version I saw.

Sooo much good-looking stuff here! JoNorvelleWalker, you made me laugh (as you often do) and for some reason I keep visualizing mopping the floor with the baguette. liamsaunt, did you make the bread for both sandwiches above? What is the bread on the tomato sandwich? That is a very cool bowl that the squash fries are in. I'd like to know more about that dish as well as its contents. Were those fries made from a hard squash? It's good to see you here again, robirdstx. Those are beautiful and inspiring meals. liuzhou, somehow I doubt that your 'comfort' food is ever boring. You did the breasts here, and plan the legs and wings for tomorrow. What do you plan for the back bits, bones and neck? Broth alone, or will you find another use for those meat scraps?

I'm thoroughly enjoying your heat wave relief efforts, blue_dolphin. The popsicles look beautiful! I like your idea of getting a little of each element in each bite, and the crunchy element you propose to add sounds like it would be a nice addition. Thanks for posting your results.

I thought Duluth was lagging behind the rest of the country, ElainaA. Now I see we aren't alone; our tomatoes are just coming in, too. Yours are beauties!

Hiya. Do you like to cook, eat, or both?

Thanks for that report, Dave. I'm impressed with the recovery, as well as the tap dancing. Did the meat guy have any thoughts about what might have been wrong with the ribs?

Welcome, Ama. Lurk as much as you like, but you may find you can also contribute! A lot of people are interested in good food "on the cheap". Has your experience on different continents helped broaden your skills and ideas for making good, inexpensive meals? Do you find yourself turning to some cuisines more than others?

In Ivy Manning's book, Crackers and Dips, she gives directions both in cracker dough thickness (for using a rolling pin) and in pasta roller setting. Edited to add Amazon link.

Anna, I'll bet there's going to be a rush of sales for this cooker. Thank you very much! I look forward to more reports. The temperature adjustment on the front panel is interesting. Can it be used to set the temperature in the slow-cooker mode? I'm wondering whether this can be used to slow cook for hours at, say, 140 or 170 (F) for the protein of our choice.

Add me to the list of interested readers. I'm not sure I should be paying attention to this topic, lest I find myself working out what has to leave the kitchen to make room for a new multi-pot. Nonetheless, I'm interested. Willing to be tempted.