Smithy

Strange, I was just researching this after meeting a man in the grocery store who was trying to find a proper cleaner and couldn't read the labels on cleaning products. He finally decided to go to another store and see if he could find his original helper, which he claimed was something like Soft Scrub with Palmolive - or perhaps it was Palmolive with Soft Scrub. At any rate he said his pan had originally worked well but not was no longer nonstick for eggs, with or without butter put in the pan first. He was having a terrible time getting the pan clean. After I left, having been no help at all, I looked up "greenpan recommended cleaning" and found several disgruntled posts in which people reported that the surface had ceased to be nonstick after a relatively short time. Some noted that the pans do better if they're never subjected to high heat. The manufacturer says the thermal conductivity of Thermolong is such that one need never do more than "medium" (or was it "medium high"?) heat. They didn't go so far as to say that high heat would destroy the surface as it would Teflon. I overstated in my first sentence when I used the word "researching", since my "research" consisted of reading 3 articles and the first levels of their link...but overall I decided not to bother with these pans. If someone else has had better experience than the folks I read, we can hope they'll post here.

One design feature I haven't seen discussed this time around is the smoothness or roughness of the disks' interior surface. My first food mill was a pretty-looking thing, made by one of the companies that produces less-expensive tools. I don't remember the company's name. The disks were easy to change, but the holes were so smooth that food got pushed around in circles without ever breaking up. By contrast, the Foley I got to replace it has a very rough disk surface that helps grab and shred the food. No interchangeable disks, but it works. I took the other one back for a refund.

If you have freezer space, you might try the freezer trick instead of the fridge for the beaters and bowl. Another possibility is to nestle the bowl of cream in a larger bowl of ice while you're beating. Should be manageable since you're using a hand mixer. Yes, do please let us know what you learn!

Oh dear, you have my sympathies! However, I have a question: are you sure the All-Clad is ruined? I once burnt a shallot reduction - cooked it dry, to little bitty crispy former shallot mince- in my AllClad tri-ply pan, probably the same as yours. There was a lot of blue language in the kitchen that evening, I can tell you. However, that tri-ply construction held together (nothing delaminated) and eventually I was able to clean it, inside and out. If you know to look you can see a couple small stains on the interior, but the exterior looks as good as ever and the performance is unaffected. On the other hand, there was the time I burned a stew in my good Revereware aluminum-disk stainless steel 16-quart stock pot. By the time I got out of the shower there was at least a half-inch of charcoal (formerly known as lamb, potatoes and stock) stuck to the bottom of the pot. Charcoal is a terrible conductor of heat, and the three-ply disk system had begun to delaminate from the bottom. That's the most expensive shower I've ever taken...particularly because that line of pots isn't made any more, and it was my favorite. Now, if THAT's the kind of damage your house guest did, then the pan is indeed ruined. Can't help with your original questions, but maybe I can save you some money.

I seem to remember hearing Lynne Rosetto Kasper say that ultra pasteurized cream wouldn't whip up well, so I went to my 2 favorite reference books to check. Harold McGee (On Food and Cooking) doesn't directly address the effects of ultra pasteurization on cream's ability to whip, one way or the other. Shirley Corriher (Cookwise) says that pasteurized and ultrapasteurized creams don't whip as readily as raw creams. Homogenization makes the fat droplets smaller, and the smaller fat globules make the cream more difficult to whip. Is your cream homogenized? McGee does note that, in this country, ultrapasteurized cream is usually homogenized...so in a way, I think he makes the same connection as Corriher. Both writers note that temperature is the biggest issue: your cream, the bowl and beaters, and air need to be cold - as in, put the bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting. McGee recommends that the cream start out at "the low end of 40-50F/5-10C". Corriher notes that if you start with cold equipment and cold cream, but beat 90F/32C temperature air into it, you'll be heating that cream up and unable to develop a proper foam. Have you noted more trouble getting cream to whip up during the summer, or is this a year-round problem for you? The minimum fat content for whipping cream is 30%, according to both writers, so you're probably alright there. Corriher also notes that the breed of cow makes a difference: Jersey and Guernsey cows produce milk with large fat globules, while Holstein milk has smaller fat globules. As with homogenization, the smaller globules make it tougher to whip the cream. So: maybe it's the ultrapasteurization, maybe it's the source of the milk, or perhaps you're trying to whip cream in too hot a kitchen. Does any of that help? Edited: spelling, as usual. <grr>

First of all, let me say "welcome to eGullet, Hazen!" You've asked some great questions. I want to address your bonus question, although - allowing for the language barrier - I may still be misunderstanding you. You state that "nothing is added to the cream, it is simply processed in a matter that does not aerate it". However, your description of beating the cream to whip it belies that description...and in American English, at least, the term "whipped cream" specifically implies the incorporation of air to "whipping cream". If you whip cream, you ARE aerating it. The density reduces because of the added air, and the whole mass will float atop the coffee as a result. Whipped cream would even float atop un-aerated whipping cream, for the same reason. Did I understand your statement correctly - and did I answer the Physics question - or did I misunderstand something along the way?

Cool, Ttgull. Let me make sure I understand: you put cold sauerkraut on the heated risotto? Do you think the temperature differential contributed to the taste surprise?

I don't know what a "jaffle" is, and I'm not a "Dude!" even without the exclamation point. I recall the cheese getting pretty hot, but then, so does most, if not all, cheese that's grilled. I love the way Aussies talk. Snadra, does "jaffle" mean something good, or is that the name of the Toas Tite as you know it? Meanwhile...referring to another topic...Shel_B, it looks to me like your Toas Tite might do double duty as a crimper for oversized homemade ravioli. :-) Edited: stupid formatting.

I'd be up for that if I could do it in a (heh) half-baked way. At this time of year we rely heavily on fresh produce, and I wouldn't care to miss out on the Last of the Local Tomatoes (Duluth has had its first frost warnings already) in the name of not-shopping. But I'm trying to work my way down through the depths of our freezers - I definitely stockpile too much, and like Anna N I've been more successful at setting up inventories than at maintaining them. Anyone else interested in a no-shop challenge?

Well, at some point the meat and other ingredients overshadow the cheese to the point that "grilled cheese sandwich" would be misleading. For instance, getting a Reuben sandwich when you ordered grilled cheese might be a bit of a surprise. ;-) That doesn't make meaty, cheesy, goozy sandwiches - with or without fruits or vegetables added - any less delicious. Cuban sandwiches I've read of but not experienced. Medianoche sandwiches are beyond my ken. What are they, and how do you particularly like them?

Do you put the sliced pears in the sandwich? If so, before or after the sandwich is grilled? I'm a sucker for plain, salted potato chips at any time, which is why we rarely have them around the house. I agree that they play nicely off the grilled cheese sandwich.

There are many stone fronted buildings in NY, and there are even more graffiti artists around. That is the professional method I have seen done. BTW, not all baby powders contain talc. dcarch Questions: What kind of degreaser? And is it important to have talc as a component? I'm interested in the chemistry of this. Would it work on pale-colored laminate?

Noonu Enoch, welcome to eGullet! I'm glad you asked the question about Lebanese desserts or sweets, because it sent me looking through the eGullet Culinary Institute ("eGCI") for Foodman's excellent primer, "Introduction to Lebanese Cuisine". I found a lot of other good courses along the way that I'd forgotten, so the search was helpful for me. These courses are free, you can go through them at your own pace, and a link is provided for you to ask questions. It's hard to find unless you already know it exists, so here's a link to the post: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/28480-introduction-to-lebanese-cuisine/?p=390820 It's a long post. The dessert discussion is about halfway down.

Goozing is my new favourite word even if I think grilled cheese sandwiches are highly overrated! Goozing: how I've been needing this word! Thanks! Anna N, I too thought grilled cheese sandwiches were highly overrated, before I started messing with the ingredients. Now I've made a convert of my husband. Perhaps you're next?

Keith, that was an outstanding explanation. Thank you.

The smell is probably coming from the bacteria colonizing your sponge. The microwave (and above-mentioned bleach) kill the colonizers. Your well water might affect which bugs are present and what smells are produced, but city water users have the same general issue of bacteria growing in porous damp warm media like sponges and (I hadn't thought of this before) dish mats. Getting back to the original topic: I've avoided putting the blades of my food processors (including a new Cuisinart) in the dishwasher, but when I'm feeling lazy I've put the plastic bowl and lid in the dishwasher, so far with no ill effects. I don't use the dry cycle. However, I did learn the hard way - with a newish "Magic Chopper" or some such as well as my good old reliable Regal food processor - that the blades and their plastic housing didn't like being subjected to the rigors of the dishwasher. The plastic that housed the blade did some weird erosion or corrosion thing and cracked; meanwhile, I don't think I did those metal blades any good. That article link upthread to proper dishwasher use, including detergent amounts, was great. Thanks to weinoo for posting it!

Wow! Who knew?!

I love that ricotta-ball idea, and will have to try it! Shel, our grocery stores do sell sheets of fresh pasta, packaged in maybe 3x6 sheets, in the fresh pasta section. I've never tried working with it so I can't tell you precise size or price, just that it exists. If you have a deli area that sells fresh pasta - generally it's close to the cheese, butter, or otherwise lightly cooled open bins - you'd find it there, probably near the fresh pasta sauces.

Hassouni, I was in our local TJ Maxx earlier today. Calphalon nonstick pots, anodized exterior, glass lids. The ones I handled and priced looked like those in Dave's Zwilling Thermolon link. 2-1/2 quart was $29.99 and 4-1/2 quart was $49.99. There were others, with straighter sides, but I didn't heft them. I don't know whether you have a TJ Maxx nearby, or whether their stock would be the same, but I suggest you go there forthwith if you can, just in case they do. Edited: spelling and clarity

What Lisa said. TJ Maxx is another place to haunt, for the same reasons, and with the same caveats.

That looks like a really good design. Thanks for the pointers to the right source!

One of the treats of lazy Sunday afternoons of my youth was when Mom would cook sandwiches: maybe a BLT, maybe a grilled cheese. I recall enjoying them but not thinking of grilled cheese sandwiches as anything special. I gained a new appreciation for them in Mom's later years, when the grilled cheese sandwich became one of her hallmark meals for times she was too tired and hungry to do (or wait for) anything creative. Shepherd's bread, Colby-jack cheese, mayo and mustard between the bread and the cheese, butter on the outside. Cook it in the skillet until it's brown, warm and melty. Enjoy and collapse, knowing that the chores are done for the night. This summer my sister and rediscovered that gem but played around with it bit to suit our tastes: first the French's mustard (Mom's favorite) gave way to Dijon, then the cheese gave way to cheddar. Along the way we found an even happier combination, one that unfortunately I'll have trouble duplicating now that I'm back in Minnesota. San Luis brand Sourdough Olive Oil and Rosemary loaf. Fagundes Farmstead "San Joaquin Hanford Jack", a farmers' market special jack cheese from Hanford, California that features small chunks of roasted garlic, roasted red bell pepper, and cilantro. By itself the cheese is rather bland, but it plays beautifully off the rosemary and olive oil in the bread. A couple of nights ago I got a serious jones for those sandwiches for dinner. My DH took the idea quietly but was clearly unimpressed. "Wait and see," I urged, "I really neeeeed one of these!" I lovingly pulled out the last of the cheese and bread I'd brought from Visalia last month. Slathered the bread slices with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard and just a touch of horseradish mustard for good measure. Cut slices of that San Joaquin cheese and laid them carefully onto the bread, making sure that not one square centimeter of bread was left uncovered. Mated the bread pieces. Buttered the outsides. Into the pan they went, over medium heat, taking care not to overbrown before turning. When I was done the sandwiches were golden brown, with cheese gently oozing out the margins, and some bits browned crisp where the cheese had touched the pan. We ate, and overate, and he gave some of his highest praise: "This is not my mother's grilled cheese." I have a convert, and he says I can do it again anytime. I wish I could, but I'll have to find a local substitute. How, if at all, do you tart up your grilled cheese sandwiches?

I can't speak to Calphalon nonstick pots, but their skillets have good heavy walls and even heating from what I've seen. I love All-Clad; I have both skillets and pots in their stainless steel line and they all have heavy walls and even heating. However, since my All-Clad are of the non-non-stick variety I can't speak to the durability of their nonstick finishes. Analon seems to make a good heavy grade of nonstick skillet also, so their pots may meet your requirements. In my experience T-Fal pots are delightfully nonstick and durable, but not very heavy. Still, you might give one a try if you could pick it up cheap, see whether it would work for you. My Revereware and Farberware pans are too light for what you're seeking. I hear you about the tadig. A friend cooks Persian rice for us in her lightweight aluminum rice pot. The results are delicious but the cleanup is a nightmare. Edited for clarity.

The dining hall at my mother's residence offers citrus fish with an avocado-strawberry salsa. Citrus on fish I like, but I'd never thought of pairing avocado with strawberries, much less atop a mild-flavored fish. Once I tried it, I was hooked.