Smithy

I understand the concern. However, I was asking whether you know where the Dog Mountain mugs are made. Even if the ceramic mugs are made in a country that's less lead-conscious than the Unites States, the finish may be done in Vermont at Dog Mountain. They would be required to meet FDA approval for lead content as well as EPA approval for the amount of lead that can leach from the mug. I don't know this particular operation except for what I've seen on their web site (what charming artwork!) but they sound like the type of operation that would be fairly safety- and health-conscious. Here are links to a few of the many web sites I found discussing the likelihood of lead in a glaze, where you're likely to find it, and factors that affect its likelihood of leaching into your food: Lakeside Pottery's article, "Lead in Ceramics and Pottery - Consumer Issues", discusses the issues for the consumer as well as the potter. Note their assertion that if the glaze is fired properly the lead should be bound and not leachable. I ran across that assertion more than once, at different sites that did not seem to be quoting each other. This peer-reviewed article from the University of California's Agriculture Department, "Lead Leaching in Ceramics Difficult to Predict", may be enough to convince you that you'll only want to use clear glass dishes forevermore. However, they also have tips on the types, styles and sources of new ceramic dishware that are most likely to be safe, and they give information on how you can test for lead. Test kits are inexpensive and readily available, by the way, but I understand that you'd rather purchase without having to test. The Australian government's Department of the Environment has posted this fact sheet titled "Lead alert facts: Lead in ceramics" that you may also find useful. My sense is that new ceramic mugs made in this country are likely to be safe enough to purchase without worry. Back in 2004 I tested several of my glazed pots for lead and satisfied myself that they were safe to use. However, as the saying goes, Your Mileage May Vary.

Why do you think these cups have a leaded glaze? Have you asked?

For liquids I have Pyrex: 1c, 2c, and 1 qt; in addition I have two plastic liquid measures that are good for finer measurements: B001BDLWE8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001BDLWE8&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20">The Perfect Beaker has gradations in pints, cups, fluid ounces, tablespoons, teaspoons and milliliters. My kitchen scale says it's pretty accurate on the ml scale; I haven't doublechecked the other scales. I love it for its fine gradations. The B00FYL4MPY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FYL4MPY&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20">Oxo Good Grips Angled Mini measuring cup I have is also massively useful for small amounts; it measures up to 1/4 cup with scales for ounces, tablespoons and milliliters. I like the ability to look down at the liquid level in addition to looking sideways, although I don't find it such a useful feature that I'd search it out for the rest of my measuring cups. Neither of those cups likes very hot liquids, which is why I also have the Pyrex.

I shouldn't have omitted tri-tip; it truly is a California invention, as Annabelle noted. I had moved to Minnesota before the tri-tip spread into the Central Valley and my parents discovered the cut. After I tried it, I began asking after it in the butcher shops in my area. I got blank looks until I asked at what's now my favorite butcher store. That butcher looked at me and said, "Are you from California?" I do think that Gilroy would claim garlic, and there's even a Pismo Clam. Getting back to the burgers for another moment: I grew up believing that hamburgers ALWAYS include lettuce and tomato, and from there it's personal preference: onions or not, what kind of pickles if any, and so on. Imagine my surprise when, upon arriving in the Midwest, I learned that I had to ask for it. "Oh, you mean you want a California burger!" they all said.

If you're talking about Fast Food, I could agree. In-and-Out Burger was such a lovely surprise when I went to Southern California for college! Nonetheless I'm compelled to mention oranges, lemons, grapefruit, satsumas and other lovely citrus; olives, grapes (and wine!), peaches and nectarines; almonds, pistachios and walnuts; garlic and artichokes and dates. One can make lovely fruit desserts and salads, and chase them with wine. Perhaps the wine chaser wouldn't be appropriate for a school project, but lemonade would. Depending on where exactly in California you're discussing, the fruit salad or green salad might be a good representative choice.

The Wikipedia article rotuts linked to indicates (correctly) that Minnesota's State Grain, Muffin and Mushroom are Wild Rice, Blueberry Muffin, and Morel, respectively. I think most Minnesotans would add that blueberry pie is a favorite, as are summer sweet corn and tomatoes, and at any season wild rice soup or wild rice hot dish. The big point to keep in mind is this: in Minnesota, you'll never hear the word "casserole". It's a "hot dish". :-)

This was the precise purpose of http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-French-Cooking-Set/dp/0307593525/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395597268&sr=1-2&keywords=mastering+the+art+of+french+cooking/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-French-Cooking-Set/dp/0307593525/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395597268&sr=1-2&keywords=mastering+the+art+of+french+cooking&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20">Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle. I know Julia and Jacques were mentioned earlier, but I'm surprised I haven't seen this masterwork named thus far. Have I missed something?

Those are impressive and inspiring links, paulraphael. Thanks for posting them. It's clear that the knife blade is making contact with the cutting board, at least in the two videos I watched. (So far I've seen the chive and the potato videos.) Would you classify the contact in these videos as the delicate touch instead of the aggressive touch?

I have two: the cheapo kind that cost only a few bucks at your basic Oriental grocery store, and one that I picked up at, er, Sur La Table (I think) or Crate & Barrel many years ago. I picked up the second one because it was more sturdily built and slightly larger, so it would accommodate more material without spillage when being removed from the pan. They both work the same way, and work satisfactorily. The cheap one has lost a flap (fin?) and allows the occasional brussels sprout to fall through the resulting crevice. I still find myself using that one more often than the other, sturdier fold-up steamer because of size considerations. As it turns out, the larger basket is about an inch larger in diameter than my most-used pot, and the telescoping handle, when collapsed, is still about an inch too high to fit under the lid on the second-most-used pot. Make sure you measure the diameter and depth of the pots you'll be using before you make your purchase.

That sounds interesting. What kind of dressing did she use? Was it sweet, tart, vinegary, eggy? What other ingredients were in it, along with the cabbage, raisins and mandarins?

I keep hearing about the tastiness of ox tail, but being disappointed. We can find it in our butcher shops. It seems to go stringy all too quickly, without contributing much flavor.

I wouldn't have thought of crushed roasted almonds in hummus, but I will now. That sounds very good.

I've never tried it, but it doesn't look like a sauce that would break, or otherwise suffer in texture, from freezing and then reheating. I'd go for it.

I tried this over fish and asparagus a few nights ago, and was delighted with the results. As Shel_B notes above, the lemon zest adds an extra brightness that I hadn't considered before in the sauce context.

Tamarind slaw dressing! I love tamarind, but hadn't thought about this use. Care to share your recipe, Lisa?

Citrus-based gelatin (using packets - I use Knox, but I don't know what else is easily available) is another great way to use the bounty. When I've had an excess, I've juiced a LOT of mandarins, minneolas, oranges, lemons, or a mixture to provide the liquid base for the gelatin mix, then added my choice of chopped fruits for an excellent gelatin-based dessert. It may be a lot of work to squeeze all that citrus, but the final product keeps well and tastes wonderful. It also helps preserve the fresh fruit that's encased in the gelatin. Another trick is to juice the citrus and freeze the juices, as heidih noted above. I've read of cooking the juices down and freezing the concentrated results, but I've had mixed results (at best) with that approach. I'm guessing that the oranges are navel oranges, instead of valencias, given the season. One thing I'd like to point out is that navel orange juice has an enzyme that turns the juice bitter about 1/2 hour after the juice is squeezed or the orange is cut, if theyr'e left at room temperature. Harold McGee notes in his book,http://www.amazon.com/On-Food-Cooking-Science-Kitchen/dp/0684800012/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1394688706&sr=8-1/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=http://www.amazon.com/On-Food-Cooking-Science-Kitchen/dp/0684800012/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1394688706&sr=8-1&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20"> On Food and Cooking, that the enzyme is deactivated by heat. I've found that a certain amount of pineapple also deactivates the enzyme. I've had great luck with high-heat roasting of chicken in citrus juice that included navel orange juice, but bitter (heh) disappointments when I tried to concentrate navel orange juice down by slow cooking.

No, I wish I'd caught that before! I was thinking about how the food processor does some things better than a blender, and a blender would be even worse at this creaming task than the food processor, and that neither is as good as a mixer. Meanwhile, my fingers just shortened the whole train of thought to something altogether unintended. Sorry!

I'd use the plastic blade, but in my experience (having gone without a stand mixer for some time also) the food processor doesn't do as good a job of aerating the mix as a blender; the creamed butter and sugar just didn't get as creamy. Edited to note: I wrote "blender" when I meant "mixer". Sorry! Blender would be even worse than food processor; mixer is best.

That's interesting and useful information, Annabelle. I've bought the occasional gallon bottle of distilled water for under a dollar, but I don't recall running across the smaller drink bottles for the price you describe. On the other hand, I haven't shopped for them. I tend to buy a bottle under duress at the airport or at a gas station, then keep refilling it for weeks until it's too grody to use. Those tend to run $1 - $1.50 for a 12-oz bottle.

One of my favorite newspaper columnists coined the phrase "as dumb as bottled water". I use that expression quite often. We in the United States complain about the price of gasoline or diesel, and yet many people cheerfully pay much more per gallon for their bottles of water. On the other hand, I've been in some countries where one shouldn't trust the water, and then those bottles of water are precious. I do wish there were some system for collection the empties, though. The sight of empty plastic bottles cluttering a marina, or the desert, is distressing.

I think it's better to oil, then heat, instead of heating first. You'll be more likely to get even coating. As for treating the outside: I can't see a reason not to do so, but why bother?

I'm another fan of Wright's bacon, when we find it on our travels. Nice flavor, nicely balanced, and their "bacon ends and pieces" boxes fit our bill nicely. I don't know how widespread Cloverdale is; it may be an upper Midwest thing, but it's another favorite. Tastes like bacon. Hickory smoke, not maple, not too sweet for my tastes. I'm not much for the sugary sweetness of maple curing, nor even (in this context) apple.

I think that as a final note it's only fair to let my darling show off his culinary style. I noted above that he does 1 - 2 meals per week; once in a while he does 3 of our meals, but only if he has leftovers upon which to rely. We eat well regardless of who cooks; it's just that I like to putz around in the kitchen and he doesn't. Tonight's meal will be pork roast with potatoes and sauerkraut, done in the crockpot. The prep is already done: He's put a lily pad on the crockpot and put the whole assembly into the microwave for, oh, long enough to get the potatoes started. After that step, this pork roast will be seasoned and put atop the potatoes; the crockpot will be turned on (high for long enough to heat the assembly, but low after an hour or two) and left until the pork is nearly done. Then the sauerkraut will be added to allow at least an hour's worth of melding. There will be one cooking vessel - two if you count the lid - and our plates, flatware and glasses to wash tonight. He insists that I tell you that if he were eating alone he'd eat it directly from the crock. I married Mr. Simplicity. Thanks so much for coming along with me this week, and for all the great compliments, comments and questions! I had a lot of fun doing this, thanks to all of you. Cheers!

I wish *I'd* thought of that.

Tonight was the annual airport Christmas party. "But wait," you may say, "Christmas is over!" Yes, but we do love celebrations and there are only so many weekends in December, and with many families busy with multiple careers, some organizations have opted to have their parties in January instead. Frankly, it may also be a way to help fend off the post-holiday slump, when the days are short and nights are dark and all is cold. It's still a couple of weeks to Groundhog Day, that halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and while the light is visibly gaining ground it's still a slow process. The party was catered at Blackwoods Grill and Bar, a local restaurant chain of 3 that specializes in wood-fired meats and very nice pastas. The buffet line included green salad, green beans, fresh hot rolls, mashed garlic potatoes (with skin on), Swedish meatballs, crusty parmesan chicken, prime rib with a pepper sauce. I missed out on dessert but it looked like cheesecakes of some sort. I snapped a few surreptitious phone photos, but they'd be an insult to the quality of the meal. My darling won a door prize. I shall enjoy it.