Smithy

How do you plan to roast the kale at the outset, without losing its crunch?

Thanks, RobertCollins! I think I'll be able to round that gear up without too much trouble.

So far I'm reading about using glass, crockery or plastic jars for the kraut. Would a stainless steel stock pot work, using the plate-and-weights-and-bags noted above with open-top pails? If not, why not? On the other hand: if I were to acquire a glass or crockery jar for the purpose of making kraut, how would I go about acquiring an airlock-type lid? I understand the checkvalve principal but can't think of where I've seen something like it. A beer brewer's store, perhaps? ...and RobertCollins, I'm really glad you resurrected this thread. Even if it does mean I've yet another book winging its way toward me...

At the risk of highjacking this thread, I too would like to know more about dcarch's success with dwarf citrus. My dwarf satsuma produced fruit that never had any flavor. My Meyer lemon, admittedly not a dwarf but grown from a seed from my parents' ranch, never produced fruit at all. It became rootbound despite repeated repotting and root trimming, but that may have been this amateur's mishandling. One or both suffered from whiteflies and I never could get them eradicated. Having said all that, I'll also say that the blossoms from both were heavenly. Back to the indoor herb gardening: Andie, thanks for that indoor hanging herb garden link - you're right, it IS brilliant. I'll have to give that a go next spring. My rosemary survives the low-light winter, but the annuals - basil, oregano, parley - take waaaay too long to get going around here. This is what I get for growing up in a Mediterranean climate and moving to the frozen north.

I like the idea of using a colored salt to affect the color of the pickle. That could be fun! Pink and white kraut, anyone? RobertCollins, did you ever try cooking or pickling with the saltwater from the spring near Boonville? It sounds like it could be a local's Secret Weapon. I can't help with any of your questions, but I too would like to hear others' experiences.

Wow! Thanks for that information; I'm signed up!

Those are charming cookie cutters! I think I like the safari set best, but they're all fun. MJX: do you mean, for instance, that I could make crisp chocolate chip cookies by leaving out the baking soda? Not sure I'd want to, especially in the case of chocolate chip cookies, but it would be a handy thing to know.

I'm sorry nobody has addressed this so far, because I'm curious to know the answer and don't have any idea. Meanwhile, I'm also curious about why you'd want to do this. What am I missing?

Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! And a whole lot more common than you think! Ha! The reverse can also be true, and just as frustrating. I have a cookbook by a well-respected author with a recipe for carrot cake. The ingredient list specifies the grated carrots, but the instructions never get around to stating where or when those carrots should be added! II've looked and cooked my way through that recipe many times. I have not overlooked the darned carrots in the instructions; that addition step is simply overlooked.. ...and yes...for those of you who are experienced bakers, this may seem like a no-brainer. But to this writer, it seems that "carrot cake" should explain exactly when the carrot should be added to the mixture.

I feel your pain. Since I read your post this morning I've gone looking online for electrostatic air filters and cleaners, and made the following discoveries: 1. Consumer Reports did a survey on them that's available online. As usual, they give a decent background on terminology, styles (floor-mounted, in-duct, etc) and the pros and cons of each. I didn't go into enough detail to see which they recommend, and why, but there's the usual table. That article should give you some background to start your search. 2. Home Depot and similar household-supply places offer a broad selection of filters that may do the trick. A Google search brought them right up. 3. These things range from large floor models on rollers to smallish models that might sit on the counter and collect the smoke from next to the stove. Some are listed as being good for an entire house; of course that will depend on how well air circulates through the house, but you may be able to find something that sits innocuously in the open living space and does the trick. I won't be Investigating With Intent To Buy for myself any time soon, I fear, due to other demands on time and money, but I'll probably be looking into it at some point. I'll be looking at these parameters: high air volume, easy cleaning, portability, quietness, efficiency of removal, cost, and satisfaction guarantee in case I have to try more than one. (No doubt I'll be wanting what my father would have called a champagne model on a beer budget. ) I'll probably look for a smallish filter that I can hoist onto the counter and set next to the cooking space, to maximize capture efficiency, instead of a larger model that has to collect air after it's dispersed through our entire open area. The farther from the stove your collection system is, the more chance the smoke and grease has to disperse. I may even look to see whether an in-duct filter can be put into my microwave-range hood system, but I doubt that will be possible. The in-duct systems I saw were designed for restaurants and they vented outside. Very impressive, but not in my budget or space! Good luck. I hope someone else has more specific information for you. Please let us - me, at least - know what you find and how it works out.

...and, if you have an inland basin (called a "sink") with water flowing in occasionally but never flowing out, you'll end up with either a very saline body of water (the Salton Sea in California, the Great Salt Lake of Utah) or an alkali flat (Bonneville Salt Flats and the landing area for Edwards Air Base being 2 examples in the western US). Water comes in, much of it evaporates and leaves the concentrated salts behind. I don't think I'd care for Salton Sea salt now - too much contaminated runoff to provide impurities - but at the turn of the last century salt mining was a going concern there. We should be glad that most of our inland water bodies eventually drain to the oceans.

*bump* Shel_B, have there been any new bits of information or insight into this issue? I'm guessing that the originally-posted "in a few weeks" time hasn't elapsed quite yet....but I, for one, am still eager to read what you learn. I'm also guessing that your lessons will include Basic Care and Feeding of Kitchen Utensils...like not leaving an empty pan on high heat. ;-)

Heh. That's a great advertisement! Thanks for the link.

As long as the pan in question is deep enough to allow cover (if you need it) there's not a thing wrong with using your skillet(s) instead of a roasting pan. As for whether to use nonstick vs. er, non-nonstick, I'd say it depends on 2 things: 1. Will the oven temperature be high enough to threaten the nonstick coating and, by extension, your air quality? If so, use the stainless or cast iron. 2. Will the materials in question let off juices that would lend themselves to deglazing and making a sauce or gravy, and would you take that extra step? Stainless or cast iron will give you a better fond and a deeper flavor. Otherwise, I agree with you that nonstick will be a better choice due to its easy clean up. My husband (King of the One-Step Meals) has been using a nonstick baking pan as a roaster for years. We've observed dark stains developing on the interior, but it doesn't seem to matter for his purposes; the pan continues to be nonstick for the meat and occasional veggies he roasts in it. I cover my bets and keep another nonstick pan reserved for baking. Just in case.

Amen, Andie. Thanks for that link.

Thanks for the report to date! I must say, I overlooked the fact that Marques de Riscal was offering a Rioja...I'd have recommended it...I particularly appreciate their Riojas, and I hope you appreciate them as much as I do.. Keep us posted as you keep trying the rest of your purchase!

Mine lasted for weeks, or months. It's been a few years now, but I remember being able to use them long after I'd completed the course. I don't think I refrigerated them. I KNOW I didn't try to taste them; but they held the aromas I needed.

Would you be willing to make your own? The eGullet Culinary Institute ran a course on evaluating wine some years ago. The introduction has instructions for making your own component kit. It was inexpensive, easy, and very useful for me. Here's the link. The instructions for making your own aroma (component) kit are down near the bottom of the post. http://forums.egullet.org/topic/62944-introduction-evaluating-wine/ Edited for spelling

That does look like a great stove/oven, the type that can trigger serious Appliance Envy. I hope you find the oven to be as wonderful as the stove, once you make friends with it.

I too have found some great Argentine and Chilean reds, but hadn't seen any in the list that I recognized. Thanks, P.C. I'll be looking for those myself! By the way - I agree with you about the blends.

I haven't yet met a South African wine that I liked (it was not I who suggested them, farther upthread). That may just be the luck of the draw. The pinotage grape - a South African grape NOT to be confused with pinot noir - seems to have a really distinctive, wild, flavor and aroma suggestive of cat pee. I'd avoid it without knowing more. Also, I agree with Chris Taylor that you aren't likely to find a California wine of comparable quality to your more local selections without paying a lot more money. Similarly, someone noted above that a good chateauneuf de pape is likely to be a bank-buster, and that an affordable one (that is, at your price range) isn't likely to be representative of the genre. They're right. I wish I'd thought of that. The suggestions upthread to talk to Majestic wine salespeople, or other salespeople, to get guidance on potential winners based on your present tastes and experience are excellent ideas. Tasting ahead of time is good if you can do it. I also think that the folks who are suggesting that you start with lighter wines may be onto something. When I first started drinking wine, it was the Rhinecastles (rather sweetish whites) and roses for me. I thought chianti and cabernet sauvignon were much too strong; I think it was a burgundy that first got my attention as a Good Thing. Now I like a good spicy zinfandel or Rioja, as noted above..but I also adore a Cotes du Rhone - it really is a lovely blend - or gamay beaujolais (there's the Georges DuBoef again) for its lighter notes. So I think, if you aren't able to do a tasting or a good consultation with a knowledgeable salesperson, you should try for a cross-section from light to robust wines. By the way - in the USA, at least, it's difficult to get a good pinot noir without spending a lot of money. Otherwise I agree that it's also a lovely grape. Heck, I think they're all great - except the aforementioned pinotage. Are you thoroughly confused by now? :-)

What a great trick. I'm eager to try that and check the difference in results!

Yuri, welcome to eGullet! I'm sorry to see that more than 12 hours have elapsed with nary a reply to your question. I don't think that means a lack of interest, but it may mean a general feeling of "eh? er...?" and general shuffling of feet among the people who are paying attention this weekend; or else it means that The People Who Really Know This Stuff are all busy at the moment. I'll start a response. I hope other, more knowledgeable people will chime in. First of all, the easy part: yes, cheese and red wine absolutely go together. You can spend a lifetime exploring *which* cheese and *which* wine match each other best; this truth gives me no end of pleasure and my husband no end of frustration. As an example, a feta cheese and a sharp cheddar cheese are not likely to not pair well with the same wine. In fact, I can promise you from direct experience that a particular basil pesto and one particular merlot can sing together whereas the same pesto and another merlot can merely cohabitate. At the same party. If you're interested in more exploration of the topic you can go over to the eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI) for a (free) course on tasting wine; there are some really interesting comments on pairing foods with wine. The same goes for cheese and wine. If you need help finding the course, just ask. If I were in your shoes, I'd plan to pick 6 pairs of wines: each pair being either 2 of exactly the same wine (same vineyard, same year) or 2 of the same wine from different vineyards, preferably from the same year. Then you could do some comparing and contrasting to start learning what you like and don't like. Here would be my suggestions for the red wine pairs: - The Beaujolais-Villages from George DuBouef that you linked to is, in my experience, a nice light (what they call "approachable") and eminently drinkable wine, with or without cheese. I haven't had the 2011 but in previous years I've liked this. Yes, I'd say you should include it. - A red Bordeaux will have a bit more body but lots of good flavor. I can't recommend anything out of the listing, though; I don't know any of them. - Grab a couple of the Cotes du Rhones. I find the Cotes du Rhones blends to be meal-friendly but very amiable on their own as well. These have a bit more body than the last 2 I've mentioned. I believe Chateauneuf de Pape is a subset of this blend. I know it's a very tasty, toothsome wine. It's usually rather expensive, however. I don't know whether an inexpensive Chateauneuf de Pape would be a good representative. - For a bit more spice or body, I recommend a good Spanish Rioja or a California Zinfandel. I just looked at the price points of the California wines, and I see what you mean about prices. Rioja is NOT the same grape, but Rioja and Zinfandel, in my experience, have a similar spicy note and zest. Get the right bottle, and you may find yourself yelling, "yahoo! I see what the fuss is about!" - Hmm. Should I recommend a cabernet sauvignon as a noble grape, or a merlot as a smoother noble grape, or malbec because it has flavor and spine without as much tannin, or a good Italian Chianti, or a red burgundy? I wish I knew more about your tastes! Have you noticed that the Majestic Wine web site has selectors for things like "wine style" (smooth reds vs spicy red, for example) as well as price point and region? Those may be good guides for you. I'm sorry, I'm totally clueless about rose wines; I've enjoyed some and am not laughing at them, but can't help a bit. Not sure I've helped much as it is, but at least I'm bumping the topic back up. Ask questions! Good luck!

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.