andiesenji

I would not add rosemary - it can overpower the more subtle flavors even when used sparingly. Thyme would be a better choice and thyme "marries" especially well with apples.

The charcoal vendor I posted has every type of FOOD GRADE charcoal. I figured you already had the filtering equipment. You can always buy a complete AC filter that has the screens designed to catch even the tiniest charcoal bits. The dried orange peel is used by people who make their own flavorings for delicate desserts, drinks and candies. I have dried my own when I have been able to get Seville oranges or oranges grown on the old orange trees from rootstock after the grafted parts have been killed by frost. If properly prepared, there is no "funny-tasting" component. You just have to taste the peel after it has been steamed or parboiled until you get the flavor you want and you won't get the odd medicinal flavor that is found in the inexpensive bitter orange extracts (of questionable strength) that are labeled "synephrine" and marketed for weight control. The commercial extract that is labeled: citrus aurantium amara peel bitter extract is difficult to find and is expensive - usually because it is only available in volume to manufacturers for use in cosmetics and scent products. It is controlled because of possible toxicity. You can read all about it HERE.

Me too! Mine are all in a plastic bag in the freezer - along with the cloth couche, some kneading gloves the linen banneton liners, etc., to prevent "invasion" by flour-loving critters.

You can buy it in bulk. Here. Dried bitter orange peel will give you a less harsh flavor than the extract. But you can buy the extract in pill form at any health food store.

I've had any number of dome-type covers, spatter covers for the microwave but they are always a bit bulky, even the collapsible ones, (and some are not dishwaster-proof, I have created some free-form sculptures of some). These, however, are easy to store. After they have been washed and dried, they go into a jumbo Hefty (2 1/2 gallon) zip-type bag and are hung where I can easily find them and they stay clean and don't clutter up a drawer. These are usually on one end of this rack but I've moved the hook to the front to take the photo. I've got some "bumpy" trivets - like this 11 5/8 inch square one - also have some smaller ones. Only used as trivets or to keep things from sliding on granite or marble counters. I also gave some to a friend who has a glass stovetop to cover the hot burners after the power has been turned off - the top takes quite a while to cool to a safe temp. These have saved her some burns. I got many of my Lekue lids when one of the "cooks tools" websites first offered the Lekue bakeware and molds - I bought several and added the lids so the purchase would be enough for free shipping. That was prior to Amazon listing any of this type of baking molds so some time ago.

While there are other ways of covering dishes in the microwave or baking dishes in the oven - plastic wrap for the former and aluminum foil for the latter, there are times when speed is of the essence and if one is doing repetitive heating, placing and removing plastic wrap can be a chore. So I use silicone lids. I have different types, some can be used in a regular oven (below recommended temps) as well as the microwave and some do well in the fridge as well, as long as you don't need a super-tight seal. This is a photo of the basic types I use. I have a few more of the opaque Leque or MIU lids but this shows a selection of sizes and shapes. The rectangular one covers a 9 x 13 baking dish, made by Lekue, I have used it in the oven to cover 2 or 3 loaf pans when baking meat loaf. While I purchased most of mine from other vendors, Amazon now has them but some are sold by vendors. My favorites are the "LilyPad" lids because they have a "knob" that is easier to hold and they are also more "clingy" than the others. I can lift a heavy Pyrex baking dish by the knob. This does not work with the other types. They are also translucent, which makes it easier to see what is happening if microwaving something in an opaque container. They can be used in the oven and will cling to stainless steel and for storage in the fridge, will also cling to plastic and melamine - something plastic wrap will not do. They clean up perfectly in the dishwasher. If anyone knows of another type that might work as well or better, I would be interested. I also have a bunch of the "Coverflex" in several sizes but for me they are awkward to use, especially when trying to replace them on a hot dish.

For my tea eggs, I use dark soy (sometimes sweet soy) and for the tea I use a chunk of a black tea brick - I don't recall where I got it - I chop off about a 1 inch square or so, for six to ten eggs. but what remains of the package indicates it was imported from India. It produces really strong and intensely colored "tea" which is really too strong for drinking (to my taste) but is ideal for a dye for cloth and for eggs. I have a little routine, after I have cracked the eggs evenly, all over, I use very fine-tipped, sharp scissors to cut into the air pocket at the large end of each egg. I don't know if this really has any appreciable effect but it works for me. I also add a tablespoon of roasted sesame oil whisked vigorously into the soaking mixture as someone ones told me this does something to keep the ingredients combined so they don't separate and gives a better end result. Again, I've never done a side-by-side comparison to see if it does make a difference, but it works for me.

Just a bit belated - today I received a cookbook: "Dinner with Tom Jones" by Lorna J. Sass, published in 1977. A great addition to my collection thanks to another eG member. I also received an Eva Solo Apple Corer - I think I already have one somewhere in my stuff but it is an interesting "artistic" take on this usually basic utensil. Also received a couple of teas from a friend who apparently thinks I need more. One is a Pu ehr tea from Rishi, and I don't drink this type of tea at all. The other is Peach Melba tea from Benchley which smells lovely but it is decaffeinated and I do not drink decaffeinated tea or coffee.

I'm glad you have a good one David. The one I had was purchased at Crate & Barrel, had the Microplane name on the metal and the grating surfaces themselves were excellent. It was the housing that was a problem. The store employee mentioned that although it stated it was dishwasher safe, it would be better to wash it by hand and so I did. I don't know if there was one or more batches of the plastic that were not up to par but I am not the only one who has had this happen. I love my Microplanes and have just about every type they make. This one was for me a bust.

I also have the OXO box grater with the measure box at the bottom and it works just fine. I have a larger one made by Winco with straight sides that I use for grating where I need more capacity. I think I bought it at the kitchen outlet store at the factory outlet mall. Do NOT get the Microplane box grater - I bought one last year and returned it after a couple of weeks as the plastic housing cracked and it had not been near the dishwasher. I think I used it three or four times, cleaned and dried it immediately after use and hung it up by itself. Then I needed to grate just one carrot and as I got half-way through it, the side on which I was grating broke on one side and pivoted inside the "box" and I cut my hand on the ragged plastic at the edge. It's a good idea and the blades are sharp but the plastic housing is cheap and apparently degrades rapidly.

Unless you are buying an old second-hand freezer, it will not be cooled by freon. The newer refrigerants is tetrafluoroethane and it is less sensitive to the effects of cold unless the temps get down to below 15° F. in your garage. You can remedy this by getting an inexpensive "barn" or greenhouse heater that will come on only when the temp in the space drops to near freezing. The newer refrigerant has been used in refrigerated trucks long before it was used in home freezers/fridges, and is less likely to leak and as I said in the beginning, is more stable over a larger range of temperatures. It would have to be as the reefer trucks drive thru varying climates while keeping the interior at the optimum temp. A friend who lives up at June Lake has a Gladiator freezer in her garage and these are made to operate in extreme cold but are fairly expensive. She is a caterer so needs the extra capacity.

I don't recall using griddles on them but I have used little cast iron skillets and my triple blini pan to maintain even heat under all three segments. There are definite hot spots when the latter is used directly on the burner but I get even heat with the copper plate.

I've had some success peeling newly-laid eggs. After hard-boiling them for the sufficient time for their size and then shocking them in cold water, I crack them all over - usually by cracking them a couple of times then rolling between my palms. I put them into a wire basket, dip them back into boiling water for 1 -2 minutes and then back into cold water. In most cases this will cause the membrane to separate from the white. It doesn't work on every single egg but 90% of them should peel more easily. I happened upon this when making "tea eggs" using very fresh eggs. I fully expected them to be "dimpled" but was pleasantly surprised that dipping into the hot tea not only produced the web-like dye pattern but also made them easier to peel. And I also like chives in my deviled eggs. I always have a good crop of chives and I snip them with very sharp scissors so they don't get crushed. The onion flavor is subtle but there.

I have tried filling it with different things and with liquids and semi-liquid things I can hold a canning funnel in my left hand while pouring into the bags and it works perfectly. Using a ladle alone can result in some exterior drips but ladling with the funnel also works well. I'm sending one to my daughter as I think it will be useful for her and using additional ones should make things even more handy. She fills a lot of plastic baggies for lunches.

So, everyone knows how much I like gadgets. People send me links to sites that have new and interesting items that may be of interest to me. I just got a couple of these - they were on another site but I got them from Amazon. A "baggy holder" that has "arms" that extend to handle larger baggies - I use mostly the Zip type. Shown with a quart size and with a gallon size. It seems stable. I did pour in some dry beans to see how stable it would be. I had another baggy holder some years ago but it had a narrower base (as I recall) and kept tipping over. I have yet to try this one with liquid but I think it should work and it's cheap enough to toss if it doesn't live up to the hype. blue zip is a quart bag red zip is a gallon bag

I have dropped one of the square copper plates which landed on a corner (and cracked two of my floor tiles) there was slight damage as indicated in the photos but it has not impaired the function. There was far more damage to the floor. Normal corner The "bent" corner from two angles. It's only black/greenish because it needs a good cleaning after cooking marmalade in little pots on it. Yes, I have used a big two-burner cast iron pan to hold smaller pans - before I got the copper plates - and it works okay but the heat distribution is not as even - there is a cooler spot in the space between two burners. It can be turned upside-down to use as a griddle and could be used for lower heat under small pans.

I saw these at Cost Plus World Market before Christmas They also have similar shapes in colors - I saw the green and white bamboo plates in the store as well as the clear glass which I thought was very attractive.

Yes. I have used cast iron, stainless steel, Corning ware, crockery (cazuleas, tagines, etc.) on these copper plates. I'll put one over two burners and check the temps with my infrared thermometer and post the results a little later. After 30 seconds on high and checked at 10 second intervals temp even from end to end and side to side. reduced flame to medium I didn't see any point in continuing to heat it as this demonstrates how evenly the copper heats and even near the edges the temp is the same as right over the burner.

$800.00 seems a bit steep to me. My friend had a backsplash ten feet long, 20 inches high, except behind the range where it was 36 inches high 48 inches wide and the total cost installed was $487. including tax. The tiles cost 14.99 per 12x12 sheet and her son did some of the work, prepping the wall. They ordered the tile online with free shipping from Amazon.

Your best solution is glass tile, the mini "subway tile" gives a more linear look and as mentioned above, the epoxy grout is non-porous and does not stain. A friend has a combination of clear and light bluish-gray tile with a gunmetal color grout that looks really good with stainless steel and brightens the area under the hood.

Do you find it difficult to not slump on those? Several of the places where I worked as a massage therapist had those, and if I used them at all, I ended up cranking them way down and kneeling on them, because otherwise, I found they tended to force me into a slouching position that made it really uncomfortable for my neck and shoulders. I really like stools that tilt, since they make it far easier to remain vertical. This all may depend on how long you sit, however. I don't slouch - habit of a lifetime from being raised with the rule that good posture was important and learning to sit a horse with a wooden coat hanger upside down inside my jacket to keep my shoulders square. My arthritic knees do not allow kneeling at all. You might find the saddle type stools better but I think they are more expensive. My massage therapist, who wears leg braces, uses one but I don't think it can be raised as high as my stools.

I also recommend the manufacturers or manufacturing cream - I get it at Smart & Final. Some Costco stores also carry it if they have sufficient demand, usually from small restaurant owners. Here in California it is produced by Alta Dena dairy and is listed on its products page. It is only available in half-gallon containers. Check on the websites of the major dairies in your area and if they list it as one of their products, call and ask which retailers in the area carry it. I don't have any on hand now but I believe the butterfat content has to be 40% or higher. It does separate somewhat - I use it to make clotted cream - and after it has been allowed to set for a few days, the cream at the top becomes very thick, even in the fridge. Transfer it to a straight-sided container, such as a Cambro which will make it easier to get the thicker cream off the top without remixing it.

Where did you find yours? The European website listed some US retailers but the listed ones in MA (Circle Furniture) don't stock it This is a much better solution than the mechanic's stool. The place I posted is in Carlsbad, CA but there are other vendors who carry "stools, rolling or folding" that supply to beauty shops, medical offices, tattoo parlors and etc.

I have three of these - two in the kitchen and one in the potting shed where I have it because it is uncomfortable to stand for long sessions. I usually keep one foot on the floor and hook a heel on the ring at the base, which works for me. I just measured the height on one and at 28" it is comfortable for me to work at regular counter height. It's easy to adjust the height when I need to work at the lower height pastry counter or at a table.

I'm glad they are making these again. I've owned these for at least forty years. I use them all the time as I often use my smallish stainless steel bowls to heat or cook small amounts of various ingredients (one of the reasons I have the 2-burner copper plates so my stovetop will work like a flat-top. The one that hangs next to the stovetop exhaust hood has turned yellowish from the many years of exposure to heat. I have also come to rely heavily on this which saves me a bit of time when I use it instead of plastic wrap or foil to cover baking dishes. And unlike foil, it can go into the microwave for a quick finish after coming out of the oven. I also have a square one and sets of round ones made by Norpro and by Charles Viancin. They do keep the microwave much cleaner.