andiesenji

I often get an idea, that may turn into an obsession, when I read about a particular dish in one of the "cozy" mysteries to which I have become addicted. (At one time my reading was mostly Sci/Fi, few mentions of food in those.) Many of these are early mysteries and dishes are mentioned that are no longer in vogue and sometimes I have to do a lot of searching to find the appropriate recipe. This has become much easier since the www made these more accessible. My book club has taken up this idea and once or twice a year we have a potluck where each member brings a successful dish from their favorite mystery. I think this actually began when I was a child. I recall reading Heidi and pestering my grandmother to let me "toast" cheese in a fireplace, just like Heidi's grandfather did. There was another book, I think it was Girl of the Limberlost, that piqued my interest in a particular food.

I'm cutting back on a few things. No truffles this spring. No Kobe beef. No Maine lobster. No exotic meats or fowl (with certain exceptions) Not just because of the economy but I am trying to buy locally to support small farmers, ranchers and etc., who have been hit hard by the economy. My big freezer is full of my share of a steer a couple of my neighbors and I purchased at auction as a calf and financed the raising by some kids doing a 4-H project. I'll probably do that again next year, it is certainly worth the cost. A few local "ranchers" have begun raising ostrich and emu for meat and I will buy from them and from a ranch that raises bison.

According to one of my book club members, that store closed in '91, shortly before he retired and moved out here. He worked at MoMA and says it was only a few blocks to the Automat but says the quality of the food declined greatly in the last few years before it closed.

I always use the beet greens for Braised Beet Greens and cooked this way they do retain their lovely color. I get both red and golden beets locally and often combine them in this dish. I just sprinkle with sherry vinegar or balsamic or even rice vinegar and top with chopped hard boiled egg.

I have problems with the depressions in the KA bowls, however when I open the dishwasher I have a wad of paper towels in my hand and I use that to soak up the residual water in those spots and the other items that can't be loaded at an angle. I have the big Cuisinart (20 cup) and don't have a problem with it because mine has three large holes in the the bottom rim which allow the water to drain off easily. I have a bunch of cake pans of various sizes with rolled edges that invariably retain a fair amount of water so I put them into the oven, right side up, at the lowest temp or into the dehydrator (if not occupied) to fully dry out. The only time I rearrange what guests have loaded into the dishwasher is when they load things that I don't put into the dishwasher, i.e., my good knives, my good crystal and my antique china or anything with gold or silver leaf. And certainly anything that is wood or lacquer. One guest tried to put my dough bowl in the dishwasher back when I had the Hobart. I explained that it would be forever ruined and she told me that she always put her wood salad bowls through the dishwasher - and bought new ones when those cracked or warped! Oy!

That's true. However, I make my own pods with the Perfect Pod maker, that I've been using for a couple of years or so. And I also have a refillable pod like this one that I purchased last September and which takes a finer grind that will work in the filter pods. It only works with the Supreme machines. This allows me to use whatever coffee I want, including beans I blend and roast myself. I've been buying my beans from Sweet Maria's and have been very satisfied.

Excellent point. This thought should be chiseled in stone. I know that my family, while living through the Great Depression, felt that the preparation and the sharing of food, was a highly moral expression of humanity.

I use the 3 to 1 ratio of oil to vinegar. My current favorite which is pretty versatile. 3/4 cup grapeseed oil (or avocado oil) for Asian salads I use sesame oil. 1/4 cup rice vinegar (seasoned) 1 tablespoon mustard (I use my homemade but Dijon works well) 2 tablespoons Mirin freshly ground pepper varies, I like a lot sea salt to taste whatever herbs you prefer - thyme, etc. I blend everything with a whisk or immersion blender Let stand for about half an hour so the flavors develop. Whisk before serving - at this point you can add citrus juice, berry juice or other "flavorings" depending on what type of salad. For fruit salads I like orange juice, especially blood orange. You can add finely grated cheeses,

Yes, the rotating sprayer is part of the upper rack. There is no problem with the water squirting out of the hole in the rear. The trays just can't be loaded crosswise, not that it interferes with washing, it just makes a bit more noise. (Think of turning a hose directly onto a sheet pan.) The upper rack also has adjustable level settings and with it in the upper setting some of the pans will fit but I usually just do a load with nothing but sheet pans and trays with the top rack removed. It is possible to set the top rack with one side higher than the other but it is tricky and I have only done this once, that I recall. One of the reasons I got this particular machine was its versatility. Bosch Integra 24" tall tub

It's the only way my trays and half sheet pans will fit. I have a couple of round trays and a pizza pan that will fit on the far outside of each side with the top rack but everything else will interfere with the rotation of the sprayer. I can't claim this as my idea. The saleslady demonstrated the various configurations of the racks and how best to utilize them. I took a photo of the flatware rack holding the complete service for 8 flatware plus some small cheap knives. The Bosch flatware rack holds only about half of this number.

Thanks for starting this topic. After using a commercial dishwasher for many years, I am still learning how to efficiently load my Bosch. I use your method for cups, mugs and etc but still haven't figured out how to efficiently load egg cups. I usually just wash them by hand. If anyone has a solution, I welcome it. Frankly, the flatware baskets for the Bosch really do not work well for me but I kept one of the Hobart baskets that fits just fine in the bottom rack of the Bosch. I remove the top rack when I wash trays and the larger baking pans, etc.

Exactly the reason I don't like most coffee brewers. I absolutely can't stand "stale" coffee and for me that staling occurs in as little as 20 minutes after brewing and I have become more sensitive to this over the years. Needless to say, I don't drink coffee in restaurants. I've used the various types of pour-over brewers and they work fine if the coffee is served immediately - it's when it has to be kept heated for a time that engenders my complaint. Pour-over, single cup brewing is just fine, as long as the coffee itself is of very good to excellent quality. At home I use a single serve Senseo and I grind my own coffee (sometimes roast it too) and make my own pods with a little appliance that does the job beautifully. This is just a bit less messy than using a single serve pour-over filter.

I make most of the mustard I use but I also buy from The Mustard Muserum shop You can search by brand, by country or variety &etc. They have a much larger selection than any other online vendor and I have been satisfied with everything I have purchased.

On my Vintage coffee brewer page If you scroll down to the "Curtis Coffee Brewer" you will see a pour-over brewer from 1959 that does not require a paper filter. It actually has two filter elements, a removable "medium" filter and one attached to the metal cone that is extra fine. Back in the '30s the "drip" coffee brewers made by stoneware and china companies were very popular and had both ceramic filters or metal filters. This page exhibits several interesting old drip brewers.

I went with friends to an Automat in 1984 when I was in NYC for the Westminster dog show. The only thing I remember was the rice pudding, which I thought was excellent.

Contact Holy Mountain Trading Company and see what they can do for you. I don't have any direct knowledge of how they price when selling to retailers or restaurants, but I have purchased several tea pots from them and they have been very helpful finding special pots for me.

Those plates are lovely. A great find!

Write on, Andiesenji! Well said, indeed! I've been a regular viewer of "Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie" on PBS-TV and there are a great many people that I respect that have been profiled on that show during the past couple of years. Some of those people who regard themselves as "foodies" have extensive and impressive credentials in the culinary world. I'm not comparing myself to them but as I said in my previous post, when speaking casually to people I meet, it is easy to describe myself as a "foodie" rather than a more detailed explanation. And, more important, it doesn't sound pretentious. I meet people from all levels of society and so far they have all understood the term and I don't sound like I'm trying to pump up my image. I have met far too many people in the culinary world who are pretentious and barely deign to take notice of people who can't benefit them.

I don't understand why the term "foodie" has such negative connotations in an era that celebrates "celebrities" with little talent except for being famous, often for undesirable activities. I consider myself a "foodie" and the fact that many people understand my attitudes, when I describe myself as such, is much easier than telling them I am a "gourmet cook" or food enthusiast or collector of recipes and food stories. I also don't mind being described as an "oldie" because I am one and I have earned the title. There are many terms that I consider much worse when describing people's attitude to foods.

I like Joanne's mysteries and her recipes and I've tried several. I've met her a couple of times as she lives in the Valley and I go down to a book shop she frequents. She and her husband are lovely people. I also enjoy Claudia Bishop's "Hemlock Falls" series, G.A. McKevett's Savannah Reid mysteries and Tamar Myers "Penn Dutch" mysteries.

While I mostly cook just rice in a rice cooker, I have cooked it successfully in everything from deep pots to wide, very shallow paella pans, as long as the liquid to rice ratio is correct. The size and shape of the pan is not all that important. An open pan will require a bit more liquid because of evaporation but it isn't difficult to add more water or ?? if you try the rice and find it a bit too al dente.

It needs an app. Or a rolling book bag. I got one similar to these at Walmart for 15.00. I often have to haul several books at a time, some fairly large, and my tote bags simply wore out too rapidly. (Book corners cause excessive wear even with canvas.) My only difficulty is lifting it in and out of my van but I can often find someone to help. It is even fairly easy to drag it up steps.

Or a "weenie?" I second that motion.

I love the little Guernsey steamed pudding basin. I have one that is very similar but broke the lid several years ago.

Check the price and shipping at L'Epicerie And check their other Molecular Gastronomy ingredients. Note under "Specials" that there is free delivery in Manhattan. P.S. I use their flavorings which are superior to others I have tried. The "Bacon" is extraordinary.