andiesenji

My book club met last evening and as almost all the others are my age or older, I surveyed their ideas on toasters and toaster ovens. Several live in "senior" apartments where there are meals offered but most prefer to have breakfast in their apartments. The kitchens are minimal so counter space is at a premium. Three have either purchased or received as a gift the Proctor Silex 4-Slice Toaster Oven/Broiler - Black (31955) - they were on sale at Target - and all report they find the design is nice in that the "door" slides up out of the way and it is easy to see what is going on inside without having to bend over. (An important point for us oldies.) They especially like the timer and auto shut off. One said, "It looks cool." Another has a Cuisinart, a gift from a daughter, that has been less than satisfactory and considered to be too expensive to toss. One has a Maximatic - I'm unfamiliar with this brand - they said it is okay but could be better, takes too long to toast bread unless it is pre-heated. The others all have old toasters and would like to have something newer and better but are unsure of what to buy.

I agree with this completely. I consider Julia Child a perfect example of this.

You guys are more ambitious than me. I buy the shelled ones at my local middle eastern market or order them online. My main reason is that the raw pistachios have NO salt and all the ones in the shell have been salted.

How is it made? Thanks! I would also like to know because it is very expensive and not always available where I shop.

A kindred spirit!

For the past year I have been exploring the various ways of using the wattleseed I ordered and a couple of other ingredients from "down under" that were sent to me by a friend, from the same source. (the Lemon Myrtle sprinkle and ground Pepperberry) I have tried all but one of the wattleseed recipes on Vic Cherikoff's list (skipped the pavlova) as well as using it in cookies, quick breads, hot and cold drinks and in a gelatin that I think turned out pretty good but I can't find my notes and may not be able to duplicate it. The Pepperberry is potent - I love chiles and am fairly used to hot foods but this seems to come from a different direction, so to speak, and the heat is different from that produced by capsaicin. I haven't yet done much with the Lemon Myrtle sprinkle. I did try adding it to tea and to ice cream, which were both very good but that is about it. I keep forgetting it is there. (possible senior moments ) I also got some of the Tazmanian Mountain pepper, a native plant, from another vendor and have been finding many uses for it. Vic Cherikoff has it listed as Alpine pepper and it is ground. I prefer whole spices, whenever possible so ordered it from Salt-Traders.com and have been extremely pleased with it. It has an amazing range of flavors - especially on fruits, however I made some cookies that are usually made with black pepper - actually just a simple shortbread cookie - and they are very good but were taken to a new level with the mountain pepper. Ah, black garlic is wonderful. I must confess that I mostly just eat it like candy but have also tossed it into salads, mixed with rice or couscous and floated some in bean soup but I have not tried sauces.

These are attractive and fun but the wiring has to be carefully checked and the toaster interior completely cleaned prior to use. A friend's (Thermador) started a fire because there was residue in the bottom that had apparently been there for years. The fire was rapidly extinguished but the repair involved completely rewiring that entire circuit from the breaker box to the kitchen and replacing all the receptacles (including a GFI so this didn't happen again). There was a Modern Maid on ebay about a year or so ago. There was a Thermador built-in toaster on Ruby Lane a few months ago but the price was ridiculous.

A black tea with a healthy jolt of ginger - usually candied but sometimes fresh. I always have candied ginger on hand and simply mash a slice or two, put it in the bottom of my cup and pour in the brewed tea. I also often infuse some sage leaves with the tea as it too is helpful when I am feeling a bit "off" or feverish. This is a fairly rare event.

I too have had them "explode" in both a regular oven and in the microwave. This seems to happen more often with the Yukon Gold - possibly because I usually cut the eyes out of Idaho potatoes but the Yukons don't need it. As I usually cut the ends off sweet potatoes, I seldom bothered to prick them but a few weeks ago I had one burst in the oven and the cleanup was annoying. I have used an ancient ice pick as long as I can remember. The point is stuck in a cork when not in use to protect it as it is very fine and very sharp and it makes holes that are perfect in size (in my opinion).

Check these bargain on Overstock.com standard shipping is inexpensive. If you sign up for their emails, they notify of daily specials, some extremely inexpensive and sometimes with shipping costs as low as $1.00. Last summer I got a baker's rack for my garden for 29.00 and 1.00 shipping - at Lowe's it was 149.00

All this talk about toasters has stimulated my collecting "fever" and I think I just have to have one of the Magimix Vision toasters. I have been waiting for the possibility that they would produce one with two slots but it doesn't look like that will be anytime soon so the single slot is it.

And don't forget to check at Tuesday Morning They have high end cookware marked down to extremely low prices. Also check at Big Lots.

I had a Bron that I used for many years, replacing the blades at least once, possibly twice. The thing is that you have to use it fairly regularly and I did, when I was catering. For just a small amount it was not all that handy but when I was slicing twenty pounds of potatoes, especially waffle cuts, carrots = ten pounds julienne cuts, twenty pounds of onions (all with the Bron setting in a bus tub), it was a godsend. Once you learn how to swing the blades into position and get used to using it, it is no more difficult to use than the others but if you have only small amounts to slice or julienne, it is really not worth it. I gave my Bron away, still in excellent condition, when I got the de Buyer V-Pro - expensive but very easy to use and I have all the optional blades.

I have found that unless you are going to prepare subsequent brews in no more than a few hours, it is best to spread the leaves on a screen and allow them to dry completely. This was the method used in the early days of tea use in Europe and England because tea was incredibly expensive at that time. In one of the museums I visited years ago there was a Georgian tea-drying apparatus (I think I have written about this in a much earlier thread) that was a small mesh cage that rotated, much like a salad spinner, but much smaller, that was used to extract as much liquid as possible. The leaves were then spread on muslin stretched over a wood frame that was suspended over a lamp (and with enough distance to keep the muslin from burning). I have tried keeping tea leaves moist and as cdh notes, there can be rather rapid growth of unwanted organisms, especially molds, which seem to thrive on tea.

If you check your bread machine manual you should find a page with the list of "programs" for each type of bread. I have three in current use Here is the times specified for the Sunbeam model 5891 As you can see, after the countdown is less that 1:55 that is the time to remove the paddle. In the Panasonic SD-YD250 it is a full page of "bake options" with the cycle times. I remove the paddle when the time has counted down to 1:50. I can't find the book for the Zo but it is similar - the only difference is that the Zo has two paddles in the bottom.

Bread puddings, savory or sweet, strata, summer pudding, buttered bread crumbs to toss with noodles and topped with stewed prunes - a favorite Lenten dish. I have so many uses for stale bread that I usually bake extra so I will have it for these various dishes.

Chris, if you go to my blog page about vintage toaster and scroll down to the Sunbeam toasters, You will see the Sunbeam T 20 B which was the first Sunbeam toaster to have the self-lowering function The next toaster down also has the self lowering function and has linear slots instead of two parallel slots. Here is another reference to these Sunbeams: Automatic Beyond Belief I have several of the T- models in my collection, including a T-20 A still in its original, unopened box, and the original T-20 my grandpa purchased in 1949. Sunbeam T-20 timeline I don't consider the Breville very expensive. The Dualit soft touch was almost twice as much when I bought mine and the classic Dualit was far more than that. My reasoning has always been that if something works well and will last a long time, it works out to be less cost in the long run. I've tried the cheap way in the past and found that it just doesn't work well for me. But that is just personal preference. I have friends, who can afford just about anything and yet will buy the cheapest appliances and think nothing of discarding them after a year or less and buying another. I try to by things that will last and I retain receipts and packaging and if something does not live up to guarantees, it goes back. (off topic would be my "perpetual" garden hoses from Sears but it's a good story.)

I still use my Sunbeam T-20 that is 60 years old for regular bread and it works a treat. The toast, once you set the desired degree of toasting, turns out perfect every time. It has had a new electric cord installed four times over the years I have owned it. I also clean it carefully and keep the crumb tray clean. However I like breads that have the long slices and for those I have a Breville Ikon which also toasts bagels on just the cut side (as do other modern toasters). So far it has worked quite well. It has a good control that in my unit is as accurate as I expected. Some people have had poor results if you read the reviews but I'm happy with mine and I'm pretty picky. Before this I was using one of the "cool side" Dualit toasters with the long slots and it worked okay for 2 1/2 years then began not toasting evenly. Prior to that I had one of the "classic" Dualit toasters for ten years - and it too began toasting unevenly and was retired and I hauled out the old Sunbeam yet again. In my opinion the Dualit toaster was and is grossly overpriced but so many people recommended it that I bought one, then wondered why everyone was so high on it. The only toaster oven I have is the smallish GE automatic, also an oldie but it works great but only two slices of regular bread or one long slice will fit. I use it mostly for English muffins with toppings or bagels with same (after a bit of pre-toasting). If I need to make a lot of toast I use my Cadco oven.

Me too.

It is a capable dough-maker/riser, but a terrible baker. Do follow your instincts and bake in the oven!!! I got an inexpensive Black & Decker bread maker and I love it. It's being used primarily for dough making -- I don't like the big brown cube with a hole in the bottom. You don't have to have a very big hole in the bottom of loaves baked in a bread machine. Simply check the time and when the final "knead" has finished, pull the dough out of the pan, remove the mixing blade, reshape the dough so it is a bit neater and stuff it back in the pan. The shaft leaves only a small dimple in the bottom of the loaf. I don't know why people are always surprised when I suggest this, I got my first bread machine back in the late 70s and that routine just made sense to me.

I do have certain baking dishes for special recipes. Besides the Corning, I have several Hall China ovenware pieces and one round covered casserole is the one I use exclusively for scalloped potatoes. They simply do not taste as good when cooked in anything else. I also have a huge stoneware covered casserole that I use only for meat pie for a crowd. Those are my personal preferences and I'm sure that some people regard it as somewhat odd but I've never denied that. In my opinion, much of the stuff on the market today is hugely overpriced and while I am willing to pay for things that I think are worth it, I can't see paying premium prices when an attractive but much cheaper alternative is available. Corning has been doing it right for many years and I would venture to say that their products outsell all the others combined by a factor of 1000 to one.

I have a bunch of Corning bakeware, from the "cornflower" to the somewhat newer French White. The French White was on sale at Kohl's last week, both sets and "open stock" single pieces. You can find it all the time at very reasonable cost on ebay. The 3 quart rectangular with rounded corners is the most versatile and I have three. It is perfect for lasagna, enchiladas, tamale pie and etc. This Corning product is not very subject to "exploding" as the newer Pyrex products and if it does break (usually when dropped) the pieces are certainly easier to find and to avoid stepping on. If you live near a "factory outlet" mall, check to see if they have a Corning outlet. There used to be one here in my city and I bought a ton of Corning at minimal prices and still have a few pieces that have never been used and a 4-quart dutch oven with lid was priced at $14.99, pretty cheap.

If I am using a recipe that uses volume measurements, I scoop & sweep. I know from experience and experiments (weighing) that flour can pack down a lot in a very short time and the weight can be significantly greater if one "dips" which compresses the flour in the measure. I have always been of the opinion that I can always add more flour if the appearance of the batter or dough needs it but once it has been mixed in, it CAN'T BE REMOVED. Cake flour, because of its structure, is especially subject to compression. I store cake flour in a container that I shake prior to using the scoop and sometimes stick a dry whisk into the container and give it a good stir just "because." I mentioned in a post in another thread that the man on Martha Stewart's PBS show does the dip and sweep method while she advises the S & S method and the women use the S & S method. Mixed messages there, confusing for novice bakers.

It's difficult to limit myself to just one. I also buy the Muir Glen whole tomatoes by the case and I am also a fan of Herdez - My current favorite I buy from Amazon, via "Subscribe and Save" canned certified organic pumpkin Farmer's Market brand from Oregon. The cans are 15 ounces, perfect for most recipes I prepare. I think the flavor is exceptional and I am fairly picky. I'm trying to use more organic products and foods sourced in the U.S. I went through a case of 12 cans in two months while also using "fresh" pumpkin for some recipes. It's doubtful I will use it that rapidly during the rest of the years but it works beautifully in soup and I love pumpkin soup.

Thanks so much for sharing a week of your life with us Shelby. For me it has been like a window into my past. So many of the things you prepared were things I grew up with on a regular basis. I do hope you will keep posting about the game cookery because there have been a few threads during the years I have been a member, where there have been questions of how to prepare game. Most of the members only have book references and to see actual photos and get step-by-step instructions, is a godsend. I'm sure I'm not alone in this wish.