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If it has been stored in the fridge for more than a couple of days, you take it out the day before you are going to use it. Add the refresher and let it stand overnight or so. Then remove the amount you need for the recipe - add an equal amount of flour and water back into the starter and let it "work" for a couple of hours or so, depending on the temperature - leave it out longer if it is cool - then refrigerate it again. During the winter months I keep my kitchen quite cool - and I often leave the starter on the counter and just add a little flour and water every two or three days. I keep it in a Cambro container with plenty of room for expansion. If I am going to be away, I put some into a quart jar and refrigerate it. I leave the regular container out and if it doesn't look active when I get back, I discard it. In my experience the stuff has survived for ten days with no attention at temps below 65 degrees F. Having this batch out and constantly fully active works well for me because I often prepare pancakes, waffles, muffins (English muffins or crumpets), using the starter. As mentioned on that website, it will often develop a dark - blackish liquid which smells like alcohol.(Hooch) This is normal and should be stirred back into the starter. If you get liquid with a pinkish tinge discard the whole thing. That indicates the desirable organisms have been taken over by one you don't want and which will not leaven dough.

My grandson (age 16) carries one like this http://www.amazon.com/Vivo-Square-Bento-Black-Brown/dp/B001CSPU0Y/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1255089196&sr=1-21 None of the other kids bother him about it but he is 6'4" and 200+ lbs.

Kim, you can get pattern books that show exactly how to measure, cut and wrap beads of different shapes and you can get a very inexpensive wire-bending jig that will make the task much easier and a micro soldering iron is also inexpensive but invaluable. This is just one of many vendors: http://therockshed.com/wirewrap.html and here is another: http://www.firemountaingems.com/aboutus/pressrelease.asp?docid=PR071008

Another suggestion - use only cold water to wash stuff that has sourdough gunk stuck to it. Hot water seems to accelerate the glue/cement production. (This is from an experienced baker who had to chisel the cement-like gunk from a stainless bowl that was plunged into very hot water by a prior housekeeper.) And when I was a child, one of my uncles "fixed" a leaky radiator on an elderly truck by adding some of the cook's sourdough "workins" to the radiator. As I recall the "repair" lasted for several months.

That is a rather generous size for a beginning starter. You can cut the amounts down quite a bit - This one calls for a cup of each, flour and water. http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm The reason some recipes call for larger amounts is to lessen the possibility the mixture will dry out - obviously a larger volume will take longer to dry out. Stir the mixture from time to time so the surface remains moist. You are in a good area as starters do better in a place with higher ambient humidity. I don't recommend using yeast for a boost - however I have found that adding a small mashed boiled potato for part of the flour, and using the water in which it has boiled, gives a very reliable result - and a potent starter. (This is a very old and very reliable "trick" - I learned it more than 50 years ago.) You don't just keep adding to the starter - you take only half of it each time, discard the rest (don't pour it down the sink!!!) and add the new flour and water to the half you kept until it is fully active and then you can double it so when you are ready to use it you removed the cup you will need for the recipe - top up the remainder, let it "work" for a few hours and then refrigerate it until you are ready to use it again. If you want to share it, after it has become fully active, put the extra into a new jar. You must be sure to sterilize the jars and lids completely so as to avoid unwanted organisms invading your starter.

I have the "Zo" induction rice cooker (10 cup) for a couple of years (or longer) and I love it. It works for combo rice and grain mixes as well as for specific types of rice. I have yet to have any problems with it and I use it at least once a week, often three or four times a week. I cook larger batches of rice (or other grains) and vac-seal and freeze the planned-for "leftovers" - although rice is such a staple for me that I never consider it just a "leftover" per se. I simply can't see the advantage in having a 5 cup rice cooker when I also want to use it for steaming root vegetables that are bulky and need the extra space. (Yuca for instance and large, whole heads of cauliflower and large artichokes. Prior to getting the induction cooker I had the Zo Fuzzy Logic cooker which worked great also (I passed it along to my daughter who uses it constantly, especially for sushi rice). There are several vendors on ebay who sell the Zo rice cookers at a significant discount (select the "Buy It Now" option) to see the best listings and check the rating.

Jaymes, I think that you are talking about my picks. I intended them as appetizer picks rather than martini picks. But...if you used little mini beads that weren't very heavy, that might be a great idea. I want to find someone who teaches that wire art thing - where the thick wire (that looks like soldering wire) and beads are wrapped around serving items. A couple of martini glasses and a silver cocktail shaker decorated with those and a couple of picks would make a wonderful gift! Hmmmmm.... You should be able to find a Gem & Mineral show in your area - There is one in Harrisonburg Oct 23-25 - or check in the listings of Lapidary Journal http://www.jewelryshowguide.com/event/results.php?letter=&category_id=34&screen=1 Most shows have at least one wire-wrap demo artist and you can get just about any supplies your need.

Have you checked Rainbow Books & Records? One of my friends lives on the Big Island but makes periodic trips to visit this store and also Bookends, which often has a good selection of used cookbooks.

As noted by others, there are many fine books on baking, some for the novice, many more for the more experienced (or adventuresome) baker. To absolute novice bakers, I recommend Beth Hensberger's "Bread Made Easy" http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Made-Easy-Bakers-First/dp/1580081126/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254674247&sr=8-4 published in 2004 and later that year another book she authored, "The Bread Bible" are excellent for beginners. I have all of Peter Reinhart's books, purchased over the years as they were published, as well as many others. I started out as a professional baker in the mid-'50s but changed professions and have mostly baked for pleasure for the past forty years. Until the publication of The Bread Baker's Apprentice, I considered Crust and Crumb the best for fairly experienced bread bakers. The advice to look for library books or used books - often they are fairly cheap - is very good advice. You might also consider subscribing (free) to the Bread-Bakers digest: http://www.bread-bakers.com/mailing_list.html I have been on the list for many years and there is a tremendous wealth of information and people who more than happy to answer specific questions in detail. Many are professionals (Peter Reinhart is a member and other members have tested the recipes in several of his books for him) or very experienced hobby bakers.

There is a used Berkel on ebay for $449.00, runs on household current. Both Berkel and Oliver have easily replaceable blades and the blades are not too expensive and do last a long time. There is also an Oliver 1/2 inch slicer now on ebay for $895. (or best offer - one offer so far). Plus shipping costs. None of these machines are "compact" but this is one of the smaller ones and it also runs on household current. I would put something like this on a cart and roll it out of the way when not in use. I wouldn't put it in the trunk of a car and subject it to any prolonged or repeated driving over rough roads. There are things that can come loose........ Check your local newspapers for bakery equipment - businesses that are moving or closing, bankruptcy sales, etc., and check with Platte company - they carry new and used restaurant and bakery equipment and for cash may be willing to sell a used item even if you don't have a business license. (I got the name from one of my cousins who used to live in Lakewood and owned a restaurant until he retired a few years ago.)

I have Anne Amernick's baking book, The Art of the Dessert, and she suggests weighing eggs to insure a consistent result in the baked product. She writes that it doesn't make much of a difference in some things, but the texture of sponge cakes will be altered with changes in the gram weight of eggs. For me at home, it doesn't matter so much, but I would guess it may be more important to people who sell their baked goods. I also question when the "Large" egg became the standard in recipes. I have found that with some very old recipes (receipts) that use a lot of eggs, the "Large" egg is too large. I have converted some of the recipes I inherited from my great-grandmother and others in the family and it took a fair amount of experimentation. One cake recipe includes 20 eggs (makes a very large cake) and the first time I tried it (cutting the recipe in half) the batter was much too thin and the result unsatisfactory. After some discussion with my aunt (age 98 at that time) I figured the eggs used were small to medium, estimated the total weight and used that. The cake turned out as I remembered from my childhood. In many of the cookbooks I have from the first few decades of the 20th century, I note that many recipes call for what I think are too many eggs. Rather than just accepting the recipe as written, I have learned to start out with fewer eggs, adding them one at a time, and stopping when the batter, or whatever, looks and feels right. Many of these cookbooks contain many notations about adjustments to the recipes, in case they may fall into other hands that may be, in the future, mystified as to why the recipes do not turn out as expected.

An inexpensive solution might be a fiddle bow knife http://www.thefind.com/kitchen/info-original-fiddle-bow-knife, or the adjustable fiddle bow bread knife http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Woods-Adjustable-Fiddle-Handed/dp/B0010L607A While the blade is not long enough to cut across larger boules when laid flat, they can easily be cut with the boule turned up onto a side. Most bread cutting guides now available are only sized for regular-sized loaves, baguettes and etc., like this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004UE6T/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=2951609875&ref=pd_sl_36bj3ekvdu_e I have seen a cutting board with adjustable guides in the past but I can't find the link at this time. It was one of the bread cutting boards with a slotted base, through which the crumbs would fall and the slotted side guides folded down into the base. It is possible I saw it on ebay, however I think it was on an artisan woodworker's site.

I love the Zo bento boxes too. I have the Mr. Bento that I use when traveling - for hot foods, since I have a fridge in my van. I did post something here on Sept. 9, about my daughter's blog that is specifically about bento box lunches but it was shifted to another topic (Favorite Food Blogs) for no good reason, as far as I am concerned. I complained about it but never got a response so there it stays. She has to prepare meals for two high school teens and for herself (a high school teacher) and owns just about every kind of bento box on the market. Both she and I have gathered a lot of information from various web sites, including this one: http://lunchinabox.net/ She is fortunate in that her kids have very sophisticated tastes and are willing to try almost anything, however she does have to deal with some food allergies but is usually able to do a work-around and she tries to stick to organic foods, whenever possible. The Mr. Bento will keep food hot (at a safe temp) for at least 5 hours as I have personally done it. Not leaving anything to chance, I tested it with a Thermapen, just to be on the safe side. Specifically, I prepared soft-boiled eggs and they kept perfectly, although the yolks did get just a bit more firm than I like, they were acceptable and I mixed them with hot noodles and spinach. I left the soup I had prepared in the container, immediately resealing it, and 2 1/2 hours later it was still hot. I am a diabetic and it is important to have controlled meals at regular intervals, even when traveling.

The absolute best (and easiest) way to clean the mini spice grinders is with two tablespoons of baking soda and two or three saltine crackers broken up just a bit. Place the top on, start the motor and shake and invert the grinder a few times while it is running. Dump out the mixture and wipe clean with a dry paper towel. The soda will remove oily residue and will also remove any taste or odor of coffee, spices or ???? I have posted this recommendation several times in the past and folks who have tried it find that it works. You can use rice with the soda, if you wish, but in my opinion the regular use of rice will dull the blade.

Our very own Rancho Gordo sells both regular "white" quinoa and a new variety "red" quinoa, if you want to try some that is traditionally grown without none of the agribusiness additions. Quinoa is excellent in dishes that would usually be made with other grains - works great as a sub for wheat in tabbouleh and is very popular with vegetarians/vegans. Excellent recipes can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=quinoa and also here: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/basic-quinoa.php I make a dish of acorn squash, stuffed with quinoa/amaranth and sausage. I don't have a recipe, just prepare the quinoa and amaranth, fry onions, sausage and ??? in a skillet, mix in the grains then stuff the partially pre-baked squash (cut side down in a little water for 30 minutes at 300) then bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the squash walls, until fork tender. I use regular sausage but have also prepared this with spicy Italian sausage. Finish it by drizzling with balsamic vinegar.

There is a fairly new and very well made tea appliance that produces an excellent pot of tea and is compact enough to be acceptable in a work environment where coffee makers are allowed. It is yet another product carrying the Adagio name and in my experience they do not offer anything that is less than the best; It is available via Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-triniTea-Electric-32-Ounce/dp/B0011O1XOQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1253298575&sr=8-5 I gave one to my daughter last Christmas and after several months of daily use, she rates it as "excellent" and is sufficiently picky about her tea, that I consider that a ringing endorsement. The tea is maintained at the correct serving temp - less than that of automatic coffee makers. It is not cheap but when you consider the cost of a water boiler, if other than the most basic, and a tea brewing device, it is not exorbitant. As a gift, I thought it was a bargain, compared to what I have paid for other, less satisfactory, tea appliances. P.S. The Zarafina tea maker is not at all satisfactory. Note that originally it was priced at 179. then reduced to 149. and so on. Poorly made, inconsistent timing, not a good buy.

I've been making my own cream cheese for many years. You can't get a successful result with supermarket "ultra-pasteurized" milk without the addition of a product available at cheesemaking supply vendors. I buy mostly from New England Cheesemaking Supply http://www.cheesemaking.com/ and they have excellent instructions and help - note the section "Milk Help" - - You need to add calcium chloride - not much - it comes in a small bottle, is a liquid and is specifically formulated to produce the desired results. You can gauge the consistency you want and get a firmer, denser product by pressing the curd - you don't need anything fancy, a plastic strainer, lined with several layers of the gauze-like cheesecloth (wash it first in hot water) or better, the real cheesecloth or butter muslin that is made specifically for cheesemaking. The latter can be laundered and used over and over again. Otherwise, buy unbleached medium muslin at a fabric store, wash it at least twice to remove the sizing and cut it to a workable size. It works just fine and is cheap.

I too have many pieces of Pyrex, FireKing, Glasbake and other glass baking dishes as well as some stovetop glass pieces that have survived since the 1930s without breaking. I never subject them to abrupt temperature changes because I know that is specifically forbidden. The instructions that came with the original glass cooking vessels specified placing the hot dishes on a folded DRY towel. Good advice today. If the casserole was removed from a hot oven and placed on the stovetop, I assume it was placed on the burner grid. That metal works as a heat sink (unless it has been pre-heated) and the effect can be sudden destruction of the piece. When the newer and thinner borosilicate glass containers first appeared on the market in the 1970s, they were sold with cork pads and the instructions were specific that they should be placed on the cork when removed from the heat - especially should not be placed on a ceramic tile surface (another heat sink) and the same goes for granite, etc., etc. I don't care about all the technical jargon, I simply use common sense. Glass, ceramic and their relatives simply do not have the capacity to survive sudden temperature changes.

As I mentioned in earlier posts on this thread, I too have always known them as "gas house eggs" and posted links to other sites that also called them by this name (including Saveur). Also see post # 81 in this topic, page 3. A couple of sites notes that the name may originally have been "Gasthaus" - however, I also posted a story about the origin being in the "Gashouse district" in New York, razed to build Stuyvesant Town in the late '40s. I don't think there was any one origin because how much intellect does it take to come up with this combination of bread and egg, which works quite well on a flat grill, in a skillet or ????. The plain fact is that it is a tasty combo and fairly easy to prepare.

If you haven't yet discovered the following site: http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/containerindoor/ Devoted to indoor gardening with specific attention to herbs, it is excellent.

Brioche indeed! I make it into "monkey bread" so each little airy, buttery nugget pops away from the main body of the loaf with just a gentle tug - to be popped into my mouth. I have learned to pile it up in a wider and shallower than normal pain to achieve a larger ratio of crust to crumb. Cottage cheese? Yes! Especially the large curd cottage cheese (I no longer make my own as often as I used to do) which to me has a distinct flavor, as well as a lovely texture. Plain is fine, with fruit is fine but in the mid-afternoon, when dinner is going to be later than usual, I find that it really goes good with barbecue potato chips (the ripple kind) and I have to portion out the chips and the cheese and put the remainder away before starting in on the snack. Scones, hot-out-of-the-oven, with sufficient butter or clotted cream...... Perhaps a dollop of homemade preserves, etc. Bread pudding, especially when prepared with my homemade brioche, either sweet or savory..... Ahhhhh...

The "Windsor" type tea kettle should fit your needs. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=windsor+tea+kettle&x=0&y=0&sprefix=Windsor+tea It pours a very fine stream, very precise. These are at Amazon US but if you are in the UK you should be able to find them easily - I have a couple and my original one was made in England. However your could also use a stainless steel funnel - a bit cheaper and certainly just as functional.

I am also a diabetic and I also use sugar in moderation. I have a container of the Splenda/Sugar Blend http://www.splenda.com/page.jhtml?id=splenda/products/blend.inc that contains vanilla beans and I use this for many other applications than just baking. I also use it in a cinnamon/sugar shaker to go on toast or other things that require a dash of flavor on top and in my opinion the addition of vanilla enhances the flavor of the cinnamon. Splenda alone will take on some vanilla flavor but the sugar blend does it much better and the vanilla flavor is more pronounced.

Here is something that might help if you want to use grated raw ginger and tone down the "bite" somewhat but still have the distinct ginger flavor. Just as the casein in milk will isolate and modify the capsaicin crystal compound in chile peppers, it will also separate and carry off some of the "biting" compounds in ginger. (also onions, garlic, etc.) Grate the ginger, add enough milk to cover (must be whole milk to work) and allow to stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour into a very fine sieve and wash the milk away with water. The ginger will retain its flavor but the more assertive, hot flavor compounds will be gone. This is why it is very easy to produce a ginger flavor in milk, cream or custards. I have tried this with various types of milk and non-fat milk doesn't work so it has to be the fatty compounds that do the trick.

My daughter began a blog on Aug. 13, entitled A Year of Lunches. She includes tools, containers and etc and has produced some interesting goodies. She is very concerned with nutrition and has to deal with several food allergies. http://yearoflunches.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-08-18T23%3A01%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7