andiesenji

By the way, I was a glass artist for 30+ years and have been in many glass studios all over the U.S. You should visit the Corning museum to get the real story of glass. Their collections and the information information is the best in the world.

There are references in Wikipedia about the "punt" supposedly strengthing wine bottles. However, you have to understand that the information posted to Wikipedia is written and edited by people who do not always have the true or factual information. Anyone, can start a page about a subject and edit it, add to it. The link you posted which notes it is "automatically" translated, has not translated well. Not all the information is presented in a way that is easily understood. A "punt" is the part of the blown glass vessel that was attached to the "punty" the steel pipe that was used to blow the glass and maneuver the glass so it can be shaped. During the part of the process where a hot "bubble" of glass is transferred from one punty to another, there are actually two (2) punts on a vessel. Until the first one is cut away, thus opening the vessel. A blob of glass is gathered onto the end of a punty. It is spun to center it and hanging straight down, a puff of air causes the blob to expand with a hollow in the middle. At this point the punty is attached at the end of the vessel that will eventually be the opening. The blob is inserted into the "glory hole" a second furnace that keeps the glass pliable so it can be worked and shaped and if it is going to be a bottle or a vase, the hot bubble is spun while being shaped with various tools, open molds, so to speak. When it has been shaped as desired, another worker pulls a blob of molten glass onto the end of another punty which is then stuck to the bottom of the vessel, often pushed in a bit to make it concave, which will allow it to sit level, but that comes later. Now that the vessel is attached to the new punty, the first punty is cut away with big shears, and the now open vessel is further shaped, often being put back into the glory hole numerous times during the process, to soften it so it can be worked. Often this is repeated several times so if this is going to be a vase, the top can be stretched and flared, pleated, rippled, turned down on itself, whatever.... When the vessel has hardened enough to hold its shape, it is grasped by a helper with metal tongs and the second punty is broken off the bottom of the vessel. This is the punt. See this:changing ends. Often this protrudes past the base rim, so the vessel will not sit square and has to be ground away, and often polished. Sometimes it is ground down so that the bottom is entirely concave, or it may just be ground until it is below the level of the rim, leaving a bump in the bottom. Although the Egyptians and others in the middle east were making faience or fused glass 3500 years ago, the first glass blowing was done in the first century B.C. The "Portland" vase, made in Rome, has a punt mark on the bottom. Glass for windows, an extremely expensive item in the middle ages, was blown on a punty, cut and flattened and some very early pieces have been found in very early glassworkers shops, with the punt still attached. Interestingly, some of the colors developed by these early European glassworkers were secrets that are still a mystery today. The stained glass in cathedral windows is difficult to replace because glass makers are still trying to duplicate particular colors. The punt predated sparkling wine by centuries and all kinds of vessels have punts on the bottom. History of glassblowing by glassblowers. That being said, there are some TYPES of glass that are stronger and more suited for bottling under pressure. Different minerals added to the sand add more than just color. Some glass is extremely brittle, add certain elements and the glass becomes extremely tough. Glass bottles made in molds have a concave bottom because the bottles are pulled from the molds before the glass has completely cooled. If the bottom is completely flat, the glass can slump and the bottle will not sit flat. I have a bottle of olive oil, from Italy, that has as deep a hollow in the bottom as any wine bottle.

New Le Creuset color! An email from Sur La Table popped up this morning directing me to this page with a display of Le Creuset new "Caribbean" color. I think I'm in love. I have to keep reminding myself that "I don't need another piece of cookware!" "I have everything I could ever need" "It would be extremely foolish to buy something just for the color." However, it would look nice with the other "southwest" colors in my kitchen.....

When I took a class in French cooking, from a Chef Gregoire, he was adamant about using it up within 2-3 days. However, I noticed that the larger batches that were prepared for the restaurant were placed in a tall narrow glass jar and then topped with oil, which was poured off just prior to use. He explained that it is important to keep the air away from the surface and that at home we should use a glass jar with (preferably) a glass lid with a good seal, as little "head room" as possible, and store the jar upside down. If no glass lid, then cover the top with plastic wrap and screw the lid on tightly over the plastic. He was admant that it should not be stored where it could come in contact with metal. Incidentally, I began storing all my condiments, jams, jellies, and etc., this way and the method has proven to be very effective in delaying the onset of rancidity, mold and crystallization in sugary things. Oxygen is a big factor in converting and aging certain ingredients, keep it at bay and this type of food stuff lasts much longer.

That's why it's always nice to have some leverage. And a big stick! (AKA a contract with teeth) I have to admit that I did have one big advantage when my house was remodeled. I had a "baby-sitter" that would pull his big truck into the driveway, right behind the contractor, and keep an eye on things while I was at work.

Sorry, I thought I included the name. It is Idiazabal I can't figure out how to pronounce it.

I am glad you are getting some use out of yours, Brooks. I have seen many of the "generic" ones - no instructions on the glass - listed as "malted-milk mixer" Here is another one, with the full panoply of recipe cards. Wesson oil mayo mixer!

First of all, I am not an expert, I just have practical experience, quite a few years of it, but my methods are not the be-all and end-all of mayonnaise production. I learned to make mayonnaise (back in the dark ages) with a pinch of sugar - that was just the way it was done because it seemed to work better - and we used whole eggs. We also used chilled ingredients - I have to admit that it was not chilled as in a refrigerator, because eggs were not kept in the fridge, they were kept in a room that held a spring-fed cistern that was pretty chilly, even in the middle of summer. And then there is the question of room temperature... "Room temperature" can vary considerably - my kitchen, without air conditioning, can easily reach triple digits in summer. A friend who lived in a house in Yorkshire, England for a year, said she often wore her longies and a sweater, even in summer. She sent me an email during August, requesting I not complain about the 100-degree temps here, because she was sitting in her kitchen at two in the afternoon and it had yet to get to 15 degrees Celsius = 59 degrees Fahrenheit. I will continue to make mine the way I have been doing successfully for close to 60 years. If room temp works for you, by all means do it that way. Your kitchen - your choice. It is possible that the sugar adds a bit of friction - I don't think there is any argument that sugar does have an effect on casein - it has been proved in laboratory studies that sugar has an enzymatic action on the casein in egg yolks, as well as in milk, that makes the casein more "gluey" so to speak. Painters using egg tempera paint on resistant surfaces, learned that a tiny pinch of sugar increased its adhesivness. Anyway, who cares what works, as long as it works for you. I don't think in most cases there is enough sugar to actually affect the taste all that much. You also have to also think about the times that these old recipes were formulated. In the 1930s and during WWII, eggs were expensive. They were used sparingly unless one lived on a farm or had a few chickens. It would have been considered incredibly wasteful to use just the yolk of an egg and there wasn't much one could do with the white of just one egg. (who knew from egg white omelets back then?) So that is one social reason. In the UK they did without mayonnaise for years during and after WWII because eggs were scarce, non-existant or rationed. They had lots of recipes for mayonnaise substitutes, most of which would have horrified any ordinary French homemaker. Regarding the bit about blender mayonnaise. First of all, the volume of a single egg yolk is not great enough to actually blend easily before adding the oil, and egg yolks can be tricky - too much heat - produced by the rapid speed of the blender blades, can actually "cook" the yolks before they begin to emulsify. Having had this experience first hand, when making a batch of lemon curd, I know whereof I speak. I had lumps, suspiciously similar to scrambled eggs, which I fortunately noticed prior to using the beaten yolks. Straining them revealed some congealed stuff. Never made that mistake again. (That Vita-Mix is a very powerful blender!) In any event, there are probably thousands of ways to produce mayonnaise. I like these old hand mixers, the little electric "mixettes" as well as the big mixers. I've even seen a batch whipped up with a whisk made of strips of bamboo, during a visit to Hawaii many years ago.

For those who take a scientific approach to food preparation, scientists in the UK specifically at Leeds Univ. have developed a formula for the perfect Bacon "butty" - For those of us on this side of "the Pond" this is a bacon sandwich in its finest form. Read and Enjoy!

What egg white? It was very common to use whole eggs in mayonnaise back in those days. Actually, the egg white will actually take up oil more readily and the mixture emulsifies easier if a whole egg is used. The end result is just not quite as rich as when just the yolks are used. The volume will be proportionally greater because of the way the egg white forms into bubbles, thus increasing the surface area exponetially. It will also have a lighter mouth feel. I have a great many old cookbooks - just flipping through three, I found 3 recipes for mayo with whole eggs, 2 recipes, using yolks only, both with the subtitle "in the French style" ... I also remember a commercial for a famous product that was described as "Whole Egg Mayonnaise" One of my magazines has an ad inside the front cover for Meridian Organic Whole Egg Mayonnaise. So it is not unheard-of.

Here is the real, original Wesson Oil mayonnaise mixer, pristine, never been used. Along with the brochure and recipe card that came with it. Note! It states it produces mayonnaise in 90 seconds!! Not bad for a hand-powered mixer. Note, there is a cupped depression in the top of the mixer that slowly feeds the oil into the mixer while one is operating it.

I am extremely pleased with a Spanish cheese I ordered from igourmet. It has a very complex, rich and smoky flavor with a lovely balance of sweet/salt that pairs beautifully with fruits. I had the last sliver this morning with some burnt fig jam, also from igourmet. It is a bit pricy, but a little goes a long way. I love it! I also tried toasting a bit over a burner, just until the surface softened, then smashed it in a piece of chibatta. Heating it brought out even more subtle flavors. Of course, you do have to like smoked cheeses....

You might try making a tracing of your LC or other lid so you have an example of the size and checking at thrift shops for glass lids. I have found "vintage" orphan Pyrex, Fire-King and Glas-Bake lids, both round and oval, that fit my smaller Descoware and LC ovens. If they have a few chips on the inner rim, you can smooth them out with wet carbide cloth (wet/dry sanding belt cut into sections).

Yeah! I order brick from Wisconsin frequently as it is rarely available at cheese shops out here.

I agree with your conclusions about the InSinkErator disposals. Mine has chewed up dried beans (not that they went in on purpose, but when a bag comes apart over the sink, it is nice to know one doesn't have to dig them out with a bare hand!) as well as melon rinds. I also have their Instant hot water dispenser.

When I lived (for a very brief time, thank all the Gods) in Wisconsin, back in mid '50s, I developed a taste for brick cheese. (not quite as stinky as limburger, but you do know it is in the room) The local cheese factory, owned by Stella, made small batches of "cheese with stuff" on a seasonal basis and they did a very nice job of it. These cheeses were only sold locally because they were quite perishable, however, they didn't have to worry about losing money on them because there was always a line of people waiting when the factory store opened (only on Wednesdays and Fridays). The "special" cheeses usually sold out rapidly. They did the more common cheese with sausage, cheese with port, cheese with onions and/or garlic, cheese with peppers. However the one that really appealed to me was the "apple cheese" Apple cheese was made by taking a slab of fontina and a slab of cheddar, making a depression in the center which was filled with cooked, spiced apples(chilled), the two slabs were pressed together along the outside and the whole thing was dipped in wax. The date was stamped on the wax as soon as it hardened. They were kept refrigerated and had to sell within a week. I don't think many lasted more than a few days. They made them on Tuesday and rarely had any left on Friday. They made them in two sizes, the smaller with two (approximate) 12-ounce slabs of cheese, the larger with 2 16-oz slabs of cheese. These were round as they were cut across round wheels, by hand, so the weight did vary. One could buy a half, but the price per pound was higher. The combination of flavors was extraordinary. If you have ever had a slab of cheddar on top of a wedge of warm apple pie, you might get the idea. They also made a combination of aged provolone, sliced about 1/8 inch thick and spread with quince jam, stacked about 10 slices thick. There was no shrink wrap back in those days so these were simply set on a rack over a tray in the glass-fronted fridge and wrapped in butcher paper. We wrapped it in puff pastry and baked it. It would not get runny as a brie but it did soften. The combination of the slightly smoky provolone and the quince with the puff pastry was just delicious. Sadly, the factory became almost fully automated in the early '70s and that ended the era of the hand-made "special" cheeses.

A note about infusing vanilla in plain water. It is best to heat the liquid periodically to halt growth of any mold spores. Alcohol will keep mold spores from growing in those extracts, but you do need to process the liquid that does not have a preservative. Glycerine is also a preservative! It is also advisable to use distilled water because of the minerals that might be in the tap water in your area. Several years ago I ordered some vanilla beans that were sent to me during an extra hot spell. I did not remove them from the package for a couple of days - took them out of the padded envelope and left then on the counter in the plastic bag in which they were shipped. A couple of days later I noticed the beans had mold growing on them. Probably because of moisture that condensed inside the bag when it cooled down. Had to toss the entire package.

No, no and NO! With a nail brush, dampen it slightly, dip it in DRY baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and scrub the grids. It will take a little effort but should remove most of the burnt-on stuff without harming the surface. Steel wool or brillo will produce tiny scratches that make it very difficult to season the surface so it will become close to non-stick. (I also use dry baking soda and a barely damp paper towel to keep the chrome shiny and free of black and brown baked-on spots.) Is Dawn Power Dissolver available in Singapore? If so, pre-treatment with it can clean waffle grids nicely, finishing with the dry baking soda scrub as above.

Andi, I looked at my drug store and the only glycerine there said "For external use only." Are there different kinds of glycerine? Where do you find it? Thanks, Ellen ← If you ask the pharmacist, they usually have the food grade "USP" glycerine. You should also be able to find it at health food stores. The local Walgreens has USP glycerine on the shelf next to the mineral oil and Milk of Magnesia. Different stores have it in other places. Health food stores always have it with the sweeteners. Andie

I am surprised that you had that result with agar. When I used it in the laboratory for growth medium, we used it both in petrie dishes and in stab tubes and both could be inverted while in the incubator and the agar media would not melt. It actually had a rubbery surface that could have a wire loop dragged gently over it without it cutting into the surface.

William George, in his 2003 book: Antique Electric Waffle Irons, 1900-1960 has this to say about the Sunbeams. "Model W-2 circa late 1940s was one of the highest quality waffle irons ever made. With 80 square inches of cooking surface, it was also one of the largest. Both the W-1 (pre-war) and W-2 were made to near-commercial quality and are a pleasure to use. The Model CG (combination grill/waffle iron) circa 1950s, is basically a restyled W-1 and W-2 and is of near commercial quality... Unlike the previous models the CG has removable grids which could be interchanged with flat grilling grids. This iron was expensive when new and today they still command higher than normal prices on the used market. It is a nice practical everyday appliance." I agree. I have three - one W-2 and two CGs and they bake waffles nicely and evenly (one of the CGs has the flat sandwich grills installed, although I do have the waffle grids - they show use, while the flat plates are pristine. I personally prefer the CG-1 - rather than the CGL which has reversable grids. The reversable grids are not all that wonderful - if you do reverse the grids and use the flat grill plates, it ruins the seasoning on the waffle grids - which means the next time you bake waffles, you have to re-season them. The CGL has lower wattage. There are other brands that had an early "non-stick" finish, not teflon but rather a fired-on ceramic coating that worked quite well as reversable grids - they were also of higher wattage. If you buy one that has baked-on discoloration on the waffle grids. Get Carbon-Off to clean it (outside on newspaper) as this will remove the baked on gunk without harming the cast aluminum. You can order it online if you can't find it in a store. I buy it at Smart & Final.

On local news stations last night was a report about some GE Dishwashers, known to be installed in Orange County, California. KABC news report on fire caused by dishwasher They mentioned that one model GE Dishwasher was recalled two years ago, but the fire was caused by another model. There is no information on how widespread the distribution of these dishwashers might be. If you have a GE dishwasher and want to check the model and see if it is on the list previously recalled. Dishwasher recalls. Note the most recent is for Maytag dishwashers on 2/1/07 There has also been a recall of front-loading washers made by Maytag and Samsung, on 3/21/07, also due to fire hazard. Often the problem is that notification is delayed because the person making the original purchase has moved the appliance to another address or - might have left the appliance in the home but no notification in change of ownership was sent to the manufacturer. Often the owner will not leave details of the sale or appliance instructions with the appliance. I have often been accused of being a bit anal retentive about keeping appliance records, with the invoice or receipt stapled inside the back cover of a manual and keeping service notes attached to same. From personal experience, this can be of great help when a problem arises.

I have never had a particular taste or craving for sweets. My downfall is the savory stuff. Also, I am allergic to chocolate and alcohol. I do have diabetes, type II, well controlled with the minimum dose of Avandia and diet. I have had a few episodes of low blood sugar but I carry the measured dose glucose tablets with me. I also carry my meter with me and if I begin to feel shaky and perhaps a little light-headed, I stop whatever I am doing and test. There are some foods that will push my blood sugar up a bit, about 30 minutes after a meal, then it will drop below normal after another 30 minutes to an hour. I now recognize that there are some foods that have this effect and keep my intake to a minimum. I don't see any point to this product, unless someone has and out-of-control craving but if this stuff is taken at will, instead of in a prophylactic (preventive) dose, I doubt it would be all that effective as the craving will just pop up again when the effect wears off. I can see it might be helpful if one wanted to use it during a period when one would be exposed to the forbidden foods - such as a party or similar event.

I placed another order at IGourmet yesterday. I received an email that they once again had the Yak cheese on sale. My daughter tried it a few weeks ago and and called me about it. However, when I clicked on it at the IGourmet site, it was sold out! Drat. Well, I placed an order anyway, for some of my standard favorites, which were, as usual, delivered in excellent condition, still chilled and carefully packaged. Now, with this new batch available, I will finally be able to taste it. Another cheese that is one of my daughter's favorites, is Cone de Port Aubry, and I have had no luck in finding an online source. Some Whole Foods markets carry it but none anywhere near me. I like other crottin-type cheeses and believe I would like this one, if I were able to purchase it. Does anyone have a suggestion of where to find it? I have tried all the usual suspects:

I think this has happened to many people. I have a "trick" I learned in one of the cooking classes I took years ago. I shove an aluminum (Pyrex works too) baster, small end first, (minus the rubber bulb) into the eggplant. it not only vents the build up of gases, it seems to roast it more evenly as the aluminum transmits heat to the interior. Basters that have lost their rubber bulbs are not to be thrown away, they come in handy for a lot of things. For instance, extending the reach of a funnel deep into a vessel, and there is the following. (I always stick one into the middle of dressing stuffed into a large turkey - in fact, I use two if it is really a huge bird. This guarantees that the stuffing will cook completely through to the middle and I think it makes it taste better. It is obviously tranferring the heat well, because when it is removed, there are bits of brown crunchy dressing stuck to it - very tasty nibbles.)