andiesenji

Here are some photos of some of the appliances I consider "classics" and the best of their kind. In my first post I didn't mention the best toaster oven ever - the GE Automatic - which, while smaller than most, pops open automatically when the toasting or baking is done. When GE sold its small appliance division to Black & Decker it was discontinued. Too bad! Sunbeam classics - note the Art Deco design which was on many Sunbeam appliances in addition to the Coffeemaster and the T-20 toaster. and 45 years later, the T-50. The Sunbeam Model 1 (not the first Sunbeam mixer, it is the first 10-speed "MixMaster") Silex vacuum coffee makers ranged in size from 2 cup to 12 cup. The two in this photo are 12 and 6. This one is 4-cup

Vanilla extract makes a great gift. Last fall they had little cobalt blue bottles at Cost Plus World Market that are just the right size. Vanilla paste can be blended into milk, cream, egg custard other liquids. Great for flavoring ice cream, coffee. I know someone who blends it into root beer for a little extra "flavor kick" in a root beer float. I have added very small amounts to fruit salad dressings and also to the dressing I put on Waldorf salad, especially when I add chicken to it.

I have a "few" vintage appliances. The Sunbeam T-20, toaster, with the slots crossways and that lowered the bread automatically and when done, allowed it to gently rise, was a standard from its introduction in the 1940s until the early 90s. Sunbeam, which began as the Chicago Flexible Shaft company (they made sheep-shearing equipment), produced what has been labeled as "The mixer America grew up with" And "The most famous appliance of the 20th century" Certainly Sunbeam outspent every other small appliance manufacturer from the mid-1930s through the 1960s. If you have an early one and want to know what model it is, check here at Sunbeam ID The Sunbeam Coffeemaster - an automatic vacuum coffee maker was the "gold-standard" and they still work very well. The automatic Silex vacuum coffee makers, the Farberware Coffee Robot - a classic vacuum pot were just about as popular but, more fragile. Scroll down about half-way on this page to see early Silex

Here's another project for using those vanilla beans! After sending a flurry of emails last night to one of my friends who makes his own vanilla paste, he finally phoned me this morning, explaining that he can get email on his phone but right now is unable to send. (Connects to the internet via satellite and his link is down- he lives in a remote area.) Anyway, he uses only organic products, no alcohol "spirits" and is a moderate vegetarian. He buys vanilla beans from the same source as Steven and also from other sources but said the quality of the beans from this company is quite good. For the vanilla paste he splits, chops and crushes the beans. He places them in a jar and barely covers them with Xylitol base, a liquid sugar "alcohol" which he says is very good for extracting flavor from the beans. He uses a combination of - 8 Mexican, 4 Bourbon or Madagascar and 2 Tahitian - beans. The combination is because the various types have different flavor components and a blend gives a better overall taste. Information about Xylitol and his supply source is Here! He allows the beans to soak in the liquid for 4-6 weeks. He then puts the beans and the liquid through a food grinder with a very fine die. He says he actually uses a poppy-seed grinder as most food grinders, unless you can find one of the old ones with a nut-butter disk, won't grind finely enough. (This is a hand-cranked device, not electric.) He said do not use a blender - he has tried it and the results are not good, the fibers in the bean husks do not get chopped as fine as with the "mill." He uses a tablespoon or so of hot water to rinse as much of the residue from the mill as possible, and spreads the "slurry" (his word) over the bottom of a Corning ware skillet(he said enamel is okay, do not use bare metal). He places it over very low heat - actually he uses a Salton electric warming tray - and stirs and folds it periodically with a silicone spatula until it has thickened to a paste consistency, i.e., when scraped off the bottom, it should stay in place, not collapse back into a puddle. Commercial pastes include thickeners but he doesn't like to use them, even the "organic" ones. Store tightly sealed in an opaque glass or porcelain jar with the least amount of "head space" - do not store in metal, plastic or in crockery containers. I have not tried this myself, but I intend to do so. I have been the recipient of a 2-oz jar, as a Holiday gift, and I found it excellent. Better than the commercial paste by Nielsen-Massey or Cobra. (I think TJs is made by Nielsen-Massey). I got a sample of another brand that used Tahitian beans but it was too perfumey for my taste. I want to add that made this way, this is halal and can be used by Muslims.

Too much heat causes the alcohol to vaporize, it is extremely difficult to seal a bottle tightly enough to stop all of the alcohol loss. UV light degrades the compounds in vanilla that give it flavor and aroma. Dark brown or blue bottles are best - opaque milk glass has been used also. I happen to like the cobalt blue. The desirable flavor compounds in vanilla are not soluable in water. Casein will bind the compounds, which is why simmering vanilla beans in milk or cream will produce excellent flavor - doesn't happen in water. As I mentioned in my earlier post, glycerine is used to produce flavorings that must be alcohol-free for religious or other reasons. Glycerine is hydrophyllic and mixes so completely with water that it carries the flavors along with it. (If you want to test this, simply rub some glycerine on your fingers. It is very sticky and will feel like it is producing heat with massaging. Lightly spray with water and, like magic, it disappears so completely that you can't feel any residue on your fingers.) Like alcohol and casein, sugars, particularly the more complex ones, are also efficient at extracting flavor. I use a mixture of palm sugar and palm vinegar to make a concentrated spice flavoring using cinnamon, cloves, pepper and ginger.

I upend the bottle in a cup and add a little hot water. I then pick up a crimp-type nut cracker (used for nothing else except opening narrow cap bottles) I have wrapped the jaws with plain old cloth adhesive tape so the sharp teeth will not damage the caps. This old-fashioned gadget works better than anything else I have tried. It works better than pliers for me because I have arthritis in my right hand and this is easier to hold and takes less effort. P.S. I also use this, very gently and with some prepatory work, i.e., warming/soaking the top of the bottle as above, to gently work corks out of bottle in which they have become cemented. This works particularly well with the artificial corks that seem to become glued into bottles that contain liquids with high sugar content.

Ahem! This is yet another example of: "What's Old is New Again!" The first of these appliances appeared in the late 1930s. Scroll down to the Third Item on this page I have two of these, one in copper finish, the other in chrome. One made in 1951, the other in 1954 and they both still work. Combination appliances began way back before the 1920s - popular with people who lived in rented rooms with no kitchens. Some were quite complex, incorporating a coffee perculator, fry pan/egg poacher, baking pan and toaster in a single appliance. Hotpoint sold one in 1918 that is seen in several scenes in at least three of Harold Lloyd's silent films with the cord plugged into the dangling bare-bulb light fixture. Universal Appliance (Landers, Frary and Clark of New Britain, Conn.) made several "Portable Table Ranges" a round 1920 model states it broils, frys, toasts, bakes or roasts. Later they produced a "stacked" - "Multi Breakfast Cooker. In 1938 Universal's Electric Oven Roaster, with multiple internal containers, stated it could roast, bake and stew, cooking an entire meal in one appliance. It sold for 26.70 which was a lot of money in 1938. Note the Perc-O-Toaster Toaster Gallery

You can make your own - by the hundreds if you wish - the thick padded, waffle-cut shelf "liner" which you can buy in a large roll at CostCo or Sam's Club - other places too. Makes a much better jar "grabber" and if it gets soiled you can throw it away, guilt-free. in fact the name on the roll I have is "Magic Cover Grip"

I refuse to reply on the grounds that it may tend to incriminate me!

Note! (Everclear either 151 proof or the 95%=190 proof, contains no sugar. When it is actively extracting the flavor and aroma components from vanilla, spices or nuts, it is going to smell rather like paint thinner and would probably remove paint. NEVER, EVER WORK WITH THIS CLOSE TO A GAS STOVE OR ANYWHERE WITH AN OPEN FLAME OR SPARK SOURCE. IT VAPORIZES EASILY AT ROOM TEMP., AND THE VAPORS ARE EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE!) I don't know if anyone has posted this link yet: most vanilla extract contains - Age is best, sugar can help . And another site mentions what to do with those "excess" vanilla beans - besides making extract. Vanilla ideas. See Serving Suggestions! One caveat: I had problems with adding my extremely aged homemade extract to beaten egg whites unless I first added it to cooked sugar syrup. The stuff developed an oily component and dropped straight into a bowl of beaten egg whites, carved a widening tunnel right to the bottom of the bowl and within several seconds, had caused the bottom layer of bubbles to collapse into a puddle.

I have a food storage vacuum machine and I double-bag them and store them in the freezer. I always have one bean in my sugar canister and one in the Splenda canister. I also have two in a jug of simple syrup in the fridge.

It is not easy to answer your question so it will make sense to everyone because some things that are easy for me and take very little time, might be difficult for most people and very time consuming. Pita bread - extremely easy and better than anything you can buy. That recipe and the ones mentioned later in this post are in my recipes My RecipeGullet recipes I use bread machines for mixing and kneading, then shape and bake the loaves, rolls, yeast and sourdough, in the oven. One thing that is practically effortless and saves a significant amount of money is dried mushrooms. If you figure out the cost of the dried ones, even in the large "commercial" containers, they are incredibly expensive. They don't look any different, they are just much, much lighter. When mushrooms are on sale (the fancy ones, wild ones or particularly flavorful ones) I buy them in quantity and dry them. No special equipment is needed, mushrooms will dry all by themselves at room temp if you just allow air to circulate around them. I use wire colanders - I set them on top of my upright freezer because they aren't taking up counter room but at times they have dried on the dining room table (with newspaper underneath), the sideboard, a wire shelf in the laundry room and once, quite by accident, a wire fruit basket full of portobellos was placed "temporarily" on the bottom shelf of a large kitchen cart. A month later, when I moved a large container of pasta, I found them, nicely dried, however there was a layer of spores on the natural wood shelf, which still has a dark brown patch that was dyed by the spores. (note my mention of newspapers above) If you live in a humid climate, turn a fan on to improve air circulation. I make my own candied ginger and I think it is as good as any I have tried. It takes time but most of that is cooking and if one uses a slow cooker or crockpot, it doesn't require much attention. Candied citrus peel - I posted my method of peeling citrus, which makes the process much easier and quicker. It can also be cooked in the microwave. See post # 163 in this thread. Same with dried fruits of all kinds as someone else mention, fruit leathers. I have Excalibur dehydrators but other methods can be just as efficient. (I know an 81-year-old lady who has been drying fruit in her attic for 60 years) one of my neighbors makes big batches of jerky in an aluminum shed, purchased just for that purpose (roof painted matte black). In 100 degree desert heat, jerky happens in two days. Yogurt - there is even a yogurt maker that uses the milk container itself. (Salton)

I have "more than one" bread machine - I have one of these that was in my office at work for three years - nothing like the aroma of baking bread on rainy days. I have also given at least two as gifts and they are tough little machines. Oster Expressbake I have had bread machines since the first Zojirushi appeared in a favorite gourmet shop back in the 80s. I still have it, but this one is just about as foolproof as an appliance can be. I can also tell you about a couple of "trick's you can do with this machine on the "expressbake" setting.

I am 100% in agreement with Peter. I remember the first time I saw one of the packages of cornmeal mush (prior to the "polenta" phase) in the dairy case next to the bacon and sausage patties. I was looking for very lean bacon to line a terrine and sorting through a bunch of packages, where I ordinarily would just grab and go. I remember standing there, package of bacon in my hand, probably with my jaw hanging open, looking at the "chub" package labeled "instant cornmeal mush" ready to fry, with a picture of 4 slices on a griddle with a plate with eggs in the background next to a bottle of syrup. Another shopped stopped and I pointed to the stuff and she laughed and agreed with me that it was ridiculous. "Who would buy something like that?" she asked and I had no answer. Obviously they are selling it, probably to people who don't think ahead. If I forget to prepare the grits and pour them into a loaf pan to chill the evening prior, I cook them in the morning and pour the batch into a sheet pan and use a long frosting spatula to smooth it out to about 1/2 inch thick, and place the pan on my marble pastry slab (heat sink) and turn a fan on so it will cool faster. Usually it is firm enough to cut in thirty to forty minutes.

You can also use granulated alum just put it into a container with holes in the top or in a little cloth bag with loose weave, like the re-usable cloth teabags. It works just fine. Lump alum is not as easy to find now because it was being used illegally in barber shops and nail shops to stop bleeding and one piece would be used on multiple customers. Not a good idea. I buy it at a local middle eastern market, but otherwise I haven't seen it in stores.

I agree. If an employee is pilfering tips, they often are skimming in other ways. Often patrons may pay at the cashier and leave extra for the server which the cashier will pocket. I have had cashiers try to tell me the check is for more than I knew it was, particularly when I am standing there with several people and we are carrying on a conversation. On one occasion last Christmas, the cashier announced the total was 58 plus some cents, and I pointed out that the total was 50 plus whatever - she apologized and said she mis-read the 0 as an 8. It's a good think I was paying attention. I asked for the check back and she sort of crinkled it as she pulled it out from under the clip that held a stack of them. I looked at it and said, quite loudly, unless you need reading glasses, there is no way anyone could mistake that zero for an eight. The total was printed in larger and bold type, perfectly clear. The manager apparently heard my raised voice and came to the cashier's station and asked what was the problem. I explained my suspicions, the cashier tried to explain her side but the manager told her to go and have a seat in his office. He apologized, took my money, gave me change and we left. My friends mentioned that the next few times they had meals there, that cashier/hostess was not working.

Try scrubbing it with a little oil and some coarse salt. Wipe it dry with paper towels and fill half way up the sides with dry salt and put over medium heat for about 8 minutes and allow it to cool completely. When people live in very humid areas, it is sometimes difficult to keep iron from rusting. If you can find some of the little packets of silica gel that is packaged with so many things nowadays, put some in a brown paper bag with the skillet or pan, secure it tightly at the handle. (Never store them in plastic bags)!!! You can also use lump alum which will absorb moisture - it the old days we used to make bags of "oiled-cloth" tablecloth material - and use lump alum, especially when we spent vacations on a houseboat - definately damp. I haven't seen the material for years, except in "vintage fabric" auctions and it is darned expensive now. One of my friends lives on a boat in a marina and made a bag to store her cast iron wok from a long coat she found in a thrift shop. She said it was made in Australia and had been weather-proofed. It's possible it is similar to the waxed muslin we used to make for kitchen use.

Just pour the hot, melted grease into a (melt-proof) container, then just wipe the interior out with paper towels. (under my sink, I keep a gallon-sized paint can that has a tight-fitting lid - you can buy empty paint cans at your local Home & Garden center - . I have it filled about half-way with kitty litter that soaks up the grease) You don't want to ever scrub the pan, but you can use a little dish soap on a sponge, after you have wiped it well with paper towels, then rinse well, dry and put it on the stove burner and heat it for a couple of minutes to make sure all the residual water has dried. let it cool and if at all possible hang it up where air can circulate around it. Do not "nest" other pans inside it.

I have several rice cookers. For almost a year I have been using the Zojirushi induction rice cooker and I love it. I cooked sticky rice in it (which I like to use for rice pudding) just last week. The setting are easy and it is programmable so it can be set to start when you wish, while you are at work or away from home. It is expensive but there are now less expensive brands on the market, just as what happened with the "fuzzy logic" rice cookers. I have been using rice cookers since they first appeared on the market in the US and I think they are my favorite appliance for giving value for the money. However, I cook a lot of rice, cereals, and use it as a steamer, I use it a minimum of three times a week, often more. Do look at the last link posted by prasantrin as the discussion is extensive and there is a lot of excellent advice. Take your time and shop around, check on ebay too because there are many vendors selling brand new appliances, often at steep discounts.

There have been several discussions regarding tipping, gratuity, etc. In my opinion, which is probably divergent from most people, I feel that the gratuity should be calculated and added to the total and a notice of this should be prominently displayed at the entrance and on every page of the menu. Because of the enormous increase in travel, many restaurants are seeing tourists from all over the world. In some of these countries, tipping is simply not done. Last year I had a visitor from the other side of the world. I took him to dinner and after we left the restaurant he handed me the cash I had left on the table and said "here, you forgot to pick up your change." I explained that I had left it for the server for her gratuity or tip and went back into the restaurant, had the hostess call our server up to the front desk and explained what had happened and gave her the cash. She thanked me and said she knew that it had to have been an oversight, as I go there often and I always tip generously. I also do not like to add a tip on to a charge for the meal. I make a point of having enough cash to cover the tip. The hostess said they have had a few tourists from that country and noticed that few ever left a tip. While driving home I explained why that was the custom here and he said he felt the restaurants, hotels, taxicabs, etc., ought to pay regular wages and not have people dependent on the good will of others. He also said that he didn't think it was fair for tourists who don't have a lot of money and have to carefully plan their trip expenses and then to have extra expenses that weren't in their budget. He said that it doesn't sound like a lot but when you keep adding the 15% here and 10% there and 20% somewhere else, it can mean people end up having to curtail some other activities that would have made their trip more enjoyable. By the way, there ARE some rude, nasty people who take a perverted delight in having a server jump through hoops and then leave a ridiculous tip. I watched this happen one evening at a busy "chain" steakhouse. The entire group was loud and obnoxious and I just happened to be looking when I saw the server deliver the check and hand it to the loudest and most obnoxious man and saw him slide a quarter under the edge of his plate. He stood and said that he would take care of the check while the others got themselves organized. I excused myself and walked back to the set up station and told the server and he walked over to the table, picked up the guys plate and held the quarter up and said something like, "Wow, some high-roller here, a twenty-five cent tip for two hours of hauling cargo for a bunch of pigs." The other people at the table pulled out their wallets and tossed several bills on the table and slunk out of the place. Later the server came over to our table and told me I was right, the guy who paid the bill did not add anything for the tip when he paid. Adding the gratiuity would make sure servers would not be stiffed for the tip.

I saw a fridge and a well-packed and well-organized freezer in one of the earliest posts.

I have been following it during the past few days but every time I started to post an answer, another of your posts with the great photos would pop up and I just had to read that one and study the pictures in detail. As far as I am concerned this is a true art form.

Doddie, your blog is just stupendous. Not only are you a writer, in my opinion you are now a photojournalist too. The photos of the local scenery are great but the food photos are simply wonderful. It is certainly understandable why everyone reading your blog has referred to sallivating, appetite, hunger, in just about every post. It even makes me wish I could visit Korea. I am just wondering what you will produce next.

Take it outside before you add the ammonia.

I have been using the Electrolux AEG, same as the Magic Mill DLX 2000 or "Assistant" as it has been sold here under several names. The same machine has been in production and had extensive use, particularly in the Scandinavian countries for many years. I first heard about it in the late 1970s from some friends visiting from Sweden. (Basenji breeders.) At the time I was swearing at a Hobart KA that was straining through a batch of cookie dough. It does work differently than the mixers most people have been using and it does have a bit of a learning curve. However, I have yet to have any problems with it and I particularly love the timer. Being able to set the timer and move along to another task is a great boon for me, knowing it will finish kneading at the proper time. In my opinion, it works dough almost the same as hand kneading. Several people I know have upgraded to this machine and I don't know of any who are unhappy with it. One uses it for working herbs and spices into small batches of goat and ewe cheese as the roller/scraper combo does what she used to do by hand. In fact, she has bought at least one additional machine and was talking about buying another when we last spoke. (She retired a KA because she noticed something from the motor was dripping into one batch of cheese, possibly oil or grease.) I can't say enough about Pleasant Hill Grain. I have purchase several appliances, including a grain mill, dehydrators, knife sharpeners, a bread machine and canning supplies for myself and gifts for others. I have never found better customer service anywhere. I personally have not used the meat grinder as I have a large dedicated food grinder but if I had to reduce my appliance collection due to space constraints, I wouldn't hesitate to get the necessary attachments.