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I have a 5-quart Descoware "buffet casserole" that I bought in the late 60s. It is almost exactly like the Le Cruset 5 quart except the Descoware has a loop handle on the lid. (which I like better). I use it for preparing things that are cooked covered, then the lid removed to reduce the liquid as rapidly as possible. (Smothered pork chops, "Swiss" steak, and especially paella) In fact, when I purchased it, the piece was identified as a "covered paella pan".... When browning things like pork chops and chicken, etc., I don't want to crowd the items in the pan and the 3 1/2 quart is just a bit too small for my uses, however it is personal preference. I find it is a very versatile piece and often move it from stovetop to oven or broiler and because of the short loop handles, it fits in my smaller convection oven where a frypan will not. It really depends on how many servings you are going to prepare. I still work three days a week and have a long commute so I often prepare enough for two meals (actually 4 servings, because it is my housekeeper and me). And I also do a fair amount of entertaining - thus the paella or cippino - even though I do not eat seafood, many of my friends do.

I've got a big vibrating lap machine in my garage that hasn't been used for several years. I wonder if it would work. Although it probably is much too powerful. However, you might be able to use one of these little ones. mine is a Covington 24 inch (round). I used it for polishing big slabs of agate, petrified wood, split geodes and obsidian that I used for bases for some of my glass art pieces. Often you can find used lapidary equipment at swap meets very cheap. I saw one that sold on ebay a few months ago for $45.00.

I love the slightly spicy pickled peppadews which have a much thinner skin than bell peppers. The local produce market carries a pimento/poblano cross, grown locally, which matures rapidly and has the sweet/spicy flavor one would expect with this combination, not too hot, just right. I use the same pickling mixture that I use for my bread and butter pickles which can also be made in small batches and stored in the refrigerator or canned in larger batches. I use a slightly sweeter mixture for pickled watermelon and honeydew melon rind pickles. A couple of years ago I began pickling jicama sticks. They stay quite crunchy even without an alum bath.

I would advise you to take Highway 1 and stop off in Cambria, which has several really great B&Bs. The one place I love to go for dinner is The Sow's Ear. On your way, if you are travelling south to north on 101, get off the freeway at the Buellton, the western entrance to the Santa Ynez Valley. You can stop for lunch a Pea Soup Andersons, or continue eastward to Solvang, the little Danish community where you can find some awesome breakfast offerings at just about any place with a sign in front that mentions what they serve. Solvang. You can continue down that road which joins Calif. 154 at Santa Ynez and continuing south takes you through the beautiful valley, past Lake Cachuma and San Marcos Pass, then rejoins the 101 just south of Goleta at the north end of Santa Barbara. It is a lovely drive and the only bit of the 101 you miss is the very windy pass down to the coast and along the coast from Gaviota to just south of Goleta, which, unless you like to look at a lot of kelp-filled ocean, there really isn't a lot to see. Unless I am in a big rush, I always take San Marcos Pass to Buellton on my way north. It isn't as speedy, as the 101, but it refreshes the soul. If you have ever seen any of Evind Earle's paintings or illustrations, you will recognized the places he painted during his years in the Santa Ynez Valley. It is a magical place. Evind Earle paintings. It is also part of the area in which the film Sideway was shot. Sideways map. I think it is a little over 100 miles from Buellton to Cambria, just the right distance/time between breakfast and lunch or lunch/dinner.

Sorry, I know better, I just didn't take the time to edit it. One of my cousins, with whom I grew up, lives just over the state line in South Coffeyville, OK. I just sent him a birthday card and now I am wondering if I addressed it correctly !!! At least I know the zip code is correct.

I have never stopped cooking the "retro" foods that I have enjoyed over the years and some of my recipes go much further back than just my lifetime. A couple of weeks ago, (prior to messing up my left knee) I made an Orange Chiffon Cake, using the recipe that was printed on the SoftaSilk Cake Flour box in 1948 - the first time I tasted it. I have been making this cake, exactly the same way, from scratch, since I learned how to do it correctly in 1950. My grandmother had bought a Sunbeam Mixmaster in late 1949 and since the cook was wary of using that "new-fangled machine" my grandmother began doing a few things in the kitchen, such as baking this particular cake, and she let me "help." I don't know why these cakes went out of fashion but I have always loved them. The chiffon cake story. I still make the black skillet cornbread the way I saw it done when I was a child and there are many others that have been life-long favorites. Incidentally, I still have my grandmother's Mixmaster.

A neighbor did some shopping for me yesterday and brought me a jar of "Durkee Famous (Sandwich and Salad) Sauce" (I had been telling her about this discussion.) She is from Coffeeville, Kansas and said this was a staple in their kitchen during her teen years in the late 60s, early 70s. Her dad was a Kansas Highway Patrol officer and her mom would prepare a stack of sandwiches for him, MW on one slice of bread, the Durkee on the other, with various meats and cheeses between, no lettuce, no tomato, occasionally some pickle slices somewhere between the meat and cheese to keep the pickle juice from soaking into the bread. She said that seeing the jar of Durkee on the shelf in the market brought back fond memories of her dad going off to work with the round plaid cooler that held his soft drinks and a good supply of sandwiches and fruit to keep him going for his entire shift, with enough to share with other officers who might be out in the boonies, far away from a food source. So our discussion here has created ripples that have spread out and brought a happy memory to someone outside of our little community.

I can't stand for very long. I have a powered chair with an elevating seat, for when I have to spend much time at the counter, otherwise I sit at the table I had moved into the kitchen when I didn't renew my commercial certification. Right now I am even more limited because I messed up my knee and am supposed to be on crutches if I have to do any walking. I was doing so well until this happened, it is really a bummer. I was just getting up from my chair at the office and my right foot slipped on a piece of paper I didn't see and took all my (considerable) weight on my bent left leg. I have a partial tear of the quadriceps muscle attachment at the outer half of my left kneecap. At first it was very swollen, now it is in technicolor.

Actually, I have two, Cooking with Bread by Adelaid Hecthlinger and Cooking With Artisan Breads by Gwenyth Bassetti and Jean Galton which I think might be of use to anyone who bakes their own bread. I have made several recipes from the latter book, one a loaf stuffed with meat and vegetables that was delicious. The other book is 30-some years old and I remember making some recipes when my family was still together.

There are several conditions that can cause abnormal sensations in the feet. Morton's neuroma is one that is fairly easily diagnosed. My boss, an orthopedic surgeon, would simply place a wide strip of tape, fairly tightly, all the way around the foot, just behind the widest part of the foot, where the metatarsal heads line up, then ask the patient to try to stand on the ball of the foot with the heel off the floor about 2 inches. A shock-like sensation will shoot into the 3rd and 4th toes if a neuroma is present. People who have this have a lot of difficulty wearing high heels. I have a sensation in my right foot like there are cotton balls under and between my toes and this is due to ruptured discs in my back between L3-4 and L4-S1 pressing on the nerve roots where they exit through the foramina. I fractured the L4 vertebra and blew out the discs above and below it. When this first happened in April '04, I had severe pain in my entire leg and the muscles became very weak because these are motor nerves that are affected. I can't get my heel off the floor on the right. Diabetes can be very tricky. I have it but have yet to develop diabetic neuropathy, which affects the circulation. My internist says that one of the first signs this is developing is loss of the little patches of hair on the toes over the first phalanges. In fact, I think this is being taught to pedicurists because he says he has had several patients referred to him from one beauty salon where this was noticed by the pedicurist. Tingling, burning, numbness, a feeling that ants are crawiling on the feet or a feeling that little bubbles are popping under the skin, and feelings of flushing or chilling (with no change in room temp) can all be signs of diabetic complications. Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the fascia on the sole of the foot can produce a number of symptoms, some rather weird - oddly enough, when this first begins to affect the foot, one has difficulty walking on arising from sleep - after walking about for 15-20 minutes, the symptoms subside and later in the day, after extended periods of weight bearing, the soles of the feet feel numb. Many years ago, when the "Earth shoe" first appeared, we saw a lot of people in the office with foot symptoms that magically cleared up when they resumed wearing regular shoes, without the "negative" sole where the heel was lower than the forefoot. This stretched the Achilles tendon as well as the nerves that are routed through the tarsal tunnel - I am sure you have heard of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - this is caused by stretching the nerves in the wrist the same way. My boss said the "Earth shoe" was a great boon to podiatrists who would often operate on feet that really only needed a change in footwear to "cure" the problem. Oddly enough, I just saw some similar shoes in the Herrington catalog. Everything old is new again! A well-kept secret, is this company Sierra Trading Post They sell name-brand shoes at a deep discount and there is no problem with returns and exchanges - they send a return label along with every order. Often the size selection is limited. They buy stock from stores that are going out of business and end of season stock from retail stores as well as distributors and manufacturers. I have bought numerous shoes and boots from them and so has my daughter. We both have a wide forefoot and very narrow heel and few styles fit really well. For rapidly growing kids, it is a great resource. However they also have a large selection of clogs and a huge selection of athletic shoes and sandals. They have a lot of Birkenstock styles. I am extremely partial to Mephisto shoes and when I saw they now have the Bretta, I ordered a pair in red and a pair in black patent (already bought the black leather locally). Huge bargain! And these shoe wear forever - I have a pair that is 20 years old and still look nearly new.

I also make bread pudding. I posted my recipe in RecipeGullet - for "Mock French toast" which is simply Extra Rich Bread Puddingbread pudding baked the day before, (in a loaf pan) chilled overnight. Then it is sliced and cooked on a griddle just as you would French toast. The big advantage is that it is not as messy and even kids can do the cooking if the pudding is sliced for them. I also make seasoned croutons, dry them, seal in vacuum bags and freeze. (5-8 minutes in a 400 degree F oven is enough to freshen and toast them. I make various "flavors," herb and garlic using various herbs, black pepper and salt, hot pepper, curry, and cinnamon/sugar, mixed sweet spices, fennel, and for serving with squash or pumpkin soup, croutons dusted with pumpkin pie spice into which I have mixed a tiny bit of finely ground dried cipotle peppers. Somewhere around here I have a "Bread" cookbook, which is a collection of recipes using bread, either commercial or home-baked, rather than a bread-baking book. I also love bread salads, particularly a rustic bread made with Asiago cheese, torn into chunks and tossed with coarsly chopped tomato, onion and finely minced parsley.

I happen to like green beans (or a combination of snap beans and "shellies" that is, mature but not dried beans) sautéed in bacon drippings then add 1/4 cup of water to which I have added a tablespoon of cider vinegar, cover tightly and allow to steam for 3-4 minutes, depending on the size of the beans. Then uncover, season with salt, pepper and other seasonings of your choice, occasionally I stir in some onion confit just prior to adding the liquid. I like this mixed or served on top of steamed rice (sometimes leftover fried rice). I serve it with smothered pork chops, with ham or roast chicken.

All Magnalite can be used on stovetop or in the oven. I have had the giant one, the biggest they ever made, since the late 60s and I often use it too cook very large turkeys rapidly, starting them on the stovetop on two burners, on a rack with a couple of cups of water. The lid seals so tightly that the turkey effectively steams. I have cooked a 35 pound turkey in about 5 hours. 4 on the stovetop, one in the oven to brown, uncovered. This has the advantage of allowing the oven to be used for other stuff when preparing a meal for a large group. The breast meat is very juicy and flavorful under a crisp skin which browns nicely in the final hour of roasting in the oven.

There is also a bakery on Westwood Blvd in Westwood Village, on the west side of the street, near Kinross, that has excellent croissants. I don't know the name. My housekeeper sometimes stops there on her home when she has only a half day at school. Very light and crusty/flakey.

I don't get about as well as I used to so rarely get out to the yard sales, however I do visit the thrift shops here in Lancaster and in Palmdale on a fairly regular basis. My best thrift shop find was not a kitchen item and it was quite a few years ago, when I still lived down below in the "Valley". I used to go to the West Hollywood and Santa Monica thrift shops because one could still find some really good items BAR... (Before Antiques Roadshow). I always looked for kitchen stuff but also checked out the books. I came across, not only a first edition, but an author's proof copy of Death In The Afternoon, with the author's signature and a note "To Errol, Nice boat Buddy, Thanks for the ride around the islands." penned on the flyleaf. I have it in a archival box, in my safe deposit box along with some of my silver and some jewelry.

Here is my newest thrift store acquisition. I have some research to do on it. I have a platter and a large bowl somewhere in one of the various storage places, with the same or very similar design. I've had these for many years. I love the colors. It is in excellent condition, not even a fleabite anywhere. The tiny white spots on the rim are under the glaze. I was amazed in the store that I couldn't find a single flaw anywhere on it. I paid a whole dollar.

Mazeltov! Sounds like you hit the jackpot.....

Wow! It will be great if I can use it as a butter dish. The only thing on the bottom that I can see and it's very faint is "Lorraine" in beautiful script and the date "1981". This appears to have been written in the wet clay with some sort of stylus. ← I would advise you to do one thing to "treat" it, prior to use. Give it a soak in enough water to cover them (I would put them in separate plastic bowls or containers) and add a bit of bleach to the water, about an ounce for a gallon of water. Allow to soak for about an hour. Then rinse well and again soak it for 30 minutes in clear water then repeat. This will make sure that any mold spores that might have been introduced in years past will not be able to transfer to anything you place in it. I have successfully used this method with crocks (some huge) that are over 100 years old. I have several Bauer crocks, from when the company was still in Paducah, KY, long before they moved to Los Angeles and became famous for their colorful "Ringware" tableware and bowls which are so sought by collectors. Bauer jugs and crocks rarely come onto the market - in fact, most pickers and dealers I know buy them and keep them for themselves. I have a big old butter crock that holds a gallon of butter. Not much use today, but I use it for "raising" cream in non-homogenized milk after I have pasteurized it. I know that many people are afraid to use bleach - however I long ago had several discussions with the expert in the local Farm Bureau office who has every publication imaginable about treating anything that comes in contact with food. Even though some pottery and similar materials are fired and glazed, they still have "pores" in the surface in which mold spores in particular can hide and they can survive for years until conditions that are optimal for growth occur. You can test the porosity of a piece of crockery by immersing it in clear water. After a couple of minutes you will see trails of tiny bubbles streaming to the surface and this indicates the pores where the water is displacing the air.

You can compare several brands ]at this site. and the Amazon offerings. I have this one for two or three years and it gets a work out. When grinding things like cloves or broken stick cinnamon, I hold the lid on while depressing the button at the side and turn the things upside-down and back rapidly a few times and it gets everything ground evenly. I have several, including a KitchenAid which I got on sale at Target for 9.99. However the Krups has a larger capacity than any of the others. Here's a useful hint. To clean between spices or whatever, place 3 or 4 broken saltine crackers and two tablespoons of baking soda in the grinder and turn it on, hold the top on and also invert it several times. The mixture will remove residual oils, it will even remove coffee residue. I think the DeLonghi was taken off the market. I know they had them at Gottschalk's dept store last December but when I was there in January, they were no longer in the DeLonghi display and I saw several of the boxes taped together with packaging tape behind the cashier's kiosk. I notice that they are shows as not available at the Amazon site.

It is a cheese and butter keeper and indeed yes, the groove is supposed to be filled with water to which you add a couple of drops of white vinegar. As the water evaporates, it will cool the entire plate which will, in turn, cool the cover. It is a very attractive (and unique) piece of pottery. Does it have a mark like a beehive on the bottom?

Try the ones at the Bristol Farms markets, in-house bakery. They are terrific, however, if you want the ones with ham and cheese, you have to get to the store early because they sell out rapidly. The last time I was in the South Pasadena store, it seemed like everyone was buying croissants. Here are the store locations in L.A. County. Be warned, their bakery stuff tastes as good as it looks and one can drop half a yard without much trouble.

The mustard I use is Coleman's DRY mustard - a totally different thing - you know when you feel the "bite."

One of my friends owns a Scrapbooking store and has a great source for custom rubber stamps of all kinds. I will phone her later today (she teaches classes until 2:00) and will get the info if you (or anyone else) is interested.

You might try contacting these people and asking if you can buy the rolls of rice paper in quantity at a discount.rice paper rolls. You can then get a custom rubber stamp made with your logo and food-safe or edible inks and stamp each section of the paper that would cover the pastries. Here's a jaguar I have used this as well as papers from this vendor To make pleated fans on which to present pastries, candies, petit fours and other goodies. I "painted" them with edible dyes so they were 100% food safe. You can do a lot of unique things with the stuff. Several years ago I was sent some samples of paper made from kudzu which was also "edible". I can't remember the name of the company but as I recall, they were in Georgia. The nice thing with rice paper is that once the vegetable "inks" have dried into the paper, they will not fade. This is unique to this material. Here's a jaguar

One thing that has puzzled me, not just here on eG, but for many years, is that people who turn up their noses at MW wil eat hot dogs, frankfurters, wieners, or whatever you call them........ with the ubiquitous yellow mustard in the gallon pump jar, slather on chopped onions that comes in a 5 gallon bucked and the relish, ditto. Incidentally, the French chef from whom I took my first "classic" cooking class, had worked at a restaurant in Memphis on his way west (after a stint in London and New York for the Hilton people) and developed a taste for a peanut butter sandwich spread with MW and topped with sliced bananas. He said the first time he ate one it was on a dare and he thought "merde" -- then thought "not terrible" and then he began to think "this grows on one" ....... This had all started when the kitchen help were discussing the favorite foods of The King... (this was the mid-60s and Elvis was in Memphis for a benefit concert. In our discussions about preparing mayonnaise and the various commercial varieties, he said that if one couldn't get good, fresh olive oil, one would do better to buy the stuff in the jar, assuming it was a premium brand, and he said Miracle Whip had its uses also, than set out a homemade mayo made with inferior oil. Hey, this was the early 70s, before the advent of the enormous variety of "gourmet" oils we have today.