andiesenji

I just got some information from my friend Daniel who directed me to this web page. He had this machine for evaluation for a couple of months last summer and says that for the price, it is far better than others (of comparable price) and he feels it is a great value. He also corrected me about an earlier post. His machine is a La Marzocco but it requires a 220 v line (his is plugged into a special receptical where he used to have an electric stove) and it is also plumbed in. He bought it in Italy when he was visiting relatives a few years ago. I guess it is considered the "Rolls-Royce" of espresso machines, but I doubt I could ever learn to operate it correctly.

Just for myself I use the BonJour Primo Latte which whips the hot milk (heated in microwave) just dandy. Primo Latte at AmazonThe Aerolatte is exactly the samebut was more expensive, with the stand and I didn't like the stand. Although they have a different one now. For serving several people, I have a Froth au Lait(actually the one I have is the Froth 'n Sauce) which works beautifully to both heat and froth milk (and it WILL froth half & half). The Saeco I have also froths automatically - the milk is put into a separate container that is attached to the machine with a siphon tube and draws it up and dispenses it into the coffee mug or whatever. I also have a very old gadget called a "Whip-It" that also froths milk, hot or cold, and if you can find one of these "vintage" mayonnaise makers, it works a treat. a video that demonstrates the Froth au Lait is at this web site.

With "all-in-one" devices and especially with high end "built-in's" one can not assume that there's a correlation between drink quality and price. I can make better espresso with a $200 machine and a $100 grinder and better cpffee with a $3 plastic filter cone and $20 grinder relative to what a shiny new Miele can produce. The anectdotal evidence I have from end users implies that Saeco and Jura superautomatic machines produce comparable results but that Jura might be more reliable. ← The reason I chose the Saeco over the Jura was simply the ability to have it plumbed into the water line. At that time, the only others that were available were commercial units that were much more complicated to operate. plumbed-in "coffee bars" This was a replacement for a truly ancient Gaggia that leaked steam and water and was very fussy to use - unless the portafilter was in just the right position, one would be surprised with a burst of steam, frightening sounds and the ejection of bubbles of coffee laden hot water. It also weighed a great deal and was very difficult to move. I have quite a few vintage and antique coffee makers of various kinds but never felt the need to collect espresso machines. Daniel has an impressive collection of antique espresso machines, including a huge copper and brass La Pavoni, early Gaggias, and several others with names I can't recall. The one he currently uses most is possibly a commercial machine and I can't recall the name, Mozzoco or Mazocco, as well as an Expobar and a Pasquini. He doesn't have a superautomatic machine because he says he doesn't need one, however he does say that for people who want a "plug and play" machine that does not have a steep learing curve, they are fine. If one is a strict traditionalist and has an extremely refined taste then the traditional machines would be best but it takes practice to get a "perfect" shot. He says it took him ten years of practice to draw a shot that pleased his grandfather. On the other hand, his father would drink anything that even remotely resembled coffee. He also says that over the years he has spent enough on coffee/espresso machines and equipment to buy a Rolls..... He thinks the money has been well spent!

Wow! You really have sharp eyes......... I missed that completely.

I have a couple of the acrilic or plastic ones but neither will hold the oversized cookbooks and having them tip over, often causing a spill of something, is really annoying. I found this enameled cast-iron book holder at Linens 'N Things and I bought a sheet of acrilic made for picture frames at Michael's. It works fine even for very large books. This is one that is wider and taller than most but the holder will hold much thicker books, even the "Beautiful" cookbooks, which are extremely large. This site has several types of cookbook holders.

I think the dings add individuality and character to the tagines. Mine are all obviously hand made, no machine-made, cookie-cutter pots can ever give the same effect.

Are you referring to the refrigerated drawers? They are fantastic. Several people I know have the Sub-Z - I also had them but had a little problem, not with the appliance itself but with the area in which they were placed and now they are in my garage awaiting some shifting of cabinets in the kitchen. Another friend has the KitchenAid and is happy with them. I have a lot of difficulty bending and stooping - totally impossible to squat or kneel because of my knees, so the undercounter fridge in the patio is coming out and I plan on putting in two of the U-line units, one with two fridge drawers and one with a freezer drawer and an icemaker. Refrigerator drawers. I like the clean lines and the price is fair. I had an old U-line icemaker that worked beautifully for 22 years through 3 moves so I feel the maker is reliable.

I posted earlier in this thread about the Saeco that I have and never use for myself. I got it for parties and because many of my friends are coffee afficianados and can tell the difference between a peaberry and whatever, by a taste. I am not that much of a coffee drinker, I often prefer tea and actually drank coffee very seldom prior to getting a Senseo a couple of years ago, sent to me by a friend who tests and writes articles about various appliances, is given one of more of the appliances and disposes of them when he is finished, giving them away to people like me. I tried the coffee and I like it - the dark roast, the others not so much. Now, as far as the Saeco is concerned, I know that even the diehard enthusiasts, who are really picky about their espresso, tell me that it produces a pretty good shot. Those that prefer the extras, cappuchino and etc., like it too. I have been gone for a few days and ran into one of these friends (at Disneyland, of all places) and asked how he thinks it compares to my ancient Gaggia (circa 1979) and he said there is no comparison, the Saeco is greatly superior. However, he also said that what one puts into it determines the outcome. Crap begats crap, in his inimitable words! The last time they visited, he brought a Bolivian cayama?? coffee and a Kona thunder mountain coffee. 1/4 pound each, one dark roast and one medium dark. Frankly, I couldn't tell the difference but that is just me. He said he had seen (and tasted) the Miele demonstrated but felt the quality of the beans must have been off because he felt it was less than it should have been considering the cost. He said he would advise anyone to get a demonstration of the machine, with several different types of coffee before spending that much money. Before he retired, he owned a place called the Fox and Bean, in Anaheim Hills and was extremely fussy about the quality of product. Prior to that he was a coffee broker for many years. After he sold, I think the place was out of business within a year. He likes the Pasquini best but says it is not for the novice. He says the Saeco or Jura would be his next choice and a toss-up between them. That's all I have from the notes I took, or at least the ones I can read. His last remark was that Miele makes terrific ovens and dishwashers but the Germans still have some things to learn about espresso.

Perhaps cutting the potatoes in half would solve the problem? I have a rotary cutter that cuts sweet potatoes (or whatever) into long skinny strands and it will not hold one of the large, long, sweet potatoes so I always have to cut them in half, crosswise. For French fries on the mandoline, I cut them in half or for the really large ones, in quarters, so they will fit on the mandoline. The trick to crisp sweet potato fries is some preparation. Cut the fries and put them straight into very cold SALTED water - figure a teaspoon for each quart of water (a rounded teaspoon if using kosher salt). Soak them for 30 minutes, drain and wrap in a towel or in several thicknesses of paper towels, you want them as dry as possible. Your fat must be at least 375 degrees F. Place fries in the fryer basket, no more than 3 inches deep. Lower into oil and time - cook for 3 minutes, drain on brown paper bags, allow to cool completely. Bring oil temp up to 385 degrees F. Place pre-cooked fries in basket, same as before, not too deep. Lower into fat and fry until they turn slightly brownish at the edges. Again, drain on brown paper bags. If you drain them on paper towels they will get soggy but the brown paper will absorb the fat without gathering moisture from the air.

Here is a different style wok ring. However you can also go to a metal shop - take the wok along - and have one made of iron that has just 3 legs so it will rest steady on the cooktop. It is just a ring with 3 legs welded onto the bottom of the ring and they will make it at the height you want so the wok is at the correct height from the burner. It would look similar to this one made for the DCS range only with three legs instead of 4, but you can have 4 legs if you want.

I have one of the superautomatic machines that is plumbed into the bar in the family room. I can't get a photo of it right now because there are 80-some boxes of books, files and stuff stacked in front of the bar along with my housekeeper's stationary bike and five cases of champagne I am storing for a neighbor. The machine was installed a couple of years ago, I think it is a Saeco. The plumber had to put a pressure reduction valve on the water line. It also has a separate container for milk to froth it automatically. I haven't used it much myself, but it has been used quite a bit at parties. I found it, or one like it, except for the color. Mine is all stainless with some black bits here and there and the milk container is black. I paid more than the price listed here. Saeco machine It makes regular coffee too, as I recall. The enthusiasts bring their own beans.

One stroke to cut a somewhat elderly apple in half. And it will shave slices thin enough to see through. Ted said any of his blades would take an edge that would shave a peach!

That is not a cleaver, it is called a vegetable knife, made by Messermeister Park Plaza and is several years old. The newer ones, same size and shape, have the granton edge. vegetable knife I have a Chinese knife/cleaver, much larger, all metal, that I bought for $8.00 at a Chinese market. I post a photo of it and some more knives/blades later today.

Ted used to be in the Atascadero area but lost his home during the El Niño year of 1997. He moved away and people in the area who knew him never heard any more from him. He had several sized "cores" that he would place on the tang of a knife blank, and around which he would roll a layer of the plastic clay that takes an impression and hardens at room temp. He had me grip the core and use the knife blank - we tried three or four different blade lengths until I found one that was just right. He put weights on the blade and took them off as I used it. (They were like fishing sinkers, lead things that could be squeezed onto the top of the blade and would stay in place) A month later he sent me the knife and it was perfect. The guys at the knife shop where I have my knives sharpened have also admired it. It holds an edge better than any knife I have ever used. As you can see from the photos, the blade is polished like a mirror. It is also magnetic, I used a couple of cow magnets to hold it upright. It feels heavy for its size. It is forged and as Ted explained it to me, the tang is not flat, it has thicker ridges on either side for heel weight, and the wood of the handle was carved to exactly fit these ridges for additional stability. The handle is canarywood burl - as I recall it is from South America. It is extremely hard and completely impervious to water.

These are the knives I use most, my favorites. The fourth from the left with the light amber handle is a knife that was custom made for me in 1993 by a terrific blade maker named Ted Sturgeon. To give you an idea of size, the cutting board just fits in a full-size sheet pan.

I have had this turkey fryer for several years. I have used it for frying turkeys, chickens, steaming 100 tamales at a time, boiling shrimp, cooking huge batches of pasta for parties and for chili, soup and etc. The burner cranks up enough heat to bring 26 quarts of water to a rolling boil in less than 10 minutes. 20 quarts of oil get to temp in 15 minutes. It has only been used outside.

I scanned through this thread but didn't see where This Thread on "Turning the Dough" had been posted. This thread was posted in a second thread with a question for Peter Reinhart. and his answer is here. And in this thread, Peter states that the flour can have a significant effect on the end product and one has to consider humidity and temperature as part of the equation. I want to add that I have purchased reliable cultures from Sourdo International and from Wild Yeast Bakery I particularly wanted cultures from desert areas since I live in the desert here in Southern California. I have had excellent results with every one I tried. However after a while they do mutate or change because of the natural wild ones in the area can't be isolated completely. I re-charged them about every 8 months or so.

You can also just run them under some hot water! Of course, then you have to dry them ← I now have a fixture with 3 infrared heat lamps, however before I got that, I used a plain infrared lamp bulb like these in a clamp-on utility fixture like this one, only without the stand that you can usually find at hardware stores. I would clamp it to the bottom of a cabinet door over a counter and put the plates on the counter. It will heat a stack of 6 plates in just a few minutes and hold them until you are ready to use them. The clamp on fixture is also called a brooder lamp.

Once upon a time (back in the dark ages) I was a lab technician in the Army. From time to time, we were required to take nail scrapings from surgical technicians and the surgeons, AFTER they had scrubbed their hands and nails for two minutes (protocol at the time). If you had seen the colonies of bacteria that grew on the culture media in that situation, you would not complain about gloves. However it is true that staff must be trained in the proper use of gloves. L.A. County has the letter system and one complaint of improper use of gloves can mean loss of the big blue "A" to a "B" which can lose a food place a lot of business. The Subway shop across the street from my office has a rule that the people making the sandwiches, handling the food, are not allowed to work the register or handle money and if they leave the prep counter they have to discard their gloves and apply a new pair when they return. Failure to comply gets a termination after one warning. I wear gloves in my own kitchen because the phone always seems to ring when I have my hands in something messy. I rip off the gloves and toss them and can answer the phone with clean hands. Gloves are cheap and I would rather use half a dozen pair while preparing food than take a chance on contamination, particularly when handling raw meats and then something that is to be served raw, such as salad, vegetables or fruit. Even with serious hand scrubbing, the bad bugs can be transferred.

Here are several and all are delicious.

I've had a Bron for many years. I have replaced the blades about 10 years ago, but it took a long time and lots of use for them to dull. If you have to slice a tub full of potatoes, carrots, etc., make a bucket of coleslaw or want to make "waffle" potato chips or matchstick vegetables, this does the job well. Get one with the holder or guard or use a blade-proof glove. Fantes has the Bron "Du Chef" for 99.00 and the Professional for 109.00. Best price I can find and they also carry the spare parts. and the instructions. I have tried just about every other type and I always go back to the Bron. I recommend the Professional.

Have you considered using a bread machine for mixing the dough? Since I developed arthritis in my hands and wrists, I can't knead by hand so I use bread machines. They develop the dough nicely through the mixing, kneading and first rise and I allow it to go through the second kneading cycle then pull the dough out of the pan, shape and proof it or I sometimes pull it out of the pan after the first knead, refrigerate it overnight, then put it back in the machine for a quick knead and to bring it up to ambient temp, then shape and proof it for the oven. I have used regular yeast, sourdough starter and a combination and with the programmable machines it makes it a lot easier and I just have to check on it from time to time to make sure things are progressing nicely. As long as I am not baking in the machine, I can put a double batch in the larger 2 to 2 1/2 pound machines, which gives me 2 large or 3 medium loaves.

One of the easiest proofing boxes is simply one of the inexpensive plastic storage bins available at Wal-Mart or anywhere, translucent more or less, placed over the bowl or the pans in which the dough is proofing. Lay an inexpensive heating pad on top of the box, on the lowest heat setting. The box keeps the moisture in, the heating pad maintains just enough heat. The boxes are 4.95 at Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Target.

I was just in my favorite Chinese/Thai restaurant in Lancaster and while waiting for my order, asked if I could look in the kitchen. For some dishes one of the cooks uses one of the smaller woks (I would guess it's 18-20 inchen in diameter) with a single hollow metal handle, however he showed me that he took a piece of dowel(the size of a closet rod), shaved it down at the end so it fits into the handle and then wrapped it with some material that looks like what we used to call "huck" towelling, a sort of bumpy material and has it cinched down at each end with hose clamps. The owner came back and told me the cook had hurt his left hand when he fell off his bicycle and when he would grab the handle with a towel in his hand he couldn't grip it well and this way he can grab it securely. They have a much bigger wok at one end of the row of burners which has NO handles but there are a couple of Vise-Grips clamped on each side. No one was using it at the time. I asked Lela how they used it and she said two mens pick it up when needed. She said they use it for deep frying whole fish. (I got an order of spicy fried rice with pork and an order of lobster chow yuk.)

In my opinion, the "crime" is not the copying, it is the claiming of the idea as one's own. I am an artist and all my work is copyrighted, however there have been bootleg copies of a somewhat famous painting I did many years ago which was published as the frontspiece in a book. When these copies appeared on ebay I notified the publisher as well as ebay and the copies were pulled. I am sure some are floating around but I can't control it all. What bothered me most was that on the copies, my signature had been covered and another name substituted. That's fraud. Other artists have painted copies of this painting and identified them as such, the reason being that there were few photos of this rather famous dog and I was the only one that had the original photo (a polaroid) from which I did the painting. That was okay, I didn't mind that, copying in that manner has been done and is accepted, for centuries. It was altering a printed copy of the original to change the signature that was the crime. painting Many years ago there was what could only be called a "copycat" restaurant in L.A. They offered menu items "Just like the Brown Derby" or "Just like Chasen's" etc. A local newsman once asked the then owner of the Brown Derby why he didn't mind this. He said he was flattered by it and many times patrons would mention that they had tried the copy and liked it so well they decided to order it at the Brown Derby to see what the original was like. The copycat place had generated business for the original. In some of the photos shown, the copycats have copied the presentation. That is idiotic and makes them seem as if they have no original ideas of their own. Unless a chef is using a secret formula for a sauce or has a proprietary implememt or utensil for preparing a particular item, I can't see how it can be copyrighted or patented. Anyone can duplicate it if they can figure out how to get the same effect and taste. However they should give credit to the person who first developed it and they should show a little originality in presentation. Some of the great masters were surpassed by their followers, their students who copied the master's work, or even did some of the painting in the work of the master. There are a lot of experts who can't agree who exactly painted some of the famous works by the great masters who had a stable of students. The style, the brushwork, the tonal patterns were so similar as to be indistinguishable from each other. However once the students were famous in their own right, they developed new and different techniques and presentations to make sure their work could be identified as their own.