andiesenji

If TJs quality is so bad, then why are so many communities begging for a store to open in their area. These are people who drive a long way to shop at TJs and if there was something wrong, they wouldn't spend the money on gas, which is usually higher here in California than just about anywhere else except Hawaii. For instance there is this article regarding Chula Vista.

It is definitely illegal in California to SELL any canned item with a proprietary label to any food company. Companies who OWN the label can and do DONATE canned goods to charity but those goods may not be resold. If the broker offered goods with the TJ label for sale that is a felony. I have volunteered many times at our local food bank and the local senior citizen's center who receive donations from local markets, including TJs. They are happy to get them. I have been using TJs canned vegetables since they were still Pronto Markets, and I have never found inferior products. I opened a can of TJs green beans (which I use quite often) last Saturday and found they were greener than most canned green beans, there was more vegetable and less water than in most brands. The corn is also of excellent quality. I am quite particular about the quality of the canned vegetables I use and it disturbs me that you can make such remarks. If you were buying bulk food product, why would you be buying regular sized cans of green beans. When I was catering, I bought the large cans. TJs have never been marketed in anything except the regular small cans.

If they can't help you, let me know the model number and the exact size - and a photo would help, and I will check with my small appliance repair guy. He has been able to find some of the most obscure parts for some of my antique appliances- I think he is a wizard or something - He found an insert for a hot fudge heater made in the early '50s (the kind that was in every coffee shop or cafe).

Sorry, I thought it was a Zo. Here is a toll-free phone number for a parts place that can get a huge number of replacement parts. Parts store

Unless I misunderstood the first post, I believe she asked for a timer that one didn't have to push the minute button to get to the time she wanted by advancing it a minute at a time. Most keypad, direct entry, timers are fairly expensive. The CDN timer is only $20.00 It takes a beating in my kitchen, has been dropped on the floor, shut in the freezer (I put it down in the freezer when juggling a couple of packages of frozen meat) and picked up and carried around by my dog. It still works.

In answer to your question... Zojirushi replacement parts. Check your model number and scroll down until you find the number corresponding to your rice cooker. And make sure the size is correct. I have the NS ZAC18 (The "Neuro" model) near the bottom of the first page. I made a mistake and ordered the pan for the ZAC10 - idiotic, I know. I was in a rush at work. There is no return or exchange so I was stuck with a pan that didn't fit but found someone who had dented their pan so sold it to them at a steep discount. I have ordered replacement pans for both of my Zo bread makers, twice for the first one that I bought back in the 80s. It still works just fine.

After reading your experience yesterday, I consulted a friend who has also done a lot of candying of citrus and other fruits. She lives in Vista and has several kumquat trees and several rare and unusual citrus. She can't figure it out either. She suggested trying a very small batch, parboiling them briefly in a couple of changes of clear water - as one would do with citrus peel, then go through the candying process with three times the amount of syrup as fruit. Her regular process is virtually identical to mine except she adds half a cup of light Karo syrup to 2 quarts of sugar syrup. I can't see how that small an amount could have much effect. I have never used it, mainly because I never have it on hand. I am going to stop at the middle eastern market on my way home and buy some kumquats and go through my usual process and see if I have any problems. I am really stumped by this. I am also going to see if my microwave method will work on kumquats. I have never tried it with anything except orange, lemon and grapefruit peel.

I don't know how it could have either. I have never had that happen. I am so sorry you had a bad experience. I have had it turn a deep amber color near the end of the process, the 5th or 6th session, but certainly no where near brown, much less black. I have several crockpots, including a new Cuisinart which does run hotter than the others, but as long as the liquid is deep enough it certainly shouldn't burn by the end of a 6-hour session. It is possible the rheostat is advanced too far on your particular crockpot. However that would defeat the point of having a crockpot or slow cooker. A sufficient amount of syrup should hold well below the "soft-ball" stage, that is, below 235 degrees F. When I have tested any of mine with a thermometer near the end of a session,(including a very old large electric roaster), it is usually hovering between 190 and 200 degrees F. It would have to lose a lot of water vapor to reduce that much. Does your crockpot have a vent in the lid? Did you notice a lot of steam escaping?

Check this page Le Creuset at Amazon The 6 3/4 oval French oven is 149.99 on this page. Not a lot of size difference between it and the 7 1/4.

If anyone is interested this is the site where all the Factory Outlet Stores are listed. I have shopped at the Cabazon, California outlet. We usually stop there on our way back from the Palm Springs dog shows. I have been hoping one would be added to the huge Camarillo outlet mall or the (even closer for me) outlet mall at Barstow.

Where are you, KitchenQueen?

I got prices ranging from 189.00 to 229.00 some with free shipping, some with shipping added, all on Amazon, various listings were 7 quart, 7.25 quart, 7.5 quart, 7 1/4 quart. I am in southern California. If I use my Amazon account, they offer a 10% discount, however I have yet to use it, I think they figure they will get back any discount from interest but I never carry a balance on credit cards. I have bought most of my Le Cruset locally (sort of) as when Sur La Table in Pasadena had a special sale. It does seem odd that the prices vary so much. These were all either the red or the blue pots. I didn't try the other colors. Oh yeah, there was a free grill with two of the above.

There are several of this type bottle now being marketed, plus some that have a molded-in dispenser top that is too small to insert anything except a skewer. I simply cut the bottom off the bottles to get access to the good stuff in the bottom part. I save these if they are the ones with the twist-type dispenser top opening because they make nice disposable funnels that will hold a liquid until you get it positioned perfectly then a judicious twist of the top will allow either a little or a lot to flow through. They are also a lot easier to grasp than a regular funnel. Is that frugal, or what?

I have several tube squeezers or tube wringers. Most work only so-so for me. Having arthritis in my hands, in particular at the base of my right thumb, means that I have difficulty operating anything that requires pinching or turning something shaped like a wing-nut. I saw this one which works differently from the others On the Smart Stuff web site some time ago and ordered two of them directly from the company that makes them. $15.95 seemed a reasonable price for something so handy. One is for kitchen use and one is for utility use, although it seems to live most of the time in one of the bathrooms. Several years ago some company made a battery operated one that was part of a holder made to be hung in the shower, and held shampoo and body wash bottles plus the tube wringer on one end. Unfortunately it died, the maker was no longer in business and even my wizard appliance repair guy could not fix it so it was tossed in the trash. It worked on the same principal as the crank-type wringers only powered. Somebody should invent one - maybe I will send the idea to American Inventor. The new "reality" show due to start soon.

I use the Viva paper towels that have a cloth-like feel. They tear cleanly into strips lengthwise. However the best feature is that if just used for swiping up water, they can be set aside and allowed to dry and be re-used. I have found that this particular towel is far more absorbent than any other I have ever tried and I think I have tried them all. I buy them in the 6-roll packs when they are on sale and buy 3 or 4 packs at a time. I have found them in the "bulk-items" aisle at Albertsons, at Wal-Mart, at Smart & Final and at Sam's Club. One additional advantage, the soft surface is excellent for one who has severe allergies, hay fever and Kleenex needs to be quadrupled to be of use. I always have a roll in my van for emergencies.

I have the CDN timer - fifth down on this page. that has a keypad so you can enter the exact time you want the timer to sound. It is easy to set and has a pretty loud signal. I have several timers and this one is used a great deal because I can hear it even when appliances are operating and making a fair amount of noise. At 20.00 it seems expensive but I have paid more for less useful timers. CDN makes several - I think Fantes has an excellent selection.

This one and this one Work very well. I have a round heavy glass bacon press that must have been discontinued because I haven't been able to find a link for it. Lodge "Logic" makes one that is round and is supposed to be easier to keep clean than regular cast iron.

Samuel L. Clemens, AKA Mark Twain: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Warfield for the great honor of inviting me to address this impressive gathering in this august city of Annapolis. I would also like to thank Bessie, the cook, who, I have been led to believe, produced the exceptional bill of fare set before me at luncheon not two hours ago. I have consumed dishes all over the world but the crab cakes I tasted today were a glorious fate for the denizens of the Chesapeake and would not be out of place on the table of the Tzar. The pie made from lemons, that sour and bitter fruit, was of such sweetness, with its cloud-like topping, as to make the very angels regret not being able to taste it. What secrets must abound in that kitchen, what mysteries of flavor and mixing are hidden there. Were I but a fly upon the wall in that place to learn them. Now I have never claimed to know any more about cooking than I know about farming, and that is precious little. I have essayed a time or two to prepare a pot of coffee, but with results less than stellar, I decided to leave it to those who know which end of the pot goes up. Suffice it to say that I do know how to enjoy food and hope that all of you had as delightful a luncheon as did I. Alexander Belford: Am I to understand, Mr. Clemens, that you are to write a book of cookery? What experience have you had that encourages you to take this course. I have not heard that you know anything of the art of the kitchen. Will you produce these receipts from your own imagination or will they be the work of others. And who will publish this text of a heretofore unknown talent? (This is, I know, quite obscure. Everyone has heard of Mark Twain and just about everyone has read one or more of his books. However not everyone knows the story of how Alexander Belford, a book publisher in Canada, printed thousands of unauthorized copies of every one of Mark Twain’s books, so that he derived little or no profit for the early ones. Belford bribed pressmen, copywriters, and even postal employees, to get copies, sometimes incomplete, lacking illustrations, and distributed them cheaply. When sued in court several times, each time he managed to get away with it, often with speculation that he had bribed the court. Of course now Mark Twain is one of the most famous American writers and few know that Alexander Belford even existed.)

How much ribeye steak do you have? Have you considered a version of braciola ? I can pound a ribeye steak until it is 1/4 inch thick and the size of a dinner plate, then spread a mixture of various things over it, roll it up and braise it and finish with a tomato-based sauce with fennel or ?? There are lots of ideas on that site and you can combine various ingredients taken from several. Heck, you could even add in some of the cracklins. I use bread crumbs, dried fruit, nuts, cooked sausage, grated potato or carrot and so on. It can make one steak go a long, long way.

Terrific blog, Kathy. I have been following the posts with great delight. Although I am sorry you are moving so far away, I am sure you will do beautifully wherever you go. I have some friends in the area around Portland - mostly basenji people, they are nice too. In-N-Out Burger is one of my favorites too. There is one right next to the freeway just one exit from where I get on and off here in Lancaster and there is another just off the 14 about 2/3 of the way along my commute into the Valley - or rather 1/3 of the way home as they aren't open in the morning, but sometimes I miss lunch and it is the perfect place to stop on the way home. I get my fries "Well-done-dark" which means they are super crispy, crunchy, some even scorched. I haven't ordered them "Animal-style" however I usually have a squeeze bottle of sour cream and a bottle of ketchup in my little fridge in the van and place a blob of each in the tray that held the fries (which have now been dumped into the box on top of napkins). With this in the wire file basket that stays neatly on the console between the seats, I can snack as I drive. Your solution to the difficulty of feeding children who are picky about new foods, is very wise. I never believed in forcing kids to eat, although I was raised in the era when one ate whatever was placed on the plate because everyone else did and I didn't want to be different. When my baby brother was little (15 years younger than me) he was very picky and my mom gave into him but I began telling him he couldn't have what I (and my sister) had on our plates and he began sneaking bits when we "weren't looking" and it wasn't long before he would be jumping up and down and shouting "me want dat" and pointing at something that earlier he had refused to eat. "Headology" (apologies to Terry Pratchett and Granny Weatherwax) sometimes works in mysterious ways. The only way we could get Phillip to do anything was to tell him he wasn't allowed.

Well said, slkinsey. An excellent description and an interesting link. I have one very old glass double boiler that has an unusual shallow top that my grandmother used for making a milk pudding for me when I was ill. Unfortunately I never thought to get that recipe and there is no one who recalls it now. I have one of the Pyrex ones, from the '50s and also have one of the modern glass ones made from laboratory glass. If I can find where my housekeeper has put them, I will see about getting a photo. Somewhere in my junk I also have a shallow pan with a snap-in wire frame that holds the creme brulee molds to keep them from sliding around - it holds them about 1/4 inch off the bottom of the pan. I think I used it once and decided it was not worth the bother.

I use a large, fairly deep roasting pan for custard-based things - bread pudding, cheesecakes, creme caramel, creme anglaise, etc. I use one that I can clamp a breeze barrier (made for camp stoves) to on the back side because otherwise the convection fan will make ripples in the surface of the custard without it. The convection fan in my Blodgett oven is ten inches in diameter and it moves a lot of air. I have two of the copper double boilers with ceramic insert, one is 3/4 quart, the other is 1 1/2 quart-plus, mine are old and the bottom part is wider at the bottom than at the rim and both have helper handles opposite the long handle as they are very heavy. They are tin lined and need retinning but since I never cook directly in them, I am not going to bother. I also have one of these which is a handy little item - the water is in an enclosed system and doesn't boil away as rapidly and there is absolutely no condensation into the inner chamber so it is perfect for chocolate. Mine happens to be bright red on the outside. I use a wide glass (Pyrex) bowl over a sauteuse for things such as lemon curd, which I make in fairly large batches. This site My Chefs Favorites has the copper one for much less $139.00 is a pretty good price. To give you an idea of how old mine are, the big one cost me $85.00 at Sur La Table.

I rinse one well, separate it into sections and toss it in with a batch of onions to be caramellized. It adds a piquancy to the end result I have not been able to duplicate with anything else.

I have one almost exactly like that. I bought it in an art supply store at least fifteen years ago, I use it for stirring gesso and for scraping it out of the jar. I never thought of using it in the kitchen. I use quite a few things made for art, crafts and hobbies in the kitchen, but it never occurred to me to use that.

It'[s not about being cheap, it's about being frugal. There's a difference. If you are cheap, you wouldn't even think about the expensive items. If you are frugal, you think of ways to use every bit of the cheap AND expensive stuff. It's an important distinction. But compared to some of the OCD postings here, I'm a lightweight when it comes to scraping and such. ← That's me! Frugal. I don't mind spending market price on lobsters because I use every bit of them. I shudder when I see people throwing the shells away without making stock with them.