andiesenji

My favorites are the Christmas Wreath and the Christmas Tree Ring. They show it with a light-colored cake, however I made a pistachio cake which turned out nicely green, I surrounded it with macaroon coconut, then dusted it with XXX sugar and it looked like the trees were in snow.

One of the gals in my office suggested looking here.

I have several of the original, including a huge one that takes almost a double recipe. I don't have the Festival or the Rose but have the others on your list. I also have the American Star, the Sunflower, the Wreath and the Christmas Tree Ring and one that is rather architectural in design but different from Cathedral. It is a Kaisercast pan called "Domus" and I have the 12 cup. it also comes in a 3 cup version. I have three other Kaisercast pans and a large "Braid" loaf pan which I use a lot. Bundt-type pans at Chef's Kaisercast pans I also have the Kaisercast Saphir I haven't used all of them yet, however eventually they will all be used. The problem is that I get new ones but keep going back to my favorites.

I just came across two new designs in Bundt-type pans. Fluted mold - "Arabesque" and Tulip pan Lots of design and color possibilities with these pans.

I have ordered the Bufala and the Burrata from I Gourmet and it is definitely the real thing. It is also extremely fresh because they have a much faster turnover than most small shops. I have yet to have a single complaint about anything I have ordered from them.

You might try the Gas company. Here, they will come out for free and either fix the problem or tell you what you need to do. Since it doesn't cost much to call them, just use the phone and ask.

I get Manufacturers Cream in half gallons, which is the same thing, at Smart & Final. Call around and see if you can find a restaurant/mom & pop/caterer's supply place. It works extremely well for whipping and it is essential for cream sauces because it does not break as easily as lower fat creams. Because it is not ultra-pasteurized, it does have a shorter shelf life but I manage to use it up and sometimes even freeze it - I add a little sugar to it before freezing - about a tablespoon per quart. I don't recall who advised me to do this but it does work. I also use Trader Joes Heavy Cream in the plastic bottles. I tried the "Organic" heavy cream at Whole Foods and decided it was not worth the astronomical price!

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this one. If you can find a copy, Dorothy Seaman and Paula Smith's Not Chopped Liver, the Kosher Way to Cook Gourmet, which I have enjoyed for close to 30 years, is an oversized paperback that is a lot of fun to read, as well as containing some great recipes. I am not Jewish but many, many years ago I lived with an Orthodox family for a bit over a year and developed a great appreciation for the traditional foods. Bubbe Koenigsberg gave me The Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook by Gertrude Berg and Myra Waldo which I still treasure. I also have Spice and Spirit of Kosher Jewish Cooking by Esther Blau. And three or four books from various ladies auxillary groups from temples in L.A. the Valley and Pasadena, including California Kosher, which I can't find right at the moment.

I second the vote for Olive Trees and Honey. It is an extraordinary book.

I use it when I need to use one of my larger or wider pots that are non-magnetic. In particular I use it with a big copper pot that is wider than the burner itself (wide and shallower than most stockpots). The conductivity of the copper allows an even heat across the entire bottom of the pot.

I mentioned several pages back that I added a preserved lemon (washed and separated into its four sections) to a batch of onion confit and it turned out wonderful. I make very large batches in an old electric roaster with the lid on for all but the last two to three hours, stirring only rarely, early in the process and again near the end. I get one of the bags of jumbo onions at Costco or Sam's Club and use the entire bag. (This is where the big old Bron mandoline comes in handy.) For smaller batches I use an electric 8-quart Dutch oven made by Presto that is no longer available, or one of the Crockpots but the largest I have of these is a 6-quart. I like the larger bottom surface area of the Presto appliance. Electric Dutch oven I have been considering getting one of these large electric skillets, in case the Dutch oven dies, however these digital skillets by Rival have been out of stock for some time.

Oh yes, the Butter!! I love the Le Gall from Brittany - expensive but worth the price to me for special applications. My December 18 order included it and I managed to make it last through New Year's Day, but only with great difficulty. In fact, I finished it with a piece of hot gingerbread fresh from the oven.

I still love rosemary in many things, however it can become overwhelming. A little goes a long way. I have several varieties and most have great culinary value, however a couple are not. One is a cedar/pine-scented rosemary that I use in my closets and often toss a sprig on the dashboard of my van as it counteracts the sometimes unpleasant odor that develops when the van is sitting in the very hot sun for long periods. This area is the high desert, over 2500 ft altitude and we get very hot summers and very cold winters similar to the area where rosemary originated. It loves it here. Many of the housing developments in the hills use prostrate rosemary for ground cover on hillsides to prevent erosion and it develops into a very dense mat only about 4-6 inches high. Iguana, I think you are right about the powdery mildew - note that in my first post I mentioned lack of air circulation and excessive heat. However I have found that the mild bleach bath does work to destroy the residual (unseen) spores that remain on seemingly unaffected plant parts. I also use a very diluted spray of insecticidal soap, water and Listerine (or a cheaper generic) as recommended by Jerry Baker in one of his print gardening newsletters (long before the internet) to which I subscribed for years. The spittle bugs seem to blow in on the wind, and can be an annoying pest but seem to do very little damage to healthy plants (Mine are like The Day of The Triffids) but I use the homemade spray in a small (half-gallon) pressure sprayer, followed a short time later with a blast of water and they rarely return.

I leave it out most of the time, except in the summer when temps are very high. I have a "Grease" container with a strainer in the top and as I am constantly adding hot drippings to what is in there, and the new stuff melts the old, it is melted and mixed which sort of "recharges" it. I have never, in the many years I have been cooking, had any problems with it becoming rancid. However, it gets a lot of turnover, so to speak. If you ever notice the vintage kitchen canister sets, you will note that from the 20s through the 50s, they usually included a "Grease" or "Drippings" container. People did not throw away the rendered fat from bacon, it was valuable, both for cooking oil and for flavoring. It will keep much, much longer in the refrigerator or in the freezer, however in the fridge it has to be kept tightly sealed or you will get a "hint" of bacon in other foods stored nearby.

my 2 or 3 cents ... I had to replace my stove last year. My choices were: electric or electric. Now, as for cookware, most of mine, except for the copper, is induction capable anyway. I've kept it in mind for several years now not to buy something new that isn't induction-capable, unless it's copper. I've also just seen a device that looks rather like a round griddle, made by Mauviel and called an "induction interface," that's supposed to permit you to use your non-induction-capable cookware on an induction burner. Alas, cooking.com carried them, discounted them something like 2/3 off, and now they're out of stock ... before I could snag one for experimental purposes. I'm pretty sensitive to high frequency noise myself, but these two induction burners don't seem to bother me. Or maybe I'm just becoming hard-of-hearing and haven't noticed it yet! ← Ahem, many months ago, where there was an earlier thread that included some discussion about induction burners, I mentioned that I use an iron plate on mine. The plate started out in life as a cast iron skillet (10 inch) and existed for at least 80 years in that form until, sadly, I dropped it on the patio (concrete). The tip of the handle met the pavement first and it broke out a large crescent from the side, all the way to the bottom. I took it to my very helpful metal shop (they have re-welded the lift on the back of my van for my mobility scooter several times) and had them cut the remainder of the sides even with the bottom then grind and smooth it nicely. For a time I used it as a diffuser on the gas cooktop, until I got copper plates, then found that it worked quite nicely on the induction burners. The charge was less than $20.00. The only caveat is that the plate has to be absolutely flat.

I have purchased from them several times. They have English cheeses which I love and have difficulty finding. In fact, I just received an email from them today with a special "Buy One, Get One Free" for Halloumi, the cheese from Cyprus, which is delicious. Halloumi I have to order some Cheshire because they were sold out when I got my December order. They have a remarkable, very, very sharp cheddar (Cloth Wrapped Cheddar Truckle) which is out of stock right now. I have a sliver remaining from my last order, along with some Caerphilly, Lancashire, Wenslydale and Red Leicester.

The flowers are very nice tossed with buttered steamed little potatoes. Pasta dressed with oil in which chopped garlic has been gently carmelized is also lovely with rosemary flowers. They do not need to be cooked.

DuPont vs. EPA Teflon issues

When the Lancaster Costco moved from its original building at the north end of town, to its new, much larger and with a gas station, place at the south end of town, they had, for about 5 minutes, or so it seemed, real bratwurst, offered grilled and on toasted French rolls. I had one and it was delicious. On my next visit, two weeks later, it was off the menu and when questioned, the window person simply shrugged and said she didn't know anything about it. I would have thought I dreamed it, had I not mentioned it to another customer who was also looking for a repeat of the experience. A barbecue pork sandwich also made a brief appearance on the menu as well as a lemonade icee or slurpee, both very good and sorely missed. I can only surmise that not enough were sold to warrant them staying on the menu. They do have a burrito that is enough to feed two people generously but I know it was not available at the Costco in Yorba Linda, Orange county in December 05.

The Scanpan titanium non-stick has been around for some time and costs about $50.. Scanpan Most people I know who have the Scanpan cookware are quite happy with it. Titanium cookware was originally developed for backpacker, mountaineers, where weight is a consideration. Some of the stuff was so brittle that it would break even if lightly struck against a rock. Back to the drawing board for the makers and there are now some reasonably priced pieces that are more durable. I have seen the demonstrations of the very expensive "titanium" cookware and personally I do not believe it is worth the cost. Friends who purchased a set for almost a grand, after seeing it demonstrated at a "private, limited entry" gathering advertised on an L.A. radio station, found that it did not perform as well on their cooktop at home. They attempted to return it within the alloted time but were told there was a 40% restocking fee so ended up keeping the set but are very disappointed with it. It is non-stick but also develops hot spots which was very evident when cooking an omelet in a frypan. When she attempted to fry three eggs, one was overdone while the other two were just setting up. Anolon also has some titanium cookware at reasonable prices. Here is "pure" titanium cookware - this is quite thin and lightweight. titanium cookware

For such a minimum amount, get a small hand-cranked mill. The Nutrimill that I have is rather expensive. When I bought it, I was milling several pounds a week. Since it can be set from very coarse to super fine, I use it for milling grains, beans, etc., not just flour for bread. I like coarse wheat/barley/millet/rice cereal ground to about the size of steel-cul oats. And, as I noted in the cornbread thread linked to above, I grind corn.

I had a Garland range in the house I had in the valley. I never had problems with it, mainly because most of my pans were large. However the people who bought the house (the range was a big selling point for them) did have trouble and asked me to show them how to use the range. They didn't have the type of cookware I had, they used smaller pots with plastic or composition handles that did burn. I sent them to a metal shop where they had two steel plates cut to the size of the burner grates, one with a 6-inch hole and one with a 4-inch hole cut in each center. That gave them two burners (of the 8 on the range top) on which they could use smaller pans. It has been quite a few years, but as I recall, the metal shop turned the edges of the plates down just a bit so they would not slide around. I think they took the grates with them to the shop. They didn't have any further trouble, however I do know that they did buy some commercial cookware because I ran into them at Star restaurant supply sometime after that. My cooktop has three different sized burners. 1 very large, 3 medium and 1 smalll simmer burner.

This used to bother me until I thought up a very handy way of doing it. I have several bins or trays of various sizes, solid bottoms, mesh or perforated sides, in which all the bottles and jars are stored (mostly up-side-down as that keeps the contents freshers longer because if you keep air away from the contents, it can't oxidize and molds and spores can't take hold). Short jars in shallower trays, grouped by contents, mutards, jams/jellies, hot stuff in its own tray. When time to clean, just pull the bins or trays out, wash the refrigerator shelf and the sides of the fridge. Then with the tray on the counter, remove all the containers from the bin, wipe the bin or wash if needed, replace the containers you want to keep and slide the bin back onto the shelf of the fridge and toss out the stuff that is old or no longer viable. I find that this is the best way to keep the fridge clean - get rid of outdated or unusable stuff and if you haven't used something for some time, it is probably time to dump it. You end up with a clean fridge, cleaned more often and with more room in it. ****That being said, I do have to admit that now I have a housekeeper and she loves to clean.

What colors were the pots?

I bought two different brands at the "As Seen On TV" store in the Palmdale mall. I was less than impressed. I tried them in my Dualit and in my old GE auto toaster oven and in a new DeLonghi DTT980 (bought because of its unusual design). I had poor results in all of them with both types of bag. The original bags may work better than the knock-offs but I never got around to ordering them and probably won't bother at this time. My Dualit has sandwich cages which works fine and the drip tray is fairly easy to clean so I will stick with that for now. I am sure that there will be better products coming along, particularly since the problems with Teflon have been so much in the news of late.