andiesenji

I have lids that have been banged around so much and reshaped that they have dimples here and there but as long as they can be hammered back into shape so they fit the pot or pan I am fine with them. That is one thing that you can do with copper but not with other metals. The guy that does my retinning is a whiz at flattening the rims of lids that have been bounced off floors and developed a little "flare". One of my saucepans with straight sides even has an unintentional pouring lip from when a cast iron spider (griddle) dropped onto it. When I had it retinned the guy asked me if I wanted it reshaped but I told him to leave it as it was, I had gotten used to having it like that and it did make pouring easier.

Try the Senseo.

Last year when I spoke to one of the buyers for Sur La Table who had been in France earlier in the spring, she said that Bourgeat is still making professional copper cookware but is not marketing it for general sales, whatever that means. Perhaps they are selling only to chefs, hotels, etc. She noted that she had seen brand new Bourgeat pots in the kitchen at one of the hotels in which she stayed, which was the reason she contacted the company. Sur La Table used to carry an extensive line of Bourgeat where I have purchased many of the pieces I have had for years.

and with the lid?

One of the first things I was served the first time I spend the weekend with my roommate's family in San Francisco, was wor wonton soup, which contained, in addition to the filled wonton, several vegetables, strips of pork and many little purple "flowers" - I was told to first eat the solid things in the bowl with my chopsticks, then eat the broth with my spoon. Tricky grabbing those slippery things, but an excellent way to become proficient with the chopsticks. Incidentally the little purple "flowers" were baby octopii and were delicious and apparently a delicacy served especially because I was visiting. The trickiest thing I ever tried eating was ribbon noodle, very long noodles, about 1 inch wide, with wavy edges and served in a thick broth with scallions and a lot of garlic. The noodles were homemade and dried on a screen on the back porch. I have never seen them in a restaurant and I have been through a lot of Chinese restaurants from San Francico to San Diego. If anyone knows what they are called, I would like to know.

I would be interested if it is SS lined. The one I have (de Buyer) is less than 2 1/2 inches deep and really not adequate for the type of stir-frying I do. I like the idea of the internal grid.

Dave, The kitchen is gorgeous! You have done a great job and the sideboard looks like a million dollars. I didn't notice the detail on the feet when it was in its natural form. The white really points up the construction details. It looks like you have taken the room to a new high in efficiency.

As an adjunct to the study, you might want to look into the CD which includes the entire content of Romance of the Ranchos radio program (1941-42) 35 episodes. Romance of the Ranchos. It is fun to listen to and is only $2.99. From Chuck's Old Time Radio.

I don't like meringue. I make a large batch of lemon curd which I use for filling, spoon and spread it into a cool crust, then whip some cream and mix lemon curd into the whipping cream and pipe that onto the pure lemon curd. Never had anyone who didn't like it.

I asked the internist/toxocologist in the office today about it He said that instead of making infusions from tobacco that is intended for smoking, as in pipe tobacco, the safest route to take would be to use chewing tobacco or snuff in cooking. However he did say that the amounts to be directly ingested should be quite small and people should be cautioned that if they experience any dizziness or shortness of breath or tingling in the extremities, they should avoid it in the future. He said in some individuals even minute amounts of nicotine can cause constriction of the capillaries in the fingers and toes and it doesn't matter how it is ingested, smoked or swallowed, it will have the same effect. He mentioned the increased incidence of oral cancer and other lesions in people who use chewing tobacco and snuff. You might recall that Brett Saberhagen, a Valley boy, gave a talk about the dangers of using "smokeless" tobacco after he developed oral lesions.

Great pics. Thanks so much for posting them. Now I want one of the gadgets.

I like the Flame but the Red is nice too.

And is related to the knob-knock of a wooden spoon on the pate of a misbehaving child from our cook when I was little. My cousins, rowdy boys all, came in more from this than I did, me being a bit of a pet and a bit of a pill, as far as the boys were concerned. However I did get my share, and having my hair usually pulled back in pigtails (the cook's daughter was my nursemaid and my braids were pulled so tight I had a permanently startled expression) there was not much padding to take the brunt of the spoon. The boys, all with brush cuts or crew cuts, (like their daddies in the military) had even less protection. It wasn't designed to hurt, just to get our attention, like the corporal punishment doled out by my grandpa.

For this cut of meat I like to do the wrap in aluminum foil and cook for a very long time at a low temperature in the oven. I don't use the onion soup mix, but do season the meat well. I place it on a layer of carrots and celery, then cover the meat with a mound of sliced onions, thinly sliced garlic, sliced mushrooms and drizzle with a little olive oil. I wrap it tightly in heavy foil, then wrap it a second time, place it in a shallow baking dish or sheet pan and put it in the oven at 225 for at least 3 hours, if it goes longer, no problem. Usually at this point is is litterly falling apart and I simply boil new potatoes, split them in half and slide the entire contents of the foil, including the juices, on top of the potatoes on a platter.

I learned to use chopsticks as a practical matter and to be polite to my hosts. When I was stationed at the Presidio, San Francisco, in the late 50s, my roommate was Asian and we spent nearly every weekend at her home and chopsticks were put out as a matter of course and I simply did not want to ask for western type flatware. My friend and her family were very patient with me, teaching me how to use them and I became quite proficient and learned the taboos of what not to do with them. (don't cross them on the plate or you won't have boy babies, don't stab them into your rice bowl and don't use one to stir your tea, although I never did any of these things.) They were like another family to me and when I was discharged at the end of my enlistment, they gave me a beautiful pair of ivory chopsticks inlaid with abalone. I have never used those for eating, but they are something I will treasure always, particularly since ivory can no longer be imported. I think that eating properly with chopsticks is very elegant, showing a real appreciation of the food. However if someone is not comfortable using them I do think they should stick to forks and spoons.

As long as you don't leave the meat in the marinade too long, using yogurt is okay. If you leave meat and especially chicken in yogurt too long, it becomes spongy and almost fluffy - not at all desirable. I speak from experience - having forgotten to remove chicken from a yogurt-based marinade and having to throw it all out, horrible, nasty stuff.......... Buttermilk has a similar effect.

I think that many places put them out but the patrons play with them then ask for forks so they save a little and only provide them for people who ask. I solve the problem by carrying chopsticks with me. I have a case that holds two pair of chopsticks and it lives in the bottom of my purse until I need them. They are the Japanese type and I am fairly proficient with them and there are just some foods that just seem better when conveyed to the mouth via chopsticks. One Chinese place here in town always places chopsticks on the table and they are the real thing, not the short disposable type. They are bamboo and are steamed to sterilize them. (I have been in the kitchen.) Here at my desk, I have a couple of pairs of chopsticks, one pair Japanese type, the other Chinese type in my pencil holder. In the kitchen I have a bunch in a holder and I have several pair of the long cooking chopsticks which I often use for turning deep fried foods. I think they are an extremely efficient method of eating.

Regarding the difference in finishes. For many years I had only regular or hammered copper and only polished it a couple of times a year, mainly to clean up the bottom when it got a bit crusty and I thought it wasn't heating evenly (probably my imagination). I didn't mind that it looked darker, to me the beauty of things that are made to be used, is evidence that they are used and loved. It isn't all that difficult to clean them. There are all kinds of stuff you can buy, but I always used half a lemon dipped in salt with some BarKeeper's friend for stubborn spots and my housekeeper uses the same system . The Falk brushed finish is easier to maintain but it doesn't have that certain look, the deep glow, that I equate with fine copper - however that is just my quirky feeling. Now all my copper gleams because I have a housekeeper who is a fanatic. I have never asked her to clean or polish it but she does because she likes it to look nice and it keeps her away from stuff I want left alone. (I have threatened her with broken fingers if she ever touches my cast iron and that she leaves alone, mainly because it hangs in the pantry instead of the kitchen.)

The Mauviel pro line is heavier than the "tabletop" line - you know the difference because the pro line has cast iron handles, as does the Bourgeat. Most of my old stuff is Bourgeat but since most of it needs retinning, I am using only the newer stuff with stainless steel lining. Mauviel is the company that patented the "Cuprinox process" that bonds stainless steel to the copper.

The pans I use most (besides the skillets) are the 3.7quart sauce pan with straight sides, made by Mauviel, pro line stainless with the cast iron handle and the 3 quart curved splayed sauce pan with the Bourgeat name, apparently now made by Mauviel - it is also the heavier copper with cast iron handle. I don't worry much about polishing, however I now have a housekeeper that likes to polish it so it is okay by me. Before she came to work for me I polished it about twice a year, I like things to look like they have been used, not just decor. I do have the Falk 3 quart Sauciere with lid and use it interchangeably with the two above but if you need something with a lid, this one is a good buy.

There is a California Mission cookbook somewhere in my collection that was published in the 60s, as I recall, and which described California Rancho cooking as being more Spanish influenced than Mexican or Southwestern. I believe it was published by the printers who publish the California Mission guides and sold to support mission restoration. It was a spiral bound book with Mission San Luis Rey on the cover. (One of my favorite missions, which is why I remember that.) It has been a long time since I even opened the book and I will have to see if I can readily find it, however, I do remember recipes for omelettes and "tortilla" which were not at all like the tortillas we buy in the local stores. It had recipes for beef and lamb cooked on spits, chicken cooked in clay pots and fish cooked on rock slabs heated by coals. I have not looked as the book by Ms. MacMahan, but it sounds like something I should add to my collection, thanks for posting the info.

I have used Pomelo, Oro Blanco (Sweeties), Page Mandarin, Limequat, Sweet Limes and Key Limes or Mexican Limes and of course the Etrog citron. Some for candying, either the fruit or the peel. Not all of these are new, and some have been around for a very long time, just not usually seen in markets. I also get the very unusual Buddah's Hand lemons for the peel, which is extremely aromatic, far more than any regular lemon.

I am afraid that I would not have been as diplomatic as some. My usual reaction to Cool Whip is "Good Heavens! why would anyone want that chemical pap on Real Food?"

That is the dammdest looking kitchen I have ever seen. I see what you mean about it being a maze. I can't imagine being able to work in such an area. And it would be an incredible feat for two people to work in the kitchen at the same time, and remain friends......

This is a test to see if my photo will post, the one I tried to post a couple of days ago. My favorite knives! That is a full-sized sheet pan holding the cutting board.