quiet1

'I thought it might be, which is why I suggested making them more deliberate looking and decorative as an option too. It's a detail but I assume in competition details matter.

Maybe the top needs to be arranged differently then when folded up? From a presentation perspective something is looking unfinished or untidy to me about the dry noodles on top. If they were more deliberately arranged it might help it look better and less 'oops, I patched this together and ran out of sauce.' ETA: I think it is the bits folded up giving me that feeling. Maybe they could be under the top layer? Or make sure they are even all the way around and do a decorative cut on the edges before baking? Or roll them like a pie crust? I'm just throwing out ideas. I'd also be tempted to do something decorative on the flat expanse in the center. I've seen pasta with herbs carefully rolled into the dough so the leaf looks like artwork. Maybe something like that just in the center?

Yeah, this is what they do here too - you can customize it which is part of the attraction. We don't go there often but when we do we usually get two orders of the table side guacamole and do them different ways.

Made pork carnitas tonight. Turned out really well - we used pork butt steaks because we didn't want the size of pork butt that they had, and I used timing for a pork butt and I think it was a bit too long (the meat has that texture from being extra-well pressure cooked) but it's very successful. And it didn't take too long, so it's actually reasonable to do without too much advance planning. I'm wondering about keeping the broth in the freezer and using it next time. Any reason not to? I'm not sure what else I'd do with it.

Oh, that sounds lovely. Although now I think we're not having Thanksgiving at home, so I'll save this idea for Christmas instead.

I have two pairs of scissors in the kitchen - a cheap blue pair from Ikea and a slightly nicer set that came with a magnetic sheath that I have stuck to the side of the fridge. Blue pair are for whatever someone invariably wants to grab scissors from the kitchen for that will get them beat up or dirty, the fridge pair are for things like cutting open packets where they might potentially come in contact with food. Given the wide range of odd things I know the blue ones get used for, I feel better having another set even though in theory they can be cleaned. (In practice I'm not sure even the dishwasher gets into all the nooks and crannies. As I've mentioned my mom lives with us and is immune compromised due to cancer so it's just easier to minimize risk.)

Used rat litter also works, if you have friends with pet rats. (Excellent pets, actually.) Rats will attack and kill mice in the wild, so if it smells like a rat has set up shop the mice prefer elsewhere.

'My SO hates plastic ware so much he carries around a camping fork thing in a little plastic case in case he needs it.

This may inspire me to get one of those wee tiny slow cookers so I can have just enough of this waiting when I get home from a long walk with the dog on a winter evening.

We have a step stool from Ikea for vertically challenged moments. It doesn't fold up but it is sturdy enough to use as a seat so it works out ok - I sit on it when I'm doing something that doesn't need constant attention but that I don't want to leave, either, or when I'm supervising someone else in the kitchen. (It helps if I'm sitting because then I don't have as much urge to take over and do it myself. )

One of our local places does it both ways - guacamole as a garnish or dish component with a ton of other stuff is made back in the kitchen somehow (I suspect blender or similar based on texture) but if you order guacamole as a dish they make it fresh tableside.

For what it's worth, we will absolutely go somewhere specifically for good guacamole. Bad guacamole doesn't necessarily put us off if the rest is good, but good guac makes us take an extra trip. (My housemate just wants to know how the heck you get 72 avocados ripe all at the same time. We have horrible luck locally.)

'I have similar gloves - different brand and mine are steam-proof which some aren't - and they are fantastic for all manner of things. I find I get a much better grip on things than with normal oven mitts, and with arthritis in the hands and wrists getting the best grip possible is key.

That is a gorgeous egg. (I mean, it all looks good, but the egg is particularly photogenic. ) I have friends in St. Louis, I need to send them your way.

Wait, people can't tell the difference between tap water and bottled waters? Different bottled waters taste different, too. (One of our dogs preferred Fiji brand and would not be fooled by tap water on a Fiji bottle, no. It was hilarious.) (I can't use plastic reusable water bottles either - they make the water taste gross. Glass is preferred, but I can tolerate metal as the faint metallic smell/taste it leaves is not as offensively disgusting as plastic-taste.)

'As someone who has a serious shellfish allergy, it really isn't a joke. Obviously you know the constraints of this particular setting and if people with allergies would know to be cautious, but as a general rule 'secret' ingredients from any of the major allergy contenders (like shellfish and nuts) aren't a great idea unless you enjoy your meal being interrupted by calling an ambulance, and a 'secret' ingredient of shellfish seemed to be being suggested as a general trick, not just for a specialty food competition, which is why I commented. (And even with a competition, I don't know that I'd assume everyone would know to think there might be stealth allergens - depends a lot on the context of the competition. Though hopefully the competition itself would have some kind of CYA 'may contain...' disclaimer to remind people they can't assume they know what will be in things.) To the original topic - perhaps consider noodle replacement alternatives also? There is a place here that does a lasagna with slices zucchini instead of noodles, and while their iteration isn't that great, and I think I'd keep some noodles, that could be something to play with. (I'm thinking something like alternating noodle and noodle-replacement every other noodle layer, something like that. So you have the pasta texture and flavor still and it doesn't seem like a fad 'zoodle' type thing.) Maybe something like thinly sliced mushroom? Zucchini doesn't add much and is far too wet. (Oh, and further consultation on the tiny meatball thing I mentioned earlier - they were approximately pea-sized. So really quite small. But with a seasoned meat mixture like you'd use for normal meatballs, not just ground meat.)

My mom doesn't use special no boil noodles, she just adds about 1/2 cup water to her sauce so it is a tad bit wet (not soupy) and then bakes covered and only uncovers to brown the cheese right at the end. Works fine.

If you do this be very clear to people it has shellfish - I wouldn't expect lasagna to have secret shellfish and allergies can be really bad. My mom talks about a lasagna she had once where the meat was all in tiny meatballs. Apparently it was quite good.

I think we paid about that for our ex-ambulance in the U.K., but it was a massive 4 ton 1982 beast. Other than that I've actually just inherited cars. My current is a 2002 Prius that came to me when my parents upgraded to a Prius V. By the time they updated the Prius was worth little enough it wasn't worth trading in. So I got it. Still works,

You and I might have very different ideas about what counts as a decent used car. That said, I am wondering about the feasibility of moving any of the nicer ranges when we eventually move. If we get something I really like, and it has life in it, leaving it behind would probably not make sense - this just isn't a house people expect to find high-end kitchens in.

For a second I was so excited because Penguins logo for avatar, possible local with a gorgeous range I could ask about! But no. Does yours have the warming cabinet or the second oven? Or just storage? Which burner would you use if you wanted to boil a stock pot of water rapidly?

Folks who have it - how does it read? I'd be interested in it for learning about the science and so on as much as the recipes.

oooh. That's helpful. I HATE cleaning sealed burners.

Fish came up just because I was looking at what might have been on the table historically. Can't do shellfish because I have an allergy, but fish were also there. Also waterfowl and venison. (I was thinking venison might be good but my mom strongly objects to eating Bambi.) Roasting two birds (turkey and duck or goose) seems a bit much to fuss with. So I was thinking fish might be an option that won't take up the whole oven for ages. Though I guess we could also do something just with duck breast instead of the whole duck?

Signed and everything, what a wonderful gift. Brb, leaving big clues around the house for Xmas... (I love cookbooks you can really read.)