Special K

Oh. I just assumed that they'd kept you waiting for the menu because they expected someone to join you, and the waiter was apologizing. And my Dad did that "do as I say, not as I do" thing, too!

I just went to the fabric store and bought a length of canvas and hemmed it. Cheap and works well. (You probably don't really need to hem it; that's just me )

Tried them today on your recommendation - YUMMY!

Eh, I used to bake a dozen different kinds of cookies, but everyone loves the Snickerdoodles the best, so that's all I'm doing this year. Say, cinnamon is supposed to be good for lowering blood sugar, so maybe it cancels out the sugar in the cookie? Oh, and I am baking one pecan pie - I tried out the Impossible (Bisquik) recipe on a friend last weekend and she loved it, so she's getting it again, in a nice new stoneware pie dish. But that's it! Unless I decide to make cheesecake truffle bombs . . . . . . and a red velvet cake . . .

And then you could get yourself some Plasti-Dip! Handy stuff to have around.

I really like this gizmo for keeping bread fresh. I learned the hard way that if you just shove a fresh, cooled loaf into the bag and seal it, the hard crust makes tiny holes in the bag. Not good. But when wrapped in a paper towel or in a paper bag first, the bag doesn't get perforated, and the bread stays unbelievably fresh. Also, I've had great luck with freezing snickerdoodles this way (they never stay frozen very long!). I am so tickled that I got these for a lot of people on my Christmas list. Kay

My favorite is my 14 inch chef's knife, Chrissie (from "Bring me the big knife, Chrissie!" - the movie Moonstruck). Chrissie always means business!

Salt House 545 Mission St We went there with friends this past August and really enjoyed it. A bit noisy.

OK, I'll be honest. I keep the ones I cut out of the paper, etc., in a big basket in the kitchen/dining room. When it overflows (or has been overflowing for a while!) I break down and file the ones I decide to keep in the beautiful library-card file cabinetI bought a while back, under general headings (chicken, beef, fish, bread, cakes, cookies, soups & stews, etc.), or specific holidays (Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.). Soon I'll have to do a major cull, though, as it's filling up fast. Cookbooks are in four bookcases (two in the kitchen/dining room, one by the comfy chair, and one in the bedroom for the overflow), on the shelves of the little occasional tables in the living room, and in piles all around the comfy chair and the bed. Magazines are in more baskets. Oh, and there's always the front of the cheesebox (Refrigerator, for you non-Pushing Daisies fans). No, not very organized. I can't always find the recipe I started out looking for, but I CAN always find A recipe!

I haven't seen the CI issue yet - did they tinker with the salt? Really, I find that just adding an extra teaspoon of salt makes a huge difference (but I can't seem to help also adding some shaved Asiago or Parmesan and some chopped rosemary, too). I made two loaves yesterday, one in my Romertopf and one in a round Corningware casserole. I've been adding just a little less water than the recipe calls for, and just turning the dough into the hot pot at the end of the 18 hours. Both loaves turned out fine. The lager and vinegar additions sound great - I'll try that next.

Not a confection, but . . . butter?

Yeah, I already had a live-in Handi-Vac at home (my husband), but honestly, this does a better job of really, really sucking ALL the air out of the bag. He still gets to do the brownies, though! K

I said: Maybe I'd better start putting a saltshaker on the table when I have guests - were they just too nice to tell me all this time? " And LPShanet replied: "And yes, you may want to take that into account with your guests in the future:) I've been caught in that trap and really didn't love eating at friends' houses who were on low sodium kicks for whatever reasons (medical or superstitious or other)." Oh, dear! They probably were rolling their eyes behind my back when I mentioned that I was worried that everything tasted "a little too salty!" (I cooked the meal, but I had help - now I'm thinking that things got salted when I wasn's looking!) When I had to cut back on salt (hypertension) I tossed all the saltshakers. Guess I'd better go buy a new one! LPShanet, thanks! K

Everything at Thanksgiving tasted too salty to me, but everyone else at the table swore it was fine. I've been on a low-sodium diet for about 15 years, so I think it must be that a "normal" amount of salt just tastes wrong to me, since I'm so used to undersalting. Maybe I'd better start putting a saltshaker on the table when I have guests - were they just too nice to tell me all this time?

I found Bacon Salt at the QFC on 85th yesterday. Got a bunch of 'em for stocking stuffers.

[ Finally found it (At Fred Meyer in Ballard).quote] [i spent an hour there and another 1/2 hr at the greenwood store; NO ONE has a clue what it is or where to look.] I found it at the newer Fred's on 45th Street in Ballard. The H-V and the bags were with the regular sandwich bags, foil wrap, etc. I went back a few days later and bought a couple more. I don't think Fred's is so bad. The only problem I have there is getting out, but lately I think there have been more open check-out lanes. But where else can you buy a turducken, a pair of jeans, a lamp, and a Christmas tree in one stop? Anyway, I've been very happy with the product.

Regarding the little Le Creuset stoneware cocottes for the bread: Umm, now you've got me wondering. I'm at work now - the notes I took on the recipe are at home. I'll check tonight. That doesn't sound right, does it? Probably I halved both times from the original recipe. ← Sorry this is so late - no computer access at home over the holidays. Yes, It was 20 minutes covered, and 30 minutes uncovered. And the cocottes are a cup and a half in volume.

Umm, now you've got me wondering. I'm at work now - the notes I took on the recipe are at home. I'll check tonight. That doesn't sound right, does it? Probably I halved both times from the original recipe.

I posted elsewhere (the Le Creuset thread) that I bought four little 8 oz covered cocottes (stoneware, not cast iron) halved the recipe, filled each cocotte with a quarter of the dough, and baked (30 min at 500 degrees covered, then 40 minutes uncovered). Perfect little miniature rosemary asiago loaves! Cute as the dickens. Not sticky in the center, as some of my larger loaves have been, so I'd say the smaller the loaf the better.

There's a funny chapter at the end of Pat Conroy's cookbook concerning a certain cash-only restaurant in New Orleans.

I bought four of the little 8 ounce covered cocottes the other day (so cute!) and tried out the no-knead bread recipe in them (rosemary parmesan). Perfect! 30 minutes covered at 450 degrees, 40 minutes uncovered. Cutest little loaves of bread you ever saw! These will be real hit for Thanksgiving.

An article in this morning's Seattle Times food section says it's sold at QFC here. It wasn't at my 24th Ave NW QFC, but that's closing soon (to make room for yet another huge condo building) and I guess they're not getting any new products there. So tomorrow I'll try the one on 85th. Mmmmmbacon!

I made a loaf the other day with about a quarter-cup of asiago cheese shaved right into the dough at the beginning. I never even bother to turn the dough - I just scrape the whole thing into my hot Romertopf after 18 hours of sitting there, top with a little salt or sesame seeds, and it does just fine. Next loaf will have rosemary added in as well. I've given this recipe to several friends who never in a million years would've seen themselves baking anything, much less a really good loaf of bread. They've reported fantastic sucess. Now, on to that skillet pizza!

Woo hoo! Finally found it (At Fred Meyer in Ballard). I think it was around $8 - I got one for Mom, too. There is a little tab to pull to make the batteries operable. I'm looking forward to playing with this new toy this weekend.

I'm in the middle of The Food Snob's Dictionnary, by Donald Kamp and Marion Rosenfeld. If you can ignore the digs at the snobs (us!), which I guess are tongue-in-cheek but start to grate after a while, the book is pretty darned informative and entertaining. Also, I just started reading Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink. Actually, first I flipped through to look at all the cartoons. This is going to be a fun book -- almost makes up for the fact that I never did find the latest food issue of the New Yorker.