Special K

Thought of another gift for DH. Right now he's using Ove Gloves, but I can't bring myself to trust them, and besides, they're kinda ugly. (I use good old fashioned pot holders like this: http://www.amazon.com/Excello-Terry-Potholder-Black-Set/dp/B003WOJLGU/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1322669106&sr=1-1 - I have a big stack of 'em.) But for Glove Man, - welding gloves! They even come in our school colors: http://www.amazon.com/BLACK-STALLION-Stick-Welding-Gloves/dp/B002U0X22G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322668832&sr=8-1. Thanks so much for the idea, ScoopKW! He's going to just them!

I'll let you know.

I liked the New York episode much better than the Singapore one. I don't care much for restaurant dining, but I did like the segment on the restaurant supply place and ah! the Kitchen Arts and Letters bookstore - now that's someplace I'd love to visit!

I want one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Koziol-Kasimir-Cheese-Transparent-Anthracite/dp/B0043BT0VC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322593157&sr=8-1-spell. In fact, I've ordered one for myself and several more to give as gifts. I first ran across this little guy a few years ago - he won a design competition but the original (some kind of metal) one was never actually manufactured and sold. I keep checking, though, and I'm happy to find this PBA-free plastic one for a reasonable price! (Edited to fix TLA)

I find that rosemary, tarragon and parsley do just fine for a day or two on the counter in a glass of water, but basil ... not so much. I have read that the salt method works well for basil, but I haven't tried it yet. I have a bunch to pick now before the cold weather gets it, so I'll do that this weekend. Apparently the salt does not take on a basil flavor. As an alternative to pesto, you can make a basil-flavored salt by processing a cup of fresh basil with 1/3 cup of kosher salt and then spreading it on a half-sheet pan and baking it at low temp. until it's dry - wonderful on tomatoes and a nice holiday gift. (edited to fix typo)

I just got my first look at the set - our (high school) librarian just purchased it for the school library on the Science Dept's recommendation (she's definitely one of us). I am just blown away! This is so going on my holiday wish list now that I've actually seen it. And I notice it's now $450.39 (28% off the original price) on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320944557&sr=1-1, so that breaks down to about $90 per book, which is very reasonable for a reference book.

At my community college culinary academy (I was in breads and desserts), the sanitation instructor would NEVER eat at our buffet - she called it the "Barf-ay." People can be so clueless. I've seen people pick up and put down four or five devilled eggs before choosing just the right one. Yech! I'm quite sure these folks don't wash their hands before they join the buffet line. Actually, that training pretty much ruined my enjoyment of just about any restaurant experience, sad to say. I see too much now. I sure am enjoying your posts, ScoopKW.

I think the problem with "olli" is that the menu is in all caps. If it were upper case/lower case, we would see that the word is "Olli," and be able to surmise that Olli is a producer, and that the restaurant serves both Olli charcuterie and its own housemade charcuterie.

Hmm. Amazon doesn't seem to have the Cuisinart immersion stick blender that I actually own. It didn't come with the whisk, just the chopper and the plastic cup (which I immediately dropped on my stupid marble tile floor and cracked). Mine has a plug-in cord, because I thought that might be a little more reliable than batteries (don't really know). Anyway, maybe because it doesn't do as many tricks, mine's been great.

I recommend something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GHF3V8/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0006G3JRO&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1FG7TVSCNYXKBHBVKHBN. It's a multitasker that doesn't take up much room. I have a similar one and I use it all the time for small chopping jobs. In fact, I thought I'd use the immersion blender more, but the chopper gets most of the action.

Another three - I'm gonna give myself several "last meals" - Nigel Slater, MFK Fisher, and Elizabeth David.

Oh, wait. Mine's a 6-quart. But Beater Blade now has a RED one that'll fit. (And it's six bucks cheaper.) Did I mention it's RED?

Oh, hey, thanks! I'll order it and report back.

Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and Pierre Franey. I would let them order (or cook!) and just sit back and listen to their conversation.

I have duct tape (but I'm buying some Gorilla tape today - thanks, Darienne) and gauze for cuts, and mustard for burns. And alcohol. And red wine! Really large second degree burns (and of course third degree ones)and cuts that spurt warrant a trip to the E.R.

I've had the Beater Blade for at least three years, and I've loved it. I have always used it to mix in nuts, chocolate chips, etc., with no problems. So imagine my surprise yesterday when the thing snapped right off at the neck! It was easy to fish out of the cookie dough, no shards or anything to worry about, and I just switched to the standard issue blade (which I'm surprised I even kept) to finish up. I'll probably replace it; which do you folks recommend, Beater Blade again, or Side Swipe? Thanks. K

quote: ...A kid might not touch a carrot stick you cut, but if HE makes carrot and celery sticks with dip as part of the simple meal he prepares for you, he's much more likely to think it's yummy. Just a thought. Absolutely. He probably gets home before you. There's no reason he can't be a part of the solution and start supper himself. It's not good for either of you for you to be his slave! He might gripe now (who am I kidding - of course he'll gripe now), but later on he'll thank you, about the time he realizes he can whip up a nice dinner to impress a girl on the first date. I would add that he'd probably love vegetables that he chooses and grows himself. It's never too early (or too late) to get kids started gardening, even if it's just some herbs in a pot on the windowsill. Another strategy with getting kids to eat veggies is to give them a choice; for example, ask, "carrots or green beans?" [NOT "home-cooked meal or Micky D's?"] Having a say in the matter makes a big difference! Good luck. K

New (to me, anyway) product: smoked sea salt - a little goes a very long way! These are going to make great stocking-stuffers this year. Umm! And as I've mentioned before, the containers (grinders) are re-useable.

I love chopping onions. Chopping, slicing, dicing whatever, really. But onions are my fave. I love loading and unloading the dishwasher. For so long I didn'thave one; then I had a crummy one; I've had a really good one for about two years now and I still am just thrilled with it. I love cleaning the sink. If the sink is clean, my day is done.

Sounds to me like a great excuse to jump on the Eurostar and make a quick trip to Paris!

I just have to say, Jaymes, that's a fine piece of writing. Seriously, it sounds like the opening paragraph of a book I'd really, really like to read. It's the reason I don't dine alone to this day. I tried it a few times years ago when my husband was travelling a lot on business and I just wanted to go out, but I got tired of (and angry about) the poor treatment I received. Maybe it's time to try again. Thanks!

Tipping or buying beer are both nice, but I would add writing (emailing, tweeting, Facebooking, whatever) the BOSS praising his wonderful kitchen staff would be good, too. Especially when you say this is one reason apart from the good food that you'll be back.

If you think wearing new clothes (or chex and a white jacket) would make you feel more confident (I know it works for me), then by all means check out your local Goodwill or Value Village - I see perfectly good (sometimes brand new with tags) clothes of all kinds there, for a whole lot less than retail. There's nothing wrong with buying clothes second-hand! Best of luck to you. Please let us know how it turns out.

Mine are 17 3/4 inches above the granite countertops. That's just enough height for the stand mixer, the coffee machine and a little TV/DVR setup in the corner. There are light strips under the upper cabinets, too (wouldn't be without them - what the heck good is a celing light if you're working in your own shadow?) The upper cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, which is good for storage in my small kitchen but I do need a stepstool to get to anything up there. The countertops are 36 inches from the floor, and even though I'm just 5'4" I'd like them to be higher (bad, evil back). But then the cabinets would be too low for the appliances, so I guess I'll leave well enough alone. I do wonder sometimes, though, how my 6' tall husband can stand working at 36" counter height if I find them too low. (Edited to remove a redundundundancy.)

Hee hee! I tried that, but I just don't have the lung power.