Zen Baker

Can you wrap the plastic knob in wet washcloth and tin foil? Or just tin foil alone? Or is that just some myth that I've always heard?

I love this. Just as I was thinking today as I prepared to braise, that someday i'd pass this LC pot off to my son or his wife.

No, and not for lack of trying. I looked and looked on the Target website, but it's not there. Also looked for the Martha Stewart one that I mentioned, and the only link to it that I could find is this one, which isn't very helpful: http://www.epinions.com/Martha_Stewart_Eve..._71884_Cookware If you have the Target flier from Sunday, there's a picture of it in there.

Has anyone tried these? They're 4.5 qts, made of pretty heavy cast iron. They're on sale for $29.99 this week, and I'm tempted to get one because I can't afford the genuine article. They come in red and blue. The thing that I don't undersand about them is that the bottom's exterior is also red enamel just like the rest of the pot. I have a small Martha Stewart Kmart cast iron dutch oven (2.5 qts) that I bought on super-clearance, and it's great, and the bottom is not enameled. Instead it has these concentric rings that won't get damaged by the heat. I was wondering if anyone had tried the Target ones yet, or if I should just go back to KMart and get the larger dutch oven and forget the Target one because of that weird bottom. I wonder how much the larger MS one costs... I'd post links but I can't find any. Thanks guys!

Besides adding taste, my FIL told me that there is a practical health reason for drizzling black vinegar into a bowl of noodle (soup). He said that the factories use a lot of lye water (alkaline?) to produce the noodles. If you eat a lot of noodles, you risk developing kidney stones. By taking in some vinegar (acid), it neutralizes the alkaline (which produces salt in your stomach? ). It seems to make sense. Any comments from Trillium, our chemist? Any doctor or dietitian in the forum? ← I love Chinese black vinegar - I first tasted it in Shanghai several years ago and had to smuggle some back with me to eat with jiao zi and guo tieh. As a physician, I can't see how lye could be good for your digestive tract in any way, shape, or form. If I recall correctly, one needs to alkalinize the urine the prevent renal stones from forming. I don't think that the minimal amount of acid in the vinegar would do much for a metabolic alkalosis - you'd have have a LOT of vinegar. Now I'm getting myself all confused. Electrolytes and renal were never my strong suit. Anyway, I love that vinegar too.

I was at Trader Joe's today and noticed they had a new vanilla extract (not the Mexican vanilla that they've been carrying for a while now). The label says: Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract" but doesn't say where it's from. There's a little blurb on the label about how vanilla beans came from Mexico, went to the Ile de Bourbon, blah blah blah. But does that mean that the extract is from Madagascar/Bourbon Islands? Is it safe to assume that is does? The ingredient label says: Bourbon vanilla bean extractives in water. Alcohol (35%). I'm hoping that it's the old Mexican vanilla in a new package. Any opinions? Insights?

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Certainly not a bother at all! I'm glad you've clarified things so well. It's been awhile since my chemistry days, and I never did that well in those classes anyway. For me, chemistry was just a springboard for medical school. Anyway, I tried the method as stated above, and while it has worked (kind of), it does not appear to be as effective as the Oven Method from Breath of a Wok. One day, when I have a little more time, I might re-season again with the oven. I like the bronze color that the pan takes on; it's almost like seeing the oil polymerized on the surface of the iron. When I seasoned it recently, it did not take on this bronze sheen. It just stayed...metallic-looking. Also, one more question to the pores debate: is traditional cast iron porous? The un-glazed kind, of course. I would think that that kind of metal would actually be porous and be able to "absorb" oil during seasoning, or is it just a figment of the imagination? Thanks.

Unfortunately, I do not have an exhaust system, which is a problem. Also, the wok has a wooden handle and wooden helper handle. I already own _Breath of a Wok_, and have tried the Chive Method for carbon steel woks after scrubbing off all the old crap with a stainless steel scrubbie. I don't feel like it's really "seasoned" though - it just looks the same as before. I haven't cooked anything in it yet, as I just tried that yesterday. If that doesn't work, I might try the method recommended by Ben Hong.

My aunt gave me her old carbon steel wok yesterday, but it needs to be re-seasoned. Any suggestions on the best way to do this? I've seasoned woks with the Oven Method a la Grace Young, but this is rather time-consuming. Does anyone have a favorite or tried-and-true method? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I have the white balsamic vinegar from Trader Joe's, and it doesn't taste as strong as regular balsamic vinegar. It lacks that pungent tartness that is present in the regular. I like it - I use it mostly in salad dressings, when I want something a little "lighter". At TJ's, it's only about $1.50, so you can't really go wrong. It's good in marinades too, especially if you don't want to use your 50-yr old balsamic.

Thanks guys, I appreciate all your insights. I bought a 10.5" square pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron grill pan from the Chef's Catalog retail store here in Chicago for $17 (cheaper than ebay, even!). Anyway, I haven't tried it out yet, but I'm pretty excited about it! I still have to pick up a panini press - the one that I wanted at Chef's was sold out. In the meantime, I might try that foil-wrapped brick idea.

I love love love cassata cakes!! But you're right, I've only had them in Cleveland. Even here in Chicago, they're pretty rare. But when I went to college in Cleveland, there was nothing like a cassata cake from Little Italy on a hot summer night....yum! Does anyone have a recipe or know where to get one? I'd love to make one day, maybe this summer!! **Edited for spelling errors

I don't know if I'm too late for this thread, but I thought I'd add a quick word. FRESH FRUIT. I have battled recurrent cancer for longer than I want to think about, and have spent more time in and out of hospitals than a person should. People have brought me a generous array of goodies, from entire meatloaf dinners complete with mashed potatoes and green beans, to Chinese zong zi, sticky rice triangles stuffed with yummy things and wrapped in bamboo leaves, to Chicago-style hot dogs from Portillos. When I was alone in Boston for 8 weeks for my radiation treatments, the nurses smuggled me clam chowder and sourdough bread. But I will never forget the giant Tupperware of fresh fruit that my aunt brought me after surgery, when I was tired of heavy food and limp bland gray hospital food. It was a salad of melon, berries, tangerine segments, pineapple, kiwi, all sorts of things. The "freshness" was what I craved. It made me extremely happy, as happy as anyone can be in such a circumstance. Oh, and chocolate too, which can cure a number of illnesses. Trust me, I'm a doctor.

I've searched through the numerous cast iron and Le Creuset threads, but haven't really found the answer that I'm looking for. This is my dilemma: I live in a high-rise with no balcony. I love grilling, especially now that the weather is nice. I have a round non-stick All-Clad grill pan, but it's not really doing it for me. I don't feel like it gets HOT enough for a proper steak, and no grill marks either (I like grill marks). Also - I like panini. Love it actually, and the All Clad doesn't work well for panini. You're also not supposed to get it really hot, which might explain the absent grill marks. I have a few regular cast-iron skillets, but again, no grill marks. So. I was thinking. If I wanted BOTH steak and panini (though most likely not at the same time), would I be better off with: A. Regular cast iron grill pan (like Lodge) B. An enameled cast iron grill pan (like Le Creuset, which is awfully pretty and easier to clean, but does it get hot enough for a steak? Does it matter?) C. Just giving up and going to one of Chicago's wonderful steak houses or to Little Italy for panini All the while keeping in mind that I usually cook for one, do not have an exhaust system in my tiny apartment, and have a rather sensitive smoke-detector. Thanks!

Oh my, I don't want to face the alarming truth: 1. Plain generic white vinegar 2. Apple cider vinegar 3. Sherry vinegar 4. Champange vinegar - have never used this. The bottle still has the plastic wrap on it. 5. Rice wine vinegar 6. Chinese black vinegar that I smuggled back from Shanghai in my backpack. I love it on dumplings and shu-mai. 7. Red wine vinegar for salad dressings 8. Malt vinegar for fries - I love fries with malt vinegar. I picked this habit up in Cleveland during college. 9. Balsamic vinegar from Modena - purchased during recent trip to Rome 10. Balsamic vinegar from Whole Foods I think that's it. That's far too many for a single girl living in a studio apartment. Don't get me started on how many different oils I have. Oh, the shame!

I've tried to Penzey's Dutch Process and I really liked it. It has a darker, richer flavor and fragrance than the Droste. I only used it in cakes and cupcakes, never tried rolling truffles in it. I've never used Valrhona; I'd like to give it and the Scharffen Berger a try sometime. Is the Scharffen Berger natural cocoa considerably better than Hershey in baked goods? I'm kind of on a budget, and not ready for the big splurge unless it's a noticeably difference. Call me a big cheapo.

I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond, I think they were about $20 for four ramekins + a torch. With the 20% off flyer, the total is about $16.

HAHAHAHA!!! I hate hate hate "YUMMO"!!! Everytime I hear her say that, I get annoyed all over again and change the channel! I'm glad that someone else has noticed how incredibly annoying "yummo" is!

Just a word of warning re: cream cheese icing: While it is unlikely that an otherwise healthy person would become sick after eating cream cheese icing that has been at room temperature for some time, the risk is still a concern for immunocompromised people. For a normal person, all the sugar in the icing would most likely act as a slight preservative. However, for someone who's undergoing cancer treatment or has HIV, those low levels of "harmless" bacteria can be quite dangerous, even lethal. Just the doctor part of me breaking out. I'll get off my soapbox now.

I did the same thing! Only I sustained a ~1 cm laceration to the 1st digit and it was extremely painful! I used a serrated knife, but I guess I was tired and not paying attention, and then, OUCH!