Jaymes

You know, that hot water feature seemed a little silly to me at first. But we use it constantly. Hot water for baby cereal & formula, instant soups & oatmeal & Ramen and hot cocoa, anytime we're cooking a big pot of something like pasta where the first thing you do is to bring the water to a boil... It's amazing how quickly I got over thinking it was silly and decided that maybe it was an extremely good idea!

Pour it over flan. Pour it over ice cream. Pour it into a cup of hot decaf coffee. Pour it over 'rocks' and then into you. Really, the uses for Kahlua are endless.

My daughter & SIL have a filter on the fridge, so that ice and water taste fine. They also have the distilled water dispenser, which is where they get the water for their little children. The Arrowhead guy comes once a month with those big water-bottle refills. The dispenser is plugged in, so there's always steaming hot water available, too, a feature that my SIL particularly appreciates as my daughter and I like our coffee really strong. We make it strong, and then SIL gets a couple of shots of hot water to dilute his a bit, without cooling it off. But that's not practical for me, so I do have the Britta pitcher in the fridge. We're in Houston, which is really close to the Gulf and I think the water table here affects our tap water. The overall taste is pretty bad, and the chlorine taste is strong. I've never bothered with a filter anywhere else, but here I have one so that my coffee and soups and anything else with a high water content taste better. I don't mind the cold water in the fridge. If I'm cooking with it, I heat it up. And if I'm just drinking water, I want it to be cold anyway.

I use a strainer, such as this http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=LJhMMnNwgVWTjM&tbnid=U043Zx2xvQXFnM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.culinarykitchenware.com%2Fstainless-steel-strainer-double-mesh.html&ei=Eud3Up33OOrliALf5IDABg&psig=AFQjCNHcpVxfOd-rvsF2WKd49d6oh9_TAA&ust=1383676050973946 set over a pot of water or stock, and then place a lid over it. I've tried that, but the pot lid doesn't settle in tightly. These little gizmos are really handy. If you don't have one, I'd highly recommend you get one. Although I know you don't really like buying new stuff... http://www.amazon.com/Amco-Collapsible-Steamer-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000Q4N2LO Hell, maybe I'll send you one.

The reviews look great. Think I might have to get one of these. My wife bought one. It is a PITA to get clean. I won't use it. I've not found it to be at all difficult to clean ... just some hot, soapy water and a good faucet stream, and Bob's your uncle. Well, I've ordered it. I love onions but hate chopping them, so I'm looking forward to getting it. As for cleaning, I'm hopeful I can just stick it in the dishwasher.

The reviews look great. Think I might have to get one of these.

I'd like to know how it turned out, Shel_B. Did you take any photos? Got any tips for next year? Did you buy one of those "pumpkin carving sets"? How did they work? Would you recommend them?

Hey, I have a Slap Chop, too. I really like it. Very functional. In fact, it sells itself. .

Seriously? Boy have I been doing it wrong for 40 years. My niece told me never to reheat rice, that it could be poisonous, but while she's a lovely girl she tends to be rather, um, flaky is the kind word, when it comes to facts, science, etc. I owe her a mental apology. I really like having leftover rice around. I live by myself and cooking up just a small portion isn't convenient. But, I always get it into the fridge right away. And frankly, usually even into the freezer. To reheat, since I have a microwave, that does work. But my favorite method is just to pour boiling water over it. That heats and hydrates it just fine.

I use one of those little collapsible stainless steel steamer gizmos. If you don't have one, or a bamboo steamer, which I assume you don't or you probably wouldn't be asking, then use a colander set in a large pot with a good lid.

Loved this response on Hugh A's blog: "Wow. Eddie H has a law degree. And two felony convictions. And the thing he seems to be proudest of is the two felony convictions? What a comment on our society. But, the two felony convictions do make me happy. Let's hope he gets a third and gets locked away somewhere. Then perhaps we won't ever have to hear from him again, until they do a Top Chef 'Sandwiches in a Prison Kitchen' episode."

I lived in Asia for a time - Hong Kong and the Philippines - and at one point had a particularly tasty fried rice dish. I asked the cook about it but she spoke no English, only Thai. My dining companion was Thai and she engaged the cook in a chat about the dish. Finally, after they finished talking, my friend began explaining the dish to me. She went through the usual list of ingredients and then she said, "And you have to add American-style ketchup. That's what makes it Thai." I swear to you this conversation happened, some forty years ago, between two native Thai, in Hong Kong.

Saw this earlier. Didn't click on it. Just did. Boy am I happy to be giggling over bits like this: "They arrive at Dong Phuong for some baked goods and Banh Mi. Eddie Huang (Chinese ancestry) from NYC via the Florida suburbs, seems to be an expert in Vietnamese cooking."

When I want plenty of chile flavor and not so much heat, I either use a variety that doesn't carry much heat in the first place, or I do remove the veins wherein lies the capsaisin that produces the heat. Since my table salsa gets consumed by children, I'll often roast about a dozen jalapenos, remove the seeds and veins, toss them into the food processor. A little bit of kick, but not much. And plenty of chile flavor. Then I'll roast and add a couple of habaneros and maybe a serrano or two into a second batch for the grownups. I note the OP is a Dane living in London. I, too, wonder which chiles he's using, and are they fresh, dried, smoked, tinned...and what sort of dishes he's creating...Indian, Thai, Mexican, Korean? I love those little bags of dried red peppers that I get in the Asian supermarkets. Put them into things like bulgogi, etc. As pbear says, it would be helpful to know what the OP is working with, and towards.

And, do the best you can to learn about the fruits and vegetables you regularly purchase. You can't always eliminate these issues, like PV said, but knowing how to select the best vegetables from the bin goes a long way.

Can't add much, but I would advise you to get a good guide to chiles. Online is probably easiest, but there are good books out there. Be sure that the guide you use includes the Scoville rating (heat) of each chile, as well as suggested ways to use that particular chile to best advantage. One rule of thumb that has served me well is that when it comes to chiles, size matters. Generally speaking, the smaller, the hotter. Big bell peppers, for example, are very mild. Jalapenos are average heat. Little serranos are hotter. I don't think there is any sort of exact "tried and true" method when it comes to adding chiles. Or if there is, I sure haven't found it. It's just a matter of experimenting and discovering what you like, and even then, you can't count on it. I've grown chile peppers and often the heat levels vary considerably, even with chiles from the same plant. They're organic, after all, so nothing regarding them is an exact science. My method is to add the smallest amount that I think is appropriate, and then taste and add and taste and add. As many times as I've made my table salsa, and I'm sure it numbers in the thousands, I never just count the peppers and add. I will say that I think you can "smell" heat. If I have any doubt as to how hot a chile is, I do smell it. Chile powders seem more uniform, and they are, but even they can vary. I've bought 100% New Mexico Red Chile Powder (a personal favorite) that definitely was hotter or milder than previous packets or jars of what was supposed to be the exact same stuff.

Well, there you go. Said I don't know much about it, other than that it's sweet, and that doesn't appeal to me. However, should add that I've never had it and, if I know me, I'd probably like it just fine at "Skyline," with heaps of cheese and onions. ..... Heh. Well, take a look at this. Golly. I might need to take a trip to Cincinnati. Just for, um, research, um, purposes. Don't base a decision to try Skyline Chili on the pictures! It looks good but it's taste is uninspiring to say the least. It's hard for someone who really likes chili to even call it chili. It has no heat to it whatsoever, is slightly sweet and it's hard to describe its overall flavor. Besides serving on top of spaghetti noodles?? Only if you add enough onions and cheese is that even edible IMO. When we moved to Louisville everybody kept saying that I had to try it so I did, one time. If you like it chili you certainly won't like it and it's definitely not worth going out of your way to try. Your description makes it sound a lot like a Sloppy Joe, only served over spaghetti, rather than on a bun. I suppose when I try it, I'd be better off to have "Sloppy Joe" in mind, rather than "chili"? Sounds like I'd be much less likely to be disappointed.

I like the idea of a hot or cold smooth soup that can be served from a pitcher, into cups or mugs, without spoons. Or, best of all, shot glasses. Along with the platters of picnic-type cheeses, antipasti, etc. And Franci's suggestion of panini would fit in nicely. Get a small panini grill, or George Foreman-type grill, which you'll be able to put to good use in your small kitchen after the party. It's also a grand idea to see if you can enlist the kitchen, fridge, etc., of a neighbor. If not, how about getting a cooler and setting it out on the balcony if you have one or, if you don't, in a bedroom or something to chill foods, wines, drinks.

A life well-lived with food, friends, travel, words, love. A death quick with no pain or suffering. It is all that can be wished for our time here on Earth. Godspeed.

Well, there you go. Said I don't know much about it, other than that it's sweet, and that doesn't appeal to me. However, should add that I've never had it and, if I know me, I'd probably like it just fine at "Skyline," with heaps of cheese and onions. ..... Heh. Well, take a look at this. Golly. I might need to take a trip to Cincinnati. Just for, um, research, um, purposes.

Well, I really recommend that you give that previous Christmas Cookies thread (the one to which I linked) a very good going over. I defy anyone to read it and not get inspired.

Well, there you go. Said I don't know much about it, other than that it's sweet, and that doesn't appeal to me. However, should add that I've never had it and, if I know me, I'd probably like it just fine at "Skyline," with heaps of cheese and onions. There are not many things in this world that I don't like. Unfortunately. As for the spices, and sweet... Obviously, not everything to which you add cloves, cinnamon, etc., is sweet. I sure do love Stifado, a Greek beef & onion stew, which adds those sorts of spices, and which is not a sweet dish. But the sweet chilies that I have had (like that which my Missouri neighbor made) did have those sorts of spices added. Chili cook-offs are very popular in Texas and all sorts of folks add all sorts of mysterious and secret ingredients in an effort to outdo their opponents. With varying degrees of success.

I've never been a fan of sweet chili. I think Cincinnati chili is sweet, and served over rice - but, since it's not something appealing to me, haven't done enough research/investigation into Cincinnati chili to really know. When we lived in Missouri, I had a neighbor that loved her chili (as do we all, I guess), and she brought some over to us every time she made it. It was sweet, and we didn't like it, so we put it down the kitchen sink. I did initially try to fix it, but couldn't. However, I do put a small wedge of Mexican chocolate (the kind they sell to make hot chocolate, like Abuelita or Ibarra) in my chili. It's got a bit of cinnamon in it, in addition to the chocolate and sugar. I don't put much of it in, though, just a small chunk into a big soup pot. It's very hard to detect, unless you're specifically tasting for it. I definitely don't think anyone would call my chili "sweet." At least, nobody ever has.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner in the US, that can only mean that Christmas isn't far behind. So, I'm starting to think about this year's Christmas Cookie list - what to make, what to keep, what to give away...what to start right now (rum balls). And I come to eG to peruse one of my very favorite threads of all time: Christmas Cookies. http://forums.egulle...istmas-cookies/ Anyone else beginning your Christmas Cookie musings?

Right. A chocolate-pecan pie isn't really the place to start. I'm considering trying a chocolate-pecan pie this year, in addition to the regular pecan pie, and as a variation - a change of pace. But it just ain't a celebration in the South without a Traditional Pecan Pie. Regarding the "corn-syrup-free" thing... Pecan pies traditionally call for regular ol' corn syrup; NOT the high-fructose corn syrup (a commercial product) that is the current bugaboo. In fact, I find it very odd that the recipe to which you linked, although clearly aimed at the home cook, mentions leaving out "high-fructose corn syrup," which, I personally, have never seen a home cook use. And I cannot imagine a recipe for a homemade pecan pie that would call for 1 cup high-fructose corn syrup. That makes me suspicious that (in this one instance, anyway) Eddy didn't know what he was talking about. And, although I think Blue Ribbon or Steen's Cane Syrup is preferable, it's still all sugar.