Lisa Shock

I have an ice cream machine that is electric but just one step above hand-crank, it uses ice for cooling. I use my old ice to make ice cream.

Baconnaise (spelled various ways) has been a staple of many kitchens for a while now. Several companies sell it in jars. I believe that Fat has instructions on making it.

You don't have to dry it. Chile oil is easy to make, I've made it with New Mexico green chiles and several other green types. Each has its own character. I recall going on a huge jag of trying every pepper I could find and making everyone I knew chile oil gift sets in 1992. It was a lot of fun. The hard part was using all the oil up after a while. Take an oil that heats well, like peanut or safflower or canola and put it in a heavy pot like you're going to deep fry. Get the temp up to about 220°F and toss in a couple pepper that have been split open to expose the middle. Seeds are ok, you'll strain this anyway. Let the pepper 'simmer' in the oil for about 5 minutes at the same temp, then remove the pot from the flame and allow to cool. Strain, and place in jars when cool. Try to use within 6 months.

The compounds that are formed by the changes are known carcinogens.

I rarely have enough dirty dishes in one day for a load, I tend to wash the pans by hand as they get used, so, I add them piecemeal. This keeps the kitchen looking clean and my sink free and clear.

Oils can go rancid (microbial rancidity, oxidative rancidity, hydrolytic rancidity) long before the human nose is able to detect an off odor. I don't like to keep any ground nut/seed or oil longer than 6 months, even if sealed. And, I treat my opened oils with BHT to help prevent cross-linking -something I picked from reading Durk and Sandy in the early 80's.

I recently re-worked a consulting client's oven roasted potato recipe. Switching from tossing the cut potatoes in olive oil and table salt to tossing in canola oil and kosher salt made a huge difference in taste and texture -for the better.

I usually use canola or peanut oil to pop corn in my wok. I gave up on olive oils in all high heat applications after reading 'Is it time for an oil change?' by Harold McGee last year.

I always had problems with unpopped kernels with the paper bag method. For stovetop, I prefer to use my wok. I find that the shape is very useful as the popped corn moves upwards out of the oil and away from any danger of burning. The unpopped corn stays in the small base where it's hottest.

I currently don't own a microwave, but, previously tested a bunch of things and settled on the Presto PowerPop for the microwave. Yes, you need to buy concentrator discs, but, I've gotten up to ten uses from one disc. This device pops the corn plain and dry, with a result very much like a hot-air popper. I generally had fewer than ten unpopped kernels remain from making a full bowl of popcorn. I used it for over ten years, several times a week with no problems.

Traditional turtles rely on the chocolate creating a shell that retains the shape of the caramel. You need something closer to nougatine if the side edges will be exposed. Also, don't forget that sugar candies are sensitive to humidity.

She definitely needs some real guidelines in terms of actual maximum quantities of various nutrients permitted. The Merk Manual just says that protein in general, and sodium, should be restricted. So, I'd be super-cautious about loading up on tofu and beans, etc. since I suspect that protein overload from any source is dangerous to her. Getting enough protein is very easy on a vegetarian/vegan diet. Lots of foods contain protein -most American doctors only see protein deficiency diseases like Kwashiorkor in textbooks. I'd start with recommended amounts by weight and start cooking based on the numbers -with a kitchen scale. There are websites with nutritional info, as well as cookbook software like MasterCook, which allow you to analyze your recipes for a number of nutrients. Reducing sodium is easy, just start with basic ingredients like whole vegetables and grains, check their naturally occurring amounts of sodium and adjust recipes accordingly. Once again, a kitchen scale will be useful. Check ebay for one that measures to 0.01g.

Ok, I live far from there, so a tasting isn't possible. But, I own an ice cream machine and a blender, and an immersion blender...so, this goes into the future projects file!

As a vegetarian, I'd like to point out that swedish fish are not gummi candies. Gummis contain gelatin, swedish fish do not. There's a distinct textural difference. I always hated gummis, even before I went veg. Swedish fish are a candy I remember discovering and enjoying as a child.

I like them, originals and all the variants. The purple ones are very good, I wish they made bags of just the purple ones.

Look carefully at your computer/POS setup. You'll need more than an old-school cash register. You'll want a system that will track inventory as it's received then tally up what was consumed each day. You then do a physical check of bottles to see that the levels are in line with the days' sales. Out front, we did a small inventory of open bottles each day, checked a few specific things daily, and then randomly spot-checked 5-10 others so that employees had no idea what we'd look at on a given day. We'd also randomly sample a teaspoon from various bottles to make certain they weren't being watered down. Manager plus one employee signed off on it. In back, we did a quick inventory count each week of the top ten items plus some random things. Once again, random to keep everyone guessing. We also confirmed total inventory on an item when receiving shipments. Yes, you'll lose some inventory to spillage, legit comps, and the 'angels' share,' but, you can factor this into your pricing structure. On the plus side, you may, depending on the local laws, and generosity of distributors, get a fair amount of free inventory. Ask about deals like 'buy ten cases get one free,' free tasting bottles, and other promotions.

I suggest that you get a job as a bartender/barback just to get a real feel for all of the tiny daily details involved in actually working in a bar. This sort of experience is priceless and will help prepare you for procedural, staff, and equipment issues later on. Having been a wine-bar & liquor store manager, I can tell you that inventory control procedures are critical to profitability. One bartender comping lots of buddies, or a staff constantly downing shots, can sink you. Working in a place will also give you a feel for being on the other side of the counter. Just because you enjoy drinking and dining in bars doesn't necessarily mean you'll enjoy working in one. You'll face long hours: training staff, doing paperwork, maintaining equipment, dealing with government agencies, negotiating with suppliers, and a lot more unglamorous stuff.

How would it know what you're measuring? And if you're measuring something like flour that can be compressed, how would it know how you scoop / pack your cup? -Not to mention the fact that various commodities have very different weights. A cup of molasses weighs a lot more than the average cup of dry oregano.

From the standpoint of someone why used to manage one, it's ok with the staff as long as the kids are well behaved and respectful. Running around in the store, playing with bottles and general roughhousing are generally frowned upon for the safety of all.

For all the hype about owners who tweet and use FaceBook, the fact is there are a large number who are clueless about computers and the Internet. I have worked for owners who have never owned a home computer and can barely use Word. Trying to explain why we might want to listed in Google's local business database was a huge challenge. Trying to explain why the business' website sucked was impossible; they honestly thought the fact of having one took care of the situation completely and permanently. Of course it didn't help that the web designer was always gushing about how fabulous the page was, she was a professional and all the customers who complained about it simply didn't understand the industry.

I liked it before they added the gum. It used to be the only ice cream I liked because of the unique texture. I am old enough to remember the company before it was sold, back when each pint of strawberry had a large whole berry in the center of the carton. When I moved to Santa Fe in 1982, it wasn't available, so I didn't eat any commercial ice cream until I moved away in 1995 and had access to Breyer's. I am not fond of the new 'snappy' texture. (anyone recall the old Breyer's commercial where they talked about not using gums and had the sound effect of someone popping their chewing gum?) I recall buying some, noticing the texture change and then reading the label and discovering the gum in the ingredients list. I don't eat commercial ice cream any more. I make my own.

Honestly, a bowl of punch looks very attractive on the counter and can practically sell itself. I recently made one for an event that was essentially an un-aged, high-proof vin d'orange with rosè of tempranillo and it was very successful with a wonderful dark pink color. (I managed to infuse the spices and oranges in grain alcohol for a week prior to serving) And yes, aged cocktails are kind of trendy right now... Are you going to be dealing directly with people, or, will servers be talking to them? If it's you, then make up a list of easy things to serve and suggest them upfront when talking to people. Try to have one easy drink for each major type of liquor. Instead of saying "what's your poison?" open with "we've got a killer applejack in stock, if you're a whiskey drinker you'll like it, it's great straight up." If they decline, they'll probably state what type of liquor they like and you can quickly come back with your easy drink for it before they can name a complex cocktail. If you'll have servers, gather them beforehand and tell them the 'house specials' so they can help you by making suggestions to guests instead of just accepting orders from them. Aside from things served straight or on the rocks, I'd try to suggest easy non-shaken drinks like gin & tonic, amaretto and tonic, The Dead Date, cuba libre, screwdriver, etc.

Thanks! I'll get some of those blade guards, I'm always afraid that something will happen with the pizza knife.

I've got edge guards on mine and it hangs from two hooks on the end of a wire shelving unit. I tried it on two parallel magnetic knife bars but after bumping it once, while reaching for another blade, I put it in a more secure mount. It fell onto the butcher block counter and made a deep cut into it. The mag bars are fairly strong but this blade does not seem to cling to the magnets as others do. Is this one similar to yours? Yes! I call it my Bat'leth; it's the largest blade in the house. I have a cloth napkin over my blade because I couldn't figure out how to get a guard on it. I like your hook solution! At my current house I have more room for metro racks out in the former breakfast nook, now known as the test kitchen, and, a very small kitchen proper so less wall space. My old place had a lot of cabinets and lots of unused under-cabinet space above the counters so I liked using the magnets there. Anyway, as much as I love this tool and would never part with it except to replace it if it broke, it's a pain to store safely.

The inaccurately manufactured measuring spoons, cups, etc. are rarely mentioned in conversations regarding use of a kitchen scale. However, they are very commonly found and are still being sold in stores -in all sorts of odd variations. Most consumers don't realize just how inaccurate their equipment is or how much it varies from other people's equipment. We're not that far ahead of the days when recipes called for 'teacupfuls' when using volume measurements. The kitchen scale is the best measuring device to use, and weight-based recipes are the only accurate way to replicate results consistently. I wish that Recipe Gullet had guidelines requiring amounts be expressed as weight only.