FrogPrincesse

Thanks. I looked at eBay and other resale sites but haven’t found what I am looking for. I will check out Calphalon.

Well, some cheeses are sold whole, so they cannot easily give you a sample.

You are welcome. These can be hard to find, especially in good condition. It’s all about proper storage and affinage. French goat cheeses I have bought at cheese shops in my area haven’t been up to par, sadly. Ask for a sample first if they will give you one.

Hi everyone, I am in the market for a small pot (1 - 1.5 quart size max) to replace a very old revere. I have 2- and 3-quart all clad mc2 sauciers that I really love and am looking for something similar, just smaller. All clad discontinued the mc2 line and I don’t really see what I am looking for in the new lines. misen has this 1.5 qt pot that looks pretty good (although pricey at $99). Is this brand any good and is the design with a lip actually helpful? Any recommendations? I would use this pot mostly to reheat leftovers, make small batches of rice or lentil, or make sauces (beurre blanc and the likes). I don’t need something that is induction compatible (my cooktop is electric, glass-top). I wash pots by hand but having something that could go in the dishwasher would be nice.

Have you gotten more than in box with the incorrect product inside, or is this a single isolated instance? Errors are rare but can happen, and it doesn’t mean that the product has changed. My new design box (bought at Trader Joe’s) has exactly the same product as the old box. Link to an article about the box redesign 2 years ago.

@KennethT Does one have to choose? I love Valencay; the texture and tangy flavor are just perfect in my opinion, and the shape is striking. But I spent many weekends and summers in the area where Selles-sur-Cher is produced and used to buy it directly from a very small farm where I could see the small herd of goats who produced the milk, so it has a special place for me! Note that these 2 places are only 15 minutes from each other.

Tough one. I love goat cheese so I’d probably start with crottin de chavignol (fresh or aged, it’s wonderful with a glass of Sancerre). Humboldt Fog is nice but its inspiration, Valencay, knocks it out of the water. Also a good Pouligny-Saint-Pierre which has a truncated pyramid shape like Valencay, but without the ash. And a Selles-sur-Cher to rounds things off. It would be nice to have a couple of sheep cheeses too, Corsican brin d’amour or fleur du maquis with dried herbs, and maybe a really fine fiore sardo (a type of pecorino). This is making me SO hungry. Lastly I am adding a Mont d’Or so I can have some cow milk-based cheese in my selection.

I got Why I Cook, Tom Colicchio’s new book, from the library and have been enjoying it very much, not for the recipes (which don’t speak to me the way the ones from Think Like a Chef do), but for the autobiography. Very nice read.

Sure! There is Wayfarer in Birdrock (limited opening hours and frequent lines, but their baguettes are really nice). Con Pane in Point Loma is also quite good. Unfortunately my favorite bakery, Wildwood Flour on Garnet avenue, shut down at the end of last year after their landlord significantly increased their rent. See discussion here:

I do not recommend the bresaola. It has an off-flavor that is unpleasant.

The new package has a reclosable tab. I don't see how it's inferior to the old design. Maybe I am missing something.

The cheesy herby biscuits which are sold frozen are pretty good.

Same around here. The best / meatiest and also cheapest oxtail can be found at the Mexican supermarket, about $9 / lb vs. double at the butcher shop where they tend to be very small.

As mentioned upthread, I have both box designs and the contents are the same.

@rotuts It does taste very similar. I couldn't do a side by side because they stopped selling the fresh version months ago.

Trader Joe’s has corned beef for St. Patrick’s day. I decided to cook it sous vide (80C, 10 hours - following the recommendation from Serious Eats/ Kenji). We shall see the result tomorrow.

An old favorite, the salsa verde / tomatillo salsa! It disappeared from the refrigerated section a few months ago, but I found the shelf-stable version next to the tortilla chips and it’s essentially the same thing.

Very odd. I have had boxes of Diamond Crystal kosher salt with the old and new designs, but the salt inside was the same and had a flaky texture.

I really like that TJ’s mustard. It’s delicious and not overly garlicky. Works great in sandwiches!

Sprinkle water on the surface, wrap in foil, warm up in the oven, eat immediately (it will harden again eventually).

A long braise, or in the instant pot.

Nice to see Bread & Cie make an appearance! They are one of the reasons I have “survived” all these years in the US . I don’t know if you are familiar with their history. They celebrated the 30th year of the bakery last year. There are more bakery options these days, but they were bread pioneers in San Diego, for sure. I am sharing here if you would like to learn more! https://breadandcie.com/about-us/an-interview-with-our-founder/

Thank you! They were.

I just wanted to report pita baking success (on a first time attempt) following this recipe from Ali Stafford. She has detailed pictures and a video linked in her blog which I found helpful. I followed her recipe to a T, with minor changes as follows: increased batch size by 50% (from 6 to 9 pitas), rolled the pitas directly to parchment paper (much easier than trying to transfer once rolled), oven temperature set at 500F (max oven temperature) instead of 550F, used 2 nested half sheet pans as I don't have a baking steel, and increased the baking time by a few minutes until "done". Very happy with the results!

I paid $14 today for a dozen free range eggs from a local farm.