annabelle

You cannot substitute agar (sold as agar-agar) in equal amounts with gelatin. Agar has a higher melting point than gelatin and is stable at room temperature. I'd research some vegetarian dessert books for helpful tips. It is often used in Indian desserts, so that may be a starting place.

In an apocalyptic moment, tonight's episode of "Chopped" will feature a Rachael Ray versus Guy Fierri battle. While it promises to be hacktastic, I'm going to skip it.

A lot of these kinds of jobs are filled by nepotism. That's not to say that all inspectors are inept, but it casts a shadow over the honest. Keller is notorious for being a stickler about hygiene. I'll wager there is more to this story.

Super glue is your friend, Darienne.

I love shad roe. I haven't had it in ages. Great pics, everyone!

Amen on the deep fryers. I have two dead fryers in the garage and a newish not dead one in the kitchen.

I've had good luck with my purchases over the last 40 years. I am still using a set of pots and pans that I purchased when I was 18 from a custom kitchen store. They were made in Norway and I've long forgotten the brand name. A few years ago, I also got a set of All-Clad pots and pans as a gift, and we have a huge collection of Lodge cast iron. Out of all those, I've lost a Dutch oven (Lodge) that exploded on the stovetop and a saucepan from the Nordic set that had the handle come off and I couldn't get it repaired. Oh! And a wok pan and whistling tea kettle that I just wore out. Electric appliances just wear out. I'm on my third food processor in 35 years, but I still have my original KitchenAid mixer. Toasters and coffee pots don't seem to last long; 5-7 years maybe. My cutting boards are old Boos Block boards that I've had for 25 years or more and they are still in good shape. I clean them after each use and oil them quarterly. Knives. I have enough to start a surgery. Some are sentimental (FIL was a butcher) and the others are workhorses. Bamboo utensils are disposable, as are plastic and rubber spatulas. By disposable, I mean you don't buy them and expect to pass them on to the grandchildren. Like Porthos, I have a utensil forest. I am fond of my tongs and will miss them when they give up the ghost, but there are more at the store. The most recurring expense I have are tea towels and pot holders. I stain them with sauces and burn them with oven racks. My favorite apron is older than my youngest child and looks like it's never been washed because of the stains, but I love it. I have several others, but I don't like them and don't use them.

Sam's Club even has the bottled water with a sports bottle cap that you just pat closed instead of removing, for about the same price. We have well water and I don't care for it, so I buy a lot of bottled water in the gallon jugs.

I can buy Spring water, Nursery water (for preparing baby formula) and Distilled water at Walmart for $.89 to $.98 a gallon. Ozarka drinking water is about $1.10 a gallon. I can get a pallet of 36 liter bottles of Drinking water for less than $5 there, as well. I buy these for my son to take to wrestling and track practice.

Bottled water costs $.89 a gallon. Where are you folks shopping?

Pa-prika. I say 'erbal, too.

Who even heard of mascarpone or chipotle fifteen or twenty years ago (speaking as an adventurous homecook, I knew but many do not)? Now ever contestant on Chopped and every host on Food Network is whipping out the Mars-capone and the chip-polt-ee like they were everyday ingredients like cream cheese or paprika.

Those wormie things are the pantry moths, rotuts. I had them on my kitchen ceiling, too, before I got a new crop of moths last summer.

With biscuits. It's a very hearty soup and a sandwich wouldn't be done justice.

I'm making a beef and noodle soup today. I found a small chuck roast in the freezer and inspiration struck.

I was living in Wyomissing when I first heard THANKSgiving from my Dutchy in-laws.

I always find it amusing to listen to non-native speakers butcher the language, whatever that language may be, while trying to instruct us about technique. Emeril is a scream when he is telling us how to make some Creole classic, all while yacking away in broad Falls River, MA accent. It's even better when he has a guest with an impenetrable Southern accent.

Eastern PA? Maybe it's regional.

Caramel is pronounced "carmel" depending on what part of the country you are from. West Coast and the Plains States, in particular. It took me years to get used to ThanksGIVING being pronounced as THANKSgiving when I moved back East. In fact, I still cringe. It's like being as if you'd like "a cawfee" instead of coffee. I totally agree about mascarpone and chipotle being mispronounced as a bridge too far.

Nevermind.

Chefessay, how long is this research paper to be? As many others have said, you need to narrow your scope or you'll end up with a three volume set not a research paper. I will toss in Rick Bayless as my contribution as an important/influential chef.

This sounds interesting, Andie. I have a number of books about American food that discuss the various foods eaten from the times of the Pilgrims to the advent of refrigeration. This sounds like a good one to investigate.

Whole lotta "ifs" and "mights" in that article.

It sounds as if there isn't much white pepper privilege in this crowd. ; )

I've done panade with both fresh and stale bread. Just wring out the milk or water that you soak the crumbs in and you're good to go.