lemniscate

@Smithy I've always handwashed. The pans are very easy to clean. For some reason I never even considered using the dishwasher for it.

We call it Combat Christmas. I've never heard the Dirty Santa version. "Stealing" the desirable gifts is good fun, but we try to use ridiculous items peppered in for that White Elephant feeling.

I was going to suggest the Burrito Pop, but it's sold out. Maybe something like the SubSafe (eG-friendly Amazon.com link), which sounds ridiculous, but may actually be useful. And it's expandable😃!

Those prices are really reasonable for that neighborhood! Thanks.

If you're still around in north-ish Scottsdale, check out Cafe Paris for breakfast/lunch; great crepes and sandwiches. If you're are early enough the croissants are supposed to be stellar (I'm not much on croissants myself). I love their ratatouille.

I needed an emergency birthday cake this week. A last minute request. No time for actual shopping so went on a pantry scavenger hunt. I found in my freezer this package of pan di spagna that I remembered I picked up for super cheap clearance. I also found frozen lime curd. I had the last few tablespoons of raspberry jam in the fridge. Thawed it all and assembled with layers of curd and jam. Still didn't look right. In the very back of the pantry was a package of Jell-O cheesecake flavored pudding mix. I made it in the blender with extra liquid and it turned into a nice sauce to drizzle over the cake. No pics due to panic timing, but it sure did the trick. The cheesecake sauce was surprisingly the thing people commented on the most. They loved it. I only wish I had some fresh strawberries or blueberries to feel it was a finished product.

I use my A4Box as a patio cooker, sit outside with a cocktail and cook my dinner, everything from sablefish to frozen Asian dumplings. The deep bowl accessory is great for shabu shabu or soup or steaming vegs. I used the pancake accessory for just that, small pancakes, but very infrequently. I have used the takoyaki accessory for meatballs and egg bites I have frequently taken my A4 on roadtrip vacations for cooking on the road. I have not found a downside to owning the A4 for our lifestyle.

In our kraut related family knowledge, the best kraut was made after the first frost hit the cabbage. It made them sweeter and fermented better. Also Penn State: The best sauerkraut is made from cabbage that is harvested after frost. Cool weather increases the production of natural sugars in the cabbage that are needed for fermentation. It is best to wait until the first frost to make your sauerkraut.

I have only been there in the morning. I have been told in the evenings the place gets crowded and annoying.

My tradition started with a couple Bloody Marys at The Coach House, on Black Friday @ 8am. It's a dive bar, tourist trap, dripping with Christmas lights, right in Old Town Scottsdale. I started doing my Black Friday shopping from this place maybe 10-12 years ago when the apps became easy to use. Drink and shop. This year I did 0 online purchases, just sat and enjoyed the early morning people watching at the outdoor table. Then a coney island/diner breakfast, pork loin and eggs. Yesterday, we did a trek to 6000 ft to get our Christmas tree, which then sits on the patio draped in many strings of lights. We found one right away in our usual spot. I packed a small lunch of sandwiches and olives/pickles/fruit. We shared an excellent bottle of Surly Darkness 2021 vintage. Got back at a very reasonable hour to set the tree in the stand. Tonight we may string the lights, maybe. The weather here has been in the high 70F's/80F's. True SW holiday temps. Lots of outdoor events to attend (or not)). People selling tamales at intersections are increasing exponentially. That's the start of the season for my locale. *also, a small glass of egg nog is accompanying my coffee each morning.

I started early for AMZ BF deals. A relative needs a new slow cooker, but prefers manual controls. The Crock Pot brand 7 qt (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) is maybe a bit larger than needed but the price and controls were right. $24.99.

Yes, I just used whole eggs in the same number as the requested yolks. I hate leftover egg whites, so I yolo'd it and it worked out for me in the end product. My nog will separate over (long)time and I just shake it to remix.

I think my method of using the whole eggs in the recipe keeps it pourable. I'm sipping some of my vintage stock right now and it's a bit thinner than melted ice cream in consistency.

If you are open to cake baking, I can personally vouch for Munavalgekook to use up egg whites. Not an angel food cake at all.

All the frying pans I have seen at IKEA recently are "cooktop agnostic" meaning induction ready. They range in price for $4.99 to $80 depending on size and materials. I have had pretty good results with the mid price pans on all my cooktops, induction and traditional.

Some pools in the Northern Hemisphere are still usable, but my outdoor gym one is closing this week for the season. Those hand pies look amazing, great job. I want to do a strawberry rhubarb version, but may have to wait until the next holiday. We are having bison oxtail soup and assorted sides for Thanksgiving. Can't exactly remember how we came to that meal conclusion, but we are going with it. Apple gateau for dessert (Trader Joe's version). We actually may go to the mountains to harvest the tree also, if weather permits.

I use older leftover stock as the liquid for new stock all the time in my IP. I haven't noticed a downside. I cook my bones(and fat, skin, trimmings) for a very long time also, I do 2x 4 hour IP settings (240 min is the up limit of the IP timer). I like stock I end up with. I also just sieve it, I don't clarify.

I asked an AI (Grok) to research for me and that's where I got my process I used. Here's the description from Grok. Here are generalized instructions for some of the methods to reduce tannic flavor in juice: 1. Clarification with Gelatin Materials: Freshly pressed juice Gelatin (food-grade, unflavored) Thermometer Stirring spoon Filtering equipment (fine mesh or cheesecloth) Steps: Prepare Gelatin: Dissolve gelatin in a small amount of warm water (1 tablespoon of gelatin to 1 cup of water). Let it bloom for about 5 minutes, then gently heat to dissolve completely. Mix with Juice: Once cooled, mix the gelatin solution into the juice at a rate of about 1-2 grams of gelatin per liter of juice. Stir thoroughly. Allow to Settle: Let the mixture sit for several hours or overnight in a refrigerator to allow tannins to bind with the gelatin. Filter: Use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to filter out the gelatin-tannin complex. You might need to do this multiple times for clarity.

Came home to about 50lbs of pomegranates on my doorstep from a neighbor. My shrub didn't produce this year. Neighbor always just tosses the fruit away, but I think they remembered I do use mine when I get fruit. Unexpected, and needed to get on it to process them. About 10 lbs weren't usable for my purposes and I cut them open for the birds to eat. About 10 lbs were seeded for the pips and dehydrated. That's literally about a quart of dried pips at the end of the process. I eat these out of hand or toss them in salads/slaw/cereal for sweet crunch. The rest were juiced. The juice was super tannic. Not pleasant. I found a trick using gelatin to pull the tannins out of the juice and it worked. Juice is now drinkable, but tart. May sweeten it, but haven't decided. I got almost 3 qts of usable juice.

I do. In the fridge. Kept it until it was gone. Many margaritas.

I've made this Superjuice using the whole lime (I don't bother to zest limes due to thinness of peel) and it's really good and keeps forever. The only trick is getting citric and malic acid, easy for me via Amazon here. Not sure about Japan. A good knife and strong blender is really the only equipment needed.

When Vivian's cookbook was all the rage, I decided to try pickled mustard seeds. I used a 2 quart jar and bought yellow and brown seeds cheap. I never used them for the accessory to cuisine they were intended for. The jar was stuck to a forgotten corner of the fridge. Every once in a while I would skim off some of the vinegar for dressings and condiments and then back fill with whatever jar of pickle juice/pepperoncini/brine that was hanging out. The level of the seeds never changed. Many, many months of indifference went into this endeavor. I finally just last week got tired of the un-use of the contents. I wanted horseradish mustard. I bought a small jar of cheap horseradish and put everything in the Blendtec and turned it on until I like the consistency. Somehow it is just the right amount of heat and tang. I now have some of the best horseradish deli mustard I have ever had. Now I know it will get used. And I shared some small jars around. It was all kind of accidental.

Mine does thicken but it was still pourable. It does separate a bit if you leave it long enough and a shake fixes it. I have some that was made a couple years ago and it's really, really good and mellow. I also use whole eggs in my version, which probably makes it more liquid overall.

Let it age. It's worth the wait. The burn goes away and the creaminess dominates.

I mainly dehydrate mushrooms (when there's a really good sale), lemon slices (I have a backyard tree) and pomegranates (also in backyard). Lemon slices are for tea steeping or infusing cocktails. Pomegranates are for anardana and eating like raisins or on top of salads. Mushrooms for adding to soups/stew/gravies. One or two large batches of beef jerky a year. That's about it so far, and the use is very seasonal based on backyard fruit. I guess I don't really "cook" with my dehydrates much.