RDCollins

I keep both my German and Japanese kitchen knives in a 22-slot Shun Knife Block. It's made of bamboo, a renewal resource, and all the slots except the steak knife slots are horizontal. It's big enough to hold a 300mm Gyuto and a 10" bread knife, as well as a Chinese cleaver. It's $90 from Amazon, no tax, free shipping. Here are some photos: Photo of My Knife Block Another Photo of My Knife Block

Thanks for the information -- very interesting.

Which is why I said "or actually Jack Daniels." But the flavor provides are roughly the same regardless of what it's called.

My thoughts, too. I went with Bourbon, or actually Jack Daniels. The only Bourbon in the house is A.H. Hirsch 16-Year-Old Reserve and the only Cognac is an unopened bottle of Remy Martin XO, both of which run about $5 a tablespoon these days, so I thought Jack was the wiser choice. Proved to be a good move -- I tasted the marinade and the booze is hardly evident with the mustard, garlic, and lemon.

Yes, or at least that's so on the Pro 600. The gears and the gearbox are all metal, according to KA. In addition, the transmission is direct-drive, and there is new commercial-style motor protection to prevent overheating and burnout. I also seem to recall that there's an electronic speed control that helps the mixer maintain a constant speed at any setting. KA Pro 600 Features

Ordered mine on 3/17, it arrived 3/19/09. Great service!

I'm making a recipe for beef steak that's cut into small bite-sized pieces, marinated, and sauteed in a hearty sauce containing red wine, Dijon, garlic, etc. It calls for 1 tablespoon of brandy in the marinade. I'm out of brandy but I have just about every other common liquor in the house -- several varies of rum, Jack Daniels, Scotch, gin, vodka, etc. What would you suggest?

Drive about 5 minutes south to Venice and find Lula's. Very authentic with different regions of Mexico represented. Everything is good, but I always order the tamale sampler and margaritas.

On March 1, 2009, Cook's Illustrated issued a report on vanilla extract. They rated the brands listed below, and declared McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract as the overall winner, noting its "strong flavor and sweet undertone." They also cited the following tasters' comments about McCormick's: "This vanilla won top praise for being 'strong,' 'rich,' and 'spicy,' with a 'sweet undertone.' It had 'clear vanilla flavor with nice balance' and notes of 'dried fruit,' 'caramel,' and 'chocolate,' 'like Kahlúa or Bailey’s.' In pudding, it was deemed 'a step above,' with an extremely 'pleasing finish.'" Adams Pure Vanilla Extract CF Sauer Co. Gold Medal Imitation Vanilla Extract CF Sauer Co. Pure Vanilla Extract Durkee Imitation Vanilla Flavor Durkee Pure Vanilla Extract McCormick Gourmet Collection Organic Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract McCormick Premium Imitation Vanilla Extract McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract Morton & Bassett Pure Vanilla Extract Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract

My guess is that their sales have declined in this bad economy. A Thermapen isn't exactly a necessity, and most folks are really tight with a buck these days.

Very interesting. Thank you again.

Could be the color of the glass bottle, too, and the lighting in the store could affect the apparent color in your photo. It certainly looks different in the photo on this site: http://www.famousfoods.com/rarayexviolo.html

I also recommend these from Marcia Adams: Cooking From Quilt Country New Recipes from Quilt Country Heirloom Recipes

Or a Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table gift certificate since she reportedly likes "kitchen stuff."

Koki says "Previous picture's above one and below one has same Kanji Engraving. (Person's name "TAKAHISA" in Kanji)" By that I assume Koki means the the top and bottom knives in the photo of my knives. Anyone know who Takahisa is?