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?

Thanks for the information. Check this link: http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/RyusenDa...ingService.html Does the kanji on THIS KNIFE mean Hattori?

Try changing the battery.

Great information! Thanks. BTW, World Knives is now sold out of the knife.

Thanks. Chris from World Knives said he'll contact Hattori and let me know what they say.

You've peaked my curiosity, and I will check further with World Knives. But I'd appreciate it if you would check with the dealer in Japan, too. I'll let you know what he says. In any case, they are excellent knives. I've taken a closeups photo of the kanji on my three knives -- here are the links: KNIVES and KANJI The top one is the 270mm Gyuto and the bottom is the 170mm Santuko, both of which have the same kanji, and in the middle is the 240mm Gyuto with different kanji. 'Tis a mystery wrapped in a conundrum!

It's my understanding that all of Hattori's HD series knives are actually made by a subcontractor, Ryusen in Takefu City, a very high-end manufacturer, which may explain the different kanji on these knives. I have older Hattori kitchen knives (a 270mm Gyuto and a 170mm Santuko) that have yet a third version of kanji written on them. Two of my non-kitchen Hattori knives (a hunting knife and a boot knife) simply say Hattori with no kanji characters at all, and two others (a limited-edition hunting knife and a folding knife) have the word Hattori and a little square with what appear to be 4 Chinese characters inside. So, I'm not sure that there's much significance in the characters on the knives as Ichiro Hattori is not consistent in what he puts on his knives. Of course, it would help if I could read Chinese!

World Knives has the highly regarded Hattori HD Damascus 240mm (9½-inch blade) Guyto chef's knife on sale for $167.95 plus $5.95 shipping and insurance, no tax outside of Washington State. The regular price for this knife from World Knives is $205.95; the lowest price I've found elsewhere is $184.99, although few dealers have any in stock. The only catch is that you have to join World Knife's Gold Club to get the sale price. Membership is free, and there are no obligations other than giving them your e-mail address so they can send you messages regarding their monthly specials for club members. It's a good outfit -- I've bought many knives from them over the last few years and never had a problem. (Note -- the Gold Club link may not work until you join.) My knife arrived a couple of days ago, and I'm extremely happy with it. Here it is: Photo p.s. -- I have no connection with World Knives; I'm just a satisfied customer of theirs.

Yeah, yeah yeah! The French Laundry is SOOOOOO cool! Bull! The service is arrogant and rushed, the room stark, the portions miniscule, the prices unjustified (especially the wine list), and some of the dishes are best described as "interesting!" It's so odd to watch the hype perpetuate itself.

This is by far the very best I've ever had -- and they're simple to make: BUTTERMILK WAFFLES 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled) 1 1/3 tablespoons sugar 1/3 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup flour 1/4 cup additional buttermilk (if needed) 1. Beat eggs in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. 2. Add buttermilk and mix well 3. Add melted butter and mix well. 4. Add sugar and salt and mix well. 5. Add baking soda and baking powder and mix until just blended in. 6. Add flour and mix until just smooth; do not over beat. 7. If batter seems rather thick, add a little more buttermilk to thin it. 8. Bake in hot waffle iron until crisp and golden. 9. Serve with warm maple syrup and strawberries, if desired. Note: Make sure the waffle iron is HOT!

Buttermilk Waffles Serves 2 as Main Dish. This is simply the best waffle recipe ever! 2 eggs 1 c buttermilk 1/2 c melted butter (cooled) 1-1/3 T sugar 1/3 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1-1/3 tsp baking powder 1 c flour 1/4 c milk (if needed) 1. Beat eggs in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. 2. Add buttermilk and mix well 3. Add melted butter and mix well. 4. Add sugar and salt and mix well. 5. Add baking soda and baking powder and mix until just blended in. 6. Add flour and mix until just smooth; do not over beat. 7. If batter seems rather thick, add a little milk to thin it. 8. Bake in hot waffle iron until crisp and golden. 9. Serve with warm maple syrup and strawberries, if desired. Keywords: Waffle Iron ( RG1816 )