Porthos

4 cups of broth. 2 cups of couscous.

Reading the reviews it appears that the foam is a series of squares that you pull out to create the configuration you want.

Up until a couple of weeks ago whenever we wanted couscous we would buy Near East's boxed couscous. We were always pleased with the results. We bought some bulk couscous recently and made it the same way we make the boxed stuff. Both times we have used the bulk stuff we have ended up with a gluey sticky mess instead of nicely defined grains. Prep method is to bring the broth to a boil. Kill the heat and add the couscous. Cover and wait 5 minutes, then fluff the couscous. What do we need to do differently with the bulk couscous?

What a colossal waste of kitchen space. And I agree that it looks awkward.

I've stated elsewhere before that I find a garlic press much more efficient than using my knife. And I must have a magic version because I don't seem to deal with losing a lot of garlic in the press. That's just me. Do you use a dishwasher or do you hand-wash? My garlic press goes in the dishwasher and comes out clean.

I will check Albertsons and Stater Bros. I've checked at Ralphs and Vons. I have to be in Orange County tomorrow so if I can make time I will check there.

Pinquito beans are a part of the traditional Santa Maria BBQ which my 29 y-o daughter said she wouldn't mind having sometime soon. I went on-line to Rancho Gordo's web site and found them. The $8.00 shipping charge is more than 1 1/2 times the cost of the 1 pound bag of beans. That is more than I am comfortable paying since it would make 1 pound of beans cost $12.95. They're good and they're authentic but... Can anyone tell me of a less expensive internet source or if they can be found in western San Bernardino County, the east end of Los Angeles County, or the north end of Orange County?

My 10" Victorinox is my workhorse knife in my volunteer cooking for our guild at renaissance faires. I paid under $40.00 and it keeps a good edge.

Check this thread.

We started with 5 qt lift bowl in 1981. While it is still in good working order we replaced it (and put it away for now) at Christmastime 2008 with a model 610 professional so that our Christmas Cookie baking would go more easily. Some of the doughs gave the 5 qt a real workout. The 610 handles the tasks with power to spare. I've also used it to make multiple loaves of Irish soda bread at a time and it performed well. It also turns out the the whisk for a 610 has eleven wires compared to the model 600's whisk with six wires.

I'll take the ridicule for the team! I find that a frittata and a salad make a nice dinner. I took the optional heat insulator off of one of my saute' pan's handle so that it could go into the oven just to be available to make frittatas. Now I know what I'm going to make for dinner tonight: a frittata. Maybe ham, cheese and green onions. Maybe some marinated artichoke hearts as well.

Toady was my weekly run at thrift stores. Bought a copper mug for my sweet wife. Picked up 18 blue cloth napkins to use in the renaissance faire kitchen I cook in (actually I run it with a lot of good help). While out and about I priced crock pots just for the fun of it since I don't need another one. Here in the Greater San Bernardino, CA area we're looking at $8-$10 for a decently-sized crock pot. While I was in Costco (I run errands while on my thrift shopping boon) I saw a nifty Rival 6 qt oval Crock Pot with a built-in timer. When your cooking time ends it auto-switches to the "warm" setting to hold your food for you. I think it was $39.95 USD. I can't find it on their web site.

Not to worry. I was posting about the 3-crock-pot combo units. Costco has them (link here) for about $70USD right now. I have a crock pot and 2 sizes of electric roasters. The crock pot and the 8 qt chicken roaster stay out on the counter at all times.

I've been eyeing them for maybe a year and a half but as I am still unemployed I just can't justify spending the bucks right now - but I really want to.

That is just an awesome piece.

I can't believe that as much as a Pam user that I am I've never thought to spray the crock before fixing things. Thank you for pointing that out. Just proves one is never to old to keep learning.

I have the 11-tine whisk. I appreciate all of these answers.

Almost 2 years ago my wife and I replaced our 27 year-old 5 qt Kitchen Aid mixer with a 6 qt model 610. I got to wondering what the difference was between the model 600 and the model 610. I haven't successfully found an entry for the 610 on Kitchen Aid's web site. This is not particularly important but I'm curious what the difference is. Can anyone shed light on this small mystery?

That just reminded me of Trader Joe's shelf-stable Tortilini.

I looked up the Sous Vide Supreme on-line since I am not familiar with Sous Vide cooking equipment. I can see that it can do what a crock-pot can do. I would be interested to know how much effort and time are required to vacuum seal the bag and if the machine always has water in the water bath or do you have to fill it each time you use it?

I second using quality frozen veggies. I also use "baby" carrots. Don't feel too much shame at using canned beans when you need them. For the last 26 years (until I got laid off) Ive had a 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hour each way commute. I can tell you that you can make yourself crazy if you don't adopt some short-cuts. I strongly suggest you get a crockpot. I have a 5 qt crock pot, an 8 qt electric chicken roaster that I use like a crock pot, and an 18 qt electric turkey roaster that I also use for slow-cooking. Now for a specific suggestion: I put a corned beef into a crockpot, pour a bottle of guinness over it, add baby carrots and some small potatoes and let it go all day. It takes all of five minutes to do and my family always loves it. Sausage has already been suggested. We keep kielbasa in the freezer at all times. Don't shoot me but I also keep Costco's turkey patties around. They might not be gourmet but with some judicious seasoning they work well for a quick weeknight meal. Boneless skinless chicken thighs have already been suggested. I buy them by the 6 1/2 bag at Costco. Couldn't live without them.

Anna, I just finished breakfast and you're still making me hungry. Enjoy your shrimp.

I'm allergic to a chemical (which one I don't know) that is used to grow tomatoes. I've found that I can have organic tomatoes grown in the USA safely. Otherwise it is swollen tongue time which is not a good thing.

I heartily agree. I use frozen vegetables on a regular basis in my home kitchen and occasionally some canned fruits and veggies. There was actually a thread awhile back comparing fresh versus frozen and it was put forth that frozen could actually be better than some fresh because much of what we buy as fresh has been picked long before it gets to us. Right now on the weekends I am cooking for a Renaissance Faire guild and almost all of what we prepare and serve is fresh. The only exception to that I can think of is that we buy edemame (sp?) that has already been cooked.

I don't know what omitting the bread crumbs will do to the texture but here it is: Artichoke Nibblers Ingredients: 2 small (maybe 8 oz) jars marinated artichoke hearts 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 4 large eggs 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs 1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper, oregano, and Tabasco sauce 1/2 lb. (2 cups) shredded Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons parsley, minced Directions: 1) Drain marinade from 1 jar of artichokes into frying pan. Discard juice from other jar. 2) Chop all artichokes, set aside. 3) Add onions and garlic to frying pan. Saute until limp. 4) In a bowl, beat eggs, crumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and Tabasco. 5) Stir in cheese, parsley, artichokes, and onion/garlic mixture. 6) Turn into a greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish 7) Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. 8) Let cool. 9) Cut into 1 inch squares. (or, just stuff your face as we did) 10) Serve cold or warm.