Porthos

Bought it. Already started reading it.

Interesting, but not enough leverage for these arthritic hands.

I also bought a Swing-Away from a restro supply store, and like chromedome, found that is started out well but six months later was getting vary hard to use. I'll most likely give Oxo a try. These are for ren faire kitchens. I have a finicky electric in my home kitchen, but I know how to get it to open cans. My best guess is that I open about 3 can over a 2-week period.

Her 4-episode show on Netflix, titled and based on her book, is entertaining and I have learned a few things watching it. I believe I've watched it through about 4 times. I'm not a baker, certainly not a bread baker, but every time I watch the foccottia being made I think I should try that. I most likely never will.

Maximum Suck

@Smithy My DW and I bought a 3-burner Coleman stove at a yard sale 35+ years ago. The previous owner had ditched the white gas tank and purchased a propane gas feed tube/ control. I've had to replace it once. I love the convenience of propane. Also, I am loathe to store gasoline of any type. I've only owned electric lawn mowers for the same reason. One of the nice things about the propane converter is that you can use the disposable little cylinders or use a propane tank with a hose (my personal preference).

If fat is flavor, and a roux has fat in it, why defat the liquid your dish was cooked in before making your sauce?

Terry from what Netflix calls season 6 just seemed out of his league from the start. I also prefer the Sandi and Noelle over Sue and Mel. I think Prue has better chemistry than Mary did. My DW and I are on our second watching. It makes for light, entertaining watching. For reasons that aren't important we're watching them in the order of 5, ,6, 1, 2 ,3, and 4. I'm also on my second watching of Lords and Ladles for the same reason.

I put one of these in the garbage disposal side. They can be had for a couple of bucks at lots of places.

@Smithy Exact measurement to come; they're on my laptop. i can tell you that it's a Wearever and approximately 9 1/2" x 2". ETA: It shows signs of use in the build-up of polymerized oils on the edges.

I'm in the process of cataloging kitchen items in my FIL's kitchen for donation, hopefully to local shelters to help people who are starting to live independently. I am not sure what the pan pictured below is. My best guess is s deep dish pie pan but I'm not sure. Can anyone help me with this?

I had someone comment on my having good thrift stores to go shopping in. I live in a city that is in the top 20 for population in California and thrift shopping one day a week has been a hobby of mine for many years now. Around home I cover the western part of San Bernardino County. I have reason to be in northern Orange County frequently and so I also thrift shop that area when I'm there. I probably average a little less than one item to buy a week, but with the frequency that I shopping and the millions of people living in southern California I do strike gold a couple of times a year.

@chromedome Thank you so much for posting that. It was candid, truthful, and rang with authenticity. ETA: I'm not "a friend of Bill W" but am friends with some "cousins" of his.

My CP is far from authentic, but we enjoy it. I SV chicken thighs, our preferred chicken meat, smother them with marinara sauce, then top with plenty of grated Parmesan. I pop those under the broiler for a minute or so, and serve. I had other plans for dinner tonight but I'm going to do this instead. 😀

We don't particularly celebrate Valentine's Day since after 40 years we are still dating. However, my DW asked for a special dinner Saturday evening. She purchased read-made Lobster bisque. I made a large rib-eye steak cooked medium rare in butter and olive oil in my trusty Griswold #8, asparagus with mayo, and saffron rice using a James Beard recipe. It was a very nice meal.

@Smithy Those beer coolers at Panamint Springs Resort have a lot of craft brewery beers, including a couple of my favorites. New Belgium Fat Tire, and my "house beer" Karl Strauss Red Trolley. I personally don't consider Laganitas a craft brewery any more, but it doesn't matter. They are hops crazy and I'm not much for pronounced, in your face hops.

I would personally not recommend the sanding mandrel. You can build up a lot of heat quickly and affect the temper, assuming the blade was given a decent temper when originally made. I'm a die-hard fan of the EdgePro sharpening system and that's the only thing I would use to put a new edge on it. (p.s. I just ordered the small blade adapter for my EdgePro last night) Going to thrift stores and finding decent knives that need a new edge is a bit of a hobby for me.

I have a very good friend who does not like white food: milk, sour cream, mayo, anything that's white. I actually know why I loath one food: Sweet potatoes. I was forced to eat candied sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving and Christmas every year growing up. The smell of roasted yams gags me. I have a texture issue with custards. No flan for me, I'll pass on the cream pies. I have no idea why my younger daughter hates raisins, but she certainly does.

Our "Recipe Holder." Please note that often-used recipes get laminated. More and more, however, I use my Samsung tablet after making a PDF and copying it to my tablet. My DW still prefers paper.

Yes, the Signature Bake and the Showstopper are known in advance and the bakers bring their recipes with them. My DW and I enjoy the fact that it isn't a cutthroat competition, but one where bakers show mutual support. I gave up on Food TV mostly because I couldn't stand the plethora of irritating competition shows and the dearth of actual cooking shows. ETA: We don't care much for Mel and dislike Sue, who's presenting style seem loud and forced.

One of the episodes of Mega Foods on Netflix covers a very large cruise ship. There are no stoves with flames, everything is induction. While not important, I'm really curious if the cooking surfaces that are shown are induction French stovetops or something else. Thoughts? Insights?

I found this large-logo Griswold #7 for $5.00. The seasoning is in great shape. I'll need to find a home for it. I need another CI pan like I need another knife.

Wolfe's. I drive by it fairly frequently but have never stopped there. They also used to have a spot at the Los Angeles County Fair, but disappeared several years ago. I'll have to check their hours and see if I can stop there for a sandwich. Maybe if timing works next year your could squeeze in a visit with my DW and me on your way to Claremont.

No snickering here. Instead, full agreement.

As an aside, but in support of a more descriptive name, there was a cafe near the high school that I went to called Cal's Home Plate. I never went there and assumed that by home plate he meant home-style cooking. Actually it was a baseball-themed cafe.