Porthos

I own a microwave but outside of steaming veggies I do not actually cook with it. I reheat coffee (sorry, weinoo), defrost meat, bring casserole-style dishes back to temperature when the regular oven is already in use,etc. I could live without one if necessary. I specifically don't think animal proteins cook well in a microwave. If one doesn't have microwave, is space-limited, and has no desire to own one I think that is reason enough to not have one. Just my 8 farthings worth ...

And that just reminded me that I need to pick up some emmentaler - my sweetie is jonesing for some French onion soup.

Watch your mailboxes. I just received a BB&B coupon I have never seen: 20% off ENTIRE purchase. These evil people must know that I am long-term unemployed and can't go crazy.

Anna, have you gotten any inspiration yet?

The Vollrath saucier pictured to the right in paulraphel's post is one of the three pans in my kitchen that I would hate be without. I had never seen the slkinsey's article and cookware and have just started reading it.

Thanks all.

In another thread here on eGullet there was discussion about trying shirred eggs in a Cuisinart oven. Since that didn't make sense I looked up shirred eggs and then the posts made sense. What didn't make sense after that is why what I used to make in my starving student days had been called shirred eggs. I would take the flavor packet from a package or cheap ramen noodles and put it into the water which I then brought to a boil. I would beat two eggs as if to make an omelet but instead would vigorously swirl the water and slowly pour the eggs in to create shreds of cooked egg, then the noodles went in. What is the proper name for how I made the shreds of cooked egg in the water?

I think that a basic cooking and nutrition class and a class on money, its management, and borrowing should be a part of child's education. I had a friend at church years ago who had no sense of smell and didn't really care much about the food he ate, he just needed to eat to survive.

I will not quibble with them being call tacos but my first thought was "Indian Tostadas."

As a reference point, people who suffer from a true addiction to food, the type that find themselves needing the help of Overeaters Anonymous, are also called foodies by some. It is not a term that bothers me but one I personally choose to avoid. My serious enjoyment of food and its preparation needs no descriptive term, it just is what it is. I take the same delight in making a tasty baked tuna roll with white sauce as I do in turning out a tasty prime rib dinner. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

My father-in-law has a neighbor (husband to the sister of my wife's lifelong friend) who loves to fish for tuna but doesn't eat it so the neighbor gives some of it to him. My wife and I go over and cook it for him. That's a win-win situation.

Walmart sells them for under $2/tray.

Rubbermaid. Simple. Well-made. Easy to come by. We make multiple trays of ice daily.

The Oreos - are they still in plastic trays or are they loose in the bag?

So I have it wrong. I thought "whisky" was Scotch.

Anna - Smashed Roasted Potatoes recipe bookmarked. Summer is too hot here to crank up the oven to 450.

My daughter just saw the picture of our dinner plate and wanted it. I agreed.

That is one of my father-in-laws favorite sayings. What is in the Manitoulin Paper Medivac?

It would need Canadian whiskey as an ingredient.

Never worry about being boring - the postings that you and Kerry put up are far from that. I look forward to your trip each year. I get more of a sense of community from this annual thread than any other postings on eGullet. And each year I learn something new. ETA: If I could I would send you some of the early summer heat we are having in southern California.

Making meatloaf tonight. It WILL be topped with ketchup. Heinz to be exact. I don't really do ketchup in general but meatloaf requires it.

Yes. One of my wife's crowns is due to a "pitted" olive that wasn't.

Weinoo, my guess is that you like strong coffee (which we lovingly call rocket fuel). In my drip machine I'm also at about 1 T for 8 oz.

I'm thinking that my next try I will reduce the water a couple of oz and see if I like that strength.

I just made my first experimental pot. 3 Tbl grounds, approx 23 oz water, steeped for 5 minutes. What was strange to me is that the plunger had a lot of resistance for about the first 1/3 of the way down and then suddenly got easier. Coffee taste is reasonably to my satisfaction based upon only having the Folgers Black Silk my son-in-law likes in the house at the moment. By the way, it's almost 100 degrees here right now and that is not coffee drinking weather to me.