Susie Q

I salute her talent and patience. Her work is amazing but a bit too fussy for me. Rather than spend that much time on just a few cookies of one type I'd rather spend that time making a variety of cookies using different techniques. But then I'd choose my grandmothers 9x13 butter cake with case knife serrated trails in the burnt sugar icing over a "polished" cake any day.

Holy Cow! I'm headed to TJ's just for those top split rolls! Haven't seen them here in So. Cal since I was a kid and was about ready to order some pans from King Arthur. We are headed to Boston in November and I was planning on bringing back quite a few bags of rolls in the checked luggage. What I have been enjoying are the Shishito peppers. They are cheaper at TJ's than at the market. Their Lemon curd is always in the basket when I'm too lazy to make it. So good on morning toast.

Growing up my Mama subscribed to Gourmet, Bon Appetite, Southern Living, Sunset and later Fine Cooking. I miss those old issues they taught one how to cook and the articles were so informative. I kept Gourmet and Fine Cooking subscriptions after she died and added Saveur. I gave up on up on Cooks Illustrated, too repetitive, but I check it out of the library here and there along with Lucky Peach, I'm down to Fine Cooking and Saveur. I'm seriously considering not renewing Saveur. Haven't like the magazine since the editor change. It's drifted from what it used to be. They really turned me off when they started hawking love potions in the back o the magazine. Geeze!

There were a few things I was interested in. I didn't order because I don't like buying something sight unseen when all sales are final.

The bath tub it's just a giant sink. IIRC wasn't there a Seinfeld episode where Kramer was doing prep work and cleanup as he showered?

I still have the same white oblong plate from Cost Plus World Market. At 6"x9" it can hold a large grill spatula or several utensils at the same time. The shallow lip keeps puddles corralled. I've bought several for gifts over the years. I believe they still sell them if any one is interested.

Growing up I was a creamy style Jiff girl, thank you very much, but as I got older I expanded preferences to include crunchy. About two years ago I tried Laura Scudder's original, just peanuts and salt. I liked it. Now I will use both, Laura for morning toast and PB and J, and Jiff for spoon snacking, candy making and when baking for others (I hate the taste of cooked peanut butter). I don't care for Almond butter.

Whoa!That Ankarsrum is nice. I like how it has that open area to add ingredients. My beloved 5qt. KA gets flour everywhere even when I'm careful. How does the Ankarsrum perform when making cake batter?

The left handed Lamson Sharp fish turner, an 8" wood handled granny fork, and 2 wooden spoons my mama bought me. The 5 qt. white Kitchen-aid stand mixer my daddy surprised me with one Christmas because I loved to bake. A $3 wooden lemon reamer that fits my small hand. A $4 cat head biscuit cutter with a handle. I bought 2 just in case A thick heavy carbon steel wok that was on sale for $15 as part of a kit. It's better than what I see available today. Several sets Duralex Picardie glasses in different sizes that I still use to this day. My 3 cobalt blue ceramic dinnerware bowls, spotted them at a thrift shop for a $1 each, I bought the extra two just in case of breakage (knock on wood). Comfortable and deep enough to mix 2 eggs or 12, plus the yellow and anything else look so pretty against the blue. Family Heirlooms. I didn't buy them but asked for them and was given them about the time I outfitted my first kitchen. Some of them are a White Mountain ice cream freezer, my great uncle's dutch ovens from his sheep camps, my grandmother's cast iron skillets and wooden dough bowl, my grandfather's knives, cleaver and steel (he was a butcher), the 6 quart copper bottomed Revere Ware stock pot ( we call it the fudge pot in our family) and the wooden paddle used to stir and beat the fudge, my other grandmother's Texas Pecan Sheller, my mama's cake spatula.

I mainly use All-Clad, Staub, and cast iron. 10+ years ago I bought a set of 8" and 10' non-stick skillets from Costco that never seem to wear out. I've used them for eggs and what not over the years and they still haven't scratched or chipped. When I finally got my grandmother's cast iron skillets those became my go to egg & corn bread pan. With all those years of use they have become non-stick.

I'll fess up. My parents taught my brother and me table manners and we dined out regularly at an early age. Perfect young children we were because I do remember getting compliments from people and desserts on the house. But one night the planets oddly aligned and my brother and I, for the first and only time, were just way too loud and disruptive. After issuing warning my father walked us out of the restaurant, gave us a swat on our behinds and a good talking to then made us apologize to the owner and diners around us for ruining their dinner. We died from embarrassment. The owner wanted to give us ice cream later and Daddy said "No, we didn't deserve it." He was right. It never happened again and now I have no problem correcting other peoples children or shaming the parents when they refuse to discipline their "no-necked monsters", a favorite term of mine that parents seem to take offense to, Once a kid was bounding around a dining room almost tripping a waitress carrying food. I corrected the no-necked monster and the mother said "How dare I call him that!", I said "How dare you let him act that way in public. Shame on you." People clapped as the ill-mannered family quickly finished and left. I'll support the owner on this one.

I put this on my Birthday/Christmas List and my boyfriend noticed in the Amazon description of the Searzall they use the word "Small" are they coming out with a bigger or different version? Thanks for the heads up on getting the trigger at Home Depot for $50, it's nice that it comes with a canister of Mapp fuel for home repair projects. Upon searching he also saw that just the trigger itself is $50 at Lowes, still $15 cheaper than Amazon.

I hope someone can start me off in the right direction. I want to make macaroni and cheese for my father, but not just any macaroni and cheese. It is the one he always talks about, the one he compares all others to. It is one he used to order at the Clifton’s Cafeteria in Southern California. There is just one left in Los Angeles and it is closed for renovation. This mac and cheese, he said, was in an egg custard base. It was light just like a dessert egg custard except it was savory. If anybody has made this type before I’d love to know how to make it. If not any guide lines to start with would be appreciated. I was wondering what ratios should I start with and what type of cheese should I use? How would I go about adding cheese to an egg custard base without becoming a sauce or breaking? I’ve made egg custard a few times and I figured it would need to bake in a water bath. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Ruby Mae's sugar cookies! My daddy's cousin gave me her recipe for her thin crisp sugar cookies. They are great at room temp but crispy ice cold with a glass of lemonade...on a hot summer's day...bliss. There is another thing I like frozen but I'd like to try and sell it in some fashion one day. I won't say what it is.

Check out TJMaxx if there is one near you. I bought 2 large porcelain glazed trays from them two weeks ago and they worked great. $15 each...couldn't beat the price.

I recently broke my 2 cup Pyrex measure. After seeing the new ones I just went to Goodwill and found and exact match to the one that broke.

I used to have lots of boil-overs with pasta, oatmeal, and when making candy. Now I just use a bigger/taller pot than required. Boil-overs now rarely happen but if it starts to creep up the sides the bigger pot allows me more time to lower the heat.

Keurig coffee cups. Why....why? My boyfriend uses these. He fills the water container with fresh water. For each cup of coffee he drops in a cup, puts the coffee cup underneath, presses the button and then does it again for the next cup, and the next. There is a regular filter coffee machine right next to the K cup machine. They both require the same amount of work, and with the regular filter pot you have a wider variety of coffees to choose from that more likely would be cheaper per cup, also the materials used for a regular filter machine are less wasteful then individual K cups. I personally like a french press. I also don't understand smart water, msg, premade PB&J sandwiches, canned spinach, mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, and fruit cocktail.

The fat looks rendered and the rind looks fried.

I made a blackberry pie from a recipe on line that had rave reviews. For a 9" pie the filling used 4 cups of fresh berries, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of flour to thicken. You mixed most of the berries with the sugar and flour, and mixed till there was no "white" on the berries. You put in in the pie plate then topped with 1/2 cup of reserved berries and a top crust then baked 425 for 15 minutes then 25 minutes at 375. I made a 9.5 " deep dish pie and used 6 cups of berries. I added more sugar about 1/4 cup...still the filling is too tart. I dotted it with butter. Put a lattice crust on top. Now. I baked the pie to the directions and it looked beautiful on the outside,the crust is good. The filling was runny, too tart, but more worrisome was the floury color and taste of the filling. It doesn't taste cooked. I need this to be perfect for next weekend. What did I do wrong? What can I substitute for the flour? How much should I use for 4 cups of fruit and also for 6 cups of fruit? How long should I bake it? I wondered about tapioca as I have minute instant and also tapioca starch powder that I got at the Asian market. I appreciate any and all help.

Ahh! A kindred spirit! I'm the same way. Love the Duralex Picardie glass. I have a cupboard full of them in all sorts of sizes also and more are boxed and set aside for when they are needed or not made anymore. I grew up with these glasses and I took them with me when I moved from home the first time. I began hunting for them again 5-6 years ago when my supply was getting low. They were hard to find at one point so I kept buying them as I found them. On the sidelines I even watched an eBay bidding war a couple of years ago where group of glasses went for over $100... insanely stupid of the person. I guess the same could be said of me with my doomsday stash. I also followed the company's woes as they went from plan to plan, and was hoping somehow they would find a way to save the company. It looks like they did. You can find them now at Williams and Sonoma, Sur la Table, Cost Plus Imports, and Costco. You have to be careful of and check the quality at Cost Plus. The cheapest is Costco $25 for 18 in SO. Cal. Yes I bought 2 boxes...just for the large tublers which are $3.99 a piece at Cost Plus. My personal favorite has always been the 6 oz. Good for coffee, hot tea, cafe su da, wine, juice.

Costco Kirkland jumbo paper towels. I go through them like crazy and I don't care. They are BIG and that's why I like them. I hate select-a-size they always de-select the size I wanted by tearing. I also keep a roll of paper towels on a holder in the bathroom. Love 'em, plus when I have a party everybody gets a fresh guest towel when they wash their hands.

Canned bean girl here, especially when making hummus. I'll sit with the rest of them as long as nobody toots. Tomato seeds means homemade right? In a pinch... a pound of bulk Italian sausage browned with some extra fennel seed, a couple jars of Ralph's grocery store Arribata Sauce poured in. Simmer a bit. Quick, flavorful and easy.

Butter Whole Milk Lemons - I have 2 trees Meyer and regular. If I cook somewhere else... lemons go with me. Kosher Salt - Diamond Crystal Fresh Pork Mayo - Best Foods ONLY Fish Sauce - 3 Crabs Srircha Sauce Basmati Rice Fresh Ground Pepper Garlic Onions Ginger - fresh, powdered, and crystallized Caravale Sweet Chili Sauce Couscous Fresh Fruit - There has to be some sort of fresh fruit in the house. Who can have just one. It would be like trying to choose which child to save. I just picked some of the things that I always keep back-ups of in the pantry and freezer, or are always in the grocery cart each time I check out.

Raising my hand vowing never to put a jar of just fed sourdough in the icebox, with a screw-top lid, and forget about it.