baroness

Even though I am quite fond of Kitchen Aid (mixers) -- I have 2 --, they are not well suited to yeast bread doughs. The mixers themselves are not a small investment; let alone the KA attachments (the ones I've tried haven't been worth their cost). Perfectly good bread can be made with only human power, using a dough whisk or wooden spoon. Perfectly good bread can also be made in other ways, using a bread maker or other tools.

I am a skilled baker, and have made yeast breads and rolls without a bread maker for many years. Last fall, I bought a Zojirushi (large size with horizontal loaf) bread maker, mainly due to the glowing reviews from the bakers at King Arthur Flour. Thirty-some batches later of everything from breadsticks to pannetone, I still like the machine. The Zo mixes and kneads beautifully and provides a compact, even-temperatured rising chamber. It will also make items such as jam and biga/sponge/starter. As far as baking is concerned, better results are obtained in a 'real' oven -- but using the light crust setting and checking for doneness (removing if thermopen reads 204F or higher) 10-15 minutes early provide a very good loaf of bread...without heating up the oven and the house. I have no experience with the cheaper brands. I have heard that bread machines are sometimes sold at yard sales and in thrift shops, though I haven't encountered any. Manuals for most old machines can be found online. Edited to add: You WILL get better results from a BM if you have had some previous experience with yeast dough. It's very important to monitor the dough during the kneading time to check the texture and hydration--most BM recipes have too much flour in my experience.

Definitely Italian ices; Ralph's Ices takes them to a high level. The original Port Richmond shop has additional great flavors -- such as Almond Joy -- that aren't on the menu. It's a sad day in October when they close for the year!

Another redundancy: Tuna fish

I've seen them at numerous Dollar Trees in New York and NJ (including stores near Philly).

The chain store named Dollar Tree usually has 3-packs of these.

Visit some ethnic-oriented markets (Asian, Russian, Middle Eastern, etc.) and check out their teas. If you are even a tad adventurous, you'll find better tea bags -- not to mention loose teas -- than Lipton for your money!

Two Assams: Left: Panitola Estate, Whole Leaf, 2nd Flush Right: Sree Sibari Estate SFTGFOP1 First brewed 3 minutes, Western style with a rounded teaspoon of leaves per cup. Water (Brita-filtered New York City) at 208F. Though the leaves were strikingly different in appearance, the brew color and overall flavor were very close. The Panitola was a bit heartier, though neither had the sometimes overwhelming-of-other-notes malty tendency, nor the astringent quality of inexpensive Assam. The Sree Sibari had a particularly round feeling in the mouth, and a slight hint of apricot or peach. It is worth noting that both teas were still pleasant when cooled into the temperature range I find difficult to enjoy -- just a bit over room temperature. Re-steeped 5 minutes, water at 212F. The second brewing was flavorful as well, though less so. Both teas were refined enough to enjoyably drink alone, which is not always my experience with Assams.

Have you considered making hibiscus ice or sorbet instead? Or, is there a way to make a thick hibiscus syrup you could swirl into vanilla ice cream?

I will begin brewing tomorrow; there's a construction project underway in the kitchen now. I plan to do a side-by-side tasting with at least one of my other Assams.

Microplanes!

I pureed fresh raspberries and added a bit of canned cream of coconut (not coconut milk). Even straight out of my -10 degree freezer, the results were tasty and of bite-able texture, not hard and icy.

I'm laughing as I read that because that was one of the first things that crossed my mind. I'm glad I'm not the only twisted person in this thread. ← I keep thinking of chocolate -- brownies or a rich cake, perhaps.........

Pepperkakor may include black pepper, but my favorite recipe does not. For the general spice-for-cookies list, add mace and allspice; omit cumin.

Do try contacting nutsonline.com Their customer service is great.

This is a well-known and effective method to eat smaller portions. There have been scientific studies (Brian Wansink, for example - His website) that show people serve themselves larger and larger portions as the size of the serving bowl increases.

shape rum balls and truffles portion dough for party-size cookies scoop out mangoes, avocados, tomatoes

Rice.

If you wish to use foil, why not use the Reynolds 'Release' foil? Nothing seems to stick to it, so one could probably skip the buttering/greasing.

One major reason that Trader Joe's has leverage with suppliers is their policy to pay cash, not buy on account. Money talks...

As noted by others, propane has the potential to burn hotter than natural gas. In 'my other life' as a glass artist, I've found propane will definitely provide a hotter flame, but may be slightly less clean -- depending on the purity of the gas.

Thanks! I needed that!

I found a mint, still-in-its-box, 500 ml iSi Gourmet Whip at a church garage sale today for all of two dollars. Now I'm looking for cartridges for the new toy. Any ideas on where to find them at a reasonable cost (without buying a case of 600)???

I've noticed that some of the matte-finish silicone seems to retain a soapy fragrance when washed in the dishwasher. I wash it all by hand now.

I'll put that book on my library reserve list; thanks!