FauxPas

Make your own ice cream sandwiches, but use healthier cookies (can't remember brand names right now, but will post if I can) - or bake your own - and use frozen yogurt or frozen ice milk. Put back in freezer to refreeze, as necessary. One of my faves as a kid and when it was hot was fresh frozen fruit and yogurt. We would buy fresh fruit/berries and freeze it and I would put some frozen fruit in a bowl and pour a bit of yogurt over it. Strawberries were my fave. The yogurt would start to freeze and it would be like ice cream. You could also blend frozen fruit and yogurt and re-freeze if necessary. When do you have to worry about choking hazard with peanuts, cherries, grapes? I'm never sure if it's OK to give some stuff to young kids anymore!

Velvet Corn Soup, based on this version: http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/10977/Velvet-corn-soup.htm I modified it a bit - I had no leeks so used a mix of diced yellow onion and whites from green onions and I used chicken in place of veggie stock. I did use a bit of cream. I would probably strain it next time as I think the smooth texture would be nicer. This soup would be nice chilled as well as warm.

Velvet Corn Soup - from here: http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/10977/Velvet-corn-soup.htm I used chicken in place of veg stock, some diced yellow onion and the whites from green onions in place of leeks. I did use a bit of cream, bu didn't strain the soup. Next time I would strain it. I think it would be quite nice chilled, though we had it hot.

The Cuisi manual doesn't talk about sterilizing, but a couple of the Miele Combi-Steam manuals do - they recommend 15 min at 100C / 210F for general sterilizing. The AU manual also has some guidelines for jam-making and bottling (canning), but I feel obligated to mention that the USDA does not recommend steam canning, even in a dedicated steam-canner. I will try and find the original links for some of these other manuals (I've just downloaded the pdf files) and post them on the Cuisi thread. And post #106 on that thread by Barrytm also had a few links.

Oh my! Impressive bar, though.

How did the banana bread turn out? Maybe it's not that bad! Make the quiche crust!

Just tried this, as I wanted some peeled tomatoes. Five minutes with 210F Steam-only did not loosen the skins much on the tomatoes I have. So I put them on Steam-Bake at 350F. And then I got distracted with a phone call and it was 15 mins before I checked them, at which point I had to let them cool a bit but then the skins slipped right off. So, you need less than what I did, but almost certainly more than the 2-3 mins that the Thermador people say! But depends on what you want to do with your peeled tomatoes, of course. The cooking time I used today extracted some of the water from the tomatoes but left tomatoes with lovely concentrated flavour. I've done the same thing before when I wanted tomatoes to peel and use for a sauce, but at a slightly higher temp. ETA Here is the link to a more formal cookbook by Thermador: http://www.thermador.ca/Public/Media/pdf/26204724_9000882530.pdf

That's an excellent price! And the site says free shipping for orders over $59. Though you might not be able to combine that with the 1st time discount. I don't think they ship to Canada, though. I'm tempted to buy a second one at that price and keep one in both houses.

It does work well, but I seem to recall needing more than 2 or 3 minutes to loosen the skin. Probably at least 5.

Not sick of seeing it at all! I love seeing the variations. Bring 'em on!

Also, if you keep searching you can find resources for Steam Convection ovens - like the Thermidor site here: http://www.thermador.com/Culinary/Recipes/steam-and-convection-oven And there are a few blogs, like the VZUG Combi-Steam Queen. https://www.facebook.com/vzugcombisteamqueen

I love the way it cleans up, also. I also like being able to use it for meat + veggies. I have steam-roasted half a dozen whole chickens in it and dry-roasted a few roasts. I wrap the chicken or roast or whatever in some tin foil and put on top of the Cuisi - it generates just enough heat to keep the meat warm, while I steam or steam-roast potatoes and veggies. The local nugget potatoes are perfect as they are done in 20 to 25 mins. I put them on the rack + tray and then add veggies about 10 mins later, depending on the veggie. Works out very well. We are currently living in a temporary furnished place while our house is being reno'd and I am so glad I brought the Cuisinart.

I don't like all cold meals, either, even during the summer. I make soup on the induction burner sometimes, even when it's warm outside. The burner doesn't add much heat. I'm thinking of making some corn chowder or corn soup now that we have fresh local corn. Here's a Velvet Corn Soup Recipe that caught my eye recently. It's not complex, you could probably make something like it without a recipe at all! I like that it works hot or chilled. Are you comfortable leaving a pot to simmer on your patio? http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/10977/Velvet-corn-soup.htm

A simple all-purpose creamy sauce that I use for salads is yogurt, bit of mayo, crushed garlic, touch of oil, whatever herbs you like or have on hand. Mustard or lemon or citrus zest can be added. I like it with garbanzo beans and diced peppers and sweet onions. (Though I like vinaigrette also.) Also, warm potato salads. Boil potatoes, then add something like green/yellow beans, broccoli, carrots or whatever veggies you have that might benefit from light cooking. Then drain the water and add onion, balsamic vinegar, touch of oil, bit of feta cheese. I would add tomatoes also, but your wife may still find them too raw even if warmed? Maybe peppers, squash, corn? Mix lightly and serve while still warm. Black bean and corn salads - with peppers and onions. I don't think these even need a dressing. Not sure this is helpful. Your dog looks lovely. What is her name? Your outdoor kitchen set-up looks very impressive. Do you have a covered patio area? Else, it must be really hot while cooking out there! I admire your approach. Is propane less expensive than electricity? I thought it was interesting that you were concerned about the cost of the convection toaster oven, but not so much the propane. We have fairly low electric costs here - about 7.5 cents per kW.h but I think parts of California are quite expensive, is that right?

But water can become superheated, especially in microwaves. it's easiest to do in glass or glazed containers. The water can rise to a temp above 100C or 212F. Here are some details from the Physics dept at UNSW in Austraila. http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au/jw/superheating.htm Plastic containers may be less prone to this? ETA - I'm not saying that it's completely risk-free to microwave in plastic containers, just that the superheating phenomenon (and its attendant risks) may be less likely in plastic. Also, there are various grades of plastic. Some are probably better choices than others, no?

Seems to me there are a bunch of things being lumped together here. Someone busy on their phone happens everywhere and can be annoying, but I also see people who just want to enjoy their apéritifs and starters without being rushed into ordering dinner. Is the complaint that people are taking longer to dine? Closer to 2 hours rather than 1? One hour is not a lot of time for a formal or multi-course meal. And I don't see the problem with taking some pics. Lots of people make restaurant reservations for a celebration of occasions - birthdays, retirements, engagements, girls' nights, promotions, showers, etc. Shel_B, do you seriously want to ban photos of these occasions? And do you think that most restaurants want to ban these celebrations? It's a big part of restaurant business, the celebration occasion. (I won't even mention your "Good Thing" Martha Stewart speak) I love seeing pics of food from different restaurants - it gives me an excellent idea of what is actually served rather than just what is described. But I can't believe I even have to explain this fact on eGullet, Most of us here want to see pictures of food. Cooked at home or anywhere! At the same time, I am not obnoxious about taking pics and often have been afraid of doing so. But I think I might start taking a few more pics.

Tamari soy sauce is gluten-free, is it not? And seems to be readily available in the areas I have visited. I don't have any issues with gluten, but I use Tamari much of the time anyway - I think it tastes better than some regular soy sauces.

I am absolutely going to try this one! Thanks so much for posting the details. Do you ever add in EVOO or just stick with the sunflower/canola oil?

Maybe try asking Kerry Beal: http://forums.egullet.org/user/34671-kerry-beal/

Shelby, I thought Saveur had a few good suggestions in this collection: http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Delicious-Summer-Squash I liked the frittata, the Tian and the marinated zucchini, but maybe you have already seen these?

I think i have a few choices - some kind of cover/screen, less liquid, higher-sided dish, lower temp. The manual (when in doubt.... ) does say to cook things like short ribs directly on the baking tray with minimal or no liquid. Start at a medium temp (approx 350) and then reduce after 1 hour (to approx 225) with a total cooking time of around 2 hours. "Minimal to no liquid is used in steam-baked, braised dishes because natural juices are drawn out from the meat, providing the perfect braising liquid." (p 9) I do like making the sauce along with the braised meat, though I could have braised the meat separately. Maybe next time I will try - brown the meat then remove from skillet and into the steam oven. Add aromatics to skillet and sauté and deglaze as usual with wine and stock. Set liquid aside. When meat is done, defat as necessary, then add to liquid and heat through. I think that would work quite well. And use a lower temp for the last hour of cooking, which I did not do this time. And I might still use a small casserole dish for the meat rather than just the baking tray. Thanks for helping me work this through!!!

Here is an interesting article on the transition of the Microplane from woodworking to kitchen and beyond: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/dining/12united.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Yes, that would certainly help! I'll have to try a similar dish again.

Braised beef short ribs, local nugget potatoes and carrots - all steam-baked in the Cuisinart Combo oven. More details on the Cuisinart Combo oven thread: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/146617-cuisinart-combo-steamconvection-oven/?p=1978594

Another meal that turned out very well in the oven was braised beef short ribs. Usually, I would not be keen on making this on a warm day but short ribs were on sale and it's a fave dish. The oven did a fabulous job but this became messy. No need for a lid on the baking dish because the oven can generate the necessary steam, but I would either use a lid or a lower temp next time because this did splatter around the inside of the oven quite a bit. I used Bake Steam at 325F and maybe even Steam only at 210F would have been sufficient without causing the splatter? It's pretty easy to clean out the oven after doing an extra Steam run but I didn't really like having to do extra clean up. The meat was fabulous though and you don't need nearly as much braising liquid as you would in a dry oven. Maybe I used too much? But at the same time, even with the steam, you do get some evaporation after cooking that long. (I did almost 2 hours, but not sure I needed that much time) All the usual braising methods, pretty much - brown the meat, sauté onion, carrots, shallots, garlic - add red wine and beef stock. Put in casserole dish with some thyme and rosemary and bake-steam! After the meat was done, I removed it and strained the liquid and defatted it. Threw some lovely local nugget potatoes and carrots in the oven and steam-baked them while I reheated the braised ribs in a saucepan on the induction burner. Not a beautiful pic, but a very tasty meal!