FauxPas

Honestly, I don't remember ever seeing warnings about freezing tomatoes and I've been canning/freezing for at least 20 years (though I am certainly no expert!). But of course I remember lots of warnings about having to acidify any low-acid food before canning. If you freeze tomatoes, you still have to cook them if you want a sauce or salsa. If you can tomatoes, you can make the sauce or salsa in advance or have your tomatoes already cooked, salted, seasoned, etc. Also properly canned tomatoes do not have to take up room in your fridge/freezer.

Here are some expert university sites that say it is fine: https://food.unl.edu/preservation/freezing-tomatoes http://extension.missouri.edu/p/gh1503 http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/tomato.html http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=15026 http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8116.pdf All these sites state that it is fine to freeze raw tomatoes. You should wash them first, as you should with any produce, and you can hull them. Then you can put them in the freezer for months. If you like, you can blanch them before freezing and remove the skins. However, it is acceptable to freeze them with the skin. When you wish to use them, simply rinse under fairly hot water and the skins will peel off easily. (This is what I do.) The only time botulism is discussed is when tomatoes are canned - they must have acid added to them to make them safe for canning and long-term storage.

Aw, now I feel like creating some kind of costume out of a sheaf of wheat and a Jay's head and stopping by central Kansas next October 31. Also, I think your table looks lovely! - sometimes people overdo it with the linens and decor. (I've been guilty.) My husband and I were going to have steak and crab and whatnot, but it was a hot day here in Tucson and we hung out on the patio cooking burgers and sipping on Mexican beer. I had some patties in the freezer I'd formed from ground sirloin and it was a very pleasant evening, watching the sun set and enjoying the cooler evening air.

Not really sure what you are looking for, because it sounds like you might want to really simplify - maybe just one fruit? Would you be serving with greens or any other additions? There's a nice little article on fruit salads at BuzzFeed, especially the little formula for dressing - citrus juice + fresh herb + honey or syrup. It might be modified though to something like - something acidic + something herbal and/or spicy + something sweet (and possibly oil, if serving with greens) + nuts/cheese (optional). http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/ideas-for-how-to-make-amazing-fruit-salads The acidic can be citrus juice or a balsamic or other flavoured vinegar or wine. I like strawberries marinated with red wine and sugar, and I've seen suggestions for dressing it up with a bit of vanilla bean, star anise, black pepper or orange peel. I have a White Balsamic Raspberry Blush Vinegar that I've used with fruit. Some of the suggestions play with the usual type of food variations - play with colour (same or different), play with texture (hard/soft), play with taste (sharp/creamy.) Pomegranate seeds with pear on greens, dressed with a pomegranate vinaigrette and some walnuts and cheese and black pepper. I liked the idea of using cucumber or radishes or tomato or avocado or even carrots in some fruit salads. I love jicama with mixed citrus supremes. The dressing can use spices like cardamon or chile powder or cumin. Mint or basil. Grilled pineapple or peaches, mmmm!

Your kitchen does indeed look nice and well-planned. I also like the outlets along the island edge. And the cats. I love cats. I hope yours work their way into a few more pics! You had frozen pipes? Hope that was resolved OK.

Gotcha. I also know how many times I have come home from a market and two weeks later said, 'Damn, I wish I had picked up some of those X, Y or Z items' that are never around otherwise. Heh. Still thinking about that Sorel by JFB. Sounds good. And looks beautiful.

It's just going to be the two of us for dinner tomorrow and it's a simple menu at home, as we are just getting over a nasty bug - so, filet mignon and crab legs, some kind of salad (probably butter lettuce, pears, blue cheese, pecans and pomegranate seeds with a pom juice vinaigrette just because that is comfort food to me). We're in Arizona this year and we really hope to at least have cocktail and salad outside. It should be about 70F. We want to sit outside, drink some bubbly and watch the constellations move by! But we'd really like to catch a flight to alanz's for New Year's Day. Wowza! And Alex, that Grove menu looks pretty tempting. How will you possibly have room for more food after that? Shelby, I vote for something with artichoke for a side. Hot artichoke and potato salad?

There was some earlier discussion of the difficulty of finding dried hibiscus flowers and I'm not sure if anyone is still interested, but I did happen to be looking at Republic of Tea recently and saw that they sell a tea that is mostly full-leaf hibiscus. Below is info from their site, the tea is $40/lb which seemed pricey to me, but maybe not to others? INGREDIENTSHibiscus (flower), sweet blackberry leaves and stevia CALORIES0 COUNTRY OF ORIGINSouth Africa http://www.republicoftea.com/natural-hibiscus-full-leaf-loose-herb-tea/p/V10003/ I'm guessing that other tea-sellers may carry hibiscus as well. My apologies if this is not relevant to the current discussion.

But on the second page of reviews, 3 different reviewers all say that the oven is easy to clean or clean-up is easy. I wonder what the difference is with the reviewer you quote? Cooking very different types of foods?

Do you have a door in your kitchen area? Pantry door or similar? I use the Elfa door system which I first saw in Genkinaonna's food blog a couple of years back. I love it and can really store a lot of spices in it. Here's the food blog pic: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/138915-eg-foodblog-genkinaonna-2011/?p=1816888 It's available through The Container Store and they currrently have 30% off. I bought mine at full price, but it was still worth it. I love how much extra spice storage I get. I can fit about 8 or 9 spice containers on each shelf and I think the door space will allow for up to 10 shelves/racks if you use it for the smaller spice racks only. I have 8 racks on my door, but I have some of the big ones for storing bulkier items. The best thing I have ever had to store spices!!! Thank you Genkinaonna!

Are they all the same model? Looking at BB&B, I see a couple by Umbra and a few by Simple Human. The reviews are not always kind, especially to the lower-priced ones. Not sure how much I would want to spend on one, though I appreciate your suggestion for possible price reductions!

Maybe I should just try doing the purchase in-store with a coupon and see what happens!

I've considered buying one of the Breville Smart Ovens, and 20% off makes the purchase much more appealing, but all of the Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons that I have seen recently have specifically excluded Breville products from their 20% discount. Am I missing something?

I like the Hasselback style lately. Simple, with olive oil, garlic and some herbs. Or a bit of Parmesan. I love the peel, too! But every now and again, I get a craving for a full-meal loaded potato. These pics at Closet Cooking had me salivating: Fully Loaded Hasselback potatoes.

I was given some as a gift. I have a couple of the sunflowers and a couple of the hibiscus ones, all in the small 4" size. They are useful for keeping bugs out of drinks when we sit outside on the patio. But I use them mostly as lids for some of the small Pyrex custard bowls. I use those bowls a lot for food prep or for sauces, dips and so forth. It's easy to use those lids to cover things temporarily or for leftover bits that will go in the fridge. I read a suggestion to store them on the fridge door and that's not a bad idea. They stick very easily and don't get lost in a drawer that way.

I think I know the ones you mean. Similar to this? http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/totally-bamboo-6-piece-bamboo-utensil-set/1013997764?Keyword=bamboo+utensil They are very inexpensive and overall, the reviews are very good, but I bought a similar set and they did not hold up well for me at all. They are also not dishwasher-safe. And they didn't give me the functionality I wanted. Still, they are a great deal for people who don't beat them up too much ... or who just have to 'beat up' their critters a little bit.

I love LU's Le Petit Écolier with the chocolate-hazelnut coating, but I can't seem to find them anymore. Amazon lists them, but shows no availability. Sniff. Le Petit Écolier Hazelnut Chocolate

Thanks, Shalmanese! I want 2 or 3 spoons in different sizes, but I may also try the spatula you recommend. Only, since I am a SouthPaw, I will get the left-handed version. I don't use some utensils since they are clearly intended for right-handers, very nice to see a left-hand version! Joyce Chen Left-Handed Bamboo Spatula

Thank you! I am going to try at least one of the Joyce Chen spoons. I will order some from the Amazon link, my initial search didn't bring those up. Thanks again! But always interested to hear how other people have found their spoons.

I love bamboo spoons! And I need some new ones. I bought some a few years ago that have lasted really well, even with dishwasher cleaning, but they are aging. They were quite pricey and came from a kitchen store (can't remember which one) in either Victoria or Vancouver, Canada and I still have a couple of those. I thought they were overpriced at the time but they lasted so well and I just loved the feel and shape of them and the solidity (if that makes any sense). Also, they were varied sizes and I loved that - some for smaller pots, some for bigger. I bought some recently in Arizona (where I am now) and they were crappy and did not hold up well at all. I would love a source for good-quality bamboo spoons. I have checked some of the usual places like Amazon online and Bed Bath and Beyond and what I do find is not generally recommended or feels and looks like rough-edged lightweight crap. Can anyone recommend a source? Thank you in advance.

basquecook, I am curious about the amount of vegetarianism in China. Although you have been treated to some lovely vegetarian dishes, I am surprised by the amount and variety of meat in some meals. Is meat considered a sign of prosperity, a necessary menu item when entertaining a 'foreigner?' Do the Chinese really eat that much meat in their meals? And yes, I realize that there are various religious limits on food, such as with the Muslim district. I'm not sure about the proportion of Buddhists or Daoists in China, but are there many people who join in these meals but do not partake in the meat dishes? And perhaps this is a question that I should address to others on this forum as well, but I am curious about your experience while being in China. I love all the photos you have posted and you still have notes to identify the food you ate over so many meals! Wow. I admire your organization or your memory.

Kahlua Panna Cotta - I've never made it, but I've thought about it. Here's a pretty version with a coffee gelée layer, but there are several other versions around if you search. This one uses 1/4 cup of Kahlua. (Scroll down past the Rosewater Panna Cotta, though it looks lovely, also!) http://whatsheshaving.com/tag/panna-cotta/

the original question here was for a fairly simple carving answer, I think. Here is one I did a few years back that was really easy though I did shop around for the bits and pieces and had a casket off to the side of the pumpkin, etc. https://plus.google.com/photos/104071309318323637676/albums/5127728884596328705/5127729262553450818?banner=pwa&authkey=CNGP_a72yqivaA&pid=5127729262553450818&oid=104071309318323637676

Kerry, that pumpkin is stunning. Shel_B, what did you do with yours?

Spring rolls or summer rolls - some vegetarian, some with shrimp. The rolls don't even have to be cooked, and can be served with a few different dipping sauces. Maybe some Asian lettuce wraps - with ground pork or chicken and a nice sauce. Here's a starting point for recipes, many more out there of course and you can always tweak them. Lettuce wraps http://www.food.com/recipe/p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps-15865 Spring/summer rolls: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Appetizers/SpringRolls.htm