Shel_B

I found this video to be fun and instructional, and maybe you'll enjoy it as well.

I appreciate your help in addressing my question.

Thanks so much. 👍 The clip makes it clear for me. I searched for an example and couldn't come up with anything.

I don't think I've ever seen that done. Is it common to do that? Yeah, over the years yard and garage sales have provided many super deals. I got some great vintage Corningware that way, some pieces for as little as $3.00. You definitely got a good deal on the mixing bowls.

For whatever reason, I'm having difficulty imagining the rings being used for that purpose. That's not to suggest you're wrong, but somehow my brain is not making the connection. I know you're not weinoo. That much I could grasp.

I'm curious as to the purpose of the rings? Do they get in the way at all when using the bowls, or have you adjusted to them?

English "Pizza" Muffins: Yesterday I made a pasta sauce using whole Calabrian peppers packed in olive oil. I used a pepper and some of the oil, along with fresh and roasted garlic, to make the sauce which I used on the English muffins this morning. The muffins were toasted, sauced, and grated Reggiano was generously applied over the concoction and then browned in the countertop oven. Beverage of choice was Nepalese Himalayan Black tea.

I've a couple of Vollrath SS mixing bowls. They are the economy line, and have a somewhat different shape than those referenced above. Compared to my other SS bowls, the economy line is much nicer - they feel better, are a bit heavier, although by no means heavy, the steel seems to be of better quality, are better designed, and are a pleasure to use. Based on my experience with the less expensive line, I'd think that the heavy-duty bowls would be a real joy to use. One of my favorite and most useful mixing bowls is this vintage Grip 'n' Whip made by West Bend in the 1950s or '60s. It's deep, light weight, built well, and the handle is, well, handy. I got it in 2015 after seeing one in a friend's home, and not knowing what it was (as identifying marks were obscured by age and use), I posted a pic and asked about it here. @btbyrd identified it, and every time I use it I silently thank him.

Quite by accident, I came across this odd little video. It seemed somewhat appropriate to post it here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XMhGh2Yn50w?feature=share

I appreciate all the information you've presented. It does, indeed, look like I grabbed a decent, if not great, bottle of vinegar from the shelf. It should work fine for its intended purpose. Certainly a good starting point for future explorations.

Thans for your helpful and informative post. I'll check the link to Chinese vinegars when I get home. I suspect it will prove quite helpful as well.

There's a recipe for Hot and Sour soup I'd like to try which calls for Chinkiang vinegar. I've not used this type of vinegar before and am unfamiliar with it. This morning, I picked up a bottle at the nearby big Asian market that many people use. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, they only had one brand on their shelves and it was inexpensive (not that that's a disqualifier), so I couldn't try a couple of options at different price points or (presumably) different quality or flavor points. What qualities should I look for when buying this type of vinegar? Are there any brands that you'd recommend? Does it matter much when using a small amount in a soup. This is what I ended up with:

OK, perhaps I felt the power of your influence and support. Whatever term you care to use, you've encouraged me to move forward and I'm now motivated to experiment and develop my own ideas. Perhaps to a lesser extent, I feel that dearth of food products when I travel outside of California and the Bay Area. OTOH, I love exploring the local food cultures when I travel, both inside and outside of the U.S.

G R O A N !