Shel_B

http://tuftyceramics.com/ I placed an order several days ago and have not heard back from them ... FWIW I'll give them a call in the morning.

I am interested. I once got wild rice from a group of native Americans in Minnesota, harvested and dried in the traditional manner. It was wonderful, and I'm looking for a recco for something similar. Until recently, I didn't know there was a difference between cultivated and true wild rice.

This is cultivated "rice" grown in California. It's not what I was looking for. It has its own taste and texture, which I, and many others, like, but it ain't the same as the wild stuff.

Well, I was somewhat dubious, but thought I'd post it anyway. After all, some of this is just opinion, and, depending on what is being prepared, something like artichoke hearts may work ...

Our neighbor brought over a medium-sized pumpkin for us to carve into a Jack O'lantern, and now Toots wants me to carve, carve, carve. I've never done that before. Any suggestions?

According to Cook's Thesaurus, substitutes can be artichoke hearts - less crunchy, but their flavor is somewhat similar OR potatoes, which are a good substitute if the recipe calls for the Jerusalem artichokes to be baked. Water chestnuts have a similar texture to Jerusalem artichokes OR jicama, which is less expensive than Jerusalem artichokes. Jicama has a similar texture, but the flavor is completely different.

Taking a second look, the squash I bought looks quite similar. Today I'll roast it ...

Thanks for that link ... definitely worth perusing.

You won't really know until you try. I generally nuke kabochas briefly so I can halve them easily. I remove seeds and proceed. I would purchase one and cut in half or quarters and try out that small bit in a simple prep. Perhaps just sliced, tossed with a bit of olive oil, S & P and baked. Once you know what you are dealing with the seasoning variations may be more clear. I can't imagine a significantly different flavor than the regular mottled green one. The difference within that type have been sweetness and starchiness - but that was cultivation condition and age dependent, not type dependent. I bought one, and, like you, I generally nuke for a bit in order to more easily cut the squash. I plan to do a simple prep, and also to add one to a veggie stew. I bought one for Toots, as well, as she likes the kabocha, so she can try it independently of me.

Here's a link with some pics of the squash: http://flowtoxcleanse.com/roasted-red-kabocha-squash/

Yes, I am sure. And, FWIW, the price of all the squash, including pumpkins, was the same.

This morning I discovered a bin of red kabocha squash at the neighborhod squash store. I don't recall having seen this type of squash before, although we do enjoy the regular kabocha frequently. Does anyone have any experience with this squash? Does it have the same, or similar, taste and texture as the regular kabocha? I'd imagine that one could use the same cooking techniques, but if the taste is different, maybe some different spices and herbs and techniques might be in order. Any comments?

I somewhat agree with the above. Use a good quality dish detergent, or perhaps Tide, rub it into the stain well (and I do mean well!), and let it sit a day or so before washing in HOT water. It's never failed me. Also, apply the detergent quickly - you don't want the grease to set. Another trick that works well is to wear an apron. A good, heavy apron works very well. A friend made one for me out of heavy denim for my birthday in 1979. It's still serving me well, and it's afforded plenty of protection over the years.

Which model do you have? What do you use the oven for? Thanks!

Problems with the Breville Ovens: I went down to the local BB&B and had a good look at the Breville ovens, then I went home and examined my counter space. It looks like I can handle even the biggest oven, and that's good news. However, I've been reading lots of reviews about these ovens, and there seems to be a large number of people complaining about a short life span, with numerous people complaining that the ovens lasted less than two years. It seems the mid-size oven has had the most complaints, although I didn't count 'em. In addition, there have been a number of reviewers complaining that the oven temps are way off - sometimes by as much as 100-degrees. Plus, many people have complained about poor customer service from Breville. To an extent, these things don't bother me very much because, if I do have a problem with the oven I purchase, BB&B will stand by it. But what if Breville changes their models, or discontinues the model I've purchased? However, the idea that I'd be paying a premium price and still having to deal with a mediocre product annoys the hell out of me. It's a PITA to pack one of these puppies and drag it back to BB&B. I want to be happy with my oven ... I like good quality and things that work as they are supposed to. So, who has had problems with their Breville ovens, and what problems did you have? Has anyone owned one of these things for a few years and not had any problems?

What does the fan do for the veggies? What does it do that a non-fan oven can't do?

Thanks for the link. I only had time to briefly skim the article, but will give it my full attention after the weekend.

That's a good idea. I've tried hickory nuts before, but not in the Three Sisters Stew. In any case, I'd like to try acorns as well. Thanks!

Hurray! I found the original company that made these pans, and they are still making them. They're in upstate NY, and they are more interesting than I ever thought. They are made with a special clay from a quarry owned by the company, and this clay has non stick properties. Oh, I am so friggin happy! Tomorrow I will contact directly and order a couple of pans. etc.

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144857-copco-loaf-pan-wanted/

I'm guessing that pimento cheese is the Southern cousin to California's Pepper Jack - Monterey Jack with peppers finely diced and mixed in to the loaf. Most pepper jack I've had has been pretty insipid, with mild, almost flavorless peppers and weak, lowest-common-denominator Monterey Jack. Trader Joe's has a version that I use sometimes when making a cheese and spinach frittata for potlucks. It's pretty good as it contains habanero peppers. Now, I say pretty good because, even though it's quite a bit better than the typical store bough stuff, it probably has room for improvement. Learning about the Southern pimento cheese has given me thoughts about making my own pepper jack, and how I may go about it. It never crossed my mind that people would make a "home made" version of this. So, with thoughts of pimento cheese and pepper jack dancing through my head, I'm off to explore the possibilities of a cheeky cheese with a little kick-ass bite to it. Thanks for your Southern Hospitality ...

Pouch + cookie sheet = Great Idea. Thanks!

Thanks, Andiesenji - I sent your suggestions to Toots and she'll try cooking the soup further. If she follows her usual routine, she made enough to freeze a batch, so that'll be tried too, I'm sure.

Is it possible to braise vegetables in the small- and medium-sized Brevilles? I hadn't thought about it before, but it's fall, and Molly Stevens' book made it from the book shelf to the dining table ...

Toots made a cauliflower soup this evening, and when the soup was done cooking, she added raw garlic as an afterthought. Now the soup is too garlic intense. How might she subdue that intensity? Might cooking the soup some more mellow it? Perhaps cooking some potatoes in the soup as well, and then blending some more?