Shel_B

I'm concerned that the 8" blade may be a bit much for her. I know a 6" blade will work fine. Couldn't find a 6" model except for a utility knife.

I'm not looking for a top quality knife for Toots - she needs something light and easy to handle, and Victorinox quality would be just fine. It's also has to satisfy me, who cooks at her place several times a week. Victorinox doesn't have just what I'm looking for, and this Wusthof (6-inch) seems like it may be a good choice. The price is certainly right ... Comments on quality, handling, similar alternatives, etc. welcome. Thanks! http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-gourmet/chefs-knife-p110908

I was at the Microplane site yesterday, looking for a grater, and noticed that the description of a couple of items said "Blade made in USA." That suggests, to me at least, that the rest of the parts, and possibly the assembly, are made elsewhere. Does anyone have any more info on the subject?

OK! Some good ideas here. Not roasting them until crunchy sounds right. And using blanched peanuts sounds like a perfect compromise for me. The oven method seems like it would be my preference. Thanks so much for jumping in.

That's strange: I've been using riveted pans since the mid-70s, and even my old pans show no dirt and grime around the rivets. I just use a good sponge that has an abrasive side http://www.stockngo.com/buy-the-case/household/cleaning-supplies/scotch-brite-multi-purpose-scrub-sponge-3-count.html?gdftrk=gdfV23630_a_7c1633_a_7c7275_a_7c50021200598468&gclid=CN70zK6g5LkCFeU9QgodnlQAvQ and clean around the rivets. It's not difficult. Been doing it for years. Maybe we stir differently, but the rivets have never been a problem, and I have riveted pans from 1-quart to 8-quarts. I never stack my pans, so it's a non issue for me. While I rarely put my All-Clad (or any pots) in the dishwasher, I sometimes have. Again, it's never been an issue for me, but, admittedly, it sometimes takes a little planning. http://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-BD55201-5-Stainless-Dishwasher-1-5-Quart/dp/B0051OERLS/ref=sr_1_2/179-7698281-4112154?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1380033703&sr=1-2&keywords=all-clad+d5 Scroll down towards the bottom of the page, ,to the sponsored links and you'll find two 20% off deals.

OK, roasting your own peanuts makes sense, as does making many things from good, fresh ingredients. So, what's the best way to roast peanuts? Are there some types of peanuts that are a better choice for roasting and which are a good choice for peanut sauce? Roast in the shell or not? Add oil or salt, or not? How done should they be - lightly roasted, deeply roasted and crunchy, somewhere in between? Instructions I found on the 'net are all over the place.

Yes, that's a good recipe. There are several others that also use fresh, roasted peanuts. Bruce Cost made a killer peanut sauce using such an ingredient, although, in at least one of his recipes for peanut sauce, he deep fried the fresh peanuts.

Did you add, perhaps, a light coating of mayo? Couldn't tell from the pic.

Thanks for the pointer. I DL'd and filed the recipe.

I'm familiar with the Rasa Malaysia site, but not this recipe - Thanks! My security software tells me that Irene's site is a security risk so I'm not going there. The Thaifood.about.com recipe looks interesting. Might be worth a try, although it looks similar to one that I already have used - which isn't bad at all. Thanks for the pointers.

Thanks! Very similar to recipes I have for "Tan Tan (Tang Tang?) noodles and for NY Hot, Spicy Takeout Noodles.

I enjoy peanut sauce, and so does Toots, though not as much as I. There are a few recipes in my collection, but, over the years, I've made 'em all more than once, and it would be nice to expand my repertoire. I've cruised the 'net, and not found too many that were of interest - just one or two, really, and I've only come across one recipe here on eGullet which, sorry to say, didn't do much for me. So, does anyone have a favorite peanut sauce recipe? It can be Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, or whatever. It would be great to get some new ideas or recipes, especially with some interesting ingredients. Thanks so much!

Wednesday I received a few pounds of GREAT tomatoes, and for lunch today I whipped up a nice, quick, fresh tomato sauce and dumped some al dente spaghetti into it. My, oh my ... simple, quick (about 20 minutes) and delicious.

Hmm ... the 1.5 quart All-Clad is 6.6" x 5.6" and the 2 quart is 6.6" x 6.6", quite close with the All-Clad being a bit wider and taller.

The lids are one of the things that attracted me to Staub. Strangely enough, my black LC oven came with a stainless knob. I was told that, at the time, if you bought black it came with a stainless knob. I don't know - mine did, and that's all I know for sure. Yes, I like the lighter, smooth LC interior. I didn't know about the Staub honeycomb bottom. I'll certainly avoid it.

The LC saucepans you referenced are tri-ply, and compared to comparable All-Clad, are more expensive. The 1.5 quart LC is $90.00 and the similar All-Clad is $79.00, plus I can get 20% off the All-Clad. With that same discount, I can get the All-Clad D5 for $91.00, essentially the same price as the 3-ply LC. In addition, the LC is made in China, and I'd rather not buy Chinese-made items if I can help it.

Thanks so much for your comments. Very helpful!

And yet, quite a few people say the concept works well and is an improvement over the standard All-Clad tri ply. I don't know. On the face of it, it seems counterintuitive, but maybe the layer of steel between the two layers of aluminum acts like a "flame tamer," smoothing out hot spots and helping to get a more even heat to the contents.

Thanks for your comments. Very helpful. I have no interest in the copper core.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. The pan in question is a Calphalon Tri-Ply, and no, it's probably not ruined. I used it to make oatmeal this morning, and to boil water for coffee. But, it does look a little ugly - but not too bad. I've never been really crazy about the handle on that particular pot, so, at least on some level, I'm looking for an excuse to replace it. And I've been very happy with my older All-Clad, and I found a deal on the D5 ....

And yet I use mine every day, maybe more than once ... I have larger saucepans as well. But the 1.5 quart is perfect for much of what I do as I'm usually cooking just for myself here. The size is perfect for making hot cereal, reheating soup and items from my freezer, ideal for throwing together an impromptu veggie dish, making a small amount of sauce ...

Well, since Toots and I don't live together, we often shop alone, but we also shop together at times. But we don't hold each other's hand ... we may have different assignments, such as she'll get dairy and I'll get produce. Or, there's a farmers market right by the Trader Joe's that we shop at, and often (but not always) one of us will hit TJ's and the other will shop the farmers market. Now, we frequently shop for "us," getting what we'll need for the three or four days a week that we're together. She's good at making lists - she keeps one by the fridge in her apartment and adds to it as things are needed. I'm not so good with lists (although getting better), and so when I shop I often just look for what's fresh or on sale or what looks interesting, and just make many purchases on the fly. So, we shop the same venues, but individually, except, strangely enough, at Costco. There we work as a team. Maybe it's because the store is so big, it's easier to stay together rather than search for one another towards the end of shopping. Neither of us really like shopping with the other since we have such different styles, and that's probably why we shop independently while in the same venue. I much prefer shopping by myself - I find it relaxing and enjoyable, and don't feel any pressure to hurry up. Toots ALWAYS asks me what I'm going to get when we're at the farmers market, and my answer is always pretty much the same, "I don't know - gotta see what looks good." I think that frustrates her.

Yesterday, a house guest ruined my Calphalon 1.5 quart tri-ply saucepan. It's not good to leave a pan on the heat with nothing in it <sigh>. So, I'm looking for a replacement, and was thinking about a 1.5 quart All-Clad D5. Has anyone used the D5 series? I'm curious as to how it compares to the more typical tri-ply? Does it have any advantages, such as more even heating or better heat transfer? Also, I'm about ready for another, smaller "Dutch" oven and have been thinking about Staub. I've been very happy with my Le Creuset, however, Staub is also well regarded. Any comments, pro and con, for the Staub? Thanks!

Today I received the strainer I ordered: http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/browne-halco/s8198/p7109.aspx It looks pretty good, although not exactly like the picture, but it does have the same part number, for whatever that's worth. The one I got has double hooks on the front edge, which is what I originally wanted, and a slightly different shaped handle. The reinforced, double mesh design looks like it will provide good service, although time will tell. However, the price was certainly good, the shipping price fair ... I'll let you know if there are any problems.

We enjoy the markets all year. In the immediate area, we have markets every day except Monday, and each market has some unique vendors. It's wonderful!