Shel_B

That looks good, also. It's interesting the egg and flour are used as a binder for the red bean burger but not the black bean burger, which leads me to think that the sour cream and potatoes act as the binding agents for the black bean burgers. I'm going to experiment more with the black bean burgers before moving to the red bean burgers. I want to try the black bean burgers with whole kernel corn in place of some beans and sweet potatoes in place of the red potatoes.

I want to play around with this recipe: http://www.ciaprochef.com/northarvest/recipe10.html I'm wondering what the purpose of the sour cream is? Is it a binding agent? How does this burger hold together if the sour cream isn't a binding agent? Can I use yogurt in place of the sour cream? Would a nonfat yogurt or sour cream work? Are the potatoes a binder? Would sweet potatoes or butternut, acorn or other similar squash work? Thanks!

No, I don't, but down here in the Berkeley area there are lots of choices for vinegar (and olive oil). Thanks for your suggestions. I'd like to try the L'Estornell Red Wine Garnacha Vinegar.

S/S is a very good option, although you can't see through it, but it is virtually bomb-proof. I have two blenders with SS canisters. IMO, that's the way to go. Indestructable, quick and easy cleanup, no staining or food odors. Yeah, you can't see through them, but after a while you learn to adjust to that deficiancy.

Toots picked up some nice, fresh, organic blackberries and raspberries yesterday. This morning I made smoothies with nonfat goat milk yogurt, a hint of vanilla, and, of course, the berries. Pretty good, and Toots liked it, and that's what matters most.

After using cultivated "wild rice" for so many years, not knowing there was a difference, I'd like to try some real wild rice that's been harvested and processed the traditional way. Can anyone recommend a good mail order source for this product. There are many on the 'net, but I'd feel more comfortable with a couple-three solid recommendations. Thanks!

Oenophile ...

I picked up a bottle of the Eden Foods this morning, and it's quite nice. Sparrow Lane, also mentioned above, was on the shelf near the Eden, and I almost bought it as well, but decided to wait until my next visit to the market (Berkeley Bowl) when I'll go with a list of the vinegars recommended here and pick up a few of the suggested choices. Thanks again to everyone who had suggestions.

Not to take anything away from your info, especially since it should be brought up every now and then, however, it's really old news. Both the New Yorker and the NYT did stories about counterfeit and adulterated olive oils some years ago. But, as I said, the more times this is mentioned the smarter consumers will be. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/13/070813fa_fact_mueller http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/02/the-exchange-tom-mueller.html For the most part, I buy only locally (California) produced olive oils from known and trusted producers. Often it's fresher than the imports and I know what I'm getting. Plus, I can taste many of the products before making a purchase ... and that's very nice. BTW, the lab that did the tests in the article is located in my neighborhood, and I know of their work. They are a very reputable lab.

I've been considering an All-Clad nonstick skillet, but the reviews I read about the model I want (14-inch) have not been favorable, with complaints about the surface chipping or peeling. I may just go with a substantially less expensive Calphalon model. One thing I noticed about the stainless interior on some recent All-Clad pots is that the stainless steel was not as smooth as my earlier pots. There were what appeared to be machining marks across the surface. This was on several items I looked at in Bed Bath Beyond.

My first All-Clad - two saucepans and a sauté pan - was purchased around 1980 ... still excellent and cookin' like new.

Looking at some All-Clad pots and skillets recently, it seemed that they are lighter and thinner than the ones I bought more than a decade ago. Has anyone else noticed this? Do different suppliers, like Amazon or Williams-Sonoma, carry different versions of the All-Clad line, so that the "same" pot or pan may be made to different specs?

I learned this from a friend of mine: When starting to work or cook in the kitchen, I toss an old towel or a few sheets of paper towels folded upon themselves onto the floor. Then, when there's a spill, I just push the towels over the mess with my foot, effecting an immediate cleanup without having to bend down and perhaps interrupt my work. It really does save time and some energy.

Is this a "hot n spicy" curry, or a mild one? Haven't yet seen it at my usual TJ's.

Thanks. I tried a second batch late last night with some additional stirring, and the result does seem a little smoother. Will try some of weinoo's suggestions as well, in addition to more stirring. I'm pretty close on this one. It just needs a little more tweaking.

What does more sugar do, besides making the dessert sweeter? What does the alcohol do?

Here's a little recipe I've been playing with: 1 cup low fat Greek yogurt 3 cups frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) 3 Tbs granulated sugar 1/8 tsp vanilla extract Put yogurt, sugar, and extract into blender. Let berries defrost a bit so they are somewhat soft. Blend by pulsing until almost smooth. Freeze, covered, for a couple-three hours. Now, I'm satisfied with the flavor, but the mixture is a scosh icy. How might I get a somewhat less icy and smoother texture? Would a finer sugar be of any help, like superfine or castor sugar? Also, the small seeds from the berries are a bit of a bother. What's the best way to get rid of them? Food mill? Run softened berries through a sieve or strainer? Thanks for any suggestions.

I want to get an 8-inch chef knife for Toots, and one for me as well, and was thinking of the Victorinox as I like the price-value ratio and have been happy with the Victorinox knives I do have. While cruising a few sites to see what's available, I came across a model with a Granton edge, which is supposed to offer better slicing. Anyone have experience with this edge on a chef's knife? Does it make chopping and dicing easier? Is the knife more difficult to sharpen?

I have seen many suggestions on how to sauté and fry garlic. Some say long and slow over low to moderate heat, others over medium or high heat, and quickly stir the garlic around, others suggest adding it last, or after other ingredients when sautéing vegetable and meats, and still others suggest adding the garlic early. Generally, I add the garlic to the oil in a cold pan, sometimes adding a bit of water to help keep the temp down, and sauté long and slow, but that's mostly when adding garlic and few other ingredients. So, what's the best way to coax the most flavor from a clove or two of garlic under various situations? When's long and slow cooking ideal, when faster at higher temps, and when should the garlic be added early and when late?

Reading another thread here this morning, I got an idea to use frizzled ham as a garnish and ingredient for a couple of dishes, mostly salads and soups. I never heard of the term "frizzled" before, although I know what I want to do. I want thin, julienned slices of ham (maybe at some point another meat) fried until crispy. A Google search returns a few techniques for doing this, but I also wanted to ask here. Any suggestions for making this ingredient? Best type of ham to use? Best method of crisping it? I'd like to minimize oil and fat, if possible. That's not to say I want to eliminate oil and fat, just minimize it. Thanks!

I'd be very careful with pine nuts. Know your source, and know just what nuts you're getting. Many of the nuts on the market can cause a bitter aftertaste that's very unpleasant. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/07/02/128273771/pinenuts-may-be-to-blame-for-that-bitter-atertaste If you want nuts, go with good Marcona almonds.

I like many of Eden's products, including their brown rice vinegar. I'll definitely try their red wine vinegar. Thanks for the tip!

There's a BIG difference between what one earns and what one's worth.

When I saw that item promoted somewhere I laughed enough to wet my pants. I use whatever bowl is handy and of the appropriate size, then dump the stuff in the compost bin.

Found this interesting ... here's the ranking of the top chefs: 1: Gordon Ramsay, $38 million 2: Rachael Ray, $25 million 3: Wolfgang Puck, $20 million 4: Paula Deen, $17 million 5: Mario Batali, $13 million 6: Alain Ducasse, $12 million 7: Todd English, $11 million 8: Nobu Matsuhisa, $10 million 9: Bobby Flay, $9 million 10: Guy Fieri, $8 million Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/07/19/highest-paid-celebrity-chef/#ixzz2YH3mabjo