Shel_B

Hi, thanks for your suggestions. A fair number of participants in the class are expected to be men who have depended on their wives to prepare meals, and who really do need some basic cooking skills. I was concerned about big and bold seasonings and spicy dishes. Glad to hear that that may be acceptable. A lot of the folks that I know at the center are more interested in milder food, but they may not be the ones signing on to a cooking class. There are definitel some folks there who are more adventurous - guess I'll just ahve to see how each class shapes up and be prepared to go either way, although leading those who are more interested in milder meals to something a little more exciting might work - plus seasonings can always be adjusted up or down. I'm definitely aware of lifting difficulties, especially since I suffer from back pain and sometimes have problems in that area. Hadn't thought about fluid intake. That sounds like a good point to touch on. Kind regards,

It's possible that I may be giving a few lessons in basic cooking skills to some seniors at the local senior center. The plan as it is now is to describe various cookware and how it's used, teach a few basic skills such as sautéing, making pasta, baking and roasting, and provide a few simple, inexpensive, and easy to prepare dishes as well as describing ingredients and the places where they can be conveniently and perhaps inexpensively purchased. It might also be nice to take a group on a field trip to one or two markets to point out ingredients that might be appropriate, such as low salt items, items that are good for diabetics, low fat foods, and the like. So, if anyone has some additional ideas for this class, maybe some recipes or techniques that would be good for the older folks, fire away. I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

I came across this link when looking for Le Creuset Colors Perhaps you may enjoy seeing what's offered in various parts of the world.

LC mentions that their enameled cast iron pots are dishwasher safe, although they recommend hand washing. FWIW, my first LC pot went into the dishwasher quite a few times during its life, and now, 30 years later, it's still as good as new. I would not recommend the dishwasher on a constant, regular basis, but it sure seems that every now and then a trip through the machine won't hurt anything.

While poking around the site I came across a Le Creuset "Signature" store. Anybody know what that is and how it may be different from the factory outlet? Thanks!

Thanks so much for clearing that up. Now the lack of rust on my pots makes sense. And all along I thought it was the excellent care I gave them <LOL>

If you like cheese and would like to learn more about them, the Cowgirl Creamery Library of Cheese might be a nice place to visit. Cowgirl Creamery is located north of San Francisco in the little town of Point Reye Station, and makes some well regarded and award-winning cheeses. Have fun exploring the library: http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/library.asp

Hi, sorry for the delay in replying. Thanks for you information. I think the eggs were about $8.00 apiece, but it may have been as much as $12.00. The next time I'm at the store I'll check. Since the eggs are pretty mild, and not stinky, I may get one and give it a try. Probably best to invite a few friends over for brunch ... [edit] Well, I just checked a couple of web sites and blogs, and it seems that I was mistaken about the price. How does $39.00 strike you!?

OK, my LC is older still, purchased 30 years ago. That may explain the difference.

I'll had to disagree with you, at least in part. My Le Creuset pots do not have an enamel coating on the bottom, but they are older pots. I just bought a new pot yesterday so I'll have a chance to see what the current pots are like when it gets delivered in a day or so.

I saw that while searching for information about the lid. The Lodge lid isn't enamel coated, and it's easy for me to understand how it can be used directly over heat. My concern and confusion is explained in my post to nickrey, above.

Thanks. I saw that after posting my question. However, my Sunday morning haven't-had-coffee-yet brain is still not understanding completely. Can the top be put on a burner enamel side down? Won't the enamel get damaged by coming in contact with direct heat? The pot itself doesn't have an enamel coating on the bottom where it meats the heat. I'm assuming there's a reason for that. Time for cawfee ...

Today I saw the Le Creuset Grill Cover on a 7-qt oval Dutch oven. What is a grill top? I couldn't find it listed on the LC web site.

Last year I dropped and broke the lid on my 30yo LC Dutch oven. I called LC and asked for a replacement lid and was told that A) they no longer made that size Dutch oven and B) they don't sell lids separately. However, they did offer to ship me a brand new, complete Dutch oven for only 25% of the selling price. Quite fair, I thought. So, it cost me a few bucks but I got a brand new, slightly larger, pot delivered right to my door. Today I bought a new pot, in Black Onyx. I was looking for a less expensive model but realized how pleased I was with LC and the company's service, that reviews are almost universally 100% positive, and that many lesser expensive model reviews often mention problems: cracks, chips, lids that don't fight just right, staining, etc. Why look for problems and aggavation?

This NYTimes article suggests that cheap wine for cooking might be just fine. I've done some unscientific testing myself, and have to say I agree based on my experiences so far. Some time ago I started using Two-Buck Chuck in a lot of my cooking, and y'know what, all the dishes worked out very well. I prefer the Merlot to the other reds, but, IMO, any freshly opened bottle of Two-Buck may be a better choice than a partially used bottle of some better wine that's been sitting around waiting to get used up.

One of the local markets around here sometimes carries ostrich eggs (they look positively HUGE next to the quail eggs), and it's tempting to try one but they are quite spendy. So, maybe someone's had some experience with them. How do thewy taste - strong, mild, any "off" or unusual flavor profile? This morning while watching Big Cat Diary on Animal Planet, a lioness was shown eating a few ostrich eggs and the observer mentioned that they were "stinky." Do the eggs have a strong, or perhaps disagreeable, odor? Any other thoughts on these eggs?

Hmmm - I just returned from TJ's and didn't see anything like that. It seems that not all TJ's stores in this area carry the same items.

Today while at BB&B I saw a few Calphalon Katana knives and handled the 8" Chef's knife. I liked the way it felt and the way it looked. However, it's a new knife to me and I've no idea about the quality and how it might hold an edge. Does anyone know about this knife and have any comments about it? http://www.cookware.com/Calphalon-KN4008V-CPH1263.html Thanks,

I agree 100% - in fact, I've been to restaurants that just don't allow babies younger than a certain age. Many movie theaters don't allow babies, so why not a restaurant?

Apple sauce?

Yep! I should have mentioned that there are a few of TJ's boxed soups that I like and which seem to be pretty good. The organic roasted red pepper and tomato soup is on of my favorite TJ's offerings, and the butternut squash soup isn't too bad either.

Hi, Finding some high quality canned soups, perhaps even organic, has become something of a priority. The usual soups, Campbell's, Progresso, and even some of the organics, tend to be overly salted, watery, and sometimes lacking in quality and quantity of solid ingredients. Around here a can of soup can be as much as $3.00 or more, and while soup can be had on sale, for that kind of money it would be nice to have better quality ingredients in the can. So, what do you recommend as a quality canned soup? All types interest me - chowders, vegetable soups, meat soups, etc.

http://meyenberg.com/wheretobuy I've had Meyenberg products and found them, especially the butter, to be quite satisfactory.

I think you misunderstood me, and perhaps I didn't explain too well. I'm not talking about cheap pots, but rather pots like All-Clad, Calphalon, or other heavy, quality pots. I believe I said straight gauge.