Shel_B

I bought a couple of pounds of unsalted nuts with the intent of adding my own blend of salt and pepper to them, but the seasoning doesn't stick to the nuts and just falls to the bottom of the bowl. How can I get the salt and pepper to stick to the nuts, preferably without adding a lot of oil, fat, or sweeteners like honey?

Is there a disadvantage to a straight gauge pot? When using a disk-bottomed pot, does more heat concentrate at the bottom, and, if so, how does that effect the overall heating of the entire contents of the pot? Might there be instances where more or less heat conducted by the sides has an advantage or disadvantage? Could the thickness or material of the disk outweigh or be offset by a good single gauge design?

I like to make stock, broth, and soup, and am fussy about technique and ingredients. I need a new stock pot and have looked at a few that might be suitable. They are all single gauge pots. However, I am on a fixed income, and don't have a lot of disposable income at this point, so if I can save some money I'm all for it. What advantage does a single gauge pot have over a disk bottomed pot, assuming both are of good quality and materials? Apart from a couple of small items, all my cookware is single gauge, and I'm quite happy with the way they cook. Will I notice any difference between a single gauge and a disk bottom stock pot, and if so, what might that difference be? FWIW, I'm not too interested in brand recommendations specifically, but more interested in the technical and practical advantages and disadvantages of the two types of construction. Thanks!

Supposedly the gelatin extracted from the bones thickens the stock (and gives it a nice mouth feel). I've read in a few places that adding gelatin to stocks will do pretty much the same thing as long simmering of bones. You might want to try adding some gelatin sheets and see how that works.

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My current coffee grinder is a 30+ year old Krups burr grinder and it's getting a little long in the tooth. It's almost time for a replacement. It would be nice to find a grinder that's a little quieter, and that can grind fine for espresso and coarse for a French press. One that will last for twenty or more years would be desireable as well. Price: under $100.00, and best under $50.00 or so. Any suggestions?

There's a site called Sweet Maria's http://www.sweetmarias.com which sells green beans and small roasters, among other coffee-related items. The site is rich on information. Friends and I have been buying beans from them for years. It's easy to roast beans using small, counter top roasters, and the results are outstanding!

Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen, etc., is someone I don't like, nor do I like his magazines or his show in general. Paula Deen just rubs me the wrong way on many levels - her personality irritates me, the products she endorses are products I don't like or support, and her cooking (FRIED BUTTER! for example) turns me off completely. Rachael Ray annoys the heck out of me - I don't like her personality, her physical appearance, and the recipes and food she prepares. It's like fingernails on a blaclboard. I used to dislike Emeril, but now that he's on Planet Green he seems to have toned down quite a bit, sticks more to cooking than showmanship, and has produced a few very interesting recipes. I don't get the attraction some people have to Nigella Lawson. I don't dislike her, but I don't watch her show. Most of the PBS cooking show chefs are fine, although there's some BBQ guy that, while his 'que recipes and techniques are OK, his personality annoys me. JoAnne Weir rubs me the wrong way even though some of her recipes are interesting. Julia and Jacques - love to watch them, especially when they make the same dish side by side and each put their own spin on it. Martin Yan doesn't interest me very much - over the years his schtick has become annoying.

Thanks for the ideas and the link to the Cooking Issues blog. Great stuff!

Recently five pounds of chicken necks found their way into my freezer. Besides using them in stocks, what other recipes can be made with them, maybe something in which they play a starring role. My dad loved to suck the meat off a nicely roasted or braised neck. The meat is very flavorful, and it might be nice to do something more interesting with them besides making stock or soup.

So, what's the best way to determine if your cookware heats evenly across the bottom of the pan or pot when used on the stove top? Thanks!

Well, I don't drink, so I don't know how well the following recipe goes with the drinks you mentioned, but since it's a bar recipe, it should work well. I came across the recipe a week or so back, and made it this past weekend - delicious! Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Bar%20nuts%20(union%20sq%20cafe)%20corrected Shel

I have an unlimited source of day old bread and, amongst other things, I want to make bread crumbs for meat balls, meat loaf, and gratins. What's the best way, and why, to make bread crumbs for these dishes: fresher crumbs or older, dried crumbs? Thanks, Shel

What's the difference between the French and the Canadian versions? Shel

Over the years I have encountered many techniques for roasting tomatoes, some using very low temperatures and long roasting times, others using higher temps and shorter times. Some recommend salting and seasoning, some suggest coating the tomatoes with olive oil, and some suggest just roasting the tomatoes plain. FWIW, I usually roast at lower temps and coat the tomatoes with EVOO. What I've not fully grasped is what the different techniques yield - so, which technique do you use and, most important, why? Is there a technique that give a deeper, richer flavor than the others? Shel

You've met the wrong Californians. California grows a lot of figs, and I don't know a single Californian who has not enjoyed the local varieties at least a few times. Shel

Has anyone tried the new All-Clad D5 cookware and compared the results and touted benefits to the standard All-Clad tri-ply cookware? Shel

Over the next year I'll be buying a few new pieces of cookware. In the past I've purchased multi-layered clad cookware with two exceptions. My question, mainly because of budgetary conerns, is this: when is clad cookware preferred to cookware with a disk bottom? Would results be better with a clad stockpot than with a disk-bottomed pot? What about with a sauté pan or a skillet, assuming that the disk was thick enough and extended close enough to the edge of the cooking surface, and that the clad cookware was also of good quality? Thanks for your opinions and input, Shel

The doctor wants me to cut way back on meat and the fat that goes along with some meats. Greens are a favorite of mine, and they are eaten frequently. How might I get a "meaty" taste in my greens, perhaps akin to using bacon or other animal fats, without using meat? The taste needn't be a duplicate of the taste of meat, but something that will give a more robust, smokey flavor to the leaves. I tried chipotle peppers and some smoked paprika - the chipotles were nice but I don't always want the heat from the pepper. Smoked paprika was only so-so for my taste. So, any other suggestions? Thanks! Shel

Recently I heard mention of "saba" vinegar, but have not been able tofind out much about it. Anyone know what it is or have some suggestions for its use? Has anyone used it? hanks! Shel

Well, gang, I'm gonna have to try that toasting technique. Thanks! Shel

There's no chance of mixing up grains - oats are the only grains in the house. Shel

As you may have surmised from my original post, I was thinking along the same lines as you, so I made the oatmeal by adding the butter at the end - a definite improvement! Thanks! Shel

When I make oatmeal, I add butter to the water and oartmeal, and then cook for awhile. Recently there have been some whitish clumps in the finished product, and I was wondering what they might be and what causes them. Perhaps they are clumps of milk fat ... maybe the heat is too high, or the cooking time too long? Any thoughts on what the clumps are and how to prevent them. Thanks! Shel

Thanks for all the replies. From what I read here and elsewhere, there are a few cocoa powders that I'll try, including Pernigotti and Sharffen Berger (sp?) Kind regards,