Shel_B

I added some fresh ground Pasilla de Oaxaca, a splash of good quality balsamic vinegar, and a handful of baby spinach leaves ... a simple, quick, and easy to prepare dinner. Plus a 3 - 4 inch sized piece of the local bakery's sourdough baguette, as well.

I love many fermented foods, especially sauerkraut. I always warm the kraut before eating, and most often give it a quick rinse to reduce the salt content. Does warming the kraut destroy the health effects? I usually just put the kraut into a pan and bring the water up to a bit below boiling, about 180º - 190º or so maximum.

I've a confession to make: Sometimes I like bad food. For example, I'll sometimes get a Whopper or Double Cheeseburger at Burger King. The food is not good, but I like it. It's more of a textural thing than a tastes great thing. Gotta have a coupon, though. Sometimes I'll make "bad" food, like my Not-World-Famous-Potato-Vegetable-Smush which I find almost swoon-worthy. Yukon Gold potatoes cooked in broth of some kind, add an assortment of frozen and/or fresh veggies, get everything softish, mash together with seasoning, EVOO, and grated Reggiano or Pecorino, and I'm happy. No visual appeal to speak of, but flavorful and a great mushy-smushy texture, plus what could be wrong with a bowl of veggies.

FWIW, I received a phone call from Costco earlier this morning following up on the email they sent. Nice touch.

I've been going through the same thing. After Sweetie died, my enthusiasm for most everything flagged, and my enthusiasm for cooking has dropped precipitously. Sweetie was a motivator for me. We'd have guests for dinner regularly, I'd cook for her, she'd challenge me (There's a can of beans and angel hair pasta in the cupboard, make us some dinner). I've not cooked for anyone in a long time ... my social network has been shattered. I'm tying to get more involved here at my apartment, but it is a Sisyphean task. We've a Thanksgiving pot luck coming up and I have all the needed ingredients for my contribution, but my enthusiasm is low.

If you care to see him in action, here are some videos from his shows, including one with Jacques Pepin. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=martin+yan+videos&t=h_&ia=web

I've given quality tea and coffee in the past. This year I'm giving tea, some quality chocolates, and spice/seasoning packages. https://oaktownspiceshop.com/collections/gift-boxes (as examples) A couple of folks are getting cookbooks.

Just a few minutes ago I received a message from Costco: November 19, 2024 Important Food Safety Recall Notice Cal-Organic Farms Whole Organic Carrots Item #1352 Dear Costco Member, Costco records indicate that you, or one of your add-on members, purchased Cal-Organic Farms Whole Organic Carrots packaged in a six-pound bag, item #1352 between August 15 and September 30, 2024. This item purchased during the above timeframe has been recalled because it may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19 E. coli O121:H19 is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with a weakened immune system. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as a hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as ten days. The average incubation period is 3 to 4 days. The recalled carrots may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. If you purchased this item between August 15 and September 30, 2024 and still have these products in your home, do not consume them. Clean and sanitize surfaces they may have touched. Throw away unused product and go to Costco for a full refund. Consumers concerned about an illness should contact a medical professional. Please call Grimmway Farms at 1-866-912-9552, M-F, 8 am – 8 pm ET or visit www.grimmway.com if you have any issues or concerns. Thank you, Michael Riccomini VP Quality Assurance I made two purchases of the carrots during that time, and consumed them raw. I felt no distress nor can I recall any symptoms. It sounds like the issue has passed, and I'm thinking of buying carrots again.

Hi, gang ... I've been looking for a very specific type of grater for quite some time and have had no luck finding one, so I thought I'd try here. I want a good quality, ideally hand-held, rotary grater that has a drum with teeth like these: I've come across several that are large and which attach by one means or another to a table top, but every one I've found (on Amazon, Walmart, and one other site) is "unavailable." I've checked at Amazon India, a site in Great Britain, etc. I'd consider a larger, table top unit, but definitely prefer hand-held. Any thoughts or suggestions?

I found this video to be fun and instructional, and maybe you'll enjoy it as well.

I appreciate your help in addressing my question.

Thanks so much. 👍 The clip makes it clear for me. I searched for an example and couldn't come up with anything.

I don't think I've ever seen that done. Is it common to do that? Yeah, over the years yard and garage sales have provided many super deals. I got some great vintage Corningware that way, some pieces for as little as $3.00. You definitely got a good deal on the mixing bowls.

For whatever reason, I'm having difficulty imagining the rings being used for that purpose. That's not to suggest you're wrong, but somehow my brain is not making the connection. I know you're not weinoo. That much I could grasp.

I'm curious as to the purpose of the rings? Do they get in the way at all when using the bowls, or have you adjusted to them?

English "Pizza" Muffins: Yesterday I made a pasta sauce using whole Calabrian peppers packed in olive oil. I used a pepper and some of the oil, along with fresh and roasted garlic, to make the sauce which I used on the English muffins this morning. The muffins were toasted, sauced, and grated Reggiano was generously applied over the concoction and then browned in the countertop oven. Beverage of choice was Nepalese Himalayan Black tea.

I've a couple of Vollrath SS mixing bowls. They are the economy line, and have a somewhat different shape than those referenced above. Compared to my other SS bowls, the economy line is much nicer - they feel better, are a bit heavier, although by no means heavy, the steel seems to be of better quality, are better designed, and are a pleasure to use. Based on my experience with the less expensive line, I'd think that the heavy-duty bowls would be a real joy to use. One of my favorite and most useful mixing bowls is this vintage Grip 'n' Whip made by West Bend in the 1950s or '60s. It's deep, light weight, built well, and the handle is, well, handy. I got it in 2015 after seeing one in a friend's home, and not knowing what it was (as identifying marks were obscured by age and use), I posted a pic and asked about it here. @btbyrd identified it, and every time I use it I silently thank him.

Quite by accident, I came across this odd little video. It seemed somewhat appropriate to post it here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XMhGh2Yn50w?feature=share

I appreciate all the information you've presented. It does, indeed, look like I grabbed a decent, if not great, bottle of vinegar from the shelf. It should work fine for its intended purpose. Certainly a good starting point for future explorations.

Thans for your helpful and informative post. I'll check the link to Chinese vinegars when I get home. I suspect it will prove quite helpful as well.

There's a recipe for Hot and Sour soup I'd like to try which calls for Chinkiang vinegar. I've not used this type of vinegar before and am unfamiliar with it. This morning, I picked up a bottle at the nearby big Asian market that many people use. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, they only had one brand on their shelves and it was inexpensive (not that that's a disqualifier), so I couldn't try a couple of options at different price points or (presumably) different quality or flavor points. What qualities should I look for when buying this type of vinegar? Are there any brands that you'd recommend? Does it matter much when using a small amount in a soup. This is what I ended up with:

OK, perhaps I felt the power of your influence and support. Whatever term you care to use, you've encouraged me to move forward and I'm now motivated to experiment and develop my own ideas. Perhaps to a lesser extent, I feel that dearth of food products when I travel outside of California and the Bay Area. OTOH, I love exploring the local food cultures when I travel, both inside and outside of the U.S.

G R O A N !

Robin Garr's Hairdryer (Blow-dry) Duck https://www.cheftalk.com/threads/robin-garrs-hairdryer-duck.32389/ Be sure to expand the link for the technique and details.