Shel_B

I haven't had these in more than a decade. They were somewhat of a staple in our home when I was a kid. I didn't know they were still in business. They're not as tasty or texturally satisfying as I recall, and they weren't that great when I was 13 years old, either. But there they were, on an end display in the market this morning, and I just had to try 'em. I'm good for another decade ...

Almost 10 Million Pounds of Recalled Chicken & Beef Found In Products at Trader Joe's, Aldi and More The meat and poultry products were distributed to restaurants and grocery stores across the nation. https://www.eatingwell.com/recalled-chicken-and-beef-found-in-products-at-trader-joe-s-aldi-and-more-8727075?

I've heard of this but never have tried it. Perhaps you can provide some suggestions about how to use the tea for smoking?

Sunshine Pasta: I call it that because of the lovely yellow color. The sauce is EVOO from a friend's grove, yellow heirloom tomatoes (probably the last of the year) from the Berkeley farmers' market, a little garlic, some Calabrian peppers. Pasta is DeCecco Mezzi Rigatoni. I'm starting to love the shape as it allows the tubes to be filled with sauce, especially if somewhat chunky, and I really enjoy the way it feels in my mouth.

You read my summary, so I'm the dope.

This video popped into my queue today. It's Helen Rennie's take on why she dislikes sous vide cooking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwIRIcdDLBQ Of course, this is a very personal and opinionated piece, and Ms. Rennie clearly states that in the video. I don't cook using sous vide, and some of Ms. Rennie's points coincide with my own feelings. However, never having cooked using the technique, my feelings are, for the most part, just feelings, and I have little to zero experientially based reasons for them. Where she and I are in 100% agreement is the hands-off approach sous vide allows. I like the sounds, smells, textures, and involvement in cooking that sous vide diminishes or removes. I love it when a visitor says "That smells good. What are you cooking?" I'm curious about your thoughts on her comments. I'd love to hear both pro and con about Ms. Rennie's opinions.

Vera Barker’s Cocktail Wieners Combine 1½ cups ketchup, ½ cup brown sugar and ¾ cup bourbon with 2½ pounds of cocktail wieners. Simmer the mixture on the stovetop on low heat for 2½ hours. Use a slow cooker, if you like. Note: A subsequent article suggested adding some sautéed and caramelized onions to the sauce. The same comment suggested adding more brown sugar, although I think that the amount should be enough. It certainly was for use the several times we made the recipe. I think sweetie even cut the sugar back a bit. While bourbon is good, you can try other whiskies ... I think sweetie did once or twice. It seems that “Vera’s” have been around for a while. I know of one family that has been making them for every family gathering since 1980-81.

Thanks for the compendium, some of which are new to me. I love Pasta Grannies, and Vincenzo's Plate is interesting in many ways but I sometimes tire of his pasta "making love" to the sauce. Jean Pierre is a hoot, and I've gotten some good ideas from his show. The others are new to me and I'll take a look at them later on. 👍

They can be in Italian, as you've described. It might even help me improve my language skills. Thanks for the recommendation ... I've saved it for a look later.

$38.00 for a mixing bowl ... yikes! OTHO, if it's what you want, go for it. I've made some Yikesworthy purchases and loved every one of 'em.

Love the idea. I will definitely try it. I'm a scraper as well. One of my big issues is toothpaste. When nothing more can be squeezed from the tube, I cut open the bottom and dip the brush in that way. The first time I did that it was just because I was curious to see how much remained in the tube. I was shocked by how much toothpaste was wasted. I can get two or more weeks worth of brushing doing this little trick. YMMV. My parents would turn bottles of ketchup and similar items upside-down in the cabinet or fridge, and let gravity provide additional, easy-to-access, servings. I always use a skosh of water to remove as much as possible of the last vestiges of sauce from cans and jars. While I was not a depression-era child, my parents, aunts, and uncles were. My grandparents never lost their turn-of-the-century immigrant sensibilities. Examples of thriftiness surrounded me much of my life, and that sensibility remains with me (and my siblings) in many ways to this day. And, although I was very, very young, I still have vague memories of the remnants of WWII rationing. I recall my dad telling me a story about the way things were during the depression. We were sitting in a Horn and Hardart automat and he told me about Depression Soup. Folks would go into a cafeteria, automat, etc., get something cheap to eat, and make the "soup" at their table. The soup consisted of a glass of water mixed with whatever condiments and spices were on the table: ketchup, mustard, S&P, maybe some sugar.

Almost Vegetarian Chili: Used collagen-rich chicken stock for added mouth feel and extra yumminess.

Swastika Shrimp?

This morning, while watching an episode of Iron Chef on Netflix, one of the chefs created a dish using brûléed mustard. He used regular sugar, put it over a spicy mustard, and brûléed using a torch. Making some progress on this project.

I was watching an episode of Iron Chef and saw this. Anyone know what brand/model it may be?

Thanks! I've seen some videos but somehow disappeared the link. I'll save it more better this time. I liked the videos I saw and will certainly visit more of them now.

Great! Thank you so much.

Any recommendations for YouTube cooking shows that focus on Italian cooking? They can originate from places other than Italy such as, for example, Not Another Cooking Show. or Pasta Grammar. Thanks ...

Recent Hot Sauce Order: Most are new to me although I've been using Marie's sauces since the very early 1990s. The Mango Habanero sauce is excellent ... I'm getting a bigger bottle on my next order.

Cool! Thanks for posting the link.

The stove in my kitchen is electric and far from ideal for using the Moka Pot. I want a small hotplate to keep on or close to the stove for the Moka Pot, maybe my little 1-quart pan, butter warmer, and the like. I've never owned a hotplate before, so my request is a blend of desire and ignorance. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'd like a flat plate rather than coils for the element; Small size is a big concern. If the plate diameter is about 6 inches and the unit's footprint is not much greater, I'll be in Hotplate Heaven. Do you know of anything that may come close to fitting the bill? Induction won't work. I'd like to keep the price to a maximum of around $50.00 and will consider spending more for something exceptional.

Homemade carrot/celery juice, lightly toasted, seeded, whole wheat toast spread with roasted, homemade peanut butter, French press Ethiopian coffee, black.

Instead of wasting good food, one could regift them or donate to a food pantry ...

I'm not dead. Made a chicken bog with the stock yesterday ... mmmm! No intestinal distress either. Thanks for your input, folks.

@gfweb I'd like some clarification on the highlighted points, please. By "stay[ing] sealed" do you mean that the cooker isn't opened when cooking is done until such time as the mixture is transferred to storage containers? If left for several hours, such as overnight, wouldn't the sealed vent open naturally and break whatever seal the cooker might have? How would that effect the concept of a sealed cooker? Is the 15 minutes you mentioned additional time to reheat the contents after they have cooled down for several hours after cooking, essentially just reheating at pressure cooker temperatures?