Shel_B

I've not seen it in my TJ's. Allrecipes did a review of this pasta ... https://www.allrecipes.com/new-favorite-trader-joes-lemon-torchietti-pasta-7550002

I've an older (but not old) 5½ quart Dutch oven. It came with a stainless steel handle for the lid. The space between the lid and the handle is rather narrow, and I'd like to extend the handle a bit to allow more space. Is there a handle available that will provide that extra distance. I couldn't find one. I've an idea to add a spacer and get an extended bolt to hold the whole shebang together should a handle not be available off the shelf. Any thoughts on whether that is a good idea.

It seems that a number of cognoscenti believe (and can at least somewhat substantiate) that the older machines were better engineered and better built. That's in great part why I want a blade rather than a new machine. Even if the blade is of less than stellar quality, I can buy a couple-three for less than the cost of a new machine and keep my baby on the road another decade or more. I'm going to get one of the blades that was mentioned in this thread. It's already in my shopping cart. Turns out that my machine is from the '80s, so it's about forty years old.

@TdeV, are you referring to the quality of replacement bowls or all bowls, including the ones that come with new machines? While I'm toying with the idea of getting a new machine, every time I use my current machine (20+ years old?) I take great pleasure in the quality feel that it has. I'd hate to lose that. A minor correction to your comment: my blade hasn't broken but it seems to have dulled over time.

What risk is there in replacing the whole machine?

Hmm ... it's not a Cuisinart blade but it looks to have the appropriate features. I'll look further into the matter. Thank you!

Very helpful. Thank you @TdeV

Could you post a pic of your machine, or post a link to an online image?

Would you be kind enough to explain the infamous recall? I know nothing about it and, until this moment, never heard of it. Added: I did a Google search and found the information. Thanks for the heads up.

Yes, I checked eBay, and thus far all I could find were used blades. Cuisinart doesn't show them on their site, either.

I agree on both points. There's usually at least one type of polenta in the cabinet.

I have an old Cuisinart Classic processor and the blade is kind of dull. I've been looking for a replacement (DLC 10) and can't seem to find a new one. There are some that claim to be that model, but they don't look like mine. Hence, the subject question.

Today was the day. The beef cheeks arrived and I picked them up at Berkeley's Local Butcher. I've not opened the package yet, and will try to make the braise in the next day or two. Really looking forward to trying them. The gang at the shop also provided some pork neck bones, a couple of chicken carcasses, and their luscious ground pork. On the agenda with peposo is Bolognese and bone broth. Just need a bit more chicken meat which I'll pick up at TJ's tomorrow. I treated myself to a walnut chocolate chip cookie made with leaf lard. All-in-all, a good day in Berkeley.

Thanks for your input. Sometimes I need a little reassurance about my ideas. The only drawback I can see from putting the mixture in the fridge overnight is that it would need time to come up to room temp before using it. A minor issue to be sure. I can't think of any other downside.

ATK has a recipe for corn muffins that I like. It includes adding cornmeal to milk and heating it in the microwave. The idea behind the technique is that the heated cornmeal mixture absorbs more liquid resulting in moister muffins. I like the recipe and would like to try something similar with buttermilk. I have read, in multiple places, the buttermilk should not be heated. In lieu of heating the mixture I allow the cornmeal to soak for a long time at room temperature in the buttermilk, and the results are pretty good. Could the buttermilk be heated, perhaps on the stovetop instead of in the microwave, to affect better absorption. I'm thinking to keep the temp no higher than 200-deg F.

I didn't think I had anything to contribute here, and then I remembered the small, magnetic shelves that are attached to the fridge and (not shown) to a side of the Breville countertop oven. Since my kitchen is small and space is at a premium, these shelves are very handy. They come in a few sizes and are available through Amazon. Click here to see an example (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

Not very expensive here, just a dollar or two more than clover honey for the same size container at the beekeeping supply shop that I mentioned.

It seems to be fairly easy to come by in my area ...

That's good to know. I don't think I knew that, although I should have. Thanks!

The issue for me is that I don't know the quality and purity of their honey. “There is more honey being sold each year than existing bee populations are capable of producing and from some countries which don’t even have the climate or floral resources to produce large volumes of honey,” said Arturo Carrillo, coordinator of the Honey Authenticity Project, which estimates that about a third of worldwide honey imports could be counterfeit.

The local honeys that I've tried don't have the flavor profile I'm seeking. That's not saying there's none that do, but I've not yet found what I'm looking for. A friend who lives about 50 miles north of me just recommended a honey and beekeeping supplier near her home. They have a good selection of guaranteed unadulterated honeys, including Tupelo from a good location in Florida. I'm going to drive up there within the week and taste honeys and get an education. Now that you mention the Sonoran Desert, I realize that I have a friend who lives in the area in Mexico. I'm sure she can be of some help. Thanks. You've been more helpful than you know.

I'm looking for a high quality, unadulterated, pure honey with a mild flavor to use in some recipes. I've read that much of the commercial honey isn't real, or has been cut with other sweeteners, and I definitely want to stay away from such products. Any suggestions? I'm considering Tupelo honey, which I recall as being quite mild. Is my memory accurate?

Great to know. I got the inspiration to use corn stock from Jason Farmer who used the Instant Pot.

@Katie Meadow, thanks for the tip. I hadn't even thought about looking for corn this time of year. I'll check BB when next I'm over there.

I often enjoy hoe cakes, sometimes called Johnny cakes, and also by other names. It's a simple recipe that has its roots in Native American cooking. Over the years, the original recipe has been "improved" with the addition of other ingredients besides the original corn and water, such as white flour, sugar, and so on. I make mine by closely following traditional methods. Yesterday I saw a video where someone made stock from corn cobs which were left over from cutting the kernels from the cobs. I want to try this, and use the corn cob stock instead of water in my hoe cakes. Unfortunately, there ain't no fresh corn around here at this time of the year. However, I've seen frozen corn-on-the-cob and I'm wondering if the frozen cobs would make a decent stock. The ingredients are just cobs and water, and maybe a touch of salt. Would I be wasting my time using frozen cobs, or do you think it's worth a try? I'm inclined to give it a shot, but would also appreciate some feedback. Another thought would be to use frozen kernels, whiz 'em around in the Vitamix with some water, and then heat and strain the results. Any thoughts on that technique?