Shel_B

A lot of the times given for cooking the frozen items in an oven don't work for me, either, although 99% is way to high a number in my case. I always use the Breville oven for cooking the entrees or things like croissants, so that may be a factor. I don't buy too many frozen entrees, though, and it seems like you are drawing from a much larger sample. I purchased a frozen chicken pot pie because a friend said they were good. I'll give that a try in the next day or so, and see how it cooks up in the Breville.

I have seen the same berries in other farmers markets. Whoever produces these berries must have quite a good size farm and operation. With real estate prices, NY labor and NY taxes, there is no way you can have a real farm unless you are many hours away. I contacted the people who run some of our local markets and asked about what constitutes "local" produce and whether or not a vendor can resell products. Here's what I was told: Hi Sheldon, Typically, local produce is thought of as produce that is within 100 miles of our markets. That being said, some farms at our markets travel further than that, some much less. There can be no reselling at certified farmers' markets all produce must be produced by the seller. Reselling is a major violation! Thanks for your interest. Martin Now, some markets in our general area may not be certified, and there's no telling just where their goods come from. At a market in South Lake Tahoe I saw a vendor selling garlic from China! but that market was not certified. So, my question to you, Dcarch, is this: Where's the fraud at your market (are you even talking about fraud, or just making the point that the produce is not local)? Was the produce that you showed us represented as local? And what is your market's definition of local? We have some markets in the San Francisco Bay Area that are very specific about reselling and defining what local produce is. At some markets only organic, local produce may be sold. Others don't require organic, but the produce must be local (within that market's definition of the term) and only growers may sell, not resellers.

What is the definition of local at that farmers market?

I saw an article describing watermelon infused with, or soaked in, rose water. This interests me. Would adding rose water to watermelon and then using a vacuum chamber provide a good, even infusion?

I recently purchased a large container of kimchi at Costco. When I opened the jar, there was no fizzing or bubbling as is usually the case. Might there be a problem with the contents? The cabbage had a subtle "sourness" that I've not observed in other kimchi that I've purchased.

In the FWIW Dep't, I looked at six or so tests of Vanilla ice cream, from, of course, several sources, which gave a broad range of preferences. Ben and Jerry's came out ahead in many of the tests I viewed, and, coincidentally, TJ's was also rated very well. It would be great if you could do a side-by-side tasting. http://www.epicurious.com/archive/everydaycooking/tastetests/vanilla-ice-cream http://www.cooksillustrated.com/taste_tests/497-supermarket-vanilla-ice-cream http://www.thekitchn.com/the-vanilla-ice-cream-taste-test-we-tried-6-brands-and-ranked-them-grocery-taste-test-220506 http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Blogs/Eat-Drink-Post/July-2014/Taste-Testing-The-Best-And-Worst-Vanilla-Ice-Cream/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/22/best-vanilla-ice-cream-supermarket_n_7372888.html http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/ultimate-vanilla-ice-cream-taste-test-slideshow/slide-9

Blue_Dolphin said: Lacking that homemade ideal, is there a commercial ice cream that you would recommend as far as having the flavor you like? I would be interested in trying and comparing to the TJ's. Yes ... try Ben and Jerry's vanilla

I certainly understand differences in preferences and taste. However, I was wondering, do you use vanilla beans in your cooking, or stick to vanilla extract? Maybe the reason we see the taste so differently has to do with what we're used to.

A Disappointment: Trader Joe's French Vanilla Ice Cream I don't often buy ice cream, but when I do, I like a nice, rich, flavorful Vanilla. This ice cream has a rich mouth feel, nicely creamy, and offers a relatively small amount of overrun. In those areas it's a fine ice cream. However, the vanilla taste seemed muted, and one-dimensional, as if the ice cream was flavored with a low grade vanilla extract. The lack of a good, clear, vanilla taste ruined the enjoyment for me.

What is compressed watermelon? How's it prepared? What taste/texture/result are you expecting or looking for?

I'm looking into this matter further ... if I find out anything definitive, I'll let you know.

Toots received a Martha Stewart cutting board. It's a plastic model about 10" X 14". Toots didn't like the size, and she gave the board to me. I just started using it a couple of weeks ago, and have used it about five times. The issue is that the surface of the board is VERY slippery. When washed, water just beads up on the surface. When placed on a wooden work space, the board will slip and slide. I have two older plastic boards and neither show these characteristics. The Martha Stewart board feels like it has some sort of protective coating on it. Has anyone experienced these issues with any plastic cutting board, or does anyone know what the board may be coated with?

I was astounded to learn of the amount of chicken this company processes, and of the debris that was found in the chicken. How could such a thing happen on so great a scale and over so long a period of time? Perhaps this food processing company is too big. What kind of inspection or oversight are they subject to? BTW, I liked the site and information, and signed up to receive their emails.

Allow me to suggest one that has not been mentioned: the pot in which the eggs are cooked. I cook my eggs by bringing them to a boil and removing them from the heat, and allow them to sit for ten minutes in order to get a hard cooked egg to my liking. However, when cooking at my GF's place, using her thinner pots, the results are substantially different, and I need two minutes more to get the eggs cooked to the same degree.

I believe I found a place that will sharpen the cleaver. I've known of this place for years, but I didn't think they worked with knives. It's a Japanese tool company just a few minutes from my front door. https://www.hidatool.com/

I'm glad you brought up the issue of sharpening, as I was curious about the best way to sharpen this puppy. To start with, at what angle should it be sharpened? How do I know the pro will do it right? Thanks!

This past weekend I was at a garage sale where I picked up this nice-looking cleaver. It's quite comfortable in my hand, and has what seems to be a good weight. I'm looking forward to trying it. $2.00! ETA: I just checked prices for this cleaver and found it to be a pretty spendy item. It's a better find than I guessed ...

Perhaps here is as good a place as any to post this. This morning I came across an item that said, "It may seem as if Dunkin Donuts makes all of their donuts fresh, but any employee will let you know that it is not true. The sad truth is they make all of their donuts in a factory somewhere, freeze them, and them ship them across the country. Next time you crave a fresh donut, Dunkin Donuts should be your last thought." Any truth to this? Just curious ...

About how many people does this recipe serve? My cheesecake (lemon goat cheese, based on a Food & Wine recipe - no water bath), made with 11-oz of cheese and six eggs, serves about 8 people, maybe more ... it's been a while since I made it for a crowd.

And that's the coffee used by the woman who suggested salting the coffee ...

In this case the mold is white ... Thanks to all for your input. Very helpful and appreciated. Considering all factors, including my age and health, and the points made by Lisa, I'll toss the preserves. Apricots are coming into season and it's simple and cheap to make more preserves.

There's a jar of home made apricot preserves that has been in the refrigerator several months, and today I noticed a small, circular patch of mold on the surface. The patch is about one centimeter in diameter. Would it be safe to remove the mold, plus a fair amount around the patch, and eat the rest of the preserves. I'm not sure I want to do it, but I am curious about the safety of doing such a thing. Thanks!

Thanks for the link ... I never thought about adding vinegar to the cooking water ... it certainly seems to make sense. I never knew why the potatoes should be added to cold water, and the article made that clear.

First of all, and to my happiness, the potato salad was well-liked - I received a few very positive comments and not a bit was left over. The weather was great, so we set up some tables outside and enjoyed good conversation as well as Oscar's famous grilled chicken. Deryn, I only use organic potatoes, and they are from one of three farms, so I know what I'm getting. I don't like the skin on Yukon Gold potatoes in salad, although I don't mind the skin on some other methods of preparation, and have no quibble with the skin on red potatoes. Lisa, Cyalexa, Heidi ... I will definitely try cooking the potatoes with the skin on, and see how that works for me. One concern that I have is the seasoning ... I cook the peeled potatoes in well salted water, and that seems to add flavor that goes deep into the potatoes. If cooked with the skin on, will salt permeate the skin and add flavor throughout the potatoes? From what has been said here, I suspect not. Can this point be clarified? Oh, one more thing, I also use pickle juice (and pickles) in the salad. This time I used Bubbies kosher dills and their juice. I highly recommend the product! Thanks! Hope you all had a good weekend.

The salad has been made, so it's too late to consider cooking the potatoes in their skins for this batch. However, I may try the technique when making my next batch. I've never heard of this technique, or at least I don't recall hearing about it. My concern is about handling hot potatoes. What's the procedure for slipping the skins off? Thanks heidh and cyalexa. Can either of you provide additional info for using this technique? Thanks!