Shel_B

So what about a thick, clad SS pan, like the All-Clad D5 series, or the seven layered pans, like Demeyer? I have two All-Clad D5 pans, they are thick and heavy compared to my All-Clad tri-ply pans. They heat very evenly, retain heat well, can easily be left unattended for a time, and cook well using low heat.

I'll look into that. Not sure what zaatar is, so my education starts .... thanks!

Yes, it is legal. However, if you bring back large quantities (I don't know what defines "large") you may have to pay import duties. My friends wrote : "Our guide buys a lot of spices when he returns to S.F., to the point he has to pay custom tax."

A couple of friends will be at the Istanbul Spice Market next week, and they have offered to pick up a few things for me. I know next to nothing about Turkish spices, or the spices used in that general area of the world, so with experimentation and education in mind, what might be some spices that deserve attention? I've already got my order in for sumac, Aleppo and Urfa peppers, and black cumin seeds. Thanks!

These questions have been on my mind for a while ... Several weeks ago one of my Picardie tumblers, while sitting in the sink waiting to be washed, shattered. Nothing banged against it, it just broke apart. Has anyone an idea of why that could have happened. Now, every time I wash one, I get a little nervous, concerned that it may shatter. I read somewhere that several years ago the company that makes this glassware went bankrupt, yet it seems that the glassware is still being made. Does anyone know if the glass is of the same formulation as it was some years ago? Is the company making the glassware still a French company? Does anyone know about the details of the bankruptcy, or if it's even a true story? Any place on line that a good deal can be had on the Picardie tumblers? Thanks!

Probably my 1 1/2 quart All-Clad D5 sauce pan. I use it for boiling water, reheating soup and sauce, making small portions of sauce and veggies, making pudding, and it's used at least twice a day. It lives on the stovetop. Next up - and maybe tied for first place - is my Breville oven. I have the mini, and it's been used for making meatloaf, baking and roasting potatoes, making and reheating pizza, making bread and brownies, made a salmon loaf in it, and the top has been used as a plate warmer. It's so useful, and I like it so much, that I may trade it in for the next larger size. Gotta go - the toast is ready.

At one time I was of the idea that there is nothing better than a high quality copper saucepan, stockpot, or other piece of copper cookware. Now I'm not so sure. With fully clad cookware, such as All-Clad, and other high quality and good quality clad cookware, is there really much, if any, benefit to be derived from copper cookware? It's much heavier, usually more expensive by a factor of two or more (YMMV), some needs to be retinned every now and then is limited in its thickness, and the stainless lined copper although I'm not sure if that makes much difference. Clad stainless cookware is lighter, lasts a long time without any maintenance or repair, is, arguably, easier to maintain, works well on a variety of cooking surfaces, such as induction, and is quite a bit less expensive. Is there really any reason to buy copper cookware these days, apart from a love of tradition and certain, perhaps only perceived, levels of craftsmanship, in other words, things not directly related to cooking?

Not paid any attention to oven temp as you suggest. Might well be worth looking into. Tks!

What causes the brownies to pull away from the pan? Most of the time when I make my brownies, the mixture pulls away from the pan a bit, and that seems to enhance the crust around the edges of the brownie, which is exactly what I want. So, why does that happen? I've not been able yet to discern what I do differently when the brownie's edge doesn't pull away from the pan.

Ahh! ... I get it.

I'd rather not spend that kind of money ... never heard of the Waring Xtreme, but I did check into it. Looks like a nice machine from what I saw.

Paul, I find Pacific to be an awful boxed stock. Coincidentally, I was watching a CI video about tasting various stocks, and Pacific came in dead last. While I recognize that we all have different palates, you might want to try tasting a few different brands, if you've not already done so. Maybe you have, and found that Pacific is just fine for you. FWIW, when looking for a boxed stock, I tested perhaps a half dozen, looking not only for taste but at the ingredient list as well, and settled on Costco's organic chicken stock. Also, in various taste tests, Swanson's cooking stock fared well. That said, when making a soup with a full quart of stock, I'll sometimes use one packet of gelatin, and that gives a satisfactory mouth feel and texture. And while this only tangentially addresses your question, when making locro and similar soups/stews, I'll add a pig's foot for the gelatin. The local Mexican market has 'em for cheap.

I like that the chicken (pork) is baked, and that the recipe is simple. It might be a good starting point for my experiments. Thanks!

OK, that's a good start. Thanks!

About ten days ago Toots requested that she'd like me to make her some sweet and sour pork. She's always giving me challenges <LOL> I've never made S&S pork before, and have just started looking for recipes and ideas. I have, however, gone to a few restaurants and ordered the dish, and came away wondering how such crap could be served in what were otherwise reasonably decent restaurants. Some dishes were excessively sweet, loaded with chunks of pineapple; others were greasy and very one dimensional; and one tasted of raw flour (I'm assuming that had something to do with coating and frying the pieces of pork). The version I had for lunch today was grey in color, the pieces of pork were very fatty, and there was little sweet or sour taste to it - but it was redolent of raw flour. So, does anyone have a recipe for good, flavorful S&S pork, not greasy, not cloyingly sweet, and with a nice, round sour taste to it (Toots does love sour and tangy tastes)? Thanks!

What's the difference between these techniques: Mix, Blend, Stir, and Incorporate, especially when making baked goods? All of these should be considered as being done by hand, not with any machines. I always thought they were pretty much the same, but I saw a demonstration showing the difference between mixing and stirring, and it had to do with the direction and motion of the spoon. So I'm now thinking that there are differences between all of these techniques. Thanks for any help.

Finally got over to BB this morning and found the bulk salt ... good tip! The 5-lbs of sea salt I got should do the trick just fine.

I looked in several markets and couldn't find that salt, or that salt type, and these were markets known for having a robust selection of many items.

Yes, the Breville is on the short list as well. Based on reviews and comments about the Ninja, it's dropped a few notches on my list. What about this one: http://video.bedbathandbeyond.com/v/1546/die-cast-hemisphere-blender-by-breville-blenders/ although it is a bit more than I want to spend.

No, I meant 190-degrees ... (typo ... brain fart ... senior moment ... ) choose one <LOL>

It's in the oven now. I brought the water up to about 290-deg on the stovetop while preheating the oven to 300-deg. Slid in the beef, and put the pot into the oven. Checked after about 40-min and there was but the slightest hint of bubbles. Read your messages, and it looks like we're on the same page. Thanks for your help and suggestions. Gonna check again and use the thermometer to check the liquid temp. Looking forward to a nice dinner.

Gonna cook the corned beef tonight. Was thinking that a long, slow braise would be the way to go - maybe 300-deg F. until done. Comments or suggestions welcome.

It won't remove stains, and that's my concern. Others, elsewhere, have suggested that it's good for getting off crusted and burnt on junk, though.

I don't think I'll be using abrasives on my LC interiors.

That doesn't address interior enamel that has become stained. The enamel has become stained even though I wash the pots carefully and soon after they have cooled sufficiently from cooking.