Shel_B

I don't think so ... watch the video and maybe you can tell us. Is there something wrong with EVOO on popcorn?

This morning, to satisfy my curiosity about an aspect of making oatmeal, I discovered a series of You Tube videos under the general heading of "You're Doing it All Wrong." Here's the link to the oatmeal-making video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pT8IaxL6jtg in which the cook demonstrates how to make oatmeal from scratch, starting by grinding your own groats. It really doesn't look too difficult, and it might be a fun thing to try. If nothing else, I may have learned a thing or two about making and eating oatmeal. When the video is over, as is often the case on You Tube, a number of other video choices appeared, including one about pan frying bacon which, to me, was very enlightening. There are videos about making fries, nachos, burgers, and more. I don't know who all the cooks are, although the bacon guy is associated with Prather Ranch, a purveyor of high quality, grass fed meats found at numerous farmers markets and quality markets in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I guess he knows what he's talking about. When done, his bacon looked great. Gordon Ramsey looked to be in another video. So, you might want to take a peek. Perhaps there's something to be enjoyed and maybe even learned.

I'm going to take a look at them. The price suggests that they are of low quality, but sometimes things like this can be a surprise. I thought I saw all the bamboo my local BBB carried, but I must have missed these. For $6.00 less a 20% coupon, it's hard to go too far wrong. I've never met bamboo that wasn't OK in the dishwasher, but that's not an issue for me as I don't have a dishwasher. And I don't beat my stuff up at all - I'm still getting excellent service from my first bamboo spoon which is 35-years old this past June. My biggest concern is if it feels cheap, too light. How an item feels in my hand is important to me. However, Toots likes her gear light weight, so, at worst, they may be fine for her. Thanks for posting the link.

Do you think McD's has tried to deceive you? I don't know what the hell that stuff in the picture is, but it sure doesn't look like any pork I've ever seen. Anyone know what it is? (time passes) I searched for ingredients and this was the first article that popped up: http://naturalsociety.com/mcdonalds-mcrib-sandwich-a-franken-creation-of-gmos-toxic-ingredients-banned-ingredients/ Truth or fiction?

I have been using my fingers for years - more than forty years, actually. I now have arthritis, and recently found it's much easier and far less messy to use a shaker.

TJ's has a grinder which, BTW, is refillable. I've used their grinder with their pink Himalayan salt. However, they also have a small glass container that holds about 3+ oz of sea salt. The container comes with a perforated cap to allow shaking the salt. I believe it's a new item as I've not seen it before yesterday.

I wonder if there's a way to get some color and roasted-like flavor with the microwave. Maybe by zapping the squash after giving it a light coat of oil as was mentioned upthread with garlic and onions.

Looks like it's worth trying. Thanks for posting the link.

Do it frequently, to different degrees of doneness. Example: Kabocha and Acorn have hard shells, so some 'waving will soften things a bit, and make for easier cutting before roasting. Sometimes I'll 'wave the squash to fully cooked, cut, scoop out the flesh and then mash and season. Works just fine. PS: Did you get the oven baked rice recipe I sent you?

Ghee Stampede: http://manchester-reviews.blogspot.com/2011/06/akbars-ghee-monster-stampedes-through.html

Toots keeps some grains of rice in her salt shaker, so I tried to find out why it's recommended to do that. Some citations say it's to absorb moisture and prevent caking, so the salt will flow freely. Other comments say that the rice doesn't absorb water, but that the motions of the grains when shaking the salt physically keep the salt flowing. I don't think it makes too much difference as to why the grains of rice work, just that they do. Still, I'm curious about the real reason grains of rice work. I'm guessing here, but It seems that if the rice absorbs moisture, at some point the grains would become damp, and that dampness might transfer to the salt. Since I have no white rice in the house, I wonder if brown rice, or other grains, like barley, would work.

Looks like TJ's has a couple of new items on their spice shelf. One is a small container of Mediterranean bay leaves and the other is sea salt in a small jar with a shaker top. Haven't seen them here before ...

Funny you should mention that. Yesterday, while at Trader Joe's, I saw that they had sea salt in a small jar with a shaker cap, seemingly perfect for my needs. The size of the jar was fine, but I wasn't sure about the size of the holes in the cap, so I didn't buy it. However, on the way home, I thought about how I could make it work even if the holes were too big, which was my concern. The salt was 99-cents vs about $5.00 for a salt shaker. Now that I've resolved the issue about hole size, the next time I'm at TJ's, I'll get the salt. The container and top should last a long time, and is recyclable, so there's no need to buy disposable containers, which I wouldn't do.

While I prefer organic, sustainable, yadayadayada food, I am not wedded to those types of ingredients. For example, there's a local dairy company that produces both organic and nonorganic products, and I most often, but not always, buy their regular milk and cream over the organic. Why? Because I know their regular products are clean, are from well cared-for cows, are all local, etc., and are sometimes only different by certification, plus the organics are about 30% to 40% more expensive. That said, how a recipe author presents his or her ingredient list makes little difference to me, other than sometimes being annoying. So, if a recipe says to use organic, grass-fed, non-irradiated, glow-in-the-dark cheddar cheese, I know enough about what's available in my area, and probably have established preferences, that I just buy the cheddar that seems most appropriated for the recipe, or the one I feel I'd enjoy the most. The same for those recipes that call for specific brands of ingredients, like the "500g of Pura Crema butter" mentioned up thread. Heck, a lot of times one is unable to get a specific brand of something in their area, so a substitute is necessary anyway. OTOH, if, in a recipe, the author suggested using an ingredient like the one he or she uses, such as to use a butter like Vermont Creamery butter (http://www.vermontcreamery.com/cultured-butter-1), I'd know that a high fat content, cultured butter might be the preference, and may look for something similar in my area - although I can get VC butter here. TTFN,

Coincidentally, I just went through the same thing you did, looking for good quality bamboo spoons and such. Much of the crap available these days is made from laminated bamboo that in time splits and splinters. Giada DeLaurentiis products are a prime example. I've been happy with my Joyce Chen spoons http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=joyce+chen+spoon&tag=googhydr-20&index=garden&hvadid=32427309677&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=149383813126665701&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_15m9qhawxg_b , and I recently found this company: http://www.bambuhome.com/ All the spoons and utensils are one piece, and are not coated with lacquer or polish, features I like quite a bit. I purchased three items made by them, but I purchased the items from http://www.mynaturalmarket.com/Bambu.html as they had lower prices and cheaper shipping and, at the time, a better selection (for my needs). I just checked the Bambu site and I see that their selection is somewhat less than it was when I ordered, on October 10th. Hope this helps you.

As I suggested, I know little or nothing about salt shakers, but from what I've seen here this afternoon, I think the "old school" shaker is just right for my needs and personality. I like the idea of being able to see the contents of the shaker. I will, however, take a look at the Denby items - might find something there ... Thanks!

Generally, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Never use Morton's in any case. Usually I sprinkle or dip salt from a small dish that sits near the stove, but last night I used a salt shaker at a friend's house to salt a pork tenderloin, and I liked the ease of control I had, so a shaker may be a useful item to sit next to the salt dish.

A plain, old fashioned, manually operated shaker is fine for my needs.

I don't think so ... cute and fun, perhaps, but, for me at least, totally impractical.

Strangely enough, I've never bought or owned a salt shaker, except for one similar to this http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Stainless-Pepper-Shakers-Dredges/dp/B000JUTCEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384197602&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+shakers which I bought many years ago for salting and applying rubs to large pieces of meat for barbecuing. What I'd like to get is a small shaker for use on the countertop or table, for salting small pieces of meat or for use at the table. Any suggestion on what to look for, or styles/brands to consider? Thanks!

And, not to speak for Shel-B, but I think he didn't get the "quote" feature to work exactly right, as it was gdenby that mentioned a fondness for Corningware, not I. Actually, I make my omlettes in my regular ol' everyday Blue Danube soup bowl, covered with either a film of Saran Wrap, pierced, or an inverted Blue Danube saucer. Although, like many ladies of a certain age, I do have quite a bit of Corningware, use it, and especially love it in the microwave. RE: Corningware ... I've a few pieces purchased at garage sales. Love the items I have. Love the price I paid - averaged out to $3.00 a piece, with covers! No bowls though.

I meant to ask, why a Corningware bowl? What does Corningware bring to the party?

Thanks for the info - quite a few things to explore and experiment with.

Another thing to try. Thanks!

I'll have to try this. Thanks! BTW, do you butter or grease the bowl?