Shel_B

It's not an issue for me. The question was just general, with, perhaps, the idea of sharing the info with some friends who cook. BTW, do you have a background in the corporate world?

What is "quaternary ammonium?"

Someone on eGullet, in another thread, offered some tips on creaming butter without using a stand mixer. Not tried them yet as there's been no need to cream butter ...

I have read that salting water in a stainless steel pot that hasn’t come to a boil can result in pitting, which is a form of rusting. Does anyone know of the veracity of this statement?

I've had Paula Wolfert's brioche recipe in my files for years, and I promised myself that when I retired I was going to make it. It'll be a while, after some more practice with other baked goods, but this will probably be the year.

Over the years I've made baguettes, whole wheat bread, and sourdough loaves without a stand mixer. A stand mixer may make things easier, it just depends on what you like to do. In my case, a stand mixer will make things more difficult and far less fun. Anyway, for the foreseeable future, quick breads, muffins, biscuits will be what I'm concentrating on. I really prefer doing things - most things - the "old fashioned" way, without power tools.

Worrying about it?! Not at all - I asked for "some ideas on what breads and cakes can be made without such equipment"

Perhaps the hot sauce aficionados here might like to know about Heat, a relatively new shop in Berkeley that specializes in hot sauce (they carry about 300 varieties from all over the world plus local-made sauces) and other fiery foods. http://heathotsauce.com/ - main page http://heathotsauceonline.com/ - shop on line

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=310552 - Maybe it'll help.

Thanks for the detailed info, Kerry. I don't usually put my chocolate in the fridge, but Toots does, and we had a discussion about it yesterday. Your comments, and Michaela's, may get sweetie pie to change her habit,

Does chocolate suffer in any way from being refrigerated? What about when being moved to and from the refrigerator, especially several times? Thanks!

Thanks for the tip! Don't think I'd have come up with "no knead" bread as a search topic.

It may sound somewhat strange, but I much prefer doing things manually. So many recipes specify, in one way or another, to use a stand mixer, so I'm quite happy to discover that I needn't use one. Toots gave me an electric hand mixer, and I used it once, after which I pulled out my 1960's Ecko egg beater and went back to using it for many kitchen mixing tasks. The simpler things are in my kitchen, the happier I am.

While trying to decide on a chocolate chip for a brownie recipe I'm working on, I came across this article rating TJ's chips very highly. Because of the article, I bought a bag, and they are pretty good. On Monday they'll go into the next batch of brownies and I'll see how they melt or hold their shape, and how they taste in this particular recipe. They are definitely better than Nestlé's Toll House Morsels, and I like them better than a package of Guitard that I purchased for a batch of chocolate chip cookies. http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2010/06/what-are-the-best-chocolate-chips-brands-for-baking-cookies.html

Lately I've been enjoying baking a few items - brownies, soda bread, lemon-poppy seed loaf, popovers. I'd like to expand my repertoire and skills, but I don't have, and will not get, a stand mixer. I'd like some ideas on what breads and cakes can be made without such equipment, and also without a lot of rising and kneading time. Are these called quick breads? Thanks!

Grandmas Bessie and Dora made gefilte fish, often at the home of others, and therefore used a variety of pots. While they may have had a dedicated pot at home (doubtful) they certainly didn't use a dedicated pot in other homes. This is probably an old bubba's tale except for the possibility of using aluminum pots or pans. FWIW, I don't know if my grandmas even had stainless steel or other non-reactive pots.

Now, what's the best way to store these brownies? In the freezer? Best way to wrap 'em? Hopefully the crust can stay a little crunchy ...

We Got Crust! Preheating the pan seems to have helped, and there's a nice, crunchy crust completely around the brownie. I also allowed the brownie to cool for 90-seconds in the oven (heat off, door open) before removing it to cool on the rack, in the baking pan. For the most part, I'm pleased

Yes, the unevenness could be. However, by opening the small oven, a lot of heat (I suppose) could be lost, so baking times would have to be adjusted, yes? By rotating the pan to even out the heat, wouldn't that lessen the crust since the hot area would then be cooking the cooler part of the brownie, and cooler part the hotter, and perhaps, crustier part, thereby actually reducing the crust? I made another batch this after noon - they are still in the Breville. This time I preheated the pan somewhat, although I didn't note how hot the pan became as a result of the preheating. Well, another 30-minutes or so, and I'll see the results.

TJ's Sun Dried Tomatoes: Anyone tried 'em? CI some years back made them a winner in one of their taste tests.. http://www.cooksillustrated.com/taste_tests/127-sun-dried-tomatoes?incode=MCSCZ00L0 I wonder if they'd still be a winner ...

Some people like it. Every now and then I am craving something gooey and runny, like the middle slice of a Chicago square pie. Sometimes even the crust, soggy or not, gets in the way, and then I make a little crustless "pizza." I melt the cheese in the microwave, and add or mix in the toppings, and then sometimes a rewarm to soften or a quick broil to get a little skin. A real bit of gooey heaven.

I have the mini oven, and it too has "only" two top elements. However, broiling has not been an issue. The key, perhaps, is to place the rack at the proper height for the task - there are markers that show you where to place the rack. Have you properly placed your rack? It's easy to overlook that step.

I don't think the cut is a determinant, not at all. But for some people, at least some of the time, portability is a factor. Example: Toots and I like to grab a slice at the take out window of one of our favorite places, sit on a nearby bench, and eat our slice while enjoying the nice weather and doing some people watching. I believe that one of the great things about the "triangle cut," regardless of the style of pizza, is its portability. To have to sit at a table and use a knife and fork to cut the pieces, or risk the gooey cheese and topping running down you hand, IMO, lessens the pizza-eating experience. It's somewhat like an ice cream cone without the cone .... Now, my feelings don't take away from the good taste offered by a square cut pie, or the enjoyment a few friends might share sitting around a table eating that pie, because there's certainly a time for that. I just find that the options offered by the square cut pie are limiting, if not limited.

The problems with Chicago square cut pizza, as far as this New Yorker is concerned, is that some pieces have no crust, can't be held in one hand and folded, and the crust is not thin enough (at least in all examples I've tried) or crispy enough. Can you buy a slice of the square cut pie? If so, how does one eat the pieces without crust? It doesn't seem possible to eat a slice out of hand without the cheese and sauce running all over the place. What's the technique?

I wasn't raised on box cakes, but I suspect that the cakes that were made in our house when I was a youngster, were made with oil or perhaps margarine. In any case, we weren't big cake eaters, and usually one of our housekeepers, who was from the south, made the cakes. I remember the cakes not being dry at all.