Katie Meadow

Are you positive that tiny ricer wasn't actually a garlic press? This is a hilarious thread I forgot all about. One of the silliest gadgets I owned was a little plastic contraption with no other use than to split string beans lengthwise. I don't know about any of you, but no string bean of mine ever needed such a death trap. Are some of the posts above describing those nut choppers that were used with a pint canning jar? There was a wooden disc that sat on the bottom and them the four bladed cutting stem was attached to the screw on lid. They never worked efficiently; some nuts ended up powdered and others stuck to the blades preventing further chopping. Totally ridiculous. Cutting the nuts with a knife took less time and trouble. Part of the reason we keep these things around is because they are so historically funny; invented for a bygone use that were either appreciated then or not. Small town flea markets provided so many moments of amazement and curiosity.

In my dotage i've become a fan of long-cooked green beans. For smoky flavor I use bacon or ham broth. Sometimes I add tomato fo extra flavor. Toward the end I add a little Steens cane syrup, which is a bit sweet, and then for balance, a splash of vinegar, Cooking beans in milk is a new one fo me. @FeChefwhere did your stepfather get that from?

What about Wheatena? Has a little more bite than cream of wheat. I like grits for breakfast, but real grits take an hour to make, so I usually have leftovers for breakfast. You could try instant grits? I prefer grits to polenta, but there's also instant polenta. What's nice about corn cereal is that it lends itself easily to sweet and savory variations. And even better, if you form your hot grits from dinner into a slab, you can cut it and fry it in butter so it it gets crispy. Cheesy grits are good with hot sauce if you like spicy. Bob's Mill has several types of mixed cereal, if those appeal.

We weigh our pasta. I spent many years eyeballing it and don't know why it took me so long to avoid the guesswork. If my husband didn't have a hollow leg we could get away with a half pound for the two of us. But often he likes to weigh out .55 lbs or a few sticks more, just to complicate matters ; of course that means there's always a partial box in the cabinet. In our house if we have pasta it's the main event.

Excellent idea if you have a reasonably big ashtray. I do in fact have such an item; a mid-century square job with a totally great design that is a little bit bigger than a cake baked in an 8x8 baking pan. Needless to say I didn't buy it to use as an ashtray. So it's a cake plate now. But it's rather frightening to think people needed ashtrays that size. I guess it would be useful if you were in a conversation pit and too drunk to climb out.

Wooden spoons? What's not to like? The oldest utensil on Earth, although don't quote me on that. I do not own a stand mixer. When baking, once the ingredients are too thick to whisk, I use a wooden spoon that's probably as old as, well, I have no idea. I also own two wooden spatulas, one broad, one narrow. These work really well for things that might stick on the bottom or corners of the pan. I always use one or the other and I use them all the time. Spoon rests seem kinda silly to me; they have only one purpose. Plus, I don't believe my gadget drawer has room for a toothpick at this point. I usually use more than one utensil when I cook, often something that isn't shaped like a spoon. A plate or wide dish that can accommodate whatever and which uses little or no brain power to locate.

Does anyone use one of these dedicated Japanese-style tempura deep fryers? Are they more useful than an old heavy pot? What would be considered a medium size one? I'm looking at various brands around the $50 price point, but if someone raves about one for a little more I would look at that. Of course I've told myself I wouldn't buy another kitchen appliance for the rest of my life. I've always avoided deep frying, so I have pretty much no experience and I'm not planning to make fried chicken for a crowd. Reduced splatter and a built in thermometer / temp control plus sturdy construction are my aspirations. I'm looking to do shrimp and veggies in a tempura batter, but also calamari, possibly some fritters. Can you do french fries in these things? I like the idea of those "dripping racks" but many brands seem to have flimsy ones, at least according to reviews. Some of the fryers are stainless steel, some blue steel and a few are cast iron. Any suggestions?

Boba tea with those giant tapioca pearls. I took one look at what was in my daughter's cup and that was that.

Just found a used copy, very cheap, of Steven Satterfield's Root to Leaf. His restaurant, Miller Union, is a favorite of mine in Atlanta. I haven't been there in several years; too long a trip from Decatur and probably not the best place for toddler twins, although I'm sure they would be very accommodating. It's a splurge meal. The book is, as you might guess, vegetable forward. It is arranged by vegetable and season .Plenty of the recipes are vegetarian, but not all. I know, seasonal arrangement can be a little annoying. The recipes look great and mostly simple. The typeface, unfortunately, is much like the one in "Snacking Cakes." Thin sans serif, small and not black enough. Yes, that seems to be a problem for me, but not just for me. Designers: get real. It's a cookbook!

Have i lived in a bubble for 75 years? I've lived in NY, New Mexico and California. I never even heard of poutine for most of those years.. But I admit that first time I found out what it was I didn't exactly jump on a plane to Montreal. In all honesty it doesn't sound very appetizing. But to be fair, I wouldn't call it "popular" here in the states. One thing that seems to be traditional in the US is a peanut butter and banana sandwich. That combination sounds just horrid to me, so I've never eaten one. Another thing I've always avoided without ever tasting is a banana split.And I've never had a smoothie that included bananas; they just ruin every other flavor. I do eat bananas plain once in a while, but I only because I'm told they are good for you. Plantains is another story. I adore ripe plantains fried in a pan until golden and sprinkled with salt Oh, also I've never eaten celery with peanut butter. That just sounds awful.

Maybe. I don't remember any McD or taco bell for that matter when I was growing up on the upper west side. When we went out for a relatively inexpensive bite it would be to a soda fountain, deli or pizza or Chinese. For take-out it was usually Williams BBQ for roast chicken and mushroom and barley casserole. Strangely, my family rarely ate burgers.

I'm 75. I've never had one either. I admit to having their fries. Once.

My husband says that his favorite mustard when he lived in France was Amora. I never heard of it and don't recall him ever talking about it, but when I mentioned it to him he waxed poetic. He shopped today and didn't see it. So tell me, @Margaret Pilgrim, where do you get it around these parts? Amazon sells a small jar for $19! Maybe for an xmas present....

The Stable? Pizza a horse wouldn't eat. Well what do I know? Horses are probably picky, like cats. There's a lot more bad pizza out there than there is good. I'm sure there are plenty of weird dopey ciders in the UK, as there would be here if cider drinking became really popular.

No, I don't use it. I always thought it made me light headed and buzzy about ten minutes after leaving a Chinese restaurant. Either restaurants no longer use it, or enough to make me feel sick at any rate, or it was all in my head. And it was in my head, after all.

What years did you live in Bath? Do you remember a restaurant called "The Hole in the Wall?" Last year there was an obit in the NYT of a woman who worked there for many years. I had never heard of her and did not know she was somewhat of a legend. Anyway she cooked at that restaurant during the time my family was stuck in Bath and we went there several times because it was so good. How my father ever learned about it is a mystery wrapped in a fog. We were stuck in Bath because my brother, twelve or thirteen at the time, had appendicitis and ended up in hospital for a week or more. My memory of Bath is of the otherworldly curved streets, that restaurant which was hidden away behind an small unidentified door, and of playing hearts in the hospital room. It took my brother five minutes to get the game down and I hated it and haven't played since. I was fifteen.

One clown short of a circus. One step short of the attic. And my very fave: one beak short of a lark.

@weinoo, thanks for the pix. My late FIL used to go to Marshall to buy oysters in a jar. In those days, the early eighties, Hog Island was just starting their farm. The Marshall Store was a funky general-store/ shack. When I came on the scene, the oysters-in-a-jar thing pretty much ended; the allure of shucked oysters stuffed into a cloudy jar escaped me entirely.If you wanted fresh oysters you went to the Tomales Bay Oyster Co. Farm, their family business, close by the Store. When Hog Island was up and running it was closer to our beach place (not by much) and I really loved their oysters. In the early days you could sit at a wobbly wooden table, buy oysters, and shuck them yourself. It's not like that any more! I discovered at some point that my young nephews actually loved fresh oysters on the half shell. They would pour hot sauce all over them. I realized that it was pointless to buy oysters when they were around, because they scarfed them up before anyone else got a chance. Plus it didn't occur to them to learn how to shuck them. Why bother, if Aunt Katie was willing to do it? For what seemed like years the Marshall Store was in a prolonged legal battle over parking. I haven't been there in ages.

Cooked oysters, no thanks, no matter how they are cooked. Love my oysters raw. Briny. Small (easier for me to open and appreciate in one bite). A little squirt of lemon, since I don't really know how to make a mignonette. @weinoo's wet martini w/ gin is my idea of a martini. In warm weather I would be happy with a G&T. And I've been known to have a bloody mary with my oysters. Since I live on the west coast I'm more familiar with those. I very much like the oysters from Hog Island, an oyster farm in Tomales Bay. They are just right all the way round. Olympia oysters native to WA are a real treat. They are tiny and delicious and not easy to come by, at least outside of WA state. My least favorite is the Kumamoto; too sweet, milky and well, spermy. I like the brininess of east coast oysters, and really like Malpeques, although I haven't had them in years. Belons. yum, if not too big. I introduced my nephew to raw oysters when I threw myself a 70th birthday party at Dillon Beach, a stone's throw from the Hog Island Co. He was so enamored he shucked and ate the few leftover stragglers for breakfast the next morning. And that was after we polished off the best lime tart on the planet.

I'd try them on your recommendation but I've never seen them around these parts. But why can't you sleep at night? Did they start putting puppy-uppers in them?

Yeah, I just love defrosting. I'm on my way.

@blue_dolphinthe ones I buy are also TJ brand and have the same type of envelope but the graphics are different. They don't say "de Comal" or "flame cooked." None are in my fridge currently or I would be able to tell you what the do say. I don't recall ever seeing any options, but since you are in SoCal maybe the market for them is bigger. Anyway, after living in New Mexico for several years and taking fresh hand-made ones for granted, it took me a while to find local flour tortillas I could accept.

We heat them medium-high on a cast iron comal with no oil.

Speaking of marmalade, this, of course is the season, at least in northern CA when Sevilles are available during February and March. Used to be several dedicated marmalade freaks here. Where are you all? We made five batches this year, which resulted in about 33 half pint jars. We had a deficit last year and had to struggle through December and January without marmalade. Sad! We seem to need at least 2 jars per month for the two of us. David Lebovitz has an interesting post about the difference between meyer lemons and bergamots and the confusion between the two, at least for Americans in Paris. Bergamots have at best a month or two season here in Bay Area stores, and it isn't reliable. They used to be available during the time sevilles were available and we used to add two or three bergamots to each batch of 6 or 7 jars. But these last two years bergamot season has been sketchy. Sometimes they are in the store, other times not. So now we are trying adding meyer lemons instead. One batch used our usual ratio of bergamots to sevilles. But today we made a batch that is 50/50. Seriously you can taste the lemon. Delicious. Some of the lemons came from the market, some from our neighbor's tree. Our neighbor's lemons are extremely floral and delicate. The bergamots we get ate also very floral, but taste very different from meyer lemons, . Meyers still taste like lemons, but bergamots are in a category of their own, at least to my tastebuds.

You bake cookies?