ElsieD

I have two GelPro mats, a longer one in front of the sink/prep area and a smaller one in front of the stove. I love them. The longer one started to curl in the corners so I wrote to them. They asked me to take a picture and send it to them which I did. The immediately wrote back and said they would replace it, which they did, at NO cost to me. Not even shipping charges. Their customer service blew me away.

I also have a Miele and I agree with the two posters ahead of me. I usually run it at night, but that's mainly because we pay less for energy at night. As for quiet - my husband was standing next to it tonight (it was on) and opened it because he did not know it was on. I too really like the top cutlery rack but I wish it had a speedy cycle. The fact it takes so long to run is, for me, the only drawback.

Georgeous!

We have been enjoying these beets for some years now, ever since we were introduced to them by a local organic place. Haven't tried them raw, though. Just got back from Jean Talon Market in Montreal where we picked up chiogga beets and also some yellow ones. If you haven't tried yellow ones, you should - along with the white and orange ones. They are very sweet, and not as "earthy" tasting as the red ones.

Thank you, Kerry.

Kerry, what size are the tart pans? Are they the mini, about 1" ones?

Marlene, what is the recipe you use for your cheese buns?

Can custard based ice cream recipes be halved successfully?

I really, really, really wanted to be there and had planned to be there but life intervened. I plan on making it next year. Everything looks so beautiful. Sounds like a good time is being had by all. Love the pictures - keep 'em coming!

The red chili oil is nothing but oil and dried red chili powder. What if you dried the chiles, ground them into a powder and put that in some oil?

I actually bought lemon salt once. It was just salt and lemon - extremely lemony. I think it was at a fishmonger. You might try looking there.

There is also this link (if this works)

How about Chocolates & Confections by Peter Greweling or Chocolates and Confectons at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, by the same author?

I can't imagine sausages without corn and I'm firmly in the scalloped potatoes with ham and mashed with turkey & chicken. I also always eat corn with ham. I also like a green vegetable with fish - asparagus or sugar snap peas come to mind.

Can't wait to make this. I'm the proud owner of some gulf shrimp I got from a fish wholesaler and they are just lying about in my freezer looking to be put to good use. Usually, all you can find here are the farmed Asian shrimp and they give me the heebie-jeebies.

I second the recipe request.

Trinket, hot water takes care of the chocolate and cold water will help you clean starchy things like flour and stuck-on potatoes.

I also have saltpetre. Can this be used? If yes, is this equivalent to pink salt? I'm sooooooooooooooo confused.

I'm mixing up the ingredients to cure bacon and I have some stuff called Prague Powder with a sub heading "The fast meat cure". It is white. It is not labeled as # 1 or # 2. It also does not have an ingredient list. Is this the same as the pink powder called for in Ruhlman's recipe? I also have a jar labeled Sodium Nitrate. It is white with some yellow flecks in it. Is this the stuff I am supposed to use? To confuse things further, I also have Morton Tender Quick. Can I just use this to replace the kosher salt and pink salt in the recipe and then add the maple sugar and maple syrup to it? I knew the answer once but I haven't made any in a while and can't remember. I know there is a bacon thread re: Ruhlmans' bacon but I could not find it hence this post. If anyone can help me I'd appreciate it. This mix is for my brother in law and I'm going down to see him tomorrow. He's 5 hours away so I don't get there often so if someone can help me out ASAP I'd really appriciate it.

I guess that explains why my glad stuff doesn't dry but my Rubbermaid sort of does - this particular Rubbermaid being the hard plastic kind, not the more flexable kind.

Stuffed chicken breasts?

I agree with Dan. I finally bought one of those and they are a snap to use.

One final question - do you pre-heat you pan before putting the steaks in it? I would also be using a cast iron pan. Thanks again.

In the early '70s I worked for an accounting firm and one of my clients was a newly opened health food store. During the course of preparing their financial statements, I had to go to their premises to confirm inventory, etc. I recall seeing a lot of products in burlap bags and what to me were weird foodstuffs. It was a small, cramped space. I don't remember ever buying anything. That same store is still in existence but moved to a different location. I now shop there every now and again for their organic fruit and vegetables.

To David Ross: What was the internal temperature of your steak? It looks to be rare, am I right? Beautiful piece of meat. Our Costco recently had prime grade strip loin as well. However, they rarely have it; the last time they had it was a year ago. Needless to say, we stocked up and have a few dozen in the freezer. So, I would like to try your method, but to medium rare. Thank you.