Marlene

I tend to be an all at once person. Of course, I may run several loads a day, depending on what and how many I'm cooking for, but I find it easier to organize that way.

Too bad I can't join your conference. I'd be tempted to take you up on the Thermomix! Have a great time everyone!

When my brother was in his hospital stages, he refused to eat hospital food. Since he'd already lost something like 80 lbs, it became my mission to feed him. At least he'd eat anything I'd bring him, the more fattening the better. At that point, it was all I could do for him. Cook. I'd haul food from one end of the city to the other and warm it up in the ward micowave. When my mom was hospitalized 6 months after his death, it wasn't the same. I wanted to feed her, but she hadn't been able to eat properly for months, so that option was out. I felt bereft, because feeding people I love is what I do. I think it can be both Kerry. Our need to show our love to those who are ill by feeding them and our loved ones response to trying to eat what we make because they love us and appreciate the effort. I don't think there is anything more powerful on earth than feeding the ones we love.

You got to lunch with Jaymes? Oh man. I wish! And the food looks lovely. Jaymes certainly knows her way around mexican food!

This is one of my favourite bread books. I make the baguettes often, and the biscuits. And when you add cheese to the biscuits, it just takes them to a whole new level.

It was great to have a chance to lunch with the ladies before I leave Ontario. Boo. And I just want to say for those of you who know me. I did try the calamari. And ............I liked it. I really liked it!

I must be the only one who loves my stainless. I just don't worry about it that much. I wipe them down and forget about it. Generally, they look pretty good but I don't spend a lot of time polishing them or anything.

Ditto on the Goo gone.

No no. You're in the West. You need to find some real Old Dutch chips. The ones in a box. The ones in Ontario are not the same. Especially the BBQ

I have the books, but honestly? I bought them to read rather than to cook from. I may end up making some things from them that don't involve pressure cookers, or sous vide equipment, but we'll see. I thought the content would be interesting enough to be worth buying for reading alone.

I slide pans across it all the time and have never scratched. I put hot pans on it out of the oven and haven't had a problem. You can spill stuff on it, sugar, water etc. When it's cool, simply use a razor blade tool to get up most of it and then clean as usual. There has been no permanent change to the surface. There are three or 4 models of the double ovens. The kitchenaid is the newest. Kenmore, GE, and Maytag make them as well. I've owned all of them at one point. The KA is the best, followed by the Kenmore, followed by the Maytag. The GE broke down three times in the first year. The KA also has a glide rack in the oven which the other ones do not. It's handy to have. KA makes this version in three different models as well. They do have a gas top model, as well as this one, where all the controls are electronic. They also make an electric one where the oven controls are electronic and there are knobs for the burners. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page you should be able to see the three KA's and compare the differences.

I recently put this Kitchenaid in my kitchen at the cottage. I really like it, and it has the advantage of the extra oven as well.

Pam, the brisket looks fabulous. Is the recipe in your cookbook?

We've been paying 5 cents for plastic bags in Ontario for a while now

That would be awesome Kerry if you could!

and I will soon be from Calgary. In the meantime, mine arrived a few weeks ago, from the same neck of the woods as Kerry and Anna, Southern Urban Ontario. I'd consider myself an advanced amateur.

Cluck and squeal? And the pastrami looks great. My Egg is almost out from under the snow here. We should be able to fire it up soon!

Isn't the whole point of chicken, the skin? I eat it. For braised chicken pieces, such as coq au vinm I simply crisp the chicken pieces under the broiler, after they are done braising.

MIne has never overheated. Now, I rarely knead above speed 2 anyway, but I make all kinds of doughs in mine. Keller's brioche for example calls for kneading times of up to 10 minutes each time. I've had the 600 for about 5 years now.

I recently spent time in Calgary looking at houses. I saw 85 houses personally and looked at several more online. Viking professional ranges seemed to be the appliance of choice in 85% of these homes. There were a few Dacors and some electroluxes, but the majority were Viking Pro. The majority of these were not new homes. The appliance of choice in the new subdivisions seemed to be Electrolux. On the other hand, it didn't seem to matter whether one went out to dinner on a Monday or a Friday. All the restaurants we went to, were doing a booming business, leading me to ask the same question. Does anybody in Calgary actually cook or do their kitchens just look good? Every single kitchen in Calgary is open plan, including the house I bought. I hadn't really thought about it before because I've never owned an open planned kitchen/living room but I can imagine it might stop some from using their kitchens much especially if you've guests in the living room, 2 feet away from your kitchen island. On the other hand, I think I'm going to like the open plan because I can talk to my guests more easily because they are right there and I don't have to duck in and out of the kitchen. And there's a kick ass range hood so that should take care of most issues.

Microwave convection ovens can function very well as a second oven or as a main one if that's all you've got. I use mine for baking potatoes (I don't like microwaved potatoes), stuffing when the turkey is in the oven, gratins, and I've been known to bake a cake in one. I've broiled steaks in it, and done a roast in it when I was waiting for my oven to be installed and didn't have a main one. My new house in Calgary, despite having a 36 in range, does only have one oven, and a regular microwave. My husband was trying to figure out where I might put a second oven and I told him, I'd start with a microwave convection oven first.

Most of my non stick pans are now Swiss Diamond which can take more heat than a regular non stick pan and can go into the oven as well. I usually start them dry, then add oil or butter on med or med hi, depending on what I'm cooking

I do. Mostly because I blanch vegetables well ahead of the time I plan to serve them. A quick re heat in butter or whatever and I'm good to go.

Well it was yesterday, but 12 bottles of red wine. A mix of Amarone's, Chateau neuf de pape's and barolos. Hey, it's a long drive into town. I only want to do it once.

Diet pepsi. If you look at a can of diet coke and a can of coke zero, the ingredients and the nutrition values are identical. I've heard it said there is no difference between the two other than as a marketing tool to reach out to men who didn't want to be seen drinking anything "diet". diet pepsi has 30 mg of sodium whereas diet coke and coke zero both have 40 mg of sodium. For some reason, diet coke and zero both have .1 gr of protein.