birder53

I purchased a Bosch grinder at Trader Joe's. I've never done this before (ground coffee at home, that is)and expected the instructions that came with the grinder to explain it all to me. The only time I've ground my own coffee is using the grinders at the store where you just pick the grind you want and voila! Well, how do you know how much to grind your coffee when using a grinder with no settings? How many beans do you grind to make 8 cups of drip coffee? Did I make a bad purchase here or do I just have to learn how to use this by trial and error? I really don't want to wait very long for my morning coffee while I fiddle with my new toy. Does anyone else have one of these and can you give me some tips here?

What is the name of this "stunner"? Is it available in the US?

Congratulations on the fridge! We have one in the garage that is so old it has the rounded front and opens with a handle that reminds me of a slot machine arm. It is full of soda, bottled water and suet cakes(for the the bird feeder). It really comes in handy for entertaining and taking advantage of specials on foods that need to stay cold. There are also three bottles of champagne in there as well. You should have no trouble keeping it filled! The fridge is very, very old and came with the house in 1985. The sellers said it belonged to the original owner and they had no idea how old it was. The house was built around 1954. The sellers left a bottle of champagne in it as a house warming gift for us and now we always make sure there is at least one bottle of champagne in it. You never know when you might need some bubbly!

I also had the McDonalds' lobster roll in Maine and it was pretty good. I'd have to try the crab at least once!

New Jersey - ginger golds and galas rule! I think I once had a jonathan - not a jonamac or jonagold- but have never seen them again. The ginger golds seem to be nearing the end of their season, they just aren't as crisp at they were in September. Galas are my favorite eating apples year 'round.

I hate cleaning up! I do clean as I cook but still end up resenting the work that remains after a nice meal. That's what I like best about eating out - no clean up! We usually do a minimal clean up after cooking for company (just loading the dishwasher and putting away leftovers) because we want to spend time with our friends. Large family gatherings usually end up with a large group helping out in the kitchen after dinner. Depending on who did most of the cooking, either I or hubby will lead the clean up. On those rare occassions where we left all the mess until the next morning - I truly hated seeing the kitchen in a shambles the first thing the following day! I fantasize about having someone who would just come in and clean up after me so I can enjoy the cooking and eating parts!

The liquor store at the Bridgewater store opened at least a year after the main store. Maybe they will open a liquor annex in the future at Woodbridge. They are also quite responsive to requests for products they do not already carry. They did not initially carry Total Greek yogurt and it showed up after I asked about it. Ask and you may receive! I originally thought Wegman's would be an occassional shopping destination due to the prices and selection of "staples". I'm now there every weekend. They continually increase the variety of products offered and they have very good sales on "staples". I'm hooked on their store brand yogurt, they always seem to have Myer lemons, the olive bar is wonderful, their butcher shop bacon is very good and costs less than Oscar Myer which was recently rated tops by Fine Cooking magazine. Their seafood is awesome as is their produce section. The quality is top notch and has encouraged me to cook much more than I used to. I have several friends who swear by the Wegman's brand coffee, which is usually on sale. The other thing I like about Wegman's is how well staffed thier checkout lines are. I've seen a manager open up and man a checkout when I only had two people on line ahead of me. The whole Wegman's experience continues to get better with each visit. It's a wonderful thing!

That sounds wonderful! I'll start looking for them right away!

The Aviation cocktail just got even better! Our local Wegmans had Myer lemons last week. Having read great things about them on this site, I had to buy them even though I had no idea what I planned to do with them. Well, we made Aviation cocktails with them and they were the best version we have ever made. The Myer lemons seem to be sweeter than the "common" lemon. We've been making them since last Sunday (just three times!) and I just picked up four more Myer lemons today. Thanks to NSM who is responsible for the huge amount of liquor in my house these days!

Thanks for the great suggestions! Even though the recipe calls this a "salad" it is heavy and filling which is why I thought a green salad would go well with it. I'm not sure how adventurous one of my guests is, so I think I'll go with the lemon/oil dressing on the salad. I can usually figure out for myself what dishes do not work well together, but it's harder to come up with ideas for the ones that will work well. The pita with tabouleh, hummus and olives will work well for the appetizer. Thanks for pointing out that I should work with a Mediterranean theme, as the feta cheese in the "salad" seems to be the ingredient to work around here. Kathy

My menu planning isn't very good. In spite of JAZ's class, I still draw a blank or come up with combinations that do not work well. I'm serving a "warm salad of grilled shrimp and orzo" as athe main course and need ideas for a simple appetizer to have with drinks, a salad and dessert. The shrimp dish is rather rich and has it has lots of feta cheese and garlic in the dressing. I don't have a lot of time to spend on the accompianments and would appreciate suggestions that a time and skill challenged cook can use! Suggestions for store bought items will work quite well for me. Also, would a basalmic dressing be appropriate on green salad? Thanks!

Good one!

Just finished a juicy, crisp and sweet Ginger Gold apple. I wish they were available year round.

The Gaston Avenue Bakery in Somerville makes a great marble cheescake.

I do not like beets. I continue to try them because my Grandmother said to always at least try a food again because "you tastes will change". It hasn't happened for beets yet. Other dislikes include salmon, raw shellfish, liver (though not liverwurst), tripe and turnips. I love lamb!

I have abused my moka pot! Not only did I wash it with soap, I got out the old SOS pad to make sure the inside of the pot would be sparkling clean! When I told my husband what the proper care and cleaning of the pot was he remembered a dear great-aunt of his who made the best coffee in the family. She used the same pot for over 20 years and never used soap on it. She also made coffee for her family at least once a day. I will now cease and desist with the cleanliness routine and vow to use my pots more often.

You see them occasonally in the stores, but I have never used one or seen it in anyone's home. My Italian mother-in-law had at least 6 different moka pots. It was basically two pots - each in three sizes. (If you ever tried to make a smaller amount of moka than the pot was meant for you learned that you really do need all those different sizes.) She had the regular moka pot as well as the upside down pot. She preferred the upside down version, but there were many times when the pot was opened too soon and ! I now have three "regular" moka pots which get a lot of use. I prefer "machine" espresso with nice crema, but this is easy and the coffee tastes good.

We're growing lemon balm this year, just because the deer and rabbits haven't taken a liking to it. Any ideas on how to use it?

I was in a very small shop in Mountainside, NJ trying to track down a rose champagne they, unfortunately, no longer carried. There was no one in the shop but the owner, two employees, me and my husband. The owner engaged us in conversation, which was very enjoyable and educational, about many of the french wines he had. As the queen of the $15 and under wine, I admitted to being very ignorant and insecure about french wine. I let it slip that I really enjoy Australian wines. His response - Don't worry, you'll get over it. ( That may be true, but it hasn't happened yet!) We haven't been back again. Mainly because they are a bit of a trip for us and no longer carry the champagne we first went to them to buy. But I also remain pretty ignorant about french wine!

The only addition to those ingredients was fresh, grated parmesan cheese, which was mixed in with the tomatoe mixture, with extra to sprinkle on top. The cheese added a nice creaminess to the sauce.

We used mint and basil in a no cook "bruchetta" sauce for pasta. Very nice!

Another vote for McPhee's "The Founding Fish".

Saturday - Grilled halibut in an asian citrus marinade, couscous, green salad with grape tomatoes and balsamic/dijon dressing. We also drank way too many Yellow Birds! (rum, galiano, triple sec, lime juice) Sunday - grilled pork tenderloin with a chili paste glaze, fresh fruit salsa with mango and bananas, grilled portobello mushrooms and haricorts vert. This was the first time we grilled a tenderloin and it was a bit overdone. We had some issues with the meat thermometer I even brined the meat before cooking, so my aggravation was increased by the amount of extra work I did here! We'll get it right next time

I'll second a vote for Cafe Miranda. Wonderful food and huge portions!

Do not fear! Thai Thai is alive and well. We found it after the expansion, so I can't comment on what changes may have transpired. The food and service are excellent. We dined at Origin in Somerville this past Friday for the first time. Had expected great things after reading wonderful reviews. Everything we ordered was very good, but it did not knock my socks off! We prefer Thai Thai to Origin. The service at Thai Thai is friendlier, the restaurant is larger and not as cramped and noisy as Origin. Origin is closer to home, but I just don't get all the hype. For price, food and service, Thai Thai is the place for us!