Okanagancook

@C. sapidus Has some great advice. That’s exactly what I did and had the station idea too. We had a tea and coffee area where all the cups, tea making equipment and supplies fit together. Then the prep area with drawers that held knives, mis en place bowls, etc. we also had an interior designer who had been trained in kitchen design. I reviewed all my lists of wants, etc. with her and she came up with a plan that needed just a few tweaks. Well worth the money and I just went with her hardware choices, etc. she also picked all the colours for our big house. She was amazing.

I will add my welcome. Looking forward to seeing your food.

For me the major feature of my Phillips Airfryer is the easy clean up. After a quick wipe with a paper towel into the dishwasher it goes. No oil splatter on the stove. I usually wipe down the interior but it isn’t very greasy. I use it for everything: chicken legs, hamburgers, rack of lamb, pork belly, etc. it does a fantastic job so quickly. There are only two of us so it is big enough. The major limitation is the size. Cooking for more than two would be a challenge. I suppose one could cook in batches as it is so quick. But you could still use it to make components of a meal like frying meatballs for a sauce, browning meat for a stew, etc. One could deglaze the drip tray if you are worried about loosing that. i bought a cheap one to test out whether I wanted one. After a year the electrical parts broke so I bought a good quality Phillips.

If it is not your forever home then I’m with @gfweb, renovate for resale. There are so many options nowadays, you could update the kitchen in a way that you can enjoy it without breaking the bank. It is all about compromises.

We used super steam at 350 for 15 minutes for Asian dim sum. Perfect cook.

I loved the lace on the pan fried dumplings.

@ElsieDi would just search on utube for a demo of how to use a canister…there are tons of them and they are very good. I think I got mine at Superstore or Great Canadian Wholesale Club if you have one near you…or Amazon. good luck. just charge the cylinder with the cream in it and store in fridge. Use it as many times as the cream lasts then disassemble and clean. That’s it. I do clean the tube the cream comes out if after each use but that is minor.

I use my CSO also. For a crowd I use my electric warming tray as above to keep my food and limited number of plates warm.

We have one of these…very handy https://www.amazon.ca/NCnnwovf-Ounce-Measuring-Liquid-Espresso/dp/B09ZV4CSBJ/ref=sr_1_145_sspa?crid=IG4LZU8FJFMG&keywords=measuring%2Bcups&qid=1697412620&sprefix=Measur%2Caps%2C484&sr=8-145-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGZfbmV4dA&th=1

You can always add more liquid using table spoon and teaspoons…15 ml per tablespoon. 5 lm per teaspoon.

I am with tossing them 2. Not worth the risk. Plenty of ducks on the planet.

Ha, didn’t David Chang have MSG shakers on his diners tables’ rather than salt shakers

I don’t know anymore…..retired Dietitian, but my gut tells me most sodium intake nowadays can be attributed to commercial products and restaurant/takeout/fast food. The amount used in BASIC cooking at home is probably not significant and not the problem.

I’ve discovered a vendor at our Farmers Market who cans her excess tomatoes so they are right out of the garden…probably like @Shelbymakes. $12 for a litre glass jar. I use one to make a batch of very simple tomato soup. I don’t have a garden now that we moved to a condo so this is perfect for me. I will be stocking up for the winter. She didn’t have any on her sales bench last week…I asked her ? Are you making them this year and she said that was her project for the week. I am anticipating the price to be a bit higher. I am still buying them!

I would look for a cupboard that has pressure fasteners so the little mice can’t riggle in. I had a very open style kitchen outdoors and always spent the first few weeks in spring trapping mice. I hated that. Poor little creatures.

From Mr. google ’As such, it has approximately 50% less sodium than salt, roughly translating to 280 milligrams of sodium per ½ teaspoon of green salt versus a hefty 1,150 milligrams of sodium per ½ teaspoon of table salt. That's a sizable difference for anyone monitoring sodium intake.’

I grew those peppers a couple of years ago and dried them for a convenient way of preserving them.

Lower glycemic carbs are a smart choice. Loads of charts on the internet. That combined with eating less is a relatively healthy approach to getting a few pounds off.

If they weren’t his shows, Gordon would say ‘revolting’.😆

@C. sapidusthe tacos look fantastic. I recently watched on a cooking show where the chef made a taco by first spreading some fairy mushed refried beans on a flour tortilla but not all the way to the edges. Then he layered a hard shell taco on top and dressed it well with shredded greens, creama and cheese. To eat he just wrapped the flour tortilla around the hard shell. Lots of nice crunch and relatively easy to eat. I am assembling the ingredients for tomorrow’s first try at making them.

Excellent trip reporting. Thank you.

My kinda plate…….swimming in gravy.

@Dejahnice looking meal…..again. Well done. we had homemade vegetarian spring rolls cooked in the CSO, hot and sour soup from the timeless Times International Cookbook and a dressed watercress salad.

Spanakopita, Caesar salad, spinach soup, typical recipes that include greens in combination Include potatoes, pasta and beans. Tonight I happen to using my farmers market kale with pasta, potato and cheese…Deborah Madison Local Flavours Cookbook. I suppose you can always take a supplement targeting eye health.

You can always add four cups of liquid first and check at various times during cooking to see if it needs more. You can then microwave some stock before adding especially when adding the orzo. I would cook the chicken breast side down to help keep it moist but if you have made it before just disregard this.