Tony Boulton

Can someone explain to me the reason why anyone would want to put xanthan gum into a perfectly natural and healthy smoothie? Just curious...

Technically it is, but it tends to be the one "top end" line that they discount heavily. It was manufactured by their self-acclaimed "sinter technology", but I am unsure as to whether it still is so, or if it is truly forged again. But its a decent enough knife all the same, in my opinion.

Henckels had problems in the past as a result of their change from one piece construction to welding. If the break was on the blade close to the bolster, that was probably the weld failing. I believe they have reverted to forging since the, for their top end lines, but not necessarily for their outsourced production.

Thanks Edward, but we are sufficiently far away from the (rather exclusive) local residential property for it not be a worry to anyone. And we have a restaurant 2 doors away.

In 17 years of working very closely with Wusthof, I have never seen a forged knife fail in this way. But I can tell you that there is no doubt that Wusthof would replace this knife. In fact if you PM me your address and confirm the length of the blade, I will be happy to send you one on their behalf. I know for sure that they will take my word and send another to me at my store.

Now that this message has been merged with a previous topic, there are a couple of things I should clarify. It will be an island location, so it will be ducted through the roof. And we won't be doing any deep frying, just frying meat, fish, etc. in a skillet and some pressure cooking. As we are talking cooking demonstrations/classes, the period of time we shall be cooking will be limited. Any tips or advice would be most welcome.

I own a retail kitchen store and I am about to move to a new location. One of the things that is going to be important for our future success is a kitchen area for classes. Now we are not talking huge here, the whole store is only 1,500 sq. ft. I just need a stove top and an oven for cooking and baking. But from experience of previous discussions with health department folks, they tend to try and insist that you equip it for serving 100 tables every morning noon and night, rather than several classes a month for a dozen or so people. My research tells me that there are different types of hoods, "dry" hoods of a modest size up to hoods that sing and dance and have a team of elves resident inside them to automatically wash the insides during the night. My perception of what is needed is something that would exist in a restaurant of the type where they cook in front of you at the table (such as Benihanas). Can anyone out there in restaurant land offer me some advice? Do we need a grease trap or just a dry hood? What size? Do I try to Google for suppliers? How expensive are they to install?

It is hard to explain, but I'll try. There are small "tines" at the bottom of the paddles where they hook onto the shaft. A few of those are broke off, but they still snap into place. You need the metal housing that replaces the plastic one supplied with the machine. It now comes as pretty much standard with the cookie paddles. If you care to contact me I would be glad to supply.

The MT500 is being replaced with a new model next month, so typical of Capresso, they have dumped their inventory.

I don't believe the Bosch could handle 15 lbs of dough. If it can, how long or how many times before it gives up the ghost. I think a lot of people overestimate how much dough these prosumer machines can comfortably mix (and still have a long operational life). After breaking three, that includes me! The one I just bought is the equiv. of a 20 qt. Hobart and, like the Hobart, has surprisingly low capacity guidelines Apologies for this late response, but I was on vacation. Having been using a Bosch for several years now and (declaring again an interest in this) having talked to numerous customers who have had earlier Bosch Universal models for, in numerous cases, up to 30 years, I have to disagree. But if you really want a commercial model and all that goes with it, God bless. But I can assure you that the Bosch has received some thorough testing and it comes out really well.

Why do you need a "serious commercial mixer" for a mere 10 pounds of bread dough? Don't diss the Bosch - it will comfortably handle 15lbs and kneading takes no more than 10 minutes in my experience. I sell them, so I have an interest to declare, but my wife has had a Bosch longer than she has had me and it will probably go on way beyond my sell-by date.

My favorite would be any teapot made in Staffordshire, England. But I am talking traditional English hot tea. Which prompts me to add that I cannot drink that same traditional tea (with milk, usually) out of anything other than an English bone china cup. I have to declare an interest though. I was born in Staffordshire and spent 24 of my early working years selling Wedgwood and other fine china.

Looks good and authentic in the photo. Again, I would choose my flour carefully, but it seems straightforward enough, otherwise.

Is there any specific type of white flour that is best? I avoid bleached flour like the plague, so I would be looking for the best combination of flours to ensure the maximum amount of whole grain. How quickly does the batter have to be used after the 6 hour period? Will it then keep in a fridge? Great picture!

The recipe above is for Scottish Oatcakes, which is an entirely different animal - more like a cookie. Staffordshire Oatcakes do not get crisp unless overdone. Typically they are pretty much the same as a crepe when cooked on a griddle or in a skillet, as far as I am aware.

I am surprised that nobody has found a way of vacuum packing them to ship by air overseas. These days UPS and FedEx get things here almost as quick as they can to some remote Scottish islands, so it ought to be possible. I might swing by High lane Oatcakes on my way to and from Vale Park. But I am still interested in knowing what experience others have had actually making them.

Ay up duck! This time next week I shall be hoping to partake of the very same when my wife and I visit the Mother Country for a few days. The most convenient oatcake shop to where we are staying will be on London Road just outside 'Castle (if it's still there?). Do you patronise the famous "Hole in the Wall" in Hanley?

My wife and I went to New Orleans before we were married and a fellow passenger who lived there recommended The Court of Two Sisters for the Sunday brunch. It was awesome. You could sit there as long as you wished and we just kept going back to the buffet for more. Great Eggs Benedict. Lovely place.

Andiesenji, can you share some tips and experience? Is it as simple as it seems?

My wife and I saw it last night and enjoyed it. It was good entertainment and, being a gourmet kitchen store owner, I loved seeing all the copper pans and Wusthof knives in use. I'm not a fan of Le Creuset myself (much prefer Staub) and I chuckled to myself that, when she slept through the timer going off for the Boeuf Bouguignon, Julie would have been facing a written-off casserole as well as the contents. I am hoping that the movie encourages lots of folks to start cooking seriously and they all rush out and buy new knives and cookware. We need some sort of stimulus and have had no help from Washington on our Main Street.

As someone born and bred in the Potteries, but now very much rooted here in Texas, one of the things I miss most of all are the wonderful, freshly made, oatcakes that I enjoyed back in Staffordshire. I don't mean the commercially made things that have now apparently found their way on to the shelves of Sainsbury's or Tesco in some of the less sophisticated parts of the UK (e.g. London). I mean real warm oatcakes, fresh from the griddle, making a perfect breakfast or fast meal. These wonderful alternatives to toast or bread for breakfast were the staple diet of potters, miners, steel workers and pretty much every working family in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding area. It used to be impossible to drive more than a mile or two through the city without seeing an oatcake shop where, especially at weekends, the delightful smell of the griddle would filter outwards into the street. There are still many left and some good ones, too, I believe. Even writing this message is making me hunger for one. Oatcakes, for the uneducated, are rather like crepes or galettes made from a batter that is based on oatmeal and cooked on a large griddle. The ultimate whole grain breakfast, they are either wrapped around bacon and egg, fajita-style, or grilled with cheese. My question is, has anyone successfully made oatcakes at home and if so, are there any tips, recipes, etc. that can be shared with other ex-pats from the Six Towns?

Correct...but what's your point? My point was quite clearly and simply a correction to an erroneous suggestion that stevia saves an inconsequential amount of calories.

It has no calories.

My wife uses it in her iced tea all the time and she is very picky about the taste of things. I have tried it and have not noticed any detrimental affect on my brew.

I do not entirely disagree with what haresfur says above, but my experience of commercially made teapots from major manufacturers, even those made up to a century or more ago, is that they will not suffer from occasional use in the dishwasher. I have a modern bone china cup that I use at work for coffee. Over a period of weeks, despite the fact that I hand wash it with Dawn and a brush, it gets a build up of stain. It is the same with a teapot, possibly even more so because of the steeping time and the time beyond that that tea is in contact with the surface. Despite what maggiethecat's North Of England grandmother might have said, it is unproven that a tea stained pot makes a better brew. It will certainly harbor bacteria, but the boiling water that she would have hit it with before adding the Tetley's Tea might have gotten rid of most. What she quoted is, in my humble English born view is, an old wive's tale.