mgaretz

If the sub-zero has panels, you could try putting a thin piece of magnetic steel (doesn't have to be stainless but should be rust-proofed with paint or galvanized) behind the stainless panel. A strong magnet should hold.

Yep, the typical stainless refrigerator door is not compatible with magnets. Frigidaire had a true stainless door that was magnet-friendly, but it also appeared to be a lower grade of stainless than everyone elses. The compromise was the "stainless-look" doors and had three advantages over true stainless: 1) lower cost, 2) magnet friendly and the biggie 3) much easier to keep clean. Not all companies have that as a door option.

Sugar would (and does) the trick in a lot of batters. I'm still playing but mixes of flour, fine yellow corn flour, corn starch and sugar (with seasonings) seem to be having the most promise.

Sassafras is not the same as sarsaparilla! Last time I checked you could still get both at good herb/health food shops, but you'll find the sassafras labeled for external use only. There are no restrictions on sarsaparilla, yet you'll probably be dissappointed because it doesn't have that much flavor compared to sassafras. Your best bet is to get some commercial root beer flavoring and go from there. FYI, the predominant flavor in post-sassafras rootbeers (these days) is wintergreen.

This is my "go-to" recipe. It uses a combination of olive oil and vegetable oil to keep the oil from congealing in the fridge. It makes enough to last for a few weeks: 2 ozs vegetable oil 4 ozs olive oil 2 ozs balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning blend – or herbs to taste (see notes) 1 tbs cream sherry 1/4 tsp sea or kosher salt 1 clove of garlic – medium sized, minced 1 tbs Raspberry Syrup (sugar free or regular) or 1 tsp strawberry jam (or raspberry) 1 tbs honey 2 tbs mustard (I use a dijon-style with whole mustard seeds)

I like Rebel Yell bourbon. Used to be able to get it at Trader Joes for under $8 for 750ml - but lately it hasn't been there.

I did a pulled pork in the slow cooker and tossed it with a cherry-balsamic sauce.

I'll put in another vote for the Carbonnade. When I had it in Belgium the best ones were made with Lambics - either Kriek (cherry) or Framboise (raspberry) so that's what I use. I do mine in the slow cooker - you can see the recipe on my blog (link below).

I don't think I've met a beef stew (style) that I didn't like. For about a year now guests (and family) have been requesting my Carbonnade a la Flamande so I have finally posted it on my blog. There's also some versions of Chile Colorado. I've taken to using London Broil (top round) in my stews (and soups) since they are all slow cooked. (The exception would be my Carbonnade where I use boneless short ribs.) London Broil is often on sale for less than $2 per pound and has virtually no fat that needs to be trimmed away, so prep is faster and the value is great. When it goes on sale I but a lot and vacuum seal and freeze it.

While very expensive for a slow cooker (and I'm not even sure you can get it in Australia) I love my All-Clad with the aluminum insert. I can brown meat, saute onions etc. on the stovetop and go right into the slow cooker. If there are leftovers, the insert with lid goes in the fridge and then straight onto the stove for reheating. It also cooks very well.

I agree. I've played with stones and high oven temps, but found that while the crust came out good, the rest of the ingredients were undercooked (for lack of a better phrase). Maybe it's because we like lots of toppings and I also like my pepperoni or sausage kinda crispy. In any case I've had better luck on a perforated pizza pan in a 400 degree oven and a 9-10 minute bake. Heresy I know, but what works, works. Edited to add that I do keep a stone in my oven at all times on the oven floor - but the pizza goes on the bottom rack on the pan.

My whole wheat pizza crust is 1.5 cups all purpose flour, 1.25 cups of whole wheat flour and .25 cups of vital wheat gluten (aka gluten flour), 1 tsp of salt and 2 tsp of yeast hydrated in 1 cup of warm water. All goes in the stand mixer, knead for 5-7 minutes. Let rise, punch down, rest for 30 minutes in fridge then stretch to shape. (There's a lot of gluten in this dough, so usually I have to stretch some, let it relax, stretch again, etc.) This gives me a thin crust that is still crisp and chewy at the same time. Makes enough for two large pizzas - I usually divide in half after the rise and freeze one half for later use.

Maytag had some extremely bad designs and quality issues in recent years - so bad that the company was about to fail and Whirlpool rescued them by buying the company and immediately scrapping all the designs and substituting Whirlpool designs EXCEPT the dishwashers, which was a shame because Maytag dishwashers were terrible. I don't know if "Maytag" dishwashers now use Whirlpool designs at the present (been out of the appliance game for 3 years now), but if they are still using Maytag designs then avoid them like the plague!

Have you checked that the revolving "arms" are free of debris? When I end up with dirty dishes I usually find that the holes in the arms where the water spray emerges are plugged with bits of food or other debris. Or the arms (or arm) aren't rotating at all. The jets underneath are what propel the arm, make sure they are not plugged or the arms aren't hitting something that's keeping them from turning. (Did you wash jars with labels lately? The paper from the labels is notorious for plugging the jets.) Sometimes, if the machine is getting on in years, extra holes can form in the bottom of the arm causing them to stop rotating and in the case of the bottom arm, splash the tub water back up onto the dishes.

We have the Emeril equivalent (got it used) and it's been great for us. I love being able to have it auto-filter the oil and the fact that the oil stores in a dedicated container. It heats quickly and does a great job as long as you don't overload it. I also like the fact that it comes apart for easy cleaning and each piece doesn't weigh very much.

I'm doing a variation on my sweet and sour cabbage borscht with the leftover turkey. I was short on the normal amount cabbage, so I've added carrots and potatoes to bulk it up. It's a slow cooker recipe and I will add the turkey at the end.

My favorite is the 88% cacao from Dolfin (Belgian). I also quite like the Chocolate Lover's Dark Bar from Trader Joe's - very floral.

On my second attempt I have a recipe that we love, and if memory serves is very much like what we had at the Napa Rose: Ingredients (makes 2 loaves) 2 cups of all-purpose unbleached white flour 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour 1/2 cup of vital wheat gluten (see notes) 2 tsp instant yeast 1.5 cups warm water 3 tbs vegetable oil 1/3 cup dark molasses 1 tbs ground star anise powder (see notes) 3 tbs sugar 2 tsp sea salt 1 tbs caramel coloring (see notes) Recipe: Make sure the water is around 100 degrees, no more than 120 or you risk killing the yeast. Stir the yeast into the water and let it activate for 5 minutes or longer. Put all the dry ingredients into the bowl of your heavy duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed to combine the ingredients. Stop the mixer and add the liquid ingredients including the yeast. Mix on low speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be a slightly sticky ball. Roll the dough into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl and cover. Place the bowl in a warm area and let the dough rise to double it’s volume. This may take an hour or two depending on the temperature and freshness of the yeast. Remove the dough and punch it down. Cut into two equal pieces and form two loaves. Place the loaves on a lightly greased sheet pan, cover loosely and allow the dough to rise again. Once the loaves have risen again to about double, bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove and cool. Slice, eat and enjoy! Notes: Vital wheat gluten is also known as do-pep and you can find it the cheapest in the bulk foods section of better markets or health food stores. Bob’s Red Mill also has it in packages in the baking aisle of most markets. Caramel coloring might be a bit harder to find - I get mine at Smart and Final, but try a restaurant or baking supply. You can omit it if you want, but the bread will be light brown instead of dark brown. Star anise powder can be had least expensively at an Asian grocery (or try an Indian grocery).

Yes it will work just like a cast iron dutch oven.

Kim - the apple fennel and endive slaw looks wonderful!

La Brea Bakery makes a special Dark Star Anise bread that they serve at The Napa Rose in the Grand Californian at Disneyland. Any thoughts on the recipe?

My cookware is mostly All-Clad, but I also have a Sur La Table 3-ply roasting pan. It cooks just fine, but it is very definitely harder to clean than the All-Clad. I'm not sure why. I had originally bought pretty much the same pan in All-Clad, but took it back because the "chicken roaster" arm didn't cook any better than a vertical roaster and was way harder to use. The SLT pan was half the price, so I guess I'll put up with it being harder to clean, especially since it's not an everyday pan. Look at the All-Clad "promo" pieces - all the major stores have them - they all have slightly different selection. Williams-Sonoma has some great All-clad non-stick pans as a promo and their 4 qt saute/simmer pan is my favorite!

Last night was a potluck I was tasked with making salsa. I made the normal pico de gallo, but wanted a second, more eclectic choice. I was going to do a mango and black bean salsa, but my sweetie doesn't like mangos, and it seems like everyone does a mango salsa these days. Then inspiration struck and I thought about a piña colada salsa. I started with a large can of crushed pineapple and drained it very well (actually I pressed a lot of the juice out). Then I mixed it with a small, chopped jalapeño, about half a cup of seweetened, shredded coconut, about 2 tbs of creme de coconut (the thick syrupy stuff you use to make piña coladas) and just a kiss of cumin. I have never had so many people ask me for recipe!

Which one did you get? Some operate better than others. We got the one from Williams-Sonoma. The vacuum base works great on our granite countertop.

Well I used to think those twirly apple peeler/slicers were a pretty stupid gadget until we got one as a wedding present. They are very, very cool! Peels, slices and cores an apple in seconds! Great for apple pie or we like to just mix the apple slices with some sugar, flour and cinnamon, spoon into largish ramekins and bake for a no crust apple dessert.