Crouton

I don't know what's going on, but i've been tasting really weird/off flavors in Pork Loin lately. I don't know if it's boar taint or not, but the last several times I've cooked a loin, the taste was way off. Like a VERY gamy/barn yard taste.

I have the one in the top middle... it works great as a buffer but pans seem to slide off it easily.

They're labeling that as a trivet. Do you need a flame-tamer or a diffuser? Because cast iron would make a horrible diffuser since it doesn't conduct heat very evenly. Cast Iron doesn't conduct heat evenly? News to me... trivet or not, it provides a buffer from the flame than allows my pots to actually simmer over the burner whereas they just boil without it.

Lodge makes one that's cheap and works well for me. My linkhttps://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1_new.asp?menu=prologic&idProduct=3964

I picked this up at Cabela's over Christmas and couldn't be more impressed. Granted it's not cheap but it's built like a tank - no cheap plastic housing/parts like the FoodSaver and has a quality heft to it. Link to Cabelas.com

I see Deruta dinnerware at T.J Maxx all the time. I don't know how genuine they are but they usually says "Hand Made in Italy" & "Deruta" on the bottom. I've picked up several serving bowls since they look like they came straight off the set of Molto Mario.

I dont think my fridge's shelf has the structural integrity to support the weight of my granite sink cut out. It weighs at least 65lbs. Carting that thing around the kitchen? Definitely not.

Oh definitely no knead. It takes a few times to get it right so don't assume it's not a great technique if you get less than stellar results your first few attempts.

I second Libbey. Wonderful stuff. Check bed bath and beyond... They sell them in singles

Did anyone else find the texture of the mushroom soup kinda off-putting after the instructed trip through the blender? It was great up until that point... The coq au vin was excellent!

If you don't mind a 3 hour cab ride the best food in Atlanta is actually in Birmingham, Alabama at Frank Stitt's Highland's Bar and Grill.

I don't think any chef worth his weight in salt would only season meat after it was cooked... worst advise you could possibly give an aspiring cook.

I couldn't disagree more about not salting raw meat before cooking it. Nonsense, I assure you.

Both Batali and Lidia have been doing this on their respective shows for years. Definitely something I always do when tomato paste is involved. Check or Mario Batali's "Weeds with Sausage" recipe. It instructs to fry the tomato paste until a deep rust color is formed. Fantastic dish btw.

Who rinses their dishes before loading them in the dishwasher? I used to rinse every plate clean until I read somewhere that it was a bad idea, that dishwashers are designed for dishes to have gunk on 'em else the detergent will start screwing with your dishes.

I much prefer the porcelain and pyrex style "Tupperware". Foods seem to reheat more evenly and they don't get stained and/or cloudy.

Hmmm, i can still smell the "fishy" smell but can't say I've ever had a problem with the taste.

Really? The models I looked at Williams Sonoma were hardly what I would consider "built like a tank". Mostly plastic with stainless veneers... wobbly water spigot that felt like it would break if I looked at it wrong.

I just wish they'd make a microwave that I can't break the door handle off of.

Speaking of lard, is the hydrogenated kind sold in green containers ok to use? I know it's frowned upon in "authentic" Mexican cookbooks but I really have no source for fresh lard nor the desire to drive all over god's green corn to find it.

I ate at The French American Brasserie on a recent business trip and was pleasantly surprised... the onion soup was outstanding.

I've got mine on order from Amazon. From what I'm hearing it's a must-have.

That's also our goto red when we want a big reasonably priced red. Costco carries it for around $13 a bottle. Fantastic stuff.

If you look closely at the fat cap of steaks sold at Costco you'll see tiny holes where they've ran it through a jacarder... It's pretty common practice whether you realize it or not.

I'll take sbarro over any other pizza chain any day... Well except for mellow mushroom