memesuze

sale price at the Austin WMkt is $5.99 right now....saw it at Central Market yesterday for $5.49

The shops in Japantown are a mandatory destination every time I visit San Francisco - food, teas, ceramics, electrics, electronics, teapots, hardware

being a femme sole, I always freeze my compound butters - all rolled in a neat log, the better to take a slice or chunk

I recently saw quart[?] jars of mangosteen juice at Costco

be sure your pots and pans will work or you might be out quite a bit of money replacing all of them....

The JT I went to last October was on the south side of the square in the la Fonda. I think it had been open for a while. My meal there was outstanding in conception, service, and execution.

that was Mark Bittman's method in last week's NYTimes - he had other riffs on a basic recipe

Although it's a "round" tea, it's not a gunpowder, I agree with jpr54_. But I'd infuse it as any other green - start with water that has dropped down to 150-165 degrees and infuse for no longer than 2 minutes if you're doing a single infusion. If you're going for multiple, start with 15-30 seconds for the first infusion and add 15 seconds for each successive infusion to four or five infusions.

forehead smack - of course....

vitamin C powder - from your local natural foods store, or drugstore

I have a galley kitchen that I opened to the dining room with a small breakfast bar - but that meant the fridge had to go elsewhere - which was the back porch that I turned into a pantry and mudroom. The fridge is just inside the pantry door, on the other side of the wall at the end of the kitchen - it's a different configuration than yours since there's a long line of countertop, then the wall/opening into the pantry and then fridge - but it might work temporarily for you and allow you to keep all the cabinets in the kitchen proper.

If I'd had one when I was a kid, I wouldn't have gotten in trouble for roasting marshmallows on the bathroom heater

what I like about using the blowtorch for this is the ability to char down there in the crevasses

asking from across the pond, do you mean "prunes" as in dried plums, or do you mean fresh prune plums?

why not put 'em in, for future travellers....

If I get bulk olives without brine, I only get enough for a week or so's use, 'cuz mine also get that white stuff which I consider mold....I'm wondering if we could make up our own brine the way I do for pieces of feta: I make up a solution of salt water that is about 2-3 tsp salt dissolved in 6-8 ounces of water. I freeze wine for cooking - not for drinking - never noticed any problem.

One sauce I found works well for one to two-serving sizes is from Prevention Magazine: big clove of garlic minced and one Tbs minced ginger sauteed for one minute in a Tbs of toasted sesame oil. then add 2 tsp cornstarch to 1/2 cup water [add a bit of the water to the cornstarch to make a slurry before adding the rest of the water] and add to the ginger/garlic. cook a minute or so until it thickens - pour over and mix with the stirfry. And then there's a terrific and easy one from Ed Shoenfeld from a thread several years ago, that I'll have to dig out

Don't know what your weather is like or your airconditioning costs, if any, but remember that the AGA is always on and therefore, produces heat constantly in your kitchen....here in Texas that eliminates it right away - I rarely use my Chambers range's oven from July through September due to the heat-up factor. And I know what you mean about the gas v. electric burners - my next oven will be a dual fuel one so that I can have the best of both worlds....since you have a gas cooktop already, there's no reason not to stay with an electric oven. On other threads, there have been good reports of GE Profile and Monogram series appliances for big bang for the buck - you probably won't have to spend $3-4K just to get a great oven.

Why do you want to change the electric oven for a gas one - I would have thought that the preference is for electric, especially if it's convection, since gas is less reliable for baking purposes in terms of keeping the temperature level and gas convection isn't true convection....I'd change out the basic electric one for a beefier electric model - but remember, to get the extended warranty, as there is often a problem with the electronic controls or sensing device needing to be replaced [to the tune of $$1-200 each time]- or so I've heard on another forum

Since I decided to switch to the big oven [Chambers] instead of the smaller convection [Cadco] I put it all in the big AC saute pan I used to brown the meat and cook the onions and sauce - smelling good right now - I'd better eat something else soon or I won't be able to save this for the second-day unveiling....

I'm planning on the country ribs, roasted tomatoes, and chipotle dish this evening as it has cooled down 20 degrees from yesterday's 94 - she calls for a large gratin or baking dish, rather than a dutch oven. Although she doesn't explain why, I think it might be to enable the sauce to caramelize better during the last 30 minutes. I'm having a devil of a time finding a baking dish big enough for the four pieces of meat I'm working with - does anyone think the short sides of the baking dish are necessary? - I know they'll fit in my dutch oven....

and doesn't sweating start with vegetables in cold oil whilst sauteeing adds vegetables to hot oil?

Part of the reason I'm still leaning toward tile with grout is that I have a 5-foot x 2-foot stainless-topped work table I constructed out of Metro shelving that is, and will be, my primary work table for anything flour-y. I've never found a formica that I love, and I can't pour a fortune into countertop surfacing. It's all a trade-off.

I'm also leaning toward ceramic tile countertops - primarily because almost all the houses I've lived in had a forties feel and tile says "home" to me - and I think the newest sealers and grouts are relatively impervious to staining. I also like the lower cost. Plus, it's something I can install myself, if necessary, if I decide to rip up the first tile and replace it down the road. I don't see me doing that with laminate or any of the other solid surfaces.

In planning for my new kitchen, I've been seriously considering linoleum/marmoleum - but have some concerns about the manufacturer's instruction to apply 2-3 coats of "floor finish" aka "polish" after installation and then periodically after using floor cleaner several times. [The prospect takes me back to my childhood chores in a rather unpleasant fashion.] I currently have some industrial vinyl tile that only requires a no-rinse cleaner weekly or so. One of my concerns is being unable to keep the entire surface at the same "shine/color" level due to different numbers of coats of "polish" - that concern is due to my intention to keep the metro shelving work table I constructed - the lowest shelf is several inches off the ground. Would I need to empty it and move it each time I applied the polish to get en even look? Or am I just worrying about nothing? I like the give that these floors have, as well as the ecological and allergenic properties, but I may need to stay with a heavy vinyl tile to get my carefree needs met - I'm no spring chicken and this kitchen is intended to carry me through the rest of my days....