Mjx

Thanks, I'm going to be reading that in a bit! The first cups tend be thinner, but aren't usually unbalanced (unless the beans themselves are; the first cups do tend to emphasize any shortcomings of the beans). I've toyed with the idea, although I can't really describe the situation as being at the level of 'problem' (the first cup is fine, but the second is better), more 'excuse to drink multiple cups', so I've held off. So far; if I want to eliminate the problem altogether, you're probably right, this going to be the way to go. Don't think it's that, since this happens regardless of whether the basket and holder have been scrupulously cleaned, left with the grounds sitting until we use it the next day, or any of the various options between the two extremes. The grinder is regularly brushed, poked, and tapped free of loose grounds (it grinds directly ito the basket) Actually, we tried that! And, the pattern seemed to persist. It isn't a huge deal, but I do find it kind of interesting, and have been wondering what lay behind this phenomenon .

No, if it's enforced, then it is no longer a "favor." It is a requirement to do business in the municipality which enacted the law. You want to do business in our city? Great! Then you WILL provide a clean bathroom to the public. Not just your customers. Everyone who walks in needing a restroom. Otherwise, find someplace else to do business. And we have code enforcement officers that will shut your business down if you try to skirt the law. Restrict bathroom usage at your peril, business owners. (Well, at least where I live. Not every city feels the same way.) EDIT -- As for "dirty public bathrooms," please by all means visit Las Vegas. Enjoy our public facilities. All the restrooms are public restrooms. And if they're not SPOTLESS, then casino management wants to know about that. We'd be horrified to discover we offered a guest a bathroom that didn't surpass their every expectation. Leaving aside the fact that you hacked off the portion of what I said that elaborated on what I meant, and dismissed most of the points I made, you're talking about one city on the planet (a rather unusual one, from what I understand, and thanks, but I doubt I'll be visiting, I'm not big on hot, sunny places ). But surely you aren't saying that you placidly accept that the public will behave irresponsibly in public restrooms, and that this does not present a problem (not necessarily a cheap one, either)? That the entire issue of who uses an establishment's restroom, and the state in which they leave it is irrelevant? That the cost of the combination of even a small fraction of the public being disgusting + owners of public restrooms needing to keep these spaces clean is not a cost issue? Does it really seem that unreasonable that some business owners have reservations about people who are not customers doing whatever they will in the bathroom (and since the door is shut, that's what it comes down to), given what it could cost them?

In the US (I realize that many thread participants are not Americans), most cities have statute in place that businesses which provide food or drink must have a public restroom. Some go even further that a business that is open to the public will provide a restroom. So, for a lot of people here, it's not a favor. Even if it's legally enforced, it still amounts to a favour; legislation doesn't automatically mean something is a basic human right (or vice versa). And what everyone who's ever managed to urinate in the sink seems to disregard is that every right is implicitly tied to a responsibility (which is unfortunately seldom legislated, making it awfully easy to exploit the rights). I'd bet (and I'm not a betting person) that the filthiest toilets were those most used by the general public, beyond just that portion of the public that fell into the 'customer' category. You've worked in the industry, so you've probably had more chance than you ever wanted to observe that people can be incredible pigs, and the worst tend to be those who feel that everything they want is a 'right'. My experience outside the US as an adult is limited to Europe. Speaking for those parts of Italy, Germany, and Denmark in which I've spent between a month and several years, I'd have to say that availability and conditions in public toilets aren't significantly different in these EU countries than from what you find in the US (and I have no idea of the legislation in any of these places): Most big shops have public toilets, you can use the ones in most places that serve food (unless it's just take-away), an even if they're officially for staff only if you ask to use the loo, they'll usually say 'Sure.' Occasionally, 'No', but that's happened in the US, too. And, the loos that are most open to the public are the most disgusting, as though their being readily available somehow incites the users' contempt (yep, I mean in the US, too). This seems to put shop/restaurant owners in something of a cleft stick: So, you have to open your loo to the public, who make it disgusting and unsanitary, therefore you have to keep a constant eye on the state of the room, and clean up the mess, or the Dept. of Health guys come down on you like a ton of bricks. If the people responsible for turning the place into a sty aren't even customers, they're costing you a bunch in cleaning material (not to mention, I've had a couple of near-falls--and one actualy fall that left me with a sprained wrist--in places where the bathroom floor was wet and slick; if I was elderly/had broken something I would almost certainly have sued).

Ever since we've had the Silvia, my boyfriend and I have noticed that the second round of coffee tastes better than the first; the first cups are fine, but the second are inevitably better. We hypothesized vaguely about the phenomenon, but didn't dedicate that much thought to it. We doubted it was the temperature, since we've noticed this even when the machine warms for about a quarter of an hour. Turns out, it may be the temperature after all. Yesterday, I picked up some coffee beans at one of the few independent local coffee shops that roasts its own beans, and spent some time chatting with the owner, who's American (meaning, I actually understood the conversation, since it wasn't carried out in a language in which I routinely confuse the words for 'cow' and 'queue'). I mentioned the thing with the first cup of coffee from our machine not being as good as subsequent ones, and he said that this is usual with most machines, consumer or commercial. His idea is that during the intial heating, the machine actually gets too hot, and using it brings lowers the heat to just the right temperature, but the first cup takes the bullet, so to speak. This makes sense to me, although I'm not equipped to test this: Anyone else notice this 'second cup' effect, or have data/alternate hypotheses?

If you don't want to order it from Amazon, Lyle's products, both the golden syrup and black treacle are sold at Cost Plus World Market in the L.A. and Orange county areas. I bought some last December at the Cost Plus in Brea. I'm pretty sure the stores around San Diego would carry the same items. You can always phone and ask. 372 4th Ave San Diego, CA (0.5 mi) (619) 236-1737 The idea of picking some up in the UK is to compare it to the stuff you get in the US, prompted by my speculation that the exported Lyle's might have a different flavour profile than that sold domestically in the UK, coming out of this exchange: . . . . I'm wondering whether the stuff exported to the US has a slightly different flavour profile to the UK syrup, which has a just the faintest saltiness to it, and tastes very rich and full. I think Dave the Cook's 'sunny' pretty much nails it.

7 years ago, Dave the Cook wrote: I find Lyle's bland & sweet to the point of pointlessness, and never thought of molasses as 'funky', but am now itching to try some Steen's. I managed to completely miss those comments. I'm wondering whether the stuff exported to the US has a slightly different flavour profile to the UK syrup, which has a just the faintest saltiness to it, and tastes very rich and full. I think Dave the Cook's 'sunny' pretty much nails it.

The only places I've ever seen such aggressive, buy-something-or-leave enforcement has been in the 'hood, where small shopkeepers can be plagued with crackhead shoplifters and are usually suspicious of everyone who's not moving quickly. In the worst neighborhoods, the corner stores keep everything behind bulletproof plexiglass, and you have to ask for what you want and pay for it through a rotating, plastic chute. (not the best setting for a chocolate shop, but kudos to you for trying if you are indeed operating a patisserie in a massively crime-ridden inner city area.) In more, ahem, "genteel" surroundings, you'd probably run off all of your customers if you discouraged browsing. And chasing people away in this fashion often leads to charges of profiling or discrimination, whether it is intentional or not. Actually, I've been asked quite pointedly whether I was planning on buying something, while browsing in book shops. Usually, by grouchy old men, with whom I ended up having great conversations, even after I admitted I was just browsing and got sucked into a book. This facet of the discussion seems to be getting a bit overwrought; upthread, Edward J mentioned he had no problem with people who asked. And it seems reasonable to assume that someone who is polite enough to ask may also be less likely to pee all over the place, and nick the bog roll. I just don't get the whole 'I have a right' thing, with public loos; it's a favour, not a right. And there are chefs out there, wearing orange clogs in public, so surely we have something more serious to get our knickers in a twist over!

Sounds much more workable than not-quite-meatballs!

How is Steen's different from Lyle's Golden Syrup? Is it thinner, or are they essentially identical and interchangeble (both are cane syrups)?

Yep, still listening, but I can't say that pureed eggplant ever struck me as having particularly cohesive properties, it's more... slithery. But I've never experimented with it, and there's only one way to find out, right? I love falafel (Doodad's suggestion), but am having difficulty wrapping my head around it paired with tomato sauce (no idea why; I've often eaten it with chopped tomatoes).

Do 'meat' balls have to be involved? Couldn't you just add mushrooms instead, or something? Sometimes, substitutions just aren't worth it (I'm basing this conclusion on the combined experiences of growing up in a vegetarian – although not vegan – household, and trying to diet my body down to a skeletal state when I studied ballet). Growing up, much family-dinner hostility was generated by my mother's vegetarian 'meat' loaf (my Dad's 'You will eat the nut loaf, it's delicious.' v. my 'No.'). Perhaps if you're raised on this stuff you can appreciate it, but otherwise, honestly, the meaty flavour is the primary thing that meat loaf/balls has/have going for it/them; apart from that, you have a dampish, dense-ish clump of stuff that doesn't have the most appealing texture under the best of circumstances. And given that the binders/lighter bulking agents (e.g. eggs, cheese) traditionally used in vegetarian dishes of this sort are off the table in this case, you're pretty hamstrung. Of course, if you adore crazy-making challenges...

How about: 3. H&H bagels are fantastic/best in NYC and 4. NYC has fantastic water

Surely this is subjective, and depends on the sort of pizza you like.

This may be pushing more into urban legend than 'myth' territory, but I know a fair number of people (one swears he knows this first-hand) who swear that organized crime controls the dough used in virtually every pizza place in NYC. I'm sceptical, since surely, the quality from one place to the next would be a much more consistent, and also... I don't know, somehow, running a pizza dough racket doesn't sound like it would pay well enough to be worth the trouble. ETA, Damn. Sorry, that's not actually debunked, just somewhat implausible. I think?

Lovely, though it's making me mildly homesick. What recipe did you end up going with, in the end?

Does the fruit you use have to be pineapple? Pineapple contains enzymes of its own that break down proteins, which might interfere with the effectiveness of your 'glue' (at least if it's protein-based, e.g. an enzyme like transglutaminase), although it might be fine with a polysaccharide hydrocolloid, like the ones discussed in the link Tri2Cook mentions upthread.

This isn't meant to sound nitpicking, but is the rind from a very mature cheese, or have you just held on to the rind for quite a while? If the latter, using the entire amount suggested would be fine. If the former, it would be fine too, if you're okay with the flavour completely dominating the dish (and why not?). But dominate it will: We have a piece of parmigano that is about 4 years old, and while it is perfectly sound, even a few small shavings have a remarkably big presence. This isn't a euphemism for it smelling bad, but it is as though the flavour of an entire cheese is concentrated into a piece the size of a fist.

This may sound strange, but the youtube stuff in Italian seems to often include yogurt when creating the mass you begin with, when ('cagliata', no idea what the heck it's called in English). Have you come across this?

This stuff is comfort food, so make it taste the way you want it to. My own tastes run to the more minimalist end of the spectrum, because that's what I grew up with, but I have to agree with Wholemeal Crank, the parmigiano rind should be fine. And don't lose track of the fact that the flavours of the beans and the pasta provide a background for the seasonings, so I wouldn't worry about their being overwhelmed (although if the rind is from a really seasoned cheese, you might want to scale back the amount you use, or it will take over the whole show). The only crucial thing with pasta e fagioli is that all the flavours should come together really seamlessly (the reason it's often even better warmed up than freshly made).

+1 for animal parts alone in my stock. I only use a mirepoix in certain kinds or robust sauces (e.g. ragùs) where I actually want the substance of the vegetables, not just the flavour (which gets pretty dull if it's cooked for long). At least these days, you can find celery in all these countries, and the Scandinavian ones, it isn't even a novelty (it may still be rare in small towns, but I'd be surprised). Maybe a recent thing?

I often add citric acid to mixed drinks (can't really call my random experiments 'cocktails'), and I particularly like the way it balances out sweeter combinations of ingredients, where added citrus might be out of place (e.g. when I want another fruit flavour to remain dominant). Alcohol seems to slow the rate at which citric acid dissolves, which I like, since you get these little sparks of intense sourness. Can't you get little bags of citric acid in supermarkets, or is that just an EU thing?

Is that a new accessory for the Gaggenau steam oven or are you thinking of the stone (plus extra heating element) they sell for their regular convection oven? The interior of the steam oven is much smaller than the regular ovens, so it couldn't be used in the steam oven. (nor does the steam oven have the port for the extra heating element that works with their baking stone and roaster accessory). Yes, the stone for their regular oven. When we spoke with a rep., he said that the effect of a stone in a steam oven was found to be too insignificant to warrant their making a version for the steam units (I'm hypothesising that this has something to do with the overall lower temperature when the oven is full of steam.).

I've seen rennet at Kalustyan's (back in December).

No, just dyed green with nasty chemicals. Same for this one: Number-one-son is into badminton, so he wants a badminton-cake to take to school. Could have made a cake-shuttle cock, but that is way to involved for a weekday I'm pretty certain that the 'pistachio' flavoured marzipan is not naturally that colour! Regardless, the cakes look great, I'm sure they were hits.

Eh... inhaling the 184.3 °C/363.7 °F vapour is kind of painful, though. I personally don't notice much difference among salts, although some certainly are prettier, and dissolve better; I'm perfectly willing to accept the possiblity that some may have flavour nuances (from traces of various things) that I simply don't pick up, however.