lstrelau

I tried the Cuisinart 16 Cup Elite for all of 15 minutes. Initially it seemed like the 3 bowls were a great idea but since you can only use the middle or small one INSIDE the main bowl it isn't as convenient as one might think. Plus, when I did puree something in the small bowl it dripped into the middle and large bowls which meant I had to wash all three. Maybe I was doing something wrong but it sure didn't make sense to me. The locking blade and better lid was nicer than my old machine. But, what I did, in the end was buy a Thermomix - not a foodprocessor in the sense that it doesn't slice or shred but the rest of its atributes have made my old food processor obsolete. Never really used it for slicing or shredding anyway - I like my knives and microplanes. Of course, the price of a Thermomix would buy 3 of the Magimix units but the latter doesn't cook! The Magimix with the three bowls does look good though. Are the 3 bowls used individually or do they need to nest for use? It seems to have useful and well built accessories as well. You should really enjoy using this unit. Llyn

Consistent temperature is more important than absolute temperature. 13-15 would be great but that could be hard in your climate. I vote for a wine fridge. If your closet can be kept at a consistent temp you would be okay. Warmer temps the wine would age more quickly. Cooler would give you a longer window. But also depends on what wine you like and whether it would benefit from cellar aging or not. If you are only waiting a few months then a rack in your living room would be fine.

Kerry, the cider from Michel Jodoin is fantastic. They make a full range of styles from very lightly alcoholic to a "strong' cider and my favourite was a sparkling rose cider made from the Geneva variety,which is an unusual red-fleshed apple. We are lucky, there is an agent for Jodoin's ciders here in Alberta. Met Michel at a tasting a couple of years ago.

Hi Kerry, We just spent a wonderful week in Montreal in mid October. We enjoyed two of Jerome Ferrer's restaurants: Beaver Hall(casual bistro) and Europea (much fancier, Relais a Chateau place). Had tasting menu lunch at Europea and it was great. Bought his cookbook too but only in French so I will need to do some translating before I cook much. The Scallops a la Neige (or something like that) were very tasty, one of the amuse was soft goat cheese sandwiched between two parmesan crisps (frico) on a lollipop stick - clever and good. Another old established classic bistro, L'Express - well prepared food, attentive service. (I had a starter of marrow bones AND then something with foie gras too!!) A highlight was Kitchen Gallerie which is on Jean-Talon a couple of blocks from Marche Jean-Talon (which I assume you have visited). The menu is market driven, no waiters, the chefs are also the waiters. Open kitchen, 30 seater so maybe hard to get a reservation on short notice but worth trying. Food was innovative, fresh and tasty. The entertainment value of the kitchen was good too. The same owners (one partner in each) runs Kitchen Gallerie Poisson which is in Old Montreal which also sounded good but ran out of time. Nice brunch at Cherier (don't remember if it was Cafe Cherier or something like that). Poached eggs served in/on a hollowed out tomato stuffed with ham etc, topped with hollandaise. Oeuf au Faux Coq I believe it was called. Couldn't get to Pied or some of the other well known places on this trip but look forward to a return visit. Have fun.

Then again there are people who willingly purchase bottles of mineral water that are encrusted with rhinestones! PT Barnum comes to mind... there's a sucker born every minute!

My griddle is anodized aluminum rather than cast iron so weight isn't an issue. Use it in the two burners of our Bertazzoni but where it is really handy is on our Weber gas grill. Perfect size and even heating. Very useful for larger parties simply as a big skillet for frying things. Last tapas party for my wine club we did sage fritters, grilled paella cakes (good for risotto cakes too), migas, little toads in the hole using quail eggs. Don't use it daily when cooking for two unless we are having pancakes or French toast but of course great for that. Need to break it out for flatbreads too. For storage it happens to fit vertically at the front of the pull out wire rack pots and pan drawer that was already in the kitchen when we bought the house. But in old house just slid it in beside the sheet pans. Really like that custom stainless steel job-- tempting!

We use our TM almost every day (unless we are not cooking at home). I don't use the Varoma that much - but not because it doesn't work but rather getting used to doing more steaming and the other things it does so well. The recipe above for the shrimp stuffed rolls looks great - need to focus on this more than we do. Certainly got rid of our old food processor (hated it) and the blender that was an accessory for my old Kenwood Chef. I do still use the Kenwood with its food mill attachment for getting the seeds/skins out of our roasted tomato sauce/paste and roasted red pepper sauce although the TM would probably turn both into such a super fine puree that it may not be necessary to strain. On that thought I will try it on some of our next batch. We make yogurt regularly, risotto all the time, soups (both cold and hot), bread (the brioche recipe that is in one of the cookbooks is easy and tasty) Llyn

What do tree ripened star fruit taste like? I have only ever had store bought versions and they have been rather bland and uninspiring. Crunchy texture but not much else.

We quite often bake pizza on our Weber gas grill. Preheat the grill for at least 15 minutes or a bit longer, on full power. I have stretched my dought out on a small cookie sheet (whatever fits your grill comfortably. It cooks really fast. Thin crusts work best - a thick crust would burn on bottom before it cooked through. Not too much topping or it becomes unwieldy. Have also used a pizza stone in the Weber, heat it up as above and use a peel to shift the pizza onto the hot stone. probably better results than the too-thin metal of the sheet pan. I think I even tried one directly on the cleaned grill, no pan, no stone. Didn't stick but a bit tricky getting it off - need a metal peel. Suppose you could also preheat then turn off the centre burner of the Weber and cook with convective heat rather than direct.

I have one of these pans - haven't used it for years but it was made for things like a terrine en croute - rather than trying to un-mold a pastry encased pate you just drop the sides and Bob is your uncle! Would work for other things to I guess. Good reminder - need to make some pate soon.

First let me say that I have never smoked or otherwise used tobacco except for what I might have gotten as second hand fumes (yuk!) but I can appreciate the fragrance of some pipe tobacco (before it is smoked mostly). Not a big bourbon fan either for that matter but as far as infusing the scent of tobacco into spirits (which I assume is what you are after) how about blowing smoke into a container of bourbon and letting it sit for a while? The is a device called a Smoking Gun that I saw at JB Prince in New York last week that is used to infuse various wood smoke flavours into food. No idea if that would work for booze nor if there is any risk of nicotine poisoning from the smoke or not but it could be worth the try.

One of my favourite things to do with the tiny new nugget potatoes is simply boil til just tender in salted water (unpeeled of course) and serve while still warm with tzatziki to dip them in. Makes a great appetizer to pass around on toothpicks too. My mother (and since then all of my family) makes creamed veggies when all the summer veg is available. Potatoes, green beans, carrots, little onions, sweet peas cooked to the way you like them and then tossed with a bechamel sauce and lots of fresh dill. Cream is better than milk in this but both will work. I usually add some garlic and dijon mustard to the mix (my mother would probably not approve!)

I recently bought the LG four door (French on top two freezer drawers bottom) like Andies except I waited 3 years til they came out with the model with NO icemaker or water in the door. We use little ice except for parties and then would need far more than a domestic fridge would make/store. Very happy with this configuration although it has taken us a while to adjust to the new storage possibilities. Haves chest freezer in bsmt as well for longer term storage.

I very often actively smell my food - after all, taste is mostly smell-centric (excluding the 5 basic tastes). if you don't smell the food you miss a great deal of the experience. Sometimes it is a wave/fanning action with an open hand towards my nose to push the steam/vapour of a soup or other warm dish towards my nose. It is an extension of my wine tasting method as well I suppose. I have never found this offensive or particularly noticed any one else being bothered by it. Sure, you get some of the scent when you chew food via the back interior nasal passages but nothing beats a good slow sniff. Guess my thought is, WHY would you NOT want to enhance the gustatory experience by missing out on a huge part of eating???

I can appreciate your queasiness but all I can say is that I grew up on a farm (I am 56 now) and I could not count the number of times that I (and my 5 siblings and parents) pulled up carrots, radishes, new nugget potatoes etc and wiped the dirt off and noshed away. There is NOTHING like the taste of fresh produce. Granted, we knew what was put on said dirt (though Dad did apply well rotted manure every few years) and we never got sick from this. One of my sisters still gets teased about going to elementary school and proudly announcing to her class in show and tell that "my mother eats worms". What really happened was my mother (and the rest of us of course) picked and ate fresh raspberries off the bush all summer. One day my sister happened to LOOK at the raspberry before popping it in her mouth and saw a little worm. Mom said don't worry, that happens and ate it! Fruits or produce grown in a commercial orchard might be another story with the increased use of pesticide sprays of course and that is a greater worry. I am not convinced that washing or even peeling will necessarily avoid absorbing some of these things. Last night we had our annual treat of fresh morels stuffed with foie gras, finished with veal stock, cognac and a touch of heavy cream (OK, the calorie count may kill me)however, I did not wash them, did check them for obvious fauna but happily savoured them. If there was a little bit of extra protein included it didn't hurt me. I have to agree with previous posters that we live in an over sanitized world where kids, especially, don't have well developed immune systems. Perhaps it is too late to go back to kids eating dirt - with over use of dissentfectants and antibiotic etc, the bad bugs have developed increased resistance and I am not sure we can reverse the situation entirely. But get over the paranoia. Yes, food poisoning is out there, washing veg in a sink that just had raw chicken in it is plain stupid but I think common sense sanitary practices will go a long way to avoiding problems. But we should be just as careful with obsessive use of cleaning products and sanitizers.

I would rarely return (no matter how wonderful the food is) to a restaurant that has a high ambient noise level and/or high decibel music. If I was going to a place that was primarily a live music venue or a night club that happens to also serve food that would be a different story. I guess I can appreciate that an atmosphere that is 'lively' and 'vibrant' can be a good place to hang out but I just don't understand it in a venue that whose focus is FOOD. When one can barely hear the wait staff let alone the person sitting beside you (don't even try to speak to someone across the table!) it is just plain irritating and rude. I have always assumed (perhaps cynically) that the high noise levels are designed to ensure that the restaurant gets more and faster turns of tables - get the clients in and out as quick as possible. I agree with the previous poster about having a sore throat by the end of a meal in a noisy restaurant - not a good sign. Hardwood floors, exposed brick, no soft furnishings are certainly practical elements and I can cope with them (but probably not enjoy or return often). I will try to go early before the place fills up and conversation levels rise as everyone begins to compete with each other to be heard over the ever increasing decibels. But when a place adds really really loud music/muzak to the mix it becomes intolerable. I have asked for the music to be turned down on several occasions and most places will oblige - or at least be able to control the sound level on a section by section basis.

I usually remove any stems that are woody or tough but you can chop up the tender stems and use with the leaves.

My Thermomix - a well-designed, versatile multi-useful tool. Cooker, food processor, scale, blender, steamer....and things I am still discovering! I wouldn't like to give up the rest of my kitchen equipment but if I lived in a tiny apartment (who knows what the future holds!) I could live and eat quite happily with this one machine (well a broiler or BBQ would be nice too).

The crispy-crunch and mini-salty explosion that you get with a final sprinkle of fleur de sel on a piece of food (be it a slice of fresh tomato or a more involved plated dish) is what finishing salt is all about. If the food has a bit of oil(i.e. nice olive oil on a tomato or other fat from the saute pan or BBQ on a nice steak) on its surface the salt won't dissolve and the crunch stays around til you eat it. If the food is too liquid or wet the expensive fleur de sel crystals just melt before you can crunch it and all you get is, well.... salt! I am not as fond of the larger size crystals of some of the fancy finishing salts - some of them feel like they would break fillings out of my teeth. But Maldon salt and the other flaky crunchy crystals of the fleur de sels are great. Can't say I can 'taste' a flavour difference, it is a mouth-feel thing and that little spark of salinity.

I agree about the banana keepers - never actually tried to put a banana in one but I have a hard time believing one size fits all shapes and sizes of the fruit. Ditto the hard shell tomato and pepper and onion holders. Marketing is a wonderful thing and pretty colours I guess sell but they are ridiculous.

You probably won't have time, given your schedule, but I really enjoyed a day in Healdsburg. Many local area wineries have tasting rooms on and near the central square so you can taste some very nice wines without worring about drinking and driving or dealing with traffic. Particularly enjoyed Taste of Terroir which is owned by Jean Charles Boisset, of the Burgundian wine mogul family (who, rather curiously, married Gina Gallo). They do comparative tastings of California Pinot Noir and Chardonnays versus their Burgundian counterparts. Fascinating and educational. Some good restaurants there as well.

I tried out the triple bowl Cusinart for all of 3 minutes then spent an hour cleaning it thoroughly, fitter it back in the box and took it back pronto. At first glance it made sense to have the different size bowls- small bowl for small quantity of food. But since you had to stack the bowls to do this all of the lower (without food in them) of them got dirty as well as the one that was actually used for food. Stupid design. Can't say I had it long enough to test motor power/performance. Now have Thermomix and couldn't be happier

Still waiting for our local market to get their spring shipments of morels in. They come from evergreen forest floors so not a lot of dirt on them anyway but I never wash them, usually just trim off any stems that still have a bit of soil on them. There are probably baby worms in some of them but I just close my eyes and cook the morels and eat them. Only see the worms when we are close to the end of a box of mushrooms and the worms have had a chance to get big enough to see!!These I brush off (if you let the mushrooms sit in a tray lined with paper towels the few worms that have taken up residence usually decamp anyway. I figure I have eaten worse things than morel-fattened grubs!! Have never noticed any additional flavour from the fauna. Usually have several feeds of fresh morels then saute the rest with shallots, garlic and butter and freeze in 1 cup portions for later use. Best recipe of all (a riff on Carluccio's in London) though is stuffing morels with pate de foie gras (cut the pate or mousse in small sticks to fit into the hole in the bottom - cut of some of the stem if necessary). then take some fresh breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of beaten egg to make 'plugs' to stop up the opening in the morel. Saute them quickly in some melted butter til tender (don't over do it - don't want the foie to completely melt out but it should be warmish inside). Finally deglaze the pan with some sherry, madeira or port, let the alcohol burn off and finish with a slug or two of heavy cream, garnish with some chopped parsley. Serve by themselves or on toast (helps to have something to soak up the juices). Heavenly flavours and now the epitome of spring for me!

I have both of the scrapers you pictured. My cutting board is butcher block part of a permanent island so no picking it up. Hate the flexible boards. So I use the scrapers or my knife depending on quantity of food. The flat blade scraper is magnetic so I embedded a rare earth magnet in the side of my island so it is always at hand. The other one, with sides isn't magnetic so I finally attached a steel washer to the handle and now it sticks to another embedded magnet. I wouldn't use them if they were tucked in a drawer but they work fine when they are handy. Sometimes it is easier to carry the pan to the island and just scrape the food directly into the pan with my knife or the scraper. Works fine except if the pot it too heavy!