scubadoo97

Rachel, is the rechargeable battery one that can be easily found if a replacement is needed or is it a proprietary battery? I have thrown away many rechargeable gadgets when the battery is no longer available or cost is prohibitory.

While shopping for kitchen appliances the sales women made us a cappuccino with the Miele built in espresso machine. The espresso was poor but many factors must be taken into account. I've been told the Miele has Saeco parts and my personal opinion is that it looks cool but you could buy some seriously good espresso equipment for the price of this mediocre super auto.

The Plus is heavier and has more grind settings. What espresso machine are you using? I have a Plus and a Solis SL70 espresso machine and after upgrading my grinder to a Mazzer Mini the espresso improved significantly. One of the problems with the Solis is you will dull your burrs if you use if frequently for espresso. Solis has the new Virtuoso that has a more secure upper burr for a more consistent grind. Yes it cost more than the Plus.

Restaurants are better in Key West. The architecture and horticulture is better in Key West as well. I love to walk the side streets and look at the foliage and the cute houses. Tee shirt shops and chain stores are the down side of Key West. For diving and fishing Islamorada/the upper keys are great but not a lot of other things to do. As an avid diver and angler I stay in the middle keys but venture up and down for what's best there.

This was my first thought also. The basic building blocks of many recipes.

Seeing those made me want to make them again. I go through periods where I make them often and then for what ever reason don't make them for a while. What is the best most effective, easy method for preping the rice papers so you can roll them quickly. I have heard to wet them and then place them in a towel. I hate having to dip each one and assemble. The water cools off and needs to be reheated. Tips?

Since I've been home roasting coffee I can't go back to store bought beans or preground, yuck, coffee

My warning should have read remember to open the garage door.

I am not chemical phobic but I would still suggest citric acid or vinegar

During the hurricane power outages last year I remembered we had a power inverter device in the car. I was able to take my electric grinder to the car and plug it in. Just remember to open the car door.

Rachel, those are beautiful

Our new backspash

I'm getting lots of good advice from these recent posts. Owen, at this time of year I can cool the beans by putting the wok into some snow! Scuba, what is the stir crazy, convection oven method? ← Jay here is a website that gives some good general information and how to's http://turbocrazy.atspace.com/

I make a red pepper dip that's quite simple. 4-5 large red bell peppers cored and chopped and then in the food processor until well chopped. I drain to remove most of the liquid and then into a pot to simmer. Add a little salt, sugar, red pepper flakes a small can of tomato paste and a little oil to give it a shine. Simmer for a few hours until thick. Refrigerate and enjoy on bread or crackers. The flavor of the red peppers really comes through. I love this stuff.

It looks like the majority of stupid laws fall in to the "blue law" category. Currently we have the mayor of St. Petersburg Florida wanting to veto a proposed change in the law where liquor can be sold in a package store up to 2:00 AM. Right now it is limited to midnight but you can buy liquor in a bar till 3:00 AM. I don't see the logic. Is it better for people to drive to a bar, drink and drive home then drive to a package store, buy a bottle, go home and consume? All these laws are stupid IMO

I have both volumes of the Deal Delights cookbooks. Another Syrian cookbook outside of our family one we put together that is very good is A Fist Full Of Lentils.

I've used the natural BB with the oil on top and it works fine. Even taste more like peanuts. Another method of incorporation garlic and ginger into the dressing is to use a mortar and pestle and make a paste of the two using salt and or sugar as an abrasive

I know straight ammonia will cut grease very well but I have used Greased Lightning and find it works well on a lot of things. Removes grease and oils quickly and even cuts through grime and dirt in a flash. I use it in the kitchen and even on the patio chairs. Spritz and rinse.

If using tiles, make sure to seal the grout. If the tiles are non porous then you're fine as long as the grout is protected. I have a friend with a stainless backsplash and she complains that it is a pain to clean and won't fry anything on her stovetop because of it. We just put in a backsplash of porcelain tiles and behind the range top we have these tiles surrounded by cracked tile boarders and a large decorative tile in the middle. As soon as the grout was dry I sealed this area. I was a little timid cooking the first few weeks but last night cooked up some grouper and shrimp in a cast iron skillet and the oil was popping. The tile cleaned up well with a little soap/degrease.

I would use peanut butter in the dressing to give it a smooth texture and taste but adding some crushed peanuts would be nice for some crunch or you could top the salad with some crushed toasted peanuts. I also lean toward using some fresh Thai basil and mint in my salads to give it a bright freshness that is so typical of Viet/Thai salads. Yumm I'm getting hungry for this now!

Scuba, thank you for this. How much peanut butter do you use? Is it a couple of teaspoons, or a full cup? ← I don't measure anything. Because of this I don't bake. I would think a tbs or 2. Keep dipping and tasting until you like the consistency and taste. I also use a sweet Thai chili paste sometimes in these dressing/sauces. Adds a little heat and sweetness.

This is something I would use on a salad, cold noodles or as a marinade or dipping sauce. I would not heat this as a rule.

I make a peanut dressing using lime juice and zest, rice vinegar, fish sauce, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, oil, sugar and you could add a little coconut milk it would work. Blend together with stick blender.

I'm a home roaster. I've used a Fresh Roast, heat gun and now I'm using the famed stir crazy/convection oven method. Fun hobby and the coffee is excellent. I've bought specialty coffees and even coffee from one of our local pro roasters and I think I do a pretty comparable job compared to the pro roaster and way better than anything you can buy off the shelve.

Since we gutted and all new cabinets went in, no it wasn't expensive for a "hole" with a small cabinet above and drawer under the ovens. My biggest problem now is fear of getting them dirty. I would throw a steak in cast iron in the old hot oven with grease popping all over. Can't seem to get the nerve, yet, to do this to the new ones.