lindag

Buy the Cuisinart mini chopper. I have one and I also have a Bamix immersion blender. They do not perform the same functions. For little blending/chopping jobs like chopping nuts or herbs or blending small wet ingredients, the Cusinart is fantastic; big enough, yet not too big. Easy to clean too. I love mine and one of its best features is that it holds the blade in place until you remove it - no more falling off into the food!

Anyone know when their Fall sale starts? I'm jonesing for a new All Clad stock pot!

I'd go there in a flash if I could!

Not sure just how 'new' they are but I've just discovered the battery-operated pepper mill. I love having it next to the range where I can used it one-handed. Mine has the button on top; some you have to turn over to engage. The button model works much better for me. It here: http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Operated-Pepper-Grinder-EPEM001/dp/B00C3OK4TS/ref=sr_1_7?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1411393349&sr=1-7&keywords=pepper+mill

I've used this recipe successfully: Upper Peninsula Pasties Dough: 8 cup spooned flour 1 lb lard 2 Tbs salt 2 1/2 cup ice water Filling: 1 lb lean beef or flank steak 3/4 lb lean pork 8 small potatoes 1 small rutabaga 3 small onions salt and pepper to taste butter Sift flour and salt into large mixing bowl. Cut in lard with pastry blender until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add ice water gradually to make a soft dough. The less handling of the crust the better. Dough may be made ahead of time and placed in a bowl with a damp cloth covering the top. Cube beef and pork into 1/2" cubes (or have butcher cut) Peel potatoes, onion and rutabaga. Cube or slice veggies, place into separate bowls. Cut dough into 12 portions. Roll each portion on a floured pastry board until about the size of a dinner plate. Place finely cubed onion onto one side of crust first. Add meat, salt and pepper to taste, then potato and rutabaga. Add a dab of butter on the top. Bring top portion of crust over. Seal with water on the edges. Crimp and roll edges around the bottom portion. Cut slits in the top. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving a little room between each pasty for even browning. Bake in preheated oven, 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a clean tea towel over pasties. Let set for 10 minutes before serving. Sometimes I will make this up in a 9"x13" pan with crust on top instead of into individual portions. In the Wisconsin area this is coyly called "pastum". There is a company in Anaconda MT that still makes these up for retail sales and they're found in two sizes in the freezer section of most of our grocery stores. They are surprisingly good and quite authentic.

I foolishly bought the Messermeister kitchen shears a couple years ago because, at the time, they were well-recommended. Now, however, there is a much, much better model available that's made my Kershaw (Shun). Check Amazon for the Kershaw shears.

"I'm thinning out some of my "heavy metal" that is unwanted by my daughter and decided to offer this kettle today. I will be adding skillets, Dutch ovens and etc. in the coming weeks." How do you manage to store all your collections? I have a big house but it is already bulging!

Although I'm not a fan myself, I used to make porridge for DH in our Zojirushi rice cooker. He maintained that it was the best oatmeal he'd ever had.

One of my favorites from many years ago is Cornish Pasties or Upper Michigan Pasties. Harder to find ready-made these days.

I live in the West and Farmland is all over here.

I recently got one of the silicone ice cube trays that makes six really big ice cubes. Wonderful for cocktail hour - the ice doesn't dilute the cocktail.

One year I gave homemade limoncello which took months to age. I can only hope it was enjoyed.

My Dad loved buttermilk and always had a glass with his dinner. My sneaky older brother loved to switch my glass with my Dad's. Gad! Taking a drink of buttermilk when you're expecting sweet milk!!!! I can almost still taste it.

Last time I went shopping for a new upright freezer (in Portland OR) I couldn't find a self-defrosting freezer! I wanted one but was told that there were almost none on the market because they burnt the stored food.

Oh my! I can't imagine how they could possibly want to leave what with all that gorgeous food! I could stay forever! But, then, I like cold weather.

No, it doesn't keep forever. I had some in an envelope that I discovered tucked away in a cookbook. It was years old. Go to the Carl's website and you can get info on how to test it to see if it's still viable. Mine wasn't. Buy a new packet and send a donation.

I am a widow and live alone but I still have two full-sized free-standing freezers that are crammed full. Also a side-by-side in the kitchen and a second fridge in the garage. It's ridiculous! Half the time when I'm looking for something I can't find it because there's so much stuff to dig through. Both freezers are in desperate need of being defrosted but I can't do it in this hot weather, so I'll wait and hope to get it done in a few months when it's cooler; it's been years since I did it last and I know there's lots of items that will have to be thrown away. Then I will try to reform and stop hoarding!

I'm sorry you had poor results with your proofer. Does a few degrees difference really matter that much? When I got mine I did a much simpler test of my own design, just used a Thermopen inside and checked it against the temperature set. I was fine. I've very happy with my purchase, but I can see that you many want to just move on.

When a recipe calls for white wine I use vermouth because I never have a small amount of white wine available and I don't often drink it. My vermouth seems to keep, opened, forever.

Here's a different angle. I live in a part of the country where beef on-the-hoof is all around me. However, the only really reliable place that I can go to buy great steaks here is Costco. So I have to buy in bulk and then freeze. Now, I'm a home cook and certainly no chef, but my steaks are terrific. We're not all in the same realm.

I have one and never use it and I'd not have wasted the time and money if I knew then what I know now. Didn't like the flavors of the syrups; they all tasted 'off' to me. I wanted to like their tonic water (one of the main reasons I bought the SS) but neither the regular nor the diet tonics tasted right. So now I just buy my soda in cans from the grocery store (Safeway has its own brand and it's very good) and I like them much better! And, by the way, the canisters and the bottles are a giant pain-in-the ass.

I ran across a recipe this week for rolls made with oat flour (along with other flours). I'm wondering what oat flour brings to the party that the others don't. Anyone know? Here's the link: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/07/soft-salami-bread-rolls-recipe.html?ref=box_latest I plan to omit the salami.

I ran across this recipe just this week: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/07/soft-salami-bread-rolls-recipe.html?ref=box_latest and I'm just waiting for my oat flour to arrive. I am going to omit the salami, however. Anyone tried this yet?

I've had a microwave in my home since the very first model came on the market in the 70s, the Amana Radarrange. I simply wouldn't be without one since it makes my life so much easier. I don't really cook in it but I use it for many, many other things. I use it every day, at least once.

I apologize. Reading my post back to myself I do sound harsh and unsympathetic, which I am not at all; I wish I had not used the pharase 'suck it up'. I do get that you've really tried to work through this problem and the customer hasn't made it easy. I really hope you all of you will be able to work this out. It may be that there's a good life-lesson to be learned here.