lindag

I gave up on heavy wooden boards because they were so difficult to keep clean. Finally I donated mine and switched to the plastic type that go in the d/w. I'm much happier and my knives seem none the worse for wear.

I LOVE vegetable soup in winter. I have some leftover in the fridge now. I buy loads of fresh vegs for my soup, including: kale, cabbage, fennel bulb, leeks, green beans, carrots, celery, onion, tomato (canned), potato, turnip and rutabaga. I also combine canned beef broth with the water for the liquid.

Seems to me that Nick got some karmic payback for the humiliation he took when asked to give up his immunity early on. He also deserved the win.

I've accumulated many LC pieces over the last 30 years and they're all still in use. Some of the older ones have some staining and some cooked-on gunk on the outsides. My newer pieces have the darker interiors (instead of the white) and they seem to resist stains much better. Overall, I've more than gotten my money's worth with them - I enjoy cooking with cast iron more than anything else.

I'm happy to hear that Nick won; he was my favorite. I think of all the cheftestants, he was the most genuine. Though Nina was a close second. Shirley, I thought, was trying to get an edge by being a suck-up.

I read somewhere (maybe CI) that if you were to buy only one type of veg that's organic it should be celery. I don't think I've ever met a potato I didn't like .

OMG, that's too funny!

Robenco, I'm glad you had a happy outcome and Lodge took care of you.

gfweb wrote: ". All sorts of mutant crackers show up in a box of Ritz." Wow! I eat these all the time (they're my go-to cracker) and I've never run into this. These days I buy the square-ish box with the smaller tubes of crackers - less staling.

They make patties as well, just not a roll. And if you're just slicing off a chunk of two and cooking it up (as mentioned by the OP), what difference does it make that it's in a roll.

Aside from her cooking, I found Shirley to be a HUGE ass-kisser. The episode where she calls Emeril 'Uncle' and fawns all over him was really telling. Willing to do whatever it takes to get the win.

I don't understand why it 'has' to be sausage in a roll. If you can adjust, you could try Farmland links (a very highly rated brand, I might add). The have a maple flavored sausage that I like and their original is also excellent. A staple in my house. Loads better than Jimmy Dean's.

I find that I'm liking Canadian Top Chef. But, then, I'm pretty much a sucker for any of the better shows. Can't watch Guy Fier, Anne Burrell, Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee. In fact, Rachel, stop waving your fat little hands in front of the camera!!!!

Darienne, Love your idea to cut off the corner of the old sponge so it doesn't get mixed up with the new one)s)! Very clever. I do put my sponges in the m/w every so often because they develop an off chemical-like odor after a while. The m/w takes care of that.

I was appalled that the judges embarrassed Nick by suggesting in front of the other two contestants that he give up his immunity. Then the two women were angry with Nick when he opted to stay. He should never have been put in that situation. This was so wrong.

Agreed. I wouldn't want Carlos on any team of mine; he is a dick.

I'm amazed at how well the BSO does leftover pizza. Using the 'reheat' function for about 9 mins. at 300° results in a slice or two that are remarkably like freshly baked. No more soggy, tough pizza from the microwave!

My new (replacement BSO) arrived this past week. Phew! I really, really missed it. Even though it died after two years of use I still feel like I got my money's worth from it. With this oven, before I even used it the first time, I put a piece of foil dull-side up on the drip tray. My old oven's tray got so cruddy that I could never get it even somewhat clean. I hope this works better.

Very clever, indeed.

All I can say is that I think you're a genius!

My preferred towel is from Williams-Sonoma. Their All purpose Kitchen Towel Set of 4 for $19.95. Not cheap, if that's your first priority, but they will last forever. 20x30" and they don't shrink down. Thick. I have other crappy towels that I use for nasty, dirty work in the kitchen.

King Arthur Flour has loads of great recipes. My personal favorite for toast is their 'Oatmeal Toasting Bread', it's a keeper.

Mine has been used very infrequently but then I don't raise a garden or have access to a farmers' market. It was long ago moved to a box in the garage.

I have the Hobart KA 5-qt. lift model (from the mid-seventies - as mentioned above). As far as I can tell it doesn't seem to have an adjustment for beater height. Anyone know for sure?

Not being big enough to fit a quarter sheet pan is the first deal breaker for me. The steam effect on the overhead cabinet would be a huge concern as well.