Anna N

These do? I don't cook burgers so that's not an issue with me. But I frequently pan fry bread rather than toast it, I like to use the press when I'm searing a chop or a steak that has been sous vided, I use it for bacon of course. But there are also times when I like to weight down vegetables that have been salted. I could still use this if I use a plate between it and the vegetable. Perhaps you have already talked me out of the stainless steel ones.

OK so I've made it pretty clear what I think is Chris Kimball, America's Test Kitchen, Cooks Illustrated etc. etc. etc. But this morning I found myself stranded in the drugstore waiting ages for a prescription to be filled (I am positive this is a ploy by this particular drug store chain to keep customers waiting so they will buy more). And this morning it certainly worked. I am always drawn to the magazine stand to see what's available. I was tempted by two or three different offerings but in the end, I couldn't resist the current copy of Milk Street. It seemed just so different in so many ways from the dreadfully boring, dreadfully North American-centric Cooks' Illustrated". Recipes from South Africa, Portugal, Vietnam, Turkey and Japan and a recipe for a cocktail made it seem very different. But instead of being put off by their formulaic writing I am now puzzling over where they are going in terms of communicating. I am finding myself reading and rereading paragraphs in an attempt to understand what it is they are trying to say. Here is one example from a small piece titled "Deflating Leftover Wine Worries"(even the title leaves me scratching my head. Are we going to deflate leftover wine or are we going to deflate worry about leftover wine? But now I'm nitpicking.): "Preserving leftover wine may be fine, but I worry it can have a counterproductive effect, too. In the end, wine isn't a thing so much as an event. Opening a bottle sets wine on the path of change, growth and evolution. To have a bit left over is to have a glimpse into its future; in a sense to share that future." Uh? Or this from "Cape Malay Chicken Curry": "The cuisine is rooted in South Africa's colonial history. The neighborhood was settled in the 1650s mostly by Muslim slaves and convicts from India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, generally against their will." Uh? Were they slaves and convicts against their will or were they settlers against their will? Or this from the same article: The author, J. M. Hirsh is discussing the contents of a dabba masala (a spice container used by many Indian cooks). "To illustrate her point, she walks me through the recipe, grabbing a round plate-sized tin holding multiple spices. Curry leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel and coriander. A conventional lineup. Except all of them are whole." Interesting. Curry leaves are usually used fresh and would not normally find a home in this spice tin. And whole cinnamon? This leaves me in doubt that the author has ever seen a dabba masala or even knows what cinnamon and curry leaves look like. And I'm supposed to put my trust in such a recipe? Titled "Of Gophers, Snakes and Patient Cooking" (incidentally in Canada it is considered poor form to cook your patients. Cooking with patience might have been a better phrasing). This is a recipe from Deborah Madison for a simple frittata. If the title wasn't enough to confound me, this did it: "As Madison prepares the frittata, it's clear that the move (to New Mexico) suited her. There's an obvious harmony to her life and her cooking. She cuts onions finely, into pieces that will soften easily and not mar the tender texture of the egg," Perhaps if I move to New Mexico I shall be able to cut onions in such a way as to not mar the tender texture of my eggs. Get real and get some editorial staff. There remain a couple of recipes that interest me enough that I shall probably attempt them at some point. The aforementioned frittata which is dressed with a sherry vinegar-butter sauce, the Vietnamese soup, and ciccio, which is a cheese stuffed flatbread from Puglia (if I am to trust anything I'm told).

Chef's Press Thiss quite interests me. I have just become the owner of a cast iron bacon press which I use many times a week for various tasks. But being cast-iron it requires some care. Stainless steel could be used for so many more tasks where cast iron might rust. Has anyone tried these?

I am reviving this thread. First the acronym ALV is really not catching on much as one might wish it would do so. Second because I have never got this method to work and that weighs heavily on me. And I know I am not alone in this. The acronym and the method are favoured by @mgaretz who seems to have success with many different vegetables. So who else is having success with ALV (a la Voltaggio)? And what is it that the rest of us are missing?

Interesting but not exactly user-friendly.

Don't judge. I skipped breakfast to make an early morning dental appointment. I'll leave everybody to fill in any blanks. Two days from now I'm told I'll be ready for real food again. Edited to add: It must've driven over a clam bed somewhere on the way to the store because there was no evidence that any clams were involved in its production.

Well if you would like to use it up in a bread recipe this is a very nice one. Link.

With a view from the office like that who would ever move?

I seem to recall someone here attempted to boil eggs without using the removable pot. Can't remember who it was and I don't know if the Instant Pot ( or the poster) survived the experience.

The recipe I used is almost identical except it does not require the almond flour and the quantity of coconut is described as 3 cups.

I can remember a time when there was a need for something like that. Something that would suggest ways to use up leftover ingredients or simply ways to use what is on hand. But now all one has to do is type in the ingredient or ingredients into Google and ask, "What can I make with...?" You will likely be presented with hundreds of ideas. Some are even worth pursuing as they come from sites that I consider quite reliable. I do this frequently and I am astounded at some of the options that I had never even considered. Even I started a topic on what to do with various leftovers but it's hard to sustain it. The problem with using up leftovers is often, I think, that one ends up with even more leftovers as one buys ingredients to make a dish to use up something that's already leftover!

Sometimes a pitcher is exactly what the doctor ordered.

These are Sally's. These are gluten-free. Don't even ask why I'm going there. Sometimes you have to bite your tongue and go along to get along. And besides. I don't make anything of Anna Olsen's. I recognized her immediately when I was at her restaurant in wine country but she had no clue who I was despite the fact that she'd. been in my living room day after day after day. I was so very hurt.

Thanks. Somethings just don't resonate with me and this is one of them. I'm sure you too have things that, no matter what anyone else says, you just can't get on board.

Can I assume that that is both noun and adjective?

Thank you. I guess I just have a different idea of what macaroons should look like. I think of them as little teeny mountains.

I seem to be suffering from an acute lack of adhesive power in my baking of late. perhaps I should see if I can incorporate some Gorilla Glue™ into my ingredient list. This is my second batch of macaroons today. Here are the ones that did not fall apart but that don't look much like I think macaroons should look. Never mind. I'm sure some somebodies will wolf them down. They taste OK. The recipe is from How To Eat Supper.

I take absolutely no responsibility for this but it might be a starting point for you. Click OOPS. WRONG LINK Try this, @ElsieD

Elsie, I am with @rotuts. If I ever get my hands on some pork cheeks I will be looking to cook them sous vide and not in the Instant Pot. I am certainly not telling you what to do but out of curiosity I did a bit of research and if it were up to me, which it isn't, it didn't come out of my paycheck, I would do them at 80° for 8 hrs a la British Chefs. They are often compared to pork belly and Chef Steps, another trusted site, suggests it should be done at 80°C for seven hours. My feeling is that I would be less likely to destroy such an expensive piece of meat doing it sous vide than in the IP as much as I love the IP. Sorry. I know that's not the answer you're looking for.

Thank you. I knew it looked very familiar but couldn't place it.

What did you think of it?

I had a little of the mixture left over from yesterday's breakfast of salt and pepper French toast. I cut two slices of bread from a homemade loaf and dipped them in the mixture and then, just before they were finished cooking, I decided to gild the lily! How can a handful of grated Gruyere, melty and starting to get crispy, go wrong?

Interesting that you were not forced to protect the crust with foil during the baking. Did you bake at a lower temperature perhaps? For the most part I start out around 400°F.

This time I checked my library before I bought it. I am convinced there are employees at Amazon who snigger at people like me who keep trying to buy books they already own. Keeps me up at night.

Perhaps a raise and benefits are in order?Perhaps a raise and benefits are in order?