Martin Fisher

It's not just a problem with memory, many products have changed over the years. Spaulding Krullers and Slim Jim snack sticks are a couple products that are very different than what they were when I was a kid.

I have the same model ice crusher!! It is a handy tool.

As I understand it, the problem with ping pong balls is the fact that they float high and don't provide as good of coverage as balls that sink to mid-point, making them less effective. If you can find polypropylene balls of the same specs as the Polyscience balls for less money (including shipping) and in the same quantity (I don't need 1000 of them) please share because I haven't been able to find them for less.

While employed by Mrs. Deen, "She [Mrs. Charles] developed recipes, trained other cooks and made sure everything down to the collard greens tasted right." Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/us/paula-deens-soul-sister-portrays-an-unequal-bond.html?hp&_r=0

Where's the irrefutable proof that Mrs. Deen stole Mrs. Charles recipes and passed them off as her own?

Very nice! ~Martin

I think Mrs. Charles should have put her recipes to work in her OWN business and cashed in big!!!! The most important lesson to be learned here is that one must be very careful with whom one associates. In this case, that goes for both Mrs. Charles and Mrs. Deen. Oh, and if you work for someone who promises something like “Stick with me and I promise you one day if I get rich you’ll get rich."....be sure to get that in writing (with specifics and notarized signatures, of course) no matter how awkward the request may seem at the time!!!!!!!! ~Martin

I understand that there's also a video arcade in CiCi's locations to distract some from eating a lot and to harvest some extra cash.

Cheap ingredients and not a lot of cheese, I'd guess. The CiCi's in this neighborhood went belly-up after about 10 months.

It looks good. ~Martin

I've tried several different peelers, I don't like the Y-shaped or U-shaped peelers at all. The Oxo and Messermeister straight peelers that so many like are okay, but rather cumbersome. I keep going back to the old Ekco (not the newer junky model) that I've used for years, it's by far the fastest peeler I've ever used. ~Martin

Clambake!!! ~Martin

I agree with Paula Wolfert, if you're so inclined, make your own vinegar. The difference is remarkable. Having said that, Eden Foods Raw & Unpasteurized Red Wine Vinegar (No additives or sulfating agents.) isn't bad and comes closer to homemade than most others I've tried. ~Martin

Love her or hate her, Paula Deen is in BIG trouble because she was honest, admitted mistakes and apologized....if she'd lied and covered it up, there would be no issue. Think about that.

They're best grown in the fall. They tend to bolt to flowering and not form well in hot weather. ~Martin

X2 I agree! ~Martin

I agree with all but this.....in regards to chili.... "But a lot use the canned kind (which is not a crime) but try to pass it off as homemade." Canned chili IS a crime!!!!!! ~Martin

I've always made blackberry grunt pretty much the same way that Alton Brown does, but I've never followed a formal recipe. Always with drop biscuit batter and in a cast iron skillet. It's the way my grandmother made it for ages. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/blackberry-grunt-recipe/index.html ~Martin

It appears that Oxo has redesigned the two-fold grater, the original design was nothing but pure garbage. It worked fine at first, but quickly cracked (the plastic sides along the edge of the grater) and fell apart. It appears that they've eliminated the plastic sides. I may give Oxo another chance although about 3 or 4 of their products that I've purchased have been nothing but junk!!! The grater comes apart for easy cleaning, one of the things I don't like about box graters. The new design is also bi-directional!!! That's a great idea, if it works well!!!!! New design.... http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Two-Fold-Grater/dp/B004VLYQHM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_2 Original Design.... http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Multi-Grater/dp/B00004OCKU/ref=pd_sbs_k_4 ~Martin

I've wanted to try my hand at tamagoyaki for a long time, but the good pans are crazy expensive.....maybe some day. ~Martin

Yes, I've found that putting the herbs between two snug fitting plates works very well. ~Martin

My friends in Spain deep fried the potato slices until they were a bit soft. Onions were lightly sautéed in olive oil. I love Spanish tortillas. I can't wait to go back. ~Martin

Is this the video you were looking for? http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xia9h9_julia-jacques-cooking-at-home-eggs_lifestyle I like both main styles. ~Martin

It's pretty much the same as deboning a chicken and the like. Jacques Pépin video..... ~Martin

I prefer to not dilute the flavor by adding more than just a tiny amount of brine to top off the jar if needed. You can extract more liquid from the peppers before packing into the fermentation vessel if you chop, salt and store in the fridge overnight. If you do wish to make a brine, adding 2% salt to the water wouldn't be enough salt. You'll need an equilibrium brine where the total salt percentage isn't less than 2% for safety reasons (some suggest more than 2% is needed, there's a lot of conflicting information). In other words, add the pepper weight and water weight together and use at least 2% salt based on the sum of the two. HTH ~Martin