Joe Blowe

FRICKIN' LASER BEAMS! Sweet...

You can buy a 5-piece set of precision pliers at Harbor Freight for 5 bucks. Spring loaded and everything...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+is+Hungarian+egg+coffee

Some tips for chicken can be found here [click].

If I'm not mistaken, BuonItalia is the sole U.S. importer/distributor of Setaro. Contact them for possibly finding an authorized retailer...

Additional searching via Google indicated it was made by the Jamaica Drink Company, which is now a subsidiary of WISYNCO. There is no mention of Irie Cola on their website -- it's probably discontinued...

It wasn't stated, but I have to ask: Are you using this "cleaver" to chop through large joints of meat or other hard/bony substances? The Furi #106, as seen in your photo, is advertised as a Chinese-style cleaver meant to chop vegetables and so on...

SoCal boy here, born and raised, but spent seven years living in NYC. Yes, the situation there is appalling, and it doesn't seem to have changed since I moved back to SoCal. You're in my thoughts and prayers

Clearly, your clarification is now clear

Just to be clear, you're comparing a Bernzomatic pencil torch to an Iwatani cooking torch? And the Iwatani won? Well, I'll be damned

Where's the steak?

To be clear, Weber makes exactly one charcoal grill that costs over $1000: The Weber Ranch Kettle. Not exactly for everyone, but fun to ogle nonetheless! Since you want to use your Lowe's coupon, you'll generally have to wait until the end of "grilling season" to get the best price. That said, Weber charcoal grills rarely go on sale because they're built well, they're popular, and they sell themselves. There's no incentive to put them on sale -- people will pay the market price. (You can put me on the list of Weber charcoal grill owners who bought long ago at full price with no regrets.) Lowe's does sell cheaper grills, but most of them are garbage. However, last year they did have a grill on sale that caught my eye; it was around $300 and was similar to the Barbeques Galore grill with height-adjustable grates. But I was too content with my Weber to buy it. One last thing, Weber kettles can be found used and in good condition. Lots of people buy them, but can't/won't learn to love charcoal. If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy one on craigslist for a fraction of what I spent...

Hopefully not too off-topic here, but maybe you should take a look at this http://truetex.com/carbonation.htm

Regarding the quantity of meat, that is easily fixed: Behold the In-N-Out Secret Menu! Order as many patties, or as much cheese, as you want. And always order the fries Well Done. When Fatburger is on, it's really ON. However, they're rarely on. That's why In-N-Out has as many fans as it does -- consistency, good prices, clean shops (some Fatburger locations verge on the disgusting), and friendly kids (some Fatburger locations have employees you want to see served Animal style ).

I'd say that my best tea discovery for 2009 was the realization that I can make my own blends! It's not that it never occurred to me before, it's just that one tends to focus on the purity of single varietals without giving much thought to mixing them up to suit one's own tastes. Kind of like my 20-year history with Scotch: drill down in the single malts, and eventually come around full circle to what a nice blend can offer. At the moment, my favorite personal blend is 1 part Twinings Lady Grey and 3 parts darjeeling, which is then added to 3 parts assam. So, my usual dose is 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of the Lady Grey and darjeeling mix, and 3 teaspoons (6 grams) of assam. This is my go-to/everyday/no-brainer tea -- perfect when you want a nice cup without too much contemplation. The Lady Grey adds a nice citrus background and, of course, the darjeeling smooths out the assam. Which leads me to my second "discovery" of 2009 -- tea thermoses (like this or this). I picked up my first thermos in Shanghai in 2004 after noticing, oh, just about everybody walking around with one. It is similar to the the first model I linked above, complete with BPA goodness! (Thanks to the wife, I now use the Nissan stainless steel thermos.) I used the first one for a while, but never really fell in love with it. But, in 2009, I discovered that tea thermoses make outstanding personal tea pots! I put 8 grams of the aforementioned blend in the thermos and give it a quick rinse with hot water from the Zojirushi. Then, my first cup is brewed for 30 seconds, the second cup for a minute, third cup for 2 minutes, and the final cup is brewed for 5 or 6 minutes. Pour each brew through your favorite sieve into your favorite cup. Done. Usually, I can string out an 8 gram dose of tea for a few hours. My own little 12oz. gongfu thermos!

Darienne, For the record, there are two companies named Paderno: The original, the stuff that I use, and the one whose name is kicked around this forum --> http://www.paderno.it/ And the Canadian name licensee, which is not related in any way to the Italian company --> http://www.paderno.com As you alluded to, the Canadian Paderno makes cookware in Canada, as well as China, Indonesia, etc. The Italian Paderno is made in, well, Italy

No, they're just tarnished, so to speak. All you have to do is clean 'em up with a little cream of tartar.

A Thermapen would be nice if you could stretch the budget. If not, a digital combo oven/probe (dual probe) thermometer would be great (some even come with pocket remotes). And I third the rec on the infrared thermometer... Does he have an AeroPress yet? That would definitely put him on the road towards OCD-Espressoville (they just need a push in the right direction ). What about a 2-cup Bialetti Brikka? This, of course, assumes he's into coffee -- if he is, those are two of the geekiest coffee items out there. You could go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get him an electric smoker for about 50 bucks. And then you tell him to buy an Auber Multi-Purpose Controller so his smoker is now PID'd, as the kids like to say these days. He can also use the controller for sous vide or (possibly) an espresso maker. Do they have a computer in the kitchen? What about a rubber keyboard? No worries over spills or wet hands.

That is why when I do need to buy a pan, I go to TJMaxx, HomeGoods, or the like. Almost without fail, I'll find a $40 or $50 pan marked down to $15 or less. Maybe it's because it's a discontinued line, maybe the exterior is scratched, or maybe it's because the color is a bit unsavory. But these are generally very well made pans that cost quite a bit more in department stores (or even online). And, I have no response to those who think it might be ecologically unsound to buy one of these "cheap" pans, use it for 3 to 5 years (or more), and then toss said pan into the RECYCLE BIN at the end of its useful life. No response at all. ETA: Octaveman, I've seen both Paderno AND deBuyer for sale at HomeGoods (which is owned by TJMaxx), and they were priced very reasonably. I haven't seen 'em there that often, but that's why you're supposed to hit those stores often! http://www.homegoods.com/search_results_state.aspx?postcode=&state=CA&city=City+or+Town&x=6&y=10

I continue to stick by my Teflon mantra: Buy cheap, replace often. I know there are those who are very satisfied with their high-end non-stick cookware; but I continue to buy my non-stick pans at TJMaxx/HomeGoods for 15 bucks or so, and toss 'em in the recycle bin when they reach the end of their useful life. That's approximately every 3 to 5 years, but I have some other "cheap" Teflon pans that are pushing 15 years old (they just don't get used all that often). To date, I still have not exceeded the cost of buying just one $80~100 high-end non-stick pan, and I'm not sure when I will. Just one man's opinion/experience...

You go through 10 liters of olive oil a year?! You're my new hero

Me thinks y'all should be using rice flour! I'm not sure why it's such a well-kept secret, but it really is one of the best anti-stick agents used in baking. It may be hard to find depending on your location, but if you have an Asian market close by you're good to go... Edited to add one more supertip: Dental floss. If your dough has been sitting on the peel for a while, just get a good length of dental floss in your hands and slice between the dough and the peel.

Cast iron is cast iron, I always say. As soon as someone starts jivin' about how Staub is better than LC is better than Lodge is better than Target, I walk in the other direction. The only differences you'll see is in the enamel -- the depth of coat, any bare/rough spots, the quality of finish, etc. But once you heat them all up, I challenge anybody to note any differences in the food (basting spikes and all ). Good price on the Kirkland -- wish I didn't already have an LC in that size...

Have you tried E. Dehillerin? If so, and they didn't have it, have you considered buying a carbon steel pan instead of cast iron? Last year, I bought a de Buyer Carbone Plus pan at Dehillerin for €21.41 (model no. 5110.30 / stock no. 230146). Performs almost exactly like cast iron, picks up seasoning quite easily, and weighs just a tad lighter. And, considering that there are few domestic makers of non-enameled iron cookware in France, I'm guessing it's going to be cheaper for you...

Add some whey protein to make it even more healthy!