JAZ

Piping is definitely the way to go for fast and easy prep, plus a neat looking presentation. If you have mix-ins (like chopped bacon, onion or whatever), you just have to make sure your pastry tip is big enough that they'll fit through. A star tip results in a stylized deviled egg; for something more rustic, you can just use a plain tip. Even if you don't use a pastry bag and tip, spooning the yolk mixture into a plastic bag with a small hole cut in one corner and then piping will make filling those whites easier.

When I cook in rental kitchens, which generally have old, inexpensive cookware, the two things I notice most are hot spots and warped bottoms. I have to be very careful not to heat the pans over medium to avoid scorching. They also seem to be harder to clean, but that might just be a result of stuff burned onto the bottoms. If your cookware doesn't present either of these problems, then you might not notice a huge difference cooking with higher end stuff. But it could be that you're so used to making allowances for the cookware that you don't even notice its problems. That happened to me when I started to acquire higher quality cookware -- I hadn't realized how temperamental the old stuff was because I used to it. On the other hand, the difference was nothing like what I experienced when I got good knives for the first time. To this day, I'd much rather cook with inexpensive pots and pans than cheap knives.

I bought some a while back at Sur La Table in Perimeter Mall. Definitely call first, though; they change their stock of condiments from time to time.

Sounds like MSG in a tube.

I was not impressed with these, either. Especially considering the time they took.

I have to admit that I have never owned or used a vegetable brush -- what do people use them for?

The Atlantic often has articles by Corby Kummer, who is one of the best food writes out there, in my opinion. Here is a partial list.

Back in my days at Sur La Table, I had a customer who came in to buy Mauviel copper cookware. She'd just redone her kitchen. I suggested the heavier line with iron handles, but she liked the brass handled line because it was "prettier." As I suggested useful cooking pieces, she kept picking out whimsical serving pieces, such as a set of four graduated gratin dishes. All the sudden it occurred to me that she wasn't going to use any of this; it was just to make the new kitchen look "gourmet." We got along fine after that: she spent $2700 for her gourmet kitchen, and I made my sales goal for the week.

While I don't know the details of this diet, the premise that it starts with is seriously flawed. From The Paleo Diet: "The Agricultural Revolution began 10,000 years ago. . . . Until that time -- just 500 generations ago -- everyone on the planet ate lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables." This is so clearly wrong that it makes me doubt everything else in the book. The fact is, "everyone on the planet" has never eaten the same things. Humans have eaten just about every possible variation of diets imaginable. The diet of the nomads was milk-based (camel or goat); in the Arctic regions, the diet was almost exclusively meat -- and fatty meat, at that. Tribes in Africa and South America subsisted on mostly roots and tubers (that is, starch). And if "our ancestors" weren't eating cereal grains and legumes, then how in world could they have domesticated them? If they weren't staying alive by eating them, why would they have even wanted to try? The generalization that the author makes here is simply ludicrous. It might be that a diet of lean meat, fruits and non-starchy vegetables can be quite healthy, but don't muddy the waters by saying that it's what our -- imaginary -- ancestors ate.

Several months ago, I bought a container of Walgreen's brand chocolate-covered almonds, which came in a reusable container with a flip-up lid (it also screws off). It's so useful that now I need to go buy more almonds just for the containers. Really, though, it's such a great idea -- the nuts have to packed be in something; why not make it reusable?

Hash browns, or other fried potatoes?

A few more thoughts: Books: If your friend is cooking only or primarily for himself, keep in mind that all the recipes in How to Cook Without a Book are for four to six servings. I'd definitely have him check it out online before purchasing it -- it's a bit idiosyncratic (I'm not a fan, but it gets decent reveiws). If he is going to be cooking for one, he might like Solo Suppers by Joyce Goldstein better. And if he's a complete novice, he might find Now You're Cooking helpful. You seem to be missing some essential gadgets -- mixing bowls, for one. That Pyrex set seems to be overkill to me, especially if storage space is an issue. Finally, I know lots of people like the Swing-a-way can openers, but I find that the newer safety openers (Zyliss, Oxo or Rosle) are a vast improvement. Yes, they're more expensive, but they're safer and more hygenic. If your friend is going to open more than a can a week, the upgrade is worth it.

Is chicken flesh fully cooked at 140F? From my experience, it seems that a thigh at 140 would be unpleasantly undercooked.

You must not have realized that you linked to a miniature whisk set -- the largest one is only about 4 inches long, including the handle, with the actual whisk part being about 1.5 inches. Here's a real set, if you think your friend needs more than one: Norpro whisk set of three or a single if he only needs one: Oxo whisk

There's a brand new book dedicated to the Big Green Egg, titled (not surprisingly), The Big Green Egg Cookbook. Oddly, it's not on Amazon, but that link will take you to several vendors.

I've always made the biscuit-style boiled dumpling version of C&D, although the last time I made the dish, I altered a few things, and ended up with something very similar to what Chris Hennes made above (here). The big difference between my chicken and dumplings and everyone else's seems to be that I almost never start with raw chicken and make stock specifically for the dish. For me, it's a way to use leftover cooked chicken, so I use pre-made stock (which I generally have in the freezer) and just throw in some vegetables and the leftover chicken. The only part that's at all time consuming is to make a bit of dumpling batter and add it. Since I'm usually cooking just for myself, I make enough for one dinner, with a portion left over for lunch the next day.

To each his own, but I dislike orange blossom water so much in anything that if someone served me a margarita made with it, I couldn't drink it.

I do not like any flowers or flower-based extracts in my food or drink. No lavender with duck; no rosewater sorbet; no orange blossom water in ANYthing. Flowers belong in vases or perfumed soap, not in food.

I have three cats. Mice and lizards don't last long, if they even dare to show their little heads. As far as insects go, I'm not ruling it out, but it seems strange that only the coriander was affected.

That's a big dichotomy. I have to admit that when Dave the Cook invited me over for Chicken & Dumplings and proposed using the Donald Link recipe, I was very skeptical. My first thought was that if dumplings weren't boiled/steamed, they weren't dumplings. I said it was chicken and biscuits, which is something my college dorm used to make (yeah, it was about as good as you'd expect.) Having tasted the Link recipe, though, I'll say that a) it was great and b) it's definitely chicken and dumplings. Unlike the Ruhlman recipe, I don't think quotation marks are necessary -- although Sam might disagree. On the other hand, I also like the plainer, boiled, non-crisp type.

So I guess I'm still not clear on what you can do with this app. If I need, say, 1/2 cup of hollandaise, can the app tell me the amounts of the ingredients I'll need for that 1/2 cup? Or if I want to make 12 eclairs, can it tell me the amount of the ingredients for that volume of choux? That would be great and really helpful. On the other hand, if I need to have one of the variables to plug in, it doesn't seem nearly as helpful. I can just use a calculator.

Last week I had to make lamb curry for 30 students and staff, so I needed a lot of ground coriander. I used all the preground spice I had and then discovered that I didn't have any seeds to grind fresh. Then I remembered an Indian spice kit I'd gotten a few years ago. I'd gone through it and used most of the ground spices and some of the whole, but just kept the rest of it around in case I ever needed, say, ajwain or white poppy seeds. I thought I might have had a packet of coriander seeds left in it, so I got it out of the cabinet. No seeds. But as I was looking though the packets I noticed spilled powder in the box just as I spied a packet of ground coriander. This is what I pulled out. At first I thought insects, but it was the only packet that was affected. I didn't use the coriander -- even if it was okay, it was way too old, but now I'm wondering what caused that. Does coriander contain something that eats into plastic? Any ideas?

I don't think all of that is necessary, Chris. Most biscuit-style dumpling recipes I've used call for liquid fat --either oil or melted butter, mixed in with the wet ingredients. And I've always used AP flour. The best dumplings I've made were from recipes that call for egg, but I'm not sure that the egg is the reason they turned out so well. Two things I'd recommend are not to add too much liquid (you want the dough to be very stiff) and to cook them longer than you think you should -- 20 to 25 minutes, regardless of what your recipe says.

I used to love Wheat Thins. Recently I bought a box for the first time in years. They were unbearably sweet and odd-tasting. On the other hand, I still love Triscuits.

If it's a brunch, definitely serve coffee. And don't forget real sugar; some people still use it. Also, a small insulated pitcher is your best bet for keeping cream/milk cold.