JAZ

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I have another question. The paste I bought (Mae Ploy brand) came in a plastic tub, but in a plastic bag inside the tub. Should I empty the paste from the bag to the tub, or does it make a difference?

Chris, I make mine soup-like, but if I have leftovers, but the second day the dumplings (I make the biscuit-style dumplings) have disintegrated enough to thicken the liquid to a stew consistency. So I guess it depends on the timing.

The almonds are cooked with sugar until the sugar melts, then tossed with a little butter and salt. I posted the recipe here.

Cashews are also common in Thai cuisine.

I don't use Thai curry pastes often, but I bought a container of red curry paste for satay sauce, and now I have a lot leftover. I figure I can freeze it, but I'm wondering if I could just refrigerate it instead. How long does it keep in the fridge? If I freeze it, I guess I'd be best off freezing it in ice cube trays. Is that the best way to store it?

I've done a dark chocolate bark with toffee almonds the last couple of years, which goes over well with my family and friends.

Have you tried Star Provisions? I find a lot of unusual ingredients there.

Maggie, you could check out the eGCI Home Brewing course for some ideas.

After trying a number of methods for roasting any waxy potatoes, I've found the simplest way to be the best. I cut them in half if small, quarters if large, toss them in oil and salt, and then place them on a sheet pan so that the cut side (or one cut side) is down. Roast at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes and then check them. I've found that if you try to toss or turn the potatoes too soon, they'll stick to the pan and you lose the crisp crust that's forming. If the potatoes have released from the pan, sometimes I'll go ahead and turn them if there's more than one cut side, but it's not really necessary to turn them at all. When the potatoes seem done (a knife or skewer goes in easily) I continue roasting them for another 15 minutes or so. It's a trick I learned years ago about waxy potatoes -- if you roast them longer than you think is necessary, they develop a great creamy interior. That combined with the crust that forms makes for the best roasted potatoes I've ever made.

That's certainly one option. I personally think that purposely buying cookware to throw away in a couple of months or even years isn't very ecologically sound. I'd rather buy something that will last.

I've used several brands and by far the best I've found is Swiss Diamond for non-stick. It's very durable (it can go in the dishwasher with great results) and is not too expensive. I've used mine constantly for several years and it's still in great shape.

Two points: Recipe names on menus matter more than recipe names in books. If I'm reading a cookbook, I can read the headnote, or at least see what the ingredients and instructions are to get an idea of the finished dish. On a restaurant menu, I either want a descriptive name or an explanation of what the dish is. If I saw "Lamb with Apples" on a menu and there wasn't a description of how the lamb was cooked, I'd think the restaurant did a bad job naming the dish. Whereas if it said "Lamb Shanks braised with Apples" I'd have a better idea of what to expect. Second, when a chef uses a traditional or iconic name for a dish (e.g. Caesar salad, Waldorf salad, Beef Wellington, Steak Diane), the food I end up with should be recognizable as that dish. Don't put "Waldorf Salad" on the menu and give me a salad made from fennel, butternut squash and almonds. Sounds obvious, but chefs play fast and loose with traditional names all the time. For instance, I read in several places about chef Michael Symon's macaroni and cheese, which by all accounts is great. I'm always on the lookout for new macaroni and cheese recipes, so I looked it up. Imagine my surprise to find this recipe, with chicken, rigatoni and goat cheese. It might be a good dish, but it's not macaroni and cheese at all -- more like "Chicken Paprikash Goes to Italy (by way of a goat farm)."

I've used it in the kitchen where I teach. It performs well: heats up evenly, cleans up pretty well. The handles are comfortable and I like the fact that there are no rivets inside the pan to collect crud. However, Tim beat me to it about the weight -- it's heavy stuff.

Here's an interesting article on martinis from the San Francisco Chronicle: Martinis -- It's all about technique

For my own knowledge, I just did an entirely different kind of experiment, to see what would happen in something closer to "real life." That is, I was interested in a liquid closer to what I'd consider "oversalted" soup, instead of a brine. So I dissolved a tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt into a quart of water and heated it to a simmer. I removed half a cup of the liquid, then added a potato (russet, peeled and sliced about an inch thick). I covered the pan and continued to simmer for 15 minutes, then double strained the liquid and measured out another half cup. I heated up the initial sample so the two liquids were the same temperature and then -- surprise! -- tasted them. I could taste a faint hint of potato in the second sample, but the salt level was no different. Yes, I know this was hardly a controlled experiment. There may have been a slight bit of evaporation, although the lid was tight fitting, and I didn't seen any steam escape. I knew which sample was which, and I didn't try to test the salinity level in any objective sense. I just tasted them. But to me, that's what's important if this is supposed to be a real life method of saving oversalted liquids. The second one didn't taste less salty. It was a just a waste of a potato and 20 minutes.

The potato method does not work. Don't take my word for it -- Robert Wolke explores the myth here.

I don't think so Chris. It was still pretty softened even after a night in the freezer. I think I'll change the instructions to just spoon into a small container and freeze and use a spoonful instead of a slice. It wouldn't hold up to slicing already... Katie, I use browned butter in many applications where I want the butter to be firm -- just refrigerate after browning. If anything the browned butter is firmer than regular butter, because you've cooked most of the water out. If your mixture is soft, it's because of the sugar, not because of the butter.

Anna's right about the potato myth -- potatoes don't absorb salt, so adding one wouldn't do anything for the salt level. I think unsalted tomatoes and more lentils, along with unsalted broth or water, is your best bet.

But the enamel finish does make a difference in how well the pan cleans up. The matte black inside finish of Staub is much harder to clean than the smooth interior of Le Creuset (and its imitators). Also, the cheaper brands do tend to chip more easily.

Since it's also grapefruit season, you could try this salad: Supreme a grapefruit -- cut the ends off and then cut the rind and pith off. Then cut into segments by slicing on either side of each piece of membrane to release the slices. Layer those with the avocado slices over mixed greens or arugula and drizzle with a nice balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher or other coarse salt.

Not sure if you're still looking for a recipe, but in John Besh's new cookbook -- My New Orleans -- there's a recipe for Creole seasoning that's surprisingly similar to Old Bay. It would be a good starting point, at least. Here's a link to a recipe, but unfortunately, although the ingredients are right, the amounts are all wrong. In the book, the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons celery salt; 1 tablespoon each black pepper, sweet paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder; 2 teaspoons cayenne; and 1/2 teaspoon allspice. It also calls for a tablespoon of kosher salt, but I think that makes his mixture saltier than Old Bay. I'd recommend adding salt to your taste. A little ground bay leaf (maybe 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) would probably make it even more like Old Bay.

One of my favorite summer afternoon drinks used to be gin and soda with a splash of Rose's and a squeeze of fresh lime -- sort of a sweetened Lime Rickey, I guess.

I agree, Chris. A traditional Gimlet with Rose's is the only drink I'll free pour; I've been making them for so long I think I could do it in my sleep.

The Benriners are nice, but they don't do waffle cuts.

The OXOs (either the V-slicer or the mandoline) are very good for the price. Whatever you get, I'd recommend buying a knife glove like this Microplane version to go with it. Hand guards for mandolines are pretty much useless.