donk79

For those seeking a less expensive option, I will raise up the Hario Skeleton line again. I use it for everything from drip, to pour-over, to Aeropress. It is not perfect. I get more fines than I prefer for French Press. But I have been using it for over 6 months now and am not yet being persuaded to invest in a more expensive grinder. I have the Skerton Pro. I have been known to slip a 7mm socket on a cordless drill to drive the grinder when brewing for crowd. This does result in the internals warming up substantially, though, so I don't recommend the procedure.

Slipped by Costco yesterday. Timing is still not opportune. However, I was tempted by this one...

Yes. This has caught my eye for the past month or so. Seems to be largely composed of cheeses otherwise available from Costco. I'm still waiting for the occasion that will justify buying that much cheese at once, or for a cheese on the board that I have to have!

Dry works. I have tried it with a small amount of oil, but it doesn't appear to be necessary.

This is what I do, for just as much as I need at a time. The stuff appears to have an astonishingly long shelf life.

I succumbed to the temptation of a Costco closeout price on these several months ago. Thrown in a skillet to brown for a few minutes, they make a slightly interesting sandwich topper. I have yet to conjure another use for them.

15% matches my experience with locally grown and milled whole wheat flour. Unfortunately, the farm I was buying from has folded. Makes this thread all too tempting!

Hey now! I just barely escape being a mellenial and I thought the same!

We have grown ( or attempted to grow) Black Krims for several years. My wife insists they are her favorite tomato. However, we have yet to see better than two tomatoes from a plant. A month ago, my wife insisted she was finally swearing them off. So when I went to pick up her plants from the plant sale yesterday, what do you think I saw?

Here is another. I ran across it the other day and was considering a hard copy. I deferred in order to research it more. 1.99 for me on Kindle as a prime member. Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes

Jim, I know that this is not what this thread is about, but I have run across some local producers (though I have not sampled the products myself). Here is one that has some interesting sounding production https://www.vitaespirits.com/

Teo, I find the above to be one of the best reflections on how tradition could be considered that I have ever read. Thank you!

Thank you to both of you. That it was not being called chocolate in the US was what felt out of step with the marketing I had read from Callebaut. And now it makes sense to me. And I am afraid that I will have to say that the marketing is out of step with the product. Of course, I guess that is what marketing is often all about...

This is what I have been wondering about all along. The packaging on the Trader Joe's product stops short of calling it's contents chocolate. I believe (I do not have a package handy) I says it is made with Ruby cocoa. The package says it contains a confectionery. Is this really Ruby chocolate? Or is it really a product maid with Ruby chocolate? I am waiting for an authoritative answer.

Cheap is always relative. Around the Mid-Atlantic, $10 seems to be the going rate for small scale local honey. (This is what members of the local beekeeping clubs will charge). There are always much more expensive varietal honeys available, and I can usually find a beekeeper I trust who will part with a quart for as low as $5/lb. Any cheaper than that, and I would absolutely be suspicious, at least where I live.

Honey is also hygroscopic. Keep it sealed, it will last forever. Leave it open, it will slowly absorb more moisture until it ferments.

FlL is pretty dominant around me. They definitely aim for the lower end market, though some renovations I have seen recently suggest they are starting to aim higher. And they are not entirely bottom of the market. I have a local grocery near me that has a few good highlights, and local character going for it. When I want more, like a chance at decently fresh fruit, I spend 20 more minutes on the road to go to Food Lion. When I want good fruit, I spend 40 more minutes on the road to go to Martin's (Giant). I am eagerly waiting for for the day that Wegmans or Trader Joe's is less than an hour away.

I found the "confectionery" label on the package suspicious as well. I would love to hear the tasting opinion of someone who has sample Callebaut's Ruby elsewhere.

My first thought was that the Easy bake patent must have expired... Now, someone, please put me in my place and explain why I should take this seriously!

Hmmmph!

I would say that experimentation and record keeping is the way to go. I have been trying to "decode" coffee brewing for a while. I had a friend train with as a roaster for a very accomplished local roaster (Lexingtoncoffee.com) and experimentation was his encouragement. With lighter roasts, I often use a coarser grind, but that is only my personal call. I think it highlights the more citrusy flavors better. My standard grind is pretty fine, though. I use the inverted method, and one other thing that has improved my cup is letting it steep longer than I used to. I now use 2 minutes as my standard.

In my opinion, more worth watching than any other show of the genre recently. Is it stretching to say that a Victor in this competition is as qualified as those at the judges table. I would say certainly, if the competitors were not already so qualified. I will likely not sit at any of their tables, so I will have to let others judge. Not a bad show for a casual watch, though, and I found myself rewinding to try to catch a description I missed many times.

Not sure how to post the link from my Amazon app, but I just bought Momofuku (Kindle, with Prime) for 3.99.

Diagnosis is probably on point, but I wonder about her acumen when it comes to treatment...😁

Golden Corral.... My father used to take us there when I was a kid. I cannot help but slip in there every once in a while still. I always leave feeling worse for the experience. And that pretty well sums up my relationship to Ranch, too.