[Digital Cameras for Food Photography]

I ended up with a Pentax Optio with 4mp and 3x optical zoom. The 3 1/2 X 2 1/4 size allows me to carry it in a shirt pocket or wear it not too bulkily in a pouch on my belt. It has sufficient macro (flea's whiskers?) and is easy to use. I chose it partly because of the end results, but also because I will actually take it with me more often. I still have not made full use of it's features, but here are my first posted shots.

I have a 35mm, too, but it is going to continue to not get much use. The cost savings in (not) processing are no small potatoes. Actually, not processing film and printing contact sheets for a couple of years would probably pay for a Nikon or Canon slr digital and a few lens if you were shooting only 72 frames a week on average. It makes a $1,000 digital body a disposable camera if you shoot enough.

[Popcorn Popper Roasters]

I am bumping this up to ask if anyone has used a Variac on a popcorn popper when roasting coffee? If so, where can I get one and what specifications do I need?

[la Signora caffettiera]

I guess I should mention that this moka pot has made increasingly better coffee the longer I have used it...about 10 days now, just as everyone on the Moka thread predicted when no soap is used to clean it out, just a simple rinsing. Maintaining a medium-low temp and not letting it boil or sit too long has also been key to getting it right. It only took about three trials to tweak it. I have been using it only in the 3 cup configuration and I am quite pleased.

This is not an easy to find brand, so I hope rubber seals and filters from other moka manucaturers will fit it.

[la Signora caffettiera]

Here are two photos of the pot. The small disk in the foreground of the dis-asembled pot is inserted into the coffee basket to reduce it from a six cup pot to a three cup pot.

[Grilling & Smoking: Wood? Briquets? Chunks?]

Okay, H. Bean, I got the yuk message...but just how do you keep the fat from dripping and burning on your grill?

[Dinner at LOLA]

Thanks for the post, Iturley4. Hope you have lots of good excuses for dining and reporting back here.

Scott -- do tell us more about this trip to the Tasting Room when you get a chance.

[Grilling & Smoking: Wood? Briquets? Chunks?]

hey, fifi, in that case perhaps you could just set your weber on an oyster reef to smoke your redfish.

[Grilling & Smoking: Wood? Briquets? Chunks?]

Ah, ha! The sand idea is consistent with a theory of yours, Linda, about why the water method works. Right?

[Diana Kennedy Cookbooks]

Great find. Don't hesitate or it will be gone.

[Grilling & Smoking: Wood? Briquets? Chunks?]

Mesquite and hickory wood chunks.

[Grilling & Smoking: Wood? Briquets? Chunks?]

Thanks. What about grilling in a weber kettle. What about using chunk wood for that? I bought a bag of mesquite and of hickory. Pros and cons?

[Grilling & Smoking: Wood? Briquets? Chunks?]

I have always used briquets for both smoking with a water smoker and for grilling, but am interested in understanding the why and how of using chunk charcoal and wood chunks for grilling and smoking. Why would you choose one over the other for each cooking process?

[The Terrine Topic]

Just wanted to mention that I passed on "Professional Charcuterie" and went for the Time-Life series book. After looking at it, I'll probably pick up the Jane Grigson book and "Head To Tail" looks like it may be of help, too.

[Regional differences in Mexican food.]

Welcome to eGullet and the Mexico Forum, esperanza. I hope you will come often and post frequently.

[Brazilian food]

Anil - I didn't make the trip, so no tales to tell. Perhaps another time.

[The Terrine Topic]

I am bumping this thread up to se if anyone is familiar with "Professional Charcuterie" by John Kinsella & David Harvey.

[Mexicans choose sliced bread over tortillas!]

I believe the Mexican company is the largest baker in North America.

["celebrity" chefs' restaurant reviews]

Thanks, Bux.

sdj3 -- welcome to eGullet and to the Texas Forum. It's okay to name newspapers and names names when it comes to critics, also. Do you have a link to the review? That would be interesting and helpful.

[la Signora caffettiera]

I picked up one of these at a local sale. Italian made by Meazza & Masciadri. Perhaps others also use this clever design, but I have not seen it before. The pots will make two different quantities of mokka. Mine is a three or six cup model. They do this with an insert you can put in the 6 cup funnel to reduce it to the 3 cup capacity. Fill the base with half the usual amount of water and that's it. The aluminum pot has a curvelinear design with a "pearl" finish that is similar to the look of 1950s flecked wall paint. I'll take pics in a few days if anyone wants to see.

[Tart Shell Help]

I got the three molds in, and they are very similar to Gastroflex -- perhaps barely slightly thinner silicon. Rated to 450 degrees F, rather than the 500 F of Gastroflex. From the packaging looks like they may have been made in Italy. With the shipping I think it averages about $14.50 per mold. Not bad, compared to $20+ at most retailers for Gastroflex. I'll post more when I have worked with them a little.

[Cranky Yankee Restaurant Reviews]

Hello Cranky, and welcome to eGullet. I hope you'll drop by and post often.

[[DFW] Jasmine Market & Cafe]

Thanks for the report, Sharon. I'll have to stop in Afrah And try the bread and pastries. Sounds great! And congratulations on your reviews.

I believe Jasmine is only a couple of months old -- co-owner Abu Jamil Anani told me 67 days when I stopped in on May 19th. Also see my note above on the late night hookah smoking.

[Rocky Use and maintenance]

That was the situation with my original problem in this thread -- they were clumping up and not dropping through. I did find that if I put only the amount I was going to grind in one session, it works fine with these store beans. It is only if the bean glue has a chance to set overnight.

[Rocky Use and maintenance]

Another possibility:I was talking to one of the guys at CookWorks in Dallas. He said someone else mentioned this problem and a factory rep for one of the Espresso machines figuerd out that it was condensation from taking frozen beans out of the freezer and grinding them without letting them come to room temp (which I may have done -- not sure). He said a handful of uncooked rice put through the grinder cleaned out the machine and it worked fine.

[[DFW] Jasmine Market & Cafe]

I was in the neighborhood again and stopped by to try their sandwiches. The chef, smartly dressed in a white chef's coat, offered me a sample of their beef and chicken. Both very good, and I chose the chicken. Out it came in a few minutes, wrapped in a large pita also stuffed with pickles, pickled turnip, a yougurt sauce. Delicious, and it was huge! About 2 1/2" in diameter and 12 - 15 " long, for $3.95. A very good deal, and perhaps enough for two light eaters.

The chef tried to explain to me something about a lamb dish he had simmering in a stock pot on the back of the stove for a special the next day, but my attempts at gesturing Arabic were not suficient for us to communicate. Actually, I am sure he was communicating just fine, but my translator had stepped out of the room. At any rate, he was clearly enthusiastic about the lamb special, and I'll have to stop in to try it sometime when they offer it again.