Richard Kilgore

This sounds reasonable, Katie. My only suggestion would be to consider using the 1/4 pound size re-sealable plastic coffee bags with a one-way valve for the amount you keep out for daily use. These are inexpensive, reuseable, and they allow the beans to continue to de-gass while not allowing air in, so they are more air-tight than a mason jar. You can order them from sweetmarias.com. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

The tiny Bahn Mi shop I frequent in the Dallas area makes their own jerky, which is undoubtedly the best jerky I have had anywhere.

Chris - thanks for the link to the video report. Two minutes in the microwave is what I have been doing. Nice to get confirmation that this works in killing off the microbes including ecolli. I agree that sponges are inexpensive and easily replaced. Twenty-five cents a week or so is cheap. But the issue here is avoiding smearing our dishes with bacteria on the sponges during the period we use them.

Here are a few of the carafes and Airpots refered to in the above post. All of the following have stainless liners rather than glass, which does not transport as safely or make shattering a non-issue with adding ice as the stainless does. Glass-lined carafes and Airpots are a little less expensive and retain heat a little better, but for me not enough to make up for the advantages of stainless-lined. Here's the one liter Zojirishi stainless carafe I got recently to replace a glass lined one. Works well for one to three people. This is a 64 ounce/2 liter Zojirishi carafe for up to, say, 8 people. And here's the 3 liter Zojirishi stainless Airpot. I have noticed that the price on this rocks back and forth between $65 and $70 a couple of times each month. Should be good for up to about 12 people.

After breaking the glass lining on a liter carafe, I ordered an all stainless Zojurishi one liter carafe from Amazon. So far I like it a lot: keeps coffee drinkably hot much longer than the coffee flavor will stay fresh (about 5 hours before the flavor deteriorates); ice cubes for iced tea will not shatter the lining; wide mouth makes it easy to clean the interior; attractive shape; and the wide base makes it very stable. For an airpot and a larger 2 liter carafe, I am looking primarily at the Zojurishi stainless models. But from my Amazon research and googling it looks like Nissan/Thermos also makes some excellent carafes and airpots. Anyone have experience with airpots by both Zojurishi and Nissan/Thermos? Any reason the choose one over the other other than price and personal preference regarding the appearance? Glass vs stainless? Other brands? While my personal interest is for home use, brunches, parties, picnics, etc. no reason we can't discuss commercial uses here, too.

The Italian aluminum moka pots work well, are inexpensive and commonly used in Italy daily.

Over Aurora? By the way, how is Brix in Ft. Worth? ← I have not eaten at Aurora, so I can't make a comparison.

Yes to York Street. I should have mentioned it earlier. Sharon Hage is a highly respected chef here and has won a great deal of recognition beyond the DFW area. I attended a food and tea pairing dinner at York Street earlier this year and can recommend a meal there. No seating at Dough Monkey, but if you have the time you might enjoy picking up a few of their very fine pastries and some coffee and going down the street to the Meadows Museum at SMU, sitting outside on the benches among the sculpture and sipping and tasting. Lunch in Forth Worth: you might consider the Split Rail for barbecue or the restaurant at the Modern Museum of Forth Worth...food is probably okay, but many consider the architecture worth the visit. Others may have other and better suggestions.

Okay, let me throw out some options and see if you think they should be axed: Fearing's Shinsei Abacus Stephen Pyle Craft Nobu ← Nothing there that I would axe, but would emphasize some of the local talent: Abacus, Stephen Pyle's and Fearing's. Also consider the Tasting Room at Lola's; if you search this forum there should be quite a bit from the past on the Tasting Room - make reservations early or risk not getting a table.

Sunday brunch at La Duni is a great suggestion. I doubt you would ever regret it.

Dallas and ft. Worth have many, many options. If you can fill us in on what types of restaurants and food you are interested in and a price range, we will be able to be of more help. We have everything from inexpensive taquerias and Tex-Mex to $200 plus per person fine and adventuresome dining. Asian? SE Asian? Indian? Middle Eastern? French? Spanish? Central, South American? Mexican fine dining? Tasting menus? Looking for breakfast, lunch and dinner suggestions?

For the past several months I have been experimenting with several Mariage Frères teas from The Cultured Cup. I have enjoyed Eros, as well as a combination of their Fruites Noirs and Fruits Rouges, with a ratio tipping slightly toward the latter. Hibiscus also makes a traditional Mexican iced tea that is delicious and decafe, of course. Hibiscus also mixes well with the Mariage Frères Fruites Noir, providing a little natural sweetness.

Anyone have citations or links to studies or reports on studies?

Thanks for the comments everyone. I think I'll continue to zap my sponges in the microwave. I try to do it daily, sometimes more often. I would suggest not zapping the sponges with the scrubby surface on one side. I melted one a few months ago and it was not a pretty sight...or smell.

Someone recently recommended keeping kitchen sponges continuously doused with Dawn anti-bacterial soap. I usually either boil or microwave mine, but am open to better methods. Does anyone have any data on the best way to keep the bacterial count down on sponges, or have alternative products to suggest.

The Second Annual Best Iced Tea Contest at the Plaza at Preston Center featured 19 entries from area restaurants, tea rooms, coffee and tea purveyors and a culinary school. After buying a raffle ticket (with proceeds going to the North Texas Food Bank), I strolled The Plaza, sampling tea and munchies at the tables set up on the sidewalks. The Cultured Cup brought this event idea with them from their old location on Beltline, where they launched it about ten years ago. The contest judges did a blind tasting at the Cultured Cup and gave 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards. The rest of us iced tea drinkers had a vote for the People's Choice Award. 1st Place - Milestone Culinary Arts Center's "Tea Drops" 2nd Place - Maudee's Cafe and Tea Room, "Maudee's Iced Tea" 3rd Place - Southern Sweet Tea's "Sweet Lemon Tea" People's Choice Award - Cafe R & D The other contestants included - Houston's "Arnold Palmer" Tin Star's "Rasberry Lemon Iced Tea" Kathleen's Sky Diner's "Plantation Tea" Craft's "Lavendar Peach Iced Tea" Sterling Tea's "Cranberry Orange" and "Daybreak-Herbal Tea" Fat Straws Bubble Tea's "White Summer Rain" and "Green Pomegranate" Greenz "Raspberry Royale" Drip Coffee's "Texas Sunset" Radiant Chinese Herb & Tea Lounge's "Berrylicious" Stonebriar Tea's "Irish Morning" Bolla's "Bolla Blend" Cliff Cafe's "Ginger Mint" Cafe on the Green Restaurant's "Green Tea-Ginger Pimm's Iced Tea" Tillman's Road House "Peach Pie Iced Tea with Cookie Crumble" Blue Mesa's "Passion Fruit Tea" Among the dozen or so official judges were -- Casey Thompson - Executive Chef of Shinsei and Top Chef Season 3 runner-up Stephan Pyles - Executive Chef of Stephan Pyles Joyce Harris - Dallas Morning News Food Section Contributor Catherine Collins - Managing Editor of Culinary Concierge I tried about 15 of the 19 offerings and particularly enjoyed several. The Cafe on the Green's "Green Tea-Ginger Pimm's Iced Tea" was inspired and well balanced with fresh ingredients. Craft's "Lavendar Peach Iced Tea" was lovely...and accompanied by four delicious pastries. The Milestone Culinary Arts Center's "Tea Drops" was on my short list, too. The "Peach Pie Iced Tea with Cookie Crumble" worked wonderfully well -- the peach tea alone was very good, but with a bite of the pie dough cookie it was like drinking a peach pie. Bolla's "Bolla Blend" was way too sweet for my taste, but the underlying taste was flavorful and complex. Cafe R & D's "The R.W." also was worth going back for more. I don't usually expect too much from bubble tea, so the teas from Fta Straws were the welcome surprise of the afternoon - I particularly liked their "White Summer Rain". Unfortunately, I did not get to the Southern Sweet Tea table. Did anyone else go? What were your favorites?

If you go to the website for each publisher you should find contact info.

Most if not all of the freezers sold in consumer retail stores are design for storing already frozen food. If you read the fine print, their manuals either ignore the issue or point out that it holds the temp somewhere above zero and you should put only a little bit at a time in the freezer at a time. And if it is in a warm or hot environment like a garage or unairconditioned room, it will not do well. On the other hand, check out your local restaurant supply house for a commercial quality freezer. It will cost about twice what you would pay at a retail store (Wal-Mart, Sears, etc.) but should do what you need it to do. But read the fine print and talk to someone at the restaurant supply or manufacturer who is knowledgeable. Good luck and let us know what you end up getting.

Perhaps the largest French ovens might also work.

No car, no food, Chris. Public transportation is limiting unless you consider a taxi to be public. But we will not let you starve. My take on this is that there are better than good, but not great places for Texas barbecue here, and many sub-good ones. The closest to down town probably is in the SMU area. My suggestion would be to focus on Tex-Mex, Mex-Tex and Mexican, as well as some from other Central and South American cuisines. We have a lot of that and a lot that is excellent in the low to mid-price range...as well as a few in the upper. Mexican, Salvadoran, Columbian, Peruvian, Venezuelan. How many days, what days of the week, and how many meals away from the hotel? Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?

Thanks for all you have done over the years Susan. It's difficult to take in all that you have contributed in so many ways. See you in the forums!

The Vollrath Tribute line appears to be excellent cookware. Look for it in restaurant supply stores rather than the gourmet shops. No problem with it in the oven.

I also like the Sitram Profiserie line. Prices for them vary during the month on Amazon, or at least they have in the past, so you if anyone is interested, you can put it in your buy list and wait for price updates.

Thanks, Jeff. The article mentions the house cured meats at Nonna, Charlie Parker's and Lola. Has anyone eaten house-cured meats at these restaurants, or any others in the area? It is fairly easy to find some imported cured meats, from Italy and Spain, in area stores. Central Market (great prosciutto selection) , the Deli at Segel's on Inwood at Beltline (serious Italian Mortadella) , Whole Foods, and even some at the mainline groceries. But no major retail for locally made products, as far as I know. In additon to the finer dining establishments, you can find house-cured meats in some "ethnic" restaurants. The Columbian restaurant at Beltline & Josey (northeast corner) makes their own Columbian style chorizo and blood sausage. At that same intersection, on the south east corner, the Bhan Mi shop has absolutely terrific beef jerky for take-out. Anyone have others to recommend?

Calphalon and/or retailers who carry it are pretty good about standing behind their products. You may want to ask if they will replace it. I had a similar problem with some very old pieces several years ago and Williams-Sonoma offered to replace them with same or give me store credit.