kcd

I love my Riedel glasses. However,.... We eat outdoors frequently, and drink wine even more frequently out on the porch or by the pool. Even in the Texas summer. For those situations I need/want a strudy glass. Has anyone tried the Oueverture series of Reidel? I have only heard the Vinum and Sommelier (sp?) mentioned herein. I was thinking of trying the Ouverture for outdoors, travelling (picnics) etc. I thought the mold was the same, but the stem was sturdier and the material a bit different. Not the same but perhaps a good compromise. Or does this august group recommend the Spieglau for this purpose? Confession: Having heard my mother dictum of "no glass by the pool, especially no wine glasses" for years, there is a part of me that wishes Riedel (or Spiegelau, for that matter) made high quality plastic glasses (if that isn't too much of an oxymoron).

We love roasting veggies, ever since getting B. Kafka's book on roasting. A favorite in this house is roasting cabbage (what I think of as the Grandfather of the broccoli family). A whole cabbage feeds about 2 people (even if one of them is my non-cabbage-eating DH). Here is central Texas, it is time to roast peaches and scoop icecream.

I loved the article. I would emphasize the above point about timeliness. One of my serious peeves is the common confusion between an "open house" style of party (coming and going at will) and a dinner party. When someone is cooking for you, coming on time is a better sign of respect and appreciation than any wine. (Mothers with infant children excepted.) kcd

Thanks guys. I had thought it might be a moisture thing. DDH was concerned about it. The first time he tried to knead it by hand. 2nd time, it was a mixer. The flavor is good. The crust is good. Just too much flour. (Right now he is using an organic, high protein flour). I look forward to the new results this weekend.

I have a slightly different question. DH is getting serious about making bread. Things are coming along just fine on most fronts. Except one. When he makes ciabatta (from the Baker's Apprentice) he isn't able to get the large, irregular, lovely holes. Any ideas to think about when trouble shooting the next time? It seems like he is following directions. He is using the poolish version. Any hints will be appreciated. kcd

This is slightly (!?!) off topic, but it is about tapioca. This was on NPR, so it MUST be true. Right? It seems that several years ago there was a ship coming into N.Y. harbor with a combined load of tapioca and wood. Lots of both. Well, something in the engine room caught fire. They brought in those "water ships" to put out the fire. But they didn't get it before the fire spread to the wood. The wood fire, the water. The tapioca. You can picture the logical result. The hull of the boat was soon in danger. It took 30 dump trucks 24 hours to empty the tapioca. just had to pass this along.

Well, DH is starting to make bread with a certain seriousness. I think we may need some proofing baskets. However, I also know that the "gadget gene" looms large in both of us. What do you think? Worth the investment? Wicker or plastic? Liner or no liner? A brand or feature to look for? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks she-who-eats-bread (cheese and wine and olives) hmmm yumm