fifi

Having done just about everything I can think of to onions, stuffed, baked in foil (a favorite 'cause it's so easy), confit... My absolute favorite is a gratin... In a heavy gratin pan (I use a Le Creuset cast iron, not the crockery) layer 1/4 inch thick slices of onion, one layer overlapping the slices by about 1/3 both vertically and horizontally. Add salt, pepper, maybe a bit of nutmeg or some herbs of your choice. Pour on some heavy cream. Put it on the lower rack of the oven at 325F. How long it takes depends a lot on how much water is in the onions which is quite variable. (Oh... Don't use sweet onions for this.) What happens is the cream "breaks" into butter and milk solids. There is a nice caramelized crust. This is at least as good as potatoes dauphinois. My other favorite is thinly sliced sweet onion on a good soft white bread and a lot of mayo. Oh... as a condiment for tacos and such... Slice red onion paper thin. Marinate in freshly squeezed lime juice, s&p.

OH, my dear. You have hit a nerve. I am having a hard time eating when I need to and toast is always a vehicle. Currently I have an assortment of "healthy" breads and I tend to good butter, peanut butter and marmalade made from that calamonidin tree that my sister discovered. Toast seems to set me up for other culinary gustatations. I will often prepare a slice of toast then go on to that bowl of chili or whatever.

For both of you... Susan and Dave... I love you both dearly or I would never reveal such personal events. I actually had a dream last night. There were these guys that had these mega vacuums with these snouts that exuded liquid into the popcorn ceiling and then successively sucked up the muck. The whole dream sequence could have something to do with havng the chimney sweeps in here last week due to code requirements but it seemed like a good idea.

My sister got into trying to perfect the tequila jello shot last year. Should I ask her for recommendations.

Oh my those are lovely. Are they the same yeast raised dumplings you were talking about? I would love to know how to make those.

Oh my... that does look like a pleasant place. And I am hungry for some good ceviche. This time of year, we have many opportunities to enjoy patio dining. Many thanks for the info and the link. It is now at the top of next place to try. If I make it, I will report back.

*picking self up off the floor* Seriously, Rachel is the Jello mold queen. She has done some really creative stuff. On Thanksgiving, it was usually at my mother's house. Since our parents passing, my sister and I have alternated. We have always all cooked together, including the men, for holidays so there weren't ever any real control issues. It is just something we enjoy doing. We often break with tradition and have fun doing things in the kitchen on a whim so that the final menu doesn't much resemble the original plan. This year, we have opted to have dinner at the yacht club. But... My nephew is insisting on pans of the cornbread dressing. I may make him help me make it so that he knows what a pain it is. The real switcheroo will be Christmas. My son is having his sister and I to his place in Chicago. We are really looking forward to cooking together, he grew up with that tradition, so I don't have any anticipation of problems. But... I will be careful not to intrude on "his turf" and "his event".

Heh... At my Ikea, they had this display with gizmos opening and closing doors and drawers with a counter attached. I think the cabinet door was on 270,000+. About the same for the drawer. They have some really cool designs, too. I love some of their pulls. Yes, some of the construction is done with particle board. I figure that the only thing that is going to happen to that is if we get a hurricane of epic proportions (like Carla in 62). At that point, you kiss it all bye bye anyway. Like Susan says, you pick your battles. Here is one compromise (not really) that I made for my kitchen. This is a large kitchen with a big island. Basically acres of countertop. I have had laminate counter tops for just about all of my cooking life and have never had a problem with them. They also fit the "look" of the place. Many of my friends have swooned over granite. I don't happen to like it. (Another personal preference thing.) I did seriously consider soapstone and, if I win the lottery, may fall for its charms yet. (I guess that Martha show a few years ago when she was showing off the new studio got to me.) Anyway... There is enough money difference in the counters to just about pay for my GE Monogram appliances, including icemaker. This was a matter of looking at what was important to me and making my choices. I did spend a good bit of time weighing priorities. I am sure that out of 10 cooks, you would get ten different lists. I know that my son would live in a walk up tenement if he could have a La Cornue range in British Racing Green. So... Sit back, take a deep breath and start thinking and making diaries and lists. That is part of the fun. You will find out what you really want and what will work for you.

I would be very careful about that one. In most areas, even unincorporated, that will at the very least get your insurance canceled. You said "on a budget". That is one heck of a budget. With that list of choices, can we assume that you are enlarging the space? Your choice of applicances are a personal one based on the way you cook. I advise keeping a diary for a couple of months to see what you really do in a kitchen rather than what you think you do. The results can be surprising. It was certainly an eye opener for me. (And I thought I "Knew Myself".) On appliances, and to some extent cabinetry, look into reliability, service and parts availability as well as the funtionality. Some of the really cool stuff coming out of Europe is the devil to find anyone that knows what to do with them. That may not be a big problem in New York. I have friends that have spent upwards of $100,000 on a kitchen rebuild and have been miserable ever since. Everytime I go over there something else is on the fritz and they are waiting on a part. The latest casualty was the Sub-Zero fridge and freezer. They have been replaced. The cabinets have had hinges fail on a regular basis and if the drawer units aren't very carefully leveled, they don't work smoothly. They have fiddled with them endlessly. I forget the brand in this particular kitchen. They are drop dead gorgeous, cost a freakin' fortune, but the emphasis was on looks more than engineering. I can't imagine an Aga cooker in our climate. Certainly not the Gulf Coast. Maybe you can get away with it in New York. I would check with someone that actually has one. And what is wrong with Ikea? They have put the money into the stuff that really matters in the cabinetry. The drawer slides are a dream. They went functionality all the way. I have a couple of acquaintenances that have them, one for as long as Ikea has been here, and they are rock solid, the doors close like they are supposed to, and the drawers still work even though often overloaded. (They have drawers under the counter instead of cabinets and load all sorts of heavy stuff in them.) And now a disclaimer... I am one of those folks that have to feel that I am getting my money's worth in functionality so I really dug into this when designing the new kitchen. I also have to say that I am pretty cheap. Even though I could afford it, there are some things where I... just... can't... spend... that... much.

I agree about the water in the scrambled eggs. What I am looking at here is maybe trying for that custard quality as in a quiche. As Chufi said, you start getting too big on a straight egg fritatta and the cooking time could lead to leathery eggs. Unfortunately, when I am making a fritatta it is precisely because I need to cook up a bunch of stuff for ravenous young folk in one fell swoop. I usually am using my big frying pan with a lid, slow oven, a quick run under the broiler to melt cheese added to the top. Maybe I should just call it a "crustless quiche" and get out of the fritatta business altogether.

Oh my... yeast raised dumplings. That sounds really good. Please do ask and report back.

Are you saying that I need some new toys??? Hmmmm???

Hmmm... I am wondering if it is really just a piece of dense bread soaked in the liquid. "Spongy" is what makes me think that. From what little I know, that would make some sense. A lot of cuisines, especially old ones, use bread in that way. BTW... My sinker dumplings are anything but biscuit like. Not a flake in sight. You have to chew those puppies. Aunt Minnie would be proud.

Soooo... What is a bread dumpling, GG. Describe please. I am sensing that it is a different animal than our biscuit based southern dumplings. If it is an eastern European thing, I am not surprised at my ignorance since I know just about diddly about that cuisine.

Well... I am not so sure it is all that easy. Like Sam says here, on Chicken and Dumplin's there are tricks and techniques that make a lot of difference. Those are usually handed down, well explained in an obsessively explanatory book, or arrived at by trial and error. I am having a bit of trouble with your terminology, "bread" dumplings. In my limited experience, I put dumplings into two groups... The Asian style that is more like what I call a noodle. Then there is the southern US style that is usually based on a biscuit type of dough. Then you can divide the southern style into what I would call floaters and sinkers. The floaters are rather light and ride on top of the pot. They are typically laid on the top of the pot and allowed to simmer gently. The sinkers are the ones that are heavier, usually cut into squares or strips, and sink to the bottom of the pot when gently simmered. They have a definite substance to them when you bite into them. I think that the difference is in how you work the dough. When I first tried Mayhaw Man's Chicken Pie, My mind was in "biscuit mode" and I didn't work the dumpling dough much at all. The dumplings were way to fragile and tender for the pie. Next time out I reverted to my smashed out cheap biscuit trick and they were perfect. Technique here. Of course, we know that our great aunt didn't use cheap biscuits. We can remember her "working" the dough on a floured board before cutting it up. Sometimes she would dip a little broth out to make the dough but we also think she used some buttermilk. Working the dough a bit would bring out the gluten and make for the sinker style. That is where you get into the nuances of technique that can be so difficult to instruct. Suggestion... Try the cheap biscuit trick and see if that is what you are looking for. Get the store brand and smash on the floured board with the heal of your hand. I shoot for 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch thick. Shake off excess flour. (Oh... I already told you that.)

I guess I am leaning toward the Kenmore. I have an aversion to the glass ceramic tops but that is just me. At least with Kenmore you have the service to back it up. The price looks right.

I guess that if I were to spend the money for copper (unlikely) I would want copper, with a ss lining of course.

I just actually read about the All-Clad copper stuff. It says that it has an aluminum core. I don't get it. For heat transfer, aluminum is not as good as copper so why put in an aluminum core. That makes me think that the copper exterior is just for looks.

Having just imbibed of Hormel chili in a Frito pie with a good sharp cheddar, I can understand your situation. It was Gooooood. Go forth without guilt. (Now you have me craving a hot dog. )

Have you an address? I am not familiar with this place.

I am now convinced that you are a sick puppy. It is only good insofar as how you can cover it up. A disclaimer here... I have to say that I am mad at turkey. Every trick I have tried over the last several years to impart taste and seasoning to that incalcitrant bird have evaded my efforts. I have done brining (works for smoked), basting, stuffing, making slits in the skin and from the inside and stuffing in stuff... the damn bird is impervious to flavor. The best success was the tamales in the bottom of the baking pan under that tamale stuffed bird. I suspect that the goodness came from the lard in the tamale stuffing.

I dunno... My mom made a pretty mean roasted turkey, for a turkey that is. She always did it in an oiled brown paper bag. It was ok. I was never a fan of turkey, but I don't remember anything but a relatively juicy turkey, but a turkey nonetheless. The Thanksgiving that we all want to forget was sometime in the late 60s when she got into this Weight Watchers thing. The whole dinner was done on those principals. There was a family mutiny. She never tried THAT again. We haven't done a baked turkey in many years... Smoked or fried, yes. Most often we have opted for pork or venison. edit to add: That is not entirely true. We did do a tamale stuffed turkey one year with tamales lining the bottom of the baking pan to absorb the juices. That was pretty good.

Don't forget, guys, that "natural herbal tea" could be a problem as well. I don't care how you spell natural, herbal anything can contain powerful agents. It is by a quirk of law that the FDA hasn't gotten into that game... Though they continue to try. Anyway, the best thing to do is consult your doctor or pharmacist. When discussing any current drug use don't forget that herbal stuff or supplements in any form. And, don't neglect the pharmacist. After all, s/he may be more up on this stuff than the doc. It is their business, you know. Ginger is a powerful anti-nausea remedy. Many years ago, I used to run around on big sportfishing boats pestering big pointy nosed fishes. There was always some guest that would have a really hard time while we were rolling around in the Gulf. Before we left on a trip, I would get fresh ginger and cut it into little cubes. When a guest got green, I would instruct them to crush the cube in their back teeth and immediately chase with ginger ale. (Otherwise, it is pretty hot on the tongue.) The effect was often immediate. It worked faster than the powdered ginger capsules or the tea or ale. I don't know if this would work with a codeine induced nausea or not. Maybe not if that is a brain thing. (I never have had that problem with codeine. )

Why are you laughing. That sounds delicious.

Heh... Why not? We folks here love to worry something like this to death. Odd about the handle. My sister's pot is at least 25, maybe 30 years old and it has the same bakelite hndle they use today.