Deryn

I would love a kitchen floor entirely made out of Wellness mats (no substitute - the cheaper versions are just NOT as warm and comfy). Seriously though ... electrical in-floor heating with a wood floor on top should work for you - both softer and warmer - if they are technically feasible in your house. I have wood floors (love them) and no in-floor heat - and even here during winter in the frozen north, my bare or socked feet are not cold in the kitchen. I have often dropped things (including knives) and never had them even scar the floor (and have luckily never hit my toes). Wood floors are easy to clean and look great in a kitchen in my opinion. If you get a decent quality engineered wood (or, better yet, real hardwood), they will last many, many years. If wood doesn't appeal to you, you might want to look at real linoleum (marmoleum) - again, very easy to clean, natural product, definitely durable, great colours these days and I think you may be able to install those with an in-floor heat pad as well if you use some kind of subflooring or linoleum tile.

Interesting choice of word to describe someone (like me) who has always thought it was just nice/decent to pay for others if I could. It is the way I was raised and the way my father/family always did it. If I enjoy the company of those I am eating with and have the wherewithal to pay for the meal, I always offer to do so - and I mean it - and I have, many many times. Thanks IS all that was ever desired but even if that wasn't received, it is no big deal (although if I paid 20 times in a row and never heard a word, I might have reconsidered, but that has never happened - except with my own children). But, to hear that doing that for someone else connotes something (that I want to be or am some sort of 'bigshot') that never even occurred to me before saddens me. I guess it is a good thing I don't get out much any more. Luckily, I don't think my kids have learned this annoying habit from me so their generation is safe. Their only real problem will be if their calculators/phone apps don't work and they have to add/divide things up manually - could be messy since many of them can't do simple math.

Fresh Market (which I am surprised to see mentioned at all because as far as I know it is a relatively small outfit still and quite local to western NC) in 9th place and Earthfare (similar size, similarly local, similar goods but usually actually cheaper and equal if not better quality) not mentioned ... hmmm. What were the criteria? I have to wonder how much money was involved. I know Consumer Reports is supposed to be impartial but I have to question this list. And where is Central Market in TX? They have to be one of the best in the country imho. If Fresh Market can make this list, surely Central can too.

I have definitely sliced more fruits and vegetables than meat with my slicer (though I have done meat and it works well for that too). I often use it for anything that needs to be utterly consistent in thickness and/or is a large quantity and/or needs to be cut up quickly. It works great for prepping a lot of veg/fruit for dehydration (or freeze-drying) in particular or when I need a pile of onions for confit or a lot of oranges for marmalade, or disposing of a mountain of zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes or cucumbers, etc. I use the guard as much as possible - I like my fingers too! So far, so good .. no blood (which is more than I can say for when I am wielding a knife or grater) and all 10 intact. It is one of the lighter 'appliances' that I own and fairly compact (though much larger, of course, than a mandoline). It is relatively easy to both store and take out when I need it so I find myself using it far more than I ever thought I would.

I had missed this story so thanks for bumping it, even though it brought back memories of my personal 'catering' horror stories. However, in reading this story and the comments of others in this thread, there is also a sort of perverse comfort in knowing that I am not the only one who endured 'death by fire' trials like this despite the best made plans of 'mice and men'.

I have had the Chef's Choice 615 slicer for several years, and I love it.

I think they are totally different beasts - fresh, baked/braised/barbequed, caramelized, preserved, etc. Each is delicious in its own way and has a different taste. Each has its own place where it shines and is the appropriate taste/texture for a particular dish. I like them all, used where they belong. I am not sure though that I would glaze them in oil first. That part somehow doesn't appeal to me nor do I think it is necessary.

Huh? Why would I be mad at you? I was merely asking what seemed to me to be a valid question. I cannot compare a gas stove burner to an induction burner since I do not have the former and my induction burners are both 'portable' 120v. I have cooked with gas however and I would still pick a 120v 'portable' induction burner every time (unless I wanted to do some showy flambé-ing). I can compare either of my portable 120v burners (one of which cost $59 and the other cost well over $250 and is labelled 'professional' - whatever that means) to my electric cooktop and they both beat the electric cooktop by a mile (and a half) in every respect.

Exactly how 'portable' would a 220v 'commercial' induction burner be for the average homeowner who has to install a single dedicated plug to be able to use it at all? And, what is the difference in heating power, etc. between a 220v portable burner and a burner on a 220v induction (non-portable) stove/cooktop? If there is little to no difference, and the portable 220v unit is not really 'portable' any more due to lack of places one can plug it in, unless one has a space issue and cannot even install a 2 burner in-countertop unit, why buy a 220v portable burner that is not portable anyway (and costs not that much less but only delivers a single burner)?

I don't understand the question then. Are you asking if a specific individual would tip differently if they went to the city for dinner vs when they live in the country/suburbs/small town and go for dinner locally? That is really the only way one person who lives in one place could tell you if there are 'regional variations' in their own behaviour - and they still couldn't speak for others. For instance, in the effort to clarify your question ... What do YOU tip in Orillia? If you go to Toronto for fine dining, do you tip differently? Or do you tip differently based on 'level of service'? or on 'type of meal/establishment'? Maybe I should also ask you .. what is the purpose of this question? Are you writing a book? Writing a thesis? As for my personal tipping behaviour - dinner is dinner, service is service - I tip based on those no matter where I am eating and I do not vary my own behaviour based on my location at the time, be it in North America or abroad. I tip generously when the service is good, I tip less than 20% if the service is not so good and I have been known (the last time was many years ago now) to leave a penny when the service was atrocious. I guess I will have to up that now that we have no more pennies mind you! And my tips are based roughly on the total bill, not the pre-tax amount. And they are usually rounded up from there too. As long as I am not tipping too low, I don't really take 'local customs' into account. I guess I could explain my personal perspective better though if I told you I spent a number of years waitressing, cooking and bartending back in my youth.

Ick but thanks, Pipsqueak. Makes me wonder why they don't design these pumps to have a drain at all low points. And/or maybe what is needed too is some kind of injection/pressure wash out system one could hook up every few uses to get the grunge off the sides and propel it down to a drain. But .. failing all that .. my ad for the cabana/oil changing boy will stand.

Are you all changing the oil when the pump is hot? According to what I read, if you allow the pump to cool off, the particulates and water separate and will, of course, precipitate out into the lower space available. Sounds logical. If one changes the oil while the pump is hot, it is supposed to minimize this buildup, no? (Now, how long must one run the pump to ensure it is sufficiently 'hot' if doing this after the pump has been idle/cool for several days would be my next question - is a few minutes enough to agitate and warm up the oil mixture again?) http://www.jbind.com/technical/faq-pumps.aspx (see #4)

Oops, Simon - sorry about that. You are correct.That is what I get for posting before my 2nd cup of coffee. I was thinking of the 'foot' attachment to the shell but then again, I don't ever shell my own scallops so what do I know. Dehydrating in itself though is going to get rid of the liquid - that is its purpose (but it will concentrate the flavour of the scallop itself and most likely leave much of the sea brine residue/minerals dried out inside as well) so I would imagine thawing and lightly poaching or gently sautéing (don't sear or brown it) the scallop would suffice (just till translucent - don't overcook them). Just a guess though. If you have a way to dehydrate foods (you can use your oven if it will go low enough), then I think I would try it with a few and see what happens. I would probably slice them in half (height-wise) to reduce the amount of time they will need to dry out.

Finishman, we already have our units and have already paid for them so I don't expect a filter 'included' in the original price. Cost is therefore not an issue (within reason, of course - and as long as it doesn't void my warranty with HR either but I cannot see that as an issue if we are improving the system/saving the pump). So, is there any way for current owners to retrofit an in-line filter of some kind between the main machine and the pump that might reduce or completely stop this gunk from getting to the pump? If so, perhaps we should begin investigating what kind of filter would fit the bill, and where it can be bought. My point was that I am not lucky enough to have a handy guy around the house to take on these dirtier, more mechanical jobs. There is only me - so I have to find the best way to take care of it all alone. I am not about to take a chance on opening up the housing every time I change the oil (which could be as often as once a week if I am using the machine a lot) - since I might ruin it doing just that. And yet, now that I know there is junk in there that could be either reducing the efficacy of the drier, or perhaps even harming the pump long term, I have to do something about it.

Good question. I recently freeze-dried a bunch of scallops but since, rehydrated, they are pretty well like a fresh (cooked or uncooked) scallop, I don't think using that method will work to concentrate the flavours for that umami taste. I would suggest trying the dehydration method. I understand they are cooked first but I don't think there is any cure involved. I think the drying process just concentrates that 'fresh' briny flavour - so I would not wash the heck out of them before dehydrating them. I recently read in a wiki article (and I don't believe everything I read on the internet) that conpoy is actually made from the adductor muscles, not the scallop proper that we usually eat. Where you might get a pile of those I do not know unless you shell your own scallops. You might try using a bay scallop as opposed to sea scallop though since they are usually cheaper.

Here in the frozen north (2 harsh nor'easter blizzards dropped about 4 feet of snow here this week), I would like to employ an (oil changing) cabana/pool 'boy' to service my machine. He can keep in shape by shovelling snow between oil changes. Seriously though, I wish you guys hadn't told me about all the gunk in there because this 65 year old lady just can't see herself lifting this pump up and tipping it back and forth for hours trying to clean it all out like that every few days. There has to be a better way to get this stuff out, or a way to trap the stuff so it can't get in there in the first place or a better pump, perhaps with an easy to open valve under the gunk trap area? Right now I have to pretty well ignore the fact it is there and cross my fingers that, long term, that doesn't affect much or that the buildup will be very slow over time.

It is anti-intuitive for me to think about leaving the guts in that long but I am sure your butcher friend knows much more than I do. And I am sure that if the birds weren't shot there probably is less rush - all the birds I did were, of course, hunted and damaged in some way as a result. I learn something new here everyday! Thanks, gfron. I look forward to seeing the rest of your pictures. Your dinner bird looks absolutely scrumptious.

I have never gutted pigeons but I imagine they are much like grouse, which I used to do both innards and outtards for my father when I was a wee girl - for a price. The more he paid, the faster I got but I don't think it ever took more than 5 minutes (at my slowest) to cut the head off, cut the bird open, haul out the guts and wash it out quickly. It was the feathers/plucking that took much more time. I agree with Shelby - do at least the gutting part within a couple of hours of the kill (as you would for a fish, for instance) and then keep in the fridge.

Any possibility you can buy Starbucks decaf instant coffee and teach the caregiver to add some water to that, cool it in the fridge (or with ice) and then mix in a bit of sweetened condensed milk? All she would have to do is open a small foil packet for one drink and keep a can of the milk in the fridge. Maybe you can buy some for yourself and try it out in advance so you will know exactly how to teach her. I would say you might actually be able to can your own using the above 'recipe' but I am not sure it should be done without a pressure canner as it is probably not acidic enough (though if it is not being kept long and is stored in the fridge it may be fine). Also, I am not a sweetened coffee drinker but it seems to me that Starbucks may also stock powdered complete instant 'iced' coffee drinks - you may want to check with them by phone or in person. Not sure if they have decaf ones but it would not surprise me.

Shortbread - can be cut in shapes (although I am not sure how they would do with really tiny intricate corners, etc.) and imprinted. Also happens to taste pretty good in my opinion.

You could try calling the nearest LDS home storage facility and see if they will sell you some. (http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng ). Not all will sell to non-church members but some have, at least in the past, been very friendly to 'outsiders'. I used to buy my #10 cans from the facility in Greensboro, NC. I don't think All American sells cans to be used with their sealers but if you call them (614-564-9817) perhaps they can tell you where you might purchase some. On another note - a tip I read today that I think is worthy of being mentioned here: Someone posted on another board that he is 'greasing' the chamber of his HR FD (Pam and a polish cloth is what I think he is using) so that he can stop the process mid-stream if necessary and defrost in only a few minutes because the ice will fall right off when he hits it with his heat gun, shortening the drying time for wet or large loads significantly (and eliminating the necessity to remove the food and cutting down on re-freezing time associated with a mid-stream shutdown).

Are they paying your expenses (travel/accommodation)? I hope so. Though I personally might be reluctant to ask for pay (especially if it was not suggested or contracted for at the time of the agreement to 'help' with this dinner), I am sure you deserve it and since it doesn't sound as though this is for charity or a friend, you should. I am not in the restaurant business (you are so I am sure you have a general idea of what their costs/profit might be for this type of event) of course but my gut says that taking a cut from what they are charging each diner is not untoward - perhaps $15-$20 per plate - or some round number (in between that per plate suggestion) like $1k? That may be low actually but at least it is something in your pocket. After all, at $100 a plate, they are grossing $6500 just on the meal itself - and if you are doing 1/2 of the work for that (which is a LOT for 65 people), you are contributing $3250 gross (at a minimum - your reputation is also 'saleable' but leave that aside for now - they organized it too so that is to their credit and may balance out). If you know their approximate 'costs' then you may be able to ask more than that, but, if you don't normally charge at all (and they are already aware of that), though you do not want to undervalue yourself, you may want to be fairly reasonable, leaving them with enough profit that they ask you back again or others ask you in future (and you can begin to raise the price slightly each time). If you charge at all, just don't let them 'use' you - you should be paid fairly based on what they will earn. All this is said presuming (bad idea?) that this dinner is on an off/closed night for both you and the restaurant so no one is losing a normal day's pay/trade to hold this event. None of my numbers may be realistic but perhaps they will help you think out what you should ask for.

It looks to me as though the innovation is mostly centered around the 'onboard' blades - you just turn the dial as opposed to having to change them out manually.

I just checked the Frog Hollow site - they say they use only 20% organic sugar. So that should make it easy to experiment with making your own copy.

So ... Toots already knows how to make what you like? Great. I am sure she can help you with a 'recipe' then. And, yes, while there are technically standard names for various types of this kind of product, there is also something called 'poetic license' and 'differentiation' for marketing purposes.