SLB

I was afraid you'd say that . . . .

One thing these fancy pans can do is rouse you out of cooking slump. In this vein, I ended up with the 3qt rondeau, but I am thinking I need to exchange it for the 4-qt. The 3qt (24cm) seems a touch too small. Just a touch. I'm having a hard time settling. Which is probably because I don't need neither one of 'em. A condition that makes every potentially legit distinguishing principles disappear.

guurrrllll . . . . Damn.

'TIS HUNTING SEASON ON EGULLET!!!

Sorry for the delay -- I meant it positive! Specifically: awe. I am awed at this hospital's food. Seriously awed.

Seriously. Stir-fried duck and ginger???

First and foremost: wishing you a speedy mend, @liuzhou. That food, though? It's looking awesome from over thisaway. Awesome. It's been too long since I've had good Chinese food, dang. In the mid-80s, one of my cousins married a woman who was the head dietician for the VA hospital in Chicago. This.Woman.Could.BURN!!! Meaning -- could cook her butt off. ohmyGOODNESS was her home food good. When my parents were ailing, she was always coming through with all of these amazing suggestions for packing more calories into the food, so that any bites I could persuade them to get down would bring the most bang for the misery. I would call her all the time, I guess for more support than just feeding tips. She retired and moved back to her very rural Alabama home, which happened to be (sort of) near a facility that I had to travel to regularly for work. I would always -- ALWAYS -- aim to drop in on her country kitchen after a day's work, which would add a full two hours to my trek home. Two hours following, ahem, having been well-fed, country-style. I never ate her hospital food, but somehow I believe this woman was throwing down for those vets.

It turns out that fruitcake can be one of the most wondrously wonderful things on earth. But that first slice I had, when I was something like 8? I think one of my aunties had sent it. People. It was an abomination on the LORD. And the revulsion stuck with me for DECADES.

I don't know what I'm gonna do. I too cut down to the LITE plan, and I split even that with a good friend. My problem is, I also want to consume local East Coast growers beans. I hate missing the special beans, though. I don't know what I'm going to do.

Yes. Why, you got an extra thermostat down thataway???

This just in: Hi [SLB], Just received an update from Bluestar. They no longer make the mechanical thermostat assembly anymore, it has been upgraded to electronic To purchase the upgrade kit it is $335.24 (does not include S&H or labor cost) [APPLIANCE REPAIR TECH]

I'm always nervous that I'm missing out on something delicious. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have a pre-existing confidence that the author Knows What's Good. Having my mind blown in a different direction by some recipe is, really, the only non-work-related adventure of my youth and young adulthood. I am glad my life has broadened; but I do miss what that felt like. God.

I *almost* did it with Wolfert's "Slow Mediterranean Kitchen". It was the year after my mother died, and I was clearing out the house. [Yes, I now realize that other people undertake this process in a matter of a few days; but it took me seven months.] Anyway. I was closing a door, pretending that my life was something other than horrible, feeding my brother, soothing myself. Really, I could not have made a better choice.

Order in.

You know, when the rivets holding the oven floor failed last year, the technician said the corrosion was the sort that one would expect to see if the range had been sitting salty seaside for a decade. This metal here could perhaps have corroded similarly. Hunh. I haven't heard back on the price, the entire thermostat assembly will need replacing, and not just the post for the knob. I am unhappy, people.

My latest BlueStar problem: the metal post which holds the oven knob broke last night while I was turning it off last night. I spent a half hour trying to turn the nub of the post with some pliers, and finally had to flip the circuit to get the oven off. I am so, so sick of this thing.

What @gfweb posted is my favorite. But I confess to entering a bit of a frenzy during a period in my life where I was enthralled with clay pots. I purchased these two during said frenzy: The Simmer Mat: https://bramcookware.com/product/simmermat-heat-diffuser/ And the Ilsa: _______________________________ I never was able to experience any advantage to such heavy fancy gear.

It's fall, and we've got HungryChris up in 'da house:

I do, but I don't have any either. And the place where I'd been buying it -- Zabar's, NYC -- has confirmed that they don't carry it anymore.

Patiently waiting for a Try Me Rondeau.

Meanwhile. I have been eyeing a Falk piece, waiting for a sale. Well. I spent the weekend not looking at email, and missed it. It was only 10%, but I can eat for a week on 10% of a Falk pan. Sigh. Maybe they have a holiday sale.

EXACTLY!!

Look at that face!!! @Duvel, as a chronically anemic, meat-at-every-meal person, I am downright inspired over here. And I'm behind rotuts, if you need more people in the rotation of eaters.

@DianaB, right??? These Preserving threads changed my life! Meanwhile -- this is a cross-post of mine from the Muscadine thread an hour ago (which may be against the rules) -- A good friend in AL sent up some juicy muscadine wonders, via overnight shipping: I'm not going to be able to eat all of these, and am considering options. The dehydrator thread has got me thinking -- a one-off muscadine leather. But -- pureed skins or pureed with no skins??? I could also freeze them and deal later. But -- aren't they pretty? The aroma hit when I slit the box open. I'm feeling loved! Like, loved best.

A good friend in AL sent up some juicy wonders, via overnight shipping: I'm not going to be able to eat all of these, and am considering options. The dehydrator thread has got me thinking -- a one-off muscadine leather. But -- pureed skins or pureed with no skins??? I could also freeze them and deal later. But -- aren't they pretty? The aroma hit when I slit the box open. I'm feeling loved! Like, loved best.