SLB

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.

I'm going to try that. Altho -- like @Darienne, I often make way more fruit leather than I actually want to eat. I have several interesting ones in the freezer, and do recall that my current faves are apple/walnut/coconut and mango/orange. But I don't really pull them out as often as I imagine I'm going to. They're a good hiking snack (which is basically what I make them for); but they get hard in winter hiking, and I've cut way back on the summer hiking because I'm paranoid about ticks. Anyway. I'm gonna make that lime situation, that sounds like a fabulous addition.

"Bean by Bean" is my go-to. Those recipes are so reliably delicious that I follow them -- the meatist variation, when offered -- 100% of the time. The Time-Life Bean book from the series is the first one I ever looked at, in the kitchen of a vacation rental in Ocean Grove, NJ. Seriously -- I brought it to the beach with me. It was so wonderful that it (along with some subsequent research here) induced me to buy the whole series off of ebay the following week. No regrets. I've given "Grist" as a gift, and I like the author's voice. But I haven't cooked from the book.

This exact same shock, over here. I put off ordering them until I was in the middle of my August vacation, trying to time the delivery. And then when I got to shipping I about fell over dead. Nope. At the time, I thought I was going to be stopping in Denver on my way back from vacation and just figured I'd put a pile in my suitcase. But then I didn't make the stop, so . . . . The truth is, there are lots of interesting chilis here, so I'm just going to have to buckle down to some experimentation.

Good advice. It's unlikely, @AlaMoi, that the cost of an expert restoration would be worth it to me. The cost of a tablecloth, on the other hand . . . . @weinoo -- very tippy top of Harlem. I am on a bluff and get very nice light.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/20/t-magazine/eating-early-new-york-restaurants.html

@AlaMoi Thank you so much! On reflection, I have a cousin who does some pretty fine woodworking, I might try to import him . . . I mean invite him and his wife and kid up for a [Working] Trip To The Big City. I actually do like things looking a bit aged/patina-ed; I just don't think that really works that well with this type of style (which you indicate as book-matched-veneer; plus all the edge texture, and the big ole' statement-legs . . .). On the chairs, we got rid of them way backalong, they had that old caning on the backs and were just a disaster. But I hear you on the sideboard, which is displaying some extremely weird decay along its edges. No one living from my family of origin approves of my chair replacement, but they do eat the food here. And I think my mother might've been at least a little piqued (yes, therapy, I got it).

DIFFERENT FORUM!!

I've been away, this was so much fun to come back to! Hope your leg heals up soon, Shelby! And, Lord knows, if you, uh, need some help out thataway . . . .