SLB

That's quite an endorsement!! @Duvel, this was just spectacular. There is no happy-family like a happy-family, camping in the chilly rain. And, I now know the source of the grumpy when my campsites are rained out: we've been bringing along gin!? Also, I learned a new term of importance to my meat-loving self: "carvery". Thanks so much, Duvel! And to your family for letting you share so much of their fun with us.

Top of the morning to ya'! It's been a strong week!

Oh, it's gone. I was just saying, it was a little crazy. The past few months, I've been patiently waiting on the Falk sales. I just got turned around on the quarts.

I get that, @weinoo, totally. And, it's helpful. The pan which the new rondeau purports to replace was a 3qt Copco enameled cast iron pan which I inherited and loved, but which was ancient and had gotten to where it was chipping enamel into my food. It was hard for me to get rid of, because of how much I loved the cousin who gave it to me. And, oh my goodness, her food. [This is irrelevant, and not merely complex-emotional; in fact, it's totally crazy. Do you know how it beat-down a person gets to feeling when picking enamel chips out of a dish that has been cooking all day??? Sigh.] Anyway, size. I don't know why I'm anxious that what was done in that old pan cannot be done in this new and more awesome rondeau, since I wasn't at all trying to alter the use-case. Honestly? I'm probably just thinking, hundreds of bucks, you better go ahead and gross up. Investment pieces, I get the jitters. Thank you.

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.