Marmish

I'm not sure if Chufi made one in this old thread, but a number of us did - Mille Crepes

Thank you so much for that link! I had a wonderful time reading her blog and that sandwich looks so good I'm going to pick up everything i need to make it at the store this afternoon! And those potatoes you made look like an absolutely perfect side dish! ← I'll second the thanks for the link. I spent the better part of the afternoon with the Pioneer Woman and her family, and will be making those sandwiches very soon.

I have around 60-70 dishtowels last time I counted, and I doubt I've lost any since then. I keep them in a drawer, folded in half longwise, then thirds and stacked. I can fit 3 stacks in the drawer front to back. It is rare that they are all clean at the same time. Putting a basket on the top of the frig for dirty towels is genius. I either pile them at the top of the basement stairs, or throw them down the stairs, depending on how wet or crumby they are. It's really not a good solution either way. I try to use them for everything, but use papertowels for chicken and the like. I usually throw some vinegar in with them in the wash, rarely bleach. They make good souvenirs, and I always think of who gave me the towel when I use it. I also scrounge around TJMaxx, Marshalls, and Kohls clearance sections for cheap towels. It helps that if I like it, I buy it, even if it doesn't match the kitchen.

Sounds delicious Greekcook! We are invited to our Greek friend's family Easter again this year. I always ask if I can bring something and they always graciously tell me no. There is TONS of food, so I don't need to take something, but I'm trying to come up with an appetizer to take. They have, of course, all the expected Greek dishes.

Thanks. I don't think I'll have enough, so I'll have to wait until I make a trip to the store. It's definitely next on the list. I made a marbled pound cake for a dinner I gave to one of our secretaries who is sick. I of course presliced it for them. So it would be less work. And I could eat those "ugly" end pieces. And a few more. Had to test it, right? They enjoyed it very much, as did we.

Hey, Dorie, In the Normandy Apple tart recipe, how much applesauce do you estimate I would need if I didn't make my own from scratch? I have a good quality unsweetened jarred applesauce, but I'm not sure I have enough left for this tart. Thanks, Marmish

Don't do it. Seriously. I have had mine about 1 year and I am seriously considering Craigslisting or eBaying it to someone who wants something that looks pretty but who doesn't cook. The front panel is glued on. The self cleaning cycle will melt the glue, unsealing the control panel. I had it replaced once because it had come loose and moisture must have gotten into it. I couldn't turn the oven off. I plugged the range into a powerstrip until the repair company could order the part and schedule to put it in. Didn't really give me a warm fuzzy my-house-won't-burn-down feeling, ya know? The smaller burners on high do nothing. The oven racks are too close together to put trays of anything but the flatest cookies in a the same time. I haven't found the convection to be helpful with anything. The broiler turns itself off. I do have the gas version, but can't imagine the electric to be different, especially where the control panel is concerned. Um... anyone want to buy a range? eta: I had a $900 GE in our last house and liked it better. When I replace this one, I'll likely get another GE.

I absolutely agree with you. I work with kids, and I often tell myself, "They're kids. Someday they'll learn their lesson and grow up into a respectable adult." Then I meet their parents....

Shears are amazing. Yes, you need a pair. A good pair of shears can handle anything from snipping grapes from a cluster for school lunches to cutting the backbone out of a chicken. The Messermeister shears are the bargain of the century. Not only are they strong enough to take anything you can dish out in the kitchen, they pop apart for easy cleaning. Seems like a simple feature, but it makes a big difference. Most kitchen shears require you to use a screwdriver to disassemble them, which leads to not using them because they are a pain to clean. You tend not to use shears that harbor hunks o' nastiness down in the crevasses. These simply snap apart for hand washing -- or you can just drop them in the dishwasher if no one is looking. They'll come out none the worse for wear if you don't do it too often. Please note: these are multi-purpose kitchen shears. Spring loaded poultry shears -- the ones that look like tin snips -- are not as useful. They may, in theory, be stronger, but I've yet to find any evidence. They are harder to clean and less practial all around. Chad ← I saw those on Amazon and liked that they come apart. Thanks for the endorsement.

I've wanted a pair of poultry shears for awhile now, but haven't made the purchase for some reason. Do you use them? Do you like yours? What does one look for in a pair of shears?

I'd use the roasting pan, I think.

One of my friend's mom's easiest recipes is for cherry squares, which is basically an easy scratch white cake poured into a jelly roll pan, then cherry pie filling dropped into it. Bake and cut into squares, with the cherries in the center of the squares. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, they are pretty, and they don't take a lot of ingredients.

Thanks. Without being able to work farther ahead, I think I'll have to shelve this idea for awhile.

That looks great! I know you did yours the morning of, but how far ahead can you put one of these together?

I've had an article from the Chicago Tribune sitting on my desk since November about Coco Rouge. I haven't made it there yet, but it sounds really good. I can send it to you if like.

Mmmm. Cheeseburger pie. I haven't made that in probably 12 years. Really good in a probably-so-bad-for-you-that-you-don't-want-to-know way. You have to try it at least once.

I need to make a vegetarian soup for an upcoming luncheon for 40-50 people. We will also have chili and sandwiches. I was thinking a minestrone. Any favorite vegetarian minstrone recipes? or other vegetarian friendly soups that can be made ahead (though what soup can't be, really), and preferably are not creamy.

Ignorant question here: how does that happen and why is it important?

Renka, Your packages are beautiful. Can you tell me more about the sizes and materials of packaging you used?

Top Secret Recipes, TS Lite, and one Sharing Recipes book taken.

I'm cleaning out the basement: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes Top Secret Recipes Lite Meat by Omaha Steaks John Harrison with Frederick Simon Making Your Own Gourmet Coffee Drinks Not one, but 3 copies of Sharing Recipes, which is a cookbook my friend's mom, a farm wife and excellent cook, put together and had printed. Very oldfashioned, down home recipes. And not a cookbook, but I'm sure there are food related pic in there, Anne Geddes Down in the Garden.

Add two for me: Baking: From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan, and a Norman Rockwell cookbook my mom was going to list on eBay, with illustrations throughout. She's got some horrid microwave ones to list, but some cool old ones, too. I limited myself to just the Rockwell.

What about Caputo's on Harlem (Elmwood Park) or International Meats on Grand (Chicago, just east of Harlem)?

pie crusts - I think I've finally gotten the hang of them granola - so much cheaper to make at home sometimes yogurt, but the Greek stuff is more available now commercially and is very good any type of packaged side - potatoes au gratin, stuffing mixes, rice mixes, etc. Things I'd like to not buy - soups and salad dressings, but I'm not really the one who eats them, so it's a convenience thing for DH. I'm proud that I almost always cook from scratch even though I have a hectic work schedule.

Pallee, it sounds fabulous. I've been meaning to make burnt sugar ice cream for a while now. Care to share your recipe? Sunny, come on over here. We've been making tons of marshmallows.