tejon

Back in my college days, I learned that not everyone can detect caffeine by taste - about 1/3 of the population can detect the flavor (which is very bitter). I thought everyone could taste the bitterness and I was one of the only ones who actually minded that taste. The asparagus/urine thing is a bit different - the asparagine in asparagus will come out in the, erm, end for everyone, but some people can't smell it.

I loved watching TFG shows, and used to have a full collection of his cookbooks as well. As I learned more about cooking, I realized that most of his recipes had all kinds of problems (I remember one for pita bread that asked for so much flour they ended up more like crackers). It was surprising to find out that someone who I had thought knew a lot about food could make so many mistakes - but eye opening to realize that *any* recipe is suspect, and should be taken with a grain of salt. I find now that I browse the few remaining cookbooks I have of his more to reminisce than for ideas.

Another thumbs up for WMF! We love our 18/10 stainless set from Crate & Barrel - it's heavy, fits well in the hand, and has stood up to 6 years of abuse (sons pictured at right use them every day), but still looks good enough to use with more formal dishes. It's the Artisan pattern - very simple and streamlined.

Exactly. Though I am a serious cheapskate and the low cost of paperbacks appeals to me....good thing I get cookbooks as gifts pretty often

I tend to keep bagged tea for iced tea - somehow easier that way. Loose tea is so much better, even for herbal teas. I make my own herbal blends as well and really prefer them to bagged herbals.

I would hazard a guess that much more of your trash is now food trimmings, versus packaging of one sort or another. So, while you may be generating more trash, more of it is biodegradable. If nothing else, it feeds the critters nicely .

The tangerine sours are incredible Didn't think too much of the ginger Altoids one way or the other.

Reading your posts, I want to start growing vegetables again. There really is nothing like a tomato you just picked, still warm from the sun, or a carrot that is so sweet and crisp it begs to be nibbled right away.

Grace under pressure - I'm impressed that you kept it together so well. Can't wait to see the stills!

I have just recently become fond of cauliflower - once I learned to saute it a bit then cover and cook on low with spices, I was hooked! This works well (with judicious addition of liquid as needed) for most vegetables. Though grilling is also wonderful for just about any veggie as well.

Thanks everyone! This Friday I will be going cookbook hunting, and playing more with biscotti recipes soon after (have to recover slightly from Thursday, you know ).

Beautiful pie! That apple peeler does look like a lot of fun :-)

Grapefruit knives. Plural. Not a fan of grapefruit. My father has a thing for buying odd, often useless gifts for people - and once he's decided something is a successful gift he will often repeat several times. I keep trying to find something useful to do with them. Art, perhaps.

Derek - Just finished looking for cookbooks by Maida Heatter and now know what to add to my birthday wish list :-). I would be very interested in the mandelbrot recipe if you can locate it. tsquare - I love the idea of black pepper in a biscotti - was it a sweet or savory cookie? I could see it both ways (thinking of strawberries and black pepper).

Ah - I had always baked on one side, flipped, then baked on the other side. Standing them on end sounds like a much better idea. I'll admit to having not even one Italian cookbook , something I hope to remedy soon. So the recipes that I have tried have been off the web or out of less traditional cookbooks. I'm looking for anything with almonds or hazelnuts that would be good drizzled with a bit of chocolate, just to gild the lily a bit.

I have a few recipes, but none come out the right texture or taste in my opinion. My goal is to have a dense, dry, not too sweet biscotti that is full of flavor and prefect for dipping into something warm. Any hints, recipes, or links?

Way to go! Be sure to make some soup so you fully enjoy the results - something broth based like minestrone or maybe egg drop (simmer with some ginger and green onion for a bit to flavor the stock). Wait til you taste it .

That's what I was doing - we have a side by side refrigerator, so no freezer space to speak of. Now that I have a refrigeratir sized freezer, space isn't the same consideration .

Do try making stock - it's really easy, and the end result puts anything canned to shame (and I'll add that it's much cheaper than canned as well). It's as easy to make as any soup, just takes a much longer simmer. I was reducing it like crazy (see the eGCI lesson), freezing in ice cube trays, then storing in a bag in the freezer. I recently acquired a large deep freeze, so now I separate out the stock into amounts I'm likely to use - several 6 cup containers for soup, many 2 cup baggies, several 1 cup baggies as well. It all depends on your freezer space and how you'll use the resulting stock. By the way, applesauce makes a really nice topping for pancakes, especially if you throw in some frozen berries as the apples cook (I also add a little brown sugar, just because ).

Cusina, your grandmother and mine would have gotten along famously :-). I'm also a meal planner (I feed my husband and two boys, almost 3 and 5), but anything I do pales in comparison with her careful notes on anything and everything food related. Though I know I get my obsession with lists from her! For dinners with just me and the boys, I focus on something fun for all of us - like a moroccan cous cous we can all eat with our fingers, or rolled veggie sushi that the boys can help make, or even pancakes or waffles for dinner. Something to keep the little ones involved and help while the evening away.

1 albatross 1 ex-parrot and a coconut. halved. 1 mint, wafer thin.

Hear, hear! I like both home made and the scary bright orange powder from a box. Growing up, boxed mac and cheese was a forbidden food, so the few times we wrangled it from our grandparents or babysitters it was the ultimate treat. Usually I prefer to make mine from scratch with some nice Cheddar, but sometimes only the box will do. Different food items entirely, fulfilling different cravings entirely.

That has been my experience as well. Brining really improves moistness and helps protect the breast from overcooking. Just make sure the turkey you buy hasn't already been brined - Butterno sense in brining twice! I don't cook the stuffing in the turkey, but in a casserole along side. This year I'm going to cook the stuffing in my crock pot, which should keep it moist and save room in the oven. I also tend to make a strong turkey stock ahead of time, then make the gravy from that so there is less last minute fussing on T-day.

Exactly what I do as well. There is a very short list of people who I would entrust my favorite cookbooks to, though oddly enough they never ask - they usually go and get their own copy of whatever it is that was inspiring lust. I would be beyond angry if someone borrowed one of my cookbooks and didn't return it. Recipes are one of the things I would save in the event of a fire - they mean that much to me!