Toliver

Outdoor grill. Microwave. Cold salads - Taco salad using shredded chicken from one of those store-bought rotisserie chickens. The store can heat up their ovens while yours remains off.

"Heartburn" by Nora Ephron A humorous book loosely based on Nora's own divorce except that she made the protagonist a cookbook writer. Sprinkled throughout the book are recipes, some incidental, some pertinent to the plot. Paraphrasing, here's one instance: "I got mad at him so I threw a pie in his face. It was a key lime pie. It's quite good. Here's the recipe."

Again, not a mushroom like what fifi posted in post #1, but it could do: Crate & Barrel Coffee Tamper Yes, I am supposed to be working...why do you ask?

You can find more info in this eGullet Discussion: "The make-your-own vanilla extract experiment, Merged"

For those who would like some tips/methods for rendering lard, here are a couple of eGullet sources: fifi's RecipeGullet recipe for rendering lard "Rendering Lard, The Topic (merged)" Some recommendations for finding pork fat: "Where to find pork fat?, where are the fat pigs? (merged topic)" And some tips can be found in "Suet, what?"

Looks like full summer has finally arrived in San Diego. I spoke with my mom this weekend and she said the marine layer is finally gone. Her tomato plants had a lot of fruit that just wasn't ripening due to the marine layer sticking around so long each day. But within the last week or so they've been turning like mad. She said the yellow Cherry tomatoes (she thought they were going to be golden pears) are as sweet as can be. She's been reluctant to leave ripe fruit on the vine lest the night critters get them so her kitchen window sill is overflowing with tomatoes. May you all be cursed with such bounty!

Just checked on this link and saw it's even cheaper today. Of course, it's out of stock. Has anyone purchased this model? I'd be interested in hearing any feedback on it.

I have both the salt cellar and the measuring cups. Love the salt cellar. The measuring cup not so much. It's great to have the options for all those different measures, including metric, but the cylinder shape makes them a PITA to use for items like flour and sugar. I've recently shelved them and went back to using regular measuring cups that are wider across the top and easier to use without making a mess. ← Oddly, the measuring cup isn't quite the multi-tasking tool it should be for an Alton Brown product. That being said, it's really intended for use in measuring wet and/or sticky ingredients that don't easily come out of a measuring cup. Peanut butter, mayo, honey, etc, (all are what I use it for) come out quite easily due to the design of the measuring cup. I don't use it for regular ingredients like sugar or flour for the reason you noted.

I have been watching for one of these to show up locally. I would love to use it to peel peppers without roasting them first. I am sure I can order it on line but am convinced it will show up soon in a store near me. ← Cook's Illustrated did a review of this peelers and recommended them. I believe Zyliss was the maker. Bed, Bath & Beyond should carry them. From Amazon: Zyliss Soft Skin Peeler

Exactly! TSB is why God gave us pinkies. You grasp the sandwich with your GI Joe Kung Fu Death Grip®. Place your pinkies against the top piece of toast/roll essentially holding it down to help prevent any TSB. Of course, it helps to be dining with a beloved niece or nephew so they can feed you potato chips or help you get a sip of your beverage because you know if you let go of your sandwich it'll fall completely and utterly apart.

Word to that. Also, don't season your egg mixture. It doesn't disperse properly (salt can eventually dissolve but pepper flakes just tends to stick together like wallflowers at a dance). Instead, season your breading/coating.

Reeds Ginger Candy is quite good. A friend keeps my supply well-stocked so I can't tell you where to get them. They're a soft fruit-gel sort of candy that have a tendency to get hotter (as in spicy) the longer you chew them. So if you like spicy foods, I recommend them.

I agree. Though I'm not a big fan of burritos with rice and beans, I like Chipotle burritos. As for why McDonald's sold off Chipotle, this seems to be a recent trend among some companies. They sell off parts that don't have anything to do with their main or core product. It's sort of the opposite of diversification. PepsiCo is another example of this. They sold off their fast food businesses (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, etc) to concentrate on their core products - soft drinks. And to bring it back on subject, McDonald's, known for its strong bond with Coke, now sells Pepsi non-carbonated drink products in some areas.

"McDonald's Agrees to Sell Boston Market" Boston Market (formerly Boston Chicken) wasn't a good buy in the first place. The chain was heavy in debt when purchased by McDonald's and it's still not doing well. I hadn't realized they dumped the Chipotle chain, whose stock has been doing quite well recently since the sell-off.And in a second story: "Snack wraps, iced coffee boost McDonald's July sales 6.5%" They've introduced a new Chipotle Chicken Snack Wrap (ironic name given they've sold off their Chipotle chain) that's supposed to be selling well. Does anyone know if the fish sandwiches sold in Asia are the same that are sold in the US? Or are they different?

Has anyone here ever returned a defective piece to Tupperware? Many decades ago my mom bought me one of those long green celery keepers that they don't make anymore and the lid has developed a crack in it. I'd like to get a new lid. Do they still honor replacement of discontinued items? And what's the process?

Welcome to my world! I needed some for a recipe that specifically called for it. I searched high and low and eventually found some at a new grocery discount chain that recently opened in my town. I kept finding regular cocoa and the ocassional imported box of dutch processed cocoa ($11 a box? No thanks!) in most grocery stores. I wish you luck in finding some in your town!

The platters I recall also had "shrimp toast" or "paper-wrapped chicken" which, oddly, always came wrapped in foil triangles, not paper. I used to dread the platters that came with Rumaki as that would mean one less appetizer us kids could eat.

To add to the confusion, you can order beef chow fun "dry" (not so much sauce) or "wet" (comes with a lot of sauce). Most prefer the "dry" version.

Better to have pockets and not use them than to need pockets and not have them.

You asked for book recommendations, but how about a cookie recipe website hosted by eGullet member and Pillsbury Bake-Off Grand Prize winner, Anna Ginsberg? CookieMadness She bakes cookies everyday and posts her favorites in her blog.

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned but I add some diced sun dried tomatoes to add a slight sweet note.

Katie, I hope you will continue to post. I always enjoy your presence and always seem to learn something from your posts. My best to you!

Chris, just an aside on this... I believe the name is Hawai'ian-Chinese in origin. In the Hawai'ian language, it's a Puu-puu platter where the two consecutive vowels are distinctly pronounced. So Puu-Puu would be pronounced POO-oo POO-oo, like a mumu dress is actually a muu-muu (MOO-oo MOO-oo). It's been shortened to "pu pu" on many Chinese menus. This also makes me wonder if it originated during or after WWII with all the GI's going through Hawai'i. When I was a wee lad I would giggle when we'd go to a Chinese restaurant and the adults would order the pu pu platter ("They serve poo-poo here?" Kid humor!). I think they're a very American-Chinese offering and a precursor to the current trend of an appetizer sampler platter found in most restaurants these days.

Tsk, tsk. As a fan of the "Whip", I disagree. Instead of having him give up the "Whip", why not substitute the light version or even the "Free" version? He'd still get his Miracle Whip but with less calories consumed. There's no need to force Satan's mayo on him.

A friend of mine went through tonsil cancer and the ensuing radiation & chemotherapy last year. When he could eat (which wasn't often), calories became the most important thing for him. Full fat ice cream, whole milk, butter, etc. It provides a completely different perspective of food and nourishment.