jsolomon

I would steam them not only in the same pot, but on a lower level so the liqour from the mussels drips down on them as you steam both. So, if you're steaming in a veggie steamer, use 2, stacked. In the bottom one, place the dumplings, and in the top one, place the mussels. If you make about nickel-to-quarter-sized dumplings, they ought to be done in about the same time as the mussels. 10-12 minutes. Incidentally, shot glasses work really well as legs to make two-tiered steamers out of two of those folding veggie steaming baskets.

For the -30 degrees, it's probably just a good freezer compressor and a reciruculator with an ethylene glycol/water mixture... just like the lauda recirculator I've got in my laboratory.

Pure elemental sodium. Don't flush it down your toilet with the children watching, or you'll never keep them from being mad scientists when they grow up.

Random thought... if you're steaming them, how about making some beer dumplings to steam with them? I don't know what makes me think that would be a good match, but, what the hell? 3-cups self-rising flour, 12 oz of beer, 3 Tbps sugar, and 1 and 1/2 tsp salt, mix, ball into dumplings, et voila, ready to steam.

That sounds really really good. I do have to admit, I go for the simplistic when I make mussels. Steam them (over a nice qualitatswein), then take the liquor left in the pan, add the juice of 1/2 or a whole lemon, monte al buerre making sure to use nearly obscene amounts of butter, drizzle over the mussels, and sprinkle on lots of parsley and fresh black pepper.

Flambe`d sweet corn and brussels sprouts salad. Flambe`d brussels sprouts are gigantic mistake. Especially when using cheap tequila. What's even more unfortunate is that I had to grow back eyebrows after that episode, too. Much cooking-fu was lost in that.

Do you have a propane blow-torch, or an acetylene cutting torch? Those work wonderfully.

I never said bubble and squeak was sexy, just musical. And, on the tactful end of the menu, even. And, thanks, Sam. Pets, couples, and beds reminds me of a [gone horribly wrong] romantic encounter in the misty recesses of lost time... that really ought to stay repressed. Now I'll have to worry about my head exploding the next time I read "sexy" on this food blog.

Depending on your scanner and software, optical character recognition can be done on the document. Be forewarned, the last few times I've done it, it's been ugly.

First things first. Black beans are sexy. From foodreference.com. . . Bubble and Squeak.

Gads. I must have plucked too many chickens in my life. The thought of a feather brush for cooking... is... overwhelmingly... wrong. I would be curious to try one, though.

I'd probably use some tapioca if I were making it just to thicken, and the pearls would go nicely with the cells of the grapefruit. Citrus with corn meal just reminds me of sweet corn in salads or salsas, which I tend to think is quite nice.

Hmm, I would suggest breadmaking, but the yeast reproduce by budding, not sexually, so that doesn't work. Finger food is inherently sexy. Come to think of it, so is chocolate, which you keep saying YOU. DO. NOT. NEED. Give in to your inner vixen

Gosh, and here I was thinking that bubble and squeak was the most musical dish. At least in the cooking arena. Of course, there is a post-eating arena topic, too.

This meat grinder is one of the things I would like. The biggest thing for my kitchen I want, though, is better lighting.

While in person, I would argue that the drinks you called martinis are not martinis, it is good to see that you are in print. You may also want to consider other drink styles like wine spritzers--those can certainly be in a college student's budget. But, I remember drinking in college being an exercise in getting drunk and partying. That's why I drank so much Jaegermeister and RedBull. Together. In the same glass.

I believe that type of packaging is properly known as a retort pack, which generally have been cheaper than cans--one of the reasons you've seen such a quick surge of tuna in those foil-esque packs. It's simply cheaper to produce them.

Hmm... and what about we sinistrals?

The toughbook is a sweet laptop. Typing this response on mine right now. And, Mayhaw Man, if you really want to keep your kitchen warm, I suggest an Alpha 21264 system... those babies are like pizza ovens.

Don't forget to geek out your dining room with Fundue! click. read. scream.

*annual bump* My fiance and I are thinking of foregoing all Thanksgiving pomp. We're thinking of renting a hot tub and just soaking the day away in our lonesome. Fondue is the main food planned. But, neither of us have a fondue pot. Is this critical? What would make a good substitution? Would my sterno stove work? Also, any mentions about the age of the cheese (fresh, well-aged, asking for car keys) would be great.

Lefty here, but I've learned not only the switcheroo, and the death grip, but the ambidextrous food-shovel as well. Definition of glutton? Me!

Great to see you blogging! I look forward to keeping up with this week.

LOL....just goes to show, everyone is different.... I guess this is a good time to ask....when you say "shiny brown" do you mean they were oily or just smooth? Oily, in my book, is overdone... ← mea culpa. I meant darker, not necessarily longer. What I was thinking, but not communicating is that I think the beans in the first attempt were baked, not roasted. So, higher heat, deeper roast, less time. That's the ticket.

I usually start by roasting off the squash a day or so in advance. Steaming works, too. For each squash, I cube four slices of bacon, 1 onion, 2 carrots, and 2 celery stalks. Saute all in the soup-making pot, making sure to get some good deep color on them. Deglaze the pan with 2 cups chicken stock for each squash. Add the squash. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1/8 tsp nutmet and 1/4 tsp chili powder per squash. Puree. Finish with 1/4 cup cream per squash. Top with chopped chive or parsley.