Life is too short to do it the right way...

[ambra]

Regarding peeling garlic, a lot of recipes and or chefs on TV in Italy are throwing unpeeled garlic into recipes (to be later removed). I can't wrap my head around that.

[gfweb]

The affection for K-cups is a mystery to me. They are expensive. You can not pour a little coffee or a lot of coffee or top off a half drunk cup.

[Fantastic Mr Fox]

The affection for K-cups is a mystery to me. They are expensive. You can not pour a little coffee or a lot of coffee or top off a half drunk cup.

They are good in a pinch...like at work when that's what your employer pays for now. It's their corporate "short cut". :-)

They aren't all that bad especially now that they have Dunkin Donuts coffee in K-cup form. The only problem I have with them is that they mostly seem to be formulated for the ubiquitous 6oz cup of coffee. I don't know anyone who drinks that little at once.

At home, I don't see how they either practical or economical (or environmentally sound...I can at least compost my used coffee grounds and filters).

[HungryC]

I use canned beans (esp black beans, cannellini, chickpeas, and Blue Runner creole cream style red beans). So there, take away my eGullet membership.

[Aloha Steve]

I've drank Blue Mountain Jamaica and 100% Kona, freshly ground in a machine that grinds then brews for many years. I am the only one in my home that did, so that when I make a pot it lasted days.

It became stale and had to be thrown away frequently.

And cleaning became a chore.

Now I use a Keurig k-cup and am delighted. No fuss, no clean-up and I've found a few flavors that are very nice. One of these days I will purchase a reusable filter in which I can use any ground beans.

But for now, I'm enjoying the ease of using pre-packaged pods.

Edited January 4, 2012 by Aloha Steve (log)

[annabelle]

I use canned beans (esp black beans, cannellini, chickpeas, and Blue Runner creole cream style red beans). So there, take away my eGullet membership.

Same here. I'll come sit by you.

[Fantastic Mr Fox]

I've drank Blue Mountain Jamaica and 100% Kona, freshly ground in a machine that grinds then brews for many years. I am the only one in my home that did, so that when I make a pot it lasted days.

It became stale and had to be thrown away frequently.

And cleaning became a chore.

Now I use a Keurig k-cup and am delighted. No fuss, no clean-up and I've found a few flavors that are very nice. One of these days I will purchase a reusable filter in which I can use any ground beans.

But for now, I'm enjoying the ease of using pre-packaged pods.

I saw the reusable K-Cups in Bed Bath and Beyond the other day (they were in the "Beyond" section"). I got excited for a minute and considered buying a K-Cup machine for home. Then I realized I'm probably too lazy to keep refilling it with water since the one at work that I am used to is connected directly to the plumbing.

Yeah, I know it is the same as filling a "regular" coffee maker...but that is just how my brain works. :-)

[Toliver]

I came away from it that fresh garlic (however you prepare it) tastes different. Does it not?

I've posted about this before...Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen experimented with garlic, comparing pre-peeled versus fresh peeled. They found that in cooked dishes, they couldn't distinguish the difference between pre-peeled and fresh peeled. They use pre-peeled garlic in all of their cooked recipes to save on prep time.

[Aloha Steve]

I came away from it that fresh garlic (however you prepare it) tastes different. Does it not?

I've posted about this before...Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen experimented with garlic, comparing pre-peeled versus fresh peeled. They found that in cooked dishes, they couldn't distinguish the difference between pre-peeled and fresh peeled. They use pre-peeled garlic in all of their cooked recipes to save on prep time.

Thanks for the info next time at Costco it will be bought.

[judiu]

I've drank Blue Mountain Jamaica and 100% Kona, freshly ground in a machine that grinds then brews for many years. I am the only one in my home that did, so that when I make a pot it lasted days.

It became stale and had to be thrown away frequently.

And cleaning became a chore.

Now I use a Keurig k-cup and am delighted. No fuss, no clean-up and I've found a few flavors that are very nice. One of these days I will purchase a reusable filter in which I can use any ground beans.

But for now, I'm enjoying the ease of using pre-packaged pods.

Steve, I used to discard my leftover coffee, but now I freeze it for iced coffee. Makes great slushies, too!

[rarerollingobject]

Um, I'm vaguely ashamed to say that one thing I almost never bother to do is make risotto properly.. I have patience for any number of other kitchen tasks, but for some reason, standing at a hot stove stirring stock gradually in continuously for 30+ minutes or whatever is beyond the pale IMO.

So I either tend to make it paella-style (all the stock in at once), or wrangle my boyfriend to stand there and stir mindlessly while I go and take a nap.

True, you don't get as much of that lovely, oozy creaminess with paella-style risotto, but you DO get a nap!

Edited January 5, 2012 by rarerollingobject (log)

[rarerollingobject]

Oh, and er...I only sometimes and not all that often rinse plain white rice before cooking it..

Edited January 5, 2012 by rarerollingobject (log)

[pyrguy]

I use canned beans (esp black beans, cannellini, chickpeas, and Blue Runner creole cream style red beans). So there, take away my eGullet membership.

Same here. I'll come sit by you.

Me too. Blue Runner canned beans are the BOMB! as the kids say. I grew up in south Louisiana. If you didn't make them from scratch your self Blue Runner and VanCamps Red Beans made the meal.

[Susie Q]

Canned bean girl here, especially when making hummus. I'll sit with the rest of them as long as nobody toots.

Tomato seeds means homemade right?

In a pinch... a pound of bulk Italian sausage browned with some extra fennel seed, a couple jars of Ralph's grocery store Arribata Sauce poured in. Simmer a bit. Quick, flavorful and easy.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Susie Q (log)

[Shalmanese]

I've never bought cheesecloth before. It's either filtered through a fine mesh strainer and I live with a bit of sediment or I use paper towels instead.

[Mjx]

Oh, and er...I only sometimes and not all that often rinse plain white rice before cooking it..

I can top that: Up until this moment, I'd managed to completely forget that you're even supposed to rinse rice before cooking it.

I also often drink instant coffee.

[rarerollingobject]

Oh, and er...I only sometimes and not all that often rinse plain white rice before cooking it..

I can top that: Up until this moment, I'd managed to completely forget that you're even supposed to rinse rice before cooking it.

I also often drink instant coffee.

Well, if you blanked that you were supposed to be doing it, you can't be accused of taking the shortcut! I win in the slackness stakes here, because I KNOW I'm supposed to but still can't be bothered.

Instant coffee..OK, you can have that one.

[tmjst]

I use canned beans (esp black beans, cannellini, chickpeas, and Blue Runner creole cream style red beans). So there, take away my eGullet membership.

Same here. I'll come sit by you.

Me too. Blue Runner canned beans are the BOMB! as the kids say. I grew up in south Louisiana. If you didn't make them from scratch your self Blue Runner and VanCamps Red Beans made the meal.

OMG, this is hilarious. Up until I read this thread I thought that "Blue Runner Beans" was a variant of "Scarlet Runner Beans." Now I realize why I never saw a bag of them in the dried bean section of the grocery store. They've been on my "Buy them if you ever see them" list for an embarassingly long time! Is "Blue Runner" a regional brand?

[Shel_B]

I use prepeeled garlic....used to use a garlic press, now i use a microplane.

Oh, wow! I likke the idea of using a microplane for preparing garlic for certain sauces. I've been slicing the cloves super thin with a razor blade or very sharp, thin-bladed knife, but this microiplane thing sounds perfect. Thanks.

[Shel_B]

I like to make brown rice and then freeze it in large zip lock bags. I flatten the bag so the rice is no more than 1/2-inch thick - often a little thinner - and lay it flat on a shelf. Then when I want brown rice for a meal, I just break off a chunk and warm it in the microwave or add it to whatever else I may be preparing, such as a soup or stew. It takes little space in the freezer and is very convenient.

[Snadra]

I use prepeeled garlic....used to use a garlic press, now i use a microplane.

Oh, wow! I likke the idea of using a microplane for preparing garlic for certain sauces. I've been slicing the cloves super thin with a razor blade or very sharp, thin-bladed knife, but this microiplane thing sounds perfect. Thanks.

I use the microplane for ginger and garlic all the time - works great! I love how versatile the microplane is and use it at almost every meal.

[mkayahara]

Tea bags. Life is too short to clean tea leaves out of a pot my hands can't fit into.

[Snadra]

Tea bags. Life is too short to clean tea leaves out of a pot my hands can't fit into.

When it comes to a single cup of tea, I totally agree. But tea leaves is why I got one of these: it keeps the tea warm and the leaves stay in the infuser. No more teapot hands!

[annabelle]

I have been known to bake frozen buttermilk biscuits when it's been a long day or I am pressed for time. We love our hot breads here in the South, and these turn out perfectly every time.

My grandma decided when she was 80 that the whack-a-biscuits were good enough for her. She lived alone and if you didn't like them, you were free to whip up a batch, thank you.

[rarerollingobject]

Am I the only one who hardly ever de-fats chicken stock?

I do chill it and break off the fatcap, but ONLY if I'm planning a clear broth-type application, and that's once in a blue moon..otherwise, I'm of the view that the fat adds flavour..right? (Though truth be told, I leave it there because life's too short etc.)

Tell me I'm not the only one!