Gotten any fun stuff lately?

[FauxPas]

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

$1.45  for 5 seeds is a good prices in the USA?

 

 

I used to order from Sandia Seeds when I was living in US as they have a good selection of hot peppers. The Lemon Drop peppers are there for $3.99 USD for 10 seeds or $3.39 if you buy them in an assortment that includes Orange Scotch Bonnets and Chile de Arbol seeds.  🙂

 

I hope they do germinate well and that you let us know how they grow!  🌱

[liuzhou]

5 hours ago, Shel_B said:

I'd imagine that over almost two centuries there would be some folks traveling to China and bringing with them some items from their new home, both physical and cultural.

 

There is little if any evidence of that.

 

You have to remember that for much of those two centuries, China was closed or had only very restricted access. It was at war, both international and civil. It was occupied by the Japanese.

 

It's also unlikely that early Chinese emigrants to the Americas were in any position economically to pop home bearing 'exotic' foodstuffs as gifts. They were struggling to survive. Many would have been political refugees, too. 

 

The few central American foodstuffs here were introduced, not by returning Chinese, but by European colonisers, particularly the Spanish and Portuguese. Chili peppers were introduced by the latter through their colony in Macao. China has developed its own cultivars. Central American varieties are largely unknown. 

Potatoes have long been looked down upon as 'peasants' food' at best. Only the arrival of first KFC, then McDonald's in the 1980s widened their availability.  Tomatoes are a recent import, again through Europeans.

 

Corn/maize was introduced much more than two centuries ago by the Arabs and Persians. More like five centuries.

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 09:28 PM by liuzhou (log)

[Shel_B]

Today Amazon delivered what, for a very long time, I thought was a silly, overhyped, perhaps barely-useful-at-best, cheap, single-use, kitchen tool.

 

It's described as a Meat Grinder, Hamburger Grinder, Masher and Burger Masher Premium Heat Resistant Burger Meat Grinder ... quite a mouthful.

(eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

 

I set things up to make a big pot of chili today, and that meant chopping the meat into small pieces using my spatula or a flat, wooden spoon. And today was the day this kitchen tool was to be delivered.  The plan was to chop some meat the usual way, and chop the balance with the Grinder-Chopper-Masher-Thingy.

 

Holy Hamburger! Batman. This thing does a great job. It makes chopping the meat into small pieces quick and easy. It saved a lot of time standing at the stove, and that meant a more enjoyable and comfortable cooking experience. I have some back problems, and sometimes standing for extended periods can be painful. This little puppy was fun to use and kept me off the pain meds.  Highly recommended. YMMV.

Edited Thursday at 09:39 PM by Shel_B (log)

[weinoo]

I like to start with pain meds; makes chopping and cooking that much more fun.

[Katie Meadow]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

I like to start with pain meds; makes chopping and cooking that much more fun.

Pain meds yes, but also a gummy.

[Maison Rustique]

I have one of those and just used it this week, too. Great tool!

[weinoo]

 

Always fun to get some pickles.  And lots of wisecracking from the owner to go along with.

Edited Monday at 01:02 AM by weinoo (log)

[paulraphael]

After a couple of years of shopping and foot-dragging, I got a lab hotplate with magnetic stirrer. The main use will be pasteurizing ice cream, which for various reasons I like to do at a moderate temperature for a long time (usually 30 minutes). I've been doing this sous-vide for many years now, which is imperfect; there's no simple way to know the actual temperature of a blob of thick liquid in a bag. It's also a little cumbersome, and you waste a lot of plastic. 

 

I do like that a sous-vide bag is sealed, to keep in any aromatics. The most challenging part of moving to a hot plate was finding a lid. My old stainless-lined copper saucepan is a perfect vessel—non magnetic, so it will let the stirring rod spin. But my only lid for it is an ancient Calphalon one, which I don't want to drill for the temperature probe, and which i can't find any more of online. These French copper pans are non-standard sizes. And I'm not getting a 2nd mortgage to buy a Mauviel copper lid, just to drill a hole in it. 

 

Restaurant supply store to the rescue. I brought my measurements and a tape, and just dug through everything. This Chinese glass lid was so close I was afraid it would be too tight. It actually fits like it was made for the pan. It has a little metal-rimmed vent hole that's exactly the right size for the probe. Score! Only $10. 

 

The lab hotplate works well. It's a cheap Chinese model that cost $180 on Amazon (the serious ones that they use in serious labs cost many times this). It feels solidly built and all the controls are intuitive (except for the programming features, which I'll pretend don't exist). The only shortcoming is the power. It's not listed anywhere but I'm guessing it's just a few hundred watts. Great for holding a big pot of stuff at temperature, but too weak to get it there in a reasonable time. So I start out on the stove on high heat and move to the hotplate when it gets within a degree or so. 

 

The stirring motor / magnet is also not very powerful. It struggles to get a strong vortex in 1kg of ice cream mix. This may be because I've been using supermarket cream that has added gums—my mixes have been more viscous than usual. When I get a better source this may stop being a problem. Nevertheless, the company says this hotplate has a 5 liter capacity, which seems hugely optimistic. It's adequate for my purposes. I'm also looking forward to keeping things warm with it at dinner parties.

 

[Edited to add:] This thing is forcing me to be disciplined about adding a straining step. I really don't want to serve—or blend—a magnetic stirring rod.

 

Edited Monday at 04:53 PM by paulraphael (log)

[KennethT]

13 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

After a couple of years of shopping and foot-dragging, I got a lab hotplate with magnetic stirrer. The main use will be pasteurizing ice cream, which for various reasons I like to do at a moderate temperature for a long time (usually 30 minutes). I've been doing this sous-vide for many years now, which is imperfect; there's no simple way to know the actual temperature of a blob of thick liquid in a bag. It's also a little cumbersome, and you waste a lot of plastic. 

 

I do like that a sous-vide bag is sealed, to keep in any aromatics. The most challenging part of moving to a hot plate was finding a lid. My old stainless-lined copper saucepan is a perfect vessel—non magnetic, so it will let the stirring rod spin. But my only lid for it is an ancient Calphalon one, which I don't want to drill for the temperature probe, and which i can't find any more of online. These French copper pans are non-standard sizes. And I'm not getting a 2nd mortgage to buy a Mauviel copper lid, just to drill a hole in it. 

 

Restaurant supply store to the rescue. I brought my measurements and a tape, and just dug through everything. This Chinese glass lid was so close I was afraid it would be too tight. It actually fits like it was made for the pan. It has a little metal-rimmed vent hole that's exactly the right size for the probe. Score! Only $10. 

 

The lab hotplate works well. It's a cheap Chinese model that cost $180 on Amazon (the serious ones that they use in serious labs cost many times this). It feels solidly built and all the controls are intuitive (except for the programming features, which I'll pretend don't exist). The only shortcoming is the power. It's not listed anywhere but I'm guessing it's just a few hundred watts. Great for holding a big pot of stuff at temperature, but too weak to get it there in a reasonable time. So I start out on the stove on high heat and move to the hotplate when it gets within a degree or so. 

 

The stirring motor / magnet is also not very powerful. It struggles to get a strong vortex in 1kg of ice cream mix. This may be because I've been using supermarket cream that has added gums—my mixes have been more viscous than usual. When I get a better source this may stop being a problem. Nevertheless, the company says this hotplate has a 5 liter capacity, which seems hugely optimistic. It's adequate for my purposes. I'm also looking forward to keeping things warm with it at dinner parties.

 

[Edited to add:] This thing is forcing me to be disciplined about adding a straining step. I really don't want to serve—or blend—a magnetic stirring rod.

 

Many years ago, I made my own sous vide bath using a 1000W heating element, PID controller, solid state relay and made my own magnetic stirrer using a muffin fan with a 3D printed magnet holder.  I still use it to this day.  The reason I bring it up is that my stirrer bar etched some small circles in the bottom of my All Clad LTD stockpot after just a couple of uses....  So I got a 3"x3" 1/8" thick glass plate to put under the stirrer bar which works fine in protecting the pot bottom from any further damage.

 

BTW, I also have a type T silicone thermocouple which is very flexible so I can snake it under the standard All Clad lid with minimal gap and evaporation....  https://www.dwyeromega.com/en-us/hermetically-sealed-tip-insulated-thermocouples/p/HSTC

[YvetteMT]

On 3/27/2025 at 3:34 PM, Shel_B said:

 

Holy Hamburger! Batman. This thing does a great job. It makes chopping the meat into small pieces quick and easy. It saved a lot of time standing at the stove, and that meant a more enjoyable and comfortable cooking experience. I have some back problems, and sometimes standing for extended periods can be painful. This little puppy was fun to use and kept me off the pain meds.  Highly recommended. YMMV.

@Shel_B i appreciate your review on the ground meat masher upper. I was also of the "that's a gimmick" mindset but, adding to cart today!

[Shel_B]

28 minutes ago, YvetteMT said:

@Shel_B i appreciate your review on the ground meat masher upper. I was also of the "that's a gimmick" mindset but, adding to cart today!

 

 

@YvetteMT I hope it works out for you. It may take awhile to develop your technique. Watch the videos as they were helpful for me.

 

I'm getting a few as gifts for some friends.

Edited Monday at 05:56 PM by Shel_B
Additional information (log)

[paulraphael]

49 minutes ago, KennethT said:

The reason I bring it up is that my stirrer bar etched some small circles in the bottom of my All Clad LTD stockpot after just a couple of uses....  So I got a 3"x3" 1/8" thick glass plate to put under the stirrer bar which works fine in protecting the pot bottom from any further damage.

 

I was worried about this, but the stirrers I'm using don't leave any marks. They're standard lab things, shape like pills and covered with teflon. What were you using?

[KennethT]

42 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

I was worried about this, but the stirrers I'm using don't leave any marks. They're standard lab things, shape like pills and covered with teflon. What were you using?

The same type, but the most efficient stirrer has a raised line that runs radially in the middle.  But also, for sv stuff, it spins for a lot longer than pasteurizing ice cream base.

[paulraphael]

5 minutes ago, KennethT said:

The same type, but the most efficient stirrer has a raised line that runs radially in the middle.  But also, for sv stuff, it spins for a lot longer than pasteurizing ice cream base.

 

Mine have that little raised line also. I'll take a closer look at my pan. Surprising that teflon could ever scratch steel. 

[liuzhou]

About an hour ago, I took delivery of a nominally 500g 'nduja sausage. (Actually, it was a tickle over 553g.)

 

That may not seem much fun to many of you, but after many years searching, I tracked down what seems to be the only stockist in China. It was described as 'mildly spicy' but they are in Sichuan where 'mildly' translates as 'very'.  I'll soon find out.

 

Actually it is Beretta brand* - not the greatest but I haven't had it in any form since 1997, the last time I was in that Italy. 

 

* I hope not the gun people.

 

 

Edited yesterday at 05:55 AM by liuzhou
typo (log)

[Pete Fred]

On 3/27/2025 at 10:34 PM, Shel_B said:

Today Amazon delivered what, for a very long time, I thought was a silly, overhyped, perhaps barely-useful-at-best, cheap, single-use, kitchen tool.

 

It's described as a Meat Grinder, Hamburger Grinder, Masher and Burger Masher Premium Heat Resistant Burger Meat Grinder ... quite a mouthful.

 

I think I checked out the same video as you.

 

So, I will see your meat chopper...

 

 

...and raise you the citrus press...

 

 

But the question is, will anyone go all-in with the takoyaki pan?!?

[Tropicalsenior]

45 minutes ago, Pete Fred said:

But the question is, will anyone go all-in with the takoyaki pan?!?

I'll pass on that but I would sure like to find a tomagoyaki pan.

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I'll pass on that but I would sure like to find a tomagoyaki pan.

Anna had one!

[ElsieD]

13 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Anna had one!

And Elsie now has it!

[liuzhou]

I may have been a little too cynical in the post above. Today I tried the 'nduja' on some toast and it's excellent. Spicy and rich. I may become an 'ndujaholic! Planning something more substantial and pasta related now. 

 

 

 

 

[FauxPas]

 

I am not a very sophisticated coffee drinker at all. But I do like a latté every now and then and decided to finally get a heated milk frother. 

 

I like quite a bit of milk in my coffee and this saves me from having to reheat in the microwave, ha. Also, it's fun. 

 

It's the Keurig frother, as I had a store credit there. 

 

[Smithy]

57 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

It's the Keurig frother, as I had a store credit there.

 

Keurig has a storefront? I had no idea!

[FauxPas]

24 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Keurig has a storefront? I had no idea!

 

No, it's the online store!  🙂