It looks as though all the ATVers are out riding, so I may be able to get in another post or two....
Yesterday we went to town for fuel, groceries and my darling's haircut. The barber shop he likes is next door to a thrift store I like, and he was good enough to time our visit so I could go shop. Foolish man! I can do a LOT of shopping in 15 minutes!
I focused on their kitchen goods, of course. The last time I went, I passed up a lovely set of serving platters and a Descoware enameled cast iron baking pan. I went back later and they were gone, of course. The Descoware I'd have passed up again anyway, but I rather regretted not getting the platters. Even though I didn't need them. But getting back to yesterday's offerings, they had a generous offering of still-in-the-box bakeware and serve ware...
some beautiful dishes and silverware...
and a goodly assortment of pots, pans, waffle irons, and the like.
I checked out the aluminum pot on the bottom rack. It was big. Could it possible be Club? No, it was iMusa, a much more recent brand, but it was in good condition. It was large, probably 6 quarts. See the glass lid on the next shelf up? It fit. Perfectly.
I love helping other people shop. I didn't have any victims nearby, so I went to one of the sales clerks who was busying herself at an Easter decoration / toy display. I pointed out the pot and the lid.
"Hey, if you see anyone interested in that pot, you need to point out that the glass lid fits it PERFECTLY." She went over and looked. Each was priced separately: $3, I think, for the pot; $1 for the lid.
She put the lid atop the pot, then countered, "You should get those!" She loves to help people shop, too. I responded that i already have a bunch of pots, that size and larger and smaller, and can't use another. "Yes," she said, "but that would be perfect for camping, too! You could set that right on top of the campfire!"
"No," I said, "I already have that too! And we're already camping!"
The coaxing continued. "You know, when I see something like that that I like, and I decide to walk away and think about it, I'm always sorry when I come back to find it gone. You should take that pot and lid!" She went on to tell the story of some craft items she'd passed up and then needed later. I thought about the serving platters...she couldn't possibly know that story!...but remained firm.
Instead, this is what I brought home:
I have always wanted a panini press. I can't tell you how many times I've considered buying one of the Cuisinart panini presses from Crate and Barrel, or now Amazon (here's a similar model) (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). I've always been too cheap, and too practical. I have a grill pan. I have a weight. I have perfectly good cast iron pans, and nonstick pans, and non-nonstick pans. I don't need no stinkin' panini press to take up space, either here or at home.
Still. An apparently new, or very lightly used, Cuisinart panini press for $8. How could I pass it up?
I didn't. I'm looking forward to seeing whether it manages grilled eggplant better than my sheet-pan-in-the-oven method. I'm looking forward to grilled sandwiches with those press marks. I wonder whether this will make more satisfying potato pancakes than those I made the other night?
Stay tuned, and feel free to suggest your favorite grilled sandwiches or griddler ideas!
