Recent content by web-collage

Bar keepers friend is the greatest for copper too. I would think it's a little scratchy for cleaning LC enameled insides.

I use a large unglazed ceramic floor tile and bake all my bread on it. When you start the last rise of your bread, turn on the oven and heat (400 degrees) oven and tile for the 20 minutes or so of that rise before putting the bread into the oven. A piazza peel (long handled flat wood item) is...

I have a well seasoned Lodge square cast iron grill pan and use it for grilling and toasting bread. Yes it's heavy but worth leaving on the back burner to use often and you can put away your toaster. When it gets REALLY greasy, paper towels and hot water clean it without much effort.

Gosh, will try garlic chives and WalMart shallots. We had an early spring here but it can't seem to warm up, still snow and sleet last week. Seems like good weather for shallots and chives.

Have made several omlettes, first one had slight metallic taste, after that pretty good. Did crepes a couple of times also a fried egg. Rinsing with hot water takes care of it. I'm waiting for it to be as good as my old omlette pan.

"The shallots I've grown are a bit too mild for my taste. In your area, I'd suggest you give garlic chives a try. Garlic chives (Chinese leeks) are a perennial that can survive summer heat averaging 90+F and thrive in the 40 - 70F spring and fall temps and survive 0 deg F. winters." Will...

"I don't like to wait to boil water in a large pot to cook artichokes. It's the proper way, but I use the microwave." I cook three or four large artichokes in about 1" of water in a 5 qt pan with lid. This gives one warm to eat or split with a friend (Bolas is right about that) as the...

The pan is 8.25" interior, 8.75" exterior, silvery grey not the blue black I expected. Somewhat rounded sides. I'll take a picture soon. My friends brought it back from Paris in their carry-on and evidently security did not think it was a weapon. :chef:

What sort of shallots do you plant? Any recommendations?

I finally dumped my microwave when I had the gas cooktop installed because there is NOTHING that tastes as good or better when cooked in a microwave. Cooking should be a pleasure and an art, not a race to "nuke" the vitamins and flavor out of our food.:chef:

Cleaning and seasoning Brought home from Post Office. Immediately washed it, boiled the potato peelings (lots of gunk comes out), washed in hot water, rubbed inside with oil and placed in 170 oven where it will stay for a while. I really like the size and weight of the metal. Need my...

First, let me say I think cooking them in a microwave is a dis-service to the artichoke. Yes it may be faster but the quality is much lower. Most of us have 40 minutes to steam a few artichokes. (Actually, I can't think of anything that isn't better cooked on a gas stove top or oven than in the...

Just received the Italian seeds I ordered: San Maranzo tomatoes recommended by CWS4322 as being the best short season tomato for canning tomato sauce. Also some Italian cherry tomatoes for eating and canning, arugala, and a wonderful yellow fleshy pepper. All instructions are in Italian but...

"Get a nice silicone spatula for eggs and crepes. OXO makes a good one." Nah .. I don't do silicone. I have a method for omlettes where I just use a fork to pull back the cooked part and let the runny part flow, then flip and slide onto plate when ready to serve. Takes about 12 seconds. YES I...

I steam mine about 40 minutes (50 minutes at high altitude). Add a clove of garlic, salt, lemon slice and a touch of olive to the water. Rub with lemon prior to steaming to prevent discoloration. When done, serve hot or cold with good mayonaise. (You dip the leaf bottom in the mayonaise before...