LEMONADE!! My local Whole Foods sells agave-sweetened fresh lemonade and raspberry lemonade at the juice bar that is the BEST lemonade I ever tasted!!

Well I took advantage of this sale and got some great deals on replacement measuring cups and pretty large glass bowls (for salads this summer!) so thought I'd pass it along to you guys.

http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/blast...

Or truffle butter. Whole Foods carries it. The black is a couple of dollars cheaper, but I think I'll try the white.

Several years ago, I spotted in Chef's Catalog an incredible tool. It was a batticarne (meat flattener) imported from Italy, but it was not the typical "hammer" types one usually sees. This one had two handles, and you placed the meat (chicken, veal, whatever) between two round flat plates, then when you pressed the handles together the two plates came together, flattening the meat! It was of course more expensive but certainly superior to the labor-intensive hammering method.

Alas, Chef's Catalog no longer carries this item, and I've looked around online (amazon, Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, cooking.com, Crate and Barrel) and can't find one anywhere. Does anyone know where to buy one of these?

Which Bamix do you own? I dunno if I should go w/ the Gastro model or the Deluxe. Here are the differences (from PleasantHillGrain.com). It seems that the primary difference is that the Gastro has a longer shaft, but I'm not sure what the advantage to that is unless using a very tall vessel. Also the Gastro has fewer accessories but is faster on High speed...

"Available in two models: Bamix Deluxe & Bamix Gastro 200. The Deluxe spins at 15,000 RPM on high speed, and 10,000 RPM on low. The Bamix Deluxe is available in Silver or White, and both colors include mincer, beater, and whisk blades, a wet & dry grinder accessory (also called the "Processor"), an instructional DVD, Bamix cookbook, and storage pedestal (with White Deluxe) or wall-mount rack (with Silver Deluxe.) The Silver color also includes a 600 ml mixing beaker.

The Bamix Gastro 200 model is designed to meet the demands of professional cooks and serious home gourmets. It spins at 17,000 RPM on high speed, or 10,000 on low speed, and comes equipped with mincer, beater and whisk blades as well as wall bracket and instruction booklet. The shaft of the Bamix Gastro 200 is longer than the shaft of the Deluxe, by 2" (total length of 7.5" below the motor housing.)

Bamix hand mixers operate on 110 volt power, and the entire lower drive shaft of the hand mixer is immersion-safe to a depth of over 5" for the Deluxe and 7.5" for Gastro 200 model. Overall length is 13.7" for Deluxe hand mixer, 16.2" for Gastro 200. Weight of Deluxe is 30 oz., Gastro weight 34 oz. Bamix design and construction is safety-approved by the European IEC. "

Oh great! That is good to know.

You have just helped seal the deal -- Bamix it is!! Thank you!!

Well I despise mayo ('cept the occasional aoili) -- I'm a mustard girl! Can't see myself making any mayonnaise, so that won't be an issue.

Thanks for the info. :)

Funny you should mention that. .. I am leaning toward the Bamix, but the metal end is a HUGE concern of mine. How can one use an immersion blender with a metal end without scratching up the pot? In their promos Bamix uses a photo of it being used in a Le Creuset. Seems to me that would mar that pretty enameled interior....

Also RE Bamix I keep reading "be sure to use it in a narrow vessel as manufacturer recommends." Well, narrow by whose definition? I anticipate using it in one of my stockpots, which, while tall, certainly couldn't be classified as "narrow."

Hi Todao,

Well, I "cheated" -- I used frozen store-bought rolls!! I wish I had the time to make them from scratch. One of these days....

Thanks for your comment!!

(THIS IS REPLY TO HOUSEWOLF -- I don't know how this post wound up at the bottom of page.)

Hi CasaLupus, :)

Wow, your post is chock full of great tips! Next time I will follow your suggestion and do the butter, rosemary, and salt as soon as they're thawed. Or do the fingertip test and catch them before it's too late.

Thanks so much!!

Hi Jvanderh,

Well no, I am lazy so used the store-bought frozen dough as in the recipe. :)

The rolls rose just fine. They looked great until I brushed the butter on top, then *POOF!* They were gone. LOL

Pioneer Woman (Ree) has done it again with another fab but simple recipe, Buttered Rosemary Rolls.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/20...

Baking novice here... Tonight I made these for the second time. Unfortunately, both times the proofed rolls COLLAPSED as/right after I was brushing the melted butter on them. The first time I thought that perhaps the butter was too warm. But this time I made sure that the melted butter had cooled, but the rolls collapsed (save for one) just the same.

What is causing this? Googling yielded that overproofing can cause collapse, but that doesn't explain the rapidity of onset post the butter brushing and why half of the rolls collapsed the first time and all but one collapsed this time.

Since I definitely plan to make these again, I would appreciate some guidance here as to what I'm doing wrong.

BTW, these rolls are AWESOME!! Their deflation didn't preclude my inhaling them. ... :)

Sigh. Did some more Googling and came across this, which contained two negative reviews.

http://momof2andwife.blogspot.com/200...

So I'll not be ordering this. There is one called "SAFEPAN" featured in some YT videos; I will check that out.

Lessee: Brown on black background = visible.
Black on black background = invisible.

Ergo, it should be quite easy to tell the difference between when your fond is standing out versus blending in with the background. :)

Hi Josie :)

Just curious: What color is the interior of the Kirkland? Does it have spikes?

Hi Stromsf. No, I am just browsing and was wondering if anyone here had tried it or knew anything about it. Since there is a 30-day risk-free trial, I may just take the plunge....

Is this "Xtrema" cookware basically the same thing?

http://cookware.mercola.com/cookware....

Thumbs down for the SWEET ORGANIC FROZEN CORN. This is the stuff one would feed to equines: LARGE kernels, VERY yellow, and sickeningly sweet. If you're looking for the taste of corn, forget it: you won't find it here.

TJ's lime floes were okay, but I prefer the 365 ones from Whole Foods.

It was my pleasure. :) Thanks to the posters here, I have compiled quite the list of items to try from TJ's. It certainly will save me from wasting money on duds.... I will add the chocolate croissants to the list!!!

Tonight I had the FROZEN FRENCH ONION SOUP. 2 servings in a box, and the croutons and cheese are already on top. You bake this in an oven-safe bowl. It is so-so. A little too salty for my taste, and I like a stronger onion/beef flavor, which unfortunately has been muted by the bread and cheese.

OK, fellow Chowhounds, I've had the opportunity to try more stuff:

TJ'S FROZEN MASHED POTATOES IN POUCH: (These are actually mashed potato medallions.) Don't bother. Not any better than flakes, and for me it just meant another dirty saucepan (flakes can be made right in serving dish) and more space taken up in my tiny freezer. The ONLY advantage over flakes IMO would be if there are less preservatives and/or pesticides in TJs', which may be the case but unfortunately I don't have a package of flakes to compare with. Whole Foods may have "healthy" flakes, and if so I will go with that.

LEMON COOKIES: The lemon cookies that sucked that I posted about before (an impulse buy at checkout) were Meyer Thin Lemon Cookies (I found the old receipt). They don't have enough lemon flavor for my taste and are a bit dry but would be good with lemon curd or pudding or something. I LOVED the thinness of them, though.

FROZEN MINI CHEESE SOUFFLES: (These are actually cheese "balls" or "nuggets" that you place in a small [4-oz.] ramekin and bake.) 4 servings in a bag. These ROCK! If you enjoy cheese souffles you will love these.

FROZEN BREADED CHICKEN TENDERS: These are superb! Quality meat; tasty, crispy breading; and, best of all, these are NOT the slightest bit greasy!!

UPDATE: I can emphatically, unequivocally state that the ARANCINI BITES rock!!! Do yourself a favor and serve them smothered in marinara... I used Amy's jarred marinara simmered w/ ground buffalo, green bell pepper, and onion.... Vundeba! Almost as good as the arancini at Gino's in Baton Rouge which are baseball-sized and have meat in them!! Yummy.....

Oh sorry Dnanana! It's been quite a while since I've had those... Since I just discovered this thread I was reviewing some older purchases too. I had to stop eating them (I LOVED THEM!!) because I had them so frequently I developed an allergy to something in there. That was a couple of years ago. Their discontinuation of items seems to be a real problem...

Haha, maybe so, Shaebones. It DID fill up quickly!

YEAS
Mediterranean hummus (HIGHLY addictive!)

Boxed panang tuna

Dark chocolate-covered macademias

Spiced apple cider -- make a special trip every winter to stock up because they ALWAYS sell out by Christmas

NAYS
Jarred TJ pasta sauces (on the advice of a friend I tried three different varieties -- one was a marinara -- and they all sucked)

Macademia popcorn -- expensive, total ripoff, mostly popcorn with very few macs

Frozen organic berries -- can't recall what they were (wild blueberries?), but there wasn't an intact berry in the entire bag, only pieces of berries. I swore never again!!

Parmesan Pastry Pups -- A very poor combination. (What was I thinking?) Flavorless too. Dry, need some type of dipping sauce.

Frozen lime bars -- Tasteless. For a little more money one can buy the 365 brand at Whole Foods that are MUCH better.

Lemon cookies for $5 that I bought at checkout -- Not very lemony, and VERY dry. Liked that they were almost see-through they were so thin. Needed some lemon curd or pudding or something.

Currently in my freezer are frozen French Onion Soup, arancinis, two-bite three-cheese souffles, and TJ's breaded chicken cutlets. Will review those later!

According to the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, as of 2004 (actually 2005, when the data were compiled) ALMOST HALF of corn grown in the U.S. was GM:

"In 2004, the percentage of U.S. soybeans planted in genetically engineered varieties again grew, accounting for 85 percent of all soy planted. This reflects an increase of 3.9 million acres and a total of 63.6 million acres of GM soy. The percentage of GM corn rose to 45 percent of all U.S. corn planted, with farmers planting 4.9 million acres more than in 2003 giving a total of 36.5 million acres of GM corn. "

http://uwstudentweb.uwyo.edu/L/LPETER...

Clearly it is INCREASING every year, so no doubt the current percentage is much higher.

First off I buy the Amish red corn. Then I soak it beforehand, which accomplishes two things: (1) It helps break down the phytic acid, which is not good for you, and especially not for me as I am allergic to corn. Soaking it first allows me to eat it. (2) It infuses some H2O into the kernel, so there are no "old maids."

The popper I use is the same thing as a Whirley Pop but is made out of stainless steel instead of aluminum. (No Alzheimer's for me!) It is made by Victorio and costs ~$40.

Can anyone ID this SS pot? The video is linked on the left side of the page, and it is a recipe (suboptimal IMO, but that's another post!) for red beans and rice. The pot is seen at 03:00, and you can see the lid on it at 05:01. WHO makes that pot? I must have it!! Look at the handles....

http://www.phamfatale.com/id_446/titl...

Hi Tinker, <Sigh> I wasn't able to get my Staub, and I'm pretty upset about it too. The third-party seller was R&D (I think) Electronics, and they are in NYC. Last year I purchased an electronic item from them and returned it sans problems so I assumed things would be smooth with the Staub. Not so. Despite adding the item to my shopping cart and paying for it, I received a phone call from R&D that they were out of them. Apparently those people don't know how to do inventory....

Anyway, I have been holding off, hoping to catch another sale on Amazon. But after reading your posts and a couple of other posts RE defective Staubs from Amazon I am rethinking the plan... It may behoove me to buy it elsewhere at a higher price to get better quality. Dealing with Amazon is NOT always hassle-free (my last interaction with them was quite frustrating in fact), and if I can spare myself the headache of dealing with returning something I dearly want I probably should.

Did Amazon send you a new Staub free of defectss?

Hi HalifaxJ,

While I don't own a Staub yet (waiting for a post-Christmas sale, as before T-giving the ones on Amazon sold out so quickly I was outta luck), I have done extensive reading about them. This certainly sounds atypical. If I were you I would return it.

Where did you purchase it? It is possible that you may have gotten a "second."

After resigning myself to purchasing second-best (Martha White), I went online to purchase MW flour and learned that MW is also now owned by Smucker's!! So is MW still second best or even WORSE than that now?!!