daisymiller's Profile
Manducatis Rustica: a serious calzone
I've been there about a half-dozen times, now. The pizza is awesome, as are most things on the menu. And the deserts and gelato. I will have to try a calzone. I usually don't go for them, but…artichoke? I am so there.
I'm not a big fan of the original Manducatis. I've had very good food there, but agree that it's uneven. My main objection is the atmo, which can be unfriendly, even to an long-time resident.
Honeybell oranges
I'm from CA, but live on the East Coast, now.
Honeybells are miraculous. I send them to my mom in CA, to an area one doesn't usually send citrus or other produce gifts. But Honeybells are really special.
Spain Restaurant on 13th
113 West. I'm glad it's still around.
I'm due for a trip back to Spain. It's a nice dive. The last time I was there, Ray Davies was at the next table. That's just about as close a brush with greatness that Spain can withstand, I think.
I like the very cheap paella. I don't care for the free tapas or the sangria, but the paella and the dining room are right up my alley. While I enjoy great food, I'll put up with merely good and cheap, especially if it comes with an atmosphere that reaches for old-world grandeur while achieving only seedy comfort. The lighting is spooky and unflattering yet I can't resist it. The back (main) dining room is chilly in winter, I expect because the big glass skylight is so poorly sealed. Yet there are banquettes all around and it's strangly comfortable.
While I doomed to return for the atmosphere and the paella, this is definitely a kitchen I would not like to see up close, I just know it. I stumbled across the place years ago, knew nothing about it, was whelmed just enough that it's become one of those New York places that I will sorely miss when it slips into history.
Bread boxes?
I think the bread keeps better with the vents. It needs to be kept exposed to air that does not move (dries out) the bread.
No issues with odor. I sweep out the crumbs periodically.
Lodge cast-iron dutch oven for bread?
PS: Is there a thread dedicated to people obsessed with the NYT NNB project? Because I'm willing to take the first step and admit I have a problem.
Lodge cast-iron dutch oven for bread?
I double the recipe with whole grains, and make a large and a small loaf, and the Lodge 2-Qt works fine. Though, for less than I paid, I could have gotten this:
http://www.amazon.com/Cajun-Cookware-Enamel-Coated-Dutch/dp/B000LZ3RR2/sr=1-4/qid=1172246768/ref=sr_1_4/002-3351506-9914438?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden
Incidentally, on Rose's blog I believe someone mentioned placing the pots on the pizza stone in the oven? I totally scorched my bread by doing this, it's the only time I've ever had a problem with burning it. It had to be chipped out of an enamel-coated AND the Lodge. (Though the top 2/3s of the loaves were snarfed up, regardless.)
Anyway, I'll never do THAT again.
What is your most useful/best beloved non-mechanical device in your kitchen?
My 14" cast iron skillet will be pried from my lukewarm, dead fingers (gotta love the heat retention). I use it for grilling and roasting everything, including whole chickens. It can take two.
>My oven push-pull.
I want one.
Disappointing Cuisinart Toaster - Need to Replace
I seem to be the Toaster Provider in the family.
Disappointing Cuisinart Toaster - Need to Replace
I just have to start a controversy by saying that my sister has a Dualit at her house and I dislike using that thing. I bought it for her. She wanted it. She's happy. But I think it's a POS of a toaster. Just sayin.
Disappointing Cuisinart Toaster - Need to Replace
The Krups that CR rated highly for my mom. The top is shaped so that it serves as a warming tray. She loves it. I like how it looks. I got her the 2-slice but they also make a 4-slice:
http://www.amazon.com/Krups-FEM2B-2-Slice-Toaster-Silver/dp/B0001I9RA0/sr=1-2/qid=1172170700/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-3351506-9914438?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen
Pots & Pans - best bang for the buck
I'm in the camp who buys a piece at a time. There isn't one line that offers all the pieces I want, offering the weight and finish I need for the job(s).
Bread boxes?
I bake bread or buy very fresh bread, and a breadbox helps keep it at the right humidity, keeping it edible longer. Not to mention the pest issues. I keep the breadstuffs unwrapped or in a paper bag in the breadbox. I like the kind with some ventilation.
Water Kettle
Good suggestion, Sally. You mean this one?
http://www.amazon.com/Revere-2-Quart-Copper-Bottom-Teakettle/dp/B0000CBINT/sr=8-1/qid=1172158730/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-3351506-9914438?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden
That is a good kettle which does indeed preclude steam burns, but mine wore out, I believe in the handle area...heat damage after years of use. But it's a great kettle and fits the budget requirements. If you fill it from a Brita pitcher it might be a bit awkward, but from the tap it's a cinch. And it's relatively lightweight. And the whistle always works!
Water Kettle
I have two kitchens, so two tea kettles: the Oxo Uplift and the Simplex tea kettle with the quick-boil coil for gas range. They both boil water, but the Simplex is the best tea kettle I ever had, and will probably be the last. The Oxo is only $40 or so, but the lift-lid doesn't seat tightly on the spout if you don't take care with it. When it boils, you may not hear the whistle. While it's not as reliable, I must acknowledge that the Oxo's whistle has a much lovelier, mellow, chord whistle.
My friends who use electric kettles swear by them. I don't like the feel of them as well, but if I drank several pots of tea a day I might want one.
