Ki's Profile

mh330,

It probably needs a good amount of salt! That's probably mostly what you're getting from the bullion cubes.

Stock does taste pretty boring until you've finished seasoning it. A lot of people recommend that you season the end food rather than the stock because you don't always know what you're going to be using the stock in.

I have two small windows that I just put double layered curtains on. I agree with the comment to hang them level with the bookcase. It's an easy way to add some height in the room. I did not go for floor length curtains because they were simply too formal for my otherwise informal space. With tiebacks, they look very appropriate for the space and really improve the room.

After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I bought Ricki's book, Home Cheese Making. I was astounded to learn how easy it is to make soft cheeses It's easier than baking bread, yet so few know that it is even possible to do at home. I sure didn't.

It's exciting to cheesemaking start to catch on. It's a good (new?) addition to American food culture.

Making cheese has also made me reevaluate milk. I burned through a few gallons of milk before I realized that it's not enough for it just to not be ultra-pasteurized; it's has to be FRESH.

Those sound SUPERB. I always abhorred using the onions I had to use at work...nothing worse than slimy onions.

One last questions, are those equal parts volume? i.e. 1 cup sugar, 1 cup salt, 1 cup vinegar, and 1 cup water?

Nice idea but...but....but....why?

All you need to make a high quality martini is a pint glass and a boston shaker or a spoon. The rest is about the quality of the ingredients.

Tips from a former bartender:

Most people don't really want vermouth in their martinis. For the most part, it's really about having high-quality vodka or gin. For those who really do want want a hint of vermouth, splash a bit in your chilled martini glass, roll it around the glass, then dump it out.

While there are people who like a stirred martini, many like having some good ice chips floating on top. Really shake the martini until your boston shaker is almost too cold to hold. Strain, then get it to your drinker before the ice chips melt.

Butternut squash soup is my favorite way to use butternut squash. Most preparations are fairly simply; the hardest part is peeling the squash.