laura @ hippressurecooking's Profile

I don't know about pitting, but it will leave marks. I have done it and then read up on the phenomena.

Basically, this is only a problem when putting salt in a cold stainless steel pan so searing your salted steak in a heated pan is not going to be an issue.

I had filled my nice new shiny pan with cold water for pasta and added rock salt before turning on the heat. The result; nice little white and rust-colored spots in the middle of my pan which exactly were the salt was that will never go away - another reason to wait until the water starts to boil to add salt!

"Do not add salt to cold water. Instead, wait for the water to boil and then stir in the salt. Adding salt to cold water may lead to extremely high salt concentrations at the bottom of the pot, which can cause corrosion spots on the bottom. While such spots on the stainless steel do not affect the performance of the pot, they are difficult – if not impossible – to remove. "
http://www.fissler.com/de/service/handling_care/stainless_steel_products.html

BTW, I purchased expensive Stainless Steel Pot cleaner and it had a slightly gritty consistency. Now I only buy soft-scrub! It's great for any baked-on ultra caramelized messes on the inside and ancient brown stains on the outside of the pot. Be sure to scrub in the direction of the steel if "brushed" finish. If you have the Soft Scrub with bleach rinse it off within minutes because bleach is also corrosive and can eventually make a hole in the pan! And no... it will not remove stains caused by salt. : (

Ciao,

L

@IVY PHANITAC I make croissants all the time with puff-pastry! Just slice int to long, thin triangles - add a square of chocolate if you like, then roll and bend. I like to brush them with a little milk and sprinkle with large sugar crystals before baking to give them a little color.

Also, I don't know if there is a name of the dessert I make with them, but I cut them into squares and fold the edges up (a little like the nutella one pictured) then fill with "crema pasticcera" (Italian Pastry cream), top with half an apricot and, again brush the edges with milk and pop in the oven! When apricots are not in season, I get the ones from a large vase supplied by my mother-in-law. They are tangy and not sweet and is such a delicious dessert!!

Ciao,

L

P.S.. I think this article is a definite candidate for Kitchn cross-post!

The slicester is interesting... I go through about two or three hard-boiled egg cutters a year because I slice mushrooms and strawberries in them! I don't get the point of it being hand-held, you could drop the mushroom out if you're holding it in mid-air!

I agree that there is alot of plastic!! Though, I will melt for anything silicone AND useful!!

Ciao,

L

I don't get this post. It just looks like a collection of non-nonsensical statements and unclear photos. Are the photos of mini-bars or a bar sink as the primary sink in the kitchen? I clicked "more" hoping to have an explanation of how the pictured "trough" sink is actually supposed to be used. A line of glasses, filled with ice to hold bottles? I can't believe I wasted my time READING and COMMENTING on this.

I just wanted to point out that slow cooking for 8 hours versus an hour in the oven is NOT a time-saver! Try pressure cooking your potatoes in 10 minutes, then post about how much time it saves!

I have a 36" oven that is ridiculous to use all the time. I have a large (you can fit a 9x13 casserole in it) toaster convection oven for heating up bread, and small things. It heats up faster and gets a better crisp than my regular oven (I assume it's the proximity to the heating elements so you're kinda cooking and broiling at the same time). With mine you can select to either use the top, bottom or both heating elements, convection and a nice twist timer so it will turn off by itself. In a pinch, with nothing left to cook and ravenous children... fishsticks that "should be" pan-fried come out amazing in a toaster oven if you put them directly on the rack. Just be sure to line the bottom with tin foil so you can easily throw away the fat drippings and run the rack through the dishwasher- though you may not have a dishwasher, either!! ; )

Have fun in Paris... and don't worry, things have a way of falling into place at the last minute in Europe!

Ciao,

L

Ok, this will sound totally weird but...

I got a little plastic funnel with my breast pump designed for "manual expression." Well, I never used it for that but it was the perfect size for re-filling my spice jars! Since I cook and use my spices alot, I loved being able to re-fill them without spilling them everywhere but in the jar!

OK, so now it is a spice-jar-refill-funnel uni-tasker but I wouldn't live without it!!!

I nest it with my regular funnel. No wasted space!

L

Now that you are "into" Gorgonzola... let me introduce you to a sublime combination:

Gorgonzola on Gnocchi with a Spinach Punch..
http://lapsushumanus.blogspot.com/2004/12/ode-to-gorgonzola.html

Ciao,

L

Well, since several have nominated and voted for themselves...

Name: Hip Pressure Cooking
URL: http://www.hippressurecooking.com

Also..

Name: The Wicked Noodle
URL:http://www.thewickednoodle.com

Name: Simple Healthy Family
URL: http://simplyhealthyfam.blogspot.com

P.S. Noted that sometimes not all the comments load, sometimes they do.