joelfinkle's Profile

Spread them out in a freezer bag, and freeze them for the next time you need one or two... like making Guacamole (one pepper plus some sauce, lime, salt and cilantro, per avocado)

I have DuPont Zodiaq, and have been very happy with it until recently. When I bought it, the sale price was not significantly different from solid-surface, and the performance and appearance much better. Six years ago, they offered better color selection than Silestone, Cambria or Caesarstone (in our opinion), I can't vouch for what they make now.

I have had a recent problem: 40 hours of a 3-gallon sous vide vessel at 145F put a big crack in my countertop (which has mostly retracted since), through the sink's faucet hole, out the other side of the sink, and to the edge of the counter (about 2 feet of crack total). DuPont has not yet ruled as to whether this is covered by warranty (the service org thinks it probably is), or whether they'd want to replace or repair. I hope it's not replace, since I've got tile backsplash that would be difficult to remove or reinstall, and may not be replaceable.

Just to whet your whistle, the Iron Chef Celery results included two soups (one silky puree, one chunky with bleu cheese), a salad (Celery Victor), a croissant, a canape with crabmeat atop stalks and blanched celery root, a lamb stew, a New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, pierogies with mushrooms, celery root and celery "sauerkraut", and the winner, an "Ants on a Log" upside down cake with celery root-white chocolate ganache and peanut butter caramel sauce.

No mention of Port and Sherry?

Paneer is readily available in ethnic markets -- I've seen it in more than just the Indian stores, usually in the freezer case. The frozen cheese keeps its texture just fine, and won't spoil then. Keeping a block of it in the freezer makes it handy to have around for a craving of Muttar Paneer or Paneer Makhani.

Oh and tofu? Not an acceptable substitute. Too soft, not rich enough. I tried it, just not happy with the results. I mean, sure, Muttar Tofu will be tasty, but it's just missing that dairy richness and chew.

We traveled around Texas for a week, including some camping, and bought a small jar of peanut butter for breakfasts. We'd barely dented it, so it was in our carry-ons (we ate some of it for lunch before getting to the airport).

It was accused of being a gel (it's not, it's an emulsification, natural ones are more of a suspension).
I asked if I had made sandwiches out of the same peanut butter, if it would be acceptable, and was told that, yes, it would. Too bad I was out of bread.

I'm surprised there's no acid in there, given the fact that all the brassicas work well with vinegar or lemon juice, and fish sauce is almost always paired with citrus or vinegar (I'd recommend coconut). Add some sugar, some finely chopped chile, scallions and/or shallot and you've got a very larb-like salad. To flesh (see what I did there) it out a bit, some lump crabmeat would go very well with the bitterness of the sprouts.

On the subject of lite alfredo:
No, no, 1000 times no.

Try the good stuff then compare.
It's too rich to eat a whole meal of it? Then split it 10 ways and have a salad next to it.
Eat a whole bunch of broccoli with garlic on the side.
Have a grilled chicken breast ... way over there as your secondi, not on top of the pasta.

Trust me on this. It's better to have a little of something awesome than a big gloppy roux-sticky pile of something OK.

And another thumbs up on nutmeg.

Miso works as a great glaze for chicken and pork too. This is what I usually put together, but it inevitably is too much for 1lb meat:

about 1/4 miso
1-2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 C mirin
2-3 Tbs sugar, brown sugar, or honey
black pepper to taste
1 tsp sesame oil

Stir the above in a small saucepan, heat to boiling. Allow to cool and use about half as a marinade, and brush more on when you grill the meat, or as a condiment when served.

Other add-ins:
1tsp dijon mustard
finely grated orange peel, plus 1/4 cup orange juice in place of the mirin
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 to 1 tsp sambal oelek or other pepper paste (just watch the salt levels)
1-2 Tbs rice vinegar if you like things tangy-er

Do NOT add anything else salty such as soy sauce.

Also, in my experience you do not need to add oil to salad dressings made with miso: it acts as a major flavor, thickener and emulsifier by itself, adding oil is gilding the lily.

You see a lot of Queso Chihuahua used in Chicago-area Mex -- it's somewhere between a Jack and a Mozz in flavor.
Cotija is very dry and crumbly -- somewhere between feta and parmesan, probably not what the OP is talking about.