Rob_in_Germany's Profile

So, for those who normally gripe: here's a before/after with bothe the before and after pictures taken from the same location and angle!

Great job.

Does this mean my old plaid sofa is back in style?

I agree with the room tempature butter, as well. The importance of the butter and sugar cannot be overemphasized. This applies to more than just chocolate chip cookies, too. If you get into the science of cooking, on a molecular level, the creamed butter and sugar will serve as the frame of whatever you are baking, with the flour filling out the form. Always use room temature butter and never rush the creaming step.

On a related note, I've tried dozens of other recipies, and I still consider the toll house receipe to be the best.

Tania:
I think it depends a lot on the type of pumpkin. The "Jack o’ lantern" variety as shown in the photo (which you really shouldn't bake with since they're bred for appearance rather than taste) would not last long. The problem with the fridge is that it tends to be a very humid environment. The skin on some varieties is very porous and would absorb the moisture from the fridge. A cheese pumpkin or similar variety, with a hard skin like an acorn or butternut squash, should last a few months in the fridge. The main reason I don’t store my pumpkins there is that our refrigerators in Germany are ridiculously small…not much bigger than a mini-bar fridge in a hotel room, so I only have room for things that absolutely must be refrigerated. If that’s your only option, then I think you should make puree and store that instead. That will keep for a very long time in the freezer. As others have noted, fresh pumpkin has a lot of water and must be drained over a cheese cloth for a few hours after cooking in order to achieve the same consistency as the canned stuff.

yelena took the words right outta my mouth...

The "don't cook with wine you would not drink" myth has been pretty thoroughly disproven by many sources, to include Gourmet magazine (remember them?). The act of heating the wine changes the wine considerably, so it's just not worth the extra expense of using only high quality wine for cooking when the end result is the same.
That being said, I use lower quality white wine for making a poaching liquid, perfect for chicken or a flaky white fish (or even salmon). Just pour about 2 cups in a large pan, add enough water so it will cover whatever you’re poaching. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a sprig or 2 of fresh rosemary, 2 whole, peeled garlic cloves, two cloves, about 10 coriander seeds and 10 whole peppercorns, about 2 tbsp salt and a bay leaf. Allow to cook for a minute or two before you add the item you want to poach. Skinless chicken breasts cook well in a saucepan on high for about 9 minutes or so, then I remove and immediately chop up and allow to cool before placing in the fridge. You have to be more gentle with fish, depending on the type, but normally I cook that in a shallow pan over a low simmer for about 10 mins, depending on the thickness.
I also like the earlier idea of throwing the remainder of the bottle into ice cube trays. I would use those cubes later with a little butter and salt when I sauté up come asparagus or green beans.