ljhchi's Profile

For the really tough stuff I deglaze, soak, and then resort to using a Chore Boy copper scrubber. It takes very little pressure and about 2 seconds to get even the very worst stuff off. I rarely need it on my good stainless pots and pans, though, as in general they clean beautifully. Not sure about the kinds of stains you get on the bottoms of pans. I don't like the idea of using the heavy duty chemical cleaners.

Little late here but just wanted to say that I make popovers and yorkshire puddings in my popover tins all the time and love them. But I also make muffins in my popover tins. I get bigger muffins than with my muffin tins, and with a nice tender crust all around. Only problem is they don't stand up.

Jim Lahey, who came up with the no-knead recipe that was such a craze after the Times covered it, writes in his book that Le Creuset, the company, considers the handles "ovenproof only to 375 degrees Fahrenheit." He suggests plugging the hole with the screw or tin foil. In his book he specifies 475 degrees, but says 450 is okay too. Obviously oven temps vary anyway. If your Creuset handle didn't melt, then that's great! I never risked it, but maybe I could have.

I use sterling name tape. They're iron-on and work great. Not sure about removing them later on when the clothes have been outgrown, but I intend to try. http://sterlingnametape.com/index.html

I've just registered with AT so that I could recommend Lewis and Sheron in Atlanta http://www.lsfabrics.com/

Their selection is fantastic and their prices, in my experience, are great. Just bought 40 yards of curtain fabric from them after finding the very same stuff at a local place, known for good values, for almost 3 x the price. In addition to the regular selections, they've got a vast archive section -- there's a 25 yd minimum there, but if you've got a big project it's definitely worth looking. I don't think there's a minimum with their regular stock.

They don't give you much info online about fabric weight and content and that sort of thing, though you can sometimes deduce by the category they've put it in. You have to pay for samples but it's worth it. And the people on the phone are very helpful.