A Nony Mous's Profile

I wouldn't try this with ravioli or other filled pastas. You need to get the center hot enough to cook thoroughly, especially if it's meat filled.

Why don't recipe writers/posters mention the wattage of their microwave so it would be easier for everyone to figure out the settings to use. I'm not sure why so few recipes specify this. [\petpeeve]

Bx: best cure for cold or flu is a heavy shot of Drambuie in a very hot cup of tea.

Doesn't actually cure you, but after a couple of cups, you don't care anymore.

Always wash my fruit, but never with those fruit sprays--too expensive. Use a little alcohol or just plain soap.

It doesn't matter that the fruit is organic. I don't want possum or skunk or squirrel spit on anything I eat. Our fruit trees are organic, but come on over sometime and watch what the wildlife does.

Besides a cinnamon sugar shaker, I keep a jar of what I call Sweet Spice in my cupboard. It's a mixture of equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and coriander, then add sugar to your taste. I think I use about 1/2 cup sugar for 1/2 tsp of each spice (not sure because I don't really measure the sugar).

Great for shaking on toast, oatmeal, cocoa, coffee, whatever.

Lindsay, to add to guido's comment, you don't even need to buy a canner if you're putting up smaller (pint or half-pint) jars and have a 12-16 qt. stockpot with a cover. Just put a small rack or folded tea towel in the bottom of the pot and you're good to go.

When I'm making marmalades, I put them in 8-oz jars and use my 12 qt stockpot. For a rack, I bought the small rack that goes in the bottom of a Weber bbq because it was sturdier than the round cooling racks I could find. Before that, I used a flour sack dishtowel to keep the jars off the bottom.

I'll be spending this hot, hot, humid weekend in the kitchen, canning my favorite squash.

We grew those giant cucuzzi this year--the huge, twisty, light green Italian vegetable marrows. I cook them with onions and plum tomatoes (ours) and can them so we can eat summer goodness in the dead of winter.

Oops, I voted "no," but I forgot I have a Graham Kerr bench knife. Instead of a wooden (or other mat'l) handle, the stainless "rolls" into a handle so I can throw it in the dishwasher when I'm feeling really lazy.

Now, does anyone remember his shows?

If I had a pound of really great tasting butter, I'd make my simple butter pound cake. A pound of butter, a pound of 10xx sugar, 6 large eggs, 3 cups cake flour. That's it--doesn't need any other flavoring or leavening. Much buttery goodness plain, but of course you can serve with berries or peaches or whatever you like.

Soften butter and beat well. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in flour. Bake in tube/bundt pan at 325°F for about 75 minutes or so.

The only trick is to be sure eggs and butter are at the same temperature when you begin (room temp). Batter should be the consistency of a big bowl of frosting when you're done mixing.

I should have added that I bought eggs at our local farmers market once, and once only. They were comparable to supermarket eggs. I know I could do better if I wanted to drive 45 minutes to a famous farmers market, but I don't.