MaryWynn's Profile

I think John Thorne has written quite a bit on this topic, or someone similar. Many of the heartier loaves have a lifecycle that has pleasures at all stages. There are lots of recipes, many of which have been mentioned by other commenters, which take advantage of each stage. I often intentionally purchase bread that I know will go into strata, for example. Stale bread can thicken soups and sauces, become the basis of a bread salad or pudding, become croutons or melba toasts or French toast or bruschetta or any number of amazing things. And if that doesn’t get me to the end of the loaf, I like to feed it to the ducks.

Hot peppers sprays really work, as do chili flakes and other capsaicin-y things. I have no qualms about causing non-lethal pain to varmits in my garden. I will have to try the citrus-rind thing.

Wow. Just Wow.

I thought this question would be directed at the stores themselves, not fellow shoppers. I may now never be able to go grocery shopping outside of the 2 AM slot at my local 24/7 for fear of all your judgements.

The grocery store and farmers markets are among the few true agoras left in this society of ours.

I like bumping into my neighbors, I don't mind if someone uses a check (it's none of my business how you handle your finances), and people with unruly kids? Well, I'm not a parent and I don't know how their day is going. A little patience with our fellow humans might not be remiss here people. For shame.

I'm a little OCD but I ALWAYS compare the per-ounce or per-item price on stuff. That's how I figured out that my usual grocer charges more per roll of TP in the larger packages than the four-packs. It's a pretty common practice in my area at least.

I think, more than measuring, a cook should be TASTING the food they're making. Who cares what the recipe said if you don't like it?

If you dump a teaspoon of something in the middle of the pan you're going to have to futz with it to get it properly mixed. I thought everybody did the sprinkle thing.

I like to listen to the radio or play with my phone, but I don't always need to be distracted.

A meal alone is a moment of personal time. Sometimes I look out the window at my garden or other views, or pet a cat, or consider the comforts of home. In a restaurant, I like to watch others and make up stories about them, or just daydream. In either instance, I make a point of savoring my food. Food is amazing, why not enjoy it!

And I love to eat alone because it means I can make whatever the heck I want. Chocolate chip cookies are totally a legitimate dinner, right?

Silicone is not compost-friendly.

In general, paper products are water-intensive to produce so the argument that you're saving water probably isn't valid. In terms of environmental impact, there's also the packaging, transportation footprint, etc. You have to consider the entire supply chain of a product when making such a claim.

When roasting this way, I usually just soak the pan at the end of washing dishes and everything comes right off.

Woah, this is freaking genius. I'm totes doing this for my next fancy potluck!

That vid is hilarious @anniet, thanks for sharing.

As for the yuck-sayers, you're boring. If you don't want to try something new, this probably isn't the blog for you.

This could be an awesome planter too.

Minestrone. I used to make it as a way to use up bits & bobs, but now I sometimes intentionally make extra bits & bobs for it because it's so good. The key is to use really good leftover tomato sauce as your base.

Basically, sautee an onion or mirepoix, add plenty of crushed garlic, your favorite seasonings (I like bay and an Italian blend) and then a generous quantity of sauce. When it's bubbling, add a liquid (water is OK) and any of your uncooked vegetables, plus a parm rind if you have it. Simmer until the veg is tender, than add cooked (leftover) vegetables. Return to a simmer and add pastina. When the pastina is cooked, pull out the parmesan rind and serve with a grating of your fave hard cheese.

This one can be anywhere from meat-tacular to completely vegan depending on my mood and the contents of my fridge. Rendering pancetta as a first step adds amazing depth, putting butter in with the sauce is nice, using a meat sauce, etc. Never the same twice, always delicious.