Saddler's Profile

@jdinnyc, did the onion cutting go something like this...

Look at the onion like a globe, roots are south, cut the onion in half from south to the north, right through the root. Then cut off the north poles of each onion. Peel the onion, then holding the knife north/south cut the onion almost the whole way south but not through the last layer or three, start on either the east or west side depending on left or right handedness and continue to the other side, you should now have an onion that is still one piece but has a couple hundred "fingers" coming up from the root end, now turn the onion and cut east/west starting at the north end working your way down to the end. Voila, diced onion.

This leads me to a paradox, you love your coffee enough to clean your blade grinder every morning, yet you do not have a burr grinder?

Oh, the rancid oil argument is invalid because if you are not using soap and water to clean it, you will not be getting all the oils. And the oil will only go rancid if it has access to water.

But yes, a clean machine will always perform better, I can not see a valid return on cleaning out the coffee grinder every morning. Once a month I could see, which I don't do because I have two burr grinders, one of which is more then twenty years old, never been cleaned and makes an uneven grind that has no trace of old coffee in it, rancid or otherwise.

Here is the toolbox I use http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00913244000P?mv=rr

Let me start at the top and work my way down.

Unacceptable? Genocide is not acceptable as is rape, colored plates and napkins in wine glasses are only personal preference.

You don't have to cater to the crowd, but make your effort worth while

Dollar store white plates will always show their age prematurely because they are cheap, you get what you pay for. As being unacceptable, why?

Cheap white plates are the starter home plates unless it is the five "last plate of the set" plates. Many people move on up to the colored, busy and fun plates, these people usually focus on the entertainment side of eating, while people like me focus on the food side of eating. I only buy white, but to keep it fun I have plates and bowls that most people wouldn't recognize as such unless food was on them.

Leen, I like the way you roll.

You can't skim your stocks, sauces, and soups very well with a measuring cup, I have tried. As for serving soup, I usually ladle it into the measuring cup and then pour into the bowl, it prevents all that dripping on the counter and bowls and the measuring cup doesn't leave a mess when you set it on the counter.

@ohjodi, if you used your measuring cup to make the soup, it isn't dirty as far as using to serve the soup, it just has soup ingredients in it.

Microwaves can be a great thing, working in a high end kitchen has taught me a lot about microwaves. First, metal can go in a microwave. Cheap, no name, super thin, rips when you rub against the counter edge aluminum foil will arc and create sparks, not good. The thick, heavy duty, use as a baking sheet cause you are to lazy to do your dishes aluminum foil will work in the microwave as will solid metal dishes. I do this almost nightly and I dare anyone prove me wrong. Side note, don't put any fancy plates with metal lace work on it in there, as I learnt when I was ten yrs old, it looks like a fuse burning. Cool to watch, but the plate looks like crap when you are done.

As to the microwave cooking, understand that it heats water only. I personally think that microwaves are only good for reheating non-proteins, the wetter the better. Somethings heat up much, much better then others. Veggies, pasta, sauces, drinks etc. I have yet to see anyone consistently and tastily COOK food other then a few basic things (pototoes) in a microwave.

Understand how a microwave works, its strengths and weakness'. Like any kitchen tool knowing how to use it makes all the difference.

Mt. Pleasant Cheese on Cambie http://www.mountpleasantcheese.com/ have up to one hundred and fifty types of Canadian cheese and you can try most of them.
If you head to the fish dock only a thousand or so feet west of Granville Island on the sea wall, you can get that fresh caught fish, Organic Ocean http://www.organicocean.com/ has some of the best quality sustainable seafood available in the city. The scallops are fantastic, but I have to suggest the spot prawns, the season ended last week but they have them flash frozen, the best prawns I have ever had. You will not want to eat those gross black thai prawns after eating a pound of these babies.
If you head to china town for your produce you can get some fantastic produce at an amazing price, just check all sides of your fruit and don't buy those "towers" of cherries (anywhere) they are beautiful on the outside, not so much on the inside. I have seen more then one disappointed face when they find out most of the inside cherries are not edible.
There is an artisanal sake house on Granville Island that makes some really fine products, the name I forget, but it is on railspur alley. This place pretty much started my love of sake.