Kitchen "Candy" ~ Or, Look What I Just Got!

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Coffee: So, having grown up with Irish, tea-drinking parents in the UK, I had never tasted coffee at all until my next door neighbour gave me a cup of instant. (I was 16) And I liked it! (Never really liked tea to be honest.) Nowadays, I cannot even consider drinking instant coffee! I would (and do) prefer a glass of water if instant is the only option available. I use a small cafetiere (french press) at home and luckily, we have a coffee machine at work that grinds the beans for each cup.

Silicone covers: These are pretty good! I started using them about a year ago (trying to reduce cling film use). You need the sides of any dishes to be dry, and to pick the right size, but once you get the hang of getting them on, they really do work well. My cling film use has dropped to almost nothing.
 
Some time back, DH bought me this half-size Pullman pan after seeing me reading an article in Cooks Illustrated about Japanese shokupan bread. Yesterday I finally made it (below left). It didn't rise quite enough to fill the pan, but it's tasty. I put half in the Pullman pan and half in a regular loaf pan.

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Coffee: So, having grown up with Irish, tea-drinking parents in the UK, I had never tasted coffee at all until my next door neighbour gave me a cup of instant. (I was 16) And I liked it! (Never really liked tea to be honest.) Nowadays, I cannot even consider drinking instant coffee! I would (and do) prefer a glass of water if instant is the only option available. I use a small cafetiere (french press) at home and luckily, we have a coffee machine at work that grinds the beans for each cup.
I think the best cup of coffee I had in England was on the train platform in Nottingham.
 
I've always read that coffee is an acquired taste. I believe it's true. I don't believe it is something you pick up, take a big swallow and say - of WOW this is great! give me more!

As I remember back to the late 50's and into the 60's, other than cafe's etc. around us it was mostly instant. Brewing coffee was saved for the weekends and/or guests. Usually there was too much going on after supper to bother with brewing a pot.

When I first started drinking coffee, I could not abide brewed, only drank instant. Then slowly over the years, I suddenly discovered that I really only liked brewed! and now just recently I have found that I rather like both.

go figure....
It's fascinating how our tastes and preferences evolve over time! Your experience with coffee is quite common, as people often develop a taste for more complex flavors as they grow accustomed to a particular beverage. Instant coffee can be a good introduction, but brewed coffee typically offers a richer and more nuanced flavor profile.

It's great that you've come to enjoy both instant and brewed coffee. Taste is subjective, and exploring different flavors and preparation methods can lead to delightful discoveries. Whether you're in the mood for a quick cup of instant or a more indulgent brewed coffee, both can provide a satisfying experience. Enjoy your coffee journey and the variety it brings!
 
I have been buying non-stick pans in a three-pack from Costco. They're great quality and cheap. The problem with that is one of the three usually wears out before the others. You can only give away so many pans to your kids. That's the case this time. Some time ago, I had bought a three-pan set when my 8" wore out. I put the new 8" in use right away and stuck the others in my auxiliary pantry. Well that 8" has seen better days. I couldn't justify buying another three-pan set as I still had two pans in storage from the last purchase. So I ordered an 8.5" skillet from Amazon and it arrived today. It's heavy aluminum and the silicone handle cover is removable for oven use.

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DD#2 gave me money to buy a few things for Mother's Day. So, I got these from Amazon. I used the crêpe maker yesterday. I LOVE IT! Quick, easy, and no constant standing over the stove. I also love the uniform thickness of the crêpes. I also got a 48 oz. dough pan with lid.

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Not a new "candy" but, I had a 20 + years old 8" chef knife from Wusthof. The handle cracked long time ago. I finally brought to work, thinking that i can fix it myself, I am a tool maker after all. But then, I don't know what made me go on line and check Wusthof site. I totally forgot that they offer life time warranty. I e-mailed them, got instruction on how to send my knife back. I totally expected to get My knife back. Guess what? I got a coupon instead, for a completely new knife. So, there you have it. I have a brand new 8" Wusthof . And I have to say, though I have a lot of very good Japanese knives, more often than not I use that knife.
If you are looking for a good knife, Wusthof , is the one I recommend.
 
I have been buying non-stick pans in a three-pack from Costco. They're great quality and cheap. The problem with that is one of the three usually wears out before the others. You can only give away so many pans to your kids. That's the case this time. Some time ago, I had bought a three-pan set when my 8" wore out. I put the new 8" in use right away and stuck the others in my auxiliary pantry. Well that 8" has seen better days. I couldn't justify buying another three-pan set as I still had two pans in storage from the last purchase. So I ordered an 8.5" skillet from Amazon and it arrived today. It's heavy aluminum and the silicone handle cover is removable for oven use.

View attachment 69123
What brand is it?
 
Not a new "candy" but, I had a 20 + years old 8" chef knife from Wusthof. The handle cracked long time ago. I finally brought to work, thinking that i can fix it myself, I am a tool maker after all. But then, I don't know what made me go on line and check Wusthof site. I totally forgot that they offer life time warranty. I e-mailed them, got instruction on how to send my knife back. I totally expected to get My knife back. Guess what? I got a coupon instead, for a completely new knife. So, there you have it. I have a brand new 8" Wusthof . And I have to say, though I have a lot of very good Japanese knives, more often than not I use that knife.
If you are looking for a good knife, Wusthof , is the one I recommend.
Charlie, I have Heckles Pro S knives. I send them a knife to repair. Sometimes the feel it's not worth fixing (cracked handle) so they send me a new one.
 
Charlie, I have Heckles Pro S knives. I send them a knife to repair. Sometimes the feel it's not worth fixing (cracked handle) so they send me a new one.
I actually was surprised. Because to fix handle for them would have been 10 minute job.
 
Maybe. I actually just got home and compared old and new, I have another one with white handle, they are the same.
 
I'd been looking for this for some time now and I finally found one ... I knew I would here in Honolulu!
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This is a Tamago Pan. It's used to make Japanese Egg Omelettes, Tamagoyaki.
They're nice big, thick, fluffy omelettes, Oishii!!! (that's delicious in Japanese).
I won't experiment with it here in Hawaii, mainly because eggs are $6.49 per dozen large eggs :oops:
I'll just put it in to my suitcase and bring it back to Cowboyville Arizona.
 
The purpose of this knife is not paring so much as mini slicing and dicing. I'm hoping it will be easier to handle than an 8" chefs knife for things like dicing shallots and other small items.

Here's a better photo.

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Well, that was November of last year and here we are 9 months later. I haven't used this knife for several months because it got dull fairly quickly and became ineffective. I was disappointed.

I decided I'd try to sharpen it when I did my other knives and give it another try. When sharp it's great at slicing and dicing small items. There's always the option of buying a similar knife with better steel.
 
Well, that was November of last year and here we are 9 months later. I haven't used this knife for several months because it got dull fairly quickly and became ineffective. I was disappointed.

I decided I'd try to sharpen it when I did my other knives and give it another try. When sharp it's great at slicing and dicing small items. There's always the option of buying a similar knife with better steel.
I also bought that OXO knife.

I love it. I sharpen it with one of these small sharpeners, and it is nice and sharp. Cuts through tomato like a breeze.

SHARPAL 191H Pocket Kitchen Chef Knife Scissors Sharpener for Straight & Serrated Knives, 3-Stage Knife Sharpening Tool Helps Repair and Restore Blades

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