I have been toying with the idea of buying a little meat grinder and buying chuck roasts from a local source and using the meat to make hamburger. Now, for the umpteenth time there is a recall in Canada for tainted hamburger products on several brands of hamburger patties and bulk meat. I have made up my mind - I would probably only use it for this one purpose so I don't want to spend a fortune. Can anyone recommend a good quality grinder that is user friendly and dishwasher safe? I have done a little research and many mention the Waring Pro MG800 Electric Meat Grinder, that is brushed stainless steel. I am not sure whether it is dishwasher safe however. Thanks for any help.

Hubby and I are escaping the stormy weather in Canada for a month. We are heading to South Carolina and I am looking forward to visiting the new Trader Joe's (my first trip!) I will be feeding a couple of Snowbirds who are dropping by on their way home from Florida. I don't intend to do a lot of work, I am taking a well needed rest. I thought I would do a Crock Pot pulled pork recipe I have. It calls for my "favourite" bottled barbeque sauce and I would like to try an American favourite, as they are unavailable in Canada. So how about it, folks - let me know your go-to bottle of sauce. Nothing too spicy - I love it - but my friends, not so much.

I have been attempting to read the 7 comments regarding the article, "Toronto - VPN Pie at Pizza Libretto" and I can't find anything in the comment area. What gives?

There was a thread on rhubarb here that made me want a rhubarb pie. I have a good recipe for a sour cream rhubarb pie. I have enough to make two pies which means one will have to be stored for a later time. My question is, if I make up two pies and cook one for now, should I freeze the other unbaked, for later? Then how long and at what temperature would I cook the pie and would it be from the frozen state or would I thaw it? I have never done this before but my thought is that if I thaw the pie, it would be soggy before I ever cooked it. The pie contains uncooked rhubarb, a mixture of sour cream, sugar & flour to go over the fruit, then a "crumble" top made with flour, brown sugar and melted butter. Thank you in advance for any advice.

I received this e-mail yesterday and I am confused. Is this something we should look out for or, is it just another incidence of "junk science" making something out of nothing? I hope some of our experts will weigh in.

Meat glue

The industry-wide secret butchers don't want you to know about: The special product called Meat Glue sticking your steak together.

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/8989315/consumer/meat-glue

I have noticed a pesky problem in the text of my, "Comments" section ever since they were working on it a couple of weeks ago. Very often something strange will appear, instead of the proper word. For instance, today I was reading the thread about browning flour and the word, "Québec" appeared in a post from M. Ghislain (obviously Quebec) and on another post from Saria, the word, "sablA@s" appeared. There are many other foul-ups, especially with measurements. I haven't seen anyone posting about this problem, so perhaps it is just a program in my computer (I don't know the first thing about computer related glitches, but if no one else is having these problems, I will look into it.) Thanks.

I have a large bag of dried mixed mushrooms. The one time I used them in the past, I followed the directions of soaking them in boiling water and then I added them to soup I was making. They were tough and chewy and not tasty. Now that I have a crock pot and have a nice recipe for a spicy pot roast that cooks on low for 8-10 hours, I am thinking I could just throw the bag in with the other ingredients and they would surely be soft and delicious. Can anyone tell me if this will work? I seem to remember when I soaked the mushrooms and then cooked in the soup, it took 2-3 hours.

I have two vials of vanilla beans that unfortunately were lost (and forgotten) in the back of a cupboard. I wonder if they can be salvaged? They are hard and stiff. I would like to use them in recipes for ice cream as I just bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Will they soften in boiling water? If it is not possible to soften them enough to retrieve the seeds, could I use them to make vanilla extract with vodka? I hate to toss them. Any advice?

Let me preface this by saying my knowledge of casseroles is limited.My Mother was from Britain where mostly stews or Shepherd's pies were made for a quick nutritious meal and when we moved to Ontario, she was a little nonplussed at the "pasta-tinned cream soup-hamburg/tuna casseroles" that were so popular at the time and she never made them. Consequently, I never ate them and really didn't experiment with them as I should have.

My god daughter is expecting twins in two weeks. She shares custody of her 8 year old and it looks as though she will be handling these new babies without a partner. I would love to help her out with the stress of meal preparation for the first month or so.

They don't like cabbage rolls, so they are out. Some of the curries I was going to make are out as well, as she has requested very little spice as she will be breast feeding. I have always had a heavy hand with spice, so I will need some ideas - basically some recipes that I can make and she can reheat from the freezer. I have soups covered, thanks.

Also, I would appreciate instructions if casseroles are OK to take straight from the freezer and baked (at what temp?) or whether they will need to be thawed first. Also, can I cook some slow cooker meals and put them straight into the freezer? Any suggestions or recipes would be welcome.

Like most of you, I use the turkey carcass for making stock. This year I have two large carcasses and will be making more soup than usual as I want to put some up in my god daughters freezer as she is expecting twins in two weeks. I always boil the bones with water, onion, celery & carrots - but - I have read here on several threads that the turkey bones produce a much richer stock if they are first baked. My questions:- for two carcasses, how long should I bake them and at what temperature? There is still some meat adhering to the bones, do I have to pick all this off? Also, do I need to break the bones? I usually buy an extra turkey breast to add as the meat to my soup. Can anyone help in a hurry, as I everything ready to go into the oven? Thanks so much and I hope you all had a wonderful day.

December 21 is the longest night of the year - why do I know this? I was married on this day 42 years ago. To celebrate, I could have my pick of any restaurant in the city, but maybe the one I chose will surprise you. I live in Canada and good fried chicken is very hard to find beyond forgettable KFC. They have just opened a Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen restaurant here and I am hoping it is like the one I visited in South Carolina. Southern fried chicken is my absolute favourite and I only get to eat it once a year for health reasons, so, TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!

I have been thinking about chili lately and today I grabbed some things from the fridge and made one - however, there was no chili powder! Instead of going to the store, I threw in a dry mix of "Old Mexican Spice Mix" that someone gave me, the kind that you mix together with sour cream and mayo for a dip. I love spicy food, but this was way too hot for me - my SO is not crazy about hot spice at all - other than go to the store and buy ingredients for another pot of chili sans any seasoning at all and mixing them together, does anyone have any ideas for salvaging my recipe? It is my fault entirely but I have just finished my hour on the treadmill and I don't feel like making a grocery run.

With ripe, cheap and plentiful vegetables in season, I am going to the Farmer's Market to buy produce so that I can make up soups and freeze them for Winter eating.

Most of the soups I make are vegetable based, but I have a recipe for a lovely, "Leek and Stilton Soup" that calls for some milk and cream. I would like to avoid the milk products from "breaking up" when reconstituted from the frozen state. Do you think it would be appropriate to substitute evaporated milk instead? The creamed soup still tastes delicious, but doesn't look good. I suppose the other thing I could do is make up the soup and add the milk products before serving, but that is a bit of trouble I don't need on a busy day, and also, I like to make up several batches of soup at a time, so knowing exactly how much milk is required might be a problem. Thanking you in advance for any help or advice.

I guess road trip season is well under way! We are making two overnight stops on our way from Canada to South Carolina. Our first stop will be in Berea, Kentucky. My sister is travelling with us and I wanted to show her some smaller, unique places. We will be eating at the Daniel Boone Tavern in Berea and visiting the craft shops. The second night we stop in Asheville, N.C. (actually in Fletcher, N.C. as it is the July 4th weekend and everything is booked.) My question is, can anyone recommend a nice mid priced restaurant with some good food for road weary travellers, preferably with an outdoor patio and located in the cental part of town? Thank You.

I have a fair amount left from the Easter roast. Tonight I reheated leftovers and it was as good as yesterday. However, I am at a bit of a loss with what to do with the rest of the meat. I am not familiar with Cuban or Mexican cooking and I don't think I would fancy a soup. Does anyone have any good ideas as to how I should use up the pork - it is from a leg.

BTW, this is totally unrelated, but I am having a minor surgical procedure tomorrow, which will keep me from keyboarding for about two weeks. However, I will be reading SE during this time and just wishing I could comment! See you soon.

I was unable to "favourite" things for quite a while - when the new format came out, I was able to "favourite" things now and then. I notice that now I can "favourite" things if there are no "tags" underneath it - if there is a "tag" then I have to click on one of those before hitting, "favourites" - sorry, I am not computer literate so I don't know any of the proper terminology to use, but perhaps Alaina or Adam will figure out what I am trying to say here and for me, I can now save things to "favourites" if I follow the above step.

I bought this yesterday on impulse because it was 97 cents/lb. - I don't know about the U.S.A. but here in Canada that is a bargain. I will be putting it in the freezer until Easter (it was fresh.) There will plenty of people at Easter dinner to demolish this - the problem is, I need some serious advice on how to prepare it. I would love to leave the skin in place & score it for crackling and I would like to roast it low and slow so the meat is succulent and tender. I have two questions - 1. Will this cooking method work the same on a leg of pork as it would for a shoulder of pork?
2. How long will it take to cook a roast of this size? Also I would be thrilled to hear of anyone's experience with a similar roast(possibly from a restaurant kitchen) and I know this forum won't let me down. Luckily, I have a Calphalon roaster that will hold the monster!

I read in the a.m. paper that Chef Michael Smith, well known to most Canadians, will be featured on, "Iron Chef America" on January 31, and will be up against Chef Mario Batali. The article stated he was also headed to Vancouver to head up the kitchen facility for the Olympics.

I am making my first visit to a "Whole Foods" store, albeit, a Canadian edition. I found out that there is a store in Toronto from a thread right here on SE. I am so excited!! I am planning to buy a few things for my son's kitchen. He has an interest in cooking and I would love to buy a few things to stock his pantry - I read here that the house brand Olive Oil is good and I am wondering if there are some recommendations from SE shoppers, i.e. spices, oils, sauces, etc.? I don't want to spend a fortune but realize this will be difficult!

I was out of touch with SE for the first two weeks of July when we went on vacation and I did not have access to a computer. When we returned I tuned in again, but sadly, have seen no posts from @GrumpyOldMan. Too bad, I enjoyed most of his posts and he had plenty of knowledge to impart - he was always interesting. I know that just before we left in June, there was some problem with a post of his that many people took exception to (I can't even remember now what the topic was and I was unsuccessful in finding it in the archives - it may have been politically motivated.) At any rate, can anyone fill me in on what may have happened to him - I miss him. I think there should be room for dissenting opinions in a forum such as this and do hope he was not "dropped" from membership.

Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up and our large family usually celebrates it at our house. This year though, a nephew is being married on that weekend and because there is so much to do, I announced there would be no Thanksgiving meal. I started to feel guilty almost immediately, so, as a compromise I said I would make up a couple of large trays of cabbage rolls (my Mom has a killer recipe using Savoy cabbage) and people could drop in and have some. I will serve Calabrese rolls and butter, but what is appropriate to eat with cabbage rolls (they are a meal in themselves with protein, starch & carbs), but somehow it looks a little cheesy not to have a few sides to serve with them. Any ideas out there? Remember, I have very little time to prepare anything elaborate and Mom and I will also be making homemade pumpkin pies, in order to avoid a mutiny!

@therealchiffonade - Just returned from 16 glorious days in South Carolina. I looked for your magazine in stores in Cinncinatti, Asheville and Charleston - every time I saw a magazine rack I tried to find it, but no luck - perhaps they pull the monthly issues early. Sorry I was looking forward to seeing it and telling my sister that I "knew' the author - well, you know what I mean!

Our Canadian markets are different from American ones and I follow the posts concerning your favourite grocery choices. We go to the Charleston, S.C., area once or twice a year. I have established that there is no Trader Joe's nor Whole Foods in that location. However, there is a beautiful grocery market on the way to Folly Beach called, "Earth Fare." Are any of you familiar with Earth Fare and can you tell me if it is similar to a Trader Joe's? I know they have a Publix and a Wegman's, both of which I have read about on this site and will check out this trip. I know it sounds a bit crazy to visit supermarkets on a trip to the beach, but there is usually a rainy day and I enjoy looking at differents products.

I have been following the thread concerning @Italianfood with great interest. When I logged on this a.m. to catch up with this thread, I found I could no longer log onto it. I have tried many times. I am interested to know if you censor material or remove posts that you consider inappropriate, and, if so, what was your reason for removing the above post?

Does anyone have any knowledge of this brand of pots and pans sets? I ask because there is an ad in our paper saying one of the stores in town has reduced the price by $600! That is an extraordinary saving - I am asking myself, "Why?" If anyone has an opinion, I would love to hear it. If I get some positive feedback, I will go and check it out. The picture looks nice (but, you can't go by that and states they are stainless steel, heavy bottomed.) The same store has reduced all pots and pans by 25%, excepting AllClad - too bad! Perhaps, if you ruin your recipe, the pots will scream profanity at you.

Welcome back to the Weekend Cook and Tell. Every Wednesday we crack open the food sections of various national newspapers in search of inspiration for a weekend cooking project. We hope you'll cook along with us and share your experiences,... More

I am done with my chefs job in NH and will be taking a job in Knoxville, TN that will last two years. I have been trying to find everything foodwise that is good and decent about the town, but... More

I'll be in NYC for about 36 hours (morning on a Thursday to evening on a Friday) in a few weeks, and I'm staying near East 39th and Park. I have never been, and I'm solo. I'd love some suggestions... More

I thought maybe my fellow foodies could help with a kitchen question. We're thinking of doing a few things in the kitchen to spruce it up. We're getting new cookware and we're painting. While we save for new appliances, we... More

Howdy - I'm trying to help my future in-laws find a place in lower Manhattan or Brooklyn to host our rehearsal dinner. They don't want to spend more than $60 pp including tip, tax & booze - so I'm thinking... More

I buy english muffins all the time, but today i noticed how much they where (just never really paid attention). They were $4.49 for I think it's a half a dozen! That seems extreme. Does anyone make their own? I... More

Reading the comments on the recent breakfast burrito recipe post made me think... whenever I make hashbrowns from shredded potato, they never come out crispy. I'd say they end up being more of a soft gooey texture (it sounds gross... More

I had a lot of success with the Rick Bayless Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style recipe from a while back, based a lot off of what SE-ers told me. I also had wild success with the NYTimes Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe... More

I went to a homeopath today...my son asked my why I would ever want to visit a homophobe--no, no, a homeopath. She said that I need to have some protein every few hours. I already made myself a red quinoa/bean... More