Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

In the US, the IRS assumes that a server is tipped 8% of the value of the food that the person sold. The restaurant reports to tax authorities how much each server sold, and tax withholding is based on an 8% tip rate. So if you don't tip, it actually costs the server to wait on your table as they must pay the IRS as if you did.

I can't eat bananas with any brown in them -- and so I make my husband eat them.

1950s Betty Crocker cookbook - though I love Joy of Cooking, old-school Betty is way more practical.

First of all, there is a difference between sharpening and honing; second, you do them at different intervals. :)

1. Sharpening = grinding a sharp "v" where the two sides of the blade meet. Over the time, this point gets worn down to a nub. Sharpening makes the knife thinner and should only be done 1x/year or so, assuming you use the knives regularly. Go to a professional for this.
2. Honing = creating micro-serrations along the blade of your knife. This makes the blade "feel sharp" and you should do this every time you use the knife. If you are cooking a huge meal, you may even want to hone multiple times during prep. You can hone yourself at home, using the steel that came with the knife set. Just make sure to hold the knife at a 20 degree angle away from the steel, and pull it towards you in a smooth sweeping motion. It's easy to tell you are at a 20 degree angle with the knife by holding the steel so it stabs straight down into your cutting board - hard to screw up this way. :)

1. Mickey D's, Mickey D's. I could care less about how good the cheeseburger is, or whether or not there is beef tallow or trans fats. YUM.

2. Cheese gravy fries at Tom's Restaurant on Broadway in NYC. Yes, cheese gravy fries. After the initial wary bite, it's all good.

@ PerkyMac:

As far as I know, there isn't an All-Clad outlet store in Canonsburg, PA.

Though, you will be happy to know that the All-Clad manufacturing folks put on a fantastic "seconds sale" twice a year, usually in December and June, at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Here's the address:

2151 North Main Street
Washington PA USA 15301
(724) 225-3151

People come from far and wide (e.g. Canada) and I hear it's all madness and long lines. All-Clad doesn't appear to advertise the sale, so I plan to try calling the Fairgrounds' office closer to June to get the scoop on the 2008 sale date.

I haven't gone before, but I am certainly going this June.

I say most definately yes. These pans will last you and your childrens and your childrens childrens lifetime. As a former professional chef I think you can't get any better.

Wow! People love their All-Clad. I have a few All-Clad pieces (including an Emrilware I got on sale) and I do love them. Bourdain says go to a restaurant supply store and pick up cheap pans and toss them out after a few years, in the end they will cost you less. I have done that, too. What do I think? Get the All-Clad Stainless and the supply store non-stick. Non-stick pans just don't last - the coating (it is a coating) comes off after a while - All Clad or not. So, a good, cheaper, non-stick pan, like the one's in the supply store are the one's to get - sure, they're going to fail in half the time, but that's something like 2 years instead of four. Or three instead of six. But, no more than that.

Between All-Clad and Le Creuset, you can't go wrong. Nine years ago I bought an All-Clad 7 piece stainless steel set and I haven't looked back since. I felt so haughty plunking down my credit card at Williams-Sonoma and having the set brought to my car! (It's the small thrills in life ain't it?) The sets are so much more expensive now and you get smaller pots so I definitely think you should buy the separate pieces as you determine your need unless money and space are not an issue.

I wanted stainless steel for the option of putting it in the dishwasher, which is key because I use the 2 quart and 4 quart saucepans daily. I believe none of the other All-Clad lines is dishwasher safe. The 8 quart stockpot is perfect for stews, marinara, braises, chilis, and a big ol' pot of greens. I probably use the 10 inch skillet least of all. As time passed I added the LTD grill pan (which can get crusted and hard to clean), the Master Chef 3 quart saucier, and the Master Chef 12 inch nonstick skillet, which often ends up in the oven to finish frittatas, chicken, and fish. The only Calphalon pan I own is the 13 x 16 stainless steel roasting pan, which I'm VERY pleased with, not the least reason of which is that it was half the price of the All Clad version. For what it's worth I also have a Cuisinart 5 quart saute pan which is good but does not heat up as quickly as my All-Clad.

So I've got plenty of pots and pans; I just needed a bigger, six burner cooktop!

If you are looking for good quality at a cheaper cost, I myself own All-Clad and know the expense, my friends swear by Vollrath. Still pricey, but a little more affordable than ALL-Clad.