TALK! Top Community Recipes notice on front page is useless

The top community recipes dialog is utterly useless. Remove it and use the space for something else, or enable a way to tag non-recipes or useless recipes so they are not shown as top recipes.

Seriously, for the last several months the top listed items have been: Boiled Water Recipe, My Husband is not a Vegetarian, and Risotto.

The only one of those three that is even halfway interesting or useful is the Risotto topic. BWR is cute, funny, but detracts from the site. And MHNV is locked because the thread was obnoxious and flametastic.

Yah, so, fix it or delete it. Thanks.

Thermomix

Okay, I've seen the koolaid, but I have not drank it, and at $1400 I am hesitant to even sip it. Yet, I must ask, has anyone here used a Thermomix and have an opinion about it?

I have watched the videos and came to the conclusion that the tools I already have seem to do everything it does, albeit in more space. And, I have a suspicion that the Thermomix is like the all-in-one printer/scanner/fax/copier of the food world: it does a few things well, a lot of things mediocre, and something will break first that will make you toss the whole thing out.

If you are wondering what I am talking about, here is an old WSJ article on it: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124112844457074685.html

I am open to all opinions, from those who have used it, those who own one, those who have a friend with one, those who have seen it online, and those who have never seen one before but want to shout out their opinion. However, please let me know which category you fit into, so I can evaluate your answer in that light.

And if you are a Thermomix salesman, please either be honest about it or don't be obvious about it, but don't be sneaky and try to pass yourself off as the opinion of "just another user".

Thanks!

Almond Paste - 7 Pound Cans - Where to buy?

Any recommendations where to get 7 pound cans of almond paste for a good price and good quality (online? offline?)? Making a lot of Dutch Letters and we use the paste up quickly!

Thanks!

Hardware Torch, Yay! Wait, Causes Cancer?

Question:
Is a hardware store propane torch safe to use on food?
What do health inspectors think of kitchens that use them?

Problem:
I have wanted a kitchen torch for years. After innumerable recommendations from pros and hobbyists alike, I put a hardware torch (Berzomatic) on my Christmas list. Surprise, I got one! A nice Berzomatic Propane (not MAPP!) with a brass nozzle.

Surprise! "This product may cause cancer in the State of California." (paraphrase). Also, "This product may cause birth defects."

Uhoh. I have a pregnant wife, who read the back of my new torch, and promptly told me I have to return it and cannot use it because it'll kill or seriously deform the baby, her, me, and anyone else that eats my food.

Theory?
My theory is that I'm not sticking the brass torch (which may contain lead) into the food, in fact it's not even in direct line of the flame, all it does is focus and mix the gas. Plus, the temperature the torch metal gets to isn't high enough to melt it. And anything that burns causes cancer in California, because combustion causes cancer.

So?
What does everything think? Anyone actually address this question?

Thanks!

Serious Vacuum Sealer (chamber, planning ahead)

I have a FoodSaver, it works just fine, but sucks at sucking up liquids. I admit, I am dreaming ahead at this point, but when I plan ahead sometimes I get what I want sooner.

I want a home-style chamber vacuum. Why? I can my own food, I have recipes that involve boiling at room temperature, I cook sous vide, I am tired of playing games to get my FoodSaver to not suck up fluids (e.g. pre-freezing), and why not?

Looking around, I have found one "portable" chamber vacuum. The chamber is 11"x12"x5". Not huge, but it would do the job a lot of the time. A taller unit would be awesome - if I could get quart jars in it ..., but the cost is utterly unrealistic.

Here is the kicker, I want to pay $500 or less. I know that isn't realistic, yet, but it is a start.

So, what realistic chamber vacuum sealer would you get? Or do you already have?

One that I have seen is the Ary VacuMaster VP112 (size stated above). But, are there other options? If you could spend up to $2000, which one would you get? And, has anyone bought or used the VP112 and actually have an opinion of it?

Thanks!

Immersion Blender for Christmas: Which Brand/Model?

My wife has been asking for an immersion blender for years. I have been dragging my feet, because every one I have owned or known someone else to own has died within six months. I have looked at the reviews of dozens of immersion blenders and constantly the reviews rate the product as the best thing since fire, until they have owned it for six months and the plastic gears are shredded. I imagine some of this is due to how people use or abuse their immersion blenders, but I must ask -- What is a good immersion blender that will last for several years? Or at least a good brand name?

I am currently leaning toward a KitchenAid Immersion Blender, but if anyone has a specific model or brand they would recommend instead that would be great. A model that uses real metal gears (or hard plastic), has a removable and cleanable shaft and blade assembly, and possibly has a small variety of attachments (I like the idea of the whisk attachment in addition to the blade attachment), would be ideal.

Thanks! I am hoping to buy this in the next couple days, unless I can find it locally, so all tips welcome.

How do you organize your Spice & Herb drawer/cabinet?

I just bought 48 new spice jars to replace some that were broken and to finally get some of my bagged herbs and spices into jars. When I mentioned this to one of my friends, her incredulous response was, "Wait, how many spices do you have?!?" I then explained that I have over a hundred spices but under two-hundred, but I cannot recall exactly how many (I think it is around 120 last time I counted). After we cleared up the conversation on how I keep them fresh (I rotate my stock by use, date the jars, and keep small amounts on hand), we got into a conversation about organization.

My friend insisted I should organize my spices alphabetically and was in shock with how I organize them. My personal organization scheme is to separate the spices by flavor and aroma profile. General categories are sweet, savory, salty, pungent, hot, and a few more. I organize my spices so I can mix them together like different hues of paint on a palette. I find this to be very useful and gives me more flexibility. Furthermore, I often have a flavor goal in mind and mix my herbs and spices together to reach that goal. And, I admit, I reshuffle a bit during use based on how old spices are (thus flavor changes) and what my mood is. But, I find this method to work really well.

As a result of this conversation, I was curious as to how others organize their spices. So what do you do? How do you keep them organized (or disorganized)? And, for the heck of it, how many spices do you use regularly? And how many spices do you have on hand at any one time?

Homemade Halloween Treat Manifesto

The modern treatment of Halloween treats sickens me. Store bought, bottom shelf, cheap atrocities for candies in response to fear mongering, hate villaging, and stranger danger obsession.

I declare that I have experienced enough of this, I am tired of it, it saddens me, and I want to retake the Halloween I remember from my youth: homemade treats, building community, and connecting with neighbors.

Henceforth, I will strive to make homemade treats for trick-or-treaters and I will encourage others to do the same. Take Halloween back from fear mongering, make it about community again, and introduce kids to the treats of our childhoods!

However, this must be done with an ounce of realism and sanity. Thus, I propose the following steps to ensure optimal treat-acceptance and minimal-waste:

1) Announce to your neighborhood that you will be making homemade treats, announce the day and time you will make them, give out your address and phone number, and encourage people to come over and help or watch.

2) Individually wrap all treats, include a label with the following information: "HOMEMADE TREAT!", treat name, treat recipe, your name/phone/address/email, and "Please contact me if any questions."

3) Don't make too many treats, plan on running out and replacing the sign below with a sign that reads: "Out of homemade treats this year, try again next year!"

4) Put up a sign at your walk that reads: "CAUTION: Homemade Treats At This House! Parental permission required for treat acceptance. Ingredients include: ...{ingredient list}..."

5) Put up a sign on the door that reads: "CAUTION: Homemade Treats; please do not take any if they will be thrown away."

6) When children trick-or-treat, do the normal, but add on "Do you have permission from your parents to take a homemade treat?" If the answer is no, "Sorry, we only have homemade treats this year."

7) Gracefully accept all returned treats or refusals, do not be insulted.

--

Who is with me?

The modern treatment of Halloween treats sickens me. Store bought, bottom shelf, cheap atrocities for candies in response to fear mongering, hate villaging, and stranger danger obsession. I declare that I have experienced enough of this, I am tired of... More