Yes, in fact they've said two things: 1. That the external temp reading is totally within "standards" and 2. That it's the "commercial" nature of the product.

I think both of these comments are b.s. First, they don't even say what standards they mean. Second, the point of buying a residential commercial-style range is for the safety features and insulation that aren't found in true commercial products. So why pay a premium to burn yourself?

I've worked in professional kitchens where the stove knobs didn't get this hot. So this whole thing's seemed pretty outrageous to me.

Also someone asked the make. It's a 30" Liquid Propane 4 burner Capital. I've looked a lot online and people seem to really like their Capitals, no one's complained of this issue. All I can think is we have a lemon or something, but for them to claim there's no problem and that external temps of 150+° are acceptable in a residentail environment is crazy.

Hmmm, that's a good question. I don't really know! Right now I'm doing lots of offline stuff, like hanging out with my son. And it's great, so it's all I'm focusing on right now.

Two words: Junk food.

If you're looking for a conveniently-packaged 100 calorie snack, why not eat an apple (~72 calories) or an orange (~86 calories)? Want less carbs and more protein? Try a cup of yogurt (low fat with fruit, ~115 calories) or a stick of string cheese (~80 calories) or a hard boiled egg (~76 calories).

All the above are easy, tasty, snack foods with the benefit of less packaging and less processing. High fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and processed foods aren't good for your diet whether they come in calorie packages of 1,000 or 100.

Aside from that, yay! Congrats on the continued weight loss.

For the most part, I agree with what Brody says. When it comes to prohibited items though, she writes: "Raw fish and shellfish, a possible source of the parasite Toxoplasma that can cause fetal blindness and brain damage." I have never seen this anywhere, though if I had I might have reconsidered eating raw oysters. Sushi is frozen, which kills the parasites.

Another confusing point she makes regards soft, unpasteurized cheeses. Unpasteurized soft cheese is illegal in the US, so the chances of a pregnant woman ingesting it are pretty slim, unless she's making a concerted effort to do so.

And I don't know why she lists prohibitions without explaining the logic behind it. Raw sprouts? I'd like to know why.

There's a German-sounding brand that is sold by the box at Stop-n-Shop that I love. I can't for the life of me come up with the name, but it's on the meat section, the dogs are linked together, and come probably twenty to a box. Really yummy. I've bought them on Nantucket lots of times. Any one have any idea of the brand?

Josh, you might want to talk to the farmers and get more information about the meat to understand why it's more expensive. You say it's organic. Are the animals grass-fed or corn-fed? Are they fairly free range or confined to feed lots? Are the ranchers part of the Certified Humane Raised & Handled movement? And what kind of cattle are being used? Is it some kind of heritage breed or a common breed? 60 percent of beef cattle are of the Angus, Hereford or Simmental breeds. Any/all of these factors contribute to the price of your meat.

Of course, it boils down to your values and the taste. If you're concerned about eating local and supporting local farmers (which presumably you are as you joined a CSA), it might be worth paying the extra money, knowing it's supporting the farmer directly. But if it doesn't taste great, even an interest in saving small farms might not be enough to justify doing it.

In answer to your question, I buy almost all my meat direct from the farmer at my local greenmarket here in NYC. It is more expensive, and as such, I don't eat a whole lot of meat. But when I do, I want to know where it came from and what kind of life it had.

Best. Post. Ever.

Jeez, it's just a blog (and I'm saying this as an English major) not the friggin' New Yorker! Isn't it better to get a timely report about an event that just happened than wait two days for it to travel through the fourth circle of copy editing hell? I'll take the immediacy over the errant semi-colon anyday. :)

Make it taste good, like dksbook says, though I don't have children, so this is really just optimistic speculation on my part. But it seems like fresh peas (or freshly cooked flash frozen peas), mashed with a little butter, or mint, would be pretty tasty. Babies in France seem to eat everything. I think it's just a matter of using tasty, quality ingredients, and not giving up if they don't like it the first time. Of course, what the heck do I know? I could be totally wrong. Parents with experience please keep speaking up! :)

I don't know if only Balthazar has levain, I just know they do. I italicized it because it's a French word and it seemed right. I'm not sure they insist on it.

And I for one am happy there's not sourdough everywhere here in NYC. I don't like it and it was distressing to find it in every single bite of damn bread in the whole town. My husband and I used to refer to it as "the tyranny of sourdough."

I love my Pepperguns. I have a white one I use for sea salt and a black one for pepper. I especially love that I can operate it with one hand. Very useful when I'm busy in the kitchen. I've used them for years and have no complaints.

I've never even heard of a quesadilla machine, and can't figure out why you'd need one. Skillet is what everyone used in Mexico when I lived there. I agree with other folks, return it, and put your money towards tortillas, cheese, and avocados!