Re: [gardeners] Home Again

George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 27 Dec 2002 09:27:56 -0600 

I've never owned a potato ricer but have an entire collection of cast
iron cookware including a very large dutch oven with the recessed lid so
you can use it on a campfire for baking. The one I use the most is the 4
quart dutch oven for pot roasting on the stove top. The lid to it also
fits the 10 1/4 inch skillet. The Arkansas cornbread I make can only be
successfully made in an iron skillet. Grew up cooking on cast iron of
every type and description and, as the only decent cook among three
siblings, I inherited the stuff from my parents. Wish I had saved the
entire set of Melmac dishes (service for 12 including cups/saucers and
drinking glasses)but one of my nieces wanted that as her house is set up
retro fifties. 

I used to have one of those automatic spatulas but I don't fry things
anymore so have no need for spatulas at all except the nylon one I use
to turn my "fake" eggs of a morning in the T-fal 4 inch skillet. <VBG>

I do have a set of bamboo steaming baskets but haven't tried to make my
own Dim Sum yet. Mostly I use mine for veggies and the odd seafood.

I'm glad you had a good Christmas and that Jimmy has some snow to play
in.
I wish you health and prosperity in the New Year.

George
pennyx1@juno.com wrote:
> 
> Gee, George, I still have my original manual potato masher -- and a
> potato ricer, and a cast iron pot with an iron handle and lid ...  In
> fact, I have a true treasure trove of cooking implements which my
> grown kids will never need. All those years of baking and catering
> made this house a Junior Culinary Institute ...<g>... There's a blue
> speckled tall pot which can braise 20 lbs of spare ribs -- there's a
> wok big enough to boil a goose! And bright orange Belgian cookware.
> And a marble rolling pin (for coolness). And both bamboo and aluminum
> ware for steaming Dim Sum.
> 
> If I knew of a couple setting up housekeeping, where one or both of
> them adored cooking, I would send off my treasures as a gift, and
> feel particularly gratified that they had found a home.
> 
> You know what, George...?  I'm gonna send you my special triple
> spatula. You slip the regular spatula underneath an egg or a chop
> or most anything, push a button and the thing becomes a triple
> spatula in a whissssh... Makes lifting wide portions a breeze, like
> half a quiche. It's not only mighty useful, but it's a great
> conversation piece, to be sure.
> ....................
> We had a very quiet Christmas complete with turkey, apple brown Betty,
> and fresh snow. First white Christmas in 33 years! Jimmie was outside
> shoveling even as the snow was falling -- and I think if he had believed
> that he could have gotten up off of the ground successfully, he would
> have
> rolled in it like a kid ...
> 
> He put the car at the top of the long driveway, and we darned well knew
> what would happen -- the snow plows came thru about 3:00am, and
> buried it. . . No problem, said Jim, all the more excuse to be out there
> shoveling.
> 
> Unfortunately, my 5-1/2 ft umbrella pine is now 2 feet tall. Cannot tell
> (and dare not disturb) if it is bent or broken , under the weight of this
> very heavy and wet snow. And in back, the row of 7 ft tall Sappho
> rhodies has disappeared. They must be plastered flat against the ground,
> broken or not, who knows.  5 miles from me they got 11 inches of snow
> last night. Now THAT's a mighty heap, all at once! It's going to be an
> expensive storm when this is over, with all the cleanup and the breakage.
> At least we did not lose power..
> 
> Penny, NY
> 
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