Short answer: no. But why even ask the question? Once again, radical claims by  Cook’s Illustrated could not go untested. Cook’s Illustrated #99 had the gall to suggest that one could cook crispy, creamy french fries in just six cups of oil. If six cups of oil sounds like a lot, consider that usually when […]

On my first trip to The Four Firkins I bought several beers, some that I had read about and was excited to try, and others simply because of the awesome packaging. Maredsous 8 Dobbel fell into the latter category; how could I resist a bottle that looks like this? At the time of my trip […]

Cooking in a modern kitchen is all about control: I have implements for cutting food into pieces of exacting dimensions; I can measure volume and mass;  I apply precise amounts of heat to pans that have been engineered to have efficient and predictable conductivity. Sous vide and molecular gastronomy take control to the extreme. As […]

On Monday I ordered another PosterHänger, a product that makes for a great cheap (!) frame for just about any sized work on paper. Designed by Jørgen Møller, they range from 12 to 72″ in length. I just ordered a 72″ for Tom’s world map (which is about 69″ wide) that I’ll soon be hanging in our bedroom […]

Each time I walk into a wine store, I am faced with the problem of somehow deciding which bottle(s) to take home. There are plenty of good ways to do this: talk to the staff, get to know a brand, in-store tastings, etc.  Generally though, I go with the most superficial one–the label. No, not […]

The Wedge is hosting a workshop entitled “Canning Foods Safely” with Suzanne Driessen on Wednesday, July 22 from 7 to 9 pm. The workshop is $15/12 members and was just announced in the Wedge’s most recent newsletter. Here’s what their description says: Whether you are new to home canning or have been canning for years, […]

I’m heading to a screening of Fresh on Wednesday night with Lindsay. There’s still time to get tickets for Wednesday’s screening. Just visit freshthemovie.com to purchase them online for $10 plus a fee of about $1.25 per ticket. Otherwise, they’ll be $15 at the door. Tuesday, June 2nd (SOLD OUT) Times: 6:30 pm (Screening & […]

Happy Summer! This Saturday I enjoyed a trip to Alexis Bailly Vineyards of Hastings, MN with Julia and Hailey. The wine, well, doesn’t deserve much comment. My notes are short and range from “drinkable but really too sweet,” “cloyingly sweet,” to “nasty. zero body. all acid,” “sour. wouldn’t buy it.” Only their Voyageur was somewhat […]

Last year Tom decided he’d like to start an herb garden on one of our window sills (After my agreement, this went into the grocery budget!). Living in a older brick building, we have the luxury of having large areas outside of every window on which to place planters. It’s true we have a northern […]