Al Dente

Which Spatula Would A 5-Star Restaurateur Use?

The Herbfarm restaurant is one of the Northwest's legends, a little place between the city and the country serving nine-course themed feasts that rely on super ingredients and superb technique. Its dinners were based on small producers and local/seasonal foods decades before anyone thought to talk about them that way. The wine cellar boasts 4,500 selections.

Then, there's the restaurant's co-owner, Ron Zimmerman. If you follow him on Twitter you know that his brain is always working around some interesting bit of knowledge or arcane piece of cookery. (Recent topics: How to roast squab. Douglas fir branches. The length of an elk's tongue.) And, out of the blue the other day, he linked to what he called the world's best spoon/spatula/scraper. It's a Rubbermaid model; heat-resistant and disherwasher-safe. Reviewers call it "particularly durable" and praise the flexibility and the design. (I liked that the head is fused to the handle, avoiding the gap allowing food to collect and decay on other models if you're not careful.) When I asked Ron about the tool's appeal, he replied on Twitter, "Scrapes better than a scraper. Scoops. Just perfect in every respect." And, currently, it's selling for $12.72, which strikes me as pretty good for a long-lasting, super-useful kitchen tool. Just goes to remind you that great doesn't always mean expensive. It's an ironic reminder from a restaurant that actually is expensive -- but is also great.  

-- Rebekah Denn

Yes, You Still Can (and Pickle)!

We tend to think of canning and pickling as a summer pursuit, and I'm always sad when those loaded boxes of berries and stone fruits vanish from the markets. It was good to come across a new book recently, "Tart and Sweet," and be reminded that every season has its highlights. 

The book, subtitled "101 Canning And PIckling Recipes For The Modern Kitchen," includes some nice basics, but struck me as a better bet for readers with at least a little bit of canning experience. What grabbed me about it was the originality and fun of the recipes. I mean, I love strawberry jams, but after a while they all start to look similar. It stirs up the canning juices (pun intended) to instead see recipes like Strawberry Bay Leaf Jam and Strawberry Orange Compote.

But, ah, I was talking about winter canning and pickling. That's where the book reminded me (as Tea once did with her amazing lemon curd) that December is for citrus (Grapefruit Honey Jam!), for pears (Chili Pear Fridge Pickles!), for kumquats (Candied Kumquats With Cinnamon And Star Anise!) and ginger syrup and even crisp pickled carrots.

I've been on a pear kick this month, so I'm tempted by the matching kick of a recipe for Chili Pear Fridge Pickles, but my sweeter side is leaning more towards this simple syrupy recipe instead. Happy winter!

Pears Packed In Honey Vanilla Syrup

Makes 5 pints

Ingredients:

6 pounds pears, peeled, quartered, cored, and trimmed to fit into pint jars
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups honey
2 cups water
1 vanilla bean, split

Directions:

1. Mix the pears with lemon juice to keep them from browning.

2. Bring the honey and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the syrup.

3. Tightly pack pear slices into hot jars. Pour boiling syrup over the pears, leaving a half-inch headspace. Be sure the pears are covered in syrup.

4. Check for air bubbles, wipe the rims, and seal. Process for 15 minutes, adjusting for elevation.

From "Tart and Sweet" by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler

-- Rebekah Denn

What's The Best Present To Give The Cook Who Has Everything?

What's the best present to give the cook who has everything? USA Today asked experts that question, and the answer was "Gift-wrap a good instant-read thermometer."

As a loyal Barfblog fan (those food scientists are fans of the inexpensive Comark PDT 300 model), I've made good use of my own instant-read thermometers for years, both for food safety and to help gauge when my food will taste the best. (Before I got handier at baking bread, I judged doneness by the internal temperature of the loaves, thanks to a Cook's Illustrated tip). The paper's experts lauded the tools as great gifts for dinner parties, for baby showers, for any event when you wouldn't want to risk a case of food poisoning (which would be, er, every event, I guess). The digital instant-read models are much more accurate and easy to use than older models.

The Thermapen is on the pricier end of the thermometer spectrum, but boasts impressive reviews. Food safety inspectors love 'em, as do Amazon reviewers (145 gave it five stars, 13 gave it four stars, and no one gave it fewer). Serious Eats commenters also swear by its accuracy and reliability.

Many readers here fall into that category of cooks who have everything... but I'm betting many of you already have thermometers too. What else is on your "best presents" list this year?

-- Rebekah Denn

Recipes From The Old Country...Wha?!!!

Neither of my grandmothers were fabulous cooks overall, but they certainly had their specialties, and I still warmly remember their signature dishes. My Grandma Pearl made sweet-and-sour meatballs wrapped in cabbage leaves -- an old-fashioned entree you'd expect for a family with roots in Eastern Europe. When my mom was here recently, she decided to cook up a batch to fortify us with hearty, savory fare. She sent me out with the shopping list. To my surprise, I found myself buying bottled grape jelly and bottled chili sauce. Huh? Did they have high-fructose corn syrup back in Bialystok? 

Eating our meatballs, they tasted just as I remembered them from childhood; savory and sweet. I told my kids how their grandma was making them food that my own grandma made me as a little girl. After dinner, I checked out my mom's home recipe book. Indeed, grandma's sauce consisted of a 12-ounce bottle of chili sauce, a cup of water, three ounces of grape jelly, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a handful of white raisins all simmered together. Browsing through other cherished recipes I remember, I was reminded that my Grandma Esther's kugel used canned crushed pineapple, and that the same jarred chili sauce shows up in Grandma's famous brisket. 

It doesn't make their food any less delicious, but it does take some of the old-fashioned blinkers off my eyes, the expectation that old-country recipes are more authentic or scratch-based than modern inventions. It reminds me that Michael Pollan told us all only to eat foods that our great-grandmothers would recognize. 

Are your heirloom family recipes based on supermarket-shelf staples?

-- Rebekah Denn

Luxury, Thy Name Is... Roasting Pan?

We finally did it this year. We bought a roasting pan. 

We've always resisted the purchase in the past, instead enjoying our tradition of borrowing a pan from our friends each Thanksgiving and sharing the feast. But this year we have an induction stove, and the pan our friends own wouldn't work with it. We looked at various options, from disposable to low-rent to high-end, and finally went for a heavy-duty, 5-ply Mauviel stainless steel model. 

It's gorgeous. 

In the days before Thanksgiving, we all kept admiring its sturdy beauty. "It'll last forever," my mom approved. When we put it to the test, indeed it turned out a lovely, evenly browned, perfectly moist bird. And the same family members and friends were there to enjoy it with us.

Most of my kitchen gear is utilitarian. But it's hard not to admire this one for its eye appeal and feel as well as its function. 

I used to think there was no point in buying a big roasting pan, given that we only need it once a year. But this one arrives with a happy coincidence -- the release of "All About Roasting," the new book by Molly Stevens (her classic "All About Braising" is on the favorites shelf of almost every serious cook I know). My copy is on the way (just check out this Brussels sprouts recipe), and I know already the beautiful pan will be in heavy rotation this year. 

Have you indulged in any kitchen luxuries? Do you have any regrets?

-- Rebekah Denn

The Best Coffee Maker (Is A New Coffee Maker?)

I resisted buying a new coffee pot for some time. Our old model had been a wedding gift from my cousin Joan (not really a cousin, but sandwiched in our family tree somewhere between my dad and grandmother's generation), and I still remember our joy at seeing it arrive via UPS. It was pre-programmable, so we could wake up to fresh coffee. We couldn't believe someone had bought us such a fancy model. And in the end, I hung on to it far past the point where it started leaking and developing functional quirks, because Joan had passed on, and I was sad to think of losing that last tangible connection to someone who had been so kind.

When it had brewed its last cup, though, we bought a new model. And once I got over the psychological hurdles, I was impressed by how many excellent options we had when it came to coffee makers. I'm not even talking the Chemex sort of route, we purchased a nice but basic Cuisinart model. It lets you pause midway through brewing to pour a cup, it keeps its quality even brewing small amounts, and -- best for us -- the coffee tastes fresh for hours. Thanks to the insulated stainless carafe, the coffee stays nicely hot, and it never gets the burnt taste that we took for granted with our old glass carafe. The cups I pour late in the afternoon taste as good as the first ones of the morning. And I find that I think of Joan fondly over coffee still, because old habits are harder to break than old appliances.

-- Rebekah Denn

How To Make Homemade Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

 

I had the best doughnuts of my life last week, right here in my kitchen at home. Even better? They were a cinch to make, thanks to the new Top Pot cookbook. I wouldn't have believed how simple it was to make a stunningly delicious fresh doughnut if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Want to see it with yours? Just watch the video above to see how quickly and easily a batch of old-fashioned doughnuts (complete with glazes) comes together. 

Seattle's Top Pot shops have been a longtime favorite of mine (and others -- President Obama stopped by on a recent Northwest visit). Luckily, owners Mark and Michael Klebeck had Jess Thomson to translate their recipes for the home cook. Jess is one of my favorite writers, and she's also a peerless recipe developer. Her recipes are clear and accurate, reproducible and well-tested. You can take them to the bank -- or, more appropriately and happily in this case, to the kitchen. 

Besides the book, you won't need much special equipment to get your own donuts going. An accurate thermometer is essential. The recipes call for a rolling pin, but, in a pinch, Jess notes, you could also wrap an empty bottle of wine in plastic wrap.  When my video-creating husband picked up a donut cutter before putting together a batch of raised doughnuts (not essential, but convenient), the clerk told him "That's the third one we've sold this morning!" Word must be spreading fast.

Try your own, and let us know how they tasted. 

-- Rebekah Denn

Which Kitchen Tools Are So Nice You Should Buy Them Twice?

My mom comes out for Thanksgiving every year, and this year she arrived early to help us through some medical mishaps. Whenever the kitchen is so full of helping hands, I'm struck by how nice it is to have duplicates of a few key kitchen tools. Here are a few that have been unexpected boons in our home:

1. Vegetable peelers. A couple holidays ago, mom finally got frustrated with our junky peeler and came home with a sturdy, practical Oxo version. Lo and behold, my mother-in-law had the same idea, so now we have two. Like most Oxo products, the peelers do their job so well it's hard to imagine we ever used anything else. And we've found it surprisingly helpful at holiday times to have two peelers available, so that when we have a mountain of sweet potatoes or carrots, two can share the job.

2. Measuring cups and measuring spoons: When one set is in the dishwasher (or being used for cookies when someone else is baking bread), it's so convenient to have a clean set at the ready. 

3. The mighty Microplane: When I first got an "extra" Microplane as a gift, I intended to pass it on. I already knew it was an invaluable kitchen gadget, but it didn't strike me as one where we could use a spare. To my surprise, we've kept two Microplanes in action throughout many cooking marathons; e.g. using one to zest lemons while another goes for ginger or finely shredded cheese. 

Which of your kitchen tools are so nice you'd like to buy them twice?

-- Rebekah Denn

Gifts For Mom: The Brisket Book

Just about everyone Stephanie Pierson talked with assured her that yes, they had a brisket recipe, not just any brisket recipe, but the best brisket recipe ever. I would have been the slight anomaly there: I would have told her my mother's brisket is the best ever. But I still think the product of Pierson's research, "The Brisket Book," would make a great reading resource for moms and cooks and other brisket aficionados out there in meat-land. (Besides, it's probably the only place you'll ever find the word "brisketeering". Oh, wait. Maybe not.)

In the book, a collection of history and tips and recipes (and even brisket humor), Pierson notes that brisket is for everyone. It's tender and soothing and savory, she writes. "It's not posh -- rarely has a truffle ever gone into the making of one." And, "it's so simple and forgiving that even the worst cook can make a good one."

I'll bet that whatever recipe you use is your own favorite, but here are a few notes from Pierson's book:

1. Why is brisket such a tough cut of meat? "The rule is the closer a cut is to the back of the animal, the more tender it will be. The meat in the forequarters -- like brisket, chuck, and round -- is tougher because meat is muscle. And the animal uses the muscles in the front of the body more often and more vigorously than it uses those in the back."

2. A lot of brisket recipes are incredibly similar. ("I'm talking to you, onions and ketchup and wine and brown sugar," Pierson writes.) But the more imaginative ones didn't always pay off. "Surprisingly, even recipes from well-known cookbooks and big deal chefs resulted in meat that was bone dry or mushy or stringy."

3. Pierson won the brisket jackpot with a private tutorial in America's Test Kitchen. Here's how she summarized their "better way to cook brisket": Use a Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet to weigh down the meat as it browns, carefully pour the sauce and onions into a foil-lined baking dish, place the brisket on top of the sauce, fat side up, and fold flaps of foil to wrap the brisket securely (but not too tightly).

Do you (or your mom) make the world's best brisket?

-- Rebekah Denn 

 

Bringing Casseroles: Use Disposable Containers or The Good Stuff?

Whenever friends have babies, we like to bring by dinner, remembering what a huge help it is at those times not to have to shop or cook. We tend to bring food in disposable containers, figuring that we're doing our friends a favor by not making them remember which dishes belongs to which households and think about returning them.

But we had an unexpected medical emergency in our house the other week, the sort where people bring by casseroles (and boy did we appreciate it, and are glad to be improving now). I was struck in the chaos how much it brought to the table to be eating lasagna out of the stunning Emile Henry pan that one friend dropped by. Sure, the main thing was that we were stressed and it was a treat not having to shop or cook ourselves. But it lifted our spirits in a way I didn't expect to see that elegant, stylish cookware on the table instead of the more practical disposables. It was like having something shout "Dinner party!" instead of "Disaster!"

So, what do we do now when we get to return the favor? What's the advantage of convenience over appearance, of dinner party over disposable?

-- Rebekah Denn

Make It Or Buy It? A Great Guide

As my cooking skills have improved over the years, I've been delighted to find that so many impressive foods really aren't that hard to make at home. Marshmallows, butter, bagels, meringues, macarons -- we feel pretty confident about them all. But just because we can make these things doesn't always mean that it's worth the time and effort. Now Jennifer Reese of The Tipsy Baker has done home cooks a tremendous (and entertaining) favor with her new book, "Make The Bread, Buy The Butter,"  where she quantifies the difficulty, price, and relative pleasure of creating more than 100 foods from scratch, from bread crumbs (make them) to banh mi (buy them). Her goal, she writes, was to find the sweet spot between purchasing and creating, to empirically measure what the market does (and doesn't) do cheaper and better. You may not always agree with her choices (we think it's worth making butter, even though we don't always do it), but you'll almost certainly be inspired by her straightforward, engaging discussions and her solid recipes. Don't get turned off by the more time-consuming tasks; Reese also notes that "make it" simply means to make it when you have time and energy, because there are days when even the simplest kitchen task is too much. "By no means do I think everyone should make all (or even any) of these foods, all of the time. I sure don't."

 Here's a summary of a few of her rulings (in the book, each one includes a recipe):

1. Vanilla extract: Make it, at a fraction of the cost of store-bought. Reese notes that you can buy inexpensive vanilla beans in bulk, and all the extract involves is scraping the seeds from the beans and letting the seeds and pods macerate in alcohol for a few months. 

2. Potato chips: Buy it. Homemade chips are fun to eat, but "Lay's are better. And Kettle are even better than Lay's."

3. Creme fraiche: Make it. "A 4-year-old could do it," Reese writes. 

4. Camembert cheese: "If you think this sounds fun -- which it is -- give this a try." The hassle factor is high, but "Is fishing a hassle? Is golfing a hassle? Whittling? Cheesemaking is a hobby, an art, an obsession, and a pleasure, and if you don't feel this way about it you shouldn't do it. Because it's also definitely a hassle."

5.  Mayonnaise: Make it and buy it, depending on the circumstances. Homemade mayo "is a magical food that manages to be simultaneously rich and ethereal, almost evaporating on the tongue." However, Hellmann's has its place, as homemade only lasts a few days and "it would be both exhausting and expensive to emulsify mayonnaise every time you wanted to make a tuna salad sandwich."

What's on your make it or buy it list?

-- Rebekah Denn

What's The Best Knife Set? A Surprise Answer

Knife block sets are certainly compact and complete. But are you better off buying one, or should you stick to a few basic kitchen knives? The meticulous testers at Cook's Illustrated took on that question in their latest issue, and here's what they found:

As you might expect, the super-cheap sets didn't produce great results. The testers faulted many of those knives as awkward, dull, or badly sized. But the most expensive sets also weren't flawless. Their top picks were the Wusthof classic 8-piece, the Victorinox 7-piece rosewood set, and the Shun classic 9-piece, yet even those classics had issues (for instance, a too-short bread knife in the Wusthof).

Their final analysis? Instead of going with what the manufacturers put together for you, make your own kit, mixing and matching the best bets from different brands. Start, they say, with a Bodum universal knife block. Instead of slots for specific blades, the Bodum will accommodate knives of any range of sizes and shapes. Then they recommend stocking the block with six essential tools that won their approval -- a Wusthof paring knife, an 8-inch Victorinox chef's knife, a 10-inch Wusthof bread knife, a 12-inch Victorinox slicing knife, a 6-inch Victorinox boning knife, and a pair of razor-sharp Shun kitchen shears. 

It' sounds like a wonderful kit to me. Maybe they can put it together and sell at as the "Cook's Illustrated Classic"?

-- Rebekah Denn

What's The Best Waffle Maker?

I try to avoid single-use gadgets, but my family's love for waffles finally won out over that prejudice. I decided that we would use a waffle iron more than enough to justify the space on the counter it would commandeer. So I told the kids we would buy one as soon as we had enough spare change in our coin jars to bring them to Coinstar and trade them in for an Amazon gift card that would cover the cost. The glorious day came yesterday. But it was harder than we expected to pick out our model.

Several waffle irons in our price range had good-looking average Amazon reviews, hovering around four out of five stars. But when we drilled down a little, we found that people seemed to either love or hate them. The high-rated waffle makers had plenty of five-star raves... but also a surprisingly large percentage of one-star rejections. We initially liked the looks of this grill and waffle maker, but were turned off by seeing there were 86 one-star reviews compared with 351 five-star faves. The negative reviews were also fairly consistent in their complaints. Then, this flipside model was popular, but had similar issues. (Negative reviews aren't always deal-breakers for me, but if there's a pattern of similar ones, and they focus on issues I care about -- like reliability and safety -- I pay heed.)  This iron was a screaming deal -- $29.85 today for a waffle iron that lists at $75, with lots of great reviews -- but I crossed it off the list after also finding multiple angry complaints about broken parts. As one reviewer noted, "It appears from the reviews that the quality of this piece can be wildly divergent. It either works to perfection or it isn't worth a plugged nickel."

I started to wonder: Is it really that hard to find a reasonably priced, reliable waffle maker? It doesn't seem like it should be harder to manufacture than, say, a combo egg-and-muffin-toaster.

Then we clicked on this simple, basic Proctor-Silex waffle iron. Hard not to love a product where manufacturers are brave enough to make "Durable" part of the name. It had 162 five-star reviews, which seemed like a large enough sample size to take seriously... and only four people gave it one star, a tiny percentage compared with the ones we rejected. Reviewers said it was reliable, sturdy, and produced great waffles with a minimum of fuss. Bonus: It was also one of the least expensive of the bunch, selling today for $26.39 with free shipping (the list price is $32.99).

Sold! We'll get it in 5 to 8 business days. And that gives us time to figure out the next question: Where should we look for great waffle recipes?

 -- Rebekah Denn

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Summer's End

Chilly June weather meant that our farmers markets got off to a slow start. In a nice counter-balance, our market organization extended the season for a few weeks at the end, helping the farmers sell crops that finally blossomed and helping customers pretend just a little that the season hadn't changed.

It may be time to buy Halloween decorations, but I was so glad to simultaneously cook up some final summer favorites. To my surprise, I found flats of strawberries at last week's market -- ever-bearing varieties, and not as sweet as July's little Shuksans -- but enough for me to preserve another batch of Eugenia Bone's stunning strawberry-balsamic jam. Honestly, October strawberries are not the greatest -- it turned out a full third of the berries were mushy or moldy -- but my irritation at the wasted fruit vanished when I tasted the jam from the good ones. And October blackberries proved to be plenty sturdy, so I could transform some firm, sweet pints into Marisa's blackberry jam even a few days after purchasing them (and picking the last few from the yard). And oh, October tomatoes -- I scored a 10-pound box of the famous Romas from Tonnemaker Hill Farm, and I've been roasting and roasting and roasting them using Tara Austen Weaver's directions, eating too many with my fingers before I can persuade myself to fill freezer bags with at least a few and store them for not-so-distant winter days when I need a touch of sunshine.

I can show you Tara's recipe, it's right over here, but you hardly need one. Just slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, rub them with a little olive oil if you want, sprinkle them with a little Kosher salt, and roast them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet at around 200 degrees for several hours, until they're wrinkled but still have a bit of moisture in the middle. Irresistible. And after that, I could finally pull out the pork shoulder I bought at our final market day, and braise a batch of lemongrass pork from Skillet Street Food -- spicy, warming, and somewhat compensating for the fallen leaves and the empty courtyards where the farm booths used to be.  

-- Rebekah Denn

The Sweetest Book Ever, Plus Pie Fries, Deep-Fried Cupcake On A Stick, Grilled Cheesecake, "S'moreos" and A Few Adorable Unicorns

When I want my day to start right, I pour my coffee into my Cakespy mug, decorated by artist/gallery owner/baker Jessie Oleson. Anything touched by the sweet, arch, clever "Spy" in her humor-mode is bound to bring on a smile -- if not an outright laugh. And now she's written a cookbook to bring some more sugar-filled hilarity to our own home kitchens.  

It's worth a laughing double-take just to consider Oleson's unlikely collision of talents. As I wrote in a Seattle Times profile last year, "Artwork. Writing. And....baked goods?" But she's managed to bring them all together in her book, serving up hilarious headnotes, her trademark whimsical illustrations (that's where the unicorns come in), and her wacky-but-inspired culinary inventions. I'm certainly a fan of Oleson's more serious work, like her explorations into dessert history, but I'm just a sucker (no pun intended) for cookbook features like "Cupcake-Stuffed Cupcakes" (just what it sounds like) and "Pie Fries" (made from scraps of leftover crust dough) and "Deep-Fried Cupcakes on a Stick" ("The answer is yes, I am trying to kill you, Paula Deen style," she writes). And there are places where she's channeling Martha more than Paula; like the from-scratch recipe for homemade candy corn.

Here's a sample of Cakespy's magic. I have a grumpy 4-year-old at home today, and the second he glommed on to her book his mood changed to wonder and delight. Here's the easy, silly, but oh-so-divine treat we're making from it today:

S'moreos

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 or 2 Oreos (regular or Double Stuf), depending how decadent you feel
2 chocolate rectangles from a regular-size Hershey's milk chocolate bar
Half a jumbo marshmallow per S'moreo (a whole one is just too big).

Directions:

1. If you've elected to use just one Oreo, start by twisting it apart. Face the filled side up and put the chocolate squares on top, then add the marshmallow; top it off with the remaining Oreo half.

2. Microwave on high for approximately 15 seconds. The marshmallow will puff and may cause the top half of the Oreo to fall off. This is OK -- simply place it back on top of the S'moreo and enjoy immediately.

*If you're going for the double Oreo version (good decision), repeat the same steps as above, simply using a whole Oreo for the top and bottom pieces. It may take a few more seconds in the microwave, but it's oh so worth it.

-- From "Cakespy Presents: Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life"  

-- Rebekah Denn

Should We Buy an Induction Range?

We can't put it off any longer: We need a new stove. Our ancient, bargain-basement electric coil stove is down to one working burner, and it would cost more to fix the burners than to replace the whole thing.

We cook at home a lot, and we've always wished we had a gas stove rather than electric, for speedier, hotter, better-controlled burners. But when we looked into extending a gas line up to our home, the cost was prohibitive. We were about to go with another cheap electric model until we asked our friends what they would recommend. Several were just crazy about their induction ranges. And when we looked into it, we started getting excited too.

The induction burners heat up uncannily fast, our friends told us, but are also stable and precise at super-low temperatures. As this article mentions, they're great for finicky creations like complicated sauces and candy-making. They're energy efficient and they heat evenly (which would be a nice change after the hot spots in our current model). These Amazon reviewers raved over their GE induction range, calling it powerful and quick, yet so gentle they could melt chocolate without using a double boiler. 

One downside is that the burners only work with iron or steel cookware. But most of our pots and pans fall into that category already, so buying one wouldn't require a major investment in equipment. (The Le Creuset Dutch ovens work -- if they hadn't, it would have been a deal-breaker.) 

The biggest downside, of course, is the cost. A cheapie electric range would run about $400, and we've been putting off even that cost for months. Induction cooktops alone cost double that; ranges start at around quadruple. But that's still thousands of dollars cheaper than a gas line and stove would have been. 

Do you have an induction stove? Is it worth the price? If we save up for a while and take the plunge I'll come back and let you know how it worked out for us.

-- Rebekah Denn

What Are The New Coffee Shop Rules?

As a freelance writer, I occasionally find myself working on my laptop at a coffee shop, or meeting sources for a caffeinated interview. On the electronics side, I've got plenty of company: Everywhere I look, tables are filled with with people either working or playing or talking on computers and phones.

Personally, I don't make or take work calls at coffee shops (others clearly disagree with me on whether that's OK). But I feel fine setting up my laptop and typing away, so long as others aren't waiting for tables.

Then I saw that Starbucks has started covering power outlets in some stores to discourage customers from parking themselves to work for hours. I asked writer friends for guidance on what's considered appropriate. What I found was that there was no consensus. Some thought it was fine to work under any circumstances, some had personal rent-a-chair rules for how often they should buy an extra drink or drop another dollar in the tip jar, some would stay for the length of the laptop battery, others felt fine plugging into the outlets.

What do you think should be the rules of using electronics at coffee shops? And I know one thing: I never worried about this when I used to sit in coffee shops for hours reading a stack of new books. 

-- Rebekah Denn

Best Bake Sale Cookies

Bake sale season is starting up again -- and do I even hear the faintest early whispers of holiday cookie exchanges? (While I still have a few tomatoes in the garden?!) If there's a silver lining to summer's end, it's the idea of making warm, sweet delectables like the ones in the new "Best Bake Sale" cookbook from "Cookies for Kids Cancer". The book features well-vetted recipes for chocolate chip walnut brownies, double-chocolate biscotti, "decidedly grown-up" molasses cookies, citrusy cupcakes, and plenty of other sweet and savory treats. 

As the title suggests, there's more going on with this book than butter and sugar. Author Gretchen Holt-Witt founded the "Cookies for Kids Cancer" non-profit to raise money for pediatric cancer research when her own son, "Prince Liam The Brave," was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. She started out with a project baking 96,000 cookies and raising $400,000, and went on from there. It goes beyond generosity that she is doing so much to save other children after her own unbearable loss. All proceeds from the book will fund research to fight pediatric cancer.

Check it out for some hit recipes for your next bake sale or cookie exchange, for tips on pretty packaging and proper pricing --- and for the pleasure of doing a little something to support a good cause, as the best bake sales always do.

I see that people are purchasing the book along with the limited edition Oxo "Be A Good Cookie" spatula, which also supports the foundation. 

Here's a sample recipe to inspire you to reach for the cookie sheets. 

Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fited with a paddle and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a separate bowl and mix well. Add to the butter mixture and beat until everything is well-incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again.

3. Drop large teaspoonsful of dough onto an unbuttered cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake until the edges are just brown, 8 to 12 minutes. For crispy cookies, let cool on the sheet. Let the cookie sheet cool completely between batches and repeat with the remaining dough. 

-- From "Best Bake Sale Cookbook"

-- Rebekah Denn

Building A Better Lunchbox

My son brings a brown-bag lunch to school most days, but this year we're ready to ditch the brown bag part. Instead, he picked out this cool-looking "Lunchopolis" model, and he's super-psyched at all the nifty little containers and the drink bottle. He's actually sounding enthusiastic about the idea of sandwiches and little servings of vegetables and fruit and all. (Ah, for fresh new beginnings...)

For my part, I'm glad to avoid the weekday waste of endless Ziploc bags and milk boxes and the brown bags themselves. No more worries about the bag ripping as he runs for the bus, or the yogurt or berries getting smushed under his books, or a spoon being tossed in the trash along with the bag. I was a little taken aback by the price, but figured it was worth it to avoid all that waste, and worth it for the BPA-free plastic (although yes, I do always worry whether the BPA replacements will prove to be an equivalent concern). 

Where I went wrong, I think, was that I didn't check out the Amazon customer reviews before making the purchase. The bag feels well-constructed to me, and several buyers do love it... but I'm nervous about the percentage who say it wasn't sturdy enough to stand up to their kids.

Well, we'll see how it goes. And if it doesn't work out, looks like I've got 150+ other options. Maybe I could go the Wendolonia route and check out bento boxes? What's your most reliable way to go beyond the brown bag?

-- Rebekah Denn 

How Easy Is Home Canning?

How easy is home canning? It's pretty basic to start with, but I've found that making a regular supply of small batches is indeed much easier than all-day marathons using bushels of fruit. 

Warming up for National Can-It-Forward Day tomorrow, I made a batch of Marisa McClellan's blueberry jam the other night, after finding great local blueberries on sale. I started after the kids fell asleep and finished in time for my own bedtime. And when I had four lovely ripe tomatoes on the counter one night, an hour hadn't passed before I turned them into two jars of salsa for the pantry. I think that the convenience of the small batch is well worth the downside of the smaller yield. 

Can-It-Forward Day will be full of great canning demos at Pike Place Market (there's a schedule here), and you can watch it streamed live even if you're not here for it in Seattle. Jarden (you might know their canning brands as Ball and Kerr) is teaming up with the Canvolutionaries this year and providing video tutorials and other bonuses. 

Jarden sent over some canning materials for us to test in advance of the day, and I've been having fun trying out the likes of dissolvable labels (two Amazon reviewers had issues with the stickiness, but mine are working fine). I think the Ball Blue Book belongs in the kitchen of any canner, and is especially good for beginners (and has been for 100+ years, no great surprise). Owning a jar lifter and a funnel has done more than anything else to give me confidence dealing with large amounts of boiling-hot liquids, and I applauded the Ball collapsible funnel, which was both sturdy and convenient to store. In the more modern arena, I liked the convenience of using bulk pectin instead of tearing open little packets.

I was quite intrigued by the Home Canning Discovery Kit pictured above, a flexible polypropylene rack and lifter (sort of like a two-piece basket) with three pint jars to get you started. It allowed me to use my everyday stockpot for canning instead of hauling out the big guns, a big plus. It also takes up quite a bit less storage space than my mega-pot and metal rack. For beginning canners, though, I'd give it the big caveat that it is not as idiot-proof as I'd like. If you don't have the rack and lifter together properly, you might (actually, I mean I might, but let me save some face here) see the basket jerk sharply or fall. The fault was mine in both these cases, but that wouldn't have been much consolation if I'd broken the jars or burned my hand in splashed water.

Are you setting anything up for Can-It-Forward Day?

-- Rebekah Denn