I adore my OXO mango pitter. I highly recommend for anyone who eats a lot of mango. My Cuisinart blender is fab for my whey protein smoothies. I can't believe I used a hand shaker for so long. ...
WS carries Chicago Metallic bakepans, which I think are amazing. They're really heavy, but light-colored, so cookies always come out perfect! I think Le Crueset ceramic baking dishes (you can get them at Macy's, too) are perfect for baking lasagnas, casseroles, etc. I made a fennel-potato gratin and the dish conducted so well that all the sides touching it were perfectly browned and crisp. Love it. They also make a few baking dishes that are suitable for stovetop and oven use, for making a roast chicken and then gravy in the same pan. That's going to be my next purchase.
I don't know why that posted so many times. Sorry!
wow i guess you REALLY wanted us to know about those bake pans
I don't know what gratin is. But I love fennel. I have never eaten it cooked though. I will need to look into this.
Have you ever used those silicone baking sheet liners? Or are they unecessary if you have good baking pans? I keep on seeing them and I never remember my Mom using them as a kid.
i always bring fennel..(we call it phonocchio) to the assemblies because it cleanses your breath, and people always think I'm eating big chunks of onions...it's so funny to see people's reactions.
my brother in law is so not adventerous so the one night him and my sis were over for dinner and she scoops up fennel, tells him it's mashed potatoes. sohe eats it and is like, "yo those mashed potatoes were bangin" and we just laughed b/c if we told him what it really was or tried to explain it he would have hated it. but him not knowing and he loved it.
I don't have one, but I'd like to get one when I move and have a larger oven. The oven I have now only fits 10x10 baking pans, and I can't readily find silicone mats that small. For cookies, I don't think they're necessary. If you were making candy, like brittle or something, then yeah, they would make sense. But I can't say they're completely useless, since I've never had cookies made on them. But the Chicago Metallic baking sheets really brown well, so I'm not desperate to get a silicone mat, ya know?
i've been looking for an oven to stove top baking dish & large dutch oven for quite some time now...so Williams Sonoma carries them?
dutch oven, huh huh huh huh
Yeah, wiliams sonoma & Macy's carry le crueset goodies. I've also gotten mine at marshall's, believe it or not. It's worth looking into, if you can find one that carries them. HUGE savings. I got a 12 quart dutch oven for $175, regularly $290.
oh, so all le crueset stuff is oven & stovetop okay? i've seen it a Ross for pretty cheap...like under $100.
Well, Le crueset makes ceramic stuff and enameled cast iron. The ceramic stuff is only for the oven, but the enameled cast iron can do anything. It's amazing. The ceramics are only baking dishes. They make one roasting pan that's enameled cast iron, and I'm not sure if you'd be able to tell the difference if buying it at a store rather than online (I imagine it would be a lot heavier, but I can't say for sure). As far as pots, all are enameled cast iron except the really large stock pots, which you can tell are not because they're really light. Check the lid of a pot to be sure - the enamel won't go to the very edge and you'll see the gray cast iron.
oh, awesome, thanks!
Man, I'm getting all happy just thinking about my dutch oven. I made beouf bourguignon (sp?) the other week, and the technique of browning all your ingredients on the stove then braising them in the oven is just amazing. I love that you can make $2/lb. chuck beef taste gourmet.