Black & Decker Toast-R-Oven 4-Slice Toaster Oven - $19.99

Sometimes you just need to lightly toast something - or make a small, light, meal instead of creating a big Food TV production in your kitchen. These times call for a perfect little machine to get the job done - a toaster oven - and, for these times, Macys currently has the Black & Decker Toast-R-Oven 4-Slice Toaster Oven for only $19.99. You can get this super low price in the store and forgo the shipping charge or the cost to ship the item to your home depends on where you reside. This is one of those great deals I could not resist and I am confident I (and you) will get more back in the long term than what was paid - which is great!

Breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks, this versatile toaster oven-toasts, cooks, broils and reheats a variety of foods. Enjoy your favorite muffins, individual pizzas, casseroles or small chicken parts-cooked to perfection right on your counter top.

Perfect as a second oven or as an energy-efficient alternative to turning on the full-size oven, this counter top appliance offers a large capacity with a curved interior that can fit a 9-inch pizza or toast up to four slices of bread at a time. Use it to toast, bake, broil, and keep foods warm until they're ready to be served. Its user-friendly control panel consists of three knobs. The top knob adjusts the temperature up to 450 degrees F, the middle knob selects the function, and the bottom knob allows for setting the timer up to 30 minutes or choosing continuous "on", as well as selecting the shade setting when toasting bread or bagels. The unit also features a quartz heating element and 1200 watts of power to ensure fast, professional results, plus a dual-position rack for added versatility. Other highlights include an "on" indicator light, a see-through glass door to monitor the cooking progress, a convenient bake and toast signal bell, and a slide-out crumb tray for quick cleanup. A baking pan comes included. With its sleek design, stay-cool door handle, and stable feet, the toaster oven measures approximately 12-2/5 by 18-8/9 by 15 inches.

This little miracle machine usually costs around $45 dollars so this great price of only $19.99 makes it more than half off, and for something you can use everyday, this is quite the deal! This item will make a great gift for yourself or those you love! So what are you waiting for? Get your Black & Decker Toast-R-Oven 4-Slice Toaster Oven for only $19.99 today

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Thanks to the joys of Netflix streaming, I've discovered Anthony Bourdain's Travel Channel No Reservations food and travel show. Bourdain is a long-term veteran of restaurant kitchens, someone with years of working on the line, someone who spent his summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts in the hot kitchens of seafood fry cooks, got a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, worked his way around the world and from kitchen to kitchen, before a sojourn as the head chef of Brasserie Les Halles in New York. Bourdain first caught the public eye when his revelatory, brutally honest book about what life and food in professional kitchens are like, Kitchen Confidential became a New York Times bestseller. The book was inspired, in part, by a lengthy article Bourdain wrote for The New Yorker "Don't Eat Before Reading This." Since then, he's authored three works of fiction, a cookbook, a second edition of Kitchen Confidential and, as of June of this year, a new contemplation of food, kitchens, and travel, Medium Raw, among others.

Bourdain has been criticized by lesser writers and food fanatics for his frank language, and disdain for vegetarians. He's also been overtly hostile to the "celebrity chefs" of the Food Network—with some reason, in many cases. It's true that his language is, well, similar to the language of most of the professional chefs I've ever heard who work or have worked in the hellish depths of a busy restaurant kitchen. His commentary is rife with profanity (usually bleeped out by the Travel Channel) and sexual references. It's also rife with references to film and modern literature. Bourdain is a very smart, very perceptive guy who likes good food, smart people, and traveling, and thinks deeply about all of them.

No Reservations began airing on The Travel Channel in July of 2005; they've just this week aired their 100th episode, a return to Paris, the city filmed in the very first episode. Bourdain's concept is an ideal combination of food and travel. He goes to a place, locates local experts, tries the food, looks at what the relationship of food and culture and history is in that place, and films it. His personals taste in food—a pronounced fondess for pork, and, like Leopold Bloom, Bourdain will "[eat] with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls." He's also not shy about imbibing alcohol, and exploring local cuisine via street vendors, food trucks, and the odd barbecue shack or beach hut. He knows his way around an ordinary kitchen too, as well as classical French cuisine (here's his recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon, via the Les Halles Cookbook

No Reservations is a show about food, and culture, and travel, and history, produced by someone with an intense interest in all of them—and a pronounced love of the English language, as well as the pleasures of the table. My favorite episode thus far is one set in Sardinia, the birthplace of his wife Ottavia who convinced her extended family (and vicariously, us) to accept Bourdain at their tables and in their kitchens. I've embedded a short excerpt below. You can catch No Reservations previous seasons on NetFlix streaming, on DVD, and the new episodes are still on the Travel Channel Schedule.

Image Credit: The Travel Channel

Cook's Illustrated: The Secret to Moist Banana Bread is Microwaving the Bananas

I almost felt like a culinary expert the other day when I read an article in Cook’s Illustrated magazine about baking banana bread. The article was written by a leader of a team of banana bread experts who focused on how to bake a moist banana bread without using too many bananas. I felt as if this was one of the few culinary articles that I could relate to because I, too, have experimented with bananas and banana-bread baking techniques in order to perfect the art of moistening the bread without putting in too many bananas.

Unfortunately, however, the writer and the team of experts left me in the dust when they stopped focusing on the number of bananas that should be in the mix (four) and instead came up with the semi-genius idea of microwaving the bananas beforehand- of course, they added a few extra steps. Quite frankly, microwaving bananas never would have occurred to me. How could a newbie cook (even an experienced banana bread baker such as myself) be expected to even consider the idea of microwaving the bananas? The only time I’ve ever even eaten roasted bananas is in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made by an overly-creative and probably bored babysitter when I was eight and I’m sure that I would never be allowed by the real cook of the house to even consider microwaving a piece of fruit. The clean up time alone is reason enough to let that idea go.

Some of the ideas that the experts came up with weren’t quite as genius as the roasted bananas- excuse me, as the microwaved bananas. For example, I wasn’t surprised that adding dried banana chips to the mixture didn’t moisten the bread. The last time I checked, dry is the opposite of moist, which was probably why the addition of the dry chips didn’t work out too well- go figure. If strange brainstorming ideas like that were all it took to become a master chef or a food editor, I might have a much different life than I do,  but I have an idea that it’s not quite that easy to get an in.

The cooks also added vanilla to their banana bread recipe. Like many of you, I do the same. I may be wrong, but I think that most sweet baked goods taste just a little bit better with a dash of real vanilla.

I’m not going to microwave my bananas the next time I make banana bread, but please let me know if you try it.

10-Piece Mixing or Prep Bowls with Storage Lids - $9.98 Shipped

Today, Tanga is offering a 10 piece set of mixing / prep / storage bowls for only $9.98 ($5.99 for the product and $3.99 shipping) while supplies last! These little sets make fantastic gifts for the anyone on your Holiday shopping list - and you can even buy up to 4 of them with the same low shipping fee! This is something everyone can use - as little storage containers like this have many uses  - not all being strictly food related.

How many times have you gone to the kitchen and haven’t had a bowl to make your favorite meal or a container to store it in after you are finished and have leftovers? What about all the cereal bowls you constantly use to prep your food in after it’s chopped and blended? If you are like most people, the answer is all the time!

Tanga has the answer to your problem with their 24-hour deal of the day! Buy up to 4 sets with one low shipping charge of $3.99 and you will never be without a mixing/prep bowl or a storage container for your food. Just slap on the included lids on any of the bowls and save your leftovers for your next meal! Piece of cake… speaking of cake you can use these bowls to mix one up!

I honestly can not think of a better gift idea to have hanging out in the closet waiting to be used than this little set (at least today). Think of the smile of the face of the recipient (or yourself) when using these great little culinary staples! The fact that these have lids is just an added extra - and it means one less dish to clean because you can go from prep to serve and store all in the same container! These little bows can also be used for other everyday stuff like storage for nuts in bolts in the garage or as containers for cleaning supplies - that is if you do not cook and need additional ideas for use. The main draw for this deal is that it is versatile and because these are containers you can get creative with what you want to contain! You could even use them as little pet bowls to feed your furry friend in style!

Hello - this set is a total time and money saver! What are you waiting for? Get your 10-Piece Mixing or Prep Bowls set with Storage Lids today!

Taco Del Mar

I'm now seriously hunting for a good local taco place. Admittedly, I'm biased in favor of fresh, hand-made tortillas, but I'm willing to settle. I'm slightly biased towards corn-tortillas and "soft" tacos, but I'm willing to try other options. If I can find a place with good, fresh tacos, and Mexican Coca-Cola, I'll be ecstatic.

My first attempt at finding a good local taco was atTaco del Mar is a taco chain, with locally owned franchises.

They began as a Seattle business, but have opened franchises elsewhere. They offer burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, with fish, beef, ground beef, chicken, pork or veggie fillings. Since it's a franchise, the local operation may be quite different from franchise to franchise. The Taco Del Mar we tried was staffed by a single worker, working from a steam table and a taco press. You'd think, from the name, that they featured fish and sea food. Not so much. They did have fish on the menu, but didn't exactly have pride of place. We had a beef taco, and a pork taco. The beef was ground beef, slightly seasoned and fairly salty; the pork was roasted, seasoned, shredded pork, and was, of the two, much better. The tacos were both corn hard-shell tacos—we weren't asked what we wanted. The hot sauce was in fact pleasantly hot, and not for the mild palate; the medium was quite mild. Both tacos came with pico de gallo, and though we asked for guacamole and sour cream, those were not included (we weren't charged for them, either).

This is my first vist to a Taco Del Mar. My general verdict was that—well it wan't awful, but it wasn't exactly memorable, either. Would I go there again? Possibly, if I wanted inexpensive tacos and it was convenient. It wasn't particularly speedy however, and, well, I'd rather get a taco from a food truck. This was a little too close to generic chain tacos than I'd like, while it cost about twice as much. I think I'll keep looking for a local fresh taco place; I can't imagine not finding a good local taqueria.

Bialy

While often available at bakeries and delis that make bagels, a bialy is not a bagel. Unlike a bagel a bialy has no hole in the center; instead, a shallow indentation in the center is filled with (typically) diced onions, or sometimes, garlic, poppy seeds, or a combination of all three, and the rest of the bialy may have a topping of poppy seeds and kosher salt. Most importantly, the bialy is not boiled before it is baked, unlike a bagel, which changes the way the yeast behaves, creating a lighter, less dense and chewy bread. Bialy, by the way, is pronounced BEE all ee.

Bialy, etymologically speaking, is derived from Bialystok, a city in Poland, where the bialy is more formally identified as a bialystoker kuchen, or a Bilalystok cake. When Eastern European Jews fled Poland, large numbers of them ended up in New York, especially on the lower east side of Manhattan, and they brought the bialy with them. My first bialy was split, covered with cream cheese, and handed to me by Bob Stein, some years ago; it came from Manhattan Bagels in Santa Monica, and their bialy is to this day the standard by which I judge all others. The bialy is also wonderful toasted and buttered, or covered with melted cheese (I recommend extra sharp Vermont cheddar) or used as a sandwich base (try a bialy split and served as an open face sandwich with buffalo motzarella, fresh tomato slices, and fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil).

To this day, the bialy is far easier to find in New York than anywhere else, although according to the formal history of the bialy, the book The Bialy Eaters: The Story of a Bread and a Lost World, by former New York Times food columnist Mimi Sheraton, the bilaly was first commercially baked and marketed by Harry Cohen in the early 1900s. Today, you can, with care, find them in areas far afield from Manhattan, though the quality varies dramatically. Don't be fooled by a bagel with onions in the center; that's absolutely not a bialy. You might want to try making your own bialys; they freeze well, but they do need to be eaten within a day or so if you don't freeze them. This bialy recipe is based on one from Secrets of a Jewish Baker, by George Greenstein. This bialy recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible is ultimately derived from the bialy recipe used, some time ago, at Kossar's bialy bakery in Manhattan. I may have to resort to baking my own; I've yet to try my local bagelry's bialys, though I have plans to do just that.

Image Credit: © Michael E. Cohen. Used with permission.

Celebrating Mabon

Last night, as my daughter was playing in the bathtub, I decided to forgo my usual “straightening up the bathroom” routine—mostly because of the nasty cold/allergy battle I’ve been fighting—and instead start planning our Mabon activities. Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year, and I look forward to it starting in April or May! Even though my allergies always betray me at the beginning of September without fail, this falling leaf, sweater-weather season is always wonderful.

The first thing I know we’re going to do this year is create our own talking stick. We used to have one that I made as a teenager, but I have no idea where it disappeared to. It was also sort of goofy—I painted it hot pink, of all things, and glued silly jewels all over it. It worked for me, but now that I have a family, I want one that all three of us can personalize. So this weekend we’ll be taking a fall walk to find the perfect talking stick. After my daughter picks it out, we’ll take turns carving off the bark and decorating it until it’s ours. For talking stick directions, click here.

Something else we’re going to start doing this month is combining our altar with a seasonal table. Our curriculum materials are Waldorf-based, and we just picked up the most perfect seasonal table ever for a buck at a yard sale. We usually keep our alter in my bedroom—just so company doesn’t get weirded out by it, I suppose—but I think if we combine it with our seasonal nature table it’s going to work well. If not, we can always scrap the idea next month. I think my daughter is going to have a blast with it; I just wish we had some nice silk play scarves to go with it. That will have to go on our wish list!

To celebrate the autumn harvest, we always bring in some gorgeous colors of corn to arrange around the house. We don’t grow our own, so we head to the little local produce stand not far from our home. We usually pick up a couple of gourds to display as well. This year, we’ll be doing an idea I learned from Celebrating the Great Mother: making Native tribal corn necklaces. To do this, you take lots of different colors of corn off their corn cobs, soak them until they’re pliable, and then thread them like you would beads. (Other cool ideas, such as apple stamping and door blessings, can be found in the same book.)

We’re also definitely going apple-picking this autumn, and using the apples we pick in plenty of yummy recipes—including a homemade apple pie, apple strudel, and fried apples. My husband’s planning on using some apples in a few savory fall dishes as well.

What are your plans for Mabon and the rest of the month? Share them here at Pagan Journey.

17 piece Smartware Deluxe Silicone Bakeware - $17.99 & Free Shipping

This is actuallyone of my favorite deasl to be had today! You can get the 17 piece Smartware Deluxe Silicone Bakeware for only $17.99 with Free Shipping! It is an Ebay "Daily Deal" offer and it is indicated that supplies are limited. I love baking with silicone because the items always come out more even, that is, the "brown" is more even and the cooking iteself is generally more even than say a metal pan.

Smartware™ bakeware transfers heat more efficiently than conventional pans—that's why the best pastry chefs in Europe have relied on it for years.  Smartware™ bakeware heats evenly and cools quickly. Even heat transfer means everything you cook and bake—from bread to lasagna, roasts to fresh cookies—will cook more evenly. You'll eliminate hot spots and cold spots. Everything you cook will have better results every time. You can store it in the fridge or freezer, use it in the oven or microwave and it is always dishwasher safe. Also, Smartware™ bakeware allows you to use less fat and oil when you cook, lowering calories and increasing flavor. Now that's smart! 

Features include: 9 x 11 inch Bake Pan w/ Storage Cover and Serving Trivet, 9 inch Bundt Pan,  9 inch Loaf Pan w/ Storage Cover,  11 x 16 inch Baking Mat,  11 x 7 inch Muffin Pan,  Set of 8 Decorating Stencils,  Recipe Book

These items were designed to withstand temperatures from -58°F to 428° Fahrenheit—without warping, melting or flaking. The revolutionary silicone bakeware with Temperflex™ is better than metal  and has a high gloss, non-stick finish will not retain odors or flavors. These pans provide even heat distribution while at the same time offer quick and even cooling. The items are flexible meaning you can rest assured there will be easy removal of baked goods. These items can go from oven to freezer in a flash - and, again, you do not need to worry about the silicone "warping". Best of all these items are all microwave and dishwasher safe - try throwing your metals in the microwave and see what happens - but before you do that - get in on the 17 piece Smartware Deluxe Silicone Bakeware for only $17.99 (with free shipping)!

You may also continue purchasing additional items from the companies other listings. You have 5 days from the end of the first purchase to add additional items to your order. Make sure all of your auctions have ended prior to checking out. All of your purchases will be consolidated into one checkout!  They ship most orders with 48 hours and your order will arrive based on the shipping service selected at checkout. All items are shipped from Ohio.

100 Pieces Mini 5mm Dice, Mixed Color - $0.99 Shipped

It was just the other day when I was saying to myself "gosh (yeah I say "gosh"), I wish I had a hundred dice to play with!" - and it seems my prayers have been answered! EverydaySource has such a deal - for 99 cents, with coupon code S9MDMC (Starts on September 7 at 6:30 PM PST) you can get 100 mini dice in mixed colors - with free shipping! The usual price for this is $7.99 so this is a pretty good savings, too - you just need to add the coupon code to the order during check out. These come in assorted colors of: red, green blue, white, purple, yellow , black, and white - your favorite color is bound to be in there somewhere!

I know some of you might be thinking "what on Earth could I do with 100 dice" - and there are many things, such as: play with them, hand them out as gifts (I would make it a theme - cheap cards, poker chips, these dice, ect), glue them together to make a little work of art, or put them in a "dice jar" to prepare for any type of dice emergency - although I bet you can come up with your own creative ways to use all of these dice. These little dice are only about 5mm so whatever you decide - keep them away from children under 3 or pets due to the choking hazard.

So what are you waiting for? Get your 100 mini dice in mixed colors - with free shipping - FOR ONLY 99 CENTS today!

It's Not Amish, And I Didn't Give It To Friends

Amish Friendship Bread is sort of a cross between a coffee cake and a chain letter.  The bread is based on a sourdough starter, albeit one that is fed with flour, sugar, and milk instead of a "regular" starter fed only with flour and water.  

The idea behind Amish Friendship Bread is that you bake two loaves, give one to a friend, along with a portion of the starter.  Frankly this is the kind of obligation-heavy gifting that I frown upon.  I don't know many people who would be grateful to receive the gift of sourdough starter unasked.  

Starter takes a fair amount of work.  Yes, it makes a better bread than what you can find in the stores.  But I think it's instructive to consider why we all started buying bread from the store in the first place.  And I say this as someone who has been baking my own bread exclusively for the last two years or so.

So the "bread" part is obvious enough.  It bakes into a loaf similar to pumpkin bread or banana bread.  The "friendship" part makes sense I suppose.  Although I dare say if you go around giving people sourdough starter, you won't have friends for much longer.  Particularly if you're the sort of person who cheerfully inquires about "how that starter's going" a few months later.  I'm just saying.

What I cannot wrap my head around is the "Amish" part.  I have seen "Amish" tacked onto a variety of recipes, for no apparent reason.  Wikipedia agrees with me, saying that "There is no reason to think that the sweet, cinnamon-flavored bread has any connection to the Amish people."  

A lot of people think of "wholesome living in the historical, community-driven sense" when they think of the Amish.  I think of community-silenced sexual assault, puppy mills, and extreme religious intolerance.  (What else would you call it, when you cut off all contact with your child if they choose a different religion?) But hey, pie!

I didn't feel like making a loaf of "real" bread out of my sourdough starter this week.  When I went looking for other recipes, I stumbled across this one.  I just used my regular starter, without bothering to switch it over to milk and sugar.  At such small amounts, I can't imagine it makes much difference.

The recipe I chose bakes two loaves.  (That's kind of the deal.)  Since I only have one 9x5 loaf pan, I originally planned to bake one loaf and then the next.  I had to quickly revise this plan after the final mixing, because the batter started foaming up with the chemical reaction between the sourdough and the baking soda.  I ended up baking the second "loaf" alongside the first, in a 9x9 brownie pan.

After making my bread, I learned that many (most?) people add a box of vanilla pudding mix to their bread.  I can see this helping the flavor and overall deliciousness immensely.  My loaf turned out heavy and somewhat dull, even with the addition of lots of fresh minced apple bits.

I had originally planned to give one loaf to a friend. But after eating the first loaf, I decided against it.  This is one of those recipes where everyone has their own variation, and I obviously picked the most boring one!

Photo credit: Flickr/Kristin Breneman

Pages