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I love King Arthur Flour and the Bakers’ Catalogue and recently I received an order from them.  I loved the bulk order of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla.  I bought a huge bottle of vanilla - 32 ounces for $30.  That’s a great deal when you consider you typically buy 8 ounces for $20 in retail stores.  I know that I will need lots of vanilla for the cooking season, so I am very pleased with the bulk vanilla.  I am also very happy with the flour that I bought - I purchased a 25 lb. bag of all-purpose flour and I am definitely glad I did. 

The Guittard chocolate chunks that purchased were a little gray, the taste was fine, but I am sure that the color would bother some.  I was a little surprised to receive the chocolate looking like that considering the chocolate I purchase in the grocery store usually looks better than these chunks.  They are fine to use, but just a heads up for those of you who like your chocolate to look picture perfect.  Sorry the photo isn’t clearer than it is, it’s hard to photograph chocolate.

The price of the order was right - $80 for 2 pounds of chocolate chunks, 32 ounces of vanilla, and 25 pounds of all-purpose flour. 

Okay, so I have been on the hunt for the best canned tomatoes in the supermarket and this week I had an absolute dismal experience with Cento Peeled Crushed Tomatoes.  I have tried the Cento whole tomatoes and thought they were pretty decent, but man the crushed tomatoes that is another story.  The consistency of these tomatoes was much like tomato paste with half the flavor.  The texture was absolutely awful.  The tomatoes were bitter and paste-like, Yuck!  That’s all I can really say.  I know that canned tomatoes can be a bone of contention with many people.  The funniest thing is not nearly as hard to find good whole canned tomatoes as it is to find good crushed canned tomatoes.  The texture is definitely not stellar, my suggestion is to crush them yourself.  That’s what I normally do, but I have been testing canned crushed tomatoes and I think this officially ends the testing - stick with the whole tomatoes.

Do you know of any decent crushed canned tomatoes?  Please leave your comments below.

I know that most people watch Food Network, but not so many people watch PBS.  I have to say one of the best shows hands down in the food world is America’s Test Kitchen.  This show is a lot of science and information, but more importantly a lot of great food.  One of the things that America’s Test Kitchen (Cook’s Illustrated) does that no one else seems to do really well is testing products for their readers and television watchers.  I love this!  Their test are thorough and fair and honest.  If a product doesn’t cut it then they aren’t afraid to say so.  One of the most interesting tests they have done is the stand mixer test.  If you are looking for a great stand mixer, then you might want to pick up a KitchenAid Pro 600.  I can attest to the fact that it is a really great stand mixer.  It’s durable, relatively cheap in comparison with other mixers in the same category, and it is incredibly functional. Here’s the link if you are interested in finding out more about the stand mixer reviews  http://www.cooksillustrated.com/testing.asp?testingid=356&bdc=4272 .

If you want to see what America’s Test Kitchen is all about visit them on the web at http://www.americastestkitchen.com/

Yes, you read that title correctly.  I had very bad luck with stand mixers last year.  As many of you know I got a new KitchenAid stand mixer last year, well last spring my contractor allowed mold to grow in the basement of my new house and I lost a lot of stuff.  My stand mixer was destroyed.  You don’t want to see the photos, yuck!  The bio-hazard people thought it was a good idea to get rid of all of my kitchen equipment and so my stand mixer and processor both had to be discarded.  Probably, one of  the worst days I’ve had in a really long time.  Well, the good news is I now have a new stand mixer and I just love it.  I upgraded one more size from the last one.  I couldn’t believe that Kitchen Aid sold refurbished mixers and I was delighted to find the Professional 600 Kitchen Aid with 575 watts for $239.  This mixers usually sell for $500.  I have had pretty good luck with factory refurbished items before, so I thought why not. 

Well, I am very happy I got it.  It’s a great mixer - just like the others I have had before.  I know Cuisinart and Viking make stand mixers too, but I am just hooked on KitchenAid mixers.  I have had them since my earliest adult baking days and they haven’t let me down yet.  I tried a Viking mixer at a friend’s house, but I just didn’t like it as well.  The motor was suppose to be a lot stronger, but I didn’t really notice it.  The head tilting mechanism is strange.  I just didn’t see what the fuss was about.  I have yet to see a Cuisinart, but it reminds me a lot of the Viking, at least in looks.  Do you have a favorite stand mixer?  What do you like about it?

As most of you know I am an avid tea drinker.  I love the stuff, even more so as the weather cools.  My absolute favorite is Earl Grey, there is something so comforting about the smell of bergamot.  I even like to add a little more lemon to punch up the flavor.  Not many tea companies let you buy in bulk, but The Republic of Tea does.  They used the bag you see above for years, but it wasn’t resealable.  Anyone who drinks tea or coffee understands the importance of having fresh coffee or tea.  Well, The Republic must have gotten some suggestions because the newest round of bags is resealable.  So, kudos to The Republic of Tea for making it easier for tea drinkers everywhere to savor their tea from start to finish of a bulk bag!

Okay, so I didn’t get the fully gourmet kitchen I wanted, but I got damn close!  My contractor went awol I had to revamp my kitchen design to pay some of the costs associated with his absconding my money.  With that said I still got a really great kitchen, the best one I have ever had.  One of the key components that makes my kitchen great is the new KitchenAid Architect series double ovens.  I just got them into the wall this week and I have been going crazy with them ever since.  I have missed baking so much - I have lots of lost time to make up.  These ovens are really great.  I got the double ovens with an upper convection oven and a lower regular oven.  I have never used convection before this, but I am definitely very happy with it.  The recipes I have tested so far have been done quicker and perfectly browned.  My chocolate chip cookies came out so chewy, they were fabulous. 

The oven control is digital and simple to use.  You can set the top oven for convection or normal baking.  It’s so nice to have dessert in one oven and dinner in the other.  One of the best features is the new see thru doors.  You can actually see what is the oven and not open the door to keep checking on it.  You wouldn’t believe how amazingly clear it is when you look into the oven.  I can’t say enough good about my ovens.  If you want to learn more about KitchenAid’s ovens, then check out this link http://www.kitchenaid.com/catalog/category.jsp?categoryId=124#130.  The rest of my kitchen is in KitchenAid appliances, if you have any questions you can email me and I would be happy to answer them from my experience. 

It’s official, I actually have a pantry in my new house and I love it!  One of the things I have in my pantry is L’Estornell Olive Oil.  I usually purchase Olio Santo - I think it is a really fabulous olive oil, please see my previous post on Olio Santo to read the full review.  I wound up with L’Estronell as a gift and I have to say I think it is a very nice olive oil.  The one I have is the organic variety, they sell both organic and non-organic types.  It is produced in Spain, like so many olive oils are now.  The flavor is quite similar to Olio Santo.  The olive taste is a light hint in the background, not overpowering in any way.  I have used it in salad dressings, for cooking, etc and it has performed well in each arena.  I particullarly love using it as a cooking oil, some of the other olive oils I have sampled are too strong for cooking.  It’s also lovely with balsamic vinegar as a dip for bread.  If you want more information please check out their website - http://www.vea.es/688_english/estornell.htm.

One of my favorite things in my kitchen is my barnyard waffle iron.  No, I don’t have kids, but I sure do like to live like one.  I simply could not resist this Villaware Barnyard Waffler when I saw it at Stonewall Kitchen quite a while back.  I have been using it for months and it is a great waffler.  The waffle iron has seven settings and an alarm.  The settings allow you to make nice light colored waffles or deep golden brown ones.  The alarm makes the funniest little noise when the waffle is ready, it sounds a little like a bird.  I love it!  It makes beautiful crisp, deep Belgian waffles in the shape of a barn, a chicken, a cow, and a pig.  My favorites are the chickens and the barns. 

It’s a great little appliance to get your kids or your husband to eat their breakfast.  Who can resist a barn with strawberries and whipped cream?

I’ll admit I am a sucker for kitchen gear, not necessarily gadgets, but definitely gear.  I love aprons, I use them all the time.  One of my favorite designs is the retro aprons over at http://kitschnglam.com/default.aspx?f=Home  The company is called Kitsch and Glam.  They make the cutest retro aprons you will find, although they are a bit pricey.  At around $60 a piece, I have yet to buy one, but I do covet them often.  They are simply adorable.  I really love the reversible halter designs.  I think it’s a great gift idea for the cook in your life. (hint, hint - if anyone in my family is reading)

Another retro style company I love is Table Craft - www.tablecraft.com.  They sell all kinds of cute diner style things for your kitchen.  They sell great things for your summer barbeques, like ketchup and mustard bottles, diner napkin dispensers, toothpick dispensers and straw jars.  I just love this stuff.  I use this stuff a lot for Fourth of July parties.  I particularly love serving my burgers and hot dogs in the old timey burger baskets.  You can also find similar items at any craft store, sometimes for a fraction of the price.  Next time you are in Joanne Fabrics take a look around, you may find some really fun old school party essentials. 

I’m not much of a soda drinker, I usually drink water and tea.  My husband loves good root beer though, so we picked up some Maine Root and gave it a try.  I have to tell you this is an excellent root beer.  It’s a little pricey, but well worth it, if you only enjoy a soda every now and again.  You can buy it in four packs at Whole Foods and Hannafords and a number of other places in 13 states.  If you can’t find it in your local store, you can also order it online from www.maineroot.com.  The flavor is excellent, not overpowering like many root beers.  I was happy when it didn’t burn going down, I often find that with sodas.  It wasn’t too sweet or syrupy.  It has just the right balance of bite…overall, it is an excellent root beer.