581450 Fri Dec 19 12:07:20 -0800 2008 85 29 Not About Food 0 4260058 What do you want? I, for one, want a gigantic fancy fridge. Perhaps it's because I live in a small apartment in Manhattan, I always wanted a fridge that is big enough to hold A LOT of food and condiments. Actually the fridge I have right now is quite big for one person, but I really want one of those sub-zero or high end fridges, particular the ones where you can adjust the temperature for different shelves. I know economy is bad, so if Santa thinks this is too expensive, may I have a Vita-Mix blender. Ok, I will even settle with a great chef knife that can cut things paper-thin. Let the daydream begin! Fri Dec 19 12:07:20 -0800 2008 54254 kobetobiko 1 4260118 Well I doubt that Santa will ask me anything (since I'm Jewish!) but if he did, I would want a gas stove. I have an electric cooktop (can't get gas in my area) and I HATE electric stoves. But I would be happy with a variety of new cookbooks to add to my collection. They are already on my Amazon wishlist and I'm pretty sure that my own personal Santa (aka husband) will read that list! Fri Dec 19 12:26:39 -0800 2008 4260058 10205 valerie 2 4261858 Maybe he can pass it on to Chanukah Harry--I hear they're buddies. I on the other hand would like a new kitchen. Yes I know, I have a "new kitchen" since I moved, but the idiots that remodeled the apartment put a cheap counter near the refrigerator and now I have a refrigerator door that doesn't open all the way. I also have cabinets that aren't deep enough for pots and pans. Since a new kitchen is out of the question, I would like a good chef's knife. I would also like more time to cook and somebody to clean up after I cook. Better yet, maybe he can bring me Anthony Bourdain so I can oogle him while he cooks! Sat Dec 20 09:09:57 -0800 2008 4260118 11701 MrsT 3 4263064 Oh boy, can I get down with that last sentence. Talk about "yum." :) Sat Dec 20 20:46:35 -0800 2008 4261858 131001 c oliver 3 4264116 "the idiots that remodeled the apartment put a cheap counter near the refrigerator and now I have a refrigerator door that doesn't open all the way. I also have cabinets that aren't deep enough for pots and pans." ~~~~~ i'm convinced that most builders & interior designers have never cooked a meal in their lives. the ones who did the kitchen in my condo put the refrigerator next to the wall, so every time i open the door i have to catch it before the handle smashes a hole through the plaster; they didn't make any of the cabinets deep enough for pots & pans; they installed the smoke detector directly above the hood-less & fan-less gas stove; and for the backsplash, they chose porous white & beige soapstone tiles that absorb every splatter, and crumble if i try to scrub them. seriously, i'd like to ask Hanukkah Harry for a new house, so i could design every last detail of the kitchen myself. Sun Dec 21 12:06:52 -0800 2008 4261858 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 4281957 That is my dream, to design a kitchen exactly the way I want it. I am a petite girl and I'd like lowered counter areas for stirring, etc, gas cook top and electric wall oven and a fridge that doesn't sound like a blender when it kicks on. I'd also like a little dormer window green house thing to grow herbs. But alas to the OP. I love vintage kitchen gadgets and I want more more more. I have them hung on the walls and some I use and some I don't. I think you can seal that soapstone. I'd go to a home improvement store and ask, because that would drive me insane, too. You can DEFINITELY get a door stopper to stick on the wall, at least, to avoid getting hole in your wall and on some fridges, I think, you can switch the door to swing open the other way. Mon Dec 29 21:29:58 -0800 2008 4264116 189528 Whosyerkitty 3 4264975 I was just perusing Williams-Sonoma's website and saw these Global knives on sale for a very good price -- a chef's knife and a santoku. I have the Santoku one and I think I paid around $85 at Bed, Bath & Beyond 2 years ago. It's a great knife. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cu079_1/index.cfm?pkey=cview-all-sale http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cu045_1/index.cfm?pkey=cview-all-sale Sun Dec 21 19:36:54 -0800 2008 4261858 10205 valerie 1 4260155 Ever since reading about the Bamix hand held mixer, I have been obsessed with getting one. I told Santa, but he wanted to know why I thought that the one we had was so lame... Fri Dec 19 12:37:56 -0800 2008 4260058 34558 roxlet 1 4260162 I want a new oven. My fridge works pretty well for me; I like its features (though it's not luxe), but I think I'd like to have a model with two huge freezer drawers on the bottom. Or, more sensibly, I should probably just ask for a separate deep freezer. My refrigerator often looks empty, but the freezer is always packed to the gills, with fruit I've frozen, doughs, stocks, my spice stash, breads and meats. One takes his life in his hand, opening that freezer door. I'd like some more Emile Henry bakeware. I love that stuff. I'd like a 4 quart saucepan, a dedicated larger stockpot, and a 10-inch Sabatier carbon steel cook's knife. And my cookbook wishlist grows longer by the day. Fri Dec 19 12:42:24 -0800 2008 4260058 244717 Steady Habits 2 4260503 I am so with you on the bigger freezer space. I probably need a standalone freezer. Another item on my wish list! Fri Dec 19 14:33:53 -0800 2008 4260162 54254 kobetobiko 3 4261284 A compact stand-alone freezer tops my list too...and of course, a good place to put it. The good place to put it is the tough part. Fri Dec 19 21:22:51 -0800 2008 4260503 198984 Jeri L 2 4264615 I did ask Santa for more Emile Henry. I love the bowls, but really love the Flame Top. Wonderful colors, so easy to clean. I cook a lot of chowders, soups, stews, beans on my simmer plate and the red pots just look homey. Sun Dec 21 16:54:47 -0800 2008 4260162 249280 rary 1 4260178 Oh yeah -- I want the Mario Batali deep, square-cornered lasagna pan. Fri Dec 19 12:49:36 -0800 2008 4260058 34558 roxlet 2 4278214 I have this and love it but it is VERY heavy. Also, very easy to clean. Mine is a beautiful red color from Crate & Barrel -- I think Sur La Table carries the Persimmon color. Sun Dec 28 15:09:34 -0800 2008 4260178 12520 walker 1 4260180 as a non-practicing Jew, i'm pretty sure any requests i made to Santa would fall on deaf ears. so i might as well go for broke, just for kicks...how about a new house so i can design my ultimate dream kitchen? ;) Fri Dec 19 12:49:51 -0800 2008 4260058 103920 goodhealthgourmet 2 4261581 I'm with goodhealth on that request. A house, instead of my small apartment. Sat Dec 20 06:24:06 -0800 2008 4260180 19518 rockandroller1 2 4263567 You can ask for something from Hanukkah Harry, though! Just remember to leave a plate of latkes next to the Hanukkah bush. Oh, and the present has to be small enough to fit through your heating vent. Sun Dec 21 07:40:30 -0800 2008 4260180 57371 operagirl 1 4260252 Also not on Santa's route, due to Jew-ness. But I'd like one of those induction ranges. So cool! Fri Dec 19 13:15:03 -0800 2008 4260058 13722 small h 2 4263559 OK, I've just spoken to Santa. She has agreed that, because your Chowly dedication to all things food over the past year, any requests from Chowhounds of the Jewish persuasion will be welcomed and duly registered on her "list". Sun Dec 21 07:32:46 -0800 2008 4260252 90359 PattiCakes 3 4264124 "she." i love it! and i'm renaming Hanukkah Harry...she's now Hanukkah Hannah. please tell Santa that if she'll give me a new house for which i can design my dream kitchen, i'll devote all my time in that kitchen to the most Chow-worthy activities imaginable :) Sun Dec 21 12:10:09 -0800 2008 4263559 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 4260351 I live in a small apartment with a not so great kitchen. So other than my own house with a dream kitchen (all the wonderful appliances already mentioned included), here are a few more reasonable requests: -LeCruset EVERYTHING -An Espresso Machine -Any vegetable peeler that will make vegetable peeling easy (I have yet to find one that works for me) -Some nice tea towels and aprons -A wok Fri Dec 19 13:46:38 -0800 2008 4260058 12144 CeeBee 2 4261351 Try looking for a Tupperware Y peeler. They're awesome!! You may have to go to a Tupperware party to get one, but it's worth it. Adam Fri Dec 19 22:34:37 -0800 2008 4260351 154787 adamshoe 2 4264624 Can I suggest a birds beak knife to go with your peeler--really helps with the potatoes, and other root veggies. I need both. Sun Dec 21 16:57:59 -0800 2008 4260351 249280 rary 2 4278221 I have a peeler that is probably 20 years old and still works great -- has an orange handle. Sun Dec 28 15:11:09 -0800 2008 4260351 12520 walker 1 4260385 A Blonde.at least half my age, better still, a third of my age (I suppose at this age which sex doesn't matter!) However, an easy to clean deep fryer, where it's also easy to store the oil, would be nice Fri Dec 19 13:57:38 -0800 2008 4260058 204342 FriedClamFanatic 2 4261319 you're talking about blond ales, of course. i prefer dark stouts. ;) Fri Dec 19 21:58:15 -0800 2008 4260385 64215 cimui 3 4263773 Maybe it's just me, but a 12 or 18-year old blonde or dark ale would be kind of gross. A fresh batch of Imperial Stout, however, would be great! :) Sun Dec 21 09:31:53 -0800 2008 4261319 224238 Caralien 4 4263839 Actually at my age, a 40 year old port would still be nice! Sun Dec 21 10:00:05 -0800 2008 4263773 204342 FriedClamFanatic 2 4267942 Ha! I prefer the more mature type -- who knows his way around the kitchen, isn't afraid to clean up his messes and can satisfy my (chowhound) needs. I guess I don't want much. I actually want an expresso machine which I'll purchase myself. Mon Dec 22 21:23:20 -0800 2008 4260385 13030 free sample addict aka Tracy L 3 4268318 That would be me, then! (No, I'm not an expresso machine!) LOL Tue Dec 23 05:55:44 -0800 2008 4267942 204342 FriedClamFanatic 1 4260510 Just a quick update. I think I have want to ask Santa for something new. I want a thermal immersion circulator for sous-vide! Prefer the one that Thomas Keller uses in his Per Se's kitchen! AH! Women's minds change all the time. Please forgive me. Fri Dec 19 14:36:04 -0800 2008 4260058 54254 kobetobiko 1 4260948 kobe, my subzero is actually mildly irksome to use because of the vacuum close system. if you open the fridge to get something out, but forget to get everything on the first go, you have to wait almost a full minute before you open the fridge again. the vacuum process seals the door completely shut for a period after each time you open the door. grr!!! esp. if you're in a hurry!! Fri Dec 19 17:47:39 -0800 2008 4260058 64215 cimui 2 4261078 mine at home is better, but the Sub-Zero at my workplace was/is the same. It's an agravation, but I've learned to deal with it. Some seem to be more strong than others Fri Dec 19 18:50:30 -0800 2008 4260948 204342 FriedClamFanatic 3 4261119 is yours also musical? mine does a two-toned whistle while it's sealing. my dog comes running when he hears it -- which is no good at all when i'm trying to sneak a quiet midnight snack. Fri Dec 19 19:15:35 -0800 2008 4261078 64215 cimui 1 4261131 if santa is also an inventor, i'd like a machine where you can dump in a few kilos of soybeans at night and wake up to fresh tofu in the a.m. otherwise, i'd also be pretty happy with one of those tables with a korean barbecue pit built into the middle... or a tandoor Fri Dec 19 19:24:42 -0800 2008 4260058 64215 cimui 2 4261269 Ah, i love the tofu idea! Best if he can also supply a year worth of soybean! ;D Fri Dec 19 21:07:30 -0800 2008 4261131 54254 kobetobiko 3 4261324 stuffed into a very large stocking, which i can subsequently convert into a trendy purse. oh never mind, that's a different thread... ;) Fri Dec 19 21:59:48 -0800 2008 4261269 64215 cimui 1 4261347 One of those gel mats to stand on...that gift will hopefully keep my feet happy for years! For less realistic wishes: New fridge with freezer on the bottom. Right now my freezer door is shut with duct tape since it seems possessed - the door just pops open for no rhyme or reason. A gas stove would be the icing on the cake! Fri Dec 19 22:29:51 -0800 2008 4260058 111267 meatn3 1 4261403 <>A dishwasher that doesn't sound like there's a percussion section warming up in my kitchen. <>An oven without a hot spot...preferably something other than the GE that taunts me every time I go to bake something. <>A cupboard that never gets full and is always organized no matter how many times the 2 year old rearranges it. <> Enough uninterrupted time in the kitchen to make a meal, nah I'd settle for a dish, start to finish without hearing "Mommyyyyyyyyyyy!!!" Fri Dec 19 23:30:25 -0800 2008 4260058 138472 maplesugar 1 4261439 I'd like an eye level electric oven to go with my gas stove and oven. I love my gas stovetop, it is so responsive and primal, and handy in a power outage, but broiling and browning are no fun at all with a gas oven. Sat Dec 20 01:08:34 -0800 2008 4260058 184593 givemecarbs 1 4261584 well, I bought myself a new toaster oven a couple weeks ago - I guess i would have asked Santa for it if I hadn't found a nice Krups on sale at Linens N Things - 40% off! not bad. Other than that, I've got the new fridge and dishwasher... but more storage space would be nice! Sat Dec 20 06:25:10 -0800 2008 4260058 65780 jujuthomas 2 4263193 FYI Williams Sonoma is having their friends and family sale this weekend - anything regular price is 20% off (the sale is in their Canadian stores so I assume it applies to the US as well). :) Sat Dec 20 22:32:47 -0800 2008 4261584 138472 maplesugar 3 4264985 Yes to the U.S. stores -- I got an email -- 20% off everything in the store. Until Dec. 24th. Sun Dec 21 19:39:53 -0800 2008 4263193 10205 valerie 3 4271535 Thank you for posting this - I got the electric pressure cooker I've been looking for (didn't know it was at WS until I checked their site after reading your post for anything that I might need/want) and I got it a good price with the sale. Thanks MapleSugar! Wed Dec 24 11:06:47 -0800 2008 4263193 224081 BamiaWruz 4 4271850 I went to WS on Monday to see what I wanted to buy and I actually couldn't find anything that I really needed, even with the discount. But since it was 20% off and I had a gift card that my husband had given me earlier in the year, I was determined to go back on Tuesday to find something. I walked out with 2 Emile Henry bakers -- one rectangular and the other a pie plate. I had been eyeing those things for a while. Really nice stuff and I felt good about my purchase! Wed Dec 24 14:07:48 -0800 2008 4271535 10205 valerie 5 4272436 Sounds great, unfortunately when I was at the yorkdale store to pick up my item that was on hold from the previous day I just went straight in and out, didn't have time to look around, it was so packed in the evening. The sale was great though. Wed Dec 24 22:37:02 -0800 2008 4271850 224081 BamiaWruz 4 4272281 You're most welcome BamiaWruz! :D Wed Dec 24 19:44:44 -0800 2008 4271535 138472 maplesugar 1 4262967 - an ice cream machine with a built-in refrigeration thing so I don't have to cool it first - a blast chiller (I'm very impatient) - food processor (now I'm just cheap) - a scale (very cheap) - a blow torch (I'm never going to buy that D=) - a new stove You know what, I just need a new kitchen =.=. Sat Dec 20 19:36:42 -0800 2008 4260058 212885 AngelSanctuary 1 4263017 An espresso machine, a really good knife set, more counter space, and an overall bigger kitchen with room to entertain. A built-in wine rack I can actually reach (you'd have to be 6 ft tall to reach the one in my apartment), and a fully stocked bar. And since we're discussing fantasy, not things that could actually happen, my very own personal chef. I enjoy food but don't seem to have the patience, time, or talent to cook it myself. Happy holidays! Sat Dec 20 20:14:42 -0800 2008 4260058 194076 Stillwater Girl 1 4263355 A Kitchen Aide Professional Stand Mixer and a LeCruset Enamled Dutch Oven, both in red -- for the holiday of course! Sun Dec 21 04:30:06 -0800 2008 4260058 94635 adventuresinbaking 1 4263610 I would want santa to leave a few elves who can live here and clean the kitchen after i cook. Sun Dec 21 08:13:52 -0800 2008 4260058 158016 cassoulady 2 4263634 A new floor in the kitchen. Are you listening, Mr. Cheflambo? That butt-ugly linoleum has GOT TO GO!!! Seriously. It seems the only way this is going to be fixed is if Santa and his helpers somehow magically come in and do it ....... Sun Dec 21 08:23:08 -0800 2008 4263610 102895 Cheflambo 1 4263686 I would love a KitchenAid 9-cup Food Processor and a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer (Cobalt Blue). My food processor and mixer are getting to be a tad bit old. Sun Dec 21 08:45:25 -0800 2008 4260058 48401 Dana1949 1 4263731 I want a whole new kitchen. Take down a wall and turn it into a peninsula with a cooktop and prep sink. New cabinets, countertops, and floors, the whole bit. Maybe next Christmas. I'd be ecstatic with just a new cooktop. One where all the ignitors work properly, with enough BTUs that it will boil a gallon of pasta water in less than, oh, a presidential administration. But even that's been put on hold. So it's a new knife. Oh, yeah, baby. The Togiharu G-1 210mm gyuto. Which is apparently stuck at a UPS facility in Seacaucus, NJ and won't get delivered until New Year's Eve. I've been a bad, bad boy. Sun Dec 21 09:10:07 -0800 2008 4260058 58743 alanbarnes 1 4263800 -Liquid nitrogen and freezer-proof gloves so I can make ice cream instantly -Better cabinets to hold the rest of my still boxed kitchenware (who knew that a small kitchen in Brooklyn would have 3x the storage space of a kitchen 3x its size in Princeton?) -A HE clothes washing machine, front loader, which drains into the kitchen sink--something standard in European kitchens yet unheard of here -Truffles, lots and lots of truffles. I won't even be picky regarding their origins or colour. -A maid Sun Dec 21 09:42:35 -0800 2008 4260058 224238 Caralien 1 4264122 I don't want a "what" for my kitchen but rather a "where." I wish my kitchen were in New York City! The depth and breadth of ingredients is just so awesome. I can make do with lots of things but the lack of ingredients is a tough one. When we stay at our friends' UWS apt., it's just heaven to be able to buy ANYTHING IMMEDIATELY. At most, a subway ride away. That would be heaven. Sun Dec 21 12:09:51 -0800 2008 4260058 131001 c oliver 1 4264363 Well, since my garbage disposal seems to have broken in the last twenty min, I ask santa for a new one, preferably actually before christmas. Sun Dec 21 14:11:30 -0800 2008 4260058 158016 cassoulady 2 4264416 I'm still awaiting the part for my self-clean oven that crapped out a week and a half before Thanksgiving. Maybe for New Years! Sun Dec 21 14:48:25 -0800 2008 4264363 204342 FriedClamFanatic 2 4264515 ooh, disposal's a good one. somehow the idiots who designed my "gourmet" kitchen neglected to include that in their plans. Sun Dec 21 16:07:40 -0800 2008 4264363 103920 goodhealthgourmet 3 4264952 i dont understand what is wrong with mine, every six months it dies. And even a few days without one, makes me crazy. Even if I could learn not to put a lot of stuff down the drain I still would want to at least rinse plates in the sink, which leaves food bits going down. Sun Dec 21 19:25:51 -0800 2008 4264515 158016 cassoulady 4 4264977 We lived on septic tanks for 15 years and they only recommended garbage disposals if they were the high HP ones because the food needed to be ground finely. So we didn't do as it was significantly more expensive. So that "stuff" went into the garbage but we recycled so much that we still only generated a can of garbage every two weeks. We could have generated even less if we could have composted but with bears in the nabe, that was out. So I can't see the reason for a disposal. Just my opinion :) Sun Dec 21 19:37:11 -0800 2008 4264952 131001 c oliver 5 4264998 I am sure it is laziness on my part, but having never lived without one it is difficult. I can say at this point I would rather have the disposal than the dishwasher I think! i am VERY impressed by how little garbage you turned out. I recycle- cans, plastic, glass and cardboard, but still seem to have a lot of garbage, so I would love tips from you. I know I use way too many paper towels to start with. I live in a city and have trash picked up twice per week and am, at times, horrified by how quickly it adds up. Sun Dec 21 19:49:20 -0800 2008 4264977 158016 cassoulady 6 4265012 Them's fightin' words - don't take my dishwasher away from me! I'm glad you "love" in a city - I think love is great no matter where you do it - tee hee :) The only thing we recycle in addition to yours is ALL paper, magazines, catalogues, everything clean. That amounts to alot and I'm pretty anal about it, I admit. Even grocery receipt go into recycle. We don't have much to throw away in the way of leftovers. If we don't put it in an omelette or something, then the dogs get it. Except for broccoli - dog broccoli farts are TOO disgusting :) We rarely eat out so I guess we just don't waste much and recycle alot. Maybe it's the paper. But I DO take a stupid pride in it. Silly me. PS: What do you put down the disposal? I can't think of much that I would that I can't put to some other use. Sun Dec 21 19:56:20 -0800 2008 4264998 131001 c oliver 7 4265024 I changed my love to live, oopps. hee hee into the disposal in the last week went: tips of green beans, egg shells, potato peels, zucchini peel, apple cores, some wilted lettuce ( no wonder it broke i guess). it is all habit, I realize this. I see you point about receipts- i didnt think of that. this can be my 09 resolution, recycle better!! Sun Dec 21 20:04:27 -0800 2008 4265012 158016 cassoulady 8 4265080 Well, I AM from Northern California and you KNOW how weird "those" people are. At least borderline tree-huggers :) Sun Dec 21 20:45:26 -0800 2008 4265024 131001 c oliver 4 4265007 You don't need a garbage disposal when you have a beagle. Sun Dec 21 19:54:25 -0800 2008 4264952 58743 alanbarnes 5 4265011 I have two somewhat overweight labs. The disposal helps keep them in check. Sun Dec 21 19:55:52 -0800 2008 4265007 158016 cassoulady 4 4265008 If you have a good dishwasher, there is no need to rinse plates in the sink--just knock off the big pieces. We got a Bosch about a year ago and it is wonderful. I am still trying to educate Hus. that he need not rinse stuff. Because we have septic, we have no garbage disposal. All the scraps, etc. go into used zipper bags and then into the trash. Sun Dec 21 19:55:12 -0800 2008 4264952 123710 pepperqueen 4 4266142 That's why I'm glad I have a dog. Mon Dec 22 10:03:42 -0800 2008 4264952 90359 PattiCakes 2 4268034 Check the circuit breaker/ thermal overload switch on the unit--often it just needs to be reset... Mon Dec 22 22:24:05 -0800 2008 4264363 79880 xanadude 3 4272544 Yes, or it may need to be hand-cranked with one of those wrenches that come with the unit...sometimes a shard of bone or something gets wedged in the blades. That has helped me many times, not that I'VE ever put bones down there, sheesh! Thu Dec 25 05:06:04 -0800 2008 4268034 11983 Val 1 4266110 More space. My kitchen is tiny. Actually it would have to grow some to be tiny. And new cabinets. Mine are from the 60's, and refaced during the 80's. I've already replaced the appliances--doesn't Santa help those who help themselves? Mon Dec 22 09:54:38 -0800 2008 4260058 166787 beth1 1 4267409 A similar question came up at a dinner I had last weekend, to which friends had brought this great box of cards called "Table Topics" - the gourmet edition. Now, it's not like we're not capable of having scintillating conversations without assistance, but these were fun and led to interesting digressions. Anyway, my answer to this was "A place where I can store my pots and pans without saying 'fuck' every time I go to remove one." Mon Dec 22 17:30:44 -0800 2008 4260058 10985 MMRuth 2 4268493 Too funny. Tue Dec 23 07:15:03 -0800 2008 4267409 90359 PattiCakes 3 4268513 Apologies for the public cursing, by the way, but there was no other way to put it, in this case. Tue Dec 23 07:22:44 -0800 2008 4268493 10985 MMRuth 4 4268667 HA! Ruth - that's exactly why I need more storage space, so my husband will quit cursing every time he tries to pull out a pot or pan! Tue Dec 23 08:14:28 -0800 2008 4268513 65780 jujuthomas 2 4269402 I think every one has a cabinet that inspires the f-bomb... mine is the one that houses the muffin tins, cookie sheets & cutting boards. :) Tue Dec 23 12:21:18 -0800 2008 4267409 138472 maplesugar 3 4269447 I have the martini glass shelf of death. Every time I successfully extricate one, I feel like Indiana Jones. Tue Dec 23 12:35:55 -0800 2008 4269402 13722 small h 3 4269684 I have one of those too - they always seem to be very precariously balanced and next thing I know things are falling out at me and on to the floor. Tue Dec 23 14:01:04 -0800 2008 4269402 10985 MMRuth 4 4269719 I bought a second set of those fridge containers that Costco sells and all of them are stored on the top shelf of the pantry-equivalent. Tried to get one down yesterday (of course, it was a larger size so was under the smaller ones) and before I could say "oh f**K" it was raining them down on my head. Tue Dec 23 14:11:39 -0800 2008 4269684 131001 c oliver 5 4270250 i actually just noticed yesterday that i have the tendency to drop f-bombs in the kitchen with alarming frequency. i'd fit right in with the most rowdy crew of line cooks ;) seriously though, somehow it's always the most fitting exclamation for any mishap - a burn, a cut, a dropped knife, a broken dish, the realization (mid-prep, of course) that i'm out of a crucial ingredient for a recipe i'm making. it really is the "one size fits all" of expletives. but staying on topic, the more i thought about it, the more i realized that what i want most of all for my kitchen is not a "thing"...i wish i had someone (or a group of someones) to cook for on a regular basis. as much as i adore the act of cooking, and enjoy eating the meals i prepare, i always find myself thinking (unless i'm entertaining) that it's such a shame there aren't other people here to enjoy all the delicious creations coming out of my kitchen! Tue Dec 23 18:54:34 -0800 2008 4269719 103920 goodhealthgourmet 6 4270814 I do a lot of quilting & attend classes with other quilters. I met a very accomplished, 78 year old quilter at one of the classes who said that quilting had taught her many things, including another language; she is now fluent in both English and swearing. The same can be said for cooks! Wed Dec 24 05:34:30 -0800 2008 4270250 90359 PattiCakes 1 4270219 A range hood (and not the kind that just filters back into the room). Oh, and a dishwasher. But not the appliance kind. A nice young man who shows up after cooking and eating are done and gently and efficiently washes everything and puts it all away. British accent desirable. Not that we excpect him to talk, but just in case. Everything else would require a new house, so maybe if Santa would be so nice he could throw that in as well. Tue Dec 23 18:40:24 -0800 2008 4260058 248284 taos 1 4278205 I love my stainless Jenn-Aire, 1 door, over freezer door. About $2,000 -- a lot less than a sub-zero. It looks terrific. I'm only sad that the sides are black, not stainless. Sun Dec 28 15:06:32 -0800 2008 4260058 12520 walker 1 4278233 My favorite pot is Berndes 4 1/2 qt dutch oven size with glass lid. Non stick but not teflon. Store I bought it from closed down but I'm going to order a second one from Zappos. About $100. Sun Dec 28 15:15:25 -0800 2008 4260058 12520 walker 1 4281473 Things I wish I had, or I wish I had better version of: -Silpat -Cookie sheet -Roasting pan -Food processor -Sandwich press/wafflemaker -Digital food scale Mon Dec 29 17:48:00 -0800 2008 4260058 152338 fallingup