We received this wine aerator as a gift. https://m.wine.com/product/vinturi-wine-aerator/120451?warehouses=CA&cid=GoogleBase_CSE_120451_Beta&gclid=CjwKEAjwlq24BRDMjdK7g8mD6BASJABBl8n310IPzm54CwZGYb5jIVpe2Mj-rkHdl7ntD2MlAdvEXRoC3Pnw_wcB&mode=xfercomplete Sometimes I have guests do blind tastings - (1) a glass straight from the bottle, (2) a glass poured through the aerator. They prefer (2) about 2/3 of the time. 1/3 of the time they can't tell the difference - but those guests might not be able to tell a California wine from a French wine, so we won't give their opinions too much weight. No one, so far, has preferred (1). If you decant into a carafe then the aerator is unnecessary. I picked this laser-sighted infrared thermometer up on a whim, because I was in Home Depot and it was only $16. http://m.homedepot.com/p/PRO-SERIES-Non-Contact-Infrared-Thermometer-with-Laser-Sighting-12-1-Spot-THERMNC/204262824 Along with enabling all sorts of geeky investigations - have you ever wondered how much hotter your ceiling is than your floor? do cats have the same internal temperature as humans? when your spouse is "steaming mad", is she really? - it has certain cooking uses. Measuring the temperature of a pan. Or of spitting oil that is too scary hot to dip your probe thermometer in. This one is as cheap as they come, and no doubt there are advantages to the expensive models, but save your money and get the wine aerator too. Differences in the emissivity of surfaces limits the accuracy of infrared temperature measurement anyway.

Lots of rain, lots of big zucchini. lol! A few years ago, someone on the cooking forum posted this zucchini pickle recipe. I love it!!! I just use some regular yellow onion (vs white onions and shallots), and I sub about 1 tsp crushed red pepper if I don't use fresh hot pepper. Zucchini Pickles 3 medium zucchini (1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g), thinly sliced
 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
 3 shallots, thinly sliced 
1 1/2 tablespoons fine grain sea salt 
1/4 cup (small handful) fresh dill sprigs 1 small fresh red chile pepper, very thinly sliced 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds 
3/4 cup / 180 ml cider vinegar
 3/4 cup / 180 ml white wine vinegar
 1/3 cup / 1.75 oz / 50g natural cane sugar 
 Toss the zucchini, onion, shallots, and salt together in a colander and place over a bowl to catch the liquids. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple hours. Toss once or twice along the way. You're aiming to get as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible.

When you're finished draining the zucchini, shake off any water. At this point you want the zucchini as dry as possible. Place in a 1 liter / 1 quart jar along with the dill, chile pepper, and mustard seeds. Combine the ciders and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and continue to boil for a few minutes. Pour the liquid over the zucchini and seal the jar. Let cool, then refrigerate. The pickles are good for a couple weeks. 

Makes one large jar.

First, my apologies to everyone in both Alabama and Arkansas, I had a senior moment. It is ARKANSAS that is the big rice-producing state! Second, the labeling doesn't make that much difference to me one way or the other, I am an inveterate label-reader, ingredient scrutinizer, etc. so this doesn't really affect me, BUT my shock was over how "competitive" and hip cauliflower has become! It's never been a particular favorite of mine because frozen or steamed cauliflower I just don't care for taste or texture. But later on in life having been introduced to it raw, stir-fried and also roasted, I learned to like it. I haven't had it "riced" yet and not sure if I ever will take the time to do that. Hubs isn't much of a cauliflower fan either. But I did just get a notice from my NYT recipe e-mail subscription for a roasted cauliflower bruschetta type topping that I might try. Cauliflower is showing up everywhere now. My big issue with it in the past was it was relatively expensive and the big heads tended to go bad on me before I would use them up. I don't buy pre-prepared vegetables, too wasteful and unnecessary expense.

Thanks, Joan! That was an interesting read. Some is a little out of date, but it's great to have an insight into what Marcella was working with. My Cento tomatoes were whole, but packed in puree rather than tomato juice. Whereas the California tomatoes are packed in juice, with maybe a little puree. Given the great results, I'm not worried about the differences. The fresh tomatoes around here still haven't recovered since the pandemic. We used to get some really good fresh ones... I've just put the 30th anniversary edition into my Amazon cart. :) Chloebud, I hope it comes out as well for you when you get a chance to try! I was surprised at how much I liked it. I still have to make a a big pot of ragout (i.e., "spaghetti sauce") for the freezer. This project reminded me, however, of a sauce a friend taught me when I was living abroad, with a very limited kitchen, which was a one meal (four servings) thing, too. That was a lot of onion and garlic sautéed with herbs and pepper, random vegetables, then tomato paste and wine...or wine and tomato paste, added. It was edible bordering on not too bad. :) But it was quick and easy and nutritious. And wine. This Marcella recipe only needs a can of tomatoes. Even there, I always had butter and onions, though no chance on the San Marzanos. Here, there are Italian brands as well as Cento, and the possibility of fresh, though if they aren't in the garden (not in my garden!). Therefore, fresh defeats the point of just throwing it together--though the recipe might be really good for highlighting the flavor of fresh ripe tomatoes.