>   I have gas in the woods, but now that's closed for 7 months I'm
>   back to the apartment electric.  Only one burner works correctly
>   so there is a lot of shuffling around going on.  Oven is good
>   just set it 10c hotter.

A weird life, but one does what one has to. I have
cooked in various kitchens with various defects, but
thank goodness, now in my dotage my friends mostly
are old and secure enough to have reasonable kitchens
in which I can work without danger of injuring anyone
or burning down the neighborhood.

>  ML> What I truly can't stand is dull abused knives.
>   Last good knife I had my daughter tried to use it to do....

Grr. I have taught people to have a good steel or hone 
handy and never put their knives in the dishwasher. Of
course, Bonnie and Lilli have both bent knife tips
trying to pry things, and Rosemary had a chef's that
was so abused it had to have the end taken off 
altogether and the whole thing reground. I have my
Marks Exactor chef's, but I hid it so well from knife
killers that I can't even find it. Plus, airports
being what they are, I couldn't carry it around from
place to place.

>   something.  So I just have one paring knife I keep sharp and
>   hide it from everyone.  Everyone else uses a steak knife to
>   cut veggies. LOL

Bonnie and her son both do that, and it drives me up
the wall, except that that saves the better knives.
But sometimes they will use all 7 steak knives (one
having gone the way of all flesh), the utility, the
santoku (useless thing), and the parer, plus a sinkful
of measuring cups and spoons and holding bowls, all in
the service of one meal. My doing 90% of the cooking
arose from frustration at their mess plus that I do
prefer my own food. The normal custom is the person
who cooks is exempt from cleanup, but I was once a
guest in a commune where the kitchen rotation involved
one person doing all the dinner chores, because that
discouraged the cook from being profligate with the
dishes. I strongly endorse this. The normal way, hey, 
who cares if I use 18 different utensils and 5 pots.

> ... Organization is the enemy of improvisation.

As, apparently, is proper kitchen equipment.

Bzar
categories: spices, Emirates, bezar
Yield: 1 1/4 c

1/4 c black peppercorns
1/4 c cumin seeds
1/4 c coriander seeds
1 Tb cloves
1 Tb green cardamom pods
3 dried chiles de arbol, stemmed
2 sticks cinnamon, broken in half
1 whole nutmeg, broken into pieces
1 1/2 Tb ground ginger
1 Tb ground turmeric

Working with one spice at a time, grind peppercorns, 
cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, 
and nutmeg in a spice grinder until finely ground; 
transfer to a bowl and stir in ginger and turmeric. 
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

Saveur magazine