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I would like to update a recipe that is used quite frequently around me -- melted velveeta cheese and salsa, served warm as a dip. I would especially love to make it with "real" cheese. Guess what I'm looking for is a good melting cheese and what to combine with it. Thanks for any help.

Hrmmm. Monterey Jack, Quesadilla, and Asadero cheeses are pretty good melting cheeses. You could probably mix them with some milk, fresh diced roma tomatoes and jalapeno peppers to form a decent queso. A little cilantro and onion too if you like those flavors. To make the dip smokey, try using chipotle (dried jalapenos) instead.

As horrible as processed cheese is, I'm actually pretty fond of making queso with it. I use the old standard, a can of Rotel tomatoes, and then thin out the queso with some milk and chicken broth. I've heard white wine will work too (kinda like fondue).

Gadget question: Can anyone recommend a good wireless meat thermometer?

My mom wants one that she can put in the oven with a roast and has an external alarm that sounds when the target temperature is reached.

norma, how about a mix of mozzarella for meltability and sharp monterey jack for flavor?

i just finished mixing up my second batch of no-knead bread...this one is oatmeal cinnamon raisin. i'm a little curious about how the oat flour (2 parts to 1 part wheat) and raisins might affect the chemistry, but we'll find out....

I have no suggestion for a cheese substitue, but i just wanted to add my appreciation for Veleveeta in this dip. I hate Veleveeta and any other processed dips, but I can't imagine the dip being as good without it. I understand if it's too lowbrow, I guess, but I'd make a sample batch before whatever event you plan on serving the souped up version.

dunno if this helps, Michelle, but Alton Brown uses a digital one that has a little magnet so it can stick to the outside of the oven.

not sure of the brand - but i'm sure his website could offer more info,
cheers.

We just bought a pyrex digital thermometer, with the magnates on the back, just stick the probe in and put the magnet outside the oven. Worked like a charm for our turkey, and best of all was only $20, considerably cheaper then anything else we saw. Try Bed Bath & Beyone Michelle, they had a large selection

i don't have any cheese or thermometer tips beyond what's already been said. i do have a question: can anyone give me more info about using a crock pot or rice cooker to make steel cut oats on a timer? i am getting up at 6:30 these days and i've made a bad habit of eating overly-processed oatmeal. (i don't have either gadget yet, so if you have product recommendations, please share!)

i second the pyrex magnetic thermometer. works like a charm and we've had it for about three years now.

MFM -- this oatmeal technique might be what you're looking for:
http://kitchen.apartmenttherapy.com/food/brown-bag-meals/brown-bag-thursday-breakfast-for-lunch-014228

If you want a better tasting cheese/salsa dip, here's how we made it (and still do) back when Ortega green chile salsa in a can was the only salsa available and chopped green chiles actually had some flavor. I now use canned Herdez salsa--"fancy" salsas don't seem to work as well.

Melt together:
1 lb cheese (you can use cheddar, but this is the one place where Velveeta is good)
7-oz can green chile salsa
7-oz can diced green chiles (try to find Hatch brand--better flavor)
1/3 cup red onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
garlic powder to taste (I use a couple of tsp of Lawry's ground garlic with parsley)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp (or more) Gebhardt's chili powder

Taste and adjust seasonings. I'll sometimes use ground chipotle instead of paprika, but I really like the original.

So one of my friends just invited herself, her b.f. and another friend over for dinner tomorrow night. I'm totally happy to have them come over but I need an easy dinner idea because I don't have time tomorrow to go crazy in the kitchen. I'm going to start a fresh loaf of Bittman's no-knead bread right now, but what should I make to go along with it? One guest is kosher and I don't eat chicken, so vegetarian is probably the way to go. Any suggestions would be appreciated...

abby: you could use the bread for garlic toasts and make a really hearty, stewy minestrone to dip them into.

alternatively, that bread would make wicked grilled cheese sandwiches. :)

Thanks Liz. I actually considered grilled cheese sandwiches, too. I just had another thought, as well. I just got back from a trip to Italy where I had (among other amazing things) a fantastic and simple rigatoni with tomato-cheese sauce. It was just tomato sauce that had mozzarella melted into it but it was so gooey and delicious and now that I've started to think about it, I may have to try making it tomorrow...

I made this awesome tomato bisque to go with my first loaf of no-knead bread and it was really, really tasty! sorry for the link to my own site, but the recipe's from 1907, I don't think they had the interweb back then.
http://tinyurl.com/yl9hw8

mfm:

My sister uses a Sanyo rice cooker to make her ss-cut oats in the morning. You use the "porridge" setting. Not sure if there is a timer on it or if she just hits the button before getting in the shower, but she does put everything in the cooker the night before. She loves it.

The cooker costs about $100, which is pretty high, and that's only for the small sized one. But we make rice and ss-cut oats all the time, so we will be getting one for Christmas.

abby, that rigatoni sounds delicious! it's one of my favorite ways to eat pasta as well...there is a restaurant on 4th street that serves it like that with small "chunks" of mozarella, eggplant, and fresh basil. with the delicious bread, maybe a salad, done!

thanks, chris. i hate to say it- but 7 minutes is too long for me to wait!

thanks, KLEM, i am looking at a sanyo and a zojirushi. i think i'll work on getting one or the other for christmas.

mfm--check out a copy of "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger--there's a whole breakfast chapter with recipes right up your ally! Her basic recipe for steel-cut oatmeal is:

1 c. steel-cut oats
4 c. water

Combine in cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Before serving, stir well to redistribute everything and you're ready to go.

I have a 6 quart Rival CrockPot and I love it. The 'warm' feature is the best as the pot will automatically click over to it if you're late getting back to it at the end of the cooking time. I can't remember exactly what it cost, but it was definitely under $100, and knowing my budget, was likely under $75 as well! My crock pot is definitely one of the handiest in my kitchen. :)

Regarding steel cut oatmeal - I make a batch (1 cup uncooked) at the beginning of the week and put it in the fridge.

Each morning I dollop out a scoop and zap it in the microwave with some milk - 30-seconds.

Abby,
My go-to vegetarian recipe is a veggie chili from the Urban Peasant (click my name for the link).

Tasty and very easy to make, but watch out: the instructions call for beans, but it's not listed in the ingredients.

Randomly came across a review of slow-cookers on Cook's Illustrated from 2004. They recommend:

Farberware Millennium FSC600
West Bend Versatility Cooker #84716
Proctor Silex #33627

All were $39.99. They gave my little Rival Crockpot a lower rating, but like I said, I've been completely happy with it. Plus, none of those that Cook's recommended has the 'Keep Warm' feature, which I really think is indispensible. To each her own!

thanks, EmmaC and JenPDX!