bleachboy

If Holly likes it, I'm sold. But what item do I order? Their website lists like 10 different kinds of weiners/frankfurters on the "Link sausage" page. Is it item number 2115? Also, since you have to order 6 pounds worth, does Usinger's have any other exceptional items I should try? I am a big sausage fan, but six pounds of hot dogs might be overkill.. Then again, it might make great gifts now that it's summertime. Wonder if they can get it here in time for Father's Day?

Yes! Redemption! I am kind of a Golden Flake freak.

Thank you for the update and the hard work refining the culinary arts, Chef Achatz, and best of luck to you in your new venture! Break a leg!

My experience has still been that brining is the way to go. I brine the turkey overnight. I do it outside in a large plastic bin (I only deep-fry turkeys at Thanksgiving, and it's always been cold enough to safely leave a turkey outside overnight.) The long brining time combined with the deep frying definitely yields the most tender, moist, juicy, flavorful, adjective-defying turkey you'll ever taste. I'm a huge fan, both of brining and deep frying. The only drawback is I usually have to exaust the entire kitchen's salt and sugar/honey supply to make the brining liquid.

What I think is cool is that the number two seasoning ingredient listed for a Chik-Fil-A is "monosodium glutamate". Go MSG!! (I am a fan)

I'm totally not into it. Marinade most meats the traditional way ahead of time. If it's poultry or shrimp, I'd brine it instead. I can't say that I have a specific reasoning behind my opinion apart from that traditional marinading in a plastic bag or whatnot works great for me. My wife does have one of those "cajun injector" things but she uses it for elaborate pastry preparations, never meats.

I would probably be willing to make the trip out to Evanston to have a Trio hot dog. ;)

So who do you think owner Henry Adaniya has in mind?

Cheese from Formaggio Kitchen.

jeffj: Holy crap! You have just raised the bar for a "travelogue" style eating adventure. Thank you so much for all the work you put in here. Seriously. Very informative, very impressive.

I sort of think that's what I've been getting, too, although it's not labeled as such AFAIK.

Ours just sits up in the cupboard on a shelf with the other extracts, baking powder, and other miscellaneous baking essentials. I've not noticed any problem storing it in this way.

I love crema. The brand I buy lists a number of ingredients, if I remember correctly, including both cream and milk as well as salt. I love it as a condiment with fish (mixed with mayo and lime juice, esp. great on fish tacos) and as an enrichment for any sort of spicy soup or bean dish. Here in Nashville, I can buy crema at any grocery store. If your town doesn't have much of a Hispanic population, you may need to look for a Mexican grocery store or international market type store.

Two great places to buy truffles and truffle products online are Urbani and Earthy Delights. So now I have a question for other eGulleters: What do you think of truffle pastes and/or powders? I love the taste of truffles, but let's say I'm making risotto -- just sauteeing the flavor base and rice in truffle oil yields very little truffle flavor. Would these pastes/powders yield a flavor similar to if I used fresh truffles?

Cooking lasagna today with my mother-in-law.

Amen, sister.

Damn, dude... *** DROOL ***

Of course, modern "factory farming" have made eggs much safer, and pork so safe you could practically eat it raw. If you're like me, though, you've tried to escape agribusiness and source things like eggs and meat from local producers. I have to wonder what the salmonella risk is from non-graded eggs?

LOL, I was thinking that myself, which is why I clicked on the topic -- was wondering if the spelling was intentional! Veal sweetbreads... mmmm.. Never had them for breakfast, but in my opinion they have sort of a "SPAMmy" flavor and texture that I think would work quite well.

That's what Alton Brown said too. In fact, he recommended leaving it in the jar on the counter for a few hours to kill the bacteria. The reasoning is that acids (like lemon juice/vinegar) do better germ-killing work at room temperature. A month would be pushing it for me, but I am in agreement on the point that if it smells and tastes OK, I don't have a problem eating it, regardless of what the FDA might say. I have never given myself food poisoning, so I guess it's a good policy. :D

You can, in fact, order White Lily online. Heck, I think nothing beats it. One of the few perks to living in the South. :) They also sell it, I've noticed, at Williams-Sonoma. Which is funny because they also sell it at the Nashville Williams-Sonoma, for about five times the price at any grocery store! But it's worth ordering a bag or two if you are learning, just so you can taste what I would consider "the benchmark" for a delicious Southern biscuit.

Yum, I agree. Also great for a fish sandwich, although I'm a remoulade addict as well.

I ate there a few years ago. I will concur, the bar service was awesome. :) By the time we were ready to eat, I was a little drunk. I do remember I had some braised beef cheeks (they were really in vogue at the time) that were stunningly good. I have no idea what I had as an appetizer or for desert, and when I visited there was no tasting menu. I also remember that the sommelier (a lady) was very knowledgable, appropriately chatty (as we were) and selected for my wife and I a reasonably priced and excellent bottle of wine. I'm sure it was a French red, since I was having beef, but I don't remember much else. I do know they had on their menu some mashed potatoes a la Robuchon -- but they were out that night (WTF? Out of potatoes?) -- that was really the only disappointment of the evening. As an aside, I believe Joel has the largest stove in North America. I would definitely welcome the opportunity to return.

I agree wholeheartedly with foodie52. I too took some time to learn to make biscuits. I use White Lily self-rising flour and just make the recipe on the back of the bag, with buttermilk. It's a delicious recipe. Just be sure to work the dough MUCH less than you think is prudent, and do gently fold the dough over on itself a few times to produce flaky layers. If you put the biscuits in the pan almost touching, you'll have a softer biscuit than if you space them apart. I prefer a "crunchier" biscuit, so I do space them apart.

Now you're talking! :D