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Everything posted by bleachboy
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My wife and I live on a heavily wooded lot, so unfortunately a "real garden" isn't an option. However, this year we will be growing a wide variety of herbs in pots. Any tips from pot-growers? My wife would be better asking this, since she's the green thumb in the family, but her account is restricted 'cause she hasn't ever posted here much. Caveat: We have LOTS of wild critters around. Rabbits, dogs, squirrels, chipmunks, moles, etc. Better to grow them inside? We live in a glass house.
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Please do report back! I am very interested in this technique, as I'm not too sure if I have a good source for duck fat where I live (although I do live next to an ethnic market that sells stuff like 2 pound packages of duck hearts, so maybe they would have some if I asked) and this technique looks like it would require much less fat to achieve an acceptable result. I'd really like to make my own confit for cassoulet.
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I have a stock-related question based on something I saw waaay up at the top of this thread, related to storing stock cubes in a freezer bag. Someone asserted that storing them like this causes them to get covered with ice crystals (true) and "degrade" -- are they actually degraded, though? I use stock cubes that have frost on them all the time. Should I start individually wrapping the cubes before I put 'em in the freezer bag?!?
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Is the Food Network destined for Rachel Ray-ization?
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Q&A for Stocks and Sauces Class - Unit 1 Day1
bleachboy replied to a topic in The eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI)
Fantastic! Thanks, Fat Guy. That's exactly what I shall do. -
Q&A for Stocks and Sauces Class - Unit 1 Day1
bleachboy replied to a topic in The eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI)
So today I was gonna make chicken and beef stock. I've been making and using chicken stock for some time now, and I feel like I'm a pro. However, when I was buying the beef for the beef stock (at an ethnic market, which usually has cheap packages of various bits and pieces good for making stocks) I purchased two packages of moderately meaty beef bones and one package of "costilla de res", which looked meatier but still contained bones. Babelfish tells me this means "head of cattle rib", which doesn't tell me much. Any folks familiar with Mexican ingredient terms that can tell me if this will be okay to use in a beef stock, or might it be a type of offal that will give it an off flavor? -
I buy the Mexican Cokes all the time, as I live a few blocks from the mostly Hispanic part of town. However, I have never seen them for sale in a form that wasn't just one-bottle-at-a-time, which is a little annoying. Mine, too, have the paper "nutrition info" label stuck onto it, which lists the sweetener as "high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar". So who knows. They are tasty Cokes, though. I just wish I could buy them by the six-pack or whatever, to use in cocktails and for cooking country ham.
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Contact Vermont Soapstone and have them cut a piece of soapstone to fit your oven. Keep it in there all the time, as even if you're not making pizza it will make the heat much more even. Soapstone, AFAIK, is what they use in the wood-fired pizza ovens in Italy.
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I use MSG (Accent) quite often while cooking. Usually in addition to salt, but with the salt in a much greater concentration than the MSG. Thus far, I've never had anybody complain. Even those who supposedly develop horrible migraines when they eat MSG (i.e. my mom). This leads me to believe that while some people may legitimately have an MSG allergy of some sort, most people have just been conditioned to believe that MSG makes them feel bad. My mom also claims to be "violently allergic" to cilantro, but is not, because she's eaten it many times at my house with no ill effects -- when she didn't know there was cilantro in there.
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The recipe I use for "red sauce" was originally labeled "gravy", but frankly, to me, "gravy" involves pork grease, flour, and milk, and really isn't ever anything else.
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p.s. countertops Soapstone! Soapstone! Soapstone!
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Re: The Iran question WTF is the difference between a right- and left-handed fork?! EDIT: Heh. Oops. Never mind. Posted this before I read the answer. EDIT 2: p.s. 7 out of 11 - I suck!
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I agree too. I have an el cheapo bread knife and a really nice one and they do an equally good job. However, once they dull I'll just have to throw them away, so I'd buy only el cheapos in the future. Spend the big bucks on a nice new utility knife or something instead.
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I am a mayo freak. Frankly, I think Kewpie mayonnaise sucks. What doesn't suck? WASABI MAYONNAISE Possibly the greatest condiment ever to grace a roast beef sandwich!
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I definitely intend to have a "tamale party" this Christmas season. I'm a tamale virgin, but I think I can do it up right. The part of town in Nashville where I live is literally a few blocks from "little Mexico" and there are things like corn mills only ten minutes away. I can't wait!! I plan on doing pork and beef.
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I don't have an intelligent reply. But, great thread, chock full of learned opinions. Thanks, guys. And I agree, acid makes a white. At least, I think so.
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I'll tell ya the coolest bacon preparation method I've ever used, courtesy Sara Moulton on Food Network. You put the bacon in a "spiral shape" on a skewer, then broil it in the oven. Damn. It gets crispy and delicious, and the spiral shape gives it a mouthfeel -- yes, this is perverted -- when you cram a spiral of bacon into your mouth at breakfast, that will truly make you thankful to God for bacony goodness.
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Wow, Jason. Wow. Amazing sandwich!
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I got roux down, but I might just use that recipe. One pound andouille sausage, how could it suck?
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Oh. Damn. ... Added to my recipe list.
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p.s. the stock is made, but it's a bit greasy due probably due to the deep-fried turkey, so tomorrow is when I make my soup, after I have refrigerated the stock so that I can scoop off the solidified grease, and add the appropriate pork fat.
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Okay, I immediately cave to Mayhaw, because Louisiana Knows How To Do It. Gumbo it is. I have the sausage, I have the trinity, the roux. I have about two pounds of turkey meat. Pictures tomorrow. p.s. I also have Cajun Dressing from Poche's as an additional leftover, with homemade cornbread, Louisiana crawfish tails, etc. (as add-ons to their dressing mix). Gumbo is actually my best-bet leftover recipe.
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Ronnie: Yeah, I'm six months late. But "reggae-man" is priceless!!
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Groovy ideas! At present, I have a stock base with onion, celery, carrots, thyme, peppercorns and a bay leaf. No salt added yet, although the stock has a touch of salt due to the brined turkey. I think I'll use andiesenji's recipe then add a tiny bit of cream and a starch-type add-on -- beans, orzo, or barley. I did save about three pounds of turkey (mostly dark meat) chunks to add at the end. Thanks!!
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Okay, so this is my first year hosting Thanksgiving at my place. Thus, this is my first year to have to deal with a turkey carcass. I'm currently in the process of making turkey stock. I can handle this, as I've gotten pretty good at "The Stock Thing". So.. how do I prepare a proper soup based on this stock? I am thinking of something with barley, white beans, or a cream-based soup. Does anybody have any favorite recipes? I have Googled, but most of what I see looks like chicken soup recipes. Thanks!