Rachel Perlow

OK, so an inch or two from the front, and that's what valences are for!

Beautiful countertops! What are you going to use as a backsplash above the store? Regarding the spot lighting... I think if I had gotten them to install them towards the front, as I recommended above, then the WAC lights would not have been as necessary. Also, the WAC lights are much more expensive than the regular hi-hats and undercab lights, so keep that in mind. Vengroff -- make sure you drill it into the electrician's head that you plan on mounting the undercab lights towards the front. They need to make sure there's enough slack to pull the wires that long and you'll need wire covers of the correct length to, um, cover the exposed wiring.

I originally planned on just using my 16 quart pot, but there was way too many veggies & chicken parts to fit. So, like I said, I divided between my three pots. I started the heat under the pots around 6:30. I skimmed dutifully and now there's very little scum on top. In fact, as long as I was skimming, I used a ladle & strainer and a fat straining measuring cup and have removed about 1 quart of fat (I didn't trim off the fat from the chickies before starting). Actually, since it's been simmering for almost 2 hours, I know it has reduced by 4.5 quarts - I've redistributed contents and no longer need the third pot. By the time I go to bed, I hope to have added the contents of the medium sized pot to the big one. I must say, I feel weird about this stock. I wanted to brown the chicken parts & veggies the way I usually do (actually, I usually just use already cooked carcases & brown them and the veggies some more) I like the roasted taste. I also really want to add salt. And peppercorns. I can live without the parsley, but I missed adding parsley stems as well. We keep weird hours, so I don't think it will be an issue to deal with the straining of the stock in the middle of the night. See you then. So I started out with a total of about 25 quarts water and ingredients. I defatted and strained around 3:30 AM. I wanted to immediately begin reducing, but also wanted to go to sleep. Not having enough room in the fridge to chill all this hot stock, I just left it on a really low flame: 4 AM 7 quarts, 9:30 AM around 6 quarts. I've turned up the heat to start reducing, figuring to bring it to 2 quarts. What's weird is that even though I skimmed and later strained through first a regular colander to remove the big stuff then several layers of cheesecloth, there still seem to be bits of stuff collecting as a skin. Some of that broke off when I tried to skim it and now are floating around. I may try the clarifying process. Can or indeed should it be done to the reduced stock?

I have had the Professional II model (bought via eBay for about 55% of the price on the Tilia website) for nearly 2 years now. I bought the best model available because of a friend who told me to go for it, as she wished her lower end model had some of the features of the PII. You get more "suck for your buck" because there's a manual override. You can hold down a button and it will keep sucking instead of automatically sealing. Since I got their top of the line model, there's nothing more I could wish for. I stocked up on a discount version of the bags via eBay, about half the price of the Tilia bags, I don't find the bags cost prohibitive. The best "extra canisters" are mason jars in various sizes. You use the jar sealer to close them. And, instead of possibly bending a lid by prying it open, you poke a hole in it. Cover it with scotch tape, with one end folded over to make a tab. You release the vaccuum by lifting the tab. Really cool, really cheap.

I originally planned on just using my 16 quart pot, but there was way too many veggies & chicken parts to fit. So, like I said, I divided between my three pots. I started the heat under the pots around 6:30. I skimmed dutifully and now there's very little scum on top. In fact, as long as I was skimming, I used a ladle & strainer and a fat straining measuring cup and have removed about 1 quart of fat (I didn't trim off the fat from the chickies before starting). Actually, since it's been simmering for almost 2 hours, I know it has reduced by 4.5 quarts - I've redistributed contents and no longer need the third pot. By the time I go to bed, I hope to have added the contents of the medium sized pot to the big one. I must say, I feel weird about this stock. I wanted to brown the chicken parts & veggies the way I usually do (actually, I usually just use already cooked carcases & brown them and the veggies some more) I like the roasted taste. I also really want to add salt. And peppercorns. I can live without the parsley, but I missed adding parsley stems as well. We keep weird hours, so I don't think it will be an issue to deal with the straining of the stock in the middle of the night. See you then.

I'm finally doing this class. Well, at least half of it. I'm making the chicken stock. I am starting with 10 lbs of chicken legs and 5 lbs of chicken backs. $0.29 and .20 per pound respectively at Foodmart International in Ridgefield, NJ. One and a half pounds each of peeled & trimmed carrots and celery (not-peeled). Three pounds onion. (Food cost total: $6.14) These were divided between my 16, 6.5 & 4.5 quart pots.

No, but you can get an eGullet apron! I'll admit it, I didn't do this whole class. But I did think about what I read here while dicing my veg for this saute of yellow summer squash, onion, corn and tomato:

The main reason we liked Pizza Cave's falafel is that it was more heavily seasoned than Jerusalem's (not that their's was bad or anything, just milder). It's not so much a "steam table" as a salad bar. Try it and let us know what you think. I know your opinion of their Pizza, what about their sushi? Imitation eel anyone? Update: we tried the falafel at Chicken Kebab a few weeks ago. It was OK, but not seasoned the same way the Israeli ones are, the Turkish versions are more green (herby).

I see you live in NYC. Where do you get your Soul Food fix? Or, would you rather cook it at home?

The last couple of tomato salads I made were incredibly simple. We got these fabo heirloom tomatoes from a Farmers Market, it seemed a shame to adulterate them, even with basil. So, sliced up tomato into wedges (this was a big knobby specimen), sprinkled with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, stir, a couple glugs of EVOO, stir. Allow to mascerate while the rest of dinner is gotten together. You can see the quartered mixed grape tomato version of this in Jason's latest picture on the dinner thread.

I was wondering when 'trix would chime in, especially after someone mentioned above that Hydrox are no longer. I wonder if Oreo's switch to kashrut was inspired by the lack of Hydrox availability? Has anyone tried Pepperidge Farm's new minis? They're available in Milano, Chessmen, and Chocolate Chunk. I personally favor Nutter Butters.

Laugh all you want -- I have a feeling (from experience) that it'll be all gone right quick.

The perimeter lights are not the same as the regular hi-hats. They are more focused spot lighting. I think they are called W.A.C. lights (I can give you the Home Depot SKU number if you want), and they use halogen bulbs. For under-cabinet lights, insist that they position them to the front of the cabinet. They are useless in the back (where they originally wanted to install them) and more than marginally, but still not fabulously, better in the middle of the cabinet. You want them to spot light the workspace, not the stuff you have lined up along the backsplash, if your kitchen looks like ours.

That's not why we didn't get a built in microwave! A built in microwave costs at least 3 times what a countertop model costs. And, if something goes wrong it is a major job to replace -- involving workmen and additional cost. I figured we'd be replacing the previous microwave eventually and I planned to get a stainless steel model, but that didn't work out when we went shopping (the stainless steel models were all either too big or too small). But the black works OK, it balances out the top of the range and the side of the fridge which show a little bit. Similar reasoning went into deciding on a counterdepth stand alone refridgerator (built in "look") vs. an actual built in model.

Everyone please note my nearly perfect diced vegetables. Courtesy of the eGCI.

I'm trying to decide between the Rainbow Ribbon Mold and the Crown Jewel Dessert. I've made both before and plan to do them using a bundt pan as the mold. Topped, of course, with genuine Cool Whip Topping. madziast, I don't think there'll be much in the way of fall folliage by that date. The only cost was $4 pp for the pig, which is going directly to Fink. Other than that, just bring something for the potluck.

That reminds me, hotel reservation deadline is coming up, did we reserve enough rooms?

I'm making a Jello mold! :duck: No making fun, it is a really good one.

It's been almost 24 hours. How is she feeling?

Skinless boneless chicen breasts :ducking: marinated with Goya Bitter Orange. Sauteed with Olive Oil then deglazed (while the meat rested) with more marinade, reduced, return chicken to pan to glaze. Yum. Steamed corn (bought today from the Bloomfield Farmers Market). Orange Tomato salad with salt, pepper and EVOO (ditto) topping toasted slices of Cuban Bread baked by eGullet's own, Elyse (same Farmers Market). Mmm, mmm good. Sorry, no pics.

I love it when Rachel scolds me... Careful there, I just watched Secretary.

Is there any reason it can't go on RecipeGullet? I'd like to try it too.

You could also put a wallpaper border or cut outs on the backsplash to fancy it up a bit.

OK - video's up on the site, use the link to the article, above.

Dam, I wish someone had mentioned she was to be on. I would have TIVO'd it. It's not on The Early Show's video library. Yet. But, here's a link to the story on the website: Over 500 Recipes In 365 Days.