Bicycle Lee

can you reuse the calcium chloride bath?

Oh I see...yeah for cooking the texture wouldn't be hurt too much...

could you do the same type of thing in a low oven?

I was just wondering what the best way to render duck fat is.... Anyone?

oh the memories this thread brings back.... for me, it has to start with a shot of whiskey (this is the hardest part) then it is off to George's for a Roundhouse....which is two of everything on a plate of cheese covered hashbrowns... plenty of agua and rest... last time I was that hungover I made this egg nog that was damn near flammable and I was the only one who could stomach it....needless to say I woke up half naked on my porch with my dog licking curdled egg nog puke off my face....good times, good times... and the birthday bender is Sunday....

in my experience freezing raw tomatoes ruins the texture of the meat....

smoked chicken "enchiladas" are good...make them in corn crepes...mmmmm... use the bones to make a good, dynamic stock.... some of that smoke always makes it into the stock....not overwhelming...just right....

easy as pie....either bar style or pseudo-haute onion rings 1 pint stout beer enough tempura batter mix to make it hard to stir or.... extremely thinly sliced onions dredged in the same tempura mix...(the onion flavor of this one is great)

Plucking and gutting a chicken isn't that bad of an experience. You can do it yourself and impress the Harlem chicken monger...

do you mix the alginate into the pesto (or whatever you are trying to gel)? or is there two baths: the alginate one and then the calcium chloride one? And when you say it's "bound with gelatin" do you mean you have added agar to the mixture?

I eat lamb a lot, but I definitely see tons of people turning up their noses at it... Wuss-Americans.... It can be a "ketchup only" culture sometimes and that really sucks...

Schneich: Where did you get the calcium chloride? Would the addition of carageenan to an acid or a fat help it's gelling?

I like to start cooking collards with some bacon fat and onion and then add some homemade chicken stock and simmer until tender....so good... the thickness of the stock bonds to the leaves and gives it a nice richness....

just a funny story... Being in Utah, this shouldn't have surprised me much, but I was at a bar and I asked the bartender for a Black and Tan...much to my dismay when it arrived it was a pint of guiness and a shot of rum....hehe....I don't know if she expected me to mix the two or what, but I almost fell off my stool laughing....

Try malt flour as well as all-purpose....

oh yes... I have a beautiful crescent moon shaped scar across the palm of my left hand from doing just that.... nothing as pure as pain, though...

yes, yes....the french press is best in my opinion

what about tempura fried green tomatoes?

marinated pork tenderloin is always good....just wrap it heavily in foil... what you do is build a fire, let a good amount of coals grow, spread them out and set the pork on top. if it gets too hot, move some coals...it is usually hot as hell so you have to keep an eye on it, but the reward is divine.... We made a traditional cheese fondue once in the desert, kiersch wasser and all....that was good...

Touche, Frijoles! I understand your stance. Uber-high volume kitchens with standard kitchen workers probably are better suited to buy premade items. Being that the largest kitchen I have worked in only featured four line cooks during service, I guess I do not have quite the grasp of a culinary machine like the one you describe. And I am not meaning to bag on those items...I'm sure they are very good. My only gripe is when a restaurant will talk up certain items when they didn't produce them....like, "Try OUR wonderful fried cheesecake!" it isn't THEIRS...it's Sysco's (or whoever's) Like this "pizza" joint that just opened next door to my practice studio: They bought a very nice and very expensive pizza oven but only use prepackaged crusts with the sauce and cheese already on them....I just think that's tacky... but then again, like I said, I am a snob truce?

The worst coffee I get is ironically at my favorite breakfast greasy spoon... It's a place now called Dimitris, but it will always be George's to me...They have breakfast called the Roundhouse that is 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, two sausage links, 2 big pieces of ham, all on top of cheese covered hash browns (the best I've had) and four pieces of toast....I can't get enough of them, but their coffee tastes like they purposefully brew in a couple days in advance and let it sit, scorching overnight...ewwww....

usually if I want something I'll confront myself with the prospect of buying it (meaning I'll be at the restaurant supply store staring at it for 10-20 minutes) then I will force myself not to buy it. A week later if the desire is still intense I will get it....

ummm....well, the sauce is ever-changing, kinda depending on what I have in my cupboard or what season it is. It is tomato based, and I make it more full-flavored with molasses, hoisin, some reduced stout beer, fresh onion, tons of garlic, rooster sauce, honey, fresh tomatoes, the intense drippings from smoking the meats (whatever they may be...this also effects storability but makes the flavor incredible)....uhhh, multiple vinegars (cider, champagne...etc).... and picante of your choice ( I dry my own thai peppers-ooooh they're good). Some bourbon can be good too....lime juice....whatever....it's sort of a kicthen-sink type condiment, but interestingly enough after it is cooked for hours and hours each flavor is very prominent.... try it out, let me know any changes you make, I'm always looking for a new addition... PEAS

I typically smoke the pork and then add peppers, onions, tomatoes and my very own bbq sauce then bake relatively low temp (325) for like four or five hours....at the end of that time it is so good....

I don't know all the "underground" spots, but a place like Dean and Deluca will have good vinegars. For 20-30 bucks you can get a pretty decent balsamic, but the stuff that is pure gold will run upwards of 110 bucks or more....but believe me, it is DAMN good vinegar. The ones that are rated Red, Silver and Gold are probably the easiest to judge. I'd go for silver....it might be a little more than 30 bucks, but it will be worth it. I'm no expert, but this is what I've found.