hwilson41

Here's a thread right here on eGullet that will tell you more than you ever wanted to know. Some great stuff within, plus one of the dumbest questions I've ever asked near the end that Paula Wolfert was kind enough to answer . THW

OK, as mentioned above, mine turned out a noticeable yellow, not bright, but definitely not white or even pale straw. More a soft golden I guess I'd say. What am I doing wrong? TIA. THW

For those interested in making their own duck fat, here's a first cut from one who is at the absolute bottom of the learning curve. I checked a couple of places and found 7 oz duck fat from Balducci's for 4.99 (11.40/lb) and 2 lbs from Hudson Valley Foie Gras for 12.50, at which point I thought I'd take a shot at making my own. Bought a fresh duck - Pekin I think, although I couldn't verify that - from the Korean market in Fairfax, 4.7 lbs for around 12.50. From that I removed two breast halves and two leg/thigh cuts which will be confit withing a few days. I had left the wings, back and miscellany which will go toward stock (haven't weighed them yet), and 1.15 lbs skin and fat to render. After a very slow rendering (600 BTU burner) for about 3 hours, this produced about 9 oz beautiful fat (~1-1/4 cups). The fat was a tad darker right out of the rendering pot than I expected, but is turning a lovely creamy pale yellow as it cools. I suspect if I had trimmed a bit more aggressively, I could have ended up with another ounce or two of fat, but this was a first attempt. Still not enough to do much with, so I'll probably buy another duck this weekend . Oh yeah, and the little skin cracklin's left from the rendering were the culinary equivalent of sex. And they last just about as long. I have no intention of ever sharing any of these with anyone, although my wife might be able to persuade me if she made just the right offer . THW

Ditto on the question. We own a bunch of LC which I adore, and I was looking at Staub the other day wondering whether all the colors had a black interior. That would seem to me to be the worst color one could choose for an interior, but maybe I'm missing something. And ditto on Sam's wonderfully informative piece on stovetop cookware. Very helpful in deciding what to buy and why. THW

I have to say that I disagree with you 100% on this one. End grain is very important for a cutting board, and this is why: with an end grain cutting board, the wood fibers part and provide a relatively soft surface for the edge of the knife. This means less wear and tear on the edge, which ultimately means longer life and better performance out of the knife. Here is a "closeup" graphic illustrating a knife on an end grain cutting board. Note how the fibers part for the edge of the knife. [snip drawings] I would never want to use a cutting board that wasn't end grain. ← Sam, you may disagree all you wish, but you're missing the point. In your first graphic of end grain, that's fine as far as it goes. The problem is that "as far as it goes" is usually about two inches max. Then you hit a glue line. That glue is far harder than any hardwood and will damage steel much more quickly. My suggestion was for a solid board with no glue lines for exactly that reason. The second graphic was not applicable to what I suggested. I suggested quarter sawn lumber, in which the grain runs pretty much like your drawing for edge grain. Warping (a problem in flat sawn lumber) is NOT a problem with quarter sawn lumber, because a much higher percentage of the expansion and contraction in hardwoods is in its width (tangential) vs its thickness (radial). The radial movement is small enough as to be safely ignored in applications like this. Here's a link to Bally Block's article on cutting boards and suchlike. Note that they recommend that end grain boards be 2.5 to 3.5" thick. What I'm referring to as quarter sawn lumber is what they call edge grain lumber. It should still be 1.5" or so thick, but is much more manageable than 2.5 or 3.5". Again, their example has the disadvantage of glue lines, which I suggested could be avoided by dealing directly with the sawmill. THW

I don't understand the chemistry involved, but that strikes me as unlikely. Can someone explain the process that goes on if that is true? TIA. THW

End grain is fine, but unnecessary for a cutting board. The reason they make them out of end grain is because it's an easy way to use up scraps so it's cheap. For a heavy duty industrial floor that will have iron wheeled carts running over it, end grain is great. For a cutting board, it's overkill. But if that's what she wants that's fine with me. THW

If the board is wide enough (ask for 12" +) glue is irrelevant. As long as there are no major defects, this board can (and probably should) come from near the heart of the log. And grain direction is pretty obvious if you get the whole board. I'm a hardwood lumber broker in my "day job", and this does work. What I forgot to mention is that you'll need to let the lumber air dry for about a year in a non-hostile environment. A laundry room or outdoor storage shed will work fine. But that may be longer than you'd want to wait. THW

Anchita; Don't know where you are, but if you're in an area where Hard Maple (aka Sugar Maple aka Rock Maple) grows, you may have a much cheaper alternative. Find a few sawmills (they'll be out in the country, of course) and see if one of them saws Hard Maple. If so, ask them what they would charge to saw you a board approximately quarter sawn of 6/4 (said "six quarter") Hard Maple. You can make yourself a dozen cutting boards, and they'll never warp on you because quarter sawn lumber doesn't warp in its width. Just a thought. THW P.S. Hard Maple is what Boos uses, but his isn't quarter sawn. Of course, since it's end grain, it doesn't need to be.

He's right. This kid leads a rugged existence, right ? THW

A very dear friend of ours, originally from NJ, calls it gravy. Her version is enough to bring tears to the eyes of a strong man - fried sausage, the best homemade meatballs ever to cross a lip, tomatoes, onions, etc., etc. And a few secret steps about which we've been sworn to secrecy. Absolute dynamite, but "gravy" it ain't (or so I tell her) . THW Edited because I can't type with this damned bandaid on my hand .

Chicken livers! Still one of the great bargains around. We make chicken livers fried in a bit of butter and EVOO. When just done, remove to a side dish, add 1/2 C or so of decent red wine and 1 Tbsp Tarragon or Oregano, reduce by half, add a pat of butter and you've got a simple but very good wine sauce. Serve with a simple rice pilaf made with homemade chicken stock (also cheap if you shop for the chicken parts). You can feed two for less than two bucks. Hard to beat, and the taste is excellent (assuming you like chicken livers ). THW

I’m a 4th generation Texan now transplanted in Virginia. Mom’s family was from Missouri, but originally from Virginia, so both sides heavy duty Southern. This year's pies were pecan and apple. Thanks to the suggestion from Mayhaw, the pecan pie was made differently this year: half Steen’s Cane Syrup (other half light brown sugar). It was superb, and disappeared faster than decorum at a fraternity party . THW Edited because "Cane" is a very difficult word to spell .

There's really nothing to say that hasn't already been said, but this was truly spectacular in every way. Congrats to all three of you. Would that I were half as organized and efficient. Genuinely amazing, and thanks so much for sharing. THW

I would dearly love to smoke the turkey, but spouseperson thinks smoked turkey tastes like ham. She likes ham, but thinks that turkey ought to taste like turkey. Very narrow minded on that topic. She’s probably right (about the ham taste), and that’s probably why I like it so well . Anyway, more or less conventional oven roasted turkey with some butter and tarragon seasoning tucked in, potatoes au gratin (my son’s favorite dish, which he called “potatoes all rotten” when he was a little guy), mashed potatoes (I'm thinking garlic for this year), green beans fixed somehow or ’nother (undecided on that one), deviled eggs as far as the eye can see (mine will have salmon roe on them), olives of several descriptions, sweet gherkins, celery stuffed with jalapeno/pimento cheese, mushroom caps stuffed with cream cheese, bacon and shrimp, Granny's cheddar biscuits, and my beloved pecan pie. I’m getting really hungry just writing this :^). Happy Thanksgiving to all. THW

Ditto on Smithy's question. Sam knows more than I ever will about metallurgy I suspect, but I have quite a bit of LC, and I've been using the 5 Qt(?) Dutch ovens to make Boeuf Bourguignon and Texas Chili since the 1970s, and I always brown the beef in them before I add onions, peppers, or whatever. Seems to work just fine. I'm a little perplexed by the statement that LC is not good for browning, because my experience has been exactly the opposite. Have also made some pretty damned good Hollandaise and Bearnaise in smaller LC ovens. They keep very nicely for a (limited) amount of time over a very low BTU flame. THW

I'll add my two cents to the Laissez Faire side. Hardee's job is to make money, period. That's why they're in business. Your job is to protect your health (among other things). If you fail to do your job, you have nobody but yourself to blame. I'm ceaselessly amazed at how facile we as a society have become at finding somebody else to blame for problems that are basically results of our own actions. THW

What superb luck to find a LC Dutch oven at a yard sale. But yes, you will need a lid to make the stew. It might take a lifetime to get lucky enough to find the right size (forget color) at another yard sale, but there are Le Creuset seconds shops around the country if you're lucky enough to live near one. For that matter, a simple glass (oven proof) lid from a hardware store would probably work, but be sure to check the temperature limits before you buy it. Another thought would be to make the stew after supper, cook it most of the way before you go to bed, and then give it a final hour or so of cooking after you get home. Mine always taste better the second day anyway . Best of luck. THW

I'm with jsolomon. Go back to square one. Why a pressure cooker? Two things come to mind. Julia Child (Mastering the Art....) talks in the sections on soups and stocks about pressure cookers, and says that results were so-so at best using a pressure cooker for either, and the cooking needs to be completed in the usual way. Second, many stews have acidic ingredients such as tomatoes and wine (a must in my beef stews), and both are acidic. Most pressure cookers I've seen are made of aluminum, and combining raw aluminum and acidic foods is a no no. In my experience, a good Le Creuset enameled oven is an optimal stew machine. Good luck. THW

There is much wisdom above, to which I'll add only one comment. Fifi's advice to go pee before you start the roux is absolutely crucial . Believe it and never forget it. THW

I noted that two folks mentioned Aidell's sausage book. I haven't read it, but have been very disappointed by his commercial brands because they are so bland compared to what I'm used to. His Andouille in particular is pretty pitiful compared to the real thing. Are the recipes in the book better? Another book you might want to look at is Susan Mahnke Perry & Charles G Reavis, Home Sausage Making. I found it quite helpful. THW

I've had strange experiences with vermouth, probably because I don't know a lot about it. We drink vermouth only in martinis, and that very infrequently. I've tried several, and my own favorite and that of my martini drinking friends is Boissiere Dry. Makes a very nice vodka or gin martini. But for some reason, it doesn't come through very well in cooking. I'm no expert, but I don't understand why that would be. Can anyone give me some hints and maybe suggest another brand that does better in cooking? Or maybe I just don't like the taste of Boissiere unless it has some gin in it . THW

Allow me (native Texan) to disagree with some of the above. First of all, anchos are dried poblanos (not pasillas, which are different shape and color). Second, white onions are very common in Tex Mex cooking. Here's a useful link about chile peppers. Follow the link to anchos. If you can locate a Mexican mercado, you can almost certainly find anchos both whole (green), whole (dried), and ground. Can also find them whole green these days (here in Virginia) in most super markets. You'll need more heat than those will supply if you're making "real" chili, but I'll leave that up to your taste. To jack up the heat, you can use jalapenos, or if you're really after some heat, try a habanero or two (wear rubber gloves when handling). Good luck. THW

Not to worry folks. These catastrophes usually get way overblown. Sounds to me like it might have been a slow news day in Maine. And keep in mind that down here in Highland County (VA), we have a significant maple syrup business, and we're several miles south of New England . THW

I am somewhere between tears and fury reading this thread. I grew up on Tex Mex, but ventured ever so gingerly into Mexico, and I can hardly wait to taste all the wonderful dishes you early diners are describing. The warm chocolate cake sounds to me like raucous sex brought to Crystal City (not an easy image to visualize ). I am thinking thoughts best left unsaid in polite society. Soon, very soon...and often, I'm sure. THW