woodburner

Jesus Christ Chad. It's a fuckin knife, not a sex toy. How can you possibly expect a person like myself to walk into a knife store and remember all that??? I agree though if it feels good holds a sharp edge it looks like a keeper. woodburner

What's the problem with buying a knife and returning it after 10 day's? I would check the return policy first, maybe they offer credit before giving you cash back, but how else could it possibly be determined if you find the knife right for you, without chopping and slicing? woodburner

Yeah, they encourage young kids throwin stuff around, and playing on the floor. Ask for Mark, on your way in!!!! woodburner

Texas Hot Links snap back when you bite into them. No such animal as a not too spicey one. Fifi get the rope and I'll get the knife!!! woodburner

Woodburner: Check the posts on the "Yunnan Ham" topic. The French Bayonne Ham is not smoked. It is a a Air Cured Ham quite similar to the Serrano or Acorn fed Hams from Spain or the Parma Prosuitto from Italy. There is a project being developed during the last several years of producing a comparable quality Air Cured Ham by a dedicated Virginia Cure Master/Farmer as a labor of love. It will probably be available in about 2 years. All these type of Hams, especially in my opinion the Chinese Yunnan Style are the finest available. Irwin Irwin, Once again you provide invaluable advice. It's my understanding that aside from the breed and upbringing of special hogs to produce Bayonne Ham, Adour salt is used for the curing. Also its flavour is very much dependent on the local climate and the effects of the southerly wind or "foehn" which adds the finishing touch...some producers rub the hams with powdered Espelette peppers which gives them a beautiful ochre colour and different flavour. Given this information, it might be a bit of a stretch for an American producer to duplicate this process. woodburner

Our country style kitchen is the main entertaining room in the home, so we work with that. Candles glowing on the round oak pedestal table and throughout the kitchen area everynight, all year long. Table is always covered with seasonal linens. TV is located in the front sitting room, which is viewable from the table, it's usually on during dinner, which occurs at about 9pm during the week, a little later on Saturday nights if we eat home. Friday and Saturday nights usually have some cd's or MP3's playing. Cooking is usually a team effort with the wife and I, so we are pretty much together thoughout the evening. This is our 6 month winter mode. Summer mode is out on the rear porch, or on the better evening's next to the pool sitting at the bistro table. Meals at that point are just about all cooked in the open air outside, and no tv, but usually music. woodburner

Paula, Thank you for the response, I'll be sure to check out both of those avenues you suggested. For an upcoming double Birthday brunch at my home, I will be serving Gerald Hirigoyen's, Bayonne Ham and Sheep's Milk Cheese Terrine as one of my dishes. By the way, coincidently, just this morning I used your flower style poached egg technique. My wife and I were very impressed with the results. Do you actually serve these in flowers? The presentation, on the plate is just so beautiful. woodburner

Is this product available in the USA? If not, could someone provide information regarding curing ingredients and procedure. woodburner

torakris, You and your family look wonderful. Very much looking forward to your blog. Ahh the days of young children romping through the house. pictures, pictures, pictures woodburner

woodburner

see, that's how this whole thing got started, some people don't. meaning the rest of us have to live with rules and policies to protect us, from them. A nice little Danish lady and her husband left their young child in a stroller, outside of a NYC restaurant, well within her view. Seeing that there was not enough room inside for the stroller and other diners, customary in her country to leave the child outside while parents dine. Some rat bastard called the cops, who took the child away, and her charged with endangerment of a child. woodburner

The eggs are very nice actually. woodburner

It would be a longshot to duplicate a woodfired product in anything less than a woodfired oven. The komado, or green egg would probably offer some thing the closest. If you have followed the Jackl10 blog, he shows a picture of his brick oven. My air induced cooker is a modified weber kettle, set into a table. As soon as we loose some snow, I'll post some pictures. woodburner

I agree doc, unfortunately dogs getting into this thread kind of shows a bit of "one up manship" that this country affords itself to, and the lack of respect, individuals have for others in fine dining. Which brings us right back to the word "policy". woodburner

As an alternative to the pizza stone, unglazed tiles available at the local box stores for half the price, work as well, and give better coverage due to the square shape. Course, as far as gas, I guess you can see on how I feel about that. I've no first hand experince over gas, but by cooking over lump charcoal, I can obtain temperatures around the 600º range, with forced air induction. Hopefully we will get some feedback on this, as it has great interest to me. woodburner

I would agree with that! Any disruptive element should be removed. Childeren under 6 don't belong at such a place. speaking of official policies, i would think that knowing this might happen would be deterent enough for people to leave their kids at home. actually, i wonder if that's why many don't bring their kids to high-end restaurants to being with? I think the shark attorney's would have restraunteurs in civil court, by adopting any policy. You can't by law violate the liberties, of complete idiotic morons, especially in public places. woodburner

Glad things worked out doc, my disaster was less well ending. I spent four hours last night prepping and cooking my fresh duckie. It was cooked to ala Martha perfection. Crisp crunchy skin, slight taste of game to the fowl, but not overpowering. After cooking, I removed the legs and meat from the carcass, and assembled in vacuum bags, for later eating. This morning I awoke to find, the freshly cracked bottle of Absolut, nicely tucked away into the cabinet, as should be, and the duck, still sitting on the table, out of refregeration all night. Tomorrow's trash. woodburner

Lebanon Bologna, as you can see is fully flecked with small white pieces of fat. woodburner

Is there any policy? I'm willing to make an assumption there is nothing in place for fear that they will look like monsters, in some circles. woodburner

High End Restaurants on occasion serve a bad meal, which normally are dealt with on the spot, in an explicit, manner. This should be expected to happen from time to time, as no one, or thing is perfect, 100 percent of the time. On the other hand, consumers need to respect the nature of an establishment, serving high end food, and service. The restraurant has the obligation, to deal with customers who intrude on not only the service of other paying patroons, but also the ambience and atmosphere, which one would normally expect to recieve as a patroon. ie; I don't care if the individual is 2 or 92 yrs old. Dont "f" with my dining pleasure. woodburner edited for age discrimination

Jack, Very fascinating, and extremely tantalzing, with mouth watering foodporn. Thank you for sharing, as I greatly enjoyed it. woodburner

LB has a very distinct aroma, just short of over smoked, was what my nose read, upon first whiff. I had a few slices last evening "nekid" and there was a slight bite of fermento or meat cure. Visually, it appears of a salami, but the white flecking or fat, is much smaller in size than what you would normally see in most salami's. My daughter taught me well though regarding sandwich making. Slices of sharp cheese on the bottom and top, with plenty of LB in between, is a marriage liking of bread and butter. Oh yeah, on rye. I'd put it at a cross between salami and bologna. Salami, Salami, Bologna.. (old three stooges skit) woodburner

Ah, the rewards of fatherhood. Young ms. woodburner stole another piece of my heart, landing her sleigh on my doorstep last night totting a basket of Philly goodness. Her and I just polished off a few nice sandwiches of Lebonan and sharp cheese on rye, Herr's chips, and a big piece of cheesecake. Bless her little heart. woodburner

Irwin, It's my experience that at a finishing temperature of 215º, as you suggest, this meat is beyond slicing, but ok for shredding. Is that your experience? woodburner

Save those digits Irwin. This should help: Maybe you could just cut and paste it right here on this board?? Irwin's Writings woodburner