FistFullaRoux

DUH! Library! I'm headed there very shortly. I'm glad you mentioned that. I'm so in the habit of popping down to a bookstore and buying a book that looked like it would be interesting, but turned out to be a doorstop, that I completely forgot about all of those tax dollars sitting there collecting dust. Thank you for reminding me that the damn things still do exist.

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny..." - Isaac Asimov Happy accidents happen all the time. Recreating the good mistakes is the difficult part.

And here's another wrinkle... In some jurisdictions, if you seek medical attention due to food borne illness, hospitals and doctors are required to report the illness. An immediate unscheduled visit by health and/or restaurant inspectors, depending on the particular bug or situation, is then carried out. Between superbugs, resistant bacteria, and other really unpleasant critters, prompt diagnosis and immediate clinical treatment will go a long way to keeping things in check. As fifi stated, you can go from queasy to body bag pretty darn quick. Admittedly, this is an extreme, but things can get out of hand. Always get medical attention quickly, especially if you live alone. As the victim of a bad raw oyster (still can't eat 'em) I can tell you, that had there not been anyone else there, I would not have been able to call for help myself. I would not have died, but the house could have burned down around me, and there wouldn't be a thing I could do about it. I was literally helpless. 6'1", 250 lbs, and too weak to move myself. Bottom line, if one or more of you get even a little sick within 24 hours of eating at a restaurant, chef and/or management need to know about it.

a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal bust a nut (one from an uncle) "She's aged like fine pork rinds." The cheese just slid off his cracker And many more, as soon as I can remember them.

I once (on another thread) saw someone explain truffles as "what angel poop would taste like." Which kind of seals it for me. I don't think I'll be able to eat another one.

I recall something you wrote a while back regarding a great french fry experiment. I remember the final result of that test used horse fat in some function. Can you run through some of the information you gained from the trials you ran, and do you have anything new to add? Have you found something that does a better job? Thanks

I'd use the silpat on the marble. The marble will help cool the candy down effectively, and the silpat will keep it from sticking. It's a good combination, but you would cuss me if you were to pour molten sugar directly on a marble countertop...

It may require some experimentation. Straight sugar candy (hard crack) in anything more than a thin layer can break into sharp edges just like glass, and can be a little dangerous. The baking soda introduces air and makes it easier to chew. It also increases the volume of the sugar/corn syrup part, and turns it opaque, which is the opposite of what you want. My first instinct would be to simply add more peanuts. You'll have to work with it a bit as it's poured out and begins to cool. Some commercial versions involve "stretching", where they literally pull the cooling candy in all directions, which can help thin it out. This would still need baking soda, and would still be opaque. Then try using half of the baking soda if that does not do what you wanted it to. It may be enough to do what you want. For a clear(er) candy component, you could perhaps use pure sugar vs. a corn syrup/sugar mix and ignore the baking soda Put down a thin layer of the cooked sugar, maybe 50-60% of the batch. Spread with an offset spatula, and use a Silpat. Trust me on that point. While it is cooling, toss the peanuts in the remaining mixture, just enough to coat, then drop them onto the thinned out and cooling candy. You shouldn't have any problems with adhesion this way, and you can control the thickness of the candy component. This will avoid a lot of air bubbles, and you will have a glass-like finish. I do not know how the final texture of this will be. As long as you are talking really thin layers, you should be OK. You will probably have to experiment with sugar temperatures, but I'd start at about 310F and try until about 330F. Anything farther along than that, you start getting bitter. Which is fine if you are going to make a sauce and add something to mellow it out, but straight sugar cooked to 340+ (in my opinion) is unpleasant. Peanut brittle. Love the stuff. (Can you tell?) Edited so I could understoand what I was trying to say. I'm a little dain bramaged today.

If this is the same place that was on FN's Food Finds, they supposedly do a terrif date milkshake. A combination I never would have thought of, but I could see how it would work...

My god, that's revolting! Sounds like the description of a two week old murder crime scene... Or a Quentin Tarentino movie...

Good luck, and please let us know how it comes out...

Headed to Vermilion Parish and my mom's satsuma tree for Christmas. I can't wait.

Two words that should never ever be mentioned together. Congealed Salad. I have been known to enjoy a serving of jello on occasion. But not with half the produce department and a dollop of mayo added. <shudder> And I don't mind egg nog. I quite like the stuff to tell the truth. One Christmas party I went to a few years back showed me a great trick to use with egg nog. To keep it cold, drop a whole pint of vanilla ice cream, right out of the carton, into the bowl. It doesn't dilute the flavor, a little extra cream never hurt anyone, and it did keep the bowl nicely chilled for the duration of the party. Marshmallows are only good for rocky road ice cream, fluffernutters, and s'mores. That's it. If you are ever tempted to add it to canned yams, somebody should hide your oven mitts. My best example of overrated holiday food is ribbon candy. They taste horrible, the candy itself sticks to your dental work, and the color combination is obnoxious. Also add anything that's made with that same sticky type of candy.

I think it needs to be reiterated that there is a difference between "Things you never run out of" and "Things you normally have" Myself, the only 2 things I never let myself run out of is soap and toilet paper. Everything else has not been there at some time, but was resupplied at the next possible moment. Eveyone has used the last of something. I used the last of the butter last night, but it's time for a shopping trip anyway. We're going this afternoon, and we will have it before I need it again, but I can't honestly say I've never run out of butter.

And speaking of spicy never agains... I once, on a dare, tasted something from an avowed chili head's fridge. It was in an unmarked babyfood jar. He presents the jar to me with a teaspoon. "Just try it." he says. Kim chee seasoning. Pure unadulterated kim chee seasoning from his Korean grandmother. I thought I was being smart. I barely touched the surface of the spoon to this stuff, and barely touched my tounge. I cried. 4 hours, half a gallon of milk, and the better part of a bottle of Southern Comfort later, my tounge began functioning again. This was the purest hot I have ever tasted. I later found out that the full jar was a sufficient amount to season 4 full 5 gallon crocks. Oh, that hurt.

I had a rather unpleasant dream last night about biting into a beautiful piece of chocolate and hitting an eyeball. The idea of containing a semi gelled sustance in wax and covering it.... Still gives me the willies.

Yeah, but when the kid is big enough to walk up and ask for it - Literally ask for it - it's time to introduce the lil tyke to a spoon. I've seen this. The kid was four, and the mom was complaining because no daycare would take a 4 year old who was still breastfeeding. --shudder-- Up next on Jerry Springer...

I don't know if I can recommend this. The view is great, but as covered on another thread, great food and revolving restaurants rarely coexist. The meal was expensive and not really worth it. The deserts, on the other hand, were awesome.My wife and I went to SA for our honeymoon. The Hilton on the Riverwalk has a small cafe type of setup on the banks of the river. The best tortilla soup I have ever had. Period. I do have to admit eating at the Hard Rock, but I was a Zippo collector at the time. Otherwise, it's not worth it. We weren't there for very long, but that's all the food I can remember. Except for the pizza we ordered when we finally got into our hotel room at 11:30 on a Sunday night. It was about the only option.

I'm suggesting that you reduce just the juice, not the pureed berry pulp and seeds. Something tells me that the fruit itself is somehow interfering with the process. Even though it is a reduced puree, there is some kind of chemistry that isn't happening correctly. Have you tried adding gelatin or pectin in addition to cooking down the puree? It may be enough to stabilize the fruit component so it will not liquify. The sucess that others have had using a jam may be the key here. And the wax was kind of tounge in cheek. The commercial guys do that all the time. Your stuff looks fantastic, though. Nice site.

How long does it take before they start leaking? If it's a day or more, the berries may be mascerating in the chocolate and giving off their liquid. If that is the case, you may want to consider covering the centers with a thin layer of something waterproof. I'm thinking an edible wax. If it is a thin coat, plus covered in chocolate, I don't think there would be a texture difference, and though the wax adds nothing to the taste, it's better than oozing candies. But you would still be left with a liquidy center encapsulated in your chocolate. It someone tries to bite one in half, it's down the front of their shirt. Either that or try straining the puree, so you are only left with the juice. Then reduce the juice and use that to flavor the center or find an extract that you like. Or you can pre mascerate the berries. Toss fresh cut berries with a little sugar, place then in a strainer in the fridge overnight, then collect the runoff. Reduce that to make your flavor base.

My recipe is pretty simple, and works well... I have used bottled versions of both the sauce and dressing. Works fine. Shrimp, peeled and deveined - at least medium size. The jumbos work,but can be tough Your favorite KC style tomato based BBQ sauce (Not so good with mustard or vinegar) Your favorite Italian style vinagrette (the reason for no vinegar in the above step) soaked wooden skewers Marinate the shrimp in a 50/50 mix of BBQ sauce and Italian dressing for 20-30 minutes. Soak the skewers (if they are wooden) using two skewers per kabob (so they can be easily turned), stack up the shrimp. Hot grill, 3 minutes per side, tops. Baste with more of the fresh (not re-used marinade) sauce mixture when you flip them When they are pink, they are done. These taste really good on the beach. Gulf Shores, AL + 10 friends + 1 condo + BBQ shrimp + entirely too much liquid refreshment = Fun.

Sausages, meat products, and pretty much anything that does not have to grow in the water or soil of south Louisiana can be made elsewhere. I make gumbo in Birmingham all the time. Just because the mailing address of the company isn't in Louisiana, does not mean there isn't a Cajun making it. We don't ALL live in the swamps now, cher...

Best one I ever had was at Louviere's. A little lunch spot near the ULL campus in Lafayette. 4 bucks for a big 3 compartment styrofoam go plate, filled with chicken and sausage jambalaya, a hunk of french bread, some green beans, and slice of home made cake in a little wax paper bag. Oh, I miss that. Cajun plate lunches are the greatest thing ever, anywhere.

The Houston area has some places, but you may have to venture out a bit to Port Arthur or Beaumont for real good stuff. Veron's Meat Market in Humble 281-812-4181 Retail locations (including Houston) Burt's Meat MKT & Cajun Foods 5910 Lyons Avenue, Houston (713) 674-0064 If you want to order online, there are the options listed by Mayhaw Man above...

Not usually chilis involved with it. At least not the homestyle version. Salt and ground cayenne. I don't think my mom even uses black pepper. Ever. I, of course, do. The occasional jalapeno is not unheard of, but I think a milder chili would lend itself nicely. I'm thinking substitute a bell pepper with maybe half of an anaheim, depending on how you like your heat. A little chipotle could work, the smoky flavor would go well with the shrimp. You want to stay away from the mega peppers (anything hotter than a jalapeno, basically). The technique spreads the base flavors into every grain of rice. If every grain of rice is hot, then there is no respite, and it can get very very intense. Voice of experience. Make it even a little milder than you think it should be. The heat will build with each bite, and you want to be able to taste it.