CRUZMISL

No. It's standard AP flour. The dough was risen in a linen lined collander(sp?)

I was going to but decided to order the starter from KA. Much easier and I had to order some other baking supplies anyway. Tomorrow is a pugliese loaf. We'll see how that turns out.

I made my first sourdough loaf today. I find it much more tempermental than recipes that use commercially available yeast. It had super crisp crust and a wonderful sour flavor but not too strong. It's more work but worth it. Can't wait for toast tomorrow morning

I don't think it's the burner output as much as the design og the unit. Going by memory, most "professional" units require the full 24" of cabinet. The downdraft vents take up about 3 inches or so. If you wanted to use it your cabinet would have to be at least 27" deep. My vent works well but I don't stir fry etc so there isn't too much smoke. I'm happy with it for my needs but a hood would be better (obviously). It's a good balance between functionality and aesthetics. Thermador Go here and see what I am talking about. It's th emodel of the vent that rises an extra 5 inches above mine. Joe

here you go

Nancy, the Bluestar is a professional cooktop and I wouldn't try the down draft system. Many makers of these systems specifically instruct not to use with professional ranges which is one reason I didn't buy one. I'm not too sure on their reasoning though. Mine is a Dacor which rises 9" and has a 1000cfm remote blower (located at the rear of the house). My plan this summer is to upgrade to a Thermador UCV (or UVC-not too sure) which rises 15" out of the counter. This will catch more steam and odours. As it is it's extremely functional and blends in well with my decor but if I had a Bluestar I'd want a hood with a remote blower. This way it won't sound like an airplane is in your kitchen. Elfin, I wish they were stainless but it's just plain old Formica. I hadn't checked the heat transfer but I am sure it would to some extent since the only single burner grate is the center burner. The other 2 are one piece.

Thanks for the kind words. I like to slow cook steel cut oats for oatmeal. I find they are really creamy when cooked slowly. On my old cooktop, I would stack 2 burner grates, put the simmer burner as low as it would go and I would still be too hot. It always created a burnt center and cooked too fast. The Jade allows me to cook as slow as I want without fear of scorching and no theatrics with grate stacking. I also did some glazed carrots and I find the heat distribution very good. So far I am really satisfied. I had to post it here because only other foodies would appreciate it Joe

Hi All, After much deliberation I decided to replace my old Dacor cooktop with the 36" 5 burner from Jade. This is not a well known company (what Lexus is to Toyota, Jade is to Maytag) so availability is an issue and I had to buy mine sight unseen. Hopefully this post can help others in a similar situation. The unit went in without a hitch. I had to make the cutout larger but that was no big issue. I dropped it in, hooked up the gas, plugged it in and I was done. The unit is very heavy with the grates probably weighing in as much as the cooktop itself. All burners have extra low simmer capability (see photo) and the most powerful burner is 18,000 btu. The knobs are stainless and the unit has a quality about it that my Dacor didn't possess. So far I am very glad I chose to go with Jade. I haven't cooked on it yet but I'm sure I'll be satisfied. I'll eventually change the vent to a stainless model when the budget allows. I also noticed that the grates REALLY hold the heat. After I boiled a pot of water on the big burner the grate was still pumping out a good amount of heat even though the gas was turned off. I'll surely have to adjust my cooking style. Joe PS. Some cabinetry is missing below the cooktop. Didn't have time to reassemble after I was done cutting Picture of cooktop with vent. All The heaters on This is the lowest setting available on all burners. Can't wait to melt some chocolate

Great answers and links. I read about the creme fraiche method and will try it soon. There goes my New Years resolution

is there any way to make it taste like European style butter such as Plugra. Thanks, Joe

Funny you should ask. It did say "sable fish aka black cod" on the sign when I bought it. I just pan seared it and finished it in the oven. It was very tasty indeed but keep the ideas coming because I'll buy more:)

Just curious. I am making stock and decided to clean out my freezer in the process. Thanks, Joe

What temp to remove the fish in rergards to meat temperature during cooking? Or is it just until opaque?

Yes but that type of cooktop won't fit. I have a downdraft vent that is installed behind the current cooktop.

Oops, I meant temp to remove the fish :-) Thanks for the oven temp though.

Thanks! I'm only going by what I read here. http://www.epinions.com/pr-DCS_CT-365_Cooktop If they are better than what is stated I may take another look.

Any suggested temperature?

Apparently they are owned by Maytag and make some pretty nice stuff. I am in need of a 36" drop in cooktop and their's looks really nice. I'd have to buy it on the net sight unseen so I am looking for opinions. Here is a link to their site a link to the cooktop I am interested in here and a pdf of the cooktop here Any opinions truly appreciated. I was going to go with DCS but they seem to have quality issues. These are also serviced by Maytag which makes it easy to get service if necessary. I'm really looking forward to cooking with 18,000btu's as opposed to the 10,000 I have now Thanks! Joe

I'm not too familiar with the fish and need some pointers on the best way to prepare it. What temp does it need to be cooked to or is that personal preference? Thanks for any ideas! Joe

I always strain my bases too but this required the rinsing of my strainer halfway through. Despite the mishap it's still uber tasty.

I had a run in with a cordless Cuisinart hand blender. Caught my finger when pulling it out of the drawer.......8 stitches later I took the picture. Picture here

these are the directions for Maui Wowie ice cream from Doc Wilson's website. First, lightly whisk two eggs* in a mixing bowl and set aside. Then place ¾ cup turbinado sugar in a small saucepan and over medium heat stir constantly until it begins to melt just a little and forms larger clumpier crystals; about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add to the eggs. Stir constantly until it begins to cool, then add one can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, one pint whipping cream, and one pint half and half. Then add 2 ½ TBSP vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp salt. Let this age in the refrigerator for four hours and then freeze according the ice cream maker’s directions. Eat it in a hula skirt! The bold sentence is what concerned me. I knew I'd end up with some scrambled eggs but I did it anyway. I ended up having to strain my base through an old gold coffee filter I never used. Hopefully it will still be good. Maybe I am missing some technique here or maybe the directions are poorly written. Any thoughts? Thanks, Joe

Not too much info at all. Thanks!

Thanks! Anyone buy from this place? https://www.mightyleaf.com/default.aspx Also, if I Were to buy a tea pot, what should I be looking for? Some are glass, some are clay, others cast iron...... I'd imagine the best quality can be obtained buying and brewing with loose teas. I'd like to buy a pot that allows her to brew both ways. Ideally a modern design. Thanks, Joe

Hi All, I'm an espresso freak but my wife loves tea, jasmine in particular. Are there any places online that sell tea that could be given as a gift, maybe packaged in a nice box or something? Thanks for any advice? Joe PS They need to be in bags. Loose tea is not her thing:)