budrichard

Harsch crock, there is nothing better. You may think its costly but its maintanance free, requires no elaborate setup beside putting the lid on the crock and keeping water around the lid for the seal. I have two and its the best money I ever spent on pickling equipment.-Dick

First, live with your 'new' home for a year or two unless some things just have to be done. Second, if you have someplace like the Fruniture Mart in Chicago to visit and get ideas, its well worth the time. Third, don't listen to any vendor tell you whats best, they are just trying to sell what the make the most markup on and care less about what you would like or require. Fourth, read and investigate as much as you can before making a decision. Having a simple plan drawn up is well worth the effort. I went through two kitchen designers before I decided to do the planning myself, Speced all the equipment myself and purchased from on-line sources where I could. This is what we ended up with and assessment after about 5 years. Countertops, John Boos 4" end grain in most places except for thier 2" edge grain around the Viking. Wood works great for cutting, chopping, what have you and you don't have to worry about where you work. Uusally needs sanding and then a coat of Boos food grade mineral oil once a year. Sink is Franke Manor House commercial grade, biggest size we could get and no little weeny type bowls. Faucet/sprayer can be any one of a number that Franke makes, it just depends on what you like. Franke is available from one source on-line at about 60% of retail store cost. Its dropped shipped and wait is about 6 weeks. We use heavy Falk copper and so far neither has dented the other, the Franke can swallow anything. Flooring, Pergo, best there is, sold at big box stores so the trendy boutiques don't sell it anymore, anyone can install. Absolutely bullet proof!. Good luck and don't be afraid to make your own decisions based on what you like and think will work best for you.-Dick

Wusthof makes at least two types of fish tweezers along with a fish pliers and other tools for fish and shellfish. They all work very nicely and are stainless steel, suitable for use on food.-Dick

Oysters vary in size and shape the world over and there is no one Universal method to safely and efficiently open them all. I have shucked literally at least ten thousand oysters in my lifetime and have learned one Universal truth- You will slip and if not wearing protection, you will injure yourself. I will spare you the ER visit many years ago and recovery from such a slip. There are many different types of oyster knives available as there probably are species. A selection of all of them is required and one must learn which knife for which species and what technique. I believe 'Hollywood' from the Acme Oyster House had established a Certification with the State for 'Oyster Shuckers', a worthwile thing to do. Short of training; practise, use protection and be careful. Morty the Knife Man has many patterns and we have them all in one drawer along with clam knives. Its just a search for the knife to match the oyster. Of course you can always purchase 'Gold Band' oysters and open them with a butter knife!-Dick

"But the results are never as clean. Is this important? For fish eaten raw, very much so. " I absolutely disagree with the above and in fact the results are exactly opposite of what is stated. I can fillet a fish without having to remove gills, guts or fins, all of which result in blood, slime gettting spread around. Even for a flatfish, I end up with 4 fillets with the entire flatfish intact except for the fillets. The fillets then have the skin removed and no washing is needed, period. There is no question in my mind that if preparing small fish for sushi/sashimi, the Western technique is far superior in every way. Now if were talking about tuna, that's another topic.-Dick

The knife referenced is listed as boning knife by Forschner with a usable blade of 5". I would have to assume that the Microban treatment makes the knife attractive for commercial use but in reality the knife is too short to fillet and remove skin from all but the smallest fish. An 8" fillet is the shortest I use and sometimes even the 9" Wilson could be bigger depending on the fish size.-Dick

I watched this video http://www.youtube.com/user/itasan18#p/u/9/rfzGeu69Qns As I stated, the knife determines the technique and since the chef does not possess a flexible knife he must gut, remove the gills and do a multi cut to prepare a seas bass(Zuzuki) for sashimi/sushi. I have to assume that the reason the gills were removed is that the chef has use of the head in mind along with the carcass. In any event, the use of the deba to remove the gills is much better and safely accomplished by a heavy duty fish shears of which Wusthof makes one, that will also very easily also remove fins, but again this is a Western versas Japanese method. Using a flexible fillet knife, one can in two strokes prepare the fillet without gutting the fish or removing any bones. first remove the fillet by cutting down the backbone and following the rib countours and then remove the skin. If the head and carcass are wanted, simply gut, remove gills and fins. The chef because of the knives used and technique, spends a great deal of time(about 10 minutes) on what is a very quick task with a flexible fillet knife. I can do either technique but rarely use the Japanese method.-Dick

The construction of the knife determines the technique that is used. A stiff non flexible blade is not suited to following the rib contours as the OP has learned. The Japanese do not make a flexible blade for this purpose so the Deba determines the technique. I think the Western technique with flexible blade is much better than the Japanese multi cut technique. I hardley ever use the Deba pictured here for anything as the other blades do a much faster and better job. Many Western chefs use the Japanese multi-cut technique for the simple reason that all they have available are inflexible blades such as a chef's knife. I would be interested in viewing the videos you referenced if you can supply a link. I loooked at the blog but no videos. I will try a search on YouTube in the meantime.-Dick

This has nothing to do with seasons or growing conditions but is due to one thing only as already correctly Posted, its the Texas A&M, usually called a TAM that is dumbing down all our hot peppers. They started with the poblano where now most poblanos rarely have any heat and have worked thier way to the jalapeno, where some of them might as well be bell peppers. Once in a while I can find some jalapenos with heat at SuperMercado but poblanos with heat are in the past!-Dick

We open a lot of oysters and clams, as such if you do that, you will break a lot of oyster/clam knives. We have started getting our knives from Morty http://www.mortytheknifeman.com/ who not only sells the Dexter line but unashamedly rips off these knives and sells his own versions and his scallop knife is the most popular among commercial fisherman. We also have a few Wusthof openers that come in handy for severing the muscles from the shell. With modern technology, one shouldn't be without the tools for opening different types of shellfsih. Just use your SAT phone to call Morty, order what you want and have FedEx do an air drop.-Dick

From top to bottom: Corbet Sigman custom trout knife, sharpened on the swedge Wusthof 'Flexibel' fillet knife 8" Gerber 'Coho' fillet knife Takeda Hamono Deba Phil Wilson custom 'Punta Chivato' fillet knife 9" There are two methods of fillet, the Western technique using a flexible blade whicih follows the rib cage contours and the Japanese technique which use a rigid blade to seperate the fillet from the backbone with the rib cage attached. The rib cage must then be removed. When a chef uses a chef knife, he is using the Japanese technique. The Sigman is used only for opening the anal vent of a trout to remove the guts and as such is sharpened on the top(swedge) so a little upthrust will start the cut. The Wushof along with the Gerber and custom Wilson are flexible to follow the rib cage contours of most fish and when done, there is no need for another cut to remove the rib cage. The Wilson is made for big fish and is a new CPM 154 steel I believe. The Gerber is a stamped blade and I don't know if still available. This one is almost 40 years old. I would start with the Wusthof 'Flexibel' as it is relatively affordable and is a lifetime investment. A deba is not suitable for a first fillet knife. Remember that not all fish have the same structure and you will have to learn the methods for each fish. Salmon have a row of 'pin' bones along the fillet and it doesn't matter which technique one uses, you still must use fish tweasers to remove each pin bone. Cod have a unique rib cage and most lend themselves to a flexible blade. And of course a flat fish is an altogether different technique.-Dick

More than likely your gifted veison was cut by a commercial butcher because they cut like it was traditional beef animal right through the bones with a saw.. Venison should be cut as muscle groups off the bone whiich results in boneless venison. Most gifted venison is from someone who for whatever reason shot the animal and paid for the processing and doesn't either want it, doesn't like the taste or its old. If its commercialy cut it should have the date of processing on the package. that said, venison for steaks must be properly cut, quickly seared and eaten medium rare and hot, if not a a long slow braise with aromatics and wine is the key to counteracting any 'gamy' taste which can or canot be strong depending on the browse the animal was feeding one.(deer are browsing animals). Good luck!-Dick

The salt provides the 'cure' and with the addition of the Nitrates/nitrites the safety. When using new techniques, especially when using 'cures' a knowledge of not only the recipe but the reasons behind what you are doing is essential or you can make yourself and others ill by improper technique. Copy of Foie Gras- A Passion would be a good idea as its the best book I have found on the subject.-Dick

Penzy's, there simply is no better source for spices and particularly the various forms and types of cinnamon.-Dick

I used to purchase saffron by the ounce from reputable sources and never the powdered stuff which is adulterated with filler. A simple pinch method with your fingers while rolling them to reduce the saffron threads is sufficient unitl you have the color/essence that pleases you. But as with anything that has become valuable these days, many sources are unreliable and the cost in USD is way too high to justify its use anymore, so we do without and use annatto for color if needed.-Dick

"EDIT: Not a metallurgist but I play one at work. " While my degrees are in Nuclear Engineering, my Graduate studies and research are in Metalurgy. "but improper tempering seems to me overwhelmingly probable." Another possibility is that a defect in the lattice structure such as an inclusion caused a stress riser and led to fracture. My original statement stands, "But without the blade to section and analyze the fracture surface, we can't know positivly."EOT-Dick

Not 'stress cracking' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_corrosion_cracking , but more likely brittle fracture (In brittle fracture, no apparent plastic deformation takes place before fracture.) from improper heat treating. But without the blade to section and analyze the fracture surface, we can't know positivly. -Dick

The actual effect on your wine drinking is mostly hype. We have taken to using the stemless Riedel for larger events as it tips less but we still get breakage. I would purchase whatever you are comfortable with and forget all the marketing.-Dick

Did the recipe call for sel rouge or pink salt? I agree with Davis that a pink colored salt is not a substitute for pink salt. I use Kosher salt with the addition of saltpeter (Potaassium Nitrate) as color preservative and as preservative. The prep i use is out of the Book Hudson Valley put out a few years ago(Foie Gras…A Passion),a must have if you want to prep foie. For a non restaurant prep you can just wash your foie in water if not very bloody and remove only the larger veins keeping the foie more or less intact. Cover with the salt mixture and wrap as a torchon. After curing, eat which saves a lot of work.-Dick

Cleavers and Chinese Chef are two different knives but Furi advertizes that this one can be both. Wusthof makes cleavers and a Chinese Chef knife and i suspect the heat treat is very different. One wants a cleaver to have less hardness and tensile strenth while a Chinese Check knife made for just cutting, should be harder for a finer edge and edge holding. The knife you pictured has not suffered any plastic deformation but exhibits a classic brittle fracture except the entire blade has not snapped off so I suspect that the spine of the knife had a different heat treat than the rest of the blade. Reading the Furi website, the knife is one piece and I suspect a lot of hammering in the hot condition to attain this form. In any event, the knife is no good and even being an Engineer does not confer the knowledge of a Metalurgist. I have Wusthof cleavers and a Wusthof Chinese Chef knife. None has suffered any cracks or other defects. -Dick

First, when you refer to 'loster' there is only one species, 'Homarus Americanus'. All the rest are crayfish. Anything frozen is not the same. Second, attempting to remove the meat from a live/fresh lobster is difficult as it adheres to the shell. A brief sojurn in a boiling water bath followed by an immersion in an ice bath simplfies things. Third, lobster only requires one of three simple preps, you can boil, steam or roast. As with any fish, you don't need to know or measure any temperature as it is cooked when it turns from translucent to opaque. Fourth, I can't believe anyone would sous vide a lobster, there just is no reason.-Dick

Your cookware should match your heat source. If you use electric residential rnage, then I don't think you will miss much with whatever you use. If you have a high heat source such as a gas range with 15KBTU+ burners, than good commercial copper(2.5mm) can change temperature faster, convey more heat to your food and you feel more in control. There are other types of high end ranges but I haven't used them with copper. The downside of commercial weight copper cookware is just that, the weight of the larger pieces is too much for many individuals. If your range and current cookware satisfy your needs, then stick with them.-Dick

I always love Posts that refute every single item mentioned in a previous Post that are from such a small 'boutique' operation to be so insignificant pertaining to the topic under discussion. Perhaps, xxchef would like to raise an animal for ianeccleston to practice his newly learned skills. Oops, I forgot, xxchef is NOT in the Chicago area and therfore his information is just about useless to the original Post. If xxchef can not raise a hog for ianeccleston, then I suggest that the suggestions that I Posted still stand and are useful because that is how almost 100% of the hog raising, transportation to market, slaughter are done in this country. Perhaps ianeccleston can pick up the hog from xxchef and transport it himself to market, I think not. The growers have specialized equipment and know how to transport these animals but I assume that xxchef is volunteering to do the transportation himself! I have seen a few of these 'boutique' and I think really think the word 'boutique' conveys a certain homey feel so I will change that to 'Mom & Pop' operation which really is a better description. These 'Mom & Pop' operations frequently fly below the radar of the regulators and frequently are actually unsafe and actually inhumane in thier overall treatment of the animals. USDA Regulations are there to assure safety of the food supply as much as assure humane treatment of the animals. BTW a quick Google will yield the USDA definition of the term 'natural' which can actually mean anything as long as the grower defines the term. The original Poster is faced with a choice. He can use the information I supplied and find a grower that will yield a safe and reasonably sane product, or he can go on a search for a somwewhat mythical grower such as xxchef who may or may not exist in this area. I really don't care at this juncture but I will offer one last comment, a processor that has a waiting time of months doesn't offer me much comfort that they will be ready on the day the animal is brought to them for slaughter. I have purchased many whole pigs from suckling to market weight, purchased them at 4H County Fair auctions and have a lot of experience. I don't deal with 'Mom & Pop operations as on the whole I find them not as safe, reliable and the final product is not up to the standards set by a good market operation.-Dick

I don't understand what you mean by "the knife isn't Japanese". We are not talking about using a knife to slice in a traditional Japanese sashimi/sushi cut but a Western slice of thin cold smoked salmon other wise known as lox to many. I didn't think we were discussing slicing hot smoked salmon either. I routinely cure farm raised Norwegion salmon and slice with the Wusthof I mentioned. The blade is quite flexible(giving birth to the Trade Name 'Flexibel') and thin(less a tenth of an inch thick) and not very tall(about 0.6inches) and is available with or without kullens. This is a very specialized tool and is just right for the job. One certainly can get the job done using any number of knives and techniques but I doubt any are as elegant and yield the same final results. A takobiki is a very long specialized tool which I believe it blunted so one doesn't run another person through. I have not seen one used on an octopus but i have seen one like it used to take apart a 400#+ fresh bluefin. It makes a nice long deep cut until one reaches the spine of the fish and then you roll out the blocks(four if you look at a tuna cross section) for smaller cuts that eventually work their way down to your plate as either sashimi or sushi.-Dick

You need to clarify in your mind what naturally raised means to you. Does it mean organic and not kept in feeder pens, or non-organic, not kept in feeder pens or whatever? Most operations are set up to provide a market hog at about 160#'s and any deviation costs the grower money which will be passed on to you. The hog will have to have antibiotics when young and I don't know how you get can around that if you include no antibiotics in your definition of natural. I would concentrate more on finding a processor unless your class will tell you how to kill, gut and clean a live and kicking hog. A good processor will know the operations in the area and can arrange to obtain the hog for you or put you in touch with the grower. The grower is then responsible for deliveing the animal to the processor. I would be wary of any grower who tells you they can process on site. When you pick up your pig if it is just killed and gutted, be sure you are prepared to handle over a 100 #'s of fresh killed hog with all the dripping and what not that goes with the animal as well as provide the proper temperature control until processed. Me, if its not a suckling pig of less than 30 #'s, I just wait for a sale at Sam's Club or where ever they don't have unadulterated pig for sale and purchase. I've butchered whole hogs before and its not a task one takes lightly. Good luck!-Dick