budrichard

Dave, if it doesn't have a shell, than it is not a diver scallop to me. The folks that harvest by trawl will not take up boat space by the leaving the shells on. Therefore if it has a shell on, it is most likely a diver scallop. Obviously not a certainty but the best I can do. BTW the retail market in the midwest for Diver or shell on scallops has dried up. I haven't been able to obtain them in years. The scallops from Browne Trading are excellent but I really like having the mantel and roe. Anyone have a mailorder source that they have used with good results? -Dick

As a kitchen knife user and collector that has been known to spend obscene amounts of money on kitchen knives, I can unequivocally tell you I have standardised on Wustof because of two main reasons. The first reason is that I believe your knives should feel and cut the same to allow safety in going between knives. I have custom carvers that I won't let anyone else use because they are so much sharper than commercial knives. The second reason is that Wustof makes the largest selection of knives and kitchen aids in the world. You have to obtain the full set of Wustof catalogs to view all the differnt permutations of the same knife type. "Most other forums are for those silly Fantasy Knives that look pretty but are as much a danger to the person holding it as it is to whatever it was supposed to cut in the first place." Many of the individuals that inhabit those forums including me are very knowledgable when it comes to knives and kitchen knives in particular. -Dick

"I did call the DMR (Dep't of Marine Resources) today and was told that scallops have to be, by law, shucked aboard the boat. But I was unable to reach the person who could tell me how that law came about so I guess Raymond Carter's explanation above will have to be good enough for now." Nick, I can't run a Nuclear Power Plant on an explanantion that is good enough for now. I also am used to traceability(shells on for me). I will try to loosen up if I appear tight! I do appreciate your help in finding out why things are the way they are. Believe it or not, this inability to acquire scallops in the shell from Maine has been frustrating for a number of years. -Dick

BTW What do you think you are eating in a restaurant today if you order 'Prime Rib'? In most cases unless you actually see the server/chef cutting your slice of 'Prime Rib' off an actual roast, it is from a cryovac package which is just reheated. 'Standing Rib Roast' is the correct term for a rib roast that is not prime. Your butcher will still give you a 'Standing Rib Roast' if you ask for 'Prme Rib Roast' because the two terms have become synonomus today. I am simply pointing out that this interchange of terms has led individuals to NOT being able to know and expereince what a real 'Prime Rib Roast' is. -Dick

Looks like someone needed some cash!-Dick

We didn't need the hint! -Dick Maybe she was on bended knee when she wrote the article!

Since there are so many different Ports and you will get many different reccamandations, I would go to my local wine staore and purchase a good late bottled vintage Port. You will avoid the sediment in a vintage Port and will have a reasonably priced product. Without a lot of history in Port, I think the older Tawny's may be too much at this time. Work your way up as you taste and come to understand Port. -Dick

Kosher BN? Fill me in as I am really interested in how this came about! -Dick

I purchase at a few places in Illinois(Sam's and Wine Discount among others) and have never heard of this 'split case charge'. Can you explain what it is and where you find it. Part of the difference may be that i only purchase full cases based past experience where I purchased a bottle and when I went back it was all gone. Most retailers will take back a case if you don't like the initial bottle. -Dick

Catch up Common sense, btw, is rarely common, nor is it guaranteed to make sense. That's why there's science. To someone from Haiti, it's common sense that you can mutilate a chicken to cure a cold. This is what I read from your reference! " Longer and larger studies are required to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diets. " -Dick

I got the first shipment of stone crab claws to Grash's in milwaukee this year, I ordered 12 thinking I was going to get the regular small ones sold in the midwest. They were huge and as good as any we had in Florida. When we checked out my wife almost fell over at the register, about 5 #'s worth at $25/#. -Dick

I give up! Call it 'Prime Rib' or whatever you want to call it but don't call me for dinner! -Dick

Better to throw them away! -Dick

I like the Grape Kool Aid part. Dick

Was at my local dealer yesterday and even though they had a few NB selections, NO ONE was tasting, buying or talking about it! Good wine shop and clientel! -Dick

The Wine Clip! I love it. -Dick

YUK YUK YUK! -Dick

Went to my local dealer yesterday and thought I would try some Oregon Pinot Noir. He suggested Argyle 2000 Reserve. OK, "give me case" I said. "Do you want one or two six packs" he said! Caused me stop and think, was I purchasing beer? For my whole life wine has come 12 bottles to the case unless purchasing 375 mil/half bottles where in France you get 24 to the case. I vaguely remember reading somewhere about purchasing wine in Calif that way at vineyards. Now I have this little forlorn case sitting all alone in my celler(actually we store wine all over the house in almost every closet or area we have) but it still looks forlorn next to full cases. -Dick

If your wild goose breasts were properly removed they shoulde be boneless and chilled and kept cold, then you are faced witha choice. Wild goose breasts have NO fat, period and are red like beef. They are in no way like a domestic goose. The way we eat them is to marinate in Dale's marinade(soy/ginger based) and sear and then in a hot oven until rare(you canlet them rest a couple of minutes), really rare. If not rare ,you will have tough piece of meat and no one will eat it. If your diners don't like rare meat, you can slow cook them in a sour cream based mixture unitil you essentially have a mush. The choice is yours, BTW, your diners must be ready to eat and you ready to slice the moment you remove from the oven because they will continue to cook. -Dick

THERE ARE NO GOOD FROZEN CRABS. King is commonly cooked and frozen but I will take a really fresh crab any day over frozen. -Dick

Atkins was a charlaton and had NO scientifc data, period. the US Ag Dept (I believe) hosted a panel discussion whose panelist including Atkins and Dr Dean Ornish. I saw the discussion where Ornish got Atkins to publicly admit the he had no study information. Use your common sense. Does a high fat/protien diet sound healthy and likely to reduce your cholesterol? Ornish has results of cholesterol reduction on a non fat diet. I pick an intermiediate point, Low fat, but not extermely high protien, based on olive oil and fish with the occasional steak thrown in. In a coversation with ,my Cardialogist, Dr Sam Wann at St Luke's in milwaukee a few weeks ago, even though my cholesteral levels are withing normals, those normals keep decreasing and he is reccamanding as a prohpylactic treatment Lipitor if a heart scan shows any calcium. I ride a road racing bike 25 miles a day at a 18-20 mph pace so my heart gets a proof test every time I ride along with my echo cardiograms etc. I believe in preventative medicine and not charlaton diet guru's whose only object is to sell books and make money. -Dick

Thanks for the quote clarification, I certainly didn't remember posting that! Prime has been degraded at least two times over the years. You could accurately state that what used to be good grade is now generally sold as choice. To further complicate the matter, the industry recognises at least two grades of prime. The definition is really in the eyes of the beholder. There was good article on Lobels' grandaughter purchasing prime. I go to a small butcher shop in Willmette(email with kind words and i will tell you the name or search in Willmette), the owner buys prime and dry ages for 2.5 weeks. Very good beef and the best I can find in the midwest. Yesterday I purchased a 3" Porterhouse from him and we spent a few minutes looking at two Prime loins to determine from which to make the cut. One looked very good(no pun) and one was simply superior in terms of marbling. You can guess from which one comes the steak in my fridge at a cost of around $40US. Grasch'es in Milwaukee sells prime advertised as dry aged but not as good as my butcher and of course dry aging is subject to interpretation. The ultimate judge is you the taster. Some individuals do not like really dry aged beef. To answer your question, yes! In terms of qualitative tasting. We serve a full 'Standing Rib Roast' every Xmas. I have tried Prime grade from a number of vendors, one year I even had a choice grade organic from the Outpost Co-op in Milwaukee. The diners are never told where the roast comes from. The diners vote for the Prime from my butcher as the best, hands down. Of course this is not a side by side comparison but it is the same relatives! I can assure you that they WILL NOT go anywhere else for XMAS dinner. In terms of Prime Rib, I have never heard of the term Prime cut interpreted as Prime Rib. To me a 'Prime Rib roast' is a roast that is Prime grade period. Why, because it makes all the difference in the quality of the roast which is the bottom line. A real Prime Rib roast compared to what you can purchase in the normal supermarket isa totally different animal(pun!). That is why the Cook's Ill article was so annoying. Individuals would go out and purchase any old rib roast and never know the enjoyment of real Prime. -Dick

Nick. not to belabor the point but it is a very important point to us scallop lovers(you & me). I have discussed this with Jamie at Browne a couple of times. Yes Browne does ship scallops harvested by hand but shucked. Yes, the comment in the article about moving is correct, the ones from Browne are the best I have ever had, We routinely eat them raw as Sashimi. Browne will call them 'diver' or 'Dayboat' if you discuss the matter with them but if you call them and do not disuss the point, they will be called 'Dayboat'. Why? For the simple fact that if a scallop is shelled, to me it loses all tracebility. Browne is reputable and that is why along with my observation of the quality that they ship I believe that thier scallops are caught by divers.That is not to say that it could not be harvested by net and still sold in the shell but those people are not in the 'Diver Scallop' market. Since there is no legal definition, your definition is as good as my definition, just don't call my definition wrong. Over the years I have discussed this point may times with people in the seafood business and Chef's and my results are that 'Diver Scallops' are in the shell.Your results may be different and your results are as valid as mine. I still would like some defintive word on why Maine scallops need to be shucked! -Dick

After cleaning you should use Boos Mystery Oil or a food grade mineral oil to treat the wood to avoid cracking in the future. With the countertops, we go through a lot of it! We have one counter for vegatables/fruit and one for meat/fish and cut right on the wood. No problems if cleaned properly and religeously.-Dick

Are you sure it was Stone Crab since they don't live in Maine but around Florida. Other than that my favorite crab is one that was just pulled out of the ocean/estuary and cooked. Soft shells where the legs are still moving properly cleaned at the moment before cooking, coated with Wondra, salt and white pepper fried in butter are great. Crab that has sat around or in tanks loses flavor. -Dick