budrichard

Fifi, I can't quote the reg but wherever you are in the US and you purchase oysters and clams from government allowed waters, a tag listing where and when the bivalve was harvested should be kept with the bivalves and shown to the customer upon demand. In most grocery stores you will find a couple of weeks have elapsed from harvest to marketing. The oysters from Browne typically have a day or two when they reach you by FedEx. -Dick

Just looked at the Cargill site http://www.sterlingsilvermeats.com/excel/index.jsp and they only sell 'Pre-cooked' Rib Roasts. -Dick

Probably the most important thing about cooking is to cook for a specified internal temperature then resting for 20 minutes to an hour depending on the size of your rib roast. We cook for an internal temp of about 100f to 110F and then let a whole rib roast stand for about 1 hour covered with foil or in a warm oven. The well done or medium people get the ends, the rare people the center. -Dick

A 'Chinese Cleaver' is really different than a 'Cleaver'. The edge on the 'Chinese Cleaver' is much thinner than a regular 'Cleaver' and really should not be used for cleaving. I have both Wustof 'Chinese Cook's Knife' and a heavy Wustof 'Cleaver'. The Wustof Chinese Cook's Knife is very versitile and can substitue for a number of blade shapes. Wustof 'cleavers' come in different sizes and edged thickneses and are meant for actual cleaving through bone or gristle. -Dick

"I do however disagree about knives having to feel the same. A paring blade feels totally different from a Santoku or Chef's knife no matter that they're even from the same line of the same make. As for safety, I've yet todate been cut by my own kitchen knives however, i have had multitudes of paper cuts and cuts from just about everything else." It was not the blade shape that I was indicating but the handle feel and the way the blade cuts. The ease of cutting can be directly related to the percieved effort to cut . Going from a custom blade made from esoteric really hard steel to a high carbon steel is difficult. I like to have a uniform feel in the kitchen because I use many knives in the course of food prep. I have about 20 Wustof blades ranging from small pairing to a 13" 'BoneSplitter'. Sooner or later you will be cut. The severity will depend on the force employed at the time and the blade steel. The sharpest blades I have are from Bob Dozier. It took less than 24 hours for the first knife I obtained from bob to 'bite' me. As Bob says "If they bite you, they generally go all the way to the bone" which it almost did. http://www.dozierknives.com I don't believe that Bob lists any kitchen blades on his web site but will make them to order. Call and talk to Linda(wife). One last thing about knife safety. with the knives of today, the practise of food prep while drinking can lead to accidents. -Dick

Great report! The only time I purchased a bottle of Le Montrachet, Domaine Baron Thenard was when I found two bottles at a Foremost liquor store in Antioch Illinois under priced. One had a large ullage and I left it. The other I took and it was one of the best(1967 I think) whites we have ever had. Truly a stunning wine. I understand how you felt at the lintel completely. -Dick

Used in stir fries as an alternative or adjunct to soy. Use to make marinades. By itself very gray and pungent but after heating adds charachter. Kind of like Japanese XO sauce which adds a very pungent flavor. Try crab with hot bean oil also. When in the Asian markets i pick up a whole range of these pastes and oils. Some are very good and some.....Be careful to try and ascertain freshness as some of the markets keep this stuff forever. -Dick

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