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Okbrewer

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  1. Okbrewer

    Jerky: The Topic

    Where I buy my meat for jerky they slice it for me! They slice it as thin as possible and cross-grain, kinda like how you slice a brisket. Shorter fibers are easier to chew than the long, with-the-grain fibers. I always pound the slices a little thinner after it has marinated. Bob R in OKC
  2. If it's linen you need, head to your local full-service picture frame shop! Many shops create fabric liners and use a variety of fabrics from linen to silk. Scraps or larger pieces can be picked up or purchased. My wife's business is picture framing and she has given me many large linen scraps that I use in baking. She stitches up the edges for me so they don't unravel too much and then I put them in the washing machine, dry, iron, and then dust with flour for use. Bob R in OKC
  3. Okbrewer

    Root Beer, making

    Unless you just happen to like the thought of making root beer with all natural ingredients, there is a much easier way to make it using Root Beer extract. Many grocery stores carry this extract, usually found near things like vanilla extract. If you can't find it at the grocery store, find your local home beer and wine making store, they will have soft drink extracts. With an extract it is as easy as making a simple syrup and adding the extract. To naturally carbonate in the bottle, you will follow the same steps as in the Saveur article, bottle with some yeast and let the yeast do its thing for a while to carbonate the bottle. Now, if you have access to 5 gallon cornelius kegs and a CO2 bottle, the process is even easier! I heat enough water to dissolve 4 pounds of sugar, once the sugar is dissolved pour that into a 5 gallon keg, add the contents of the bottle of extract, (I use Zatarains), shake to disperse the extract, top up to 5 gallons with cold water, hook up the CO2 and force carbonate to about 30psi, cool if you have fridge space, and within 1.5 to 3 days the root beer should be carbonated enough that you can dispense and enjoy. Be sure to back the CO2 off from 30 to about 7 psi to serve! Bob R in OKC
  4. Okbrewer

    Pizza Sauce

    I use canned crushed tomatos, mix in a bowl with some salt, sugar, garlic and Italian seasoning, and do not cook it, just thinly spread on the crust right before baking. It's easy, takes less time and the sauce is brighter, both visually and in flavor than if it had cooked in a sauce pot. Bob R in OKC
  5. Okbrewer

    This was a novel brew

    yeah, the dandelion would have probably been presented better in a light wheat beer or a light ale. I've not had any dandelion beer, but a friend once made a mead with dandelion in it. As you said, a unique flavor that was not unpleasant. Bob R in OKC
  6. I'm picky! I will sort thru produce to find just what I want, even though it may take awhile. I try to get onions that are equal in size and nicely shaped! Since most produce managers 'front' their produce, pulling the older stuff to the front and placing the new at the rear of the display, I usually start picking at the back. Bob R in OKC
  7. If any of you are looking for containers for the vanilla extract, try your local home brew supply shops. I have been using the brown, 22 oz. swing top bottles that my local shop sells. Bob R in OKC
  8. One of the easiest and most noticeable changes you can make is to change the hardware on the drawers and cabinets! New drawer pulls and handles/knobs on cabinets can really dress up a tired kitchen. Bob R in OKC
  9. I want pictures! I like to see the finished product as well as pictures of the process. That way I can compare my progress and finished product with what it should look like! And I don't want to have to turn to the middle or back of the book to find the pictures. Pictures should be adjacent to the recipe or incorporated into the recipe. Most people are visual learners to some degree, and pictures, as they say, are worth a thousand words. And make the pictures color! And with good clarity and contrast! I've been reading Peter Reinhart's American Pie, and while I enjoy the book and his "formulas," the pictures in there are terrible! Bob R in OKC
  10. Instead of a cookie, how about a brownie!? Either spread them out thin on a sheet pan and bake, or bake at regular thickness, cut into larger suares and then cut in half, spread ice cream in the middle and freeze! Sounds good to me! Bob R in OKC
  11. Why use a yeasted dough? For this purpose why not just make a dough using buttermilk and some baking powder. You'll get some rise and the bread will be more cake-like for the pigs inna blanket! Plus it will be quicker and the kids can still have fun kneading the dough. Bob R in OKC
  12. Thank goodness! I thought I was the only one with this obsession! Not just TJ Maxx, but I frequently go to Tuesday Morning and pick up these kinds of things. I buy alot of the fruit syrups they have that are always on sale! I use them in making mead, or flavoring desserts. I have picked up the various oils that they always have and also the cookies! I use the cookies for pie or cheese cake crusts. I always check out the kitchen ware in these stores too. I have gotten a lot of good deals! The best: a block of Henckels Twinstar plus knives for $48!! Hmm! This might be a good day to go shopping! Bob R in OKC
  13. When I make guacamole I usually make a lot! So I end up having some leftover. I put the leftovers in a small glass bowl, cover it loosely with plastic wrap (just so the guacamole doesn't get squished all over the bag!), then put the bowl into a foodsaver bag and vacuum seal then place it in the fridge. Guacamole doesn't usually last long in my house, but I have had it remain green for up to 3 days after making it using the foodsaver technique. I suppose you could also use those foodsaver plastic containers, but I just use the bags. Never tried freezing guacamole. Bob R in OKC
  14. not to thread jack, but...ChefSmiley! Where are you located? Which restaurant? Bob R in OKC
  15. I'm sitting here enjoying my third cup of coffee from my new machine! Before I go much more let me assure you that I DID READ the MANUAL! (I dont' usually!) I filled the reservoir with cold filtered water. The indicator on the side says the thing holds 10 'cups', but it really holds about 6 CUPS (8 oz cups). I filled the caraffe with hot water and let it sit while I used my Cuisinart burr grinder to grind the coffee (local brand). I filled the gold mesh filter with 10 scoops as suggested in the instructions. The scoop provided seems a bit smaller than others that I have, but that is what I used. I may have set the grind too fine on my grinder too, but that may take some tweeking. I emptied the caraffe of the hot water, securely fastened the lid, placed into position and then pressed the start button! This machine is very quiet as it brews, with only a soft gurgling noticed. It does hiss a bit at the finish as steam is let off. About 7 minutes after I it started, the coffee is finished! Again, the temp was right about 198F. The first cup was good, but a bit of metallic flavor was detected. Guess I shoulda run some more cleaning water through. The coffee was good, but not as strong as I was hoping. Next time, I will add more coffee than the manual suggests and also grind a little coarser. There was some sludge in the bottom of the first cup/mug. Second cup was poured at 25 minutes after the first. The temp of that mug was about 150F, maybe a tad higher. Still plenty hot for me. The third cup was poured a full hour after the first. The temp of this cup was almost 145F! Still plenty hot for me! So, except for having to tweek my grind, and maybe using a better coffee, all went well! It is important to prep the caraffe by heating it up first, a your cup/mug as well. Also, when you brew, the caraffe lid must be fully closed, but when pouring you need to open it a quarter turn. To stay hot, the lid must then be closed again. Also, though the machine doesn't employ a hot plate to keep the coffee hot (or cook it more!) the water heating element is located under the base where the caraffe sits. so it does get a little warm there, but not hot enough to cook the coffee. The heating element shuts off 2 minutes after the coffee is brewed. Again, I like this new Capresso MT500 Plus! It looks nice on the counter and is solidly built and seems to brew a decent cup of coffee. I think I'll keep her! Bob R in OKC
  16. My new Capresso MT500 Plus arrived Friday afternoon via FEDEX 2-day air. I got it unpacked and cleaned up and ran some water thru it. Water temp was about 198F. Took right at 7 minutes for the water to run through. It seems solidly built and it looks nice on the counter! Saturday morning will be the real test! I will make coffee in it for the first time! I'll let you know how that goes! Bob R in OKC
  17. Yeah, I saw that ONE critique as well, but every other one that I read said that this machine retained heat well. I don't expect a caraffe to keep coffee hot for 4 hours! I drink it faster than that! I should get this new one next week, and I will report back. Meanwhile, check out this: http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstlook/mt500 The MT500 and the MT500Plus are the same machine except one is black and brushed metal and the Plus version is all brushed metal, specs are the same except the Plus is a little heavier. Performance is the same, supposedly. Bob R in OKC
  18. Go to www.overstock.com, they have the Capresso MT500 Plus for $161.00! I was torn between buying the Moccamaster CD and the Capresso, I ordered the Capresso yesterday. Bob R in OKC
  19. Just found this discussion. Guess what!? Making barley tea is almost like the first step in making beer! Instead of boiling the barley for tea, it would be steeped at lower temps. for beer. But the good news, if you are having trouble finding roast barley for tea, go to your local home beer making store! You will find roast barley in many stages of roastiness! Bob R in OKC
  20. I like to do seared scallops and a piri piri sauce! The sweet scallops and the heat from the pepper sauce seem to go well together. Great appetizer! Wash 'em down with something like New Belgium's Blue Paddle Pils! Bob R in OKC
  21. With gas, when you turn it off, it is off! With Charcoal, unless you douse em with water, the coals are gonna stay lit until they burn out! Which may be a concern in apartment complexes. I use a propane grill, Vermont Castings, and love it. It gets up to temp. quickly and does a number of other things that I wanted. I also have a Smokin' Tex electric smoker, which may suit your smokin' needs, too! It's not a 'real smoker's' smoker (so I've been told!), but I don't have to stoke a fire all day or tend to it in any way. Again, in an apartment you might have the safety issue of the fire box and the amount of smoke generated. You can find the Smokin' Tex at www.smokintex.com or Bass Pro Shops sells them online also! Bob R in OKC
  22. And Bourbon! Gotta have a lil bit of bourbon in my pecan pie! Bob R in OKC
  23. Actually, we did take the subway down to WTC area and to Battery Park, and we were going to take a ferry tour, but it was cold and drizzling that day so we didn't. We walked up to China Town and thru Little Italy, and some of the kids ate from street vendors in those areas. I was just recapping some of the highlights! But, yeah, our focus was pretty much Midtown area. We also took the kids to a tour of Julliard, but only had time for a brief walk into Central Park! Next time we hope to do some more things! And my daughter has already assured me that there WILL be a next time! Bob R in OKC
  24. OH! Forgot to mention, one of the girls in our group, a self-centered little rich girl who thought she didn't have to respect any of the adults and could do as she pleased, but that is an entirely different story, decided she just HAD to eat at Blue Fin! She took two other kids with her and dropped close to $300 for lobster stuffed with crabmeat. I don't know all the particulars because she didn't feel the need to share anything with me, like her whereabouts or being out after curfew, but, again, that's another story! Bob R in OKC
  25. Just got back from our excursion to NYC! Had a great time, saw a lot of shows, and thanks to you all, ate some great food! I am proud to say that none of the folks in our group ate at McD's or Applebees, or any other place that they could eat in OKC! Two of our meals were included in the tour package, first night dinner was at Planet Hollywood, and though the food was not great, it was good with large portions that were very filling! The impressive thing was the way they moved large groups in and out so quickly! At least a half dozen waiters served our group and were quick with soft drinks and water. Our pre-selected choices of dinners were roast chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans; baby back ribs and fries; or chicken Alfredo linguini. All were preceded by a large salad and garlic bread sticks. Again, the food was good and the service quick which met our needs at the time. The kids also got the chance to look around at the memorabilia before we raced over the Gershwin to see "Wicked!" The next day I took a group to John's Pizza prior to seeing various matinee shows. Again, the service was good and quick, the pizza was good with crispy crust, and the kids enjoyed it, but I was expecting...more. My daughter made the observation that, "Daddy, your pizza is just as good as this!" Which made my day, and of, course she got anything she wanted for the entire trip! Even though we had pizza for lunch, we had Italian for dinner prior to attend the evening show of "The Jersey Boys!" Our hotel was just across the street from the theatre, on W. 52nd, and just around the corner on 8th was a little place called Trattoria Rino. What a surprise! They immediately seated our group of 9 and promptly took our orders and served the food. Two oders of calamari for an appetizer were followed by dinners that included fresh pasta: Pappardella salsa Aurora, Cheese Ravioli, Rigatoni in a creamy pink Vodka sauce, Chicken alla Siciliana, and more! All were great! I had an antipasto platter and steamed clams, and my wife had a bowl of the Minestrone! MMM! OH! And the show was wonderful, too! Thursday evening, before we went to see "Phantom", we hit the Hotel Edison and the deli/grill! What an interesting place! And terrific offerings with great prices! I had a pastrami sandwich which hit the spot. My daughter ordered a Chicken Caeser salad which she described as a salad with a chicken dinner on top! Another girl had a chef salad that was topped with tons of rolled-up deli meats and cheeses. A couple others had club sandwiches that were loaded with meats, cheeses, lettuce and tomato. Another had the dinner special of roast veal, mashed potatoes and a side vegetable, it also came with a bowl of homemade chicken and noodle soup! We were stuffed! And as I said the prices were very reasonable! Perhaps one of the meals that the kids enjoyed most was a $3 gyro from a street vendor! I also took a group to Ollie's Noodles for lunch on Friday and all were very pleased with their selections. The other meal that was included in the tour was at O'Casey's. The place itself seemed like a spot that I wouldn't mind taking some time to quaff a few stouts, but our preselected meals were just OK. We had a choice of Burgers, Grilled Chicken Sandwich or Steak Sandwich, all served with fries and cole slaw. Sevice was good, food just OK. I was able to break away from the kids for a couple hours and made my way over to the Heartland Brewery on W. 51st and 6th. I had some very nice beers that I reviewed over on the 'Beer' section on the 'Beverages' board. Thanks again for all the suggestions! We had a very enjoyable, and filling, stay! Bob R in OKC
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