[Tripe a la mode, anyone?]

I am amazed at the price of beef tripe, offering low fat , and high protein. Apparently it hasn't been discovered by the chi-chi crowd, and there is a big yield in each animal.  I only cook it  once every six months, and I am inconsistent. 

 

Does anyone have some sure fire  recipes that are sumptuous, savory, and tamed?

[Oxtail Soup]

You could look for a butcher shop with beef carcasses rather than boxed meat. Or contact local small abattoirs or farm-gates offering their own frozen beef. Asian stores usually have oxtails.

[The Quintessential eG Kitchen Tips/Trucs]

Hard boiled eggs not  easy to peel?  Steam them or pressure cook, just a few minutes. Overcooking and the yolks will get the greenish cast. 

[Cooking for an older couple]

Do you have a high end pressure cooker?  I used cheapies like Fresca and Lagostina for years, until I got a Caphalon, which is a re-branded German brand.  It has made a lot of difference in my one pot meals, as it achieves a true 250 F temperature and cooking time is reduced. I cook for myself; I frequently cut vegs and proteins to similar size, and cook for 10-20 minutes. You probably know all that, but here is a tip from Jacques Pepin:   his mother would buy day old or last day sale items at the market for her restaurant, often one hour before the market shut down.  Pepin insisted that over ripe items had great flavor and nutrients,at low cost.

[dry aging beef question.]

You need the bacteria, not the salt.  It will penetrate over time and spoil the flavor.  A dedicated bar fridge with a small fan inside should be ideal. 

[japanese cooking - dashi]

I use it in French food as a stock. substitute for stock.  It is close to some beef stocks, and far better than  Campbells or Nestle.

[Can't figure out how to sous vide that keeps moisture but also breaks down collagen.]

Try a pressure cooker.  The collagen will melt, but cooking time is short and the meat won't dry out.

[Sausage question]

Pet food.  Scavengers like dogs or crows can handle it.

[Fried Chicken]

3 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

When dredging in flour, egg wash, then crumbs I was taught to leave it in the fridge for some number of hours to aid with adhesion. 

Thanks, I'll try that.  Good breading is hard to achieve, for me, yet Cap'n Highliner has been doing it for years, probably with additives.

I used plain flour for my chicken coating, because I was following any number of southern U.S. cooks on youTube, with authentic results.  

[Fried Chicken]

2 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Interesting.  It only took 10 minutes @350 to straight out of the fridge?

It was on the counter for an hour.  10 minutes is approximate; I pulled it when the internal temperature was 165 F at the bone.

[Fried Chicken]

Yes, I have a feeling that a few hours would also work. Keep in mind this is just seasoned flour on the chicken skin, not a batter. There is definitely a reaction on the skin, making it stiff and leathery.

[Fried Chicken]

I had one chicken thigh coated in flour , leftover but uncooked.  It came out of the fridge after 12 hours for shallow pan frying, with a thoroughly caked white coating.

10 minutes at 350 F  and it was perfect: crunchy, crispy and intact (skin stays on after taking a bite. )  

 

Did I stumble on this, or is there a history of simple flour dredging left overnight?

 

I'm going to try this with fish next.

[The Loving Your Leftover Series: #1 Sausages]

I make a bean pot with leftovers once a week. It is a speedy version of casoulet I learned from E. David's books years ago. (Where everything is measured in thimbulful, teacupful, soupcon, a wine glass of, etc). 

I cook dried white beans or pinto beans in a pressure cooker with stock and a trinity. It takes a half hour. Then I add sausages, seasoning, and fresh herbs, and add heat until the sausage is just cooked.  

Not as extensive as a true casoulet, but easy to accomplish while I have a 5 o'clock Manhattan. 

[The Loving Your Leftovers Series: #4 Rice]

Canned peas have a special unique flavor and texture. Especially tiny Le Seur peas. I usually think of rice and peas using dried cow peas or other affirmative dried beans,  but I am definitely going try Kerry's recipe.

[Costco's mechanically tenderized meat]

Steaks and ground beef in Costco Edmonton, Alberta were recalled in 2012 after a child was sick with e coli. The tenderizer was suspected but not proven as the source.  In 2013 the Canadian Food Inspection Service ordered all tenderized meat labelled as such. I haven't heard of any tenderizer problems since then, but there are recalls from time to time.,

[Inspiration? Low fat low fiber?]

You haven't mentioned fish, which should be low in fiber, and oil, and easy to digest. 

There are lots of soy products as dairy or protein substitutes.  The only ones I use are tofu and Kirkland soy beverage, which tastes like slightly sweetened skim milk. I avoid almond milk because a huge amount of water is used in production.. 

Are eggs OK? Certainly egg whites, angel food cake, lemon merangue or banana based pie?  How about white bread with mayo and tuna? Sticky rice?  Pearl barley? Tomato soup...  squid...  mussels...

[Brining - can I do it today for tomorrow?]

I would not chance it. The salt can permeate the chops and they will be too salty..  I tried this with Montreal steak spice on  strip loins, froze them, and then found them to be inedible.

[Culinary and Kitchen-Related Pet Peeves]

20 hours ago, weedy said:

the food trend I avoid is frozen vegetables.

Agree, but I use them in soups and stews, or to start a sauce that will be strained. They are always soggy out of the bag, and I wish they were shrink wrapped.

 

[Small eggs]

Small eggs can be found in Asian stores. Sometimes double yolks. 

[What's the Appeal of Cooking Sous Vide?]

On 07/12/2005 at 9:05 AM, ulterior epicure said:

Can anyone illuminate me on the appeal of cooking meat by putting it in a plastic bag and boiling it? I've had this at many a (fine) restaurant and I fail to appreciate the ecstasy at which some seem to undergo when encountering (or offering) this preparation...

Short of sounding absolutely ignorant, I realize that the technique affords great advantages to some products (like foie gras), but chicken? pork? Tender as they may be, I prefer a more natural way of "sealing" food - perhaps the age-old bladder or other non-porous offal

I ask only because I wish that I could be "enlightened" and join the swooning masses when offered this preparation at a restaurant...

U.E.

Light flesh like chicken breast, pork chops, salmon steaks, don't have a lot of marbling. If they are sv'd, the scant internal juices are retained (mostly), and the package can be held at serving temperature for an hour or so. Larger items like roasts are more problematic and I don't do them. Anyway. I can never plan a meal 72 hours ahead.

[Microwave Tips]

I use it to start bread dough rising, not just in proofing.  I nuke the ball of dough at level 1 for 1 minute. Then repeat two or three times until it is nicely warm. The yeast will respond to the internal heat without getting cooked, and the dough will rise quickly.

[Sous Vide Fish - Questions]

Have you tried adding hot water from a kettle?  The slow cooker seems to be slow in coming back to the required temperature.

[Adding Starch to Pasta Water]

How about adding barley water?  Strain the thick liquid from cooked barley, freeze it in an ice cube tray, and add as needed to the pasta sauce. Pearl barley should cook up quickly, but unmilled barley may add more nutrients to the liquid.  I haven't tried this, but probably will next time.

[BBQ safety]

Crumpled aluminum foil is a good scrubber.

[Cured nasturtiums]

Should be fine for a few weeks refrigerated.  To be honest, I don't think they are anything like the pungent capers from the Mediterranean. A very different plant; a shrub, not a tender salad plant.