jayt90

I have put off learning this method until yesterday, and now I'm sorry I waited so long. I had to use what was in the house, Five Rose whole wheat. It had been sitting in a cool dry area, unopened, for at least a year, and I read somewhere that flour can develop a better flavour over time. This one sure did. I baked off half the recipe in a Dutch oven, at 500F until the bread reached 200F. I didn't know about having the lid on, so I got only a moderate rise, not too many bubbles, and a fine whole wheat taste. The crumb and crust are much like a good rye loaf. I'll do the other loaf tomorrow, and it should be better, now that I've read through this string, and know about parchment and Dutch oven. I have a tile somewhere, so I'll get it out. I think I should let it rise at room temp. for at least an hour, because it is whole wheat, and only moderately sticky. How much water for 2lb. WW, Zoe? What kind of knife for a slash? (My serrated knife is old and dull.) Spelt has a very high protein content, and some gluten. What do you think of this in a future loaf?

For some reason the roe has always been considered offensive by the scallop vendors in North America. Perhaps a remnant of the Puritans influence. The sex organs in the other shellfish are not as obvious as that orange thing

I think this is a mistaken understanding. The "phenolic" (plastic) knobs on the lids of many LC casseroles are limited to 450F (which is kinda high for casserole cooking). The enamel is of course happy to go way, way higher... Personally, I like the short metal handle on my LC 'Grillit' as it makes it very simple to transfer the entire pan to the oven when I want to 'cook through' as well as to sear/brand the food... I wouldn't want a ridged pan with a handle that wasn't oven safe. It almost goes without saying that this sort of cooking does produce greasy smoke, and so is inevitably a severe test of your extractor fan, despite one's best efforts to minimise the amount of loose liquid! Oil the food, not the pan... ← The warranty does not cover overheating of enamelled cast iron. I managed to ruin the enamel of an LC pan on charcoal, and the company would not replace it on warranty.

I have three types of cast iron for indoor steaks and chops. The plain cast iron fry pan is best because I can get it very hot and it has the best heat transfer (pan to steak). No marks, but the best steaks and chops, and a good saucier. The ridged cast iron griddle is also very hot, but heat transfer to the meat is not so good in the depressions. The Le Creuset ridged pan is the least effective of the three: hardest to heat, and the enamel should not go over 450F according to LC. It doesn't make marks as well as the plain ridged griddle. Plain cast iron can withstand much higher searing temperatures.

A fly-in-chef should spend two or three days per week at the restaurant. Otherwise it is just a formal visit, like a CEO visiting a branch plant, where everything runs smoothly for a few hours. The question remains: what will Boulud, add, or maintain? And how can he re-invigorate staff morale? (Humane gestures, and spreading money might help.)

I buy beef and pork from a self sustaining farm in Ontario. Out of 900 acres, they are setting aside 20 to grow Canola, to supply oil for their diesel powered equipment. It is a good choice, as the oil would not be as good as Canola from the western provinces (food grade) and the by-products include a protein mash for the animals, and compost. Plus, a certain freedom from oil prices.

Granton edges (scalloped, Santoku)are often produced only on the left side of fine Japanese blades, to reduce cutting friction. There may be no right side indentations because the intention is not to prevent sticking.

I don't know that pickling salt will give the same results - doesn't it melt a lot more easily than kosher salt? ← I compared the two types of salt, and I now use pickling salt as much as Kosher salt. Kosher salt has a very even crystal, whereas pickling salt ranges from smaller to larger. It dissolves less quickly, but more immediately. There is one additional problem with Kosher salt: it is not pure; the brands I see have one or even two additives, but pickling salt is pure.

Pickling Salt should be even cheaper

Have never seen that. Is it packed in gel like canned ham?

The picture link is not working, and without it I'm not sure I know this product. I keep cans of Kirkland breast meat in my pantry, but, like tuna they are a rainy day thing, and never get used. Fresh chicken or parts are just as easy to prepare.

The poor crops of wheat are world wide and may take two years to recover. When you consider the pressure on corn and soy as well, most of us will have to get used to higher prices.

I think that's how it is everywhere. And I always thought it was strange that it refered to both. Do the pancreas and the thymus have anything in common? And if they're different, do people specifically look for one or the other? ← The thymus is preferred, but harder to get. Here is an opposing view http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-sweetbreads.htm

Sweetbreads in calves are a growth controller near the pituitary gland, and they shrink, becoming obsolete as the animal grows up. You would have to kill a very young deer, if that is practical or legal.

I clean up the burrs in my KA-9 with barley every two or three months. It lets me know with uneven grinding and poor bean feeding. I wipe down the funnel (bean oil residue) and it is fine. I can't get to the burrs without disassembly, but the barley (whole grain,not pearl) seems to clean them nicely.

If you have an Asian store with a meat counter, there will likely be a pile of pork bellies, for less than $4/lb. All you have to do is point

The show where he took some of the cooked mussels and whizzed them to thicken the cooking liquid? I was really intrigued by this. Has anyone tried it? ← I did not see this, but it is similar to a classic Breton billi bi soup: the whizzed moules could be sent through a sieve and added back to the broth, then thickened with cream.

Since you are fairly close to Arva Flour, have you compared their products to King Arthur?

Used cooking oil really should be recycled. One or two steps and it can be used in diesels or refined into biodiesel.

The ribs look great. I'll bet they were well liked. How good are the Ziplocks? Do they have to be microwaved? Is there any uneven spots? I'm wondering about pressure cooking with them. I'm sure they won't hold up to high oven temperatures.

Angela Baddely as Mrs. Bridges in 'Upstairs, Downstairs', "A stew boiled is a stew spoiled!"

The eyes are not fatty, just nerve tissue, lens, and muscle. The gills may be bitter, as they are removed by most fishmongers. I'll feel better leaving the eyes in...

My copy of McGee was revised in 2004. He suggests that large scallops are harvested by boats that may be at sea for weeks, so freezing, dry or wet, is done, if the boat is out more than a day. He does not say how soon after shelling the sweetening conversion begins. Bay scallops can be harvested by divers and sold fresh, as Bud has noted. I would like to know of other sources than McGee for opinions on freshness, packing, and the sugar conversion process, but so far, he is the authority.

I asked. In Canada they are generally Alberta AAA and once in awhile U.S. (don't know what grade, but similar.) They are never Canada Prime, and they don't bring in U.S.D.A. prime. I'll have to look at their store packs of rib roasts, now that you point out the problem.

The Costco.com products are sent directly by courier, and are not the same as the warehouse items. I would have to check Costco.ca to see if I can get that type of roast where I live.