jayt90

I don't really have a problem poaching an egg. Just 4 minutes of simmering is fine. But the bottom always sticks slightly, and the pan has to be cleaned. If this device can avoid that I'm in.

Heavy vacuum pack seems to be fine, but some IQF seafood shrink wraps are unreliable, so I look at them carefully before dunking. I heard somewhere that Ziploc freezer bags are safe past boiling, so that is what I use for most fish and vegetables.

Is Sysco chicken and dumplings frozen with preservatives, or just frozen? I would be looking for another job if Sysco, and the boss, depend on food chemistry. You deserve better.

I cured a beef shoulder roast with a dry rub and Readycure (1/6 Prague strength) for two weeks. There was sugar in the cure, and extra salt from Montreal steak, plus a few other spices. On March 17 I didn't have time to sv, so I had to decide between pressure cooker and a tagine. I put it in the tagine unrinsed with two potatoes, on a steaming rack over water. Lid on, and into a 400 F oven for 2 hours. Came out really good, all collagen was soft, and the spicy surface well crusted. The potatoes were golden brown, a nice plus. Served with creamed spinach. Leftovers went into corned beef has this morning. Next year I plan to try sous vide haggis on Robbie Burns day (Jan.25). We Scots are always a bit jealous of the Irish on St. Pat's day!

Here is a method of searing a steak in butter and steak rub with coffee. You could probably finish a sous vide this way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qit966koC4#t=16

I seem to recall that flavor essences are created by freeze drying. Also by spectral analysis, then recreating artificially. Your method may work, but it is not used by the flavor industry.

Salt and smoke will lead to some pinkness. I have seen nitrite infused salt from Indonesia, so it it might be an old time product in other parts of Asia.

Soius vide may not finish the large fat cap unless you devote time and temperature. I would sear and finish in a 325 F oven or BGE., to an internal 155 F.

I would look up recipes for kale chips and mimic them, for crispy skins with seasoning. If you have to take the skins back to your own kitchen, they can be frozen and used later. , If I found myself making a black squid ink sauce, I would blend in the cod skins for texture and body, before straining it over pasta or seafood. Otherwise I would save them in the freezer for the next fish fumet, which can be made in less than an lf hour and frozen until needed.

I still think it is a pork shoulder, after seeing the complicated muscle structure in post #10, and the appearance of the flat blade bone. It is a rip at $6/lb, and you can get the same quality at an Asian store for under $2/lb. . I agree it does not need to roast to 200 F. More succulent at 170 F, and if it won't shred, slice it thinly, for a juicy pull..

I don't put muscles or flesh into my stocks. Too costly. But chicken backs, necks, wing tips, and skin have lots of flavor and gel. Asian stores often have $1 bags of fresh chicken backs, and I have had good results with them. I don't bother with vegetables any longer, as I like the pure chicken flavor. Sometimes I make a pure vegetable stock in the PC, (just .5 hour is enough.) Then I have the option of blending vegetable stock and chicken stock. I really pack the chicken parts into the PC, and add just barely enough water, some bay leaves, and 125 ml vinegar. That's optional, but supposedly it extracts calcium from the bones. One hour is enough time in the PC, with a slow release.

You can look for unfiltered, unpasteurized vinegar in a health food store. I have Omega brand apple cider vinegar with "mother" but there are other organics, some in a clear glass bottle. Cherry wood chips safe to use can be found in any large BBQ department or fireplace store. I would call Weber in the Chicago area. The Austrlalian wineries perfected the use of chips in aging wine in SS vats years ago and it is now widely accepted in the wine trade. There is no reason not to apply chips to vinegar.

I had offal frequently as a kid; now, not so much. We had swetbreads, kidneys, heart, calves liver, and haggis. I remember eating stuffed gizzards, from chickens and Mallards we raised. Sweetbreads have a sublime creaminess, especially if I can get the thymus, not the pancreas cut. The broth or gravy from beef kidneys is tremendous, but most are smelly; lamb kidneys seem to have the mildest odor, and produce a unique pan sauce. Maybe I'll gather together the parts for a tender, juicy haggis next week.

I am continuing to refine my butter coffee. I will soon be making it every day. This is not Bulletproof coffee. For one large 12 oz mug: 3 heaping tablespoons of freshly roasted South American or Central American beans 1 to 1.5 T sweet butter (lightly salted will also work) 12 - 14 oz boiling water Grind the beans to a fine level in the VitaMix for 10 seconds, high speed. Add the boiling water to the VitaMix bowl and let steep 1 - 2 minutes coffee Add the butter, and blend at high speed for 12 seconds. It will turn creamy brown. Filter through a # 4 stainless steel or gold plate mesh filter. I use a Swissgold, dripping into a large mug, but a $7 Wal-Mart SS mesh fed into a carafe will be fine. A couple of stirs may be necessary. The coffee will be rich, voluptuous, and very potent with the ultimate caffeine high. Butter coffee will digest slowly with a gradual let down, no crashing or hunger pangs.

Thinking of London, at reasonable cost: Salt cod, the creamy brandades, and tomato based stews. Cioppino, or Italian seafood stews. Cassoulet, with whatever is inexpensive, lamb shoulder, chorizo, breast of veal, etc. Choucroute Garnis, with seasonable potatoes, apples, sausages and bacon.

I keep ginger roots with nodes in a 6" pot with black soil. Very fresh, and it starts growing in February.

A lot of good fish fillets in cryovac might respond well to this method. I'll try this with hake tonight, removing from the wrap and cooking in pan oil and oven until 135 F is reached. I wonder if there is a way to add crumbs to the exterior?

I use a VitaMix to grind coffee beans. It takes 10 - 15 seconds for 6 oz., depending on the type of grind I need. I find this comparable to my Baratza Virtuoso or manual Zassenhaus, although coffeegeeks will disagree. I think grinding corn would be a cinch in the VitaMix.

I make a pot of beans once a week. Usually white beans, Great Northern (heritage) or Navy (generic). I can't tell much difference; they are delicious and adapt well to flavorings, 30 minutes or less in the pressure cooker. To keep the color light or beige, I often use a can of yellow tomatoes rather than red. I have been looking for the crop of 2014 white beans but of course it is too soon, as they are being harvested right now. I called a major broker in Michigan and Ontario, Thompson Beans, to see when the current crop would be available. The answer is December, and the best before date will be December 2017 when this package is on the shelves. The beans should be fresh and cook well, after a long, slow 2014 growing season. They will be sold as Thompson White Pea Beans, or Our Compliments beans. Meantime the Loblaw group has PC Great Northern Heritage, at $2.80 / lb.

I don't have an Egg, but I do not find the WSM messy to clean up, and do not understand why the BGE would be maintenance free. Both units burn low ash lump charcoal at similar high temperatures. The WSM can be dissembled easily when it cools down, and there is never very much ash. If I pay three times as much for the BGE, I lose portability, and gain winter use, if I dare to cook on a patio when it is snowy and blustery. For anyone wondering about entering the art of home smoking, there is nothing better than the WSM knock offs, like the Brinkmann (charcoal version) at $100, or the Lowes at $80. or less: They won't last forever, but your first results will have that barque, pink strip, and woody scent that satisfies. http://www.lowes.ca/smokers/master-forge-vertical-smokercharcoal-grill_g1429437.html

I have used the Brinkmann and the Weber. Both are good, although the WSM is an exceptional product, with better build and detailing. My Brinkmann only lasted 3 years before rust perforation started. Webers are known to last 10 - 20 years. The Weber SM will burn 5 lb charcoal slowly for 6 hours or more, at 225 F. There is a water pan above the coals to stabilize temperature and catch the drip. The external temperature is moderately hot to the touch, and does not throw sparks. Most of the heat is converted to slowly dissipating smoke, which drifts out through the lid.

gfron, you could add to your list: the playoff of brittleness vs strength or sharpness, the strength of the blade-handle junction the geometry of the edge, and the tapering of the design ease of sharpening and maintaining the edge. There are some some surprisingly inexpensive carbon steel blades from CCK, Leigh Valley and from Japan that meet all my requirements (although the sharpest will show a few nicks after 10 years). I suspect there are a lot of mid field players making large profits on knives that appear fashionable.

A cast iron pan may yield uneven results, with some scorching or steaming. A Whirley Pop device is low cost, and reliable for roasting coffee beans, so it should work for corn by moving kernels all at once. Widely available, even in thrift stores; here is a link http://www.kitchenstuffplus.com/10881-.aspx?src=google&gclid=CjwKEAjwp7WgBRCRxMCLx8mMnDMSJADncxS2cqrdHAaKtt0ghJxhjO4hgv31G_Z4TaLq6ixMm-WSYxoCzTvw_wcB#

Poached eggs, sole, Atlantic salmon, calves liver, processed cheese slices, large flake oatmeal, ackee, minestrone, apricots, cherries, mangoes, bananas etc. I use a smaller bowl Vitamix, the 32 oz, and it is fine for small households. I make a very quick brandade when under the weather: Honest Earth Instant potatoes, garlic powder, evoo, cream, and flaked cod or sole; about 20 oz. and 20 seconds in the Vitamix.+ Braised pork shoulder, or cottage roll, might be a change from chicken thigh.

Barley risotto. Use pot barley rather than pearl barley.