chemprof
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So what are folks cooking up for Christmas presents? I'm thinking of making cheese straws w/ chipotle (adapted Southern Living recipe), chocolate hazelnut biscotti (Food Network) and gingerbread biscotti (Fine Cooking linked upthread) and some spicy pecans. I also might think make some spice rubs....I saw this one in Eating Well that looked interesting: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tuscan_spice_rub.html)
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Two incredibly stupid comments from TV peeps (on the same day, no less):
From Christopher Kimball (talking about brining): "Salt is made of two molecules, so it's faster at osmosis than sugar, which only has one molecule." I don't even know what this could possibly mean.
Like many of my students, he has a hard time with the concepts of "atoms", "ions", and "molelcules". Salt (in this case sodium chloride, NaCl) breaks up into two ions (or particles) when it dissolves in water, a sodium (Na+) ion and chloride (Cl-) ion. Sugar (sucrose) molecules don't ionize, so you just have the one particle. So on a unit by unit basis, for every one "unit" of NaCl, you get two particles, and for every one "unit" of sucrose, you get one particle. This can make a difference in colligative properties like freezing point depression and boiling point elevation and osmosis (this last one is important in brining). Colligative properties depend on the number of particles in solution, and are not dependent on the identity of the particle.
Now, having said all that, unless Mr. Kimball is determining the concentrations of sugar and salt of his brining solution, taking into account the different molar masses of the two compounds, that this really matters all that much.
Sorry for the chemistry lecture, occupational hazard.
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Hi Folks-
I've always gotten a lot of great ideas from this thread so I thought I'd bump it back up for 2011 and see if folks wanted to contribute. The rolo/pecan/pretzels upthread, along with the butterscotch pretzels, have been very popular!
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I'm in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel hill area. Also known as 'the Triangle'. Home to the Research triangle park, UNC Tarheels, Nc state Wolfpack and Duke Blue Devils. I'm a Wolfpack fan and NC State alum. I live in a suburb of Raleigh called Apex. I work in Durham in the RTP. I'm a rare species in this area a native North Carolinian. I grew up about 2hours to the northeast in a rural county. NC is beautiful and dear to my heart.
Whoo Hoo! Go Wolfpack! I'm also NCSU alum and W-S native. Looking forward to your blog.
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My favorite is Nancy's Organic Nonfat Plain Yogurt - great tang, great texture.
And plus you have all the great containers leftover..."Eugene Tupperware"!
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Hi Chris,
There was a similar instruction when I made cochinita pibil from one of Bayless' other books. I just had the butcher saw the pork shoulder up for me. They were happy to do it.
Anne
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Back to my German exchange student, yesterday she told me that she gained 5 lbs before coming to Japan, just in case she didn't like the food here (so she'd have a bit of cushion). One month later, those 5 lbs are gone, and she doesn't have much more than she can safely lose.
It's going to be a long year, not to mention that I have very little patience regarding picky eaters (but I never have to eat with her, so it's not so bad).
Rona,
What does she like to eat? When I first went to Japan I thought I'd lose weight eating sashimi and bits of rice, but then I found the wonder of tonkatsu, not to mention all the great bakeries. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! I thought the variety of food, both japanese and non-japanese was pretty impressive. So yes, you sometimes eat salad for breakfast at a hotel buffet, but you can get used to that!
Anne
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Sidwell is a Friends school. It doesn't surprise me a bit the menu is thoughtful. There are lots of interesting funky alternative schools doing good stuff in D.C. I considered Sidwell for my oldest but decided the commute would be a nightmare, and settled on one out in Bethesda, and the menu is equally good. They grow some of their own stuff, in the lower school. I considered Holton, but on their home page they proudly disclose Sodexho handles their catering. That's not the reason I choose another school, but it did make me pause.
The food service provider at Sidwell, Meriwether Godsey, just recently took over food service at our college (from Sodexho
). They are excellent. They try to buy as much as possible locally, and provide a healthy, varied menu for our students and I have been very pleased with events they have catered. They also make some great desserts! This is the first time in all my years at the college that I have eaten at our cafeteria voluntarily, as in "hmm...I forgot my lunch today, I think I'll go buy lunch at the caf". -
It looks fabulous Paul. I have trouble getting past the smell on really aged beef. Ours will get smoked New Years Eve. I may not have any choice since we've been without power here all day so far!
I still want to know if I should sear that huge hunk first before putting it on the smoker. I can't imagine trying to sear a 24 lb roast afterwards and no, I don't have my torch up here with me.
Marlene,
I've been doing roasts (both bone-in and boneless) on the Weber kettle with indirect heat (similar to what I would do for smoking a butt) with soaked wood on the fire but don't worry so much about maintaining a low temp. I pull it at 120° and let it rest a bit, then eat! I've never seared it before or after but it seems to get a tasty crust in the kettle. Takes about 2 hours and I've done from 5-10 lb roasts.
Hope that's helpful...
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I've been reading this thread for months, and finally got up the nerve to get a butt and fire up the weber kettle. I got a 7.7 lb butt at the Harris-Teeter, and it went on naked except for a sprinkle of salt and pepper:
I used the "Minion Method" to get the fire started (20 unlit/8 lit briquettes) plus some soaked hickory. I also had a drip pan under the butt that I filled with about a quart of water. Put it on about 9 am, and everything went swimmingly, except that I was kind of a nervous nellie about temperature control, and so probably opened the grill more times than I needed to to add coals and soaked wood (about every 2 hours or so to keep the temp around 240-250).
Note the instruments in the setup, one thermometer for the kettle and one for the butt. I am a science geek after all (and yes I do have a graph of butt temp vs. time if anyone would like to see!
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after 2 hours:
after 5 hours:
The temp of the butt increased steadily until about 4:30 pm, when it stalled and took from 4:30 to 8:00 to go from 165 to 172. Going into the stall after about 7.5 hours:
In the interest of feeding people that night (I had only invited a few understanding folks for my "experimental butt") we pulled it off the grill and wrapped it in foil while we waited for the water to boil for corn. Calling it done at 11 hours (172 degrees):
It wasn't falling off the bone, but it didn't struggle too much as I pulled it. Everyone gathered 'round the pull and much was devoured sans sauce, and more when we put out a bowl of North Carolina Eastern Style red pepper/vinegar/salt as a dip. There are not pics of this as everyone's hands were covered with grease!
Next time I'll start earlier and try not to open the grill as often, smoke two butts and invite more folks! Any tips on keeping the temp regulated on an old Weber with two of the bottom vents rusted in the "open" position? Also, how much smoke should I see escaping the Weber?
Thanks to everyone for all the great information in this thread!
Thanks,
Anne
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"What kinds of restaurants are you looking for?"
Nate
Hi Nate,
Pretty much everything: Chinese, Indian, Mexican, seafood, vegetarian (I don't expect to find one of those), etc. I've been to Phoenix Asian several times, and it was excellent until the last two times - the quality definitely was not there - I hope they come back to their old standards. I've tried Bert's seafood and wasn't impressed. Tried La Fiesta a few times, and while the fajitas were pretty good, several other main dishes were pretty bad. Went to Green Valley Grill, and their fish was very good (trout and salmon), but their side dishes were wanting, the service sucked, and I wasn't wild about the atmosphere. I don't eat red meat too often, so I'm not looking for rib places, steak places, etc., and I'm not into Southern cooking.
It's just too bad that Greensboro is mostly chain restaurants. I wish more independent ones would open. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Hi Merstar-
If you pop over to the Southeast Dining thread, there are several threads on Greensboro dining. Here's a link to to the the most recent that discusses some of the things you're looking for: clicky You might try Boba House on Tate Street for vegetarian.
Anne
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I've been twice to the Super G now and still have not absorbed all the wonderfulness. My most recent visit I took a friend who is the Japanese professor at my college (she's also Japanese!). She was favorably impressed...I hadn't even noticed the first time I went, but there was an entire section of natto in the frozen food area. I didn't know Greensboro would have that much demand!
Things I love so far:
1. Fresh veg...cheap! Some of it's a little beat up, but a red bell pepper for 80 cents? Two avocados for a dollar?
2. Fresh veg...unusual! What do I do with banana blossoms? What is this squash? Durian?? I thought that was illegal! Things I need to figure out.
3. Mexican cheeses.
4. Coffeebeat! A Lotte candy that tastes like coffee-flavored M&M's!
Last seen in Uwajimaya in Portland, OR. I am so shallow.I'm sure there will be more.
They have apparently been tres busy, which is good.
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My brother had two dishwashers put in (one on each side of the sink) when he redid their kitchen. It's huge so he didn't give up any storage that I can see, and I cook in there a lot. With 3 boys under 10, it seems like one of them is always going (they could probably use two clothes washers too!
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The only culprit i can think of now is the baking soda that may be expired.
iii_bake, I don't think that baking soda expires. Baking powder expires because the ingredients mix with humid air and cause a chemical reaction. But soda is a single ingredient - the most it can do is get lumpy.
Is it possible that the leavenings were not well incorporated? For example if the soda were concentrated in one area that could cause exess browing.
What about overmixing? That might explain the chewiness.
One last possibility I can think of is the buttermilk. When I occassionally use a different brand of buttermilk, I notice that the consistency is not the same. Buttermilk also seems to thicken with age.
Hope this is helpful.
Hi thanks...about the baking soda...you really scared me because that is the only thing i can pot a blame on
( I tested it with hot water and it still bubbled though 
)Over mixing...that should not be the case...as the chewy thing is just the top...
Buttermilk...this is possible in the sense that i used frozen Buttermilk which was not smooth...( This brand of buttermilk says it is freezable).
I have never thought about te buttermilk before...
Thank you.
Willkeep u posted.
Thanks again
Hey there-
If you "tested" the baking soda with water and it bubbled, you've definitely mixed up the baking powder and baking soda. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, and it requires an acid or intense heat to give the CO2 which is the leavening agent. Baking powder, on the other hand, is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and an "acid salt" which is a acidic solid that reacts with the sodium bicarbonate when water is added to give CO2. Baking powder can lose its omph over time if it comes into contact with atmospheric moisture...but baking soda does not because it requires an acid (vinegar, buttermilk, etc.) to activate it, or high heat.
Sorry, I do go on. Occupational hazard.
Take care,
Anne
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Sorry if I am too late. I suggest the Guilford College area, only a few mile away at Friendly and Guilford College. Taneria? el Azteca is some of the best authenitic mexican in town, casual. Sweet Basil's is new and cool focusing on local and organic, and Revival Grill is solid for new American and meat cooked well.
Nate
Unfortunately, the Revival is no longer open for lunch. Taqueria al Azteca is excellent, if you stick with the real mexican specialties, and stay away from the chimichangas they've felt necessary to put on the menu. I haven't been to Sweet Basil's yet, but one of my students works there and says it's very good and I plan to check it out soon. Phoenix Asian Cuisine is also not too far away, and I think it's very good.
hope that's helpful!
Anne
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Thanks so much to all of you for this blog! I'm looking forward to it, and I'm hopeful that it will jump-start me into a food and exercise plan for 2008, which got a bit sidetracked in 2007, and has kept off track by a bad semester and a kitchen reno. Now to skulk over to WW Online and write down breakfast.
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I'm not ready to leave 50K ( you should see the movie "Waitress" if you haven't!). However, I do try to tip 15-20% (usually 20) unless the service totally sucks. It's a hard, hard, job, and I have many students who do it (some of who end up serving me, and I don't want to get a bad reputation!
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These were introduced back in the '30s as a "gravy spoon" as the flat edge at the end allowed the bottom and the sides of a skillet to be efficiently scraped when flour was added to fat for browning.
In the '60s Ekco brought out the black nylon style for use with non-stick skillets - the nylon had a much higher melting point than plastic.
I also have a "sauce ladle" which served the same purpose, scraping the bottom of a deep pot. These are fairly scarce.
Many times old ideas make a lot of sense.
I saw this because it was pulled up recently by someone asking about something else, but it was very interesting to me because I have one of the slanted slotted spoons in the picture above! It's my go-to tool for taking a poached egg out of the pan, and I've always liked it. I received a bunch of stuff from a great aunt who was a TOTAL pack rat. I'm so glad I have much of it, despite the fact that my grandmama proclaimed it "garbage" (and she could cook!). I also have several awesome black iron frypans from her...even though I never saw her cook (she was in CA, I was in NC) I bet she turned out some good chicken!
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So its $120.00 for a nonstick frying pan with a fancy name on it...I get that part
What I dont get is why someone wouldn't just spend some portion of $90.00 to get to a restaurant supply store and buy a "professional" style non stick pan for $ 30.00 and keep whatever was left from the travel expense for food or more toys
and yes 3 years ago I bought at Restaurant Depot a 12 inch nonstick pan with a thick aluminum disk and good solid handle for $28.00, not a scratch or nick in it
carry on
tracey
I have some Calpahlon one non-stick that I got as part of a 2 for $50 package. (These packages are great if you don't have a Restaurant Depot nearby) I like it a lot, especially for the price. I wouldn't pay $120 for a non stick for any brand, I know it's going to scratch up over time!
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MizDucky, I'm with you on the greens. At some point I'd like to try them that "fast stir fried" way,but for now, it's a hamhock and waaay to long in the pot (but it's great!).
I don't make them like this very often, but I also like my green beans overcooked (or cooked to perfection, depending on what part of the country you're freom). Some bacon or side meat, mmm
I like them sauteed bright green with garlic too, it's like a different species...
-Anne
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Well, they were not so much interested in knives they might buy, but overall it was fun. I posted a report over in Cooking, since that's was more appropriate, and thanks for all the good suggestions. Here's a link to my post in cooking: cooking demo.
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So, after talking to students about cooking in the dorms (partly sparked by our recent kitchen reno, and the fact that I was cooking in the dining room), two of my students who are RA's asked me to do a program for them. The theme? Cooking good food in your dorm room. The catch? No exposed elements..you can have a George Foreman grill (small) and a rice cooker and a "hot pot" (possibly a Crockpot, but I didn't go there). You can also have a micro, but I didn't use it, in part because the one in the lounge was nasty, and I feel like you have to figure out a new micro every time you encounter one.
My menu?
Soba and veggies with spicy peanut sauce (rice cooker)
This was very popular. I made a quick peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy, rice vinegar, brown sugar, siracha), boiled the soba in the rice cooker while steaming the veggies above (a frozen asian mix). Mixed it all together and they gobbled it down.
Hoppin' John (also in a rice cooker)
This took a bit of time, but they liked it. It gave me an opportunity to demo how to chop an onion. They were also intriguied because a number of them didn't know what it was (I explained it as "Southern beans and rice"). I sauteed onion and garlic in the rice cooker (a $14 target six cup model), added the canned blackeye peas and chicken broth, frozen sliced peppers, and rice, and cooked until done. Very popular with extra hot sauce.
Panini of all sorts, cooked in a George Foreman with a heavy textbook on top. I tested recipes with an organic chemistry text, we ended up with an Anatomy and Physiology textbook, which worked very well (a $200 multitasker!).
I bought a good loaf of bread at the store, already sliced. Made two panini (bread buttered an thinkly sliced).
Ham and cheese
Brie and apricot jam
A dessert panini (adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurentis)
Pound cake, thinly sliced, nutella and banana.
There was a core group that stayed for the whoe thing, and one or two packs of students that wandered in out out, just eating the samples. It was fun, so I thought I'd share. I have ideas for more things to make in these cooking devices, so I hope they'll have me back. I know it's not Zkitchen, but it may be more accessible. Maybe it will at least keep them from easting 3/$1 frozen burritos!
Please share any ideas you might have!
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Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions. Fugu, I'm not too good at sharpening myself (I have Chef's Choice sharpener) so maybe that will be a future lesson for all of us. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Paulraphael: That's quite the challenge! Start off drinking the vodka, and hope that your girlfriend is drunk enough that she doesn't notice that the main dish is a ramen noodle pancake (on the Foreman) dressed with duck sauce. (is the pizza crust raw or cooked?
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Gravy was only at Thanksgiving, though a lovely giblet gravy it was. For some strange reason, that was also the only time we had rice (MINUTE RICE) to soak up the gravy. Grandmama used Wondra. The first time I tried it on my own I used a flour slurry, which was my first year in grad school, so must have been 21 or 22 It worked out well, and I've schooled some friends on lumps since. I still like the giblets, I buy extra at Thanksgiving. Hard boiled eggs too, if I remember!
Cooking from "My Paris Kitchen"
in Cooking
Posted
I'm so glad y'all are doing this. I just bought the book and I've not gotten to the recipes yet. I will say, regarding Kindle editions - I have the Kindle edition of Pepin's "The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen" and there are a number of errors, especially in the recipes (some of them look like issue with OCR scanning). Also, reading David's blog post on "The Making of the My Paris Kitchen" will make anyone appreciate the difficulty of putting together something like this error-free! (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/04/the-making-of-my-paris-kitchen-cookbook/)