jgm

As more and more attention is focused on the greenhouse gas problem, and the food shortages problem, not to mention the issues of humane handling of animals, I'm thinking more about what I eat, where it comes from, and how it gets to my kitchen. When I was in high school, I read each issue of my mother's Time-Life series on Foods of the World -- the food lover's National Geographic -- and was enthralled with all of the strange and exotic foods. Having lived in Western Kansas all of my life, and not having done any traveling to speak of, all of that stuff was a look into a whole 'nother world for me. Then as my interest in cooking expanded, so did the offerings in the grocery store, and like many of you, I began using fresh vegetables, olive oil, and other things that weren't in my mother's kitchen. So here we are. All of that food 'importing' is said to be injurious to the planet, and there is renewed interest in eating locally-produced food. I'd enjoy hearing your comments about the situation. What are the moral issues involved in having the best and freshest of every ingredient, when increasing numbers of people on the planet are hungry? What are the moral issues involved in having the best and freshest ingredients which are being trucked in, when that has a negative impact on the environment, and is part of a lifestyle that appears to be getting us into trouble? Are your buying habits changing any because of these and related issues?

I'd like to bump this thread up and re-open the discussion, since it's been four years since it terminated. We will be building a new house in the next 18 months, and I have been looking at stoves. The range will be gas; I plan to install one other wall oven, which may be an electric convection oven. I have several questions. First of all, in Fat Guy's posts in this thread, he said "not that the BTU rating tells the whole story on power". Can anyone tell me more about that? The only thing I'm seeing mentioned about the amount of heat output is the BTU rating, and if there are other factors to consider, I'd like to be aware of them. Also, how many BTU's do I really need? I would agree that having one burner that can boil water pretty quickly would be a real advantage. Are 15,000 BTU's that much faster than 12,000? I will be spending $1,000 or less on the stove. It would be lovely if there were a place here locally where I could actually cook on some of these products, but nothing like that exists here to my knowledge. I'm open to recommendations and all types of advice from those of you who've purchased a stove or wall oven recently, including things you wish you had, features you love, and other things to look out for.

In my opinion, a big part of the problem is the mis-reporting, or perhaps just overzealous interpretation, of the scientific results, which then leads people to mistrust science in general. In science we find a lot of correlations, but can seldom draw a direct causal link. There are a lot of variables at work, and health is a very complicated issue. We also see a strong trend of "fear-mongering" among a large part of the mass media: they seem to love telling us that this that and the other thing will kill us any day now. There is usually a grain of truth hidden in the mountain of hyperbole... I think it is a mistake to simply ignore health advice from scientists just because our understanding of the human body is incomplete. ← While essentially I agree with you, one of the problems is that there is so much advice and information being tossed around, it's very difficult to know what to believe. One of the studies that caught my eye a few weeks ago, discussed a finding that was a surprise to even the scientists conducting the study: people who have one diet soda a day (or more) have more of the risk factors associated with heart disease than those who have no soda. (I hope I have paraphrased that correctly.) They don't understand why. Is it because of something in the soda, or do soda drinkers simply tend to have other eating habits which produce the risk factors? One physician in my community says that 8 glasses of water a day means 8 glasses of water, and not water with 'stuff' in it -- such as diet soda, Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, etc. Another doctor says 8 glasses of any liquid is fine. Another doctor says 8 glasses is crap; somewhere around half that is probably fine. All three are highly-respected physicians. There is so much information out there, and a significant portion of it is contradictory. How do you choose? Refocusing a bit... I, too, fight the weight battle. This entire discussion is near and dear to my heart. I find it helps to become a "food snob" (a term I hate) and only eat the best. Myself, if I can't get really good chocolate, I don't want any. If I'm going to eat a piece of cake, it won't be from a mix. If I'm going to eat a piece of pie, it'll probably be from my own kitchen; certainly none of the restaurants in these parts makes pie that's worth the calories. And I am finding good fruits and vegetables to be just as delectable as a good cut of meat. To me, a really good bowl of lentil soup is definitely preferable over a mediocre steak. And there's nothing wrong with eating pork belly. But you can't eat it more than a very few times a year, and on those occasions, don't eat a bunch of other fatty stuff with it. Delicious food is delicious, period. It doesn't always have to have a ton of fat in it. Think about the transformational experience you have when you bite into a really good apple or a really good pear. To me, that's a perfect experience that is at least on par with a great steak. Just like Julia Child and many others have said: all things in moderation. Jenny

Chefzimm, just curious... can you identify how far back in your life this goes? We've had threads on this type of thing before, and some have touched on early experiences. I can remember various moments in childhood when I realized that food was a different kind of thing for me than it seemed to be for others I knew. What can you report? Welcome aboard, by the way.

Oh, how I love love love this thread! I can't think of any food neuroses I have, other than refusing to eat canned asparagus (the real stuff is so good and so easy; the canned stuff is so mushy...) but I probably would if I were hungry enough. My niece, who is now a beautifully grown woman, had a long spell when she was little, in which she would only eat foods that were white. Yogurt. Cottage cheese. Rice. Noodles. Etc. The exception: chocolate. One day she managed to talk my dad out of a Hershey bar (he had a secret stash), and he grew impatient waiting for her to open it. She was smelling it, caressing it, and enjoying anticipating it. When my dad suggested she open it - obviously planning to have a piece of it himself - she indicated she wasn't through looking at it. "You know what, Grandpa?" she said. "I think of these in the night." She's been my favorite person since that moment. (Her daughter is Emma, below...)

Damn!!! What a twerp! And you lasted a whole hour?? ← the sex was good but with out food what is the point? and after an hour I wanted something to eat ← I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you're dating someone, and you want to know how well a marriage would work between the two of you, food and eating habits are an extremely strong indicator. A person's willingness to try new things, to adapt, and several other traits and skills, all show in eating habits. However, if you find someone who shares your own approach to food, but has other habits or dispositions you find intolerable or annoying, don't let the food thing fool you. A sign is a sign.

Sadly, "the beginning of the end" for FN was quite awhile ago. Prior to Sara Moulton's last show, viewers had detected a disturbance in the force. Upon her departure, it was confirmed that the Evil Empire of Marketing had destroyed the whole FN planet. What remains is a hologram... only an illusion.

I once dated a guy who would not eat food that was warmer than room temperature. Anything I cooked, he'd leave it on the plate, and sit and converse with me while I ate, and then when his food had cooled down, he'd eat it. After our first meal like that, I knew the relationship didn't have a future. My husband has had a long list of foods he won't eat: avocados, sour cream, any kind of fruit with meat, and several others I can't think of right now. A couple of weeks ago we dined at Sabor here in Wichita, and had some of their black bean soup. Anything you order at Sabor is heavenly, and that includes, of course, the black bean soup... which came with a dollop of sour cream on it. Dear Hubby ate all around the sour cream until The Horrible Dillema: to eat the last of the soup would have to include eating the sour cream. To not eat the last of the soup was unthinkable. "I couldn't believe it! That sour cream just, like, woke up the flavor!" Duh. Next month is our ten-year anniversary. OK, it's taken me 10 years to get him to eat sour cream. Anybody wanna take odds on avocados and meat with fruit?

I think there's a huge difference in chocolate. A big issue for me is mouthfeel, and it's difficult for me to separate that from flavor itself. But I know that I have tried several of the more expensive bars, including that of a local chocolatier, and I have some I prefer over others. As a matter of fact, I've started keeping my favorite at my desk at work. I often find that just a small amount of a really good bar is far more satisfying than an entire candy bar I can get at a local convenience store. Something that's also true for me is that my palate has changed since my eating habits started changing. As a new eGulleter, I would from time to time scoff at some people's insistence that one type of thing tasted better than another (I can't think of an example right now, or I'd use one), but the more I ate higher quality food, the more my palate craved higher quality food. Suddenly (it seemed), some of my old favorite noshes had objectionable mouthfeel, flavor, or other issues. Some junk food that I used to find irresistible is now not only resistible, but has no appeal for me whatsoever. While I can eat a burger or an order of bacon and eggs at a local chain restaurant, I wouldn't even consider ordering any of their desserts. If I do, I quickly realize that the flavors taste very artificial to me, and that after the second or third bite, "sweet" is the only flavor I can recognize. I suggest you keep trying different kinds of chocolate. I predict your opinion on this issue will change. If not, no reason to purchase anything more expensive than a Hershey's.

I nearly swooned when I unwrapped a soap dispenser from Williams-Sonoma that (courtesy of two AA batteries) has a motion sensor. Put gooey germy fingers underneath the spout, and you have a dollop of soap. And not only fingers can make that happen; so far I've managed to accumulate a pile of soap on the counter from a coffee cup, an elbow, the handle of a pot I was washing, and my boobs (long story). But I still love it. I also got a meat grinder attachment for my Kitchen Aid, so that we can have hamburgers from freshly-ground meat when grilling weather comes back. And who knows, I might even get serious about Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" that I bought when it first came out. And a Ratatouille DVD! Woo hoo!

My suggestions: Ditto on the tongs suggestions. I couldn't function without at least 2. Consider a couple of half sheet pans. If you purchase them at a restaurant supply shop, they won't cost much. I use them for everything. They can go in the oven under a pot or pie that might boil over. When I'm processing a stewed chicken -- separating the meat from the rest - the half sheet is extremely valuable. I can spread the various pieces out on it so that they cool more quickly, and there's still room to make a pile of bones and skin. Since the pan has sides, juices don't escape. When I add parchment, they become cookie sheets. And when I'm frying or sauteeing something, they cover 2 of my 4 burners to make cleanup easier. In this mode, they also create space for spoons, prep bowls, etc., right next to what you're cooking. They're a godsend in a small kitchen. I suggest you tape a piece of paper and a pencil on a string inside one of your cabinet doors. When you have those little moments of frustration because you need something you don't have, jot it down. You may not remember those things later. Don't rule out the Kitchen Aid mixer. It accepts attachments for grinding meat and working with pasta, etc. But it might appropriately be at the bottom of your list. Definitely with the food processor and blender, purchase the best you can afford. Consider a potato ricer. It can double as a food mill. Or let a food mill double as a potato ricer. You don't have to peel potatoes to have mashed potatoes; the skins won't go through the little holes. Just dig them out with a fork. An immersion blender might be a good idea.

Since I have to make 3 pies for a Christmas party tonight, I did a test run with a small batch, turning it into strips of dough baked on a cookie sheet, some plain, some with cinnamon and sugar. This is, by far, the flakiest crust I've ever made. I'm sold. I did not use the CI recipe. I used my own method, and just used about half alcohol. I didn't have any vodka in the house, and although here in Kansas we have a brand-new shiny law that allows us to purchase liquor on Sundays now (will wonders never cease!), I decided to "make do" and use brandy. There was no discernible taste in the finished crust. FYI my method, in a nutshell: For a one-crust pie, one fist-sized lump of Crisco no-trans-fat butter-flavored shortening, which had been refrigerated overnight. For a two-crust pie, two lumps. A good-sized pinch of salt. Sift Gold Medal Unbleached flour over, and work the shortening and flour together with a fork, rotating the bowl as you go. Add flour until biggest lumps of shortening are about the size of small peas. Splash in a glug or two of milk. Stir crust. Add more milk and stir again (gently, gently, more like a tossing motion) until it all hangs together. Turn out onto a lightly-floured board and knead gently about half a dozen times, until it's willing to form a coherent ball. Roll it out and make the pie. The method was taught to me by my mother, who was taught by her mother, who was taught by her mother, etc. No idea how far back it goes, but the women in our family are proud of their pie crusts, and we always enjoy many compliments, despite the lack of upscale ingredients and methods. No, I don't refrigerate the bowl, or the dough after it's been made, unless I'm not going to roll it out right away. Here's how it looks:

I regret that I cannot accurately quote one of my favorite lines. Edith Bunker, God rest her soul, was my kind of woman. After Archie refused to eat the evening's entree, which was tongue - saying "I ain't eatin' nuttin' that came out of no cow's mouth" - Edith replied, "Alright, Archie. I'll go fix you an egg."

My main complaint is probably more geographical than anything else... Whenever I read that "thick lashings" of something has been spread upon bread (or similar food), it reeks of pretension. "Lashings" is mainly a British word, and if the Brits want to use it, I won't argue. However, west of the Mississippi, the word lashings applies to food only if you're trying to sound as if you know what you're talking about, but know that you don't.

I had almost forgotten one of my favorite stories... There might be a person I know. I'm not related to him, but we spend roughly 8 hours a day together. Now I'm not going to say anything negative about this guy, but there might be people in this general vicinity who have dubbed him "Captain Clueless." CC has a medium-sized dog who is a pretty exuberant sort. Our own dog is 1/2 the same breed, and 1/2 something else, and we can indeed vouch for the exuberance and voracious appetite, not to mention the ability to eat roughly 2 1/2 times the dog's own weight before getting full. CC, it is told, once took the dog with him when he went to a local pizzeria to pick up a pizza. Although it would seem to most people that on such a trip the dog should stay home, CC loaded up the dog and away they went. We don't know why. This particular pizzeria sells raw pizzas, assembled to order, for the customer to take home and bake; they are received on a round of cardboard with a good amount of plastic wrap over all. Upon procuring said pizza, CC placed it on the back seat. Although it would seem to most people to be far more prudent to keep the pizza on the front seat, within eyesight, the pizza was placed on the back seat. We don't know why. And it happened, on this fine day, that something especially compelling was on the radio; I believe it was NPR. Must have been one of those "driveway moments". All of CC's attention, apparently, was consumed by the acts of driving and listening to the radio. Upon pulling into his garage, CC discovered plastic wrap neatly piled upon a round of cardboard, which sported nothing more than a couple of black olive slices. We know why.

There isn't much veal in my area, either, but sometimes local independent butchers will keep a waiting list of those who are interested, and when they get enough people, they'll find a calf. If you know of any independent (i.e., not working for a grocery chain) butchers in your area, you might give that a try.

What drives me nuts, is something that happens purely because of TV: when chefs dump an ingredient out of a container, and fail to scrape it ALL out. It's wasteful, and in some situations, can actually ruin the dish because all of the intended ingredients -- such as seasoning or leavening -- don't make it into the finished product. I know it's done because on TV, time is precious and they don't want to waste it on several seconds of a pretty boring activity. But still, it makes me crazy.

Any pet owner who cooks has to have a sense of humor. A Topeka, Kansas woman recently came close to losing her house because of "help" her dog provided while she was cooking: When the fire department arrived, flames were shooting from the roof. No word on who got to eat the blackened fish. (Associated Press story from the Wichita Eagle)(edited to add: everyone got out safely, including the dog and the pet bird!) My dog once finished off a pan of cinnamon rolls just as I was entering the kitchen to put them in the oven. I once dumped an entire pot of noodles down the drain because my cat jumped up and embedded her claws into my thigh as I was trying to drain them. How has your pet ruined dinner lately?

...when you're telling a friend about a conversation with friend X, and what friend X had for dinner last night, and how she cooked it, and the first friend says, "Do I know her? What's her last name?" And you have to confess that you don't think you know her last name. Where does she live? Canada, maybe. Or maybe in the U.S., but I think it would be the Northwest. And your friend says "You know what she had for supper last night but you don't know her last name?" ...Or you find yourself explaining molecular gastronomy to your co-worker. ...Or when your friend just got back from Italy and wants to tell you about his trip, and all you're interested in is what he ate. ...Or when you tell people you're planning to go to a gathering of people you met on the Internet, and their eyes get big, and you try to explain, it's okay, it's okay... it's not like that... it's not really the INTERNET Internet, it's this food site...

How about doing a few chapters for your blog; see what kind of reaction you get, and then determine where you are? I would think a well-written book about being a waiter would be extremely interesting, and I would like to see it cover all kinds of restaurants, from truck stops to places like Per Se. The public really doesn't have much of an idea about what it involves, and I know I'd find it interesting. Some of my best "tips and tricks" of life have been learned from waitstaff.

This seems a bit of a strange question, but maybe not. As my cooking skills expand, I'm running out of all kinds of things, including ovens. We solved part of the problem by buying a microwave/convection combo, which we adore. Several times over the past couple of years, I've contemplated whether it would be a problem to have, say, a chocolate cake or bread in the oven at the same time as ...maybe something with bacon. In other words, when two very different, but very fragrant foods are in the oven at the same time, uncovered, is the transfer of flavor or aroma a significant issue? Maybe it's not; I've never heard anyone say before that they baked the cake at the same time they baked the pork loin, and the cake had a strange pork aroma to it. But I still hesitate to do it. As a bona-fide kitchen klutz who manages to do enough dumb things to screw up dinner, I try to avoid problems when I can.

You may want to take a look at Sally Schneider's books, "A New Way to Cook" and "The Improvisational Cook" for more suggestions.

What a delightful thread! Our family is in an era of evolving Thanksgiving traditions. My husband and I now have only my relatives to visit, since both of his parents are gone and his siblings are far-flung. My mother and my sister's mother-in-law are no longer able to host a major meal, so we all ended up at my sister's, 150 miles from where I live. That imposes some limits as to my own contributions. Total head count: 12 adults, one 7-year-old, one 2 1/2 year-old, one 18-month-old, and one 7-month-old. And 5 dogs. Two great-grandparents (age 83 and 85)were far more interested in lying on the floor and playing with the baby, than eating dinner. They wore themselves out trying to find new stupid noises to get the baby to laugh at them, and when she did, you'd think they'd won the lottery. The 2 1/2-year-old doted on her infant cousin. The 18-month-old clowned around with his uncle's hat. The 7-year-old tried to avoid old ladies who wanted to comment on his truly marvelous freckles. And the baby fell in love with our dog, and bawled inconsolably when he wouldn't stand still and let her pet him. The family Chihuahua, who gets passed from house to house enough that we can't remember who she actually belongs to, reigned over the other dogs and kept them in line. I brought a pumpkin roll and a chocolate/apple/spice bundt cake. The bundt cake came out well. For reasons I don't clearly understand, I cooled the cake for the pumpkin roll on a towel placed on a cooling rack, instead of parchment, which I've always done before. That's probably why the cake cracked deeply when it was rolled. But I smashed it all together with plastic wrap and refrigerated it overnight, and it was acceptable. The family loves pumpkin roll, and would have eaten it however it landed on the plate. My mom sulked because people didn't dive into her pecan tart, made with a new recipe, so we all decided to oblige her by having a second dessert. She also brought a pumpkin pie, which she's really good at making, and then inexplicably blessed it with Cool Whip. The turkey was excellent, so were the potatoes and the dressing, and there was plenty of gravy. Everybody ate too much, and the day wasn't long enough before we had to pile into our respective cars. Our dog was worn OUT and slept all the way home. The children and I completed the weekend with a nasty stomach virus. We'll do it all again at Christmas. Sans virus, I hope.

Done yet, Judy? Whatcha reading next?

I would also suggest to be careful about the way you're rolling out the dough. My grandmother taught me to use the rolling pin to spread the dough, and make sure I wasn't using a stretching/massaging movement. She always started with her rolling pin in the center of the dough, and worked from the center out in all directions. And she also said to make sure the dough wasn't sticking to the surface (i.e., countertop or whatever you're using), since the sticking could cause some stretching. Just some points to ponder.