fiftydollars

I think you're right. I seem to remember calling IKEA to ask what wood these boards were made from and they said rubberwood. They said that most of their boards and knife blocks are made from rubberwood... I think that's what I recall hearing. I bought my board in Emeryville, CA (California... not Canada).

I'm new to this topic and I would really like to try making the roasted cauliflower, but recipeGullet is down. Can someone get me the recipe, please?

I have a Benriner. It doesn't do waffle cuts, but the cuts it does it does very well. I also purchased a $30 mandoline from Fantes and it is worth much more to me than the money I paid for it. I recommend you give it a try.

I also have an IKEA board… I think the same one you have although the last time I looked for the board I have they didn’t have any. Anyway, the thing sucks up quite a bit of oil at first. I used to just pour it on and it would barely even pool up as it would absorb so quickly. Eventually the oil absorption dropped significantly. I have had the board for about 3 or so years now and all it needs these days is a light application. I just pour a bit on my hand and rub it on the board. The oil pools at first and takes several minutes before being absorbed. I think that means it’s pretty saturated and properly seasoned.

Michael Mina at the Westin St. Francis features fantastic food and service that is on par with anything on the current list of Four-Star restaurants from the SF Chronicle.

I agree with esvoboda that bending is the best way to fix this if the heating elements are removable. I previously did this successfully on a stove with removable elemets, but my current stove's elements are fixed and I can't get in there to bend them as easily. I think this is a total pain in the ass that the manufacturers should take care of... I don't see why they wouldn't level the effin burners before selling the stoves.

I thought the same thing. A deli I go to regularly, Vatran's Flying Sausages (which I mention only because their logo features the owner riding a large sausage...), features as a special a pork osso buco that is damned good. It is also served over spaetzle. It's altogether very good. But if I went to a restaurant and was served pork pretending to be veal I would not only send it back... I would want to press charges.

I recommend that you take a look at the Kitchenaid food processors. I recently bought one, an 11 cup model, and I am extremely happy with it. It is a very sturdy machine; whisper quiet, and incredibly powerful. I really can't say enough good things about it. I also have an old cuisinart, which has a motor that runs perfectly, but the work bowl is falling apart. The work bowls on the two brands have different safety mechanisms, but the plastic construction is very similar. The plastic work bowls are the weakest part of these machines. Don't expect the work bowl to last forever, regardless of what brand you buy. However, the blade and attachments from my old cuisinart are still fully functional. I like the cuisinarts, but I think that the kitchenaid is better for my money. The two brands are very comparably priced. I would resist any urge to buy a cheap food processor. The difference in price can be very tempting since a kitchenaid or cuisinart could run over $200 and a Black and Decker model only $29. I have some experience with the cheap brands (B&D in particular) and I have to say they completely suck. They lack power and are extremely loud. I can't emphasize enough how loud they are... about twice as loud as your average cheap blender chopping ice. To make matters worse, the model I tried wasn't even powerful enough to make pie dough, which is a task well-suited to a good food processor.

That there looks like the real deal!

Yes, the tacos. I grew up eating tacos from street vendors in Mexico City. Yet I had never been tempted to eat from a taco truck until a friend of mine dragged me to his favorite one. I'm not sure why I had never tried a truck. It's not like it could be any more potentially hazardous than eating tacos 3 for 1 peso in Tlanepantla. I suppose if they had been dishing out tacos from a comal set directly on a dirty sidewalk I would have felt more comforable and tried them earlier. I was impressed with the truck's tacos. I believe the truck was "El Jaliscience." My friend really liked it because he could pronounce it "Jolly Science" and that made him laugh. I really liked it because the tortillas emerged from the griddle dripping with grease, filled with flavorful freshly re-griddled mystery meat, and topped with decidedly hot salsa, coarse chopped cilantro, and diced onion.

The pans I use most often are stainless all-clad, but this is only because at the time I bought them I hadn’t read slkinsey’s understanding stovetop cookware and the important Q&A that followed it. Everything I have purchased since, and some cookware recommended by Sam that was purchased by a friend, has not been all-clad. I agree that there are much greener (not to mention cheaper) pastures on the other side… The Sitram catering with the copper base performs much better than the stainless steel all-clad… just to name an example. Nonetheless, the all-clad is very durable. Although I have been very tough on it in hopes of wearing it out and buying something new… it just won’t quit. I don’t think it is ever likely to fail under normal use (damn it). I have pretty much done everything with the 10" fry pan that would void the warranty (using it for extended periods under high heat, leaving it empty on a heated burner for a long time, using steel wool, scouring pads, abrasive cleaners etc…) and it just keeps going. The only thing I haven’t done with them is drive nails… and I can’t say that I haven’t been tempted.

Although gnocchi is great and a great use for a foodmill. Making simple mashed potatoes cannot be ignored. Some people like to use a potato masher, some a ricer, but I really like the food mill for this type of work...

As a Mexico City native I have fond early memories of climbing the harrowing steps up to the top of the pyramids to the sun and moon. (Shaking fist defiantly) Damn those Wal Mart people!

Speaking of pressure cookers... A grandmother recently gave me an old Presto pressure cooker. It's the type with a round metal stopper that wobbles. I have been somewhat afraid to use it... should I be?

These numbers do not look right. I am also assuming you really meant "kW" when you wrote "kWh".This 5 qt. "West Bend" slow cooker is rated at 270 Watts (0.27 kW): http://www.westbend.com/westbend/catalog.c...ection&linkid=5 I coudn't find the online specs for a Rival crockpot, but I would be surprised if they were significantly different. A typical (electric) range is around 10kW, not 100. See, for instance, this (PDF) specification of a GE range: http://products.geappliances.com/ProdConte...D&itemid=320638 The 240V model is rated at 10.8 kW whereas the 208V model is rated at 8.1 kW. Dunno about gas ranges. You are right. I took the 3kwh from a chart meant to provide comparisons between different devices for estimated monthly and annual usage.

No. Egg yolks. You can freeze egg yolks and keep them from undesirable changes in texture/consistency by either salting or adding sugar before freezing. Egg whites do not require any treatment for successful freezing. I should probably explain in more detail: Freezing alters the texture of egg yolks making them thicker and gelatinous. Adding a bit of salt, 1/8 teaspoon per four yolks, or some sugar (3/8 teaspoon per yolk, 1.5 teaspoons per four) will help to prevent them from becoming so gelatinous that they are unusable in a recipe. -edited to elaborate-

You can freeze egg yolks, with some success, as long as you salt or sugar them first(which depends on the application).

This weekend, before frying my bacon, I boiled it. Thanks Julia. Rest in peace.

I refuse to believe it until I see the ad. Although I don’t doubt he would do something desperate like this - I seem to recall he did some way-off-Broadway musical theater this summer so he is obviously not doing much with his life right now – but macaroni grill? In a related matter I’d like to defend the Rosengarten Report. I received a subscription as a gift and I really enjoy reading it. I agree that some of the food is expensive, but the products I have tried have all been excellent. Sometimes you need a good source for caviar, mail-order barbecue, turducken, and cheese…

I am planning to go to some good New York restaurants and I would like to take photographs inside the restaurants. Can anyone tell me what the overall reaction from restaurant staff might be? Overall, are NY restaurants unfriendly towards photography?

I also notice that if I don’t rewrap deli meats in something else right after I buy them they don’t taste quite as fresh just a day or so later. I just think that the paper is too permeable. It doesn’t keep out the refrigerator odors and oxygen that can quickly alter the flavor of the fat and protein in meats.

But has anyone tried this? I also heard that these would be debuting in New York this summer. Have they?

It was weird. I certainly wouldn't call it good, but it really wasn't bad. It might have worked had the choice of curry been more tuned to pastry. He also made a goat cheese cake, which was definitely good although the goatness was barely recognizable. This was all part of a bizarre series of experiments that followed a visit to the Cheesecake Factory.

A friend of mine once made a curry cheesecake. I'll leave you to decide which camp that should fall into.

Does anyone else remember when they tried to sell pizza?