Matt Seeber

i got it as a gift when i was 14 from the office lady at the first restaurant i worked at. i was scared to death that my friends were going to see me carrying it home that night! i immediately threw it in my closet and never saw it again... kids!

i prefer to roast them first before peeling. when finished and cooled, snip the top end and squeeze. a nicely roasted pearl onion pops right out...

i would agree klink. i happen to think that blanching washes out too much of the intense flavor that i love so much.

i'm more of the mindset of question everything. just because so and so says so and so sux with so and so doesn't mean i'm gonna agree. i'll want to try it out for myself. fwiw, you're right about over oaked cali chards reduced in a sauce - no bueno!

good question tommy - but i should add that i've probably never made a tomato sauce the same way twice! while it's always the same basic idea, there are always subtle differences to keep it interesting. off the top of my head, the only other sauce i frequently add red wine to would be a veal reduction (bordelaise). for this i would use a fairly assertive wine such as cabernet. you're going to need tannins to stand up to the strength of the reduced, concentrated veal base of the sauce. it's a totally different dynamic than tomato.

i'd say jason gets it right - don't sweat it. i make tomato sauce at home and add in whatever bottle of red is left over from last week. by the time you reduce, add tomato and cook out for another 3 hours you can't tell syrah from shinola.

i recommend the y979 wetstone 1000 grit on one side and 6000 grit on the other. use with water, not oil i don't think wet vs. oil is a matter of better or worse, but rather a preference. for a steel - any of these will do if your honing a stainless steel knife. a steel should be used for honing, not sharpening. there is a difference. the website for these products is J. B. PRINCE

what jin said and one skin

i thought that $1000 machine might tickle your fancy.... on the issue of a food processor, if making a small batch, i would prefer to incorporate the dough by hand. if making a larger batch i would get it started in a kitchenaid type mixer with a paddle or dough hook, mix just until it starts to come together and finish it by hand. the intense action the blade from the food processor is going to exert on the pasta is detremental to your final product, IMO.

not for nothing, but i've yet to see an "automatic" sharpener that does as good a job as working the knife by hand on a good stone. i don't subscribe to the better mousetrap philosophy when it comes to knife sharpening. it's old school for me...

brussels are great! i peel away the outer leaves, split in half or quarter depending on the size and roast (as tommy assumed) at 400. get some good color (vegetable oil) and finish with bacon or duck fat - sounds good, evo or butter. some thyme, roasted garlic, maybe some nuts and perhaps something sweet (honey) my technique would be to roast plain in the neutral oil and finish with the other ingredients (not all of them mind you). pick two to start with... report back when you have time

vogelap, as you further your quest you'll realize that EVERYONE has a different idea on how to make pasta the "best" way. i doubt you'll wanna drop $1000 on a pasta machine but if your birthday is coming up or your significant other owes you big time, this machine is the mac daddy! IMPERIA P108 - ELECTRIC PASTA MACHINE

butcher blocks are wack for home use, yo. not to mention impossible to put in your sink and scrub. cutting boards are much easier to deal with. placed on a sturdy table with a damp towel under it to prevent slippage is your best bet. get one of these for 9 bucks. when it gets stained or warped, throw it out and get another one. better yet - at that price, buy 5 and put 4 on the floor in your closet.

jin has a good point - distinguishing between paying patrons and house guests. i agree with her.

"mistreating" is subjective. in your mind it's mistreating the tuna, but not in the mind of the person eating it well done

what would be the procedure for securing a reso at FG's restaurant?

when me thinks about that searing thing i always say to meself - that's a canard! edit: yes i had to look it up

does it also serve the purpose of tenderizing tougher cuts of meat?

two peas in a pod i'd say

hummm... if i make salt water taste like bay leaf and put a pork chop in it for 24 hours, will the pork chop taste like salted tap water or salted bay leaf tap water?

baddabing

not at all dear. you'll still want a nice caramelized outside. start with a nice hot pan, place in pork and put in the oven. keep turning it to color evenly. still confused?

it's essentially (IMHO) the best of both worlds - if there even is such a thing.

mike, go back and read my first post again. this is exactly what will happen you are in effect finishing the flavor of only that portion of sauce which you will be consuming immediately. this can be repeated continually until the shortribs are gone

Why 400? Do you get a deeper crust? not especially, 500 is just too hot