Smithy

Sheesh. Toliver, you are hard on my bank account!

I froze the corn kernels, then vacpacked. Have you tried that sequence?

Thanks for that insight from a professional chef. I heard that story in Pascagoula, Mississippi a couple of years ago, from someone who claimed to be the only person selling true scallops. (The competition was supposedly selling skate wing cutouts.) It seemed implausible to me because of the musculature question, but I never pursued it further.

Kerry, every time you show another version of the "Cosmos" (or whatever galactic term was used) design, I'm impressed anew. The lighting doesn't seem to matter; each photo shows multiple depths in each chocolate. I don't know whether I'd dare eat one, lest I destroy its cosmic beauty. ... ...well, unless it was chased by a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. Then, all bets would be off.

Do you have a link for that recipe? It looks like something I'd like to try with my equipment on hand.

She sounds like an interesting and formidable person. I'll have to look into some of her books.

I would like to have seen that. The photos are beautiful. That article linked to another one showing a wonderful Jonathan Gold mural, just painted by the artist Never.

That certainly does look like a nice cooking unit. I agree with you about the price being prohibitive, but you got yours at what sounds like a great rate. Please keep us informed as you continue to test and work with it.

@CanadianHomeChef, unless you need an especially heavy lid for the particular cook, another option is to get a silicone lid that fits the Dutch oven in question. Here's a rectangular "banana leaf" lid by Charles Viancin; the company makes a variety of shapes and sizes. They stand up well to the heat, although I've seen some discoloration in mine.

Thanks for that question and discussion, @SLB. I must admit that I'd forgotten all about marinated eggplant and that discussion from 2 years ago! That probably says something about my attention span. We loved it at the time. Maybe it's time to make more. For those who wish to read the original discussion, it's summarized here (with links) and @ElainaA's detailed response about the risk of botulism is the post immediately following. The conversation continues with @Shelby chiming in again in subsequent posts. For those who simply want to see the recipe, here it is: Marinated Eggplant in Epicurious (originally in Gourmet Magazine), a recipe passed down to the auther by her Italian relatives. SLB, please note that they aren't canning this, as such. It's a refrigerated preserve. I think you are correct that it's safe because the vinegar preservation step happens first. Others may disagree.

If they didn't accommodate you, would that be the end of their locum tenens opportunity? It seems that losing the opportunity to get the heck away would be a pretty good incentive...and the goodies you bring would be an extra incentive to ensure that it is you!

It looks a bit as though the circular "stamp" in the corner of some is made by a circle with teeth. (Not being a confectioner, I think of either a certain type of frosting nozzle or a very coarse hole saw.) It also looks as though it lifted the enrobing chocolate away from the material underneath. Is it supposed to look like that? Were you happy with the results? I think the chocolates with the red "seal" on top are very attractive. I thought the same about other posters' photos of the same assignment. What sort of stamp was needed to make those impressions? I've long since given away my sealing wax sets, but those wax stamps come to mind here.

This may sound like a foolish question, but does the pig help keep the humidity down, or simply make it easier to chisel the blocks? I hadn't thought about that particular aspect of a salt pig. Is this an effort to make another sous vide convert?

Wow! They make 'em big in Texas. That looks delicious, @robirdstx.

Not a great success tonight, but not a horrid mess either. I thawed some raw shell-on shrimp, peeled and (where necessary) deveined them. I tossed them with olive oil, then tossed in flour seasoned with sweet paprika, smoked paprika and hot paprika. Air-fried at 360F for 5 minutes. Stirred once during the cooking, using a set of tongs. The shrimp meat itself was done perfectly: tender, with the toothsome snap of good plump shrimp. Once in a while the sweet flavor of the shrimp came through. Unfortunately, the coating was much too hot and much too floury. The heat overwhelmed the shrimp's delicate sweetness (next time, forget the hot paprika) and the flour gave a sensation of being dusty. The coating did not turn crisp the way it would have if I'd fried the shrimp in fat. Next time, I'll either try the spices without the flour (more nearly what the recipe booklet suggested) or I'll try the flour --> egg --> crumb coating sequence that I tried a few days ago with chicken. I'll probably try both, at different times, to see which we prefer. I do like the lack of mess and the ease of cleanup with this device.

How does Kira express food preferences now?

I will! Thanks!

I just looked at the recipe. I would never have imagined using fish sauce in a vinaigrette. Thank you for this mind-stretching recipe!

Thanks!

If I had a CSO I'd want to use it but keep it clean too. My house doesn't reflect that philosophy, but I do try. Hang in there. As for convection vs. steam: I can't give you a comparison, but I can tell you that Chicken Kiev in an air fryer on convection alone worked a treat. I used 350F until the internal temperature reached 160F, but you may have other instructions that will work better in your device. Let us know how it works out!

Avocado fries! Why have I never thought of that before?! That sounds delightful and decadent. Other dishes on your more recent restaurant post are also inspiring. Since you don't plan to do much in the way of restaurants in the near future, please remember that we are also fascinated with local grocers and what you do with that food in the rental kitchen.

You ain't alone. My scheduling runs along the lines of: Sunday through Wednesday: consider possible dishes for Saturday's party. Thursday: buy everything needed for almost all the dishes in question. Forget one or two critical items. Friday: start cleaning the house. Realize that I've forgotten some items on the shopping list. If something needs to be made in advance - for instance, a blind-baked pie shell, or beans cooked to make a spread - do that. Saturday: decide what to make, based on which dish(es) come closest to having the full complement of ingredients. Realize I don't have enough time to make everything I'd intended, and cut down on the menu. Start tearing around the house pulling things together. Dither over which dishes, table cloth, etc and have those ready for the guests to lay out when they come! Oh well, we have a good time, and nobody goes away hungry. The following week, I make the dishes I didn't cook for the dinner, in an attempt to use the surplus items I'd bought at the grocery store.

You lot are ganging up on me!

They'd look adorable as individual pots for, oh, lemon curd or pots de mousse or baby trifles, wouldn't they?

Thanks for checking. Ahem.