Smithy

I absolutely need that spatula for my delirious kitchen! :-D Thanks for the pictorial tour.

TdeV, in case you haven't noticed it at the top of the Cooking forum, here's a link to the Sous Vide index to which KennethT refers:General Sous Vide index: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/136274-sous-vide-index/ The index links to a wealth of information, including charts that you may find useful.

You're right that 185 is 185 no matter the altitude. If you can reach and maintain that desired temperature, then the time at that temperature should be the same if you're processing sealed vessels.

Has the pastry dough recipe or some ingredient in it changed? As an example, maybe they're using a different fat than before.

Your photos are beautiful, and the food looks delicious, as always! I'm interested in this garlic technique. Is it a way to lightly cook the garlic without risking its being overcooked and going bitter? If not, what advantage does it have?

I too think the blueberry-picking story is awesome As a rule, when I see a bear in a berry patch, I decide to go elsewhere...back to the truck, back to the house...but I haven't been out where a radio might be needed. :-DWhile I'm welcoming you, I'll also thank you for explaining your user name! I was translating it to something preposterous like Dept Of Transportation US (along the lines of the SCOTUS and POTUS sites) and I just couldn't believe I had that right. I'm glad the explanation is simpler. ;-)

That apricot chutney looks surprisingly purple. Is that a trick of the light? Regarding olive oil in mayonnaise: Anna, you didn't specify the nature of your nasty experience (probably by choice) but Harold McGee noted that he couldn't get as stable an emulsion with olive oil as with vegetable oils. The last time I read about it, he didn't know why, but apparently it doesn't emulsify as well.

basquecook, how did you do that flounder? It looks nicely browned, and the sauce would look great even if I didn't know it included vodka. My attempts at flounder to date have been very unsatisfactory; it may be relevant that they've been the flash-frozen packaged flounder out of grocery stores. I'd like to try your method before I resign myself to ignoring it in the freezer section.

I'd never heard of it until now. Google results come up with a Ponti Glassa Gastronomica and goes on to say that it's a balsamic glaze, i.e. a heavily-reduced balsamic vinegar. Is Ponti the brand you found, and does balsamic glaze sound right? If so, I'd try it, and start with the assumption that it's similar to a particularly thick balsamic vinegar. I'd start with drizzling it over good fresh stone fruit, glazing it on chicken (maybe pork or lamb also) prior to cooking - or maybe after, or maybe both, and brushing peaches or other stone fruit with it prior to grilling them. It might be good on grilled eggplant. It might go nicely into a stir fry sauce, too; I'm thinking of the glazes involved in dishes like Favorite Concubine's Chicken. If you buy it, please let us know what it's like.

Did the cheese sauce keep the cooked chicken breast from drying out? How long did you bake this? It sounds good...and it also sounds like a dish you intended to make from leftovers is set to be something you make from scratch. I hope you're better at duplicating results after successful experiments than I am. :-D

I tried it last night, and aside from overcooking the corn (too much time for the wattage) it did work well.

If a lid is put over a dish, does that diminish the value of the steam in the steam-bake cycle? If so, then would a small spatter screen over a dish (like your tasty-sounding short ribs, FauxPas) reduce the mess from spattering, without interfering with the steam?

'Peameal'? Is this a local treatment of ham, or am I looking at the wrong thing?

Welcome! I'm especially interested to see what you do with seafood, and what sort of fish you catch - when you catch them ;-). I'm also curious about what Bulgarian food is like, as well as any other food you care to cook!

I'm not equipped to do any of what you've just done, but I love reading about it. Thanks for posting! I hope others also try it, and post their results.

liuzhou, how do you cook those baby scallops?

Welcome, Earlene! What kind of food do you like to cook? What kind of food do you like to eat? We love exchanging ideas and information around here. :-)

Welcome to you, MyMommasHands! We have a lot of Ontario members, and musicians, and (of course) enthusiastic cooks and eaters. Come wander around the forums and join in the fun. You may especially be interested in: the Gardening topics (here's this season's: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/145733-gardening-2013%E2%80%932014/) and the Foraging topic: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/38682-foraging-for-favorites/?hl=%20foraging

What - no explanation about "The silliest Knife ever Plus Bonus stupid fork"? You can't leave us hanging like that!

Welcome, Chris. We look forward to your contributions. Do you care to tell more about your job as a server? Do your long-range plans include the restaurant business in some capacity?

Those are gorgeous. Is the oozy sauce a peanut butter sauce, then? I could imagine it being caramel, but your description suggests otherwise.

Oh, that's too funny for words. I love the way the friend started getting customers to ask for the nonexistent gummy bear brats until the butcher called his bluff. I'm not a Gummi Bear fan, but I can imagine this giving a sweet-and-sour or sweet-and-spicy combination that could be nice. Even the butcher thinks it's weird - but hey, if it's a hit, good for him.

Nice, Shelby. Did you form the taco bowls yourself, and are those standard flour tortillas? They look like they have an extra color/flavoring.

Newfangled or old-fashioned, the meals both look excellent. I don't suppose you made notes on the wines with which each dish was paired, did you?

Thank you! Next question: why is there a lighter 'seam' on the inside curve of the sausage? My best guess is that it's casing that pulled away from the stuffing as it tightened and curled.