Smithy

Pyrex, Fireking (same name, different language, different companies) and Anchor Hocking all make tempered glass mixing bowls, as far as I know. As noted above, you really need to look at the geometry of the bowl. Will it fit properly in your chosen pan and serve as the inner pot in a double boiler? If not, then keep looking. I am especially fond of the Pyrex mixing bowl set that comes with lids - 4 bowls, 4 lids, all color-coordinated. The bowls are relatively shallow and are especially good for, say, bread doughs or marinades. For years I've just used the white glass bowls (possibly also Pyrex) that came with my mixer way back when. Those bowls were perfect in their heft and capacity, until Pyrex came out with the more gently-sloped sets that are my current favorite. Sure, they have a bigger footprint. No, they will definitely not fit on the turntable of my Hamilton Beach mixer that's older than I am. But they are pretty, and they're great for hand-mixing.

So what descriptor would real estate agents use to describe a nicely appointed, well-functioning kitchen with high-end appliances if they didn't call it a "gourmet kitchen"? My offhand definition isn't rigorous, but I think that's what they mean to imply with the term. The subsidiary question is: what does the term "gourmet kitchen" conjure in the minds of the rest of you? Kitsch? Overdone extravagance? Lap of luxury? Conspicuous consumption? Well-equipped, fully functioning kitchen with nice accoutrements and high-end appliances?

I do it camping, just because it's camping and why throw away a perfectly good pot of hot water? It does cut grease exceptionally well. I don't do it at home, though. I've never heard about the grease-cutting properties of pasta water, but I'll have to give that a try. Usually when I'm done with the pasta water I'll throw in a few eggs (still in the shell) or small potatoes to let them cook overnight in the residual heat. Depending on what I threw in, we'll have hard-boiled eggs or the fixings for potato salad in the morning. Cardboard egg cartons are good for collecting and absorbing bacon grease. This is more of a camping trick than usual-household trick, partly because I reserve bacon as a special treat and partly in case of leakage through the bottom of the carton. There usually isn't much. I'm an inveterate produce bag saver and always need a way to store them prior to re-use. A plastic tub with a lid from some food purchase became the perfect keeper in our kitchen drawer: cut about a 1" hole in the lid, and you can stuff the container with bags through the hole and pull them back out again that way without having them take over the interior of the drawer. Used large-holed spice jars, as for dried parsley flakes, make great shakers later. I now have a corn meal shaker as well as a flour shaker in both the house and trailer, and they're more compact than the usual handled short shakers. I am also a hoarder of asparagus or broccoli rubber bands. I'll have to remember that trick of using them to improve the grip on a jar lid.

I have used Blumenthal's method three times and they came out amazing. I didn't have any trouble with the skin sticking when frying -- but I didn't leave it in the pan long enough because I was afraid of overcooking it. I had another problem though. I was using a very precise temperature controller to keep the oven at 140F -- and all three times, the bird's temperature stopped rising when the internal temperature hit 125F (which didn't happen until the bird had been in the oven for 6 hours). I eventually had to raise the oven temperature to 170F to coax the bird's internal temperature to 140F. This has happened each time I have used this technique. I wonder if Blumenthal is relying on the temperature cycling that happens in normal ovens when he recommends 140F. (As a test, I let it go 12 hours once at 140F and the temperature still didn't go over 125F). (And, yes, I used several thermometers to ensure that it wasn't a failure on the part of the thermometer). Thoughts anyone? Any ideas on why the temperature would stall like that? I can only think of 2 general reasons for the temperature to stall so firmly and so long: (1) The oven temperature isn't what you think. Perhaps your equipment isn't calibrated properly? Otherwise I suspect uneven heating in your oven, so that the vicinity of the chicken is only reaching 125F (maybe 130) even though the vicinity of the thermocouple is being controlled to 140F. (2) Something in the chicken that is rendering really, really slowly at 125F that's causing the stall. Does chicken collagen have a different melting point than beef collagen? What about chicken fat? Is something evaporating at those low temperatures and keeping the temperature down? (Where's my copy of McGee when I need it? Oh, that's right - it's several states away, waiting for me to reclaim it.) Sooner or later that chicken has to come up to the temperature of the surrounding area, unless there's a chemical process absorbing the heat. That's what makes me wonder whether you have a cool spot in your oven. Just my 2 bits' worth.

Is there any chance your friend is referring to beurre blanc? I realize it's from French cuisine and not Indian, but still...that's what the name means...

Sorry I'm so late coming to this party. Yes, by all means for the Duluth area: Old World Meats, Northern Waters Smokehaus and honorable mention to Russ Kendall's in Knife River! Northern Waters does wonderful things with cured meats and smoked fish, and in general I prefer their smoked fish to that of Russ Kendall's. They also make a mean sandwich. Russ Kendall's has a quirkier old-North-Shore atmosphere, and their fish is good. Old World Meats has an old-fashioned atmosphere of good meats, fresh and cured, and the knowledge of what to do with them. If you call ahead to check on a supply (say, short ribs) they can probably get them for you. They'll cut to order. They're friendly. And they have a surprisingly good stock of fresh fish and seafood. I'm not as crazy about their smoked salmon as of Northern Waters' but I'd never turn it down, either. This is the third generation of Wrazidlos to run the business, and I hope they do well. I'm pretty sure they're open on Sunday, also. We got a free-range turkey from them a couple of years ago when we were going to be in town, and there was no comparison with the poor Jenny-O things from the grocery store.

I love green beans. Fresh green beans cooked with tomatoes, with bacon, with garlic, with pototoes - you name it, I love 'em. But what a pain they are to clean! I remember well, from my childhood days, watching my beloved grandmother and her friends dealing with green beans: * Wash. * Snap off an end and pitch it into the "reject" pot. * Snap off successive segments, approximately an inch long, and pitch them into the "cook" pot. * Pitch the bitter end into the reject pot, where the first end had already gone. These beans also had strings that needed extraction during the snap-and-clean process. I'd managed to forget the strings until this moment; now that I remember them, I'll suggest that their loss is a triumph of genetic engineering. Fast forward to my kitchen. I love green beans, but I hate prepping them. Whether I do them one at a time, or several at a time; whether I use a knife or the wrist-snapping action; they still seem to to take forever to prepare for cooking. Surely there's a better way. Short of buying already-prepared green beans, how do you deal with them?

I have a bunch of ideas but no solid information. I suspect that you either (a) use gear that slows down the heat transfer or (b) have a cooler oven or © use a cooler place in said oven. For instance: do you put the assembled package in the same place in the oven as your friend does? My oven has a measurable temperature difference between the top and bottom rack locations. I have also observed a difference in the results of braising short ribs in a lightweight pan (regardless of whether the package is wrapped in foil) versus a heavyweight pan, on the same rack. What differences in gear, or in gear positioning, might there be between your setup and your friend's setup?

I am determined to post photos with the new system, and to attempt to show how lovely the dishes were. Trust me, the Real Deal was better, but I hope these inspire someone anyway: Green Beans, Tomatoes and Garlic Hearth-Roasted Chicken with Moroccan Flavors:

Last week's triumphs were the Hearth-Roasted Chicken with Moroccan Flavors, and Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic. The chicken came out with a beautifully golden-brown skin, and I was surprised (although I shouldn't have been) at how much difference the smen coating made. Lovely. It came out of the oven and I gloated, "I've got to take a photo of this for eGullet!" "Never mind that," my husband countered, "You've got to show them the green beans!" The colors are very festive, and the flavors wonderful. There were enough beans left over from our original meal that I served the rest to dinner guests last night. This is the very first time I've served leftovers to friends, and it was well worth it. They loved the flavors. They had no way of knowing, as I did, that the flavors were even better than on the first night. The photos weren't wonderful, but if I could get them uploaded I'd add them anyway. Alas, you'll have to take my word that the food was beautiful.

My clay cooking vessels vary on size, glazed vs. unglazed, and lidded or unlidded. The tagine and the Romertopf have lids and no glaze; the casserole dishes and the bean pot are glazed and lidded; the Egyptian pots are unglazed with no lids. If a lid is needed on one of the Egyptian pots I'll use parchment paper, possibly supplemented by aluminum foil. I haven't sprung for a La Chamba yet. I've used Corningware on more than one occasion for the lidded casserole. The Romertopf makes killer roast chicken. We had a lot of fun with that under the Paprika thread a few years ago. That's also about the time I learned that a lot of ceramic cookware can go on the stove top, despite the manufacturers' warnings.

I got home from a lengthy trip to find my copy waiting for me! Hooray! Today for dinner I cooked 3 recipes: The absolute, hands-down winner of the evening, and rather a surprise as to the way it came together, was the Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar, Tomato, and Shallots. I like chicken in almost any form, but had doubts about a sauce that began with a lot of vinegar, a touch of honey and tomato paste, all added to rich chicken broth. As the sauce was cooking down I continued to wonder whether it wouldn't be too...wild, I suppose,....strong, vinegary, whatever. I'm glad I followed the recipe precisely. The final dish was very well balanced, with a rich, complex, delicious sauce that we kept mopping up with whatever bread was available. This recipe is something I'd cook for company any time. It was also lovely. I took photos with every intention of posting them, but the photos didn't look good after all. Imagine a symphony of deep oranges, red and golds, with a sprinkling of green from the tarragon leaves over the top. Luscious! For vegetables I tried the Summer Carrots cooked in a Clay Pot. First off, I should say that I didn't have a clay pot with a tight-fitting lid - most of my clay pots are open pots, and the tagine was occupied by the chicken above. So I used a ceramic casserole dish with a lid, and there may be an equipment issue. The other factor, however, is that I'm indifferent (at best) to carrots. This dish was sweet, with tender carrots, and should please anyone who likes carrots...but it didn't do a magical transformation for me. I also did Slow-Cooked Sandpot Mushrooms. I think this dish requires really good mushrooms to show them off; I'd used standard Green Giant white mushrooms, and they tasted - well, like cooked Green Giant white mushrooms. The preparation is dead simple, and as has been noted here before, the simplest dishes rely on the best ingredients. I'll try this one again, possibly in one of my more porous clay pots, and certainly with better mushrooms. My husband is as indifferent to mushrooms as I am to carrots, but since he isn't cooking, he'll get these again. I am surprised and delighted to find numerous bread recipes as well as dessert and egg recipes. I didn't try any of them today, but will do so after I get home again. I can also attest that the chicken recipes that call for roasting them over a bed of salt are real winners. I helped test those, and I've adopted that method for my standard chicken-roasting technique. Anyone else?

I don't think that's normal, and it doesn't sound safe. When you say you jarred the olives according to ChefCrash's recommendation, do you mean that you started from the same preservation point as the person to whom he was posting? Or do you mean you started with something like raw olives? The answer dictates what you need to do. Caveat #1: I'm still getting used to the newly-revised eGullet, and may be missing some reference that was perfectly clear to you. In that case, please accept my apology for being obtuse. Caveat #2: I'm not a food scientist. Still...olives by their own nature don't have what it takes to kill bugs. You have to pickle or salt them, or otherwise discourage the bacteria that might grow from them. I really don't think that an exploding seal is a good sign. Is there a county extension office nearby that could help you? Please let us know more information. yours in olive adoration -

Well, that's a fine, unassuming way to introduce yourself! Welcome, Steve! You'll find lots of folks around here who cheerfully admit to mistakes, and others who secretly do the same mistakes but won't admit it. Elsewhere on this site you'll find folks with questions, answers, terrific ideas and great stories. C'mon in and set a spell, look around, make yourself at home, and tell us more about yourself! Nancy, who has variously burned herself, poured the stock down the drain, dropped sour cream / cucumber dill soup into the galley of a sailboat, and thrown away vintage kitchen equipment.

I haven't seen eggplant mentioned yet. I am very, very fond of eggplant in just about any cooked incarnation. Slice it, brush with olive oil and herbs and then grill the slices, and toss with balsamic vinegar and more oil. Roast the whole eggplant until it collapses, let it cool, peel it, and then turn that luscious smoky pulp into baba ganou, or an Egyptian salad with chopped tomatoes and onions, tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. Imam beyaldi (swooning imam) might even lend itself to the grill, although I haven't tried it. This thread is terrific. I should have realized that Steven Raichlen would have a web site, but I hadn't thought about it before seeing the link upthread.

I did a major "uh-oh" to a beloved stockpot and am looking for some insight about what to choose for its replacement, when I get around to replacing it. I have (still) a favorite Revere Ware aluminum-disk stainless steel stockpot. A few weeks ago I burnt a stew while taking a shower...and oh, how badly I burnt it...so thoroughly, completely did I burn it that the interior bottom built up too much carbon to provide any convective cooling, apparently, and that led to a meltdown of the bottom layers. I finally figured out the extent of the damage when I realized that the (finally cool) pot was no longer level because the disks on the bottom were delaminating! All this on an electric-coil stove. I had no idea it was possible! (And no, the stew could not be salvaged.) I'd be posting this, perhaps, on the thread of mistakes never to repeat, but I have a practical question. The pot actually is still usable, now that I've scoured the interior thoroughly, but the bottom disk is no longer intact. Although the (roughly 1/2") aluminum disk is still firmly attached to the stainless pot, the outermost thin disk of stainless steel (1/8" thick?) has warped and peeled away from part of the bottom surface. The upshot is that this pot would be fine over a gas flame, useless over an inductive surface, and may work reasonably well despite its appearance over my existing stove. But it wobbles and I may decide it has to go. My question is this: if and when I choose to replace the pot, would I be better off looking for something clad up the sides of the pot rather than the disk bottom? I've been quite happy with the disk bottom for the purposes to which I've put this pot - stews, soups, pasta. In another life I started spending oodles of money on All-Clad and Le Creuset, all of which I love; however, I'm not sure the extra money for cladding will be worth it for a stock pot. I know this topic has been addressed (perhaps more than once) in this Q&A session; however, I'm hoping for a quick pointer because I can't find an outline view.

The ingredient list for Lawry's Seasoned Salt is as follows: "Salt, sugar, spices including paprika and turmeric, onion, cornstarch, garlic, tricalcium phosphate (prevents caking), paprika oleoresin (for color) and natural flavor." It also says, in large conspicuous letters, "contains no M.S.G." which goes to show how poor my memory is. Of course, they're being cagey about some of the seasonings, but you can probably come close if you try combinations of the ingredient list through the garlic. Remember that the ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so salt is the main ingredient, sugar is the second-largest fraction, and from there you get to have fun with the other seasonings. Paprika provides obvious color and flavor. I looked in my copy of "Dear S.O.S." and found that Lawry's had provided a recipe for prime rib. It's been adapted in this cookbook for a smaller roast (8 - 10 pounds) than Lawry's usual 15-lb behemoths. In case it's useful (I haven't looked at the recipe on their web site) here's the essence of the recipe: Preheat oven to 325F. Place prime rib fat side up in baking pan. Rub with rock salt, then with seasoned salt. Roast until meat thermometer registers the appropriate temperature for desired doneness (130F for rare, 140 for medium rare, and so on). Rare worked out to 18 - 20 minutes per pound, medum rare was 22 minutes per pound, etc. They note to be sure to insert the meat thermometer into the center of the roast for the most accurate reading. I'll add that you shouldn't leave the thermometer in the meat between readings, because in my experience the metal stem heats up the meat surrounding it and elevates the reading. They add that you should let the roast stand for 20 minutes before carving. I'm pretty sure their sauce is the simple jus, but I don't remember it clearly. Good, pungent, creamy horseradish is an excellent addition, but I may have picked that up in a later life. Sorry, I don't remember anything about their salad dressing! It may well have been thousand island, since I don't remember it and that's about all I used at the time.

I have fond memories of Lawry's prime rib, where I ate many times. Unfortunately, that was years ago and years before I became interested in cooking. Here's what I remember: the roast was coated with a fairly thick layer of coarse salt. The outside surfaces therefore had a thick salty crust that you'd knock off before tucking into the meat. The crust seems to have helped contain juices inside the roast, and the meat next to the outer layer still had some of that salty flavor. I'd say the salt flavor penetrated no more than 1/2 inch into the meat, however. The roast was done dark on the outside and ends but still rare on the interior, so you could choose how done you wanted your meat. I don't know what sort of oven heat they used to get it that way. I get the best results here at home by cutting the ribs off (to save effort after cooking the meat) and then tying the roast back onto the ribs as a rack to keep the bottom of the roast off the hottest cooking surface. I usually use high heat to prevent the interior from getting overdone. But I don't know if that's what Lawry's did. I keep Lawry's Seasoned Salt on hand at home, but I really don't remember it being used on the prime ribs. I think the seasoning may have been simply coarse salt. Can you get their salt? If not, I can post what the product label says as to ingredients.

I've never thought of braising in a pressure cooker. Not that I have a pressure cooker, but I might consider it if the benefits seemed worth the cost. What would you say is the time difference? Is there an advantage other than time savings?

The "something wrong" sounds to me like "control issues". Your potential SO sounds like a serious control freak. It goes beyond his having different tastes and interests than yours; he's bugged by your interests and efforts, and he belittles them. If you're describing his behavior accurately, then you should bail. Now. You won't change him, and he's busy trying to change you.

I'm not sure where you define the "million ingredients" line, so these may be over it - but - what about a caper sauce or a puttanesca sauce?

I think I'd rinse the olives first. The recipe calls for salty olives, rinsed, and he's talking about olives in brine. You can always add salt to the tapenade if it seems to be needed. That looks like a good recipe! I'm glad you posted the link. There's some interesting reading at the new Lindsay Olives web site. They have a section titled Olives 101 that gives information about flavor profiles of different varieties, curing methods, sources and so on. Elsewhere on the web site there's a recipe section. I was looking for spread or dip recipes and found some pretty interesting dinner dishes as well.

I feel your pain. Literally. As near as I can tell, ONE HALF BOTTLE of red beer (Killian's Irish Red, for an example that comes to mind readily) will give me the blinding headache you describe, for 12 - 24 hours. I no longer try to drink red beer. I have the same experience from certain red wines, and I'd give a lot to know in advance which ones do it so I don't have to take the experimental approach. I can (and do) drink zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, pinto noir and a number of other hefty red wines with no trouble. ONE SMALL GLASS of Rosemount Diamond Label shiraz will give me a terrible headache all the next day, even if I've restrained myself to water for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately I discovered this after we'd bought a case of it.

I've just discovered Etsy's counterpart in the food world: Foodzie It's billed as a marketplace for small artisan food producers and food growers. Looks interesting, although I haven't tried working through it. I do like Bravo Farms' cheese, however, and I see they have a site there.

I have The Sultan's Kitchen and can attest that it has good recipes, although I wouldn't know whether they're authentic. Two of my favorites are Sultan's Delight, a lamb tomato stew, served over creamed eggplant (hunkar begendi, pardon the spelling). Lamb and eggplant are available year-round in Duluth now, so maybe they'd be available to you as well. If you want to see what those dishes look like, go to this post from my food blog. Edited to add: their Circassian Chicken is also quite good. Since my other Turkish cookbooks have a similar dish I think it must be considered standard fare. I do tone down the cayenne a bit, however; The Sultan's Kitchen's version is pretty hot.