andiesenji

I received a Smoking Gun for Christmas. I used it several times, used up all the flavor thingies. My experience was less than adequate so I have packed it up and returned it to the vendor. UPS picked it up yesterday. I have the stovetop Camerons smoker and a Brinkman for larger jobs. I'll stick with them until they get one of these little gadgets perfected. I want smoke throughout my food, not just on the surface. I should add that I am very, very picky about such things.

That's a winner in the "Stupidest" awards category. I swear that woman could sell sand to the Arabs.

Steve, I have the PF-2 filters but only use them when there is a possibility that the water supply is contaminated with ground water. This area has a lot of arsenic in the soil - I'm not worried about fluoride, I grew up in an area where there is a lot in the water and as far as I know, it never harmed me or any of my family - the extra filtering also removes some other particulates that are in the soil in this area. I have the Crown Berkey on a rolling cart so when it needs more than just replacing the water I use, I can roll it in next to the sink that has a pull out faucet to fill it. Otherwise I just use a large plastic pitcher -1 1/2 gallon - and replace what I take out or actually put the fresh water in the top then take out an equal amount via the spigot. I drain the unit completely, clean the filter elements about twice a year, and it has worked just fine that way. If I see that particulates are beginning to build up in the base of the top section, I clean it then. The water here has a lot of calcium and other minerals but not so much as in other places. Friends who live in Lompoc and have one have to clean the elements every sixty days - they have the Imperial with 4 filter elements. The water there is pretty bad.

I agree. I've read a number of these studies and it all depends on where the researcher stands as to how his results are couched. It's interesting that two sets of researchers, testing the same materials, with similar laboratory equipment and functions, can get widely different results. In many cases they test the fumes from plastics at high heats, which break down the component parts and have found those fumes to be toxic at certain levels. This stuff stinks! How many people in daily use, are going to stand around and breathe in an acrid, oily smoke? Not many, unless they are totally weird. The plastics intended for use in food service have been tested extensively and in my opinion, are safe, if used as intended by the manufacturer. I won't use anything made of recycled plastics with food because there is often other stuff in the mix, such as dyes, inks, and so on. I don't expose my plastic food containers to prolonged sunlight because that has been proven to have an effect on the plastic after long exposure and I don't expose them to high heat and don't use them in the microwave unless they are intended for such use. Common sense should dictate how anyone uses these things. I have some plastic mugs and tumblers that are probably forty years old and still have a shiny, unbroken surface. As long as they aren't discolored, cracked or showing surface wear from the plastic breaking down, I will continue to use them. Much of my opinion of this testing brouhaha harks back to when sodium cyclamate was banned from use in the U.S. because of "possible" carcinogens because rats fed amounts that were equivalent to a human consuming more than a pound a day, produced tumors in rats. As this stuff is 35 to 40 times as sweet as sugar, the likelihood of anyone consuming this amount for a prolonged period is ridiculous. One counter researcher proved that the same amount of saccharin (legal) would be fatal, as would plain salt. Go figure!

I have friends who live in Ely and they tell me their water tastes and smells like sulfur.

And I would add that I got the Big Berkey (which takes 4 elements), and I really wish I had gotten a bigger one. Yes, it's big enough, but it would be a lot handier to have the Crown. I live in a 2-person household, and we use the water for drinking and cooking. I managed to find another Big Berkey with 4 elements for $3 at a thrift store, but that one lives in my partner's shop, so he can have filtered water out there. I don't know how often he fills his. There is a significant difference in the volume produced: "The Crown is the largest Berkey® system. It comes equipped with either two or four Black Berkey® purifying elements, and can accept a maximum of eight elements. Lower storage tank capacity is 6 gallons. Flow rate is 6.5 gallons per hour with two elements, and 13 gph with four elements. The Crown Berkey® system, when configured with eight Black Berkey® purification elements, can purify up to 650 gallons per day (~27 gallons per hour) when the upper chamber is full. This is enough to provide for up to 325 people on a sustained basis and up to 1300 people on a short-term emergency basis. " and "The Big Berkey® is the fourth-largest Berkey® system. It comes equipped with either two or four Black Berkey® purifying elements, and can accept a maximum of four elements. Lower storage tank capacity is 2.25 gallons. Flow rate is 4 gallons per hour with two elements, and 8 gph with four elements. The Big Berkey® system, when configured with four Black Berkey® purification elements, can purify up to 190 gallons per day (~8 gallons per hour) when the upper chamber is full. Along with the Royal Berkey®, the Big Berkey® is one of our most popular Berkey water purifiers." At the time of the '94 earthquake I had the Royal and was able to provide drinking and cooking water to my immediate neighbors but it was a stretch and would have been intolerable had it not been in January when the weather was cold. A couple of year later I got the Crown.

Steve, there are several sizes in between the biggest and the smallest Stainless steel units. The little "Go Berkey" is something you carry around. I don't have one of those. This is the smallest Stainless Steel or Travel Berkey I took this photo in a motel room in New Mexico in 2008.

Very nice find. I often pick up odd enamel cast iron pieces so I can pass them along to friends and family who need one.

When I was a kid, I had a friend whose family had an elderly (well, she seemed so to me) African-American woman who cooked for them. She brined venison in buttermilk, overnight; she'd put it in the buttermilk before she went home for the day with instructions for my friend's mother to drain it before bedtime, throw away the buttermilk and brine it again in fresh. It made the most astoundingly tender, non-gamy venison roast imaginable. I've never brined or marinated venison any other way. You have to use caution when using buttermilk or yogurt on meat. It can turn it mushy and it will not have the ideal texture. If it's a thick cut, it doesn't penetrate deep enough to affect the interior. It works okay with chops and steaks but shouldn't be used longer than 30 minutes or so. The brine has a totally different action on the meat.

Hi Andie, I get the difference between a travel and home unit. What I have not been able to understand from any of the websites offering Berky units: Is there a difference to the quality of filtering between using a 2 or 4 filter units? Is it just that a 4 unit does more volume or does 4 remove more particulates? The throughput or volume filtered is greater with additional filters. They all, even the Crown, work fine with just two if you are not in a hurry. It came with two but I added four more (it will take 8) to have a more rapid result because if we have interruption of the water supply, as I had in '94 when the well casing cracked, or infiltration of ground water into the well water, I need more volume for cooking, drinking and etc. An odd law went into effect a year ago that keeps the Berkey filters from being sold in California. It is interesting that the movers behind the bill were bottled water companies so this whole thing is political, as far as I am concerned. The only other state that doesn't allow them is Iowa, I think. I get around it by having mine shipped to Nevada and drive over to get them. I've written numerous letters and spoken to my state representatives but they profess to know nothing about it. In any event, note that these are "purifiers" and not just filters. That is a huge difference when one is dealing with possible contaminants in the water. I got one in my motorhome years ago because often when I traveled, I was suspicious of the water supplies in some campgrounds. Never got sick using the Berkey water. And it tastes very good. The new inline filter in my house seems to add a chemical taste that I don't like but I have to have it because it is the only one compatible with my tankless water heaters. Here is the Crown Berkey that lives in my pantry. That's a 14 cup Cuisinart beside it to give you an idea of the size.

Wow, quite a production. Have you considered vacuum packaging? I can't tell the size of your cutting board. I have one of these 24 x 48 which gives me lots of room and I don't have to scrub and disinfect my butcher block counter. I put a thick towel under it to catch any drips and to keep it from sliding.

Shelby, do you ever brine the venison roasts? I began using brine, instead of marinade quite a few years ago as it didn't change the texture of the meat as much but did make it more tender and lessened the gamy flavor. I used the formula described here. I also have used it on elk, especially the neck and back strap, which tend to be pretty tough. The elk I have worked with were not near as gamy as venison - I think it is because they feed mostly on grass.

Nifty find, Kerry. I didn't take photos but found an 11 cup Cuisinart at the thrift shop when I was dropping off some bags of clothing (now too large for me, hooray!) and got it for $5.00 and gave it to one of my neighbors whose husband has been deployed to the mid east. It included all the slicing discs and a plastic "cabinet" to hold them. It didn't look like it had ever been used. The only thing missing was the instruction book so I gave her one of mine and even found the video that came with one of them. I gave her a brief tutorial and told her to call for help if needed. It is usually the third weekend in January that the yard and garage sales start here, as long as the weather is decent. We had 5 inches of snow night before last but most of it is gone now here on the valley floor but mountains all around are covered and it is very cold. Nothing like your area but it is for here.

I'm with you in that I'm a syrup snob as well as a sugar snob. I love maple sugar as well as maple syrup. I like the Trader Joe's "B" grade which is dark and more flavorful than the lighter, at least to my taste. For future reference, I buy the granulated maple sugar from Welch's Maple because they have the best product and the best price, in my opinion, of any online source. I use a lot and share it with my daughter, so I buy the bulk pack. I've tried the King Arthur Flour offering which is more expensive and didn't like it as well. 8 ounces is 9.95.

I've been using Berkey water purifiers for 30+ years, since I got the first unit installed in a motorhome in '78 - the name then was slightly different. They have improved over the years and the capacity, particularly when you have multiple filters in a unit, is extended for a significant volume of water. I do have an inline filter for the house water but for drinking water I use the Berkey and it is also for emergencies when the water supply may be compromised in an earthquake. I have only the stainless steel ones, the Crown (with 6 elements) and two of the Travel Berkeys. purchased from Pleasant Hill Grain

The bottom parts of the huachibolas are shaped like a ball but with little "ears" sticking up. At least that is the way a local Mexican bakery makes them and the way I have seen them made. They look something like these dumplings in the top left pictures Does that help?

You don't have to convince me about fried grits. I love 'em, in whatever guise they appear. One of my favorite versions is to place the slices on the griddle, sprinkle generously with granulated maple sugar and then turn them over. The sugar caramelizes on the surface and you have a sort of candy coating that is sooooo good.

Yes! I have to get some to add to my "emergency" stuff (in case of earthquake) which consists of canned ham, canned whole chicken, corned beef, roast beef, chicken, etc.

Darienne, your empanadas look perfect. The Huachibolas should look like a little beggar's purse when finished, except there is no need to tie the corners together because the dough should stick together when pinched and twisted. If your dough is a bit too dry, brush the corners with water and they will stick together easily. In different areas of Mexico the empanada fillings can vary widely. I went to Christmas dinner at the home of friends who are originally from Mexico. Lots of people and many contributed to the meal. There were several varieties of Empanadas dolce - with pumpkin, with mincemeat, also pineapple, other fruits and some filled with something like thick cream or sweet cheese flavored with spices. It's one of the fresh cheeses that is very similar to "farmers" or "hoop" cheese - like a dry cottage cheese. There was also one type filled with finely chopped nuts and caramel that may have been dulce de leche, but the lady who brought them doesn't speak a lot of English and my Spanish is rudimentary, at best.

My Hoppin' John turned out a bit more spicy than I intended, but still good. I took a couple of photos but have managed to misplace the camera while messing about trying to get my pantry reorganized (took some pics of it too). Otherwise I spent much of yesterday playing with a new, non-kitchen, toy. I just made it exactly as in my earlier post - I had a bag of "fresh" frozen BE peas that cook more rapidly than the dried. I used bacon from a partial slab I got at a local butcher shop and it is quite smoky, plus some chunks of ham from the shank of a small ham I prepared a couple of weeks ago. Lots of childhood memories here.

Okay, here is the info about the mango. He peels them, cuts them into chunks and puts the chunks, pulp AND THE SEEDs on a sheet pan and into the oven at 275° F., for one hour. Everything, including the seeds go into a big jar with enough liquor to cover and he uses one of the expandable steaming things to weight the fruit down. like this one He uses one of the mid-range white rums (I know nothing about this subject) and his last batches he used Havana Club because he got a big discount on a case. He said you can use vodka but for God's sake don't use cheap stuff as it is a waste. He said white Bacardi is okay and is popular but the Havana Club and Appleton are better. He also said to throw in half a dozen whole allspice which isn't enough to make it taste spicy but will enhance the mango and in some batches he adds a piece of dried chile pepper, not too hot. He said to leave it undisturbed and tightly sealed for at least a week before you check it, patience is important. It should be well infused after three weeks. He also said "Good Luck" and when finished fix a hot buttered rum with it - the flavor combination is amazing.

I know a guy who makes a mango liquor and he cuts the mango into chunks and roasts it in the oven at a rather low temp to reduce the liquid and concentrate the sugar. It's too early for me to call him today but I will phone later and ask him the details. I think he uses a good light rum but I may be wrong.

I read an article not long ago about infusing liquors with black pepper - I think there was also at one time a cherry liquor that was infused with black pepper - it may have been German. One guy wrote about infusing bourbon with black pepper and orange peel and I'm pretty sure Alton Brown mentioned black pepper infused vodka on one of his shows.

The first photo looks like Kansas to me. That is about as "heartland" as one can get, I think. The net-looking thing looks like stems from bittersweet but the berries are usually dark orange, unless it is a "faux" variety.

Absolutely wonderful blog, Chris. Your descriptions and photos are worthy of an award. I'd give you the Grand prize for stimulating the senses of anyone interested in holiday food and drink.