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Blondelle

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Posts posted by Blondelle

  1. I don't know if that's true. In this video you can see that the Staub name and Nomar are both shown on top of their factory. They also show a cocotte in the video that looks just like the Staub one, but the name 'Nomar' is on it, instead of Staub.

    Here's a link to the video that shows the factory and how they are made.

    One detail: Nomar is not made by Staub but commercialized by Staub. Nomar is a small company located in Saint-Etienne while Staub, which acquired it, is in Alsace.

  2. I see so many recipes that use wine that I pass by as I don't want to buy a whole bottle to use a 1/2 cup or so. I was thinking that the flavor of white and red should be in some sort of extract that you could add to the dish to give it that flavor.

    Doing a search on the net I see there are such products but they are mainly used by processed food producers. Has anyone found a smaller quantity source for these, and are they worth using? I'm not interested if it's something akin to cooking wine. I see they are offered in extract and powdered form. It looks interesting and would let me try more recipes if the taste is decent. Thanks!

  3. I agree with Janet - Dutch ovens are not made for roasting. My comment above was meant for braising with a Dutch oven.

    Thanks for your replies. What would you call then just rubbing a chicken with some oil, some seasoning and a few herbs and placing it inside a covered enameled pot in the oven. It's not braising as there's no liquid, and it's not roasted technically as it's moist heat. Some say the meat still browns a little, and some say not. It is supposed to make a flavorful chicken or roast. Have no idea what it called though. I still thought it was called roasting as many say they are roasting a chicken in their LC ;-).

  4. Anyone? If thought if anyone would know it would be you guys. You seem to know everything about cooking here ;-).

    So many people have said they were making the same recipe for years and then cooked the exact same recipe in enameled cast iron and it tasted so much better. That got me wondering if there's a difference in the same size log shaped roast, for instance, cooked in an oval Dutch oven with less space around it as opposed to cooking it in a round DO with more space.

    Would anyone know if there's a difference in the final result? Someone had mentioned if you're using it to roast, it's better to have more space around the food. In braising would a tighter fit be an advantage, or would the results be about the same with a round or oval oven? Thanks!

  5. So many people have said they were making the same recipe for years and then cooked the exact same recipe in enameled cast iron and it tasted so much better. That got me wondering if there's a difference in the same size log shaped roast, for instance, cooked in an oval Dutch oven with less space around it as opposed to cooking it in a round DO with more space.

    Would anyone know if there's a difference in the final result? Someone had mentioned if you're using it to roast, it's better to have more space around the food. In braising would a tighter fit be an advantage, or would the results be about the same with a round or oval oven? Thanks!

  6. You mean I don't need my 27+ pieces of Le Creuset, All-Clad & Staub, not counting the Emile Henry tagine and about 15 pieces of LC and EH stoneware, in my small Manhattan kitchen? Sheesh!!! Now you tell me. I don't even cook that much. It makes me happy though ;-).

  7. You can get a 7.25 qt. Le Creuset oven in Satin Black only for $149.99 shipped. They also have a 6 piece set with a 5.5 oven for $279.99. Both great deals as other Satin Black pieces are full price! As of 6:35 PM EST it's still there at that price. I just checked!

    http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Quart-Round-...03982405&sr=1-7

    Hate to ask a stupid question, but does "satin finish" mean that they are not enameled? I noticed that their list price is less that the Creuset's specifically labeled "enamled", and wondered why their was a difference.

    Yes, the piece is fully enameled. Only a few pieces are reduced in this color. Most are the same price or even more than the colored ones. The interior is their high temp enamel, which will hold up better over time and take higher temps without damage. The exterior is a different matte black enamel. It's very stylish if you don't mind all that black, and a great deal. Nice to not have to worry about the light interior staining or losing it's shine over time.

    If you look to the right on that page you will see cooking.com has it for $259.99 now, which is the usual price. It's quite a buy!

  8. If you're a member of Costco, you can buy this Le Creuset 6.75 qt. French Oven at its current everyday price of $189.99, shipping & handling included.

    Did this deal just end or something? I get "We're sorry, this product is not available. Product number: 11270087" when I click that link.

    You can get a 7.25 qt. Le Creuset oven in Satin Black only for $149.99 shipped. They also have a 6 piece set with a 5.5 oven for $279.99. Both great deals as other Satin Black pieces are full price! As of 6:35 PM EST it's still there at that price. I just checked!

    http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Quart-Round-...03982405&sr=1-7

  9. So its $120.00 for a nonstick frying pan with a fancy name on it...I get that part

    What I dont get is why someone wouldn't just spend some portion of $90.00 to get to a restaurant supply store and buy a "professional" style non stick pan for $ 30.00 and keep whatever was left from the travel expense for food or more toys

    and yes 3 years ago I bought at Restaurant Depot a 12 inch nonstick pan with a thick aluminum disk and good solid handle for $28.00, not a scratch or nick in it

    carry on

    tracey

    Bloomingdales has the 12" Calphalon ONE nonstick fry pan on special now bundled with their glass lid for only $49.99. Their regular 12" fry pan has a helper handle, while this one does not. The glass lid also fits the All-Clad 12" fry pan very nicely which is an added bonus. They just had a 20% off sale so it costs only $39.99. A GREAT deal for the pan and lid which is the standard heavy Calphalon glass lid.

  10. I have a confession to make. I never wash the outside of my favorite stainless steel 5 quart. pot. Never. I have used it almost every day for a year. Boiling over often, catching oil floating around in the sink, and getting heated up over and over again has built up a layer on the outside.

    What am I seeing here? Can stainless steel be seasoned?

    I've read that you can season stainless somewhat by using salt. I've never tried it and thought salt will pit stainless. I have though been able to season an anodized aluminum grill pan. It has layers of polymerized oil on the interior just like cast iron. It even looks the same. The coating is hard, and is semi nonstick.

  11. The marble is probably carrera if it was used in a bakery. You would have to plane it down quite a bit to remove the pits, and I don't think you can do it evenly yourself. You can pick up a slab that size cheap in perfect condition at a stone yeard that sells odds and ends that are leftover from other jobs. Carrera is a pretty inexpensive marble. I really don't think it pays to bother with it. The marble served it's use. Let it rest in peace ;-).

  12. I ordered the 8 qt aubergine Staub and received it in under 2 days.  I couldn't believe it.

    The pot is enormous and beautiful.  Yes it is heavy but not nearly as hard to lift as I thought it might be.  However, that was without food in it.  We shall see.  It really is quite lovely.

    M.D.

    I think the cover must weigh at least 6-7 lbs., if not more. Just remove the cover first, and then lift it when it's filled with food. Won't be too heavy then, I don't think.

  13. Pouncy, what size and color did you order? A note on the Sunflower. Staub discontinued this color as they couldn't produce a consistent glaze. Some of them are a deep and rich color with ocher shading as shown on their site, and some are a pale yellow where the lighter highlights don't show as much. It's a matter of luck on that color if you prefer one to the other. Staub replaced it with their original yellow which is a very bright, opaque, taxi cab yellow shading a touch into the yellow orange. That's color is just called Yellow. I don't think it's as pretty, as I love the white under glaze where the rings and letting are lighter.

    Ooooh.  MINE.

    Ordered it and should have it in a month or two.  Amazon won't ship it to me here in Japan, so it's going to my mom first.

    *squees*

  14. The Coq Au Vin is the same as the round except in an oval shape. It just has a different knob. I think it's the most versatile for everyday cooking. If he's cooking for a lot of people with leftovers, or if he likes to cook very large batches for freezing then go with the 8 qt. I think the CAV though would be better for everyday cooking, and will still serve 6+. It's not that large of a piece where the ends would hang over the burner too much and cast iron distributes heat very well. It's the perfect size for a 4-5 lb. chicken, or a medium to good size roast. It's about as long as the 8 qt. is wide. About 12".

    I'm interested in buying one of these pieces for my dad as a gift, but I'm not sure which one to get. I think he'd use it mostly for brasing meat, but also for stews/chilis/etc.

    Is there a functional difference between a regular cocotte and a coq au vin cocotte? I'm looking at the 6 qt. oval coc au vin cocotte (eggplant), the 7 qt. round cocotte (eggplant), and the 7 qt. oval cocotte (sunflower). This will be his first piece like this, so I'm looking for something that's the most universal (i.e. if you could only have one of these....). I'd been thinking I'd get an oval one because I've heard that shape is less awkward to lift. That leaves the 6 qt. oval coc au vin in eggplant and the 7 qt. oval cocotte in sunflower. I like the eggplant color a lot better - so I guess what I'm wondering is whether the extra quart is worth getting a color I don't really like, or opting for the round one. I'd appreciate any advice you all can give me!

  15. Whoops! Made a mistake on the wok. It's $89, not $189...sorry! A nice deal on that as it's 14". I ordered the 8 qt. round. Would the person who mentioned they have it know about how much the lid weighs? I though it might be manageable for me without the lid on. I have the LC 7.25 round oven which I haven't used yet, and I'm selling. I was wondering if it might be as heavy as that without the lid, as that size LC is with the lid. Staub is even heavier than LC.

  16. Anyone get anything? No fun unless you buy and tell ;-). Does anyone have the 8 qt. round? Is it too heavy to be manageable? I had thought it might not be too bad if I took the cover off before moving it. It's about 21 pounds empty with the cover on...ouch!

  17. For those who haven't seen this elsewhere, Amazon has several Staub Pieces at great prices. The 8 qt. round is $134.99, and the Coq Au Vin is $110. Those two in Eggplant only. Also a 7 qt. oval in Sunflower yellow for $124.00. The wok is $189.00, and the fall soup pot is terra cotta color and is $99.99.

    The Eggplant is really pretty. Here's some images someone had posted in their blog of it.

    eggplant-1.jpg

    Enjoy!

  18. Here's a subject I haven't seen discussed anywhere. There have been extensive braising comparisons here using all sorts of vessels such as enameled cast iron, clay, steel, and Pyrex. I haven't seen pressure cooking braising compared to braising in enameled cast iron though. One is fast, and one is long and slow. I was just wondering if anyone has made the same recipe in a pressure cooker, and in let's say an LC oven. I would be interested in knowing the difference in the finished product. Anyone?

  19. Chef's Choice uses abrasive wheels and after 15 years they are probably too worn to sharpen properly. I don't know if there are replacements for the parts, but that might be the problem with it not sharpening well any longer.

    I've had a Chef's Choice for over 15 years and notice that my knives are getting duller and don't keep their edge (despite regrinding on slot 1).  I've used a steel in the past, but learned that you can't use both a steel and Chef's Choice.  Am I better sending my knives to a professional sharpener and using the steel in between, or getting a new Chef's Choice and sharpening them myself?  I want to keep a sharp edge longer (I'm pretty lazy) but don't want to grind my knives down too much.

  20. Reefpimp, would you know how large it is in quarts? Does it hold enough food for 4-6 people? This is so frustrating. All these replies and still no answer ;-(. Would you know if it's larger than the LC tagine which is too small? Thanks!

    The top to the tagine fits nicely on the 5qt Dutch oven.....

  21. Thanks! But is it any larger than the Le Creuset one which was too small? It's about the same diameter, but I think it might be deeper. I'm also not able to see how wide the inside rim is in the photo.

    Would anyone know the size of the Staub tagine in qts? They have them on sale for $70 at Amazon now. Other great Staub items on sale there too. I was wondering if it was any larger than the Le Creuset one.

  22. There are some significant problems with this cookware. People on Amazon have reported bubbles forming in between the layers, and the base delaminating while cooking something that can be VERYdangerous. One person said the sound was like a firearm going off. Read the reviews before purchasing.

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00...en-20/ref=nosim

    Eddie Schoenfeld and I discovered a product being sold at Target under the brand name Chefmate.

    It is a medium saucepan with a copper bottom, extremely heavy-gauge stainless steel construction, and big-ass serious rivets attaching the handle to the pot. The lid fits like a glove. The surface is polished to a high shine. This utensil gives every indication of having been made in Switzerland, Belgium, or Germany and were I to pick it up and take a guess I'd say it's a $120+ piece of equipment. If I saw it on sale for $80 I'd seriously consider buying it.

    At Target, this item, which is made in Hong Kong, costs $19.95.

    I cannot emphasize enough how remarkable this is. I have never in my life seen a product retailing for $19.95 that contains this sheer quantity of metal. It is not just regular heavy-duty. It is fully as heavy-duty as the world's most expensive stainless cookware lines.

    It wasn't easy to get to the bottom of all this, but some creative Google searching led me to the Web site of a company called Herald Group. This seems to be the wellspring of all things Chefmate, and I've also noticed that Chefmate products are available from retailers other than Target. Moreover, the same products may be sold under different labels elsewhere. It's hard to tell.

    There's no way to predict how this utensil will hold up. However, the only thing I can imagine going wrong with it would be something in the base if it is poorly engineered and somehow warps. But at $19.95 what's the risk? If you get a year of use out of it you're all set. And I would say chances are better than 50-50 that this item will outlive you.

    I will report back as this situation develops. I plan on acquiring a variety of pieces of Chefmate at Target soon so as to put the whole line through its paces.

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