-
Posts
19,645 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Everything posted by Chris Amirault
-
So you're telling me I have to spring for the Marteau. It's a rough life.
-
I think I'll stick to cutting against the grain and pulling pork or ropa vieja with.
-
I have Kubler at home and it's just fine, but after having a few drinks at the Teardrop Lounge made with Marteau, I was floored by the improvement.
-
I certainly plan to cut it against the grain, like a roast. I can't imagine cutting it any other way -- or am I misunderstanding?
-
Clearly, I need to do some research and report back.
-
I know that most places have their own special frozen treat that's near and dear to the hearts and mouths of locals. In the greater Boston area we have Hoodsies, little ice cream (milk) cups that you can eat with a spoon or the cover itself. I hadn't had one in a couple of decades, and they're just what you'd think they are. More delicious by far is RI's frozen lemonade, and specifically Del's, which stands head and shoulders above the imitators. I have at least one Del's per week in the summer. How about you? What's your local summer treat of note?
-
So now I'm running at about, oh, eight hours for session one. I've got my own ideas about content for this first, start-up session, but I'm interested in yours. I want to assume almost nothing except prior bad experiences, have fun, edumucate them a bit, and leave them wanting more. Your thoughts?
-
I think that the same test is worth performing on other rices, too. I have come to rinse virtually every non-sticky rice as a matter of course and taste; the grains seem more distinct. This has been true even with my insanely brilliant Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker, which can program satellites and perform extraterrestrial mind control as well as cook rice. In fact, it wrote this post.
-
Found some excellent organic russets at Trader Joe's, of all places, that are about 4-6" long. I did a trial run today, baking them at 350F until done, scooping out the flesh, using Maggie's great method to recrisp the skin (oil, salt, 450F for 7-8 min), and filling them up with 10 oz potato, 6 oz homemade bacon (uncooked; about 2 oz cooked), and 3 oz Cabot sharp cheddar cheese. Sprinkled a little more cheese on them and then finished in the 450F oven. They were great. I think that the 10:6:4 ratio is pretty good, and I'm planning to use it for the gorgonzola/pancetta version as well.
-
FWIW, I think that a lot of folks rinse rice, not just those of Japanese descent. I've gotten the lecture from Chinese, Puerto Rican, Indian, and Thai cooks -- but always for jasmine, basmati, etc. and not for sticky rice. I always thought that there was excess starch washed away. Wrong? And US manufacturers probably don't say "rinse" out of a fear that American consumers will consider the step too arduous.
-
Thanks. And, yes, I'll be doing no soapbox speeches about brands; that's what the tastes I mentioned above are for. ("Straw tastes in shot glasses are a great way for people to experience a variety of one type of booze, opening people's eyes to the differences between products and keeping them relatively sober.") When I've done that in the past, for example, they can pick up the differences among DeKuyper triple sec, Marie Brizard triple sec, Clement Creole Shrubb, and Cointreau -- a very interesting exercise that starts with most people thinking "orange" all means the same thing.
-
You got the biggest softball straight line in the history of food comedy: "I'm sorry? You're a bag lady?"
-
Do you talk or stay quiet while eating?
Chris Amirault replied to a topic in Food Traditions & Culture
Happy to set an extra place over here, azurite. -
Q&A -- Knife Maintenance and Sharpening
Chris Amirault replied to a topic in The eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI)
Heat retention. Genius. I'm heading into the kitchen as we speak. -
Q&A -- Knife Maintenance and Sharpening
Chris Amirault replied to a topic in The eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI)
Still more questions! It's been an absurdly wet spring and early summer here in the northeast, and despite my care (washing & drying them immediately), my two new Japanese knives -- the Gekko nikiri and the Mac paring knife -- have been getting little rust spots. Sometimes they coincide with where the knife edge touches the magnetic bar; sometimes they appear elsewhere. The Mac paring knife, for example, has a touch of rust at the heel near the handle. What to do? Redouble my efforts at drying? Should I make a paste of Bartender's Friend and gently rub them out? Get something other than the magnetic strip for the Japanese knives? -
Is the duck meat at 140F or the smoking chamber temp 140F?
-
I don't think anyone is suggesting that you put the meat in as you close in on 140F. However, many people suggest putting the meat in cold to start smoking and pulling it out of the smoke at 140F because "it won't absorb any more." And, again, please see the above link. Smoke rings and smoke are two different things.
-
I think that many of us have assumed that cold meat absorbs more smoke, but you know what they say about assumptions. As of this post, no one has presented any scientific basis for why 140F is the magic number -- or that there is one at all.
-
Not sure yet. I'm trying to figure out the base flavors, thinking I'll do two: cheddar, bacon, & chive and gorgonzola, sage, & pancetta. Figgerin'...
-
I've been reviewing this topic in preparation for a 30+ person event next week, an it's been invaluable. I'm also hoping to have the event outdoors -- an insane plan given the weather this "summer" on the east coast -- so I have two sets of plans, inside and outside. A few items that I think haven't been mentioned, or that I missed, or that are worth repeating: Be creative about serving utensils, plates, glasses, etc. Instead of shopping for "high-end" plastic or reinforced paper plates, we hit eBay and found two massive sets of midcentury melamine plates and platters that suit our tastes and the tastes of our guests perfectly. (Yes, I know about the melamine concerns but don't share them.) I've also been scouring thrift stores for years and have a massive collection of cocktail glasses that we can use instead of plastic, as well as a wide range of serving utensils. Seconding the pets advice. We haven't been able to find a friend for our coonhound, so he's taking over a bedroom upstairs. We once made the mistake of putting bottled items into the ice tub and, as they cooled, they also lost their labels. So I'm doing a test run this weekend and may be recruiting the kids to make a sign explaining the labeling system they devise. Simple grilled meats (I'm doing smoked tenderloin and brined chicken wings) are a nice solution and offer variety if you have some sauces to go with. I think I'm doing an aoili, chimichurri, and a lime/peanut sauce.
-
I was wondering about a spice/herb dusting just after the frying, too....
-
Does anyone bake, scoop, fry, fill, then bake to reheat? Or is that insane?
-
I agree that a good knife works wonders. The OXO knife is very good; I replaced two duds in a row with it. Avoid the beer can opener at all costs. I love Julia and all, but it's just too thick at the tip to be of any use (unless you've struggling with a paper clip or something).
-
Rub update over in the rubs topic.