Chris Amirault

Octaveman, thanks -- and why those? What criteria do you use? I have read some recommendations for the Tojiro knife around the net. Opinions? In re sharpening the Shun, I haven't been able to find reliable bevel measurements for sharpening that KO chef's knife, and apparently the Shun folks aren't too keen on sharing. If someone has that information, please PM me off this topic. Thanks!

The one down the page here?

You're emboldening me about taking the Edge Pro to the Shun. But back to the nakiri knives. Does anyone have experience with this 18 cm Brieto nakiri? Or this 16.5 cm Hattori HD nakiri? Or this Tojiro DP nakiri? And how should one approach shopping for a knife that one cannot hold in one's hands? ETA the Tojiro -- CA

Lots of salt in the fridge and they'll keep indefinitely. Freezer breaks them down.

I'm thinking that my one gift this year for Christmas is a nakiri knife, a vegetable prep knife with a thin blade. I'm a long-time chef's knife user and have a large Wusthof classic that's over 20 years old that's my workhorse. I also have a Shun Ken Onion chef's knife about which I've posted my agita, which I'm glad to report has reduced significantly. However, I'm realizing that I do a ton of vegetable prep and would really like to have a knife with a straight edge. Thus I've been looking at this Shun Classic nakiri, though with a bit of trepidation. I'm a lefty who likes the D-shaped handle on the Classics (even though it's "backwards") but I've got big hands and don't want something too small. I think that I can try out one of these knives at William Sonoma locally, but want a few other options. In particular, since this knife is likely to be used a lot, I'm thinking that I might want something I can sharpen easily with my Edge Pro (I dare not touch the Shun with it at this point), and thus have been considering other brands. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on these knives. Anyone with big hands have one and like it? What should I be looking at and for? Do you sharpen yours?

Not sure that would work. What are the dimensions for the slices? If they're reasonably thick (say 2" or so) you could just proceed as usual and pull the meat from the cure a bit earlier. Or, better yet, you could pull a couple early, a couple later, and compare (with a full report here!).

Just got my legs in the fridge to cure overnight, initiating the cassoulet production over the course of the month. Anyone else getting their ducks on?

Rittenhouse BIB at Joyal's in West Warwick RI for $16.99.

And it has the added benefit of not reminding you of ground hooves.

I made the Regent's Punch following the Saveur recipe and it was fantastic. It's worth hunting down the specific ingredients for this one, as Wondrich states. For example, your local Latino mercado will likely have sour oranges. Finding the arrack is trickier, though worth the hunt.

Next time I'd put them both under and atop the salmon, and I'd roughly crush them as well. I'd also cut back on the salt and cure them a bit longer. Quibbles, though, in the end. They were the hit of the meal.

Well, I got it to gel all right, with two packets of gelatin. The entertainment value of the jiggly mountain was kinda fun at first. However, after a few bites, the lousy mouthfeel made it a lot harder to enjoy the sauce's character. Back to crushed berries next year.

I use the little Dole cans for juice. I don't think that there's enough cost benefit to use a whole pineapple for juicing considering the pretty good quality of the cans. In addition, the Dole juice cans are the standard for most drink recipes, even in the tiki world. Speaking of which, I have grown accustomed to tasting and adjusting the sweet/tart level of most pineapple drinks, given that, for example, Jeff Berry (of tiki drink fame) seems to have a sweeter palate than I do. You just add a bit more sweet if it's too tart and a bit more tart if it's too sweet (and then, of course, record your adjustments). As for soaking in rum, I always have a homemade pineapple rum in the liquor cabinet: soak one part chopped or crushed fresh pineapple in two parts rum. (I have no rum recommendations, as I usually just use a little of this and that, emptying out bottles and trying to get a decent balance.) If you use that infusion for half of the rum in a daiquiri, say, it's a fine drink.

You'll still need actual flesh, though. Bare bones aren't enough.

I'm not sure how long it lasts, but it absolutely can go rancid.

Can you say more about the shredded sweet potatoes? How are they prepared?

Yes, I washed them; no I didn't chop them up. Next time I will. The pine is definitely there, but just a whisper. I'm serving them with a sliver of shallot, a thin, small triangle of lemon (rind, pith, pulp), and three or four grains of Hawaiian red salt.

1/2 packet, test, then more if needed. Perfect. Thanks.

Breaking the record for corporate response time to an email query, this just in:

Say more. What would that do? Just less liquid, or does it have an effect on the gelling? I had assumed that straining out the skins meant that there was less pectin or something. Feel free to set me straight! ETA the liquid/gelling question -- ca

I think I want bouncy.

I'm hoping that more people will post menus. I'm pretty well stuck with traditional dishes -- I have family members who will kill me if I deviate -- but I am allowed to play with drinks and apps. I gave up on pickles and am left with this: Starters: root vegetable chips with jerk seasoning, rosemary bacon candy, and pine-cured salmon skewers, all served with Regent’s Punch. Mains: roast turkey with gravy (the Gourmet 2001 version with oranges and red onions), pecan sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce with orange and ginger (fingers crossed that it will gel), lemongrass carrots and scallions, and bacon & white pepper brussels sprouts. My wife will be making a cookie assortment: orange almond tuilles, world peace cookies, and thumbprint cookies at the minimum. Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino, brandy to close.

My multi-day Thanksgiving prep and cooking marathon is being fueled by the fantastic Milk Punch from Wondrich's Imbibe! I suggest whole milk (even with a bit of cream) and do not suggest that you cut back on the cognac or rum.

Turned out well, though not nearly as piney as I'd like. Still, that's probably an idiosyncrasy of mine, so I'm hoping for happiness in others' mouths.

Sure thing. I'm emailing to find out exactly what "food grade plastic" means.