Chris Amirault

As I read this thread, I feel a bit suspicious of the frisson of "Exposé!" that seems to be crackling about it. While I think Steven's got a good point, my thoughts are a bit different and more mundane, I think, similar to Lucy's but in a New England context. This whole thing seems slightly off to me, I realize, because my experience at local farmers' markets is not devoted to the search for countrified goodness, whatever that is, but is instead built around the reliability of the relationships I have formed with the producers there. Since I've gotten to know a bit the folks running the CSA to which I belong and some of the farmers who sell at our local weekly markets, I don't have to worry so much about being duped by peat-covered potatoes and gingham-wrapped jams. Knowing actual people gives the lie to the consumption of faux "authenticity" that lurks around this entire affair like a bad toupee. I'm not sure that this study takes that cliché about human relationships very seriously, perhaps because the typical shopper doesn't either. Having said that, I'd bet a franc that, like me, Lucy is at her market to buy local produce, not to buy the experience of buying local produce.

Ok, I have a question. Is there a generic name for that Korean omelette dish? My first search turned up bindae-duk, but now I think that's wrong. The dish I love at our local Korean place is called haemul-pajun: a seafood and scallion omelette. Anyone know?

Every now and then since December 2004, a good number of us have been getting together at the eGullet Recipe Cook-Off. Click here for the Cook-Off index. For our nineteenth Cook-Off, we're making eggs, beaten, with stuff in them. All right, all right, so the name sucks. Feel free to pick your own favorite from among the other suggestions: "Souffles, Frittatas, Omelettes," my best shot but too European for my tastes; "Eggs, Filled, Folded, Fluffed," snowangel's variation on the one I went with; "Eggstravaganza!" -- a name we'll have to save for the Broadway musical adaptation of this cook-off. What we're talking about here are egg dishes that require beating the eggs -- either en masse a la the omelette or yolk and white separately then combined a la the soufflé -- and then combining them with other ingredients. This is an admittedly wide berth, but you probably get the drift. Frittata? Yes. Deviled eggs? No (not beaten). It seems to me like a good cook-off idea because eggs, beaten, with stuff in them appear throughout the cuisines of the world. We've got the eGCI course on omelettes here and the Q&A here. There are at least two solid threads on Italian frittatas here and here. Check out the chawanmushi in this tamago thread. My initial attempts at searching suggest that we're still in need of a definitive Bindae-dduk recipe (the Korean omelette), and I think that we may see a few egg foo yungs before the cook-off is over. So fire up the skillets, people, and get out those whisks. This promises to be eggcellent! Ok, I couldn't resist.

And soft means less gluten, whereas hard means more?

Quick report back on that Sitram Profisserie stuff I got. I have noticed that, with the switch from electric to gas, I have to be thoughtful about the pan's tendency to singe right off the edge of the base, where the aluminum stops and it's just a layer of stainless. It's taking a bit of time to figure it out, but in general I still love the stuff. Oh, and if you're getting stainless anything, stock up on Barkeeper's Friend. It's a godsend. edited to fix a link -- ca

Nope: it was a supercheap craigslist.org deal on two pieces of Whirlpool stainless (stove and fridge) from a couple who were moving after 6 months in a new house and needed to liquidate in a hurry. As I said, the oven is infinitely better than what we had, and there are lots of good features to the range itself: continuous grating (what a godsend), great low simmering and a blastfurnace PowerBurner , and, of course, the responsiveness of gas.

That's right: I definitely had limitations and had gotten used to them -- like going outside to use my propane stove whenever I had to do anything with a wok requiring high heat. Having said that: if anyone has a magic wand and can turn this into an unsealed, concentric-ring range, give me a call.

Actually, I'm finding that I have to relearn the gas stove since my olden days with vintage 1960 models in college apartments. For example, the intensity of the flames is quite high even when the flames themselves are low -- something that wasn't always the case in the past with other models. That means that having a burner on fairly low flame can still get a good pan up to temp quickly, particularly with my new, swell Sitram pans. I also think that I've got to learn how to visualize the location of the pots and pans on the burners more accurately. When I notice that there's extra heat on one side, for example, I've been fiddling with position and learning that my first guess is often wrong. So... I think I'm going to try to make my peace with this situation for a while.

This is fascinating stuff. I might be missing it, but I can't find a single mention of technology or science here: no sous vide, no pacojet, nothing. Indeed, the only mention of anything remotely scientific is metaphorical: the product's "gene," what might have been called its "essence" in previous decades. This passage really brings out why Adria has quibbled with the phrase "avant garde." This doesn't describe a cutting edge; it is a return to the product.

I'm in need, too, of a roasting pan, though mainly for big cuts of meat. I've been trying to justify buying this Mario Batali lasagna/roasting pan (here at Crate and Barrel), which I keep seeing at Whole Foods. It feels pretty solid, and while it's a bit smaller than what I'd like (13"x9"x3 1/2"), for $80 I'd grab it if I wanted something just for vegetables. While it doesn't say "Tr-Ply" in the description, this Amazon link has the Calphalon roaster with "3-ply 18/10 stainless steel surround[ing] a highly conductive full-aluminum core." A Benjamin'll get you one of those with free shipping -- very tempting. But it's the "Contemporary" line. What does that mean?

Oh, I've been nagging all right: Me: So there are adjustable gauges for the burners, as shown in the manual? Whirlpool: Yes, there are. Me: But I can't find them on my range. Whirlpool: Yes, they aren't there. Me: But the book says they are. Whirlpool: Yes, it does. Me: So the manual is wrong. Whirlpool: No, the manual isn't wrong. Me: OK, so it's not wrong, but the manual is not for this range. Whirlpool: No, sir, that is the correct manual for the range. Me: I don't understand. Whirlpool: That manual is the correct manual for the range, however, that section has the correct directions and diagram for another range. Me: So that section is wrong. Whirlpool: No, it's not wrong. It's correct for the other range. You get the idea.

Ah Leung, thanks once again. Besides rice, can you say a bit about what else you might serve this dish with?

Thanks freddurf -- and I think that the answer is scoop and level, right? You scoop it out with a spoon, pour it into the cup measure, and level with a knife. But your point that the weight varies wildly is a good one. And then there's all those different kinds of cocoa powder.... Sugarella and others, can you recommend some other books save Rose Levy Beranbaum? A list of books that are amateur-friendly and use weight measures would be swell.

All you need are questions, Anna. For example: "flour needle"?

Sure, I'm a food nut. I'm curing lop yuk in my attic and have no more room in my freezer because of excessive stock -- nuff said. But it's all a lie, man, just a lie, because I have a shameful, glaring secret about one topic, perhaps the most noble topic in the world of cooking. I've managed to hide this deficiency by posting thousands of times on other subjects in these forums. However, I'm facing my demons, and I hope you'll join me. My name is Chris A. and I'm a baking dumbass. Friends, I have almost no clue whatsoever what happens when egg, liquid, flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and/or fat get all mixed up and stuck in an oven. I'm telling you, it's like Brigadoon appears whenever my partner pulls some magnificent creation out of the oven. "Huh," she says, "I think the proportion of cake to AP flour is off. What do you think?" "Um, yeah, right, probably," I murmur. Then I slink over to the liquor cabinet and make a double manhattan. Secretly, I lurk in the pastry and baking threads, looking for tips. Who is this "RLB"? Surely she isn't Rose Levy Beranbaum, the evil temptress who tormented me with her talk of stable buttercreams and ideal crumb. And what the hell is a "flour nail"?!? It's a metaphor for what has punctured my wanna-be baker's heart, that's what. But perhaps I am -- and, friend, perhaps you are -- ready to face these fears. I'm sufficiently armed: I've got a scale, a KitchenAid 6 quart mixer, and an apron with Yoko Ono's ass on it. What say you? Are you brave enough to join me?!?

More, Wendy, more! I'm a baking dumb-ass and need the 101! Let's create a thread on the topic!! edited to add: And here it is: Baking 101!

Folks, I just had to delete a string of mean-spirited, off-topic, and politically inflammatory posts. (Click on the Member Agreement or the "Discussion of Politics" for reference.) This thread is devoted to the video clip described in its title; please stick to the topic at hand.

Steven, I think you (sadly) hit the nail on the head. I don't really want to use a heat diffuser for precisely the reasons that you indicate; the whole point of getting the gas range (besides getting it half price and basically new on craigslist as part of a package deal with a swell fridge) is the responsiveness. I'm almost thinking that, instead of a diffuser, I should take Andie's suggestion and visit a metalsmith to see if he or she can make an inverted cone thingie, so that the flames move into the center instead out toward the edges. And, can I just say, that even when I cook with my wok these days I'm wishing I had my old ancient electric range back?

I smell a metaphor.

Tryin' to wrap my mind around the idea that chow mein goes better than egg rolls with caesar salad dressing, peas, and chicken sandwiches.

Actually, answering this is bringing up an interesting point. Turning down the flame doesn't always help because the diameter of the burner caps is about four inches and the flames extend beyond that. As a result, even larger pans do not heat as evenly as they should. It's not like the propane flame blasting out in a wok burner or turkey fryer; rather, the burner cap creates a circular area on the base of the pan that doesn't come into contact with the flame, which is extending out toward the edges of the circle, creating a sort of flame donut. Does that make any sense? WHICH IS ALL TO SAY: I think that the real problem is not only that the flames lick up the sides but that, even when turned down, these burner caps inevitably create a colder (or, rather, less hot) zone directly in the middle of the pan. edited to add the desperate "flame donut" metaphor -- ca

I'm just a novice, too, Ellen, so I'll be interested to read what pops up here. I will say that having a blood orange or two around when guests arrive means that you have a great mixer for many drinks that would require orange, lemon, or lime.

I've just merged the newer FOH thread that FoodTutor started into this older one -- which gives me an opportunity to ask: Are time limits still being used out in the corporate food world? I remember during my time at Friendly's that there were a bunch of numbers written on all of our pencils and pads that corresoponded to how many minutes or seconds should elapse from seating to greeting, drinks, order, etc.

It's right here.

In fact, Ben, I've already been doing just that when I can, but the size of the range top and my need for multiple burners prevents me from doing it all the time. There's only one smaller burner; the rest are large. And I'm quite familiar with the knobs on the front, believe me!