Chris Amirault

I made a strip sirloin au poivre in the cast iron skillet last night, using some freshly rendered lard (tx Fifi!). Steak rested at room temp, heavily peppered and salted, for a bit; left the burner on high for ten minutes with the skillet heating; then popped the steak in for 2 min on each side while basting (tx Rochelle!); then the whole thing into the 450 oven for 5 min. Best steak I've ever made at home, hands down. Thanks y'all!

And what exactly is Kotobukiya Market? Descriptions and photos would be most appreciated!!

Medium grain calrose is the one that was recommended to me, but I was also told that other rices, including brown rice, could be used. Just don't tell chef koo's umma!

Not surprised about Farnham's and Woodman's -- I think both of them suck -- but I really do think you had an unusually bad batch at the Clam Box. Either that or one of my life-long haunts is going down hill.... Maybe it's because you were saying "Glow-stah" instead of "Glaw-stah," like "claw," and sounded like an extra in Barry Lyndon. Next time, get to Flo's in Portsmouth RI, man!

Kristin, what does that "co-op" label mean on the right package? Are there products marketed directly to co-ops?

I've also found that you can get the desired effect with a non-stick skillet. Heat it on medium-high, add a tablespoon or two of peanut oil, and then add a thick layer of cooked rice right from the machine. Shake the skillet repeatedly, especially during the first few minutes, and check the bottom occasionally; when it's a bit brown in spots, you'll get that crunchy layer, and you can slide the whole sheebang into your big bowl for the rest of the goodies. Speaking of which: does anyone want to offer a recipe?

Zesta saltines, a fine MacIntosh apple, a smoked mackerel filet, and a slab of pretty good manchego cheese.

Bih-Bihm-bahp. Short vowels throughout. I think.

Cook-off XIV: Bibimbap.

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 fourteenth Cook-Off, we're making bibimbap. Aficionados of Korean food and cooking are well aware of this famous dish, but many who have not had the pleasure might find this a surprising cook-off selection. Folks, I'm here to tell you that everyone should bring this remarkable dish into their repertoire. What is bibimbap, you ask? In a previous thread devoted to the subject, Jinmyo offered this typically inimitable explanation: True, some ingredients (the pickles known as kimchee and the red pepper paste known as gojuchang) may be a bit tricky for you to find, but we can summon up some possible substitutes. No special equipment is absolutely necessary, though if you have one of the stone or metal cook bowls known as dolsots, you'll want to use that. Like cassoulet, bibimbap inspires many debates about authenticity and regionalism, which means that the neophyte can experiment with great flexibility and still claim some amount of technical merit! Finally and as always, the eGullet Society is chock-a-block full of experts ready to share ideas and recipes for the various components of this dish, not only on the thread referenced above (click the little pink box in the quotation) but also here, here, and here, with a kimchee thread here and a kochuchang thread here. So turn on your rice cookers and get your beef a-marinating -- and if you have any soju handy, get it damned cold!

Smart ideas, anzu! The shop I usually visit caters more to Cambodian and Vietnamese, but I know a couple of places that are more geared to Thai cooking. I also know one owner and should just ask him if he'll save some for me. He's probably trimming them, right?

This is fascinating, Jamie. It seems in line with the prepared foods phenomenon that takes over increasing amounts of square feet and staff labor at the grocery stores I frequent. (There's a name for this that I'm flaking on....) You wrote, that it's "sweeping North America." Can you say more about what that means?

Bumping this up due to a sausage dilemma this weekend with my KA attachment. I was making sai oua, Thai sausages, and all was well until I had to stuff them. Two problems, both related to air: (1) The mixture did not seem to feed through the sausage attachment with any consistency. Instead, I had to push it down with the wooden thingie, and when I wasn't pushing, it was just whirring away and not stuffing anything. What gives? Any tips? (2) I didn't have air pockets; I was making meaty whoopie cushions! I really cannot figure out how so much air was being pumped into the casings, but it really was happening. This didn't seem to happen the last time I made sausage, and I believe (1) and (2) are related. But I'm baffled. Ideas? edited to add: I found a good source for casings that I wanted to share: Whole Foods. The butcher at one store (University Heights in Providence, in case anyone's nearby) has become very supportive of my various meat-related obsessions.

Boy, your Studio Kitchen comments make me think once again that those $39 Southwest fares from Providence to Philadelphia are pretty damned attractive....

Pretty simple to grow, but the roots tend to be very woody, too woody to use. Actually, as I wrote above, several the Asian markets that I frequent haven't been keeping the roots attached. I really don't understand why that is....

Click here for jackal10's chutney recipe; click here for his sweet green tomato pickle recipe. Thanks, man!

In the thread on extra corn, prasantrin mentioned the difficulty of finding cilantro with roots attached. Since I can have the same problem -- and since I think it's a problem because those woody little roots are heavenly -- I thought I'd start a thread. What do you use cilantro/coriander root for? I find that it has a completely different character than the leaves, more intensely floral. In pounded Thai curry pastes, it makes a remarkable difference. Also, does anyone know why it's so hard to find it with roots attached? This seems counterintuitive to me. It's even hit-or-miss to find it that way at the Asian grocers in town.

Jack, can we get you to provide a recipe in RecipeGullet for this? Sounds lovely (as usual!).

Using the non-sharpened edge, a cleaver is a great coconut cracker.

It seems to me that there are reasons to make decisions based on this decision, yes. I personally would rather support an inconsistent local restaurant than an international chain not only because of the food possibilities but also because I'd rather my money feed into our local economy instead of into the accounts of shareholders in Sysco, McDs, etc. Also, as Steven points out in his book, being a regular at your neighborhood restaurant is often the smartest way to get the best food. Finally, at the risk of sounding naive, I believe that communities are not just abstractions but are also legitimate social structures within which I can find meaning, affiliation, and pleasure, and eating in one of the regular restaurants in my town is a celebration of that spirit. Based on the data I've seen about the expansion of corporate restaurant chains at the expense of locally held operations, I certainly think that I'm in a small minority.

Y'all that are jonesing for chipotle might want to try this chipotle, ancho, and garlic rub based on Reed Hearon's recipe. It's most excellent, if I may say so myself.

Richard, who eats at those up-scale restaurants? I fear that a city the size of Providence couldn't sustain support for such restaurants.

Sorry -- most sausage recipes I know of have ratios that max out at 2:1, meat to fat. So "Yikes!" meant a lotta fat.

Fermented bean curd and bean paste. Oh baby.

Just so we're clear, are people thinking that a 1:1 ratio of meat to fat is about right? Yikes!