Chris Amirault

I'm on strict orders not to use the KitchenAid for pasta dough -- the second KitchenAid, that is. The one that makes a screeching noise? That one I can use. Seriously, though, I enjoy kneading dough and rarely use the old KA for that task, saving it for the rolling and cutting into fettuccine. I don't know how it'd work.

I don't think that's quite true. The surface temperature of the meat -- the wet-bulb temperature -- is affected by evaporation, which is a cooling process that is affected by the humidity in the oven. So you can have wet-bulb temperatures that are lower. Again quoting MC (2-103):

I'm doing a few different things today that are influenced in part by the MC book. One is smoking a few things, and bc of the book's discussion of wet-bulb temperatures I've got the hygrometer in there, trying to maintain a humidity around 65%. The main thing that I'm doing is using a new fresh pasta recipe. For years I have used the recipe in the eGCI course: 400g ‘00’ flour 4 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil pinch of salt The fresh pasta recipe in MC (3-381) is designed "to replicate the appealing al dente texture that comes from classic dried Italian pasta." The one I'm using -- at 3x 100% -- is: 100 g '00' flour (100%) 1 g xanthan gum 2.5 g salt 9 g water 56.7 g egg yolk 10.7 g oil Yes, that's xanthan gum in there, listed in the "best bets" parametric recipe table as a "texturing agent." 170g of egg yolks is about 9 yolks; I used olive oil and an unsalted shrimp & artichoke stock for the water. I've just taken a break from kneading, as this is a much stiffer dough than I'm used to. More, later, with results.

Yeah, it's 25F here, so as long as I keep an eye on it, it stays below ~50F or so.

Pre-coffee brain fart: Vita-Mix. Not Thermomix.

It's been a while since we've had an active smoker topic, and I imagine that there are some options -- purchased or built -- that are new since 2009. In addition, I've learned a few things about my Bradley that I thought I'd share here. Here it is, in all it's dusty, trusty glory: One thing I've realized is that the exhaust vent at the top of the smoker will, after a while, condense liquid and drip that muck down onto meat. I put a little bowl up there now to avoid this problem. I've also been smoking a lot of things: today it's wings, brisket, cheese, a ham, and a few other things over a long cold day. What sorts of set-ups do others have? Tips? Tricks? DIYs?

In 2009, we shared our culinary woes as we grappled with the lousy economy. For most people across the globe, things haven't changed too much. So here's the 2011 version: in this economy, what are you sadly doing without? Mine is very easy: since delving into Modernist Cuisine, there are several ingredients and toys that I'm foregoing. Just to taunt me, the Thermomix barker was at Whole Foods yesterday, and my daughter couldn't understand why I didn't just drop the $450 for the thing right there. You?

Very interested in following along, Leslie, and I harbor nothing but good stereotypes about NZ, particularly concerning food & wine. But I'm especially eager to hear about tomorrow's distillery trip -- and jealous: I can't use the phrase "local gin distiller," sadly. Is it South gin?

Which Old Tom?

I don't always store it, but if I do it's in the fridge. I take it out when I start getting dinner going to warm up.

I sniffed the Death's Door and the Decanter bitters in sequence, and thought about that Leopold Bros. stuff, which is tricky to use but seemed suited in this case. If I had used Luxardo, I don't think it would have worked nearly as well; the toned-down maraschino did.

Standard issue pineapple syrup (chunks; demerara 2:1 syrup; macerate for 1-2 days) but using smoked pineapple. I smoke mine for a couple hours with apple wood in Bradley.

And, those of us who are more comfy at this point: start cranking out the stubs!

Oil to acid ratio?

That looks good -- but you'll want to be careful about times and check them to make sure they're not burning. Pop one into the freezer when you get close and then snack on it a minute later to see if they're ready.

It's been a while since we've had a general topic on vinaigrettes, and I'll bet that there are some good ideas out there. I haven't measured much since I started doing two things. The first is keeping a couple of homemade emulsifiers handy; usually it's roasted garlic and mustard. The second is finding a cylindrical container that fits my immersion blender perfectly, which enables me to make small amounts easily. So here's the rough version: a tablespoon of mustard, garlic, or the two combined; a glug of red wine or sherry vinegar; ~4 times that glug of oil (usually half olive and half grapeseed); a grind of pepper and a dash of salt. Blend and adjust. If I'm feeling motivated, I'd toss in a few thyme leaves, an anchovy and a few capers, smoked paprika, or something I can just grab. If I'm really motivated, I'll mince a shallot, grate some parmigiano reggiano, or grab an anchovy from the salt. You?

I do, but I don't roll the opening of the bottle around in my mouth very often. I tend to sip or slug.

I'm now wishing that I had a trusty old pressure cooker so that it could explode and I could buy a new Kuhn Rikon.

My wife has had a Sigg for 15 years that's been through everything you can imagine all over the world and is still her go-to water bottle: no weird tastes, cap still works fine. I thought she was insane. Then I got one at TJ Maxx a few months ago and I'm officially Sigg-ified. I have a hygiene question. Someone somewhere in the forums recently wrote that drinking from the same water bottle without washing it is like reusing an unwashed fork. Maybe I'm missing something, but I guess I thought that water was, like, cleaner than the dozens of things that sit on the end of a fork, and the water bottle never sees the inside of my mouth. Am I being a crazy fool not to wash this water bottle every day, or can I continue to wipe it off now and then and avoid certain death?

Indeed, IndyRob, that's part of the chaotic energy that will make WikiGullet great: whatever methods make most sense are the ones you should just. Dive right in! Have courage!

What with a pile of recipes, parametric charts on smoking, detailed explanations of wet-bulb temperature effects, brining, smoke ring discussions.... I'm not barbecue expert, but it certainly seems exhaustive to me.

US is set to deliver March 8, and the price is at $467.62.

We agree, Dave. So dive in! Have courage!

Also, if you're having trouble, try removing your cookies in your browser's preferences and restarting the browser. Often that will take care of the problem.

DOH! I need a drink.