Chris Amirault

I'm bumping this up because I got several pounds of hocks in thick 3-4" slices that I want to brine and smoke for other uses (red beans & rice, split pea soup, you know what I'm talking about). Any thoughts about brine strength and ingredients or smoking temps? I've erred in the past by making them too salty and by cooking them at too high a temperature.

Welcome to the club! The ill-advised, poorly timed wintery meat smoke is a tradition around here.

As Chez Gramond has stopped operations due to the death of JC Gramond, we are closing this topic.

About to pop open a bottle of Redemption rye. Any thoughts?

Tri2Cook, you should take a bow, given the limitations.

Me, too. I have been happy with everything I've done with the Garde Manger book, and am eager to see what's what with this more focused endeavor.

You're making me want to lift a couch there, Katie....

I find it bizarre to report that I actually like nearly all of these tasks, look forward to most of them. I think that I find the ability to define a task, execute it, and have it done very satisfying, something that I get to do dozens of times each day in the kitchen and oh so rarely in other parts of my life. Which is why I loathe, absolutely despise, finding, "organizing," sorting, and using Tupperware. We never have figured out a system in a decade of using these containers, and I confront that failure every time I try to store leftovers.

I had the same problem and that's what I've taken to doing with most of the dry rub cures in this book: coat the protein with the rub, press it in, and then transfer it and whatever sticks to it to the bag, leaving the excess.

I think we're missing one aspect of DIY which is the "D" part. I like to devote time, thought, and energy to the production of foodstuffs I could otherwise grab as commodities because I can learn more. Sometimes those DIY items stay in my regular rotation -- like stocks, bacon, confit, kimchi, mustard, fresh pasta, liqueurs -- and sometimes after a few efforts I decide I'll go back to store-bought. But I always am glad I made the stuff; the process of learning was valuable even if, say, the sourdough was a bust.

That thing is fantastic for making punch peels as well.

Or you could get really, really good at this Japanese knife technique:

Given your desires and that list, and provided you can find a lemon, you're ready for Society member Audrey Saunders's Intro to Aperol, a delicious apertif.

I've been reflecting on when I do and don't drop it in, and I realize that, when I've twisted at the bar, I've done so in front of the guest, who therefore doesn't need the visual reminder. Interesting thought about the vodka test. May try that Sunday....

Can't argue with purdy, but I don't think that the oils continue to express themselves post-drop. Or does the alcohol somehow act as a tincture base as your glass sits? Interesting question...

Does one prepare kangaroo as one might any other dark, oft-used muscle?

I mean it in the Adolf Loos, "Ornament and Crime" sense, in which avoiding ornament was "a sign of spiritual strength." Anti-frippery and -gewgaw. But practicality, function... Point well taken. I find all of those things morally, and perhaps spiritually, objectionable.

Repeal Day is December 5, and this year I'm working at the bar for the night. I'm trying to line up a few candidates for appropriate libations and would love to know what you'll be shaking and stirring. Quite sure the 12 Mile Limit will be on the card: 1 oz white rum 1/2 oz rye 1/2 oz brandy 1/2 oz grenadine 1/2 oz lemon juice lemon twist You?

For a good while now, Paul Clarke over at Cocktail Chronicles has been organizing a monthly online cocktail event he calls Mixology Mondays: The next MxMo takes place Monday, December 13, and I've gotten this topic up and running because we're hosting it! Our theme? Like That? You'll Love This! Here's the story. At the bar where I now work, I regularly receive requests for the bar staples of the late 20th century, espresso martinis, appletinis, and other things that end inappropriately in -tini. Though these are standard-issue drinks at most bars, Cook & Brown Public House aims for a classic approach that eschews the pucker line, flavored vodkas, and bottled sour mix. I've been talking with other bartenders and they, too, want to find a balance between customer service and stocking products that they can't or won't back. In addition, a well-made tweak of someone's favorite can be just the ticket through the gate to the sort of quality cocktails you want to serve guests at home or at work. Hence this MxMo, devoted to sharing gateway drinks that allow you to say, "If you like that, you'll love this!" Please share your recipes and photos here. I'll be collecting all of the contributions here and sending them Paul's way by Monday, December 13, at midnight. Let's get the conversation started earlier, though, shall we?

Not liking adornment these days. Call me modern. I don't understand the "wring every last bit of aroma" comment. Once plopped in, a garnish doesn't provide more aroma, does it?

Edible garnishes, I can understand. But lately at work and at home I'm finding myself hesitating to drop twists into drinks. They're warm.They're inedible. In providing an aromatic counterpoint they did their job when I twisted 'em -- hence their moniker. Save some take-it-or-leave-it adornment, what's the point? Anyone else contemplating the permanent relegation of the spent twist to the garbage bin?

Made a Vesperasti at home with Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Decanter bitters. Great use of the terrific JT bitters.

That is so weird. I love it. Do you have service pix?

Merridith hit the nail on the head: If you read back through this topic, you'll see that most people prepare things that fit somewhere within their existing skill set. Many here do proteins SV and prepare variations of traditional French sauces -- an excellent approach for them. I tend to use it for applications in which I want greater braising precision for LTLT, cheaper cuts, a la Merridith's advice above; the chili, carnitas, and turkey confit I've made are fantastic and suit my style. I don't think it's any accident that the SV method gave us greater precision to perfect items we already knew how to prepare well.

I sure can: if it spent more than couple of minutes in that oven/broiler, it probably got well above the 176F at which you cooked it -- at which point you lost the benefits of the SV. I'd urge you to try it again, crisp the skin off the meat itself, and serve it out of the bag, or perhaps brought to 160-70F after chilling. SV is a technique that requires a different set of tolerances and approaches than other methods, and with practice I'll bet you'll find a few things that for you are unmatched.