CtznCane

I too use a wok for stovetop frying. Wok's are cheap, especially if you live near a chinatown. You can get a Joyce Chen flat bottomed peking pan (basically a wok with a different handle) cheap at BB&B (under 15 dollars I think) and I got my largest wok in chinatown for about 20. With the wok, whether round or flat bottomed, you also get arguably the most useful pan you can have as well. Most importantly though, they are great for frying.

I know, I now, just another ypo

I really wish TC was a 90 minute show but I guess that is hoping for too much. I think who left the show tonight was pretty predictable. I kinda wished Michael had gotten the boot. Perhaps it's good for ratings but I find him a little too obnoxious in a sickly way too boot. That's not to mention the shrimp. I cook shrimp a lot and he should know how to get it right or at least have the sense to know he screwed it up. He may last awhile but he certainly isn't going to be there at the finish. For all her vetching last week, Ashley looks to be the second strongest lady on the show. I think Jen on the other hand is going to give the boys all they can handle all the way through.

Anthony - brining works great for pork (and much more.) I'm surprised by seeing the 48 hour brine here. Typically for a boneless pork loin, trimmed of most fat & silverskin, I brine a 3 lb loin for about 3.5 hours and a 5 lb loin about 5 hours. Rather than just saying "brine" the brine proportions are important. I have had nothing but good results usiing a brine formula from John Ash - 1 qt liquid, 1/3 cup kosher salt, 1/3 cup brown sugar. - from that brine, just vary how long you brine based on what it is and the size. Also an easy formula when you need to increase the volume of brine. brined pork loin is a dish I serve at the Country Club, the brine I use, for the liquid is 2 cups water, 1 cup bourbon, 1 cup cranberry juice (or orange juice), 1/3 cup kosher salt, 1/3 cup brown sugar (I happen to use brown sugar splenda, works fine.) chops I typically only brine about 1.5 hours

Saturday nights dinner. chile rellenos, mexican white rice, refried black beans, and flan. All from Rick Bayless Mexico One Plate at a Time. I've used his books whenever I've done Mexican food and nothing has ever turned out less than very good. I've never made any custards before and the flan turned out perfect. the mexican white rice (I used thai long grain while the recipe calls for medium) was the best rice I've ever had and I cook rice quite often

I thought I may have responded to this long ago but couldn't find a post, yet time changes some perceptions. My top 5 1. Emeril. I can't believe he gets put down so much here. I'd also love to see him on a Top Chef Masters as I think he'd turn some heads in a most positive way. 2. Gordon Ramsay - He really puts himself out there for those who put out the effort but has no tolerance for a lack of dedication. Fascinating person. 3. Rick Bayless. Passionate and meticulous and I've never tried a recipe of his that didn't work. 4. Jose Andres - Loved his Made in Spain series (though only saw part since can't get it now since moving from Calif to Kentucky. 5. Tom Colicchio - I like Tom and would like to see him doing more cooking or teaching on T.V. He may not have the personality though to do a teaching show but he'd make a great cheftestant. Interesting 5. 1. Nick Stellino - Yeah, I like him. Why? His dishes work and he makes a lot of sense. Okay, some, perhaps many might find him to, what, perky? Pretentious? Full of himself? I think it is more he's trying to put on a show, but, bottom line his recipes all work and they are very tasty. 2. Carlo Middione - He had a show on PBS (at least in the bay area) way back "Carlo Cooks Italian." If Emeril and Stellino are over the top enthusiastically Carlo is at the other end of the spectrum. A great teacher, makes things, simple and does them right but no stage presence. 3. John Ash - This guy knows what he's doing, can cook with anyone, and can get his points across clearly. He is another who I think would be a good TCM player. 4. Art Smith - I love his passion and I'd really like to more about his food. His chicken looked great. 5. Grace Young - Grace may not be a great chef but she's a fine teacher, does a fine job of presenting Chinese dishes and culture. She's also a nice lady and a class act. The Dregs/least favorites 1. Martha Stewart - fine recipes, may know her stuff, but boy, she sure puts the b in ... well, let's just say she could hold all the spots at the bottom of my list. 2. Joanne Weir. She bores me to tears and her voice makes me want to break the t.v. set. 3. The Neely's. There show just drives me batty. It just feels to me like Ozzie an Harriet trying to do a cooking show. 4. Nigela Lawson. - blah 5. Anthony Bourdain - I find him to be full of himself, a little too much of an east coast brow beater type, and while he may know food, I'm not that convinced he's that good a cook. I will say, my opinion might be the exact opposite if I had the chance to go out and get blitzed with him on the town. So the jury is out, but just my current (yet flexible) opinion. Last but not least, the Eye Candy category. Like it or not, sex and appearance does sell and all of these ladies are talented as well as being eye candy. 1. Giada 2. Raechel Ray 3. Gail Simmons 4. Padma Lakshmi 5. Jacqui Malouf

Don't know if it has been mentioned, but they are serving Bayless's menu from the final on the tasting menu at Topolobampo until October 10th. I haven't been to Chicago since I was a kid, but since it is now only a 6.5 hour drive we're seriously thinking of driving up there for dinner.

Let's see, there were 16 dishes and if the judges were tasting the shots with the dishes.... hmmm... wonder if any of them had a buzz by the time they were done.

I agree with those who say this season is the best collection of chefs. I think as of now I'd have Jennifer, Kevin, and the brothers V as the top 4. Another 4 good. 4 not sure of and 3 that will go relatively soon. The first two eliminated seemed clear cut. Too bad the women are getting eliminated quickly and I'd have to say that Preeti and Jesse look like the next couple to go. As for Ashley's whining, give me a break. If her sexuality influences the desire (or lack of) for who she cooks for she won't last long. Maybe we'll get lucky and next week they will have to break off into pairs and she draws Michael.

Absolutely loved all of TCM. As far as all of the finalists, the cream really did rise to the top. We were hoping Bayless would win because of the great passion he has for Mexican food and how accessible he makes cooking good Mexican food through his books. Growing up in the S.F. bay area, I've had a lot of exposure to Mexican food but nothing like what he puts out. Truly there were no losers, all three finalists were maginificent. The real winners were the audiences, charities, and of course the judges who got to taste those dishes. The judges too seemed to do an admirable job as well. Whilst they wouldn't be critics if they weren't opinionated, the playing field seemed to be level for all and they should be commended for keeping it that way. Will Bravo do it again? Let's hope so. Who would people like to see as contestants?

I'm trying to find a southern style restaurant near the Nashville airport that is open/serves till 10 p.m. I'm picking up my daughter (12) from the airport so I need a place that is southern but not overly fancy if anyone can help out it would be appreciated. If anyone knows of a good fish market in Nashville I hope to do some shopping there during the day and would appreciate anything on that as well.

While I used it when we lived in California, I find myself using Old Bay even more here in Kentucky. I have a white bbq sauce which I serve on Pork and on Fish when I cook at the club of which OB is a part and people absolutely adore it. (Honky Donkey sauce)

Have you tried his creme anglaise recipe? I got my copy of the book finally, and I must say, it doesn't have that which I would most like to see in terms of ratio's but it is a step in the right direction. I don't mean to single your comment out, but a problem I'm having is that so many people seem to be saying his proportions are off but without saying they have tried his recipe/ratios. I will buy the fact that his ratios are off when I see people say they've tried them and they don't work. It seems/feels to me like people right now are passing judgment based on their own ratios without trying his. Creme Anglaise is not a recipe that I've really tried or found a need for. So to me, as a newbbie so to speak, I want to know that somebody has tried his recipe and found it doesn't work. Perhaps I'm all wet, but I sense that peoples' judgment is based on belieft rather than trial.

I was fixing a recipe from Robuchon that galled for a gelatin leaf. The weight listed for it was 6 grams. Are gelatin leaves more of a European thing? I know weight wise, 1 packet of Knox gelatin is 7 grams. Not a significant difference I wouldn't think to the recipe. Certainly where I live now in kentucky leaves will be hard to find, but even living in the SF bay area I never noticed them in any of the stores (though I wasn't keeping a lookout for them either.) Since the leaf was to be soaked and then taken out, if one is using powdered, what volume of water do you use? I wound up using just enough water to have the gelatin disolve leaving somewhat of a moist sheet. Is there an easy formula for doing this? Is there an advantage to gelatin sheets over powder product wise? From a convenience standpoint it seems the leaves could have an advantage at times. Also if anyone knows where one would find them, and under what listing, to buy online.

Well, we really landed in far western Kentucky in Arlington. About 4 miles or so from the Mississippi River. Owensboro is a couple hour drive though I have heard of the Moonlight BBQ there and hope to go sample it sometime soon. I guess we're lucky cause the best BBQ we've found is a place close by, Prince Pit BBQ in Bardwell. It is the bomb! Great Mutton too on Saturdays but have to order it in advance to get any. I've gotten there at 9 a.m. and he's been sold out of ribs and chicken already. His sign is 8a.m till sold out, which is typically noon time. I had to make a few trips recently to Louisville and there is a fine place in Lebanon Junction, just off the interstate, Bryan's Hog Wylde with good pulled pork and awesome brisket.j We are going to go see friends outside of Paris Tn this Saturday so will try to maybe go pick something up from Trollinger's. We also here in Paris, or just outside, that Yoder's has a good meat market. We did go recently to Patti's Settlement and were very impressed. Everything we had there was just done spot on. No wonder that place is always packed. We've found for the most part going to Paducah offers the most choices and is only about 40 minutes or so. As for fish, most all the fish in the restaurants is Catfish, the pond raised. I cook once a month at the Country Club we belong to in Mayfield, and one of my choices is deep fried Tilapia in a panko bread crust and people absolutely love my fish and rave about it. As for seafood, not catfish, we went up to the Whaler's Catch in Paducah for the first time a couple of weeks ago and had a real good meal there. Most of the BBQ we've found is at least decent, most of it is real good, and some downright awesome. Besides Prince Pit which is hands down the best, the Smokehouse in Fulton is good, and Larry Daryl & Daryl's in Mayfield is good as well. We've heard good things about Starnes up in Paducah but haven't gone there yet. Oh!! Along with Trolingers that we haven't tried, there was a pretty good little place along the road to Paris in Puryear that put out a right tasty pork sandwich, though I can't remember the name of it.

I wasn't aware of Michael Ruhlman's new book until I came across this thread. As soon as I saw the topic of the book I went ahead and ordered it without any reservation. I look forward to its arrival. It is my observation and belief that most of the people who participate in these forums are very opinionated and very passionate about eating and cooking. Many people here have professional ties in some form or another to the food industry somewhere along the lines. For whatever the reasons, food issues trigger peoples egos and I think some of the opinions become way too subjective and lose sight of the big picture. I don't think many professional chef's are going to run out and get Ratio as they simply have no need for it. On the other hand, for the home chef, or those looking to expand their cooking ability I think this is not a good, but a great topic. If you know the basic ratio's you have the launching pad from which to vary ingredients and tweak a dish to your own liking. More importantly, starting with the proper ratio, you aren't likely to encounter the disasters you might otherwise. With the proper ratios you'll have the confidence to cook and create dishes. I can think of few, if any topics that I would find more important than ratio's. For that reason alone I applaud Mr. Ruhlman on picking such a fine topic. As for the banter about some of the talk on the french terms not really being commonplace to the everyday chef I think that is blown out of proportion. While they may seem foreign (no pun intended) to those criticizing it, they really are commonplace once someone learns the basics. As for the errors, or errata in hipper more with it circles, that I have more of a problem with accepting. For those who go on-line more or who follow foodie sites, learning of the errors and making corrections can easily be done. The bad part is for the person who may just be getting involved with coooking more, they may not be aware and become frustrated. Hopefully the errors aren't too critical. I know from experience in writing professionally on a different subject that sometimes, if it is not a matter of grammar but of content, that even with several re-readings and editings that some errors just get missed. That's just gonna happen sometimes. I would agree with what Janet said about a couple of the sentences being a bit, or more than a bit awkward. Having not read much in Mr. Ruhlman's other books, I don't know if he tends to be wordy and a bit awkward or not. As one who has committed that offense on more than several occasions myself I know both the frustration it can cause for the reader having to read it and for the writer having to rephrase it. While Ratio may not be everyones cup of tea, for those who have been critical of the book I'd ask the following questions; 1. Do you think the average home cook, in terms of proportions, will get a better idea of the realtionship of the ingredients? 2. Do you think the average home cook will feel more comfortable in approaching dishes having a knowledge of the ratios? 3. Armed with this new (to him/her) information, do you think the average home cook might try to be more adventurous? If the answer to these questions is yes, then the book has a lot of merit. Again, I think the topic of this book is a very important one and I'm happy Mr. Ruhlman has taken it on. Perhaps I'll feel more or less positive once I get my copy but I'm pretty sure that in the long run I'll be pleased

I really like the idea but the one old time ingredient I'm most inclined to keep are those canned fried onions. Just something about them. I'm starting to think that perhaps NYE I may do an old classic (using the term loosely) all can version of GBC, and upscale all fresh GBC, some M&C, and toss in a tuna noodle casserole with crushed potato chip topping. Have it be sort of a retro-eve night.

I fall into the group that hated brussel sprouts. Despised has also been used here and I would have to say my hatred was still greater. I was saved by the fact that I showed allergic reactions as a kid to raw cabbage (not cooked, an allergy that has since passed) so I got out of them. Since becoming an adult I've been committed to trying everything (almost) at least once but put off the dreaded brussel sprouts till about 7 years ago. I bought fresh on the stalk sprouts, tried them, and they immediately went back to the top of I'll never try that again foods. Well, then I wound up getting involved with a woman who is now my strife, er I mean wife, and she happens to love brussel sprouts. So several years ago I decided to give them one last try. They were okay. I think because I cooked them different. Now I've actually come to really like them. There are some ways talked about here I have to try that sound delicious. The way I cook brussel sprouts that made them good for me is to first trim the end, do the x thing to the bottom and then steam them for about 12 minutes. Then I slice them in half and sautee them in butter, with pecans and then a bit of bourbon and finish them with maple syrup. The French have mirepoix, Louisiana has the trinity, but to me butter, bourbon, and maple syrup is the triumvirate that works for brussel sprouts and much more. Now it is off to find some brussel sprouts to have with our Xmas dinner.

Perhaps mine is too simplistic of a view, but if you have a good way that you are use to cooking prime rib, which comes out to your liking with a run of the mill prime rib, won't the same method turn an extraordinary piece of meat into something truly special? Some of these other methods, slow, slow, cooked and poached sound quite intriguing For me with a good roast, be it Prime Rib or a usda prime cross rib or such, I'll just s & P, rub it with olive oil, then rub a coat of stone ground Mustard on it, and cook it till its done, either at 350 or 500 first then 350. Regardless of method though, I do feel to get the essence of a truly fine piece of meat I'd go with whatever method I was use to before. (Of course that is assuming one has a good way or way he's pleased with.) Sounds delicious regardless.

One other thought that comes to mind is the pre-blanching temp of the vegetables. had never really given it any thought but room temp must help some in reducing the time it takes to come back to a boil. What about a quick rinse just before hand in luke warm water as well?

M&C just seems so hard to screw up and I guess I'm even tolerant to the botched ones if I'm in a hungry enough state, and yes, while at the holidays it is a year round dish as well. The onions sound great and traditions always start somewhere and 11 years sounds like a good start. I'm not familiar with tomato pudding but that sounds like a dish I'd like to try.

A few years back there was an interesting thread at the holidays on Green Bean Casserole, Mac & Cheese, and other holiday classic or not so classic dishes. This is meant to be a new thread and hopefully it won't get merged as the past is past and this is 2008 and our appreciation or despise for dishes has changed as we have changed. Have our tastes changed and how? Are we more tolerant? Has time made us actually crave some of these dishes purely for nostalgia's sake if nothing else? Have threads on EG and elsewhere inspired us to take some of these old standards and kick em up a notch or three? Let's see. Until the thread a few years ago, while it was a staple at family gatherings I never tried Green Bean Casserole (hereafter just called GBC) much. Did I say try it much? As a kid I more or less avoided it like a plague. As a young adult I ventured to try it, and now, depending on the version, I've even come to enjoy it. Isn't GBC the classic of meals that can be made strictly from canned goods? What can be done to create the ultimate GBC? Can this dish be gourmet? Can you make it without canned ingredients (and still keep the spirit of it.) If you had to use at least 1 canned good in it, to keep it as an original, what would that ingredient be? I wonder too if GBC is more prevalent in certain areas of the country? My wife and I have just (this month) moved to Kentucky from the SF Bay Area, and already I've seen GBC at 2 restaurants. One version (at the Country Club) was actually quite tasty. I must clarify though, the everyday GBC's are a bit different than that classic holiday dish many of us grew up with. Perhaps we should have an EG GBC challenge for the best GBC. Of course recipes with stories carry more weight. I was going to bring up Mac and Cheese as another of the holdiay favorites. M&C that I grew up with was very plain. Then again, plain old M&C has got to be one of the best plain dishes I know of. Let's face it, perhaps it has been done, but other than burning it, can you really screw up M&C? On the other end of things, what is the high end of M&C? I think I remember a couple seasons ago the one guy on Top Chef doing an upscale M&C. I've heard mention on the radio of other creative high end M&C's. So what is the story there? Bottom line, GBC, M&C or something else? What dishes are in your holiday past, present and future?

I too have often wondered about the "return to a boil....' wondering when to start timing. I chucked worrying about it too much and just go by the Marcella Hazan rule, cook it till its done. While it is a good guideline for many things, I think after we've done something once or twice we have a pretty good feel for the rest of it.

I am curious as to what kind of corn we will find in Western Kentucky and Tennessee? Though we're close enough to also go over into Missouri. I know from outwest I've found Brentwood Diamond to be my favorite. Looking forward to this coming corn season.