janeer

During the blizzard of '78, after using a hibachi for a bit we discovered there was nothing better than a long toasting fork right over the fire for everything fro hot dogs to bread to marshmallows

It is hard to relate to never having carved a pumpkin! After cutting around the stem to make a lid, I scoop out the pulp and seeds with a large serving spoon, separate the seeds, dry them, and roast them with salt. I draw the face with a fine-point marker and carve with a small sharp paring knife. I like to have a big grin with teeth. Carve a small indentation inside and use a large candle

Here is an adaptation from the Foose cookbook. Love the stuff. http://littlecomptonmornings.blogspot.com/2009/11/red-poblanos-perfect-heat.html

For grilled lobster (or for any, really), use a 2-3 pounder. Plunge into boiling water to kill, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain. Lightly smash the claws with the flat of a cleaver or pierce with a skewer or small sharp knife. the Brush the tail flesh with melted butter or butter/olive oil. Place meat-side down on the grill over medium heat and cook, covered, til flesh is opaque, about 8 min. You can split the lobster lengthwise and remove the tomalley if you want.

Pretty much the basic formula is 1:2 softened butter to chocolate (2.5 for white or milk) with some glucose (corn syrup) and whatever flavoring you are using. The key difference is it is a water in fat emulsion, instead of a fat in water emulsion like a cream ganache. And i think that is whats giving it the wonderful texture. It's a bit trickier to make which is why I had shied away from the in the past, but totally worth the extra effort if this batch is any indication. The big key is in order to get it to set properly you MUST temper the chocolate and add it to the room temp butter. Here I the recipe I used adapted from Peter Grewelings Chocolates and Confections. I swapped out the dark rum for actual eggnog, because I don't care much for the taste of alcohol, and I wanted a really "eggnoggy" taste. 170g butter (77F) 40g Glucose syrup 1tsp ground nutmeg 1vanilla bean split and scraped 500g white chocolate, melted tempered and at 86F 40g eggnog (or rum) at about 86F so not to shock the chocolate, I warmed it ahead of time and steeped with about five whole cloves to adda little extra kick then strained I also thru in 1/4 tsp lorann eggnog flavor oil... I know that's blasphemy to purists, but I love the flavor of eggnog I wasn't piping right away so I mixed the butter, glucose, nutmeg, and vanilla with a hand whisk. then added the tempered chocolate. Mixed til smooth and streamed in the eggnog. Set up beautifully and so silky to taste. Thank you! Sounds lovely and I will try it

Sugar pumpkins are the classic. Don't know what cheese pumpkins are pumpkins vary in flavor and richness. Traditional method is to dry out in a cast iron pan. I don't like the recipe. Spice is wrong, propryions off . You can't go wrong with Libby's recipe; you can use lt cream if you want and sub Brian sugar for 1/3 the white.

Never heard of this and don't have Grewling. Are you saying butter replaces the cream? All? Is it melted or softened? Temp?

Watch for a Thermopen open box sale, when prices drop below $70. They could have one before Xmas

The blog does look good so I will keep an open mind as I am a freak for dessert and pastry books. I have Alice Medrich's first book, never been inspired to buy another

Wow the price takes my breath away. Are they scarce hid year or is this an average price. East Coast lobster never gets that high. I lived in CA a long time ago but don't remember spiny lobster being an extravagance.

Gotta say the pic of all the little stuff in the glasses does absolutely nothing for me.

teaching my own courses, but signed up to audit

Ah forgot about the tuna bean! A standby. I recommend it with fresh pita bread, curing triangles

Wow. May need to add to my collection

Loved the NYT obit http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/dining/Marcella-Hazan-dies-changed-the-way-americans-cook-italian-food.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130930 Probably the dish of hers I make the most, other than her pizza, is the pasta with onion sauce. Her roast chicken too. These became second nature to me in the '80s--her death has reminded me of from whence they came. Quite a debt.

So, this is how I make a whiskey sour

No water bath, ever, regardless of crust type

Actually, I would love the recipe...

David, do you know where this is from? Asia, or elsewhere?

It toughens protein. It is not just shellfish, but also chicken and other delicate flesh. I try very hard to time my cooking of these so that I never have to refrigerate before serving. You can put your quick-cooked shrimp for shrimp cocktail lightly on ice, but not in the fridge; ditto for lobster. Most things cool enough in a cool kitchen to be at a good temp. Chicken salad or a lobster role that has been refrigerated may as well not be eaten, in my opinion.

It mystifies me, too. I don't like it. and don't get it.

What Lisa said. It sounds like your pastry is tough, like you may be torturing it with the rolling pin. Gently. Bring it to a rolling texture in a cool kitchen so you don't have to beat it to death. Also, your pic does look a bit crumbly, like a shortbread-type tart dough. This is sturdy for small tarts with heavy fillings especially, and in general is easier and more forgiving to work with, but any pastry suffers from overworking.

The only person I can stand to food shop with is my friend Anne, a great cook and baker. Otherwise, I am too obsessed with food shopping to do it other than in my own little world.

Thank you for the hilarious documentary. I have many old New England cookbooks with recipes for salt rising bread, and raves about how the old fashioned New Englanders just love it. Have always meant to try, but now...not so sure. But still curious: why all the fans?

time to re-read. Share his commitment to pocket knives and carbon steel