tim

Hi, Ultra pasteurized (heated to about 160) whipped cream is notoriously hard to whip. My guess is that you heated the cream to a level above that level. The easiest way to infuse flavor into whipped cream is to make a simple syrup with mint, cool then strain. Use the flavored syrup to sweeten the whipped cream. Tim

Hi, Daisy brand sour cream carries one ingredient, cream... Creme fraiche becomes more sour with a few days of aging. It can be an excellent substitute. You can also dramatically thicken heavy cream, creme fraiche or the like by straining through a coffee filter; some of the whey drops out leaving a high butterfat cream. Tim

Chef, In making a consomme, egg whites bind with the albumin, proteins and fats in a stock. Since those ingredients are not clouding your orange juice, I don't think that method will work. You might want to look at the technique of adding gelatin to the juice, freezing the juice solid and then straining. The result should be an orange flavored water. I am no expert on this technique but know there is another discussion. Tim

Paella!

Hi, I always liked the instruction, "a tablespoon of juice from one lemon." Would it be cheating to use more than one lemon? Tim

Alan, I don't have any links to scientific information, but some insights. I think the pot stills are art rather than science. There are wide variances is use of the whisky safe Some years ago in Scotland, we were aware that there were no malting barns at even small distillers. We were told that very few distillers did their own malting. I think that all of the malt is two row. During a tour of Glenfiddich, a member of our tour group asked how long glenfiddich was aged. The answer was that it was aged for as long as necessary and was never bottled until it had matured properly. A few of us discussed this during the tour and we had our opportunity while we were in the aging barns. It was being explained that the casks sit undisturbed in the unheated barns through winters and summers. We innocently asked if someone opened the casks once a year to check the progress of the wine. The tour guide patiently explained that they never opened the casks until bottling. We agreed that this was documentation that Glenfiddich was aged for the minimum required time, 6 years. Most distillers use American whiskey casks. Sherry casks provide much more color and have come into favor in recent years. Some distillers used caramelized sugar for color and this is permitted. Tim Tim

Hi, You may also pre-cook (microwave works nicely) and press pieces of eggplant to remove water. This allows for quicker browning with less oil and eliminates unwanted liquid in certain dishes. In my experience, bitterness is strongly associated with the variety and age of the eggplant. A really large black beauty with lots of seeds can be very bitter. An equally sized rosa bianca will be wonderfully mild. The smaller varieties all seem milder than the large varieties. Tim

Oliver, The whey draining out pretty much confirms my suspicion that your creme fraiche was separating into butter and butter milk. When the butter fat content is this high, you have to incorporate cream, lowering the butterfat level in order to successfully whip the product. You can make your own excellent creme fraiche using pasteurized cream with no stabilizers and a little buttermilk. Mix about 1 cup of heavy cream (NO ADDITIVES) and a teaspoon of buttermilk; again with no additives. Place in a paper coffee filter, cover and strain overnight at room temperature. The whey will strain out and you are left with beautiful creme fraiche with a very high butterfat content. Yes, it cannot be whipped because it turns into butter. If you want creme fraiche that may be whipped, skip the straining. Good luck, Tim

Oliver, I dry brine my chickens, under the skin, and let them air dry in the refrigerator, like the Zuni Cafe technique. The brine allows for faster cooking at very high temperatures. This can be combined with other methods to allow for faster, higher temp roasting and therefore crisp skin. These include spatchcocking, blowing air under the skin before roasting, rubbing the skin with baking powder/salt and broiling to finish. Now, I'm got to try that blow torch! Tim

Paul, I was thinking the opposite. A really high butterfat content will cause buttermilk to separate with whipping. Of course, we don't know anything about the creme fraiche. Tim

Hi, Paul is correct about the overwhipping. Stir in whipping cream and whip some more and it will come together. Tim

New Glarus is a real treasure. The Glarner Stube has wonderful kalberwurst, roesti and onion soup. There is polka dancing for the local wives while the men go to the bar room for a few drafts. The bakery across the street is the place for breakfast and Reuf's Sausage has a wonderful selection. This whole town is a treat. Tim

John, You may also wash All-Clad MC-2 in the dishwasher. Depending on your dishwasher it will look great or somewhat streaked on the outside. The aluminum needs a periodic scrub if you are meticulous about the looks. Tim

Hi, Does anyone have experience with the Dry Bag for aging steaks? It appears to be limited to boneless cuts. Tim

HI, If it is hollow, that is the real deal. I would wash it in a bowl of water. Pour the water, which contains the spores, into your planter. I'd suggest that you slice the mushroom open and gently saute it in a little butter, maybe add some cream and a pinch of salt. Savor the wonderful flavor on its own. Tim

George, This will be very easy through any e-mail travel site or through your own travel agent. Tim

George, The distances between Chicago, Texas, Kansas City, Memphis and North Carolina preclude driving around looking for BBQ. Smoque BBQ an excellent resource in Chicago that provides wonderful Texas brisket, Kansas City ribs, Memphis and Carolina BBQ. Read the Smoque BBQ Manifesto understand their commitment to providing all of the important styles of BBQ in an authentic manner. My guess is that an email to the owner, Barry Sorkin, will provide you with an opportunity to learn about American BBQ. barry@smoquebbq.com The owners of Smoque BBQ spent a number of years studying and traveling to learn about various styles of BBQ. They have made adaptations that allow them to providd authentic BBQ using the woods that are available in the Chicago area. This may be a challenge in Australia. At the very least, he can provide you with suggestions on where you should travel in the US. Good luck to you, Tim ps: Have you ever thought about Cajun/Creole cuisine? That would translate wonderfully to Australia and a trip to New Orleans would be wonderful.

Hi, I will speculate about the motivation. For many of us it is the embarrassment of seeing a dilletante poseur dressing the part but not walking the walk. For me it was two couples preparing a 6 course meal for a charity fund raiser. Three of us spent our time in the kitchen preparing complex food and beautiful presentations. The fourth ironed his new and expensive chefs coat and mingled with the guests. He did not cook one item and it was an embarrassment. The difference between a chef and a cook is not the t-shirt vs. coat. "It's just the quality of the tatoos." Tim

Hi, That looks like a problem with your buttermilk or cream. You should not get any curdling when you mix buttermilk with cream. Tim

Hi, I can agree that celery adds some bitterness that is an appropriate balance to the sweetness from the carrots. Most of Kellers stocks are too sweet for my taste. I tend to be judicious with carrots but always include celery and leeks. Considering what happens to finished stocks, this may be a moot point. In most cases we are making significant adjustments to flavor profiles in our finished dishes. a supertaster may find the celery addition a problem. Tim

Hi, In my experience, Kellers stocks also tend to be sweet. I think he includes lots of carrots in chicken stock and excludes celery because of its bitterness. Tim

Is there a problem with an enhanced act?

Hi, The flavor of pimenton is lost when used to season a chicken. It is better to use it to flavor a sauce. It does wonders for mayonaise, bearnaise, cream sauces or a pan sauce. Tim

HI, TJ Maxx stores now have Chinata and Mas Portel brands on their shelves at half price. Tim

Hi, I assume that you signed on for their e-Notes, and agreed to accept a free issue of the magazine and purchase a subscription as a part of this offer. Write "CANCEL" on the invoice, save a copy of the invoice with the mailing date noted, and mail the invoice. I would also print out a copy of their website offer and save that copy just to protect yourself. Tim