tim

What makes you think this isn't the case with veal? Is it the case that butchers in most of America receive their veal completely pre-broken down and there are no bones to remove? If so, that's really sad. ← Sam, Because I have talked to or visited most of the packing plants between St. Louis and Chicago. I have obtained veal bones through three restaurants in Springfield, IL., our meat departments won't help in this regard. I have also talked to six friends, all chefs, about their sources of veal and veal bones. I have my best luck walking into my Wisconsin hometown grocery store and asking the butcher. They always have veal knuckles and dairy cow tenderloins. Find a farm that raises dairy cattle and you will find a source of veal nearby. Sam, you are right, it is really sad. You are lucky that Walmart has not taken over the meat business in NYC. Go into any Walmart and ask the woman behind the meat counter if her breasts are enhanced. If she blushes, they're enhanced with silicone. If she doesn't blush, they're enhanced with phosphorus and probably formaldehyde! When I was a boy, Mom served "mock chicken legs" fashioned from veal wrapped around a stick. It was cheaper than chicken. Tim

Hi, This thread has been extremely contentious and that is unfortunate. Nevertheless, I might as well jump in to the fray. Sam, you miss the point that Joan is making. She is not saying that they do not sell veal in Missouri, just that there is no veal production and that veal bones are not available through retail sources. I would bet that there are no meat packers in the metro-St. Louis area who break down whole veal for the trade. (If so, they do not make their products available for retail.) Most restaurants get their veal bones in frozen 50 pound boxes, sometimes the quality is dubious. (My only experience with a bony stock came from frozen veal bones.) There are very few butchers in the St. Louis market who get any veal that is not pre-packaged. The two that I know, do not have veal bones for sale and do not break down their veal. Veal production is normally centered in dairy states. Many small grocers in Wisconsin have veal bones. The analogy to beef bones is a non-sequitur. Whole beef carcasses are shipped all over the USA to be broken down at local packing plants. This is not the case with veal. If I am wrong, and I hope that is the case, I will be grateful to find a source of veal knuckles in St. Louis. Tim

David, That Tyson chicken also spent a few weeks in storage at 26 degrees - drying out! Dry breast meat.... ...don't think you need to brine for added flavor. The primary purse of brining a chicken is to add moisture to prevent the breast from drying out. Just my $.02. Tim

Sony, I agree with the idea of pre-seasoning a thick steak. We use very coarse sea salt, white and black pepper. I would suggest that you salt about an hour before cooking. The Zuni chicken concept (1- 3 days) is a dry brining method that would turn the outer layer of your nice steak to mush. Tim

Hi, We were at a restuarant which had been transformed from a lunch counter to a hip bistro. I was talking to the waiter about the cook who used to sit at the end of the counter sipping coffee. The waiter said, "Oh, you mean the Chef." I innocently asked, "What's the difference between a cook and a chef?" The instant response, "Just the quality of the tatoos!" Tim

Hi, Another gingerbread house with nice details: The back side has an isomalt atrium with copper roof. My wife likes thin gingerbread. It glows at night. Tim

Hi, The Polder model 360 series is the long time champion of reliability and accuracy in probe thermometers. It is widely available for around $20. It has recently been updated as follows: Polder 362-86 Digital Probe Thermometer/Timer Tim

HI, I have judged at a "copper chef" party for 6 years. It is lots of fun and the food is always great. Well, maybe not always. My solicitations for bribes, unfortunately, have been ignored. We have done asparagus, cherries, lemon, almonds and pumpkin. We have about 22 couples and there are at least 6 excellent cooks in the bunch. Traditionally, the winner hosts the next years party and I THINK this explains the lack of presentation points at our last party. (kind of snarky) Next year, I'm hoping for meat products. Tim

Sad, Last year we lost most of our beloved Bobak's groceries, and it was sad. I love that the butcher is conversant in English and Spanish but something is missing. Now, we will be losing the lovable but frustrating Hyde Park Coop. Will the Moo and Oink be next? Tim

Once, I took my family into a hip restaurant in Chicago for lunch. The waiter was almost rude about us politely declining to order wine. He brought the food and disappeared. He wouldn't even bring the bill. When I asked the manager to calculate our bill, by memory, I didn't leave any tip. I was shocked he didn't comp even one dish. My only other experience like this, about 45 years ago and almost precisely the same situation, ended with the waiter accosting me on the street with about 60 cents in his hand. He complained, you only left me with this. I took all the change and expressed my sincere appreciation. I was young and probably should have given him a few bucks. Tim

This is a wonderful reflection on an overlooked art. I grew up in the dairy country and veal knuckles were always available. I was also raised by Julia and long simmers came naturally. One of my sons frequently calls about a 14" calf leg that his restaurant is tossing and I have become adept with the bone saw. Yes, veal stock is a treasure and all it takes is some veal breast and a few split veal knuckles. And I thought Ruhlman was an impudent kid. Tim

Henry, The herbs will be a wonderful addition to your dish. I assume you are thinking of a fricassee with an apple cider braise. I would add the herbs when you begin the braise. Pheasant can dry out and you have not specified if they have skins or are stripped of skin. If stripped, you might want to use caul fat to protect the breast meat or at least some pancetta. Be careful with the braise so you don't overcook the birds. Finish with cream, butter and you will have a wonderful meal. Tim

Dock, Any refrigerator becomes a counter depth fridge, if you sink it into the wall. We did that and gained a lot of refrigerator space, with very little additional cost. Tim ← HUH !!!!! What did you do? Just have someone cut a hole in the drywall and sink it in? (Woman alone, knowing NOTHING about construction asks, "Can you DO that!?!) ← Doc, Yes! It does take some carpentry and planning but it can work wonders. In our case, we picked up about 5" in the wall and extended our counters by a few inches to obtain the counter depth. The wider counter and 15" upper cabinets provided added benefits. Tim

Dock, Any refrigerator becomes a counter depth fridge, if you sink it into the wall. We did that and gained a lot of refrigerator space, with very little additional cost. Tim

Chris, I have no experience using a refractometer. Northern Brewer, a reliable wine making supplier sells one for $60. Northern Brewer Brix Refractometer Tim

Hi Begpie --- That's sort of the point of this thread: there is no standard definition. ← Actually, The USDA requires ice cream to have at least a 10% butterfat content. That eliminates sorbet, sherbert, ice milk, frozen yogurt, good gelatos, and low fat "ice cream". Tim

Doodad, You should hold the bird at 37 degrees or a little lower. I would definitely brine a free-range turkey, not for flavor but to increase moisture in the breast and protect the breast meat from drying out during your roast. I would also roast breast down for the first hour for the same reason. Good luck, Tim

Hi, It sounds like apple jack based on the production method. It also sounds wonderful. Years ago, I heard about Canadian calvados and never found the product. This could be heaven on earth. Tim

Hi, It is gingerbread house season and my wife, Lib and daughter-in-law, Yvette combined to make Thomas the Tank at Santa's Workshop. This is Thomas' train car filled with handmade fondant toys. This is an elf sleeping at the top of Santa's Workshop. Last year my wife used isomalt, imported from France to make a greenhouse. I have been telling friend that this year we imported the blue fondant from China. That was the only source that contained the authentic amount of lead. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Tim

Thank you Priscilla for the information about Floyd, About 25 years ago, I had pneumonia and spotted Floyd on the Discovery Channel performing ribald, culinary wonders on location. I was sad at recovering after only two weeks of Floyd's adventures. He may have been the inspiration for Borat, Jackass and any number of reality TV shows. It was alcohol laced, food porn with equal accents on all three. I will never forget him invading a Brittany kitchen unannounced and leering and lunging at the chef as she bent over to check the food in the oven. It will be fun. Tim

This concept sounds like a Pissaladière with traditional pizza flavorings. Bar Tabac in Brooklyn used to offer a cast iron pan "pizzetta" that utilized traditional pizza flavors. Once again, new and innovative ideas reinvent themselves every decade or so.... Tim

Shalmanese, This is an inspired idea. It seems like the perfect base for a consomme but, you may have to work on clarity. I have decided to try a variation on your method. I doubled the volume and used a dutch oven that fit my needs. I cheated by using stock instead of water. My base was three big turkey wings, aromatics and herbs. I was dealing with much less fat than you had but that was not a problem. I brought the stock to a simmer and skimmed for a while - clarity! I placed the dutch oven, covered into a 210 degree oven. I should have results in about 6 hours. I may do a second run. Thank you for the ideas. Tim

Well, I happened to be a bit thin skinned and... This would result in another comment card that would be mailed to the appropriate place. Tim

Ronnie, The discussion on LTH is about stores that produce sausage. I have seen Gaspars sausage in international food store and know that it is distributed in the Midwest. (ie: St. Louis) Are there any larger international stores in the Chicago area? Tim

Sunday, There are Portuguese ethnic population in Southern Massachusetts, Hawaii and Bermuda. Lots of chourico and linquica. It is easy to find Gaspar's at an international food store in St. Louis. Chicago is frustrating. I appreciate your interest. Tim