tim

Jim, Worms live in apples, not in lamb legs. That's why we alway cook our apples...or is that why we always eat our apples slowly? Tim

In his Beard on Bread, he also states he doesn't like sourdough... Now WHO doesn't like fresh, crusty sourdough bread?!?!? go figure. ← Carolyn, He would have loved sourdough if it was soaked in bourbon! Tim

Hi all, My wife has makes over 30 gingerbread houses every year. Everything is edible and usually good tasting. She refuses to use supporting wood or foam board. I get involved with design and materials. This year she worked with isomalt for the first time. Next year it might be time for pastillage. This house looks pretty nice. I am proud of her. Tim

I wouldn't nuke it, personally. Thinking back I don't believe I have ever rewarmed one in the oven whole, but I don't see why not as long as you let it sit out a bit to come closer to room temp. I normally go the sandwich route with a quick dip in the leftover au jus to warm then onto a crusty toasted roll with more au jus, maybe some cheese. Yum. ← Hi, I used to wrestle with the use of left over rare prime rib. Then, I decided to cook a thick slice like a steak - it was wonderful! I usually go for a 1"-1.25" slice and sear in a very, very hot cast iron skillet for about 2 minutes on a side. Finish with a little good salt and pepper and serve with horseradish creme fraiche. It tastes every bit as good as a boneless rib steak. Tim

Jmahl, That is one beautiful roast. I would have been tempted to cut off the cap and cook the eye of the rib at 225 degrees and grill the cap steak for a contrasting treat. Bring on the au jus, horseradish cream and bearnaise! Tim

Chris, Dave's menu selection is spot on.... We served the Tolousian Cassoulet two weeks ago to raves. (Paula Wolfert was kind enough to email a correction on the sausage recipe that appeared in the second edition to her book.) Our menu included mesclun greens, walnuts and bacon with a walnut/shallot vinaigrette after the cassoulet. Dessert consisted of home made vanilla custard with my orangecello topped with home made lemon gelato. The contrast of the custard with a 20% butterfat and the 3.8% butterfat gelato was wonderful. Earlier somebody recommended Corbieres, Bergerac and Cahors. We served all of these and they were perfect with the cassoulet. We served malbec rose for white wine drinkers. A wonderful meal thanks to Paula Wolfert. Our friends couldn't rave enough about the tarbais beans. No mush, no bean skins and no flatulence. My wife forbid me from mentioning some of the ingredients like pork skin. Surfasonline had a really good price for excellent tarbais beans. Tim

Sam, Derek, Yesterday I saw a 10" Inocuivre Induction skillet at TJ Maxx. The weight made it clear that this was a copper pan with stainless cladding BUT the encapsulated disc base was much thinner than the base on the splayed saucier that I had purchased. Worse still, the base was way too small for the pan. This is an interesting mystery. Tim

Hi, I say skip the veg oil and use schmaltz. In fact, add some smaltz to the potato mix. Tim

Sam, You'll have to get my wife's permission to cut it in half. When you see the pictures, you will know that I am not crazy, and I know why you must be thinking that.... Now, I'll have to figure out how to use that damn scanner. Tim

Sam, I will be in NYC within the next year. I will bring the pan and my micrometer. If you prefer, I will ship the pan to you for inspection. Let me know! Tim

Sam, The catalog page in the above post has another clue to this cookware. It states that the Inocuivre Copper Stainless Steel cookware is for all heat sources except induction". Going through de Buyer's Product section, then Cookware, then Copper you will find the statement that their copper cookware is appropriate for all "Heat Sources:Heat sources : All types except induction (except INOXCUIVRE INDUCTION)." This may be an indication that the INOXCUIVRE INDUCTION cookware is the Inocuivre cookware with a disc bottom that provides for induction cooking. My pan must be the Inoxcuivre Induction. This cookware logo is included in the website but that specific cookware is not in their catalog. Tim

Sam, Here is a link to the de Buyer website. De Buyer Inocuivre Catalog And a picture of the specific catalog for Inocuivre As I remember the pan measures at 2.5mm which includes 2.0mm copper. The measurement for the base was done without a micrometer and is approximate but pretty close. I will remeasure after Christmas. They say the handle is cast, but I think it is cast and then rolled. It is very thick, comfortable and will obviously be cool. It is interesting that the website does not mention the separate disc base and does not show a splayed suateuse. Possibly, I purchased a pan which does not exist. That reminds me of the All-Clad MC-2 that I saw in Minneapolis with the old and much thicker Masterchef base attached. I called All-Clad and was told that I could not have seen the combination. I dubbed it Mystery-Clad. Tim

Sam, I measured the thicknesses with my micrometer and verified the measurements on de Buyer's website. I paid $29.95 at TJ Maxx. HONEST! I have it wrapped for my wife. She will use it to cook isomalt windows for gingerbread houses. I'll take a few pics and post them on your cookware course Q&A thread. I just can't figure out why TJ Maxx ended up with a pan that was never imported. Tim

Hi, The high protein content (and name) is specifically designed to compete with King Arthur. Not the best for pastry. Tim

Steve, Have you ever run into de Buyer's Inocuivre line? Invocuivre pans are made of 2mm copper with a 0.5mm stainless lining PLUS a 3.2mm disc of copper and a 0.5mm stainless bottom. That means 2.5mm walls with a 6.2mm base. Somewhere, they add enough steel to provide for induction. The pans also have very heavy open large oval/curved handles. Pouring lips with a shiny copper exterior and shiny stainless on the thick disc. Really cool! I purchased a small splayed chef's pan at TJ Maxx for almost nothing. I have not seen any more. Tim

AMEN! Tim

Hi, Just to repeat Wholemeal's thoughts about Global Foods in St. Louis. It is clean, bright, huge and has an incredible selection of fresh produce, meats, sausage, fish, dry goods, frozen foods and canned food from all over the world. It is a treasure! It is located on Lindberg Avenue South in downtown Kirkwood, MO, a close-by suburb. It is well worth a detour. Ask directions for that special ingredient and they will find it for you. Tim ps: The Global people also own Jay's, the second best ethnic store in St. Louis. St. Louis also has wonderful Italian grocers, Sikh groceries, near eastern grocers and an excellent Mexican/Spanish grocer.

Alex, I have two high carbon steel pans and cannot tell you how happy we have been with the pans. They are perfectly non-stick (especiallly compared to stainless) and are perfect for broiling and even frying. One is a de buyer and the other is a knock-off made in China and distributed by World Cuisine. The differences are not apparent. The pans are inexpensive and can be hard to find in various sizes. I found a great selection of pans from My Cooking Store. Note: Their website is not properly certificated and may not encrypt your credit card information. Call any order to 818-845-5452. Tim

I have tried rye, in a good 30% dose, and it was fantastic and the most rapidly consumed loaf yet. I cannot yet advise you concerning rye with commercial yeast vs. plain with starter, as I am not there yet. Am looking forward to rye with a chef in the coming week, to see what I get. I think the "meh" stuff, though very common, is a direct result of this community's obssession with flavor. It certainly beats any grocery store $3 loaf I have had the opportunity to consume. Everyone here just can't stand not tinkering with it, and it is just such a flexible recipe. I blame all the non bread bakers jumping in. It is hard for us to contain ourselves faced with success with a relatively easy recipe and method. Its like little kids around an open fire. Someone has to poke it with a stick! ← Hi, A lot of that "meh" flavor may have resulted from upgrading ingredients. Substituting kosher salt for table salt without increasing the volume just does not work. It is also obvious beneficial to weigh to get appropriate hydration. Subbing 1/2 cup semolina and adding a Tbsp. of fresh herbs was excellent. I also want to hear about the 36 hour refrigerated rise. Tim

The Cuisinox may be a fraction of the price of All-Clad in Canada but the opposite is true in the US. The 10" Cuisinox skillet is $112 while the All-Clad Stainless lists for $100 but is available through Cookwarenmore.com for $68. Tim

Denise, The LTD is about 35% thicker than the Stainless, that is significant. The LTD may not be washed in a dishwasher, alkaline detergents will remove the anodized finish. You might also want to consider the MC-2, thicker than the stainless and may be washed in the dishwasher - no matter what A-C says. Tim

BFG. Homichef is the house brand for Eurodib of Montreal, Canada. They have made excellent stainless pans for years and recently transferred production to China with a modest downgrade in quality. Eurodib's Homiched Stainless Cookware Instawares has developed a reputation for shoddy customer service and constant violations of FTC Prompt Delivery Regulations and refusals to refund unfair charges. Be really careful. Tim

Hi, I am interested in any opinions on this new machine from Bialetti. Coffee Geek gave it a promising review. Coffee Geek Consumer Review of the Bialetti Mukka Express Cappucino Maker Thanks for responding, Tim

Hi, I plan on saving a biga or poolish for my next batch of bread. I assume that this may be held in the fridge for a week or so. How do I incorporate the poolish into the next batch of bread? Thanks, Tim

Chris, Pressing on the solids is not normally recommended for the very reasons you site. Cloudiness, impurities and fats. I cannot imagine that this is part of the eGullet stock course. I frequently will press on the solids and remove the liquid to a SEPARATE container. Once this has been defatted, you can check the flavor and use or discard. You really should strain and decant that "yucky" schmaltz. You will find that it is not so yucky after all. Good luck, Tim