tim

Hi all, I am a neophyte to fine rum due to my access to cheap Coruba, Goslings and Demerara. Nevertheless, I just love the bottle of Zaya that was supposed to be a gift. Where does Zaya fall in the taste/value categories? It's priced around $52 in my hometown. Tim

HI, I had a tablemate who asked me about her tough "veal medallions" because of my experience in meat cutting. Her very large medallion was triangular with a round bone in the middle. I explained that it was a veal sirloin and hoped that her teeth would last the evening. She questioned the waiter who assurred her that they were cut from the tenderloin. She quoted me for emphasis and asked to speak to the owner. The owner sought me out and patiently (think condescention!) explained that their chef cut the veal tenderloins a special way for plate presentation. We have never returned. Tim

Chris, I have never had any carmelization even with high heat 60 minutes boils on my kitchen stove. The difference is a stainless stockpot with a 1/2" thick aluminum disk on the bottom. The thick disc diffuses the heat to eliminate hot spots and burning. The cost is about $50 for a 20 quart and about $85 for a $24 quart pot. Tim

Hi all, While this thread has stagnated, Kitchen Aid introduced a new $200 Pro-Line coffee grinder that received a positive introduction on Coffee Geek. I purchased the machine (30% discount) and have been very pleased with its performance. Construction: It is very heavy and rather large. It uses vertical flat blades to grind, very unusual. The ground coffee falls from the blades into a heavy glass jar. The beans are fed by an auger, assuring a steady flow of beans. The owners manual is extremely thorough. You can dismantle the grinding mechanism for cleaning. Performance: There are 15 fineness settings which can be further adjusted to your own specs. It is very, very quiet. The coffee is ground at a very low rate of RPMs. The coffee falls into a fluffy pile with NO STATIC ELECTRICITY. The design makes for a clean counter. A few grounds fall when you pull the jar. The machine is a breeze to clean with a vacuum. There is no timer or measurements on the jar - we use one cup per pot. I wonder if others have found this machine and compared it to the Solis? Tim

Alan, The hog diaphragm is the caul fat. I just ask my slaughterhouse for some diaphragms. Heather has a very good picture of the caul fat. Tim

Thank you, Healthy Guy, I would appreciate your thoughts on a number of points. Thomas Keller says that celery turns stock bitter. Your thoughts? The only time I "wash" bones is when I prepare white beef or veal stock. I usually roast my bones and do not wash them in advance. Your thoughts? You recommend bringing stock to a simmer on high heat. I was taught that this caused albumin to spread into the water and you should raise the heat very slowly. What do you think? I never tie bouquet into a bundle. It is easier to add six inches of untied string to the stockpot, if that is a desired flavor. Call me crazy, but what do you think? Thanks again, Tim

Sam, You course has wonderful information. There is one issue which has changed in the past two years, the thickness of the aluminum layer in All-Clad. You have stated, "It is right around the same as All-Clad MasterChef, which has an aluminum exterior of 3.94 mm. " I remember that this same measurement is included in your course. Like you I travel through cookware shops with my micrometer in hand and have noticed that All-Clad may be dieting. I think that you will find that the new All-Clad MC2 has a total thickness of 3.05mm, resulting in 2.58mm of aluminum. I would appreciate your confirmation of this measurement. I wonder if the diet has been extended to their other pans. Thank you, Tim ps: Word is out that Meyer will no longer market fully clad pans. Also Calphalon will be introducing a new fully clad Contemporary stainless line. Any comments?

Adding gelatin to stocks is a trick frequently used in restaurants. It is one way to save time and allows for a gelatinous stock from left over meats. It does not add to quality. Tim

Marlene, My report covered the All-Clad Stainless Roaste WHICH HAS NO CLADDING. Your roaster is clearly not the Stainless. The Emeril stainless line is also not all clad, merely sold by All-Clad. These pans are disc bottoms. The pots (not pans) manufactured in China also have disc bottoms, no cladding. The original All-Clad Masterchef skillet was significantly thicker (40%) than the current All-Clad MC-2 skillet. If you need proof, bring your micrometer and meet me in my kirchen. Tim

I did not mean to inpugn your roasting pan. I was merely reporting one disadvantage of a pan with no cladding that was documented by Cook's Illustrated. This is not a guarantee issue because direct burner on high heat above 500 degrees is clealy not covered. I was only trying to point out an advantage of a fully clad roasting pan. Sorry to offend you. Tim

Foodie, I've placed my All-Clad Masterchef in the diswasher for 20 years with no ill effects. We have discovered that a good dishwasher will do a better job keeping the aluminum looking clean. Tim

Ed is right about the All-Clad Master Chef 2 series being significantly thicker than the Stainless line. I took a micometer into a cookware shop and measured a number of pans. The thickest fully clad pan is the frightfully expensive Deymeyere. It is also interesting that the All-Clad MC2 pans are significantly thinner than my 20 year old Master Chef pans. Thinner pans = higher profits. Tim ps: I also find it interesting that the A-C Stainless Roasting pan has NO CLADDING and buckles when you use it to make a pan sauce. The Ltd. Roaster is the better option.