A Patric

Hi Chef, Thank you for the feedback. I had used a baking stone with 500 F setting. Would you recommend even using a higher heat setting, such as 550 F? I also recall that the one that did puff was the first one I cooked, so the oven was nice and hot, and it had also had the longest amount of time to rest; perhaps 25 minutes. So perhaps that is another problem. Next time I'll let the rolled pita rest longer and let the oven reheat longer. If the oil impacts the chewiness, then perhaps that means that it slightly impacts the extent to which the gluten develops, and if that is the case, perhaps the pita will roll out a bit more thinly with the addition of a bit of olive oil. Any thoughts? Finally, I was partially wondering if my dough was a bit dry. I added just enough to make it workable without sticking to everything. Perhaps I should have added a bit more water and then simply have floured the rolling surface well? Do you have any experiences that would lead you to think that this might have been a problem? Best, Alan

Hi all, I'm looking for the secret. Obviously the pita has to be rolled out thinly, but is there also a special preparation that leads to thinner pita with a very large diameter, like I've had at some falafel places? I think it is Lebanese style. I tried Foodman's recipe and it tastes great, but as he mentioned, they are just a little bit too thick. Also, I personally had trouble getting them to puff. My first one puffed beautifully, but the others only puffed on one side or the other (left or right). I'm wondering if I should add more water next time and simply use more flour on the board I roll it out on in order to keep it from sticking. That might result in perfect puffing due to the extra steam. Any thoughts? In terms of the thickness, should I try adding a little cake flour in with the all-purpose flour to allow them to roll out finer? Also, I've seen recipes with and without olive oil as an addition. Does anyone know, aside from flavor, how olive oil impacts the pita. Does it help or hinder the puffing? Thank you for any tips. Best, Alan

I'm not that worried about ordering from Takeda. The semi-custom nature of the knives is worth the seemingly very small risk of having something be "off." I still haven't seen anything that I like better. Best, Alan

Since you mention the issue of bevel, do you know of a list anywhere of the pros and cons of single vs. double bevel?

Over at KF, I heard about another brand called Moritaka. They look similar to Takeda in terms of finish and the metal that is used. How would you say these differ? By the way, thank you for the above post. It does make me feel much better after some of what I read yesterday. Best, Alan

Bob, Been doing some reading at those two forums and it seems that some people have had trouble with bent knives from Takeda. I think I read that you even had a problem with one of them. Is this something to be worried about, especially with a 270+ mm knife? Also, have you seen any problems with f&f on your Takedas? I know that one person had a fairly major issue that didn't seem to be handled well by the company. Any info would be great. I am falling in love with that knife, but want to be cautious. Best, Alan

Bob, Regarding these new Hattori knives, how easy is it to sharpen the Cowry X of the "upgrade" versions as opposed to a hard carbon steel like Aogami Super steel (AS)? I've read that stainless can be "gummy" which is what makes it hard to sharpen. Is this a problem that Cowry X has? Also are the regular and upgrade lines available now? I can't really tell from the product codes/descriptions. Best, Alan

Might be this: http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f...52/m/6510023184

Hi all, I have read a few posts at eGullet about the Edge Pro system and I've been to their web site to watch the video and read up on it a little. What does everyone think about it? Does it make it much easier to sharpen your knives to a screamingly sharp edge? What are the good points and bad points? Is it easy to round the tip of the knife if you aren't careful? Which version do you have, the "professional" (expensive), or the "apex" (less expensive)? On a related note, Octaveman mentioned that he had heard that they might scuff up the sides of some Japanese knives, due to the extremely acute angles of the blade. Has anyone experienced this, and is there a workaround? Best, Alan

I just looked that one up. I had actually come across it on-line when search around. That looks like a nice knife for sure. Little bit above my budget though I'm afraid. Anyway, the more I look into the Takeda, the more I've been thinking about learning to sharpen myself. I have come across the Edge Pro, and it looks like that might take a lot of the fear I have about ruining a beautiful knife out of the equation. I have seen some other people on eGullet talk about how much they love their Edge Pros. Do you have any thoughts on them? Best, Alan

Octaveman, Well I e-mailed EE, and they told me that it would be quite expensive to change the handle on a knife of that quality. It could easily triple the current price of the knife depending upon the handle type. So, it looks like I won't be doing that. I am still very strongly considering this knife though, but I have a few of other related questions: 1) What would the balance be like on a knife like that? Since EE says that the tang is significantly shorter, I assume that the blade of the knife will have considerably more weight to it than the handle. This is probably the case for most 10"+ knives, but how much of a difference do you think there will be when compared to European-style knives? I know I am talking in such generalities here, but I think you can see where I'm coming from. I'm trying to imagine how the knife will feel in my hand as a I hold it. 2) Regarding the Japanese style knife handles, what is the theory behind their design, and how do you find the geometry of the Takeda handle? (i.e., the octagonal shape). 3) Regarding the handle wood, is Rosewood a strong and durable choice? 4) Regarding the cutting edge of the knife, I don't know if there is a standard for Japanese knives. Is it a double bevel, v-edge, chisel edge, something else? 5) Finally, as I was reading Chad Ward's piece on knife care, this comment stuck out: Do you find this to be true? Is there any clarification that needs to be added to the above statement, or should it truly be taken at face value? I'm wondering if cutting acidic items and then rinsing and wiping the knife immediately will really still lead to microscopic corrosion that will quickly damage the edge as compared to stainless, and if so, then is the benefit of carbon steel simply that it can more easily be re-sharpened to a sharper edge? Once more I thank you for your thoughts, Alan Edited for spelling

Sorry, should have been clearer about what I want to cut with the rocking motion. I also cut things like onion, tomatoes, or other items that require me to be able to lift the knife up higher without catching the tip in the cutting board as someone mentioned above. I don't know why I only mentioned smaller items up top. Anyway, that is one nice looking knife at the Takeda Hamono site. Am I understanding that that knife may only be about $150? That seems very inexpensive compared to many others. I guess that I could try out the Japanese-style handle, and get it switched for something else if I don't like it in the end. I think that I read a post of yours where you said that is possible to have some other company change the handle?? Anyway, that knife is a bit flatter on the bottom than I would like, but if by saying "with more belly" that will give it a bit more rocking capability, then that would be great. Anyway, do you know what the Rockwell hardness is of that steel? Alan

Octaveman, Thanks again for the info. I've been looking at knives at the urls you sent me to, reading the other thread that you sent me to, and I have been thinking about knives as well. Based on your experience, it seems that a carbon steel knife won't be a problem for me. I was under the impression that they would rust far more easily, and that I would constantly have to oil them. I use my chef's knife a lot, and the last thing I'd want to do is add 30 minutes a day of upkeep. However, one thing that I already do is wash and dry my current ceramic knife right when I'm done with it. So, it sounds like, since I don't have a problem with any patina that might form, that I shouldn't have a problem with a carbon steel knife. That said, I have also noticed a couple of other things that I do really look for in a knife. One of them was mentioned above. I like to be able to rock the knife as I'm chopping things such as garlic, ginger, etc. My current knife has enough of a curve to the blade to allow this, but isn't as curved as the "german style" knives that I've seen people link to, but it does seem more german-like. The curve of my blade is exactly like the chef's knife at the bottom of this page: https://secure.kyoceraadvancedceramics.com/...p-damascus.aspx Also, I've noticed that I wish my knife would have a stubbier tip to make it easier for me to scoop up chopped bits of things and toss them into a bowl, or onto a plate. In that sense, it seems like I prefer the santoku-style tip, since it is wider and stubbier. Sorry if my adjectives aren't helping here. Anyway, I notice that you mention that santoku knives are almost always shorter than gyuto knives, and I do want something more in the 10" range, so here is my question: Is there a chef's knife that is about 10" long, made of extremely hard carbon steel, that is screamingly sharp, has a more European-style handle, with a more German-style rock (though not necessarily flat-backed), that has a more stumpy tip like the santoku, and has a very nice balance? I have a feeling that I am asking way too much here, but I'll give it a shot anyway, since if one is going to spend a decent amount on a knife, it might as well be exactly what one wants. Thanks again, Alan

I don't want to say that budget is no issue, because everyone has a limit, but I am not looking for something under $100. You're right, I do use my chef's knife more than any other knife, and so I want something that, in terms of quality, will be one of my favorite kitchen-related items, and probably my most used. Something over $200 is fine. Now if you start suggesting 17th century Damascus steel butcher knives, then maybe I need to be a bit clearer about price range. Alan

Well, in that case, if you are still willing to answer my incessant questions: What I'm looking for is a nice long chef's knife (10"), that is very sharp (read a fair amount sharper than the black ceramic knife that I have), needs to be resharpened as little as possible (I understand what you are saying about technique impacting that) so I guess that means it is made with a hard steel, something that doesn't rust, and lastly, a a knife with a nice balance to it that feels good to hold. I understand that any steel knife will need some sharpening, but I don't want to be bothered to have to get it sharpened often. I don't trust that I would be able to sharpen it myself without damaging the edge more than helping it. Is there such an animal out there, or am I looking for the impossible? Thanks again, Alan

No problem at all. As I was reading through your post I started wondering if I had misrepresented what Alton Brown said though. So, I went back to the video where he talks about the Shuns: http://www.altonbrown.com/shun/shun_flv_sm.html Indeed, he says that he uses a "honing" steel once per week, and then sends all of his knives out for professional sharpening once per year. Is this due to the type of steel, or do you still think that this is a bit of a stretch? If you have the time to watch the short video, you'll see what I mean by steel type. Also I am not familiar with the different types of honing steels. Could you tell me if that Shun honing steel in the video that he is using is a "smooth glass steel," as I've never heard that phrase, and admit my ignorance here. I don't know if you are talking about something that is literally glass. By the way, I haven't purchase the knife yet. I'm saving my pennies. Thank you again for the help, Alan

That's the one. See this post, and the one right before it: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1408894 I haven't yet gone, and am still pondering whether to bother. Anyway, sorry for your Glenn's experience. Hopefully they will make some changes and rectify a few issues over the next year. I'll give them at least that much time until I go back again.

We're thinking about trying out El Torito. Has anyone tried it yet? Babern? As for the new Glenn's Cafe in Boonville. The food was really average, they were out of some items, even after giving them to us as options. The catfish I had was really average. The breading seemed to have no spice to it, and for a "cajun" place, this surprised me. I was expecting a nice spicy breaded catfish fillet, but what I had was actually not even as flavorful as Captain D's--no exaggeration. The "trout" dish was okay, but they were out of trout so had to sub salmon--my wife prefers trout. The morel mushrooms that came with the trout dish really had no flavor They were quite dry and as one of the major selling points for the dish, were a disappointment. We were served no cornbread at all though everyone at every other table had a basket of it. I don't know how the cornbread "rules" work there, but we were both quite disappointed about that because it was one of my wife's favorite things at the old location. We got cheap saltines and melba crackers instead. The green salads were okay, but nothing special. When it came to dessert, the bread pudding I ordered was really excellent. It was the high point of the evening for both my wife and myself. However, after telling us that they had a special peach cobbler with buttermilk-cinnamon ice cream (I think it was), they actually didn't have it, so my wife ordered the peach cheesecake instead. It was of good quality, but not especially amazing. As for the service, everyone was nice, and the food was served in a timely manner, but the servers were all very young, mostly high-school students, and because of this, they didn't really have the experience, and definitely not the training to be serving at a place where many dishes are hovering around $20 or more. When you constantly have your meal and/or conversation interrupted so that someone can ask if it is okay to remove the empty dishes that have been pushed to the opposite side of the table, and obviously are not being used, then something is wrong. And, I think it may just be me, but I really dislike when people ask me "Are WE ready to order yet?," or "Have WE had enough time to look over the menu?," or "How are WE doing tonight?" I won't lie, I am probably more disappointed in the experience because I have heard such great things about the place, and probably would have been more lenient with a restaurant about which I had heard nothing. But for $50 for two people when the meal consists of two dishes (and the side salads), two desserts, and two sodas, one expects a little better quality in food and service. I probably will end up going back if they are still around after a year or so in order to see if things have changed. I really like the idea of the place, the inside of the restaurant is very nice, and many of the flavor combinations were intriguing, but this time, they simply failed.

Hi Octaveman, Thanks for your comments. Just last night I was slicing through a tomato with my Kyocera like, well, like a hot knife through butter, and I was thinking if these Shun knives can actually be sharper, then I will be incredibly happy. I understand that one needs to steel them regularly, but in terms of actually honing them with a sharpening stone, do you think that this would be necessary multiple times per year, or the once per year that Alton claims? The knife would get moderate use on a plastic or wooden cutting board, and I wouldn't do anything dumb with it. Any other Shun comments from the gallery? Best, Alan

Hi all, For anyone who knows a bit about steak, specifically the difference in flavor/tenderness between prime and choice, as well as the difference in flavor between dry-aged and wet-aged or unaged beef, how do you compare these with the flavor of the local Sho-Me Farms beef? http://www.shomefarms.com/Index_1.html The owner says that he dry ages the beef for 21 days, and that he doesn't have the meat graded but he believes that all of it would grade as choice or better. He did not specify to what extent he thinks the beef might be graded as prime if it were to be graded, but he did say that he feels that his beef is as good as any prime beef due to the "born tender" gene selection that he has done in conjunction with Mizzou. It appears that there is actually a particular gene that leads to more tender beef. Also, his cattle are fed with a high-omega 3 diet that is a combination of grain and grass, and so they are lower in saturated fat and much higher in omega-3 than the average beef, and this is obviously good in terms of health. At any rate, anyone know anything about how it compares to other beef? Alan

I don't remember who it was, but someone upthread recommended stopping by Carlito's to try the carnitas tacos. Hesitantly I stopped by to order one. It was one of the best tacos that I have had in quite some time. The pork was nice and browned, tender, and seemingly with a subtle note of smoke. In short....excellent! Thank you for the tip.

Shun knives have been mentioned a few times in this thread. One person mentioned the Ken Onion design. Does anyone have experience with the Ken Onion chef's knife; specifically, the 10 inch version? I have been thinking about buying one for some time now, but I'd like to know from some people who have used them how they feel, how their weight is, and how sharp they really are, in addition to whether they really do seem to stay sharp longer. Basically, I want to know if everything that AB says about them is really accurate. I currently own a Kyocera black ceramic chef's knife (8 inches I think), and would like something that is actually as sharp or sharper, has more weight, is longer, and stays sharp for a very long time, as one thing that I do like about the Kyoceras is how long they stay sharp (for a very, very long time) Any thoughts?

No problem. Someone had to do it! On another note, I just heard about another Mexican restaurant down on the business loop. I think that someone said it was new and good, but I don't know if I trust this person's opinion since he'll gladly eat at El Maguey any day of the week. I'll have to check into it though. It is called El Torito. All I could find out about it is: http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/webapps/cfform...tab=1215&insp=0 The address is: El Torito 200 Business Loop 70 E. Columbia, MO 65201 Let me know if you, or anyone you know, has tried it. Best, Alan

Ramps, ramps, read all about it: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0517/p02s01-usgn.html http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-133.html http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/staff/jmdavis/ramp.html Looks like some people have their heads screwed on straight and are trying to cultivate them, including at least one university (NCSU).

I had no clue that it was there. But, upon hearing about it from you, we went. Unfortunately, it was not great. On the plus side, there is an extensive menu. On the minus side, there is an extensive menu. Basically it seems to me that though the appeal of so many items will bring many people in to the restaurant, it really isn't possible to do everything well at that point. The sauces really tasted like not much more than the Mae Ploy Thai curry pastes with a bit of coconut milk. It is also expensive, and the environment is not pleasant. It is dirty and all the blue just somehow makes one feel, well...blue. Also, they do not have Thai breakfast. In fact, the Blue Moon Cafe is still operational, they are just serving Thai food as well (two different "chefs" in the back). So, for breakfast, it is Blue Moon fare, and then for the rest of the day you can order off of either menu. I would recommend trying it for lunch during the week, because prices are more reasonable it seems. You can only order off of the dinner menu on the weekend. One other drawback is that if the Thai waitress isn't there yet, as she wasn't in our case, you get served by Blue Moon servers who absolutely don't care for, or about, Thai. They referred to satay as "chix stix," didn't know what the peanut sauce was that they had forgotten, and if you even think of trying to pronounce the items actual name, forget about it. Stick with by-the-number orders. Oh, and try not to let the drive-through loud-speaker and calls for double cheese burgers bother you as you converse with friends and/or loved ones. Lest I be judged as ungrateful, I do still appreciate that you brought this restaurant to my attention as I like to know what is out there. There was one highlight: they give you the choice of the standard Jasmine rice, or glutinous brown rice, which is actually dark brownish/purplish/black. I have always enjoyed this type of rice, and it's more forceful nutty qualities, but haven't seen it at restaurants before. Best, Alan