phaelon56

Wow. That's heavy. Just when I think things are going okay... the Cosmic "Man" puts me in place and I realize my puny insignificance in the grand scheme of things Yet another piece of evidence that food and its consumption can be a spiritual experience.

Actually... yeah.... I'd love a pre-owned bread-screwer-upper. My brother got one for Christmas and he's been experiementing with the process of mixing, kneading and proofing in the machine but baking on the oven. few of the machiens can actually bake a really god loaf but they seem to do pretty wel on the mxing and kneading. I don't eat much bread but I'd love one for making pizza dough. I think you may be onto something here - bread machines may well end up toping the list. Cheapest realistic entry level for an espresso machine and grinder combo that will produce quality results with practice is about $350 - $380. An investment of $700-$800 will do better and laying out about $1,000 - $1,300 will get you a setup that's good for life and much easier to get consistently good results with. I'll start a thread in Coffee and Tea.

I think "le crud" sounds better. Very Euro. Do you have a "le crud" skimmer or are you using an ordinary spoon?

This is a cross post from the Coffee and Tea forum. Now that we're in the post holiday season and folks have been sharing comments on what food or cooking related items they received as gifts.... let's talk about the duds. I'm becoming convinced that really cheap espresso machines may top the list for items received and never used (or used once with no success and then put away indefinitely). That said.... surely there are other "Gee that looks cool - he or she would love that thing" items. All of my friends, colleagues and others I know quickly become aware that I'm a coffee fanatic and espresso hound once they get to know me. I can barely count the number of times that someone has said "Oooh... I have an espreso machine I got as a ________ (insert occasion here) gift. I've never used it. Do you want it? After all.... you're into espresso, right?". We've all seen these - they run anywhere from $30 - $70, utilize simple steam pressure to produce a facsimile of espresso and are way too labor intensive for the average non-coffee fanatic to get involved with using. I'm not referring to the low end espresso machines that have a pump along with a switch for espresso or steam. Machines of that type, usually in the $80 to $100 range, are not great but if used properly they can make a passable cappuccino. Instead, I refer to the devices where one must add water, screw down a pressure cap, wait for steam pressure to build and be very careful about not opening the cap before pressure has gone down. Sooo... how about it.... is this quite possibly the world's most unused gift? I have been offered at least a dozen or so of these in the past few years (slight exaggeration but many) and not one of them had ever been used.

I think not. She actually 'fessed up to the real reason right off the bat: "We do it this way because cappicola is too expensive" (obviously it is not). In response to Mark's comment - yes it was JUST a sandwich but certainly qualifies as an Adventure In Eating. The fact that I have a place to share amusing or bizarre tales like this is yet another reason that I hang out at eGullet. Not to mention the fact that my location and budget (which is now directed at paying for a house) preclude the possibility of many fine dining experiences to share. Therefore.... my future comments may just stem from experiences with items as lowly as the sandwich.

All of my friends, colleagues and others I know quickly become aware that I'm a coffee fanatic and espresso hound once they get to know me. I can barely count the number of times that someone has said "Oooh... I have an espreso machine I got as a ________ (insert occasion here) gift. I've never used it. Do you want it? After all.... you're into espresso, right?". We've all seen these - they run anywhere from $30 - $70, utilize simple steam pressure to produce a facsimile of espresso and are way too labor intensive for the average non-coffee fanatic to get involved with using. I'm not referring to the low end espresso machines that have a pump along with a switch for espresso or steam. Machines of that type, usually in the $80 to $100 range, are not great but if used properly they can make a passable cappuccino. Instead, I refer to the devices where one must add water, screw down a pressure cap, wait for steam pressure to build and be very careful about not opening the cap before pressure has gone down. Sooo... how about it.... is this quite possibly the world's most unused gift? I have been offered at least a dozen or so of these in the past few years (slight exaggeration but many) and not one of them had ever been used. I will cross post this in General Food topics due to the chance that there is some non-coffee item which might qualify for this dubious distinction.

I'm with you Moopheus. It's not unusual for me to order a cup of black coffee as an apertif (or digestif if you wil) before a meal but only if I know the coffee is good.

Not only a point well taken but one worrthsplitting into a separate thread on microfoam. Worth noting that with practice, good microfoam can be made on a higher end home espresso machines.

I used a Gaggia Baby for about a year or so before getting my Isomac. My experience was very much the same as yours - excellent results if everything was done in just the right way. I cringed and hesitated for quite awhile before making the price jump to ugrade to an E61 style machine. Once I did it I kicked myself for not doing it sooner - the increase in the consistency with which I can make excellent shots is nothing short of remarkable. If you refer to the so-called "perfect frothing attachment" that comes with most of the Gaggia machines... the best place to put that little device is in the rubbish bin. Different story for the black plastic frothing sleeve. It's available for about $10 - $12 and is very effective if used properly. I found that the Gaggia did a great job of frothing up the milk if I limited the amount to about six ounces or so.

You're right it is REALLY damn un-syracusan. "Italian" sandwishes and subs are a mainstay item on the menus of every deli, lunch counter, convenience store and pizzeria in Syracuse. I've likely eaten a few hundred of them in my life and rarely from the same place more than a few times. They are rarely stellar or highly memorable but have always been adequate fuel for the needs of the moment. This was really good for a laugh... even if my lunch ended up being comprised of two carrots, a pear and a handful of M&Ms.

Pan - I truly hope that I get that Italy trip this year - I'm working on it but with the dollar getting so beat up against the Euro it looks like South America is first on my list (Buenos Aires to be specific - the US dollar is yielding nearly three pesos at present). I am truly amazed that this phenomenon was now reported by someone else as existing elsewhere. In response to a few other questions it should be noted... This was a garden variety neighborhodd pizzeria and not what I'd call an old-school or traditional Italian place (not even by Syracuse standards) - the owners did not appear to have any noticeably ethnic background - just your regular Syracuse business folks (meaning they could be Irish, Polish, Italian or what-have-you but likely third or fourth generation like me). It tasted pretty bizarre and not just because it was out of context. There was way too much hot sauce on there in the first place and furthermore - hot sauce does not seem to blend nicely with ham, cheese and lettuce. Syracuse does still have at least one traditional Italian deli - Lombardi's at the corner of Butternut and Lodi. There's a new one that appears to have promise - haven't tried it yet. It's up at Teall and Court next to the Pfaltzgraff factory store.

I just related this tale to one of my very Italian co-workers (the guy who makes his own wine every year with his grandfather's old country recipe, drives across town for his cappicola etc). - he nearly fell down laughing. This really has to be one of my most bizarre food encounters of all time. I'm thinking that "Buffalo Style Ham" is not even sufficient. Perhaps we might call it "Frank's Louisiana style Red Hot Ham"? You can trust that I won't returning to this place for anything other than a refund of my $4.00 (it's on the way home - otherwise I wouldn't aggravate myself by going in even for the refund).

But capicola is soooooo expensive (not).

I just have to share this as it is so truly wacky. Ran over to Home Depot on my lunch hour and stopped into a small neighborhood pizzeria/sandwich shop on my return to the office. Settled on a half sandwich made with light rye. The menu description reads.... this is verbatim... "Italian sandwich made of ham, hot ham, and cheese with lettuce, tomato and onions". Seems pretty straightforward, right? I order the sandwich and ask for mustard, no mayo onions and no oil. I get to my desk and open said sandwich, ready to devour it. Noticing a bit of red residue on the butcher paper wrapper I assume that it's just from contact with the edge of the "hot ham". Good looking sandwich - nice and thick with fresh bread and real leaf lettuce. I take a bite.... first I notice this bizarre taste that is somehow familiar but totally out of context. Lifting the bread I discover a big runny layer of red liquid all over the ham. Puzzled and a bit irritated (they were not busy - mine was the only order in house at the time and the owner helped the employee make the sandwich)... I assume they put French dressing on by mistake. Soooo.... I call the pizzeria and speak to the owner to express my dissatisfaction. I just wish I had a recording of our little chat for posterity. It went something like this: I am "M" (me) and they are "P" (pizzeria) M - "I was just in there and bought a sandwich but there's a problem - I asked for only mustard and you put French dressing on it." P - " That's impossible - we don't even have French dressing - what kind of sandwich is it?" M - " It's an Italian sandwich" P -"Oh... that's the hot ham - that's what the red sauce is" M -"What? How could that be? Hot ham is hot ham - this has some kind of sauce." P - "That's right - it's our signature sandwich. Hot ham is when you dip pieces of ham into hot sauce before you put them on the sandwich. Cappicola is way too expensive so we make our own hot ham with hot sauce!" M - "I've never heard of that but I'm a bit upset about this - the sandwich is inedible and all the menu mentioned was hot ham - nothing about hot sauce." P- "I don't understand - all of our customers know that's what hot ham is - they've been coming here for years and everybody knows." M - "But I'm a new customer - I'd never been in there before today - how would I know unless someone told me what your idea of 'hot ham' is." P -" But I already told you - it was right on the menu - it says 'hot ham' is in the sandwich." M - "I understand but my point is this - how was I to know that it meant ham dipped in hot sauce?" P - "I can't believe you don't understand it - it's just like 'hot wings'. When you order 'hot wings' you know that they'll be dipped in hot sauce - right? It's the same way with 'hot ham' - that's why we call it that on the menu!" This circular conversation might have persisted for hours if I hadn't finally asked whether she was interested in or willing to offer some resolution (e.g. I stop by after work, return the sandwich minus the one bite and get a refund). Her reply was to the effect that " If you can just understand what 'hot ham' really is, then we can talk about a solution." Just had to vent and sure enough I will swing by there after work for a refund. I'm curious - is this the fluke that it truly appears to be? Is not 'hot ham' a real deli item akin to spiced ham or am I even crazier than I already knew I was.

Not to rain on anyone's parade ('cause I'd love to have one myself - a La Marzocco that is... not a parade) but keep in mind that the sexy LaMarzocco we're drooling over here requires 220V service, needs to be plumbed in and creates enough heat to make your kitchen into a Russian Steam room in the summer months. There actually is a special 110v version of this machine that was custom built for the purpose of evaluating the concept of a really high end home espresso machine. I was lucky enough to sample a nice ristretto from this very machine last spring when visiting Vancouver - here's a review of the LaMarzocco in Mark Prince's basement (aka the Coffee Geek testing lab) Of more immediate interest due to both price and availability is the new dual boiler 110V machine available from Chris Coffee. It's really a one-of-a-kind in the marketplace at present and well worth considering for anyone wanting to make the jump to a really good machine. La Spaziale S1 single group dual boiler Temperature accuracy is one of the paramount issues related to consistently producing great espresso shots. The E61 style HX (heat exchanger) machines currently on the market can do fairly well in this regard but it takes using a few tweaks and tricks to ensure consistency. A properly adjusted dual boiler machine should eliminate this as an issue. In all fairness to the competition, the Reneka Techno is in concept a similar machine but it has limited availability in the US and access to parts/service are a concern. At present, Chris Nachtrieb at Chris Coffee is the only dealer for the new S1 but he's a long time and well established player in the market and has an unrivaled reputation for consistent service after the sale. As for the small, cheap, pump driven espresso machines - despite its limitations, my little $80 deLonghi turned out a better shot than the average Starbucks and made a very passable cappa or latte (albeit one at a time and very slowly).

It will help me to understand this as I was unaware of the difference. How do the older steam wands create a siphon? Does it occur when they are shut off while still in the milk? I sort of figured that purging the wand after every steaming session would expel such things but the physics of steam propulsion and boilers ccan be quite tricky. It's conceivable that such is the law here as well but I doubt it. This particular county is extremely stringent on certain food safety issues. Due to a stubborn and repeated hepatitis outbreak years ago that was proprgated from food handling staff in some local fast food restaurnats, we had a glove law that was in place and strictly enforced years before it was commonplace elsewhere. It does not seem a coincidence that the probelm never returned once the law was enforced. In one particular year at the peak of the problem, this small county (population under 500,000 had 40% of the reported cases in NY state for the entire year - that is including the NYC metro area. Wjat do the local health authorities expect you folks to do? Use wasteful single service paper products to wipe the wand after every use? Some regulations seem so counter productive that I wonder who really benefits.

BUt what about Milky Way's? We are indeed in the Milky Way galaxy and those tasty bars are produced right here.

It's definitely allowed in my area. Correct practices dictate that the steam wand should always be wiped with a wet and clean cloth (one dedicated to that purpose alone) immediately after every steaming session and then purged to clean the nozzles. If this practice is followed and proper daily cleaning takes place, contamination should never be an issue. Unfortunately I see far too many cafes (inlcuding some Starbucks) where the steam wand is covered with a disgusting looking encrustation of milk that looks deadly - I don't order milk drinks in those places.

It is perhaps a bit ironic that in my current region of residence, the "I'm Smart" program provides education for bar staff on how to monitor customers alcohol intake/sobriety level. They also provides a service for subscribers who can call to have someone drive both them and their car home when they've had a bit to much to drink. That is an interesting point about the "Smart drinks". I'm guessing that oxygen bars will soon join them in the realm of not-so-great ideas and passe trends,

Well how was it? Actually... both tasted quite disgusting. The brownies were most effective but the peyote milkshake was an exercise in futility. One out of two ain't bad.

Another dish I forgot to mention was homemade brownies that were heavily laced with ground morning glory seeds. Really quite disgusting and barely palatable but as was the case with the rotting fresh peyote button chocolate milkshakes we had the month before... all was consumed in the spirit of... uhhhh... scientific inquiry rather than culinary adventure. Yes, it was in a previous lifetime in case you shuld be wondering.

Is this the Nov/Dec issue? I found the Jan/Feb issue today and have not paged through its entirety but the TOC lists no article on Ethiopia.

The powder will make a syrup that IMHO is just as good as the pre-made syrup. My favorite local cafe uses only the powder. If you have a good espresso machien at home (i.e. one that does a good job of frothing milk), the key to getting a killer mochas is to add the chocolate poweder to the milk before steaming. This will make a far better mocha than just pouring the espresso into a cup with the chocolate syrup, adding the milk and stirring. Starbucks and many of their clone competitors use the add syrup and stir method. The better local cafes I've tried both here and elsewhere use the powder.

My wackiest has been far less interesting. Until recently it was the cow's foot soup I had in Belize (I love oxtail but believe me.... cow's foot soup is even grosser than it may sound). A few eeeks ago I went to dim sum with a coworker and he insisted that we order BBQ ducks feet. We each ate one. Truly odd spongy texture and a reallt peculiar taste.

The American Iron Chef episode that I saw (which was truly disturbing) was the one that included, among others, actress Loretta Devin, one of the big burly Italian-American guys from "The Sopranos" and of all people... Ron Popeil!!! Devine and the Sopranos guy both made inane comments that appeared to be unintentional stereotypes of their own respective cultural backgrounds (or perhaps it was intended to be humor and I just could not see it that way?) Pleasant surprise from an otherwise failry worthless episode.... Ron Popeil was by far the best judge and the only one able to articulate his opinions about the food. Go figure. They didn't even use a Showtime rotisserie oven.