SWISS_CHEF

Just two questions... is Mexican oregano hugely different from regular oregano? If so, in what way? Also, how can "any vinegar" do, when you are so specific about oregano? I have six or seven vinegars and I would be hesitant to use any one of them for the same use as any of the others.

This sauce will be my next experiment...Thank you

Because I think it is a little lighter and marries better with the port wine but you could use beef if you like.

Question, Swiss One..why reduce port? why not add at towards the end? iirc, fortified wines dont need to be reduced? did i remember right? ← I let the port evaporate so that it starts to caramelize to burn off some of the sugar and give the sauce some extra color, but the question is fair enough and next time I make it I will try it your way and add the port towards the end and see what happens.

Thanks everyone for your contributions. The reason I asked is because I once knew an Italian who owned a restaurant in Rome and he just used Uncle Ben's! (maybe that's why his restaurant is closed!) He made lobster risotto once and I have to say it was pretty good. Trouble was, that was one of my first risotto experiences so I didn't have much to judge it by. Since then I have always used Arborio with good success but I just got a package of Carnaroli to try out for a big Italian dinner (I cant wait) I am even going to sacrifice a black truffle in the dish. Favorite risotto memory: My wife and I used to be on the road half of the year because of our antiques business and we stayed in hotels alot. Many of them were at rest stops along I-95 and the restaurant options were pretty slim picking. I decided what I needed was a hot plate and a pot and I could make great risottos in my hotel room. So we did! It was great! We made porcini, shrimp, bacon...you name it, and it beat the hell out of pizza delivery for the 6th time that week!

I like simple food and one of my favorite things is a thick filet mignon of beef and a good reduction sauce. How do you make yours? Here is one I like: 600ml brown pork stock 100ml tawny port 200ml full bodied red wine 30ml red wine vinegar 4 finely diced shallots 2 crushed cloves garlic sprig thyme 1 star anise 50g unsalted butter Fry shallots and garlic until golden brown, deglace with vinegar, reduce until evaporated. Add port, reduce until evaporated. Add red wine, reduce by half. Add thyme and star anise. Add pork stock, simmer until correct consistency. Strain and finish with butter off the heat. Check seasoning, acidify with a little sherry vinegar if needed.

PS: Don't breath that stuff, use a mask please.

Hi Johnder, I cant wait to watch this! I do this in my mind every morning at 4:30 when I can't sleep. You are so lucky to have a space to redo. Bravo!

Swiss fleur de sel is hard as rock? They must be sourcing theirs from the Alps. ← I use the grey French stuff and my wife always complains when she hits a hard bit, especially in salads. ← Maybe thats why she never tips!

Swiss fleur de sel is hard as rock? They must be sourcing theirs from the Alps. ← I use the grey French stuff and my wife always complains when she hits a hard bit, especially in salads.

Really? he sounded quite confrontational to me, hmmmm

My wife and I sit at the kitchen table and peal garlic together (lots of garlic) and we talk....it's a very important part of our relationship.

"These examples were extreme in that there was nothing I could have done to please them, they wanted a whipping boy , and I'll be damned if it was gonna be me, IN MY RESTAURANT." With all due respect: lose the attitude, it will lengthen your career. For many people biting into a steak and hitting a chunk of rock salt is annoying, especially if they have dentures. You may prove your point but the customer will bitch about the event to all of their friends you will lose much more than she will in the end.

Dead on the spot. I agree 100 %. If it sucks, rock their world!

The Nano Pan Chronicle: March 10, 2005 This is the best test yet! I bought two identical steaks, seasoned and prepared them in exactly the same way and pan seared them at the same time over the identical heat. The first was cooked in an very old Ikea nonstick and the second in the new Swiss Nano pan. The Ikea pan seared steak looked like this: Notice all the fat around the pan? The Nano pan steak looked like this: The amount of fat left in the pan by the steak cooked in the old Ikea pan was ten fold of that left by the Nano pan. The Nano pan was almost dry compared to the old Ikea. The difference was immediately noticeable. Here is the Ikea pan after the steak was removed: and here is the Nano pan after the steak was removed: There was almost nothing left in the Nano pan and the Ikea pan was covered in grease. Honestly I was VERY surprised to see this and I have no explanation for the difference. Taste: Both steaks had a nice flavor but the steak cooked in the Nano pan was remarkably more tender and moist. The difference was like sirloin (Ikea) vs. Filet mignon (Nano pan). I was really shocked to see the difference but I must admit I don't understand why. Can anyone explain this why this happened??? edit: I was asked to make my pictures smaller by jhlurie

Having spent a good deal of time on both sides of the pick-up window I can say what that chef did was way out of line. Right or wrong, I would have issued my apology and offered a free round of grappa for the table. Cost $5...happiness... ensured. Move on and get it right next time.

I have been making risotto for a decade at least and I have always used Arborio rice...some times even very very expensive Arborio. The truth is (in my opinion) the expensive ones hold their "crunchiness" a little longer but don't differ much in flavor. What do you think? Is Arborio the best rice for risotto? What do you use??? Don't say Uncle Ben's PLEASE!

I lived in Bahrain for 5 years and the bread is called khobz: http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/1535.html Other than the people, I miss this bread the most. Really it should be slapped onto the inside of a giant Khobz oven but hey, we don't all have one of those! Personally I think the heat should be higher than this recipe says....more like a pizza oven...it should burn the bread in about 1.5 minutes.

We are going to get along just great!

I enjoy a good rhum as much as a good Cognac. My eyes were first opened 20 years ago when I worked at the Crown Center Wine Center (owned by Hallmark Cards in Kansas City). Donald Hall, owner of Hallmark cards, used to order the rare Barbancourt 5 star from Haiti, for his own consumption it was not for sale to the public, only for him. ... I once got a bottle by accident....and from then on I was a rhum fan. I managed to find some 3 star in Miami once but never 5 star...Currently, I live in Switzerland...I can find some very interesting rhums here and in Germany... but unfortunately, now I have to pay full price them...bummer! My consumption is about 10 to 14 ounces a week. I drink my rhum straight like a Cognac in a snifter. Never ever, ever mixed!

Hi Iperry, I would like to try your pressure cooker process. Can you please tell me step by step how you do it? Thanks, Ed

Call me a traditionalist, if you must, but I only use super fine Arborio rice and to me the stirring is very important to making a good risotto (you can‘t do this in a pressure cooker). I believe that the stirring agitates the starches and brings the risotto to the right consistency. Kind of like a porridge. I don’t know if my risotto would pass the muster in Italy, but I have carefully made it for the last ten years and I have come to these realizations: Pre-fry the best Arborio rice you can find in a little butter or olive oil…then add some onions….and when everything is nice and translucent add some white wine (the acid is important to cut the starch) then add some boiling seasoned stock, but just a ¼ cup at a time and slowly work it into the rice….. stir constantly through the whole process….. pray a lot…..test every 30 seconds and after lots and lots of stock, when the grains of rice are just right…(slightly resistant to the bite)...stop cooking…serve immediately and demand compliments. Chastise anyone who arrives late to the table. Done properly, you will become a Goddess/God. Optional extras (in order of importance): white truffles, black truffles, saffron, porcini mushrooms, lobster or shrimp. It is rumored you can use chicken or vegetables in this dish but when you work this hard why bother?

Here you go Cuzzin! http://www.aaa-recipes.com/opossum/opossum1.html http://www.gamecalls.net/wildgamerecipes/opossumrecipes.html http://www.recipezaar.com/107969 YeeHaw!

I rekon we kin start a swappin 'possium recipes now!

Fair enough but what kind of rice do you use?