Jim Dixon

Okay, shame me back in.... I'll come, but can't do it on Sunday (Pascal Sauton benefit at Paley's and Azul is closed Sundays, too). Tuesday's also out (Chef Dan Spitz's last Family Supper at Ripe). That only leaves Wednesday next week (Azul is also closed Mondays). Maybe we should add procrastinating to the list of the charming traits of Porlanders. Jim

Then you don't get as much direct heat crispiness on the exterior (and it takes a lot longer). Jim

Aquitaine, I use yogurt mostly, but never really measure. Just a good sized scoop of yogurt (I use Nancy's...you want something with live culture), maybe 2 T, and a half-pint of cream. I set mine on the top of my old gas stove so the pilot keeps it warm. I've left it there for more than 24 hours with no apparent ill effects. My most recent batch sat for a good day. It got quite thick, almost spreadable. Jim

I've never bothered to seed tomatoes, either. I love the flavor of that sort of clear stuff that surrounds the seeds and will slurp it off the cutting board after slicing tomatoes. Jim

Maggie, I like roasting the rhubarb because it keeps its shape, and the olive oil adds some richness that balances the astringency. Jim

isn't that a country-western song? Jim

I do and I am. I'm thinking...get back to you later. Deadly bitter...full of, I think, oxalic acid. Spinach also contans this nasty stuff, albeit in much smaller amounts. But eating too much spinach can make you quite sick. Jim ps...I'd been meaning to plant a rhubarb crown for years, and every spring I'd see some in the market and have one of those d'oh! moments realizing I'd forgotten once again. But Judith dug some up from the garden of a friend last month, I planted it, and it's doing nicely. I'll be eating homegrown next spring.

I love rhubarb. I hate strawberry-rhubarb pie. I hold that if you can't take the pleasantly astringent flavor of rhubarb on its own, then don't eat it. And please don't screw it up for those of us who love it by combining it with too-sweet strawberries. If I can't persuade my mom to whip up a pie, I usually roast rhubarb. Cut it into bite-sized lengths, toss with a bit of good olive oil, and roast at 350F for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar to taste and eat. This is even better if you use maple syrup for a sweetener. I had a little syrup-sweet rhubarb left over, so last night I made a quick German pancake (2 eggs, 1 T flour, 3-5 T milk..beat eggs a lot, add flour, beat more, add milk, beat more...pour in hot cast iron skillet with a T or more of melted butter already there, bake 425F until puffy and lightly browned, about 15 min). I spread the pancake with creme fraiche and added the rhubarb. mmmmmm Jim

I've often flogged my love for cast iron here, so I won't say much more. But I love the title of the thread. I can easily picture myself at my most Homer-esque saying, "Cast iron skillets. Is there anything they can't do?" Jim

Unfortunately, no. I get my siblings (one in Phoenix, one in Houston) to send me care packages of jalapeno salt and brisket rub. Jim

Pork Shoulder 1 pork shoulder 2 garlic cloves, crushed stem of rosemary, bruised, but intact pinch cinnammon pinch clove 2 coarse salt Combine garlic cloves, rosemary and salt. Let sit a little while. Add tiny pinch of cinammon and clove. Pull out rosemary, and rub over pork. Let pork sit for a couple of hours. Sear well in heavy braising pot Add milk to come halfway up pork Braise on stovetop at very low heat about 2.5 hours Remove pork and rest If you want a thicker sauce, reduce the braising liquid (I never do this...) Serve sliced pork with braising liquid, including chunky milk solids This is much better if the pork is chilled overnight, then sliced and reheated in some of the sauce Keywords: Main Dish, Pork ( RG367 )

That's quite the pie-fest there klink... But thanks for reminding me (by bumping this up) that I was supposed to report on the coconut oil crust. I liked it, Nan didn't. She said it was a little harder to handle than her usual crisco and butter crust, and she didn't like the slightly coconutty flavor. I thought the flavor was okay, but the texture wasn't what I was used to...a little harder, maybe. I don't think ingesting the occasional hydrogenated fat is doing much damage, but I'm still going to try to convince Mom to keep experimenting with the coconut oil...maybe blending with butter. Of course I could probably just make them myself, but she's right down the street.... Jim

Craig, No offense taken...bring the wine. Jim

Jason, Don't make me get 'interesting' on your ass! back to topic (and this may require a more philospohically bent mind than mine).... Is it the meat or the motion? Do you 'define' a particular dish when you're eating it or making it? Jim

Craig, In my opinion, this is what defines 'risotto,' not whether it's cooked on top of the stove or in the microwave. I made a batch last night using the recipe I posted, and the rice exhibited both 'firm texture' and 'creamy consistency.' It was risotto. I don't have the time or inclination for any semantic hair-splitting, so we can just agree to disagree. Jim

Suvir, This sounds like a version of pasta e fagiole. I've had it soup, and borlotti beans are very similar to pinto beans. You can cook the beans (I like to do them in the oven, I think it's described somewhere on this thread), take some out and puree or mash them, than add cooked pasta (some recipes add a small amouint of tomato paste to the beans as well). Drizzle with lots of the best oil you can afford. There's another soup made in Trieste (the recipe is, I think, in Marcella's Classics book) that uses borlotti beans with pork, but no pasta. Jim

Let's try to set this up... My vote is for Cafe Azul. Let's try to find a date that works. Who's in? Jim

There's a mention, I think, of this in the most recent microwave thread, but here's my recipe (adapted from Kafka's book, which is a great resource). Microwave Risotto This isn’t really much faster than stovetop cooking, but it requires a loss less stirring. It is important to stir well between cooking sessions to release the starchy coating from the rice grains. I’ve included my own labor-saving microwave convention of always using a single numeral for cooking times (66, 99, 2:22, etc). This serves 4 as a side dish 2 T olive oil, butter, or combination 1 T chopped garlic, shallot, or onion (can be increased for onion) 1 cup of risotto rice (superfino Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone nano, or other short-grained Italian-style rice) 1 c white wine (something you’d drink, reasonably dry) 3 cups hot water or stock, plus more as needed salt Parmigiano Reggianno cheese, freshly grated combine fat and garlic (or shallot or onion) in microwave bowl. Cook on high 99 seconds add rice, cook another 99 seconds add some salt and the wine, stir for 30 seconds, cook for 2 minutes, 22 seconds, stir for 30 seconds add 1 c water (or stock), cook 3 minutes, 33 seconds, stir for 30 seconds continue to add liquid, cook, and stir until rice reaches desirable al dente state (typically about 15-20 minutes total of cooking, sometimes more). add one last quarter cup or so of liquid and stir. jiggle the bowl. you want to see what the Italians call all’onda, the wave. the finished risotto should not be too runny or too stiff, but exhibit some movement when the bowl is jiggled. stir in cheese. adjust salt. eat immediately I have this on my site, but it needs updating to reflect this more evolved method. I do have recipes for risotto with leeks and favas and arugula and favas, with beets and arugula (hey, I have a lot of arugula in the garden and have to use it up), with greens (like arugula), and with butternut squash. Jim ps...Jason...I tried to put this in the archive, but the ingredient wizard didn't seem to like my Mac-Opera set up, and I was too lazy to go back and try again. Feel free to add it if you want.

Monica, Read through this thread from last month for a few more uses. I also use it to semi-thaw hard-frozen meat so I can slice it thinly. For example, I buy 1 lb packs of boneless chicken thighs to freeze. I can pull one out, nuke it for a minute, and it's thawed just enough to get a knife through it (when meat is still semi-frozen, it's much easier to cut it thinly). The slices are now ready to cook quickly even if partly frozen. Jim

Microwave Risotto Serves 4 as Side. From the Risotto Thread: This isn’t really much faster than stovetop cooking, but it requires a lot less stirring. It is important to stir well between cooking sessions to release the starchy coating from the rice grains. I’ve included my own labor-saving microwave convention of always using a single numeral for cooking times (66, 99, 2:22, etc). 2 T olive oil, butter, or combination 1 T chopped garlic, shallot, or onion (can be increased for onion) 1 c risotto rice (superfino Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone nano, or other short-grained Italian-style rice) 1 c white wine (something you’d drink, reasonably dry) 3 c hot water or stock, plus more as needed salt Parmigiano Reggianno cheese, freshly grated Combine fat and garlic (or shallot or onion) in microwave bowl. Cook on high 99 seconds Add rice, cook another 99 seconds Add some salt and the wine, stir for 30 seconds, cook for 2 minutes, 22 seconds, stir for 30 seconds Add 1 c water (or stock), cook 3 minutes, 33 seconds, stir for 30 seconds Continue to add liquid, cook, and stir until rice reaches desirable al dente state (typically about 15-20 minutes total of cooking, sometimes more). Add one last quarter cup or so of liquid and stir. jiggle the bowl. You want to see what the Italians call all’onda, the wave. The finished risotto should not be too runny or too stiff, but exhibit some movement when the bowl is jiggled. Stir in cheese. Adjust salt. Eat immediately Keywords: Rice, Italian ( RG334 )

My cole slaw grew out of the need to get something green on the table quickly when all the boys were home. It's simple, and I've occasionally added other stuff, but still like this basic approach best. I dissolve some sugar and salt in the vinegar, add olive oil and stir to make an emulsion (vaguely remembering something about colloids and suspended particles here), then add hand-cut cabbage. I prefer the cabbage not too finely chopped. I'll sometimes add a bit of mayo for the creamy camp, but creme fraiche or even plain cream also work well. Jim

We stopped using paper napkins and towels long ago. Judith found some cast-off surgical towels in a lovely shade of institutional green that she cut up and hemmed for our everyday chin-wiping. Jim

They're limone di sorrento, and those who live on the Sorrentine peninsula claim that you can't really make limoncello without them. Jim

I just got a few slightly green Meyers from my source in SF (she has a tree in her yard), so there may still be some in the markets. I've used other citrus, too. I made one batch of kumquat-cello last year (it was good...just tossed them into the alcohol whole) and have another brewing. I'm most excited about my satsuma-cello, which is about ready to strain. I sliced the zest off the thick, pliable skins of satsuma mandarins. You can press the peel flat and slice it horizontally with a sharp knife so you get very little pith. Adam B reported in that kumquat thread that he's purchased a citron based version, so I'm on the lookout for Buddha's hand. Jim

But when can I use the schmatta? (pardon my goyish yiddish) or, as my Sicilian-American father-in-law calls the disgusting rag he always has over his shoulder, my "mapeen?" (spelled phonetically...I think it must be dialect) Jim