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Mushroom Cream Sauce Serves 4. This is an intensely mushroomy, rich sauce for pasta. I served it with store-bought mushroom and cheese tortellini, and it was excellent. 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms 1 c chicken or vegetable stock or water 1 lb Whole cremini or white button mushrooms 1/2 c dry vermouth or other dry white wine, or additional stock or water 1 small onion 2 T bacon grease, or olive oil, or other fat 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper 3 cloves garlic 2 T fresh thyme leaves 1-1/2 c heavy cream 2 T balsamic vinegar 1 piece parmigiano-reggiano rind (optional) 2 T fresh flat-leaf parsley 1. In a microwaveable bowl, combine porcinis and stock/water. Microwave for about one minute, then let stand 30 minutes or until porcinis are soft. 2. While porcinis are steeping, remove stems from mushrooms and reserve. Quarter the caps. Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet (NOT non-stick) over high heat with no fat until very hot; add mushroom caps and dry-fry, tossing frequently, until well browned. Add vermouth and stir to deglaze the pan. Remove from heat. 3. While mushroom caps are browning, finely mince mushroom stems and the onion. In a large saucepan (non-stick is fine here), heat the bacon grease over medium heat, then add the mushroom/onion mixture and season with salt & pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until browned and most liquid has evaporated. 4. While mushroom/onion mixture is sauteing, finely mince the garlic and thyme. Remove the porcinis from the reconstituting liquid and chop. Add garlic and thyme to mushroom stem mixture and stir until fragrant, then add chopped porcinis. Strain reconstituting liquid through a paper towel or coffee filter into the pan and stir. 5. Add cream, balsamic vinegar and parmesan rind to saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for fifteen minutes, then remove rind. Add mushroom caps to pan along with any liquid in the skillet. Bring back to a simmer. 6. While sauce is simmering, finely mince parsley. Stir into sauce after removing rind. Remove sauce from heat and serve over hot pasta. Top with freshly-grated parmesan and additional minced parsley. Keywords: Intermediate, Vegetables ( RG2099 )

I just ordered the 240mm Kanetsugu Pro-M from JCK. Unfortunately, I noticed after processing payment that I hadn't updated my address in my PayPal account since I moved over three years ago (obviously, I don't use PayPal often). I immediately sent an email to the contact address on the JCK website; should I call also? EDIT: already got a response from Koki at JCK; they'll ship to my new address, no problem.

No problem at all. It does take a lot but it does help if a little research was done already by the questioner. The gyuto SHOULD be the most expensive non-electrical item in your kitchen since other than the stove, it gets used the most. For a budget of <$100 you can consider a few options. All prices are for 240mm unless noted otherwise. Kanetsugu Pro-M: Very good fit and finish, stainless, nicely rounded handles for comfort, good steel, very sharper than most out of the box. $85 Tojiro DP: Best bang for the buck in a stainless knife. Handles are more squared off which might present a comfort issue but can be solved with some sand paper. Fit and finish is hit and miss. You could get a perfect handle but you could also get one that has very minor flaws. These "flaws" may not even be noticable to you but just keep in mind this is an inexpensive knife that is made inexpensively but performs very well. You don't cut your food with your handle anyway. $60 Hiromoto HC: Carbon steel knife that is the best bang for the buck in a carbon knife. Good fit and finish, rounded handle for comfort, carbon steel performance (meaning it sharpens up great and stays sharper longer than stainless knives) I have this knife and think very highly of it. $50 Hiromoto AS: This one is beyond your budget but if you could possibly come up with the extra $30, it would be well worth it. This has a super blue carbon steel core and is clad or surrounded by stainless steel. I've had this knife...awesome. The AS is not the same as the G3. I have no experience with the G3 nor have I heard anyone who has. I can guarantee the AS is superior to any other knife listed in this post. $131 MAC Mighty: No personal experience but have heard good things about it. $115 Kiyotsuna: No personal experience with this but have heard it's a very good knife. $98 Kikuichi Elite: I've had this knife and it is a great carbon steel knife. Light and very well made. Kikuichi has a 700 year history of sword making and were the official supplier of swords to the Imperial Army. Thus bears the Emperor's emblem...the chrysanthemum. $90 This should keep you busy for a while. Cheers, Bob ← I never did get around to buying a knife last year, and it seems that JCK no longer is carrying Tojiro knives, which I was leaning towards. My wife has said I can have a knife for Valentine's Day ( ) and I'm once again looking for a bargain in a sub-$100 gyuto. Any suggestions as a replacement for the Tojiro?

I made a really good chowder with pretty pedestrian ingredients yesterday -- canned claims, store brand bacon. My secret ingredient was some leftover roasted (in goose fat) potatoes and carrots that I whizzed in the chopper and added in place of flour. The carrots added a little color and sweetness and the potatoes basically dissolved into the broth, thickening and enriching it. Alas, no pictures.

Interesting. Is this true of all whole grains?

Persimmon chili sounds good!

This reminds me of a restaurant called Philly West I encountered somewhere on the Oregon coast a few years ago. It was closed at the time, so I couldn't get a look at the full menu, but if I remember correctly a sign in the window specifically mentioned the house specialty... ...clam chowder.

Buttermilk Ranch Mashed Potatoes, adapted from a recipe in Cook's Illustrated -- I make it with at least double the parsley called for. Whisk together room temperature buttermilk and melted butter, then stir in a bunch of minced parsley, thinly-sliced scallions, minced garlic, and a bit of black pepper. Fold into slightly-cooled mashed potatoes.

My college fraternity, Theta Chi, used to do an annual party called Ox Roast, featuring copious roast beef (and of course beer).

Thanks, Smithy! I'll probably try out the back ribs next time I'm doing a braise. Maybe I'll get an extra package and try grilling them just for kicks too.

Alexander's Stew

Anyone know what the functional difference between beef short ribs and back ribs is? I saw both at an Asian market, both cut into pieces about 2 inches on a side. They looked almost identical in terms of marbling, but the back ribs were less than $2/lb while the short ribs were over $5/lb.

Lemon-Pepper Roasted Chicken Legs Serves 4 as Main Dish. An easy and very tasty weeknight meal 4 whole, bone-in skin-on chicken legs 1 medium onion, sliced 3 T butter, melted 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 1 tsp coarsely-ground black pepper 2 lemons, zested and juiced 2 c chicken stock 2 T corn starch 4 T water 1. Brine chicken legs for 30 minutes to an hour in a solution of 1/2 c table salt dissolved in 2 qt water. 2. Preheat oven to 350F. Scatter onion slices in a 13x9 baking dish and pour about 1 c warmed chicken stock in the dish. Place a rack over the onions. 3. Melt butter in microwave in a small bowl; when it's melted, stir in garlic, half of the lemon zest, and the black pepper, then microwave for another 15-20 seconds. 4. Rinse chicken and pat with paper towels to dry. Brush the chicken with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt on both sides. In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, brown the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, then place on a rack over the onions in the baking dish. Put the dish in the oven and bake until internal temp in thighs reaches 165 F (about 30-40 minutes). 5. While chicken is in the oven, deglaze the skillet with a little chicken stock. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining butter mixture along with the remaining lemon zest. Add about half of the lemon juice and the remaining chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into bowl. Rinse out the saucepan and return the sauce. 6. When chicken is finished, turn off the oven and transfer the chicken to a platter, putting the platter in the oven to keep warm. Strain the liquid from the baking dish into the sauce, pressing on the onions to extract flavor. In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water, then add to sauce, stirring to combine. Bring to a low boil and simmer until thickened. Adjust flavor by adding more lemon juice, if desired. Serve chicken over rice or pasta topped with lemon sauce. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Chicken, Dinner ( RG2078 )

A burr grinder (allowing my to put my old blade grinder to use for spices) Poultry shears Not a very exciting year for kitchen goodies, but both were things I wanted, so it's all good.

And somebody thought this would be good to drink?

Roast Apple & Garlic Bisque with Chicken Serves 4 as Soup. Adapted from my recently-posted roasted garlic & tomato bisque recipe. I was inspired by a Fat Guy post inquiring about people's uses of the last apples of the season. 4 tart apples, such as Granny Smith 4 whole heads garlic 3 T olive oil or melted chicken fat salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 medium onion, chopped 1 c sherry 1 c reduced chicken stock 2 c heavy cream 1 T olive oil or melted chicken fat 1 c cooked chicken pieces (pref. dark meat) salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 T minced fresh thyme leaves chicken cracklings 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut apples into wedges and cut stem end off of garlic heads. Toss apples and garlic with oil or fat and sprinkle with salt & pepper. 2. Spread apple wedges, peel side down, on a baking sheet. Wrap garlic heads in a foil packet. Put apples and garlic into oven and bake until apples are browned, 45-60 minutes. The garlic can be removed after 45 minutes and left to cool. 3. While apples and garlic are roasting, in a large saucepan, bring sherry, stock and onions to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until alcohol smell abates, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 4. Also while roasting apple & garlic, heat a small skillet over high heat for a few minutes until very hot. Add oil or fat, then chicken pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over. Remove from heat and set aside. 5. Scrape apples and any accumulated juices into a blender. Squeeze in cloves from garlic heads, and pour in sherry, stock and onions. Blend until well-combined, pour back into saucepan, and stir in thyme. 6. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Stir in cream and bring back to a boil. 7. Pour bisque through a strainer into a serving bowl. Rock strainer around to let liquid pass, but do not press solids through. Ladle soup into individual bowls, add a few pieces of chicken and a sprinkling of cracklings to each. Keywords: Soup, Easy, Dinner, Blender ( RG2057 )

I did a test run of the bisque I described upthread, substituting chicken for duck, figuring that if the roasted tomato and garlic didn't overwhelm the chicken, then the more assertive flavor of duck would come through loud and clear. It wasn't super chickeny, but really, really tasty. I should note that I didn't have time to reduce the chicken stock as much as I would have liked, which obviously would have boosted the flavor. All in all I'm pretty pleased. I have documented my recipe here. Unfortunately, I took no pictures.

Roasted Garlic & Tomato Bisque with Chicken or Duck Serves 4 as Soup. This recipe is an adaptation of this one posted by tharrison. I wanted a soup recipe featuring duck as part of a Duck Three Ways meal. I tried an egg-drop soup previously but it was uninspiring, so I decided I would try a cream-based soup. It was suggested that this recipe might overwhelm the duck, so I reduced the tomatoes considerably. I did a test run with chicken and found that the chicken was a wonderful savory undertone, and figure that the duck will come through even more. 3 whole heads fresh garlic 2 pt cherry or grape tomatoes 2 T melted chicken or duck fat kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 medium onion, chopped 1 c sherry 1 c reduced chicken or duck stock 2 c heavy cream 1 T chicken or duck fat 1 c coarsely chopped or pulled cooked chicken or duck pieces salt & freshly ground black pepper chicken or duck cracklings 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut stem ends off of garlic heads. Cut tomatoes in half. Toss garlic & tomatoes with chicken/duck fat, salt & pepper. 2. Wrap garlic heads in a foil packet. Scatter tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Put tomatoes & garlic in oven and roast for 45-60 minutes. Remove tomatoes early if they're showing signs of scorching. 3. While tomatoes and garlic are roasting, brown chicken/duck pieces in fat in a small skillet over high heat, sprinkling with salt & pepper as they cook. Set aside. 4. Scrape tomatoes and any accumulated juices into a blender. Squeeze cloves from garlic heads into blender. Blend garlic & tomatoes together until smooth. Set aside. 5. In a saucepan, combine chopped onion, sherry & chicken/duck stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the harsh alcohol smell has faded. 6. Add tomato/garlic puree to onion mixture and bring back to a boil. Stir in cream and bring back to a boil. 7. Strain bisque through a strainer into a serving bowl. Ladle soup into individual bowls, add a few pieces of chicken and a sprinkling of cracklings to each. Keywords: Soup, Intermediate, Chicken, Duck, Dinner, Blender ( RG2056 )

I have that in my stockpots. I was under the impression that it was microscopic pitting caused by adding salt to cold water.

It sounds like it would taste good, but it would not necessarily be "ducky". Like the duck would get lost. Have you considered roasting the duck parts before making stock to get a more tasty base as well as using extra parts from an Asian market (they always have duck wings). I just love the simple deep consomme and I guess I want you to enjoy it too. ← Thanks again, Heidi. Roasting the carcass sounds like a good idea, but I'd rather avoid buying extra duck parts, both because of cost and because I like the idea that all the duck for this meal comes from a single bird. Also, I really think I want a cream-based soup, as the rest of the meal is on the light side. Maybe if I omit the tomato and just do a roasted garlic bisque it wouldn't overwhelm the duck?

Heidi, I think that's the sort of thing I would target if I could, but I've had trouble getting my duck stock intense enough, at least without reducing it so much there isn't enough for soup. I'm leaning now towards an adaptation of this recipe for Roasted Tomato & Garlic Bisque, using a little highly-reduced stock in place of some of the wine, and serving with browned bits of duck floated and also duck cracklings sprinkled on top. Thoughts?

I would like suggestions for a duck soup. I'm doing a "Duck Three Ways" dinner and intend one of the ways to be soup, utilizing meat picked from the carcass after I've removed the legs and the breasts. The rest of the meal will feature potstickers with confited leg meat, shiitakes & scallions, and seared breast over green salad with an orange-balsamic dressing, and also potatoes roasted in duck fat. So I'd a soup where the duck shines, but isn't too similar to something else. I'm leaning towards a cream of duck type thing, but am open to other ideas.

Honey-Mustard Rotini with Chicken Serves 8 as Main Dish. This is a standby disk that I make whenever I can't decide what else to make. I've made variations with basil in lieu of or in addition to the parsley, adding heavy cream, sour cream or yogurt, adding sun-dried tomatoes, whatever, but at it's base it's a simple, inexpensive, filling dinner. 1 lb Chicken thighs, boned & skins removed, cut into bite-size pieces 1 medium onion, chopped 2 T minced or pressed fresh garlic 1 T olive oil 1/2 c your favorite prepared mustard 1/4 c olive oil 1/4 c honey 1/2 c toasted pine nuts 2 T minced fresh parsley 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan or other fragrant hard cheese 1 lb rotini or other bite-size pasta, cooked 1. In a skillet, saute chicken, onion & half of garlic in 1 T olive oil until chicken is just cooked. 2. In a bowl, whisk together mustard, 1/4 C olive oil and honey until fully combined. Add pine nuts, parsley, cheese, and chicken mixture; stir to combine. 3. Stir mixture into hot pasta and serve, topping with additional cheese. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Chicken, Dinner ( RG2055 )

You'd prefer standard diesel exhaust?

Duck Three Ways Feast Serves 4. This actually isn't a single recipe, but a plan for preparing a fancy meal based around taking a whole duck and preparing various parts of it in three separate ways. This will feed two with lots of leftovers, or four pretty easily. It encompasses four separate dishes: duck soup, Duck Leg Confit Potstickers, green salad with seared duck breast and potato wedges roasted in duck fat. This is intended to be a pretty leisurely meal, served over the course of a couple of hours, and it can be participatory in that guests can help make the potstickers if they want. Augment the dishes with good bread, cheeses and pate if desired. 1 whole duck (fresh or frozen) Duck stock 1 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped carrot 1/2 c chopped celery 1 head fresh garlic, cloves separated, peeled, & lightly smashed Duck Leg Confit 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 whole head fresh garlic, cloves separated, peeled & lightly smashed 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns 1 T kosher salt Duck Breasts 1 navel orange, sliced 1 T kosher salt Potatoes roasted in duck fat Yukon Gold potatoes Several days in advance: if your duck is frozen, move to refrigerator to thaw. Two days in advance: Remove breasts from duck, keeping skin intact. Remove legs from duck. Remove and reserve skin. Remove skin and excess fat from remaining duck carcass; roughly chop all skin and fat, and heat along with a little water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Render slowly until all water has evaporated (will stop bubbling). Strain fat into a container and refrigerate; reserve "cracklins" for whatever you want. They're a spectacular substitute for bacon bits on salad, for instance. In an 8-qt stockpot, heat duck carcass, onion, carrot, celery and ~4 quarts of water over high heat until nearly boiling; reduce heat to low and simmer for 1/2 hour. Remove carcass from stock and pick off meat, then return carcass and simmer for another two hours. Strain and chill. Toss breasts with salt, then wrap with orange slices; put in a zipper bag, press air out of bag, seal and refrigerate. Toss legs with salt, then put in a zipper bag with thyme sprigs and garlic cloves; press air out of bag, seal and refrigerate. One day in advance: Skim fat from chilled stock; combine with rendered fat in a saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Heat oven to 250 F. Put the duck legs, thyme sprigs, garlic cloves, porcini mushrooms and peppercorns in an oven-safe vessel just large enough for everything to fit in the bottom; pour duck fat in to just cover everything (augment with olive oil if needed). Cover vessel and place in oven. Cook, undisturbed, for at least two hours, preferably four or more. Meat should be extremely tender and falling off the bones. Carefully extract legs, then strain fat into a container and reserve. Pick out bits of meat from strainer as needed. Strain and reduce stock. Day of: Make duck soup (I did an egg-drop soup with duck stock and bits of duck; I'll probably try something different next time); serve. Make potstickers according to recipe linked above. While cooking potstickers, heat oven to 400 F. Melt a couple tablespoons of leftover duck fat. Peel potatoes & cut into eighths; toss with duck fat and place in a Pyrex baking dish pointy edge up; roast for about 30-45 minutes or until golden-brown. Sear breasts until medium-rare; let sit for a few minutes, then slice and serve over bitter greens with roasted potatoes. I used an orange-Balsamic dressing. Keywords: Intermediate, Duck, Dinner ( RG2053 )