billyhill

3 Rick Bayless, 2 Diana Kennedy. Have had success from all of them but walk away feeling somewhere there something better.

Some people are more determined to be authentic then to produce a dish that is great, and if that is their choice, more power to them. For some reason, this has been more of an issue with vegans I have known than other groups, I can only guess it is related to a certain ideological purity. This is the enemy.

ZenKimchi, In your recipe, did you use a 15% brine solution in your final product? I saw how you had salted it first, then gone with the brine. Did you retain this brine for the fermenting process or replace the liquid? I gather that you drained it and rinsed, but other sources are retaining the brine fluid for later use. When you say in you blog " two parts gochugaru to 1 part fish sauce, I assume you are talking by volume. Sorry to be obsessing with details, I appreciate your help. BH

Thank you, I stopped reading your linked site only to return here and give thanks. I will check at Amazon for that book. Any other help or advice would be appreciated. Temperature advice would be helpful also, I have a second fridge that can be dedicated to this effort.

I tried a quick search and it was not fruitful. As the title implies, I wish to make kim chi. I have located several recipes, Korean chili powder, and a host of other components, but I still have a few questions. I am getting conflicting information if I should use a tightly sealed vessel to ferment the kim chi or if I should use one covered only with a cloth. "Quick and Easy Korean Cooking" says use a tightly sealed jar and I have a large number of 1/2 gallon mason jars available if needed, or could I use 6qt plastic containers with a snap on lid, or do I need something else? Anything to leave out of the Kim Chi, such as: 1) Bok Choy(I am awash in the stuff from the garden right now) 2) Summer Squash (as above) 3) Kohlrabi with or without greens (as above) 4) Broccoli (Soon to be as above) 5) Western cabbage (soon to be as above) 6) Carrots 7) Celery Any other observations, experiences, or suggestions? Thank You, BH

No, I did not notice the texture getting mushy at all, by the time it cooked it was quite firm. I sliced it thin and added the pork with the jus off the plate to the soup, tossed in the greens and let residual heat finish the deal. It was a big hit at work the next day.

I was pretty darn sure it would be too salty, it was. I grilled it with smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, and a little spanish paprika. I added a little more smoke with a fresh thyme, savory, and oregano/marjoram mix on the coals. Taste was respectable if you could have overlook the salt (no way possible). I had a chicken and chineese cabbage (homegrown "Taisai" from Seeds of Change) soup working on the back eye when I had a half baked idea. I thinly sliced half the pork and added it to the soup base with some crimini mushrooms and a little magi seasoning. Wound up pretty good with a subtle smoky quality adding nicely to the mushrooms and slightly bitter greens. I was just too cheap to quit.

I have pulled and rinsed them, I am going to give them a try. My fingers are crossed.

As stated, A family emergency intervened with dinner plans and I have pork chops that brined for 3 and 1/2 days in standard brine (~1 cups morton kosher salt to 1 gallon with some sugar). Are they still uusable? They have been removed from the brine and refridgerated them, they smell O.K.. Hate to waste them, but I am concerned.

Thank you to everyone that respondeded with all the information. Time was a factor, so I quickly blanched,peeled, cored and seeded the tomatoes. I salted the toms and used an expandable steamer basket in a bowl to keep them elevated above the liquid that was extracted. 1 hour before the guest arrived, I tossed the toms with basil, pepper and adjuste the salt. The texture held up well and the birthday boy seemed happy. It was served on homemade toasted french bread straight out of the oven with sides of crushed red pepper, chives, parm-reg, and some La Crianza olive oil a friend brought back from Chile. The main course was his favorite spaghetti with homemade sausage, and there was much rejoicing. Thanks again for all the help, BH

Thank you for your response. Texture and how the basil would hold up were my biggest concern doing it too early. Any other insights would be welcome.

Friend is coming to dinner tonight and all he wants for his birthday is the tomato bruschetta. Should I wait to the last minute to prep or can the tomatoes be done 6 hours ahead to marinate in the salt and basil? There are Brandywines, Roma, and San Marzanos available from the garden, I assume they should be cored and seeded before use. The plan is salt, pepper, and basil mixed in a bowl to be asembled by the guest with olive oil available (or should the oil be included with the toms?) Any advice would be appreciated.

I'm not sure how advocating unnatural acts with a porkloin constitutes a more completely formed conciousness. A beer bellied, mouth breathing, knuckle dragging, cousin copulating redneck could accomplish as much while abusing the livestock behind the barn with far less pretense. "Could be a great secret challenge, make a dinner out of Looney Toons characters. Wabbitt, coyote, duck, roadrunner, dog, cat. Or Disney characters. Thumper, Bambi..." ummmmm....Bambi!

Toby the brit is so distracting. I'm starting to "Go Toby" and view my own cooking (heck everything) in the style of Toby, "This dish reminds me of a one night stand I recently endured, It filled a need but I wouldn't want my name associated with it!" In my head I see Toby endorsing automobiles and having unprotected sex with a Chrysler Cordoba. It must stop. I can't sleep at night wondering what he must have done to those poor little piggies on the farm while no one was looking? Toby must go. I want him to be the next secret ingredient on Iron Chef, Japan not America, that way he will still be alive when the competition begins.

What you are describing sounds like another generation or an ongoing product of "migration". The availability of ingredients and techniques is more widespread than ever before and perhaps what you are witnessing is an unselfconcious internalization of what is available. When I pick up an ingredient that is available, I don't reflect on its origins and history, I'm looking for a particular flavor or experimenting with new materials without preconceived notions. Then again, what do I know. I live in a town where no grocery store even carries USDA Choice beef anymore

And to think I had spent most of my time online today reading your "recipes of 2008" thread today.... What a very useful human being you are maggiethecat. Thank you for all you've done for this poor backward cook, I now spend too much of my disposable income on cookbooks (add 45 to your count and growing by several a month). Thanks again, BH

What are they smelling in the front of the house? If its bacon or bibimbap, that can be a powerful calling. ummmm bacon!

Thank you for the information. I have some leg work to do, anyone else?

I want to make vinegar! Any pointers or tips? Is there a source for bacteria starter or do I need to sample my local environ and try to find some friendly neighborhood culture? I apologize for my ignorance, my search powers have failed me beyond "set it out and see if it turns into vinegar".

If Dale had not taken point, he would not have gone home. That is was make Richard vulnerable, as good as he is, he takes responsibility for everything associated with him. It is a great quality I admire but it is a very pointy thing. Steph and Richard are the best by far, Antonia does not have the flexability or vision to compete with either of them, unless she has been holding back or has a Casey like strong finish. Lisa has a great future as a pro wrestler and Spike as a used car salesman. I think next week we should toss in Lisa and Spike into a dark, fully equiped kitchen (two chef enter, one chef leave). I am no great Antonia fan, but if they don't go down quickly, I may not be able to keep watching, at least Antonia has some class.

As far as the $10 competition, they had to prepare food for more than 4 people. At least 4 kids ate the meal plus the judges. A portion or more may have been required for filming purposes. I'm sure more than $10 was spent.

Smithy, I'm really looking forward to the grapewood, actually muscadine and scupanon (sp?) vines that are quite old. These are as big around as my forearm. The old home place has been abandoned and the trees have overgrown the arbor. The vines dissapear into the trees and do not appear to be producing fruit (none on the ground, in season). The pear, I don't know how it will work. I know where an old cherry tree is down near my wifes famlily's property. I will try to get some there.

Can unseasoned/unaged wood be used to smoke or will it taint the flavor of the meat? I've come into a large supply of cherry but the tree was only cut about two weeks ago. Splitting a piece and smelling it, I don't get the sweet aroma near as strong as I associate with dried cherry wood. If its a problem, I've also got a small quantity of pear wood that is dry I could use though, I've never tried to smoke with it before. Later I will try a neighbor's plum tree they want dropped and another has an old grape arbor they want cut out. Anyone tried grape wood?

I am suprised no one has used rice in their meatloaf. We wound up with an absurd amount of cooked basmati rice and the rice pudding couldn't make it all go away, so I mixed about 1 cup with 1.5 to 2lbs of meat, 2 eggs, parsley, grated onion and shallot, lee and perrins, mixed peppercorns, paprika, a little chili powder and season salt. A little dense but, the basmati lends an interesting flavor. I cook it in the oven on a broiling pan. Top it with a mixture of ketchup and Lee and Perrins +/- other herbs and spices. Not too bad.

Grilled romain with artichoke, heart of palm, homade croutons, "smoked capers", and parmesan. Topped with baslmic reduction and olive oil. I need to get a camera and some more photogenic plates.