RobertCollins
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Posts posted by RobertCollins
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I agree that OXO has a good warranty but; having read thru this love / hate fest here; I am not a lover of OXO. I think this company may have the best handles in the business with solidly cheap crap for tools under them.
While I appreciate the options of others, this stuff that is hooked to the handles is cheap, low bidder crap, usually made in China..
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add some water (carefully!
Thanks for the speedy response.
I've not made candy so that seems to me that I would be throwing water into some superheated liquid carbon mass that would go boom. So could you tell me how, please. Another thought, how hot is that melted sugar?
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I have a recipe for pickled onions which calls for caramel coloring. The ingredient lists on every thing from Coke to Steak Sauce lists 'Caramel Coloring'. I wouldn't be surprised to find it in shoe polish.
What is it and where can it be bought in something less that the Exxon Valdez like quantities? Is it something I can make?
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Just for fun, put an uncracked egg in the thing!
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I thought Cider was fermented apple juice and juice was the liquid that resulted from crushing or squeezing apples.
Actually I just looked it up in "Food Lover's Companion" and seems I'm not right. What we call juice is unfermented cider or 'Sweet Cider' and after fermentation it becomes 'Hard Cider'.
Now I am more confused than when I started.
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Volrath for me. I have two, a 12 Qt and a24 qt.See the line here, they have it covered and at a good price. Although it has been a couple years since I bought my 24qt there.
I've had my 12 qt in Vollrath for 35 years, it still make a nice pot of stock about every other week.
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Maybe salt taste is masked by starch, maybe. If so how to prove or disprove?
The nice part of using whole potatoes or chunks is you can remove them at some point and do a salinity check. I don't know if you can [at a consumer level] buy potato starch. I would use instant mashed potatoes as we all know they would contribute no taste but I don't know if we could remove them from the mix.
Would one then simply taste test coupled with a salinity check. I think I don't know either enough about the products or the chemistry. Maybe I should have paid a bit more attention to that last chem class back in '72.
What if we found that the starch did mask salt? The math Shalmanase mentioned above would not matter in most cases. [Yeah, I know there must be places where excess salt does something like affect texture but those are not as frequent an occurrence as too salty tasting.]
qrn's comment on +1... I don't understand. Yes if a chunk of food is left in a brine, it will reach equilibrium. That was discussed above when talking about canned goods. so I'm missing what you mean.
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I wonder but sure do not know how the starch mentioned repeatedly above, plays out with the potato or the bread. Does the starch act like some kind of catalyst?
As to why the potato doesn't take out more of the other spicing and herbs, I've noticed that when brining; the herbs really do not flavor the brined item in any relationship to the salting effect. Not being a chemist, I'd guess the salt ion(s) can penetrate a cell wall much easier than a big old molecule from a infused herb.
Again I am only guessing. edit: 'cause I am not a very good speller either
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Now this is a topic that I will first thank Shalmanese for starting. I really want to know how and when to make these judgement calls on BROWNING.
A few days ago I was making a Pork stew which called for browning the pork first. The pork was cut to about 1.5 or 2" by 3/8 inch pieces. The meat browned wonderfuly in my 15" cast iron skillet, on the first side. By the time I flipped it for the second side, the meat had released water and the second side simply steamed. How does one deal with the water added?
I think this subject needs a tutorial. Shalmanese, you started it, please do it. Chris, you bought in, keep going. Robert would help but he is the one who needs it.
What a great, perhaps difficult subject. I am suprised I can't find that it has been done before.
PS. Shalmanese, the pork was Oregon Berkshire bought at A&J, not some Costco stuff. Even they have water. Added, I don't know. I do know it varies from product and source. How does one brown? [it]
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I would appreciate more detail if you could.
Did you dry the chanterelles and then powder them? If so I would guess they would behave like grain dust if ground fine enough, the right mix of dust, heat and air then poof! How were you using them? Were they already on the fish or were you dusting them on when the poof happened?
The idea does sound wonderful, chanterelles and snapper, wow.
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Thx, will stop by tomorrow.
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Where is it?
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I have tried with no success to make mince meat many years ago. It was so bad the dog wouldn't touch it, I must have done something wrong, like starting.
This thread has inspired me to do it right this time but I have a question. It seems to me that I have read that the mincemeat must "cure". Is this correct. If you do store it does the flavor improve?
Is it really the cake in MeeMaw's recipe that has to "cure"?
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For storage and left-overs, we use Cambro containers. Mostly I use the round ones in one or 2 qt/liter size. I also have some of the square variety they make but only in two qt and up. They work, in 4 or 6 or 8 qt, for those make ahead things like the Chili for this Saturday's outing on the boat to watch the Xmas Ship.
In Seattle you can see or acquire easily at any Cash and Carry or, for I think the best pricing, Dicks Restaurant Supply on 1st South. A few weeks ago I saw the 1qt in a three pack at the business Costco in Lynnwood for super cheap.
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Here here! Cbread has it right. Even if it is supporting, I can't see it being more than a couple (20')2x12 and a sheet of 1/2" plywood and some 16p nails.
If removing this stuff- f/p closet, etc - is something you think fits your possibilities, then it is time to hire that architect. This is what they do very well rather than the a fore mentioned real estate value advising.
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I think you said upthread that your house was of the 60's. It is likely brick veneer over a standard wood frame [AKA stick-frame]. As such it is nearly impossible that the roof structure relies on the chimney for any support. If it did the chimney would have to go down to the basement floor and sit on a footing there. Not likely.
I have a separate walk in pantry and don't mind that its about 20' when I need something. I just figure out what pots and things I will need and get them and any foodstuffs out when I start and really only make one trip, well maybe two or three if my brain misfires.
I really like this last concept by cbread.
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Yes, a vent can go strait up, in fact, that allows for a system that has the fan(s) on the roof. These systems can be much quieter.
In cbreads plan, I'd put the stove where the fireplace will used to be. (pun intended) I like the idea of location that cbread came up with. I wish I knew how to us CS4 as a cad system.
Using cbreads idea and removing the F/P; I would make a U that opened to the right and put the window arm of th U abvout 48" from the window wall with the sink more or less centered on the window and an eating counter window side of this counter. DW to right of sink, stove and reefer on F/P wall.etc. I had this basic lay out once and we found the two counters at 42" between them allow both of us to work in the kitchen at once.
I can't wait to see all the other ideas you will get presented and then what you decide fits you. Great thread.
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If You could move the stairs and the door I would envision something along the lines of the U shape or the Island kitchen examples shown as examples here.
Of course, these are meant as the basic idea only. For instance, in the island kitchen our family would have had kids at the kitchen table doing homework, so I would have the prep and stovetop on the island and likely the sink would be where your window is now with the reefer some where towards the new door location. In your space I would put the stovetop on the outside wall where the existing stair location is, to facilitate the Venting.
This is in answer to what would I envision but truthfully, I would just think a clear area without handcuffs ie doors and stairs would allow so much more. As for architects, I wouldn't say that they make either the best real estate advisors nor kitchen designers in my experience.
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Here in Seattle it is a really gray day as is common this time of year. I have a lot of cook books and find that I do read them. I do avoid the celebrity cookbooks though. On my nightstand is" Cooking by hand" that I get a few pages a day done. As somebody on eGullet gets my interest up on something or another, I dig out one or more books that I hope to satisfy that lack of knowledge.
I love books. It takes little to make me realize that I should know something I don't and away I go, often that is spelled - more books.
I went thru the reefer a bit ago and now I have to find a stew that begs the pork sirloin tips I have so that the evening isn't so gray as the day.
I just ordered Page & Dornberg's "The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity", wonder when I will have time to read all of it.
Oh wow, I just saw a fleeting bit of Blue sky!
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Where could the stairs relocate? Do you need that fireplace that I can't see being used? Maybe that is the place for the stairs? Or a great big pantry? Could the back door move to the space the window occupies over where the back of the stair surround is now? Should the kitchen and table swap ends of the space?...
For me the key is to make the space workable and easy to be lived in, then you can do a lot of things. If that can't be done, it will be a big compromise at best.
I built my house about 10 years ago and was it a challenge. My wife is a fine accountant but couldn't read a blue print to save her. We [read as I, under supervision] acquired a bunch of appliance boxes and duct tape then, literally, built the various kitchen plans in full scale until she felt them right. A few discussions later and we ordered the kitchen decided upon.
Seems funny looking back but she had me pantomime thru a couple Thanksgiving meal type thing and pano a pie baking and it really helped.
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Yeah, so do I. However, I also like to have hard copy. That means , for me to print out the referenced article and its ;links, references. and their links as a minimum. I'm annoyed because I can't figure out how to make it format to the page I want. My loss.
It does, however, look like it is a way that will work for me.
I shall try it.
Old and fine thread. Thanks to all of you.
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I'd like real country ham sandwiches - I didn't know white bread was bad for me then.
I'd really like to have my youth back though. The fifties were good, the sixties were a hoot!
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You have me curious too. I looked in a couple Japanese pickling books and while they seem to pickle everything, it is quick pickling -at least in the two books I have. In my favorite Thai book, Cracking the Coconut by Su-Mei Yu, The only thing that it calls a pickle is some mustard leaves using Kosher salt and water.
The Vietnamese books I have seem to also be fresh pickles as well. Some use coriander and nearly all use rice vinegar as well as sugar.
Oseland wrote a book called Cradle of Flavor and it gets heavy into Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore foods.Again not canned pickles but these seem to have heavy Indian flavors.
I think that maybe the only common thread in Asian pickling flavors are that they are culturally and geographically specific, not just Asian.
Oh yeah, I did see one Cucumber pickle that used oil but it was poured hot over the pickle at service. It was peanut oil.
EDIT: My spelling ability is pickled
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Is anyone getting into the braising mood yet? I have spent the day reading this thread and can't wait until the butcher shop opens tomorrow. I see some short ribs and a butt in my week ahead.
Its still in the hi 50s to low 60s in Seattle yet but why should that stop me.
Had to look like crazy but I found my copy of Ms. Stevens book this morning.
Looking for Unique Salts
in Pacific Northwest & Alaska: Cooking & Baking
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Yesterday [1.8.10] PCC, at their new Edmonds store, had a salt tasting. I didn't go but apparently they had various distributor reps bring in their wares.
That store is the best PCC I have seen. I hope they get to upgrade the rest.