RobertCollins

We have a wooly pig producer out here in the NW. A friend and I bought a pile of meat [ loin, butt and picnic ] from them and cooked it up. I really liked it because of its fat but, I don't feel I could argue either side of its taste being better or not so.... The lard was wonderful but I frankly, can't tell it is better than normal leaf lard. Wooly Pigs is the site of our local producer. In this lite are links to other wooly pig producers as well as some interesting info on heritage pigs. edit: for dyslectic finger(s) and maybe old worn out brain

Firstly, what you describe isn't Monel. As said above Monel is an alloy, the pan bottom you mention is a roll bonded plate. The way galvanic corrosion [or battery action] you mention is to have a complete circuit of two dissimilar metals connected together by an electrolyte to form a battery. Then to do any thing about galvanic action the two metals must be connected together as a load on the battery. The circuit you describe is not a complete circuit so it isn't going to happen. Oh and the liquid in the pan would be the electrolyte any how and you would not have a load circuit. I'm not sure of the load circuit even exists in your example but unless the bonding between the copper and other metal [stainless?] fail allowing the electrolyte to connect them you haven't a battery portion of the circuit. Now if we are talking about acid pitting of the S.S. thru to the copper and that being taken up into solution, possible for sure. I hope I made myself clear. Trying to explain this is hard to avoid trade jargon. Monel may be used for cookware, I've never seen it; but it is used in valve seats. It contains Cobalt as well as a hardener. I suppose it would also be part of Monel if used for cookware.

A & J 's Meats on Queen Anne is great. AS is their Bacon. I think this the best Butcher Shop in Seattle. Also it is the only one I have found to get 45 day dry aged beef. And yes they have their own smoke house. edit to add: http://seattle.citysearch.com/profile/1078...ts_seafood.html

Salmon when we catch and eat raw in the Puget Sound, we take to 32° and hold for a day. This we are told will kill the parasitic worms you find in some coastal Salmon. It is served uncooked/unsmoked in all the Sushi places I have eaten at in in Seattle. I save my smoked salmon experience for Bagel joints and usually have cream cheese and capers with it. Halibut can also have worms and even if you can kill them most [if not all] of what I have been around when wormy has been thrown overboard. I haven't been on a real commercial processor ship so I don't know about them.

In Seattle, no prob for any of this; In the heartlands of our families in Boonville Missouri, No way except the pig parts and maybe a bad grade of Sherry Vinegar. I would buy the spices from Penseys any how. Probably the Miso would be available in Columbia [25miles] and maybe some of the rest. An aside though is just make the Sherry Vinegar. Very easy to do, the hard part being the fancy french jar [ I don't know how to spell the name of this cask or ceramic jar - I think vingarre?] which can be a sun tea jar wrapped in tin foil. Get the 'Mother' from any home brew supply or possibly, even from a bottle in your own cupboard. edit:Lastly, it can be real Hell trying to find Veal in much of the midwest.

WOW, I need to think about this. With a piece of beef or lamb or chicken I heat it , then I wait and the internals match or approach the external temps and I serve it. This does work for fish, I guess. I don't add a rest step with fish ever but; I think the above makes me want to. With the afore mentioned salmon, I ,, of course serve it right away; after I get everyone to the table.... I really have rested it haven't I? Although I haven't done Lobster or Monkfish in years, likely as not, it is rested by the way most of us serve. How often do we scrape from the grill and instantly plate? If not something like salmon, nearly never and so, it rests.... Now that you have forced me to think it thru, resting fish does seem reasonable.

Of course you are correct. I have lived in the east [shiver] and have had Monkfish a number of times and I know of no Pacific fish which has the same qualities. That said, I return to what I meant. I don't know what TC meant about resting but; how do I rest a fish that cooks in seven minutes per inch of thickness unless I wish to serve a cold slab of fish? I do not only mean Salmon.

Well, I am certainly no judge of Tom Colicchio but; The salmon I cook out here in Washington, even slabs of big guys, would simply be cold fish if I rested them. That is not to mention my guests view of me . Please explain what this means as it makes no sense to me. BTW most of my fish I bring out of the heat at about 115°F and it does take a bit of time to plate, at least most of the time. So, if this is valid, how do you do it?

Someone above was asking about mid east and European sourcing for controls. I would looking at these folks, W.W.Granger http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/static/in...ssatlantic.html That page will give the contacts for the rest of the world too. They work out pretty easy to use here in N.A. . I think half of the equipment repaired or sold in the rural parts of the US are supplied by them or Johnstone supply. Probably the rest is from Sears or at least used to be.

I use MR's Recipe only as Chef Jack said, I just add water to cover a bit. I do not do any big reduction. 10# produced between 24 and 30 1 cup portions in the freezer. I used some in supper the day I made it so I don;t know how much but likely not more than a few cups. I buy 8 oz plastic hi ball glasses that are tapered and freeze in one cup lots. Then I vac pack the cup of stock. It has never lasted long enough to know how long it will last frozen. PS all the negative views of MR's book not withstanding, I say, as I did a year plus ago, I enjoyed it and I learned a fair bit too.

Someone complaining that "IT" isn't yet done. Perhaps not the fav.; certainly the most usual.

Almost anybody in any venue beats my cooking but; who will complain when you are home with your family and friends. I can well feed a bunch of us with, at least, 'ok' wines too, here for a third to a half of what we'd pay at a restaurant downtown. Additionally, I'm still not sure whether it is or would be better there even though I know any of those Pros can out cook me at least on any one dish. What is the pleasure of our dining experience; is it the finest dish or the finest experience? I love food done well but; I will chose the experiential quality above the food. That said, there is a huge list of cooks whose food I want to eat, I guess, without company. Darn.

I have a fair number of wooden spoons and other wooden devices [spatulas, what ever you call one of those egg picker-uppers that every body uses to pick up spaghetti,etc]. I mostly can't find which ever I am looking for at any given time 'cause I have two kids who also think they need free access to any tools I have. The short of that is, I use what I can find this/that time. Amongst the usually lost are many olive wood spoons and a few spatulas that ,when I have found them, are old and wonderful to use. Once the kids are really gone from my kitchen, I hope I will miss them not the damn spoons. edit: hope this isn't as morose as it read back and spelling.

Pam, why not buy another and do one each way?

This thread inspired me. This morning I did an inventory of my pantry. WOW. I found 15 year old black olives, 8 yo Pumpkin puree, and so on. It seems that the real stock of canned goods were tomatoes, peppers [jalapenos], tuna a few things like hearts of palms, and coconut milk. Also some things that I don't want to make like Thai Curry pastes. I expected to find hominy but there was none so I'll have to pick some up [yes I know that the product that I cook will be better but , you know]. Most every thing else is dry goods like grain , beans, and pasta. Reckon its time to throw the pumpkin and Olives out; don't you think?

I store my carbon steel plates etc in a Ziploc bag with just a bit of mineral oil. That is easy to find that in the drug store. I also keep a pair of needle nose in there that I use to pull pin bones out of Salmon fillets. I have some Japanese knives that are carbon steel and those I spray with Camellia Oil that I bought from Epicurean Edge per their recommendation.

I've never tasted it but I would guess it to be similar to Cava vinager of Spain. I like the Cava over tart Greens like collard or mustard greens.

I've never tasted it but I would guess it to be similar to Cava vinager of Spain. I like the Cava over tart Greens like collard or mustard greens.

When I don't do my own sharpening, I use Epicurian Edge in Kirkland WA. I think for standard european knives he is around $1.95 per inch. Excellent work at a quite reasonable price.

I'm not a trained chef but if you didn't salt the steak, I'd send it back. Seasoning adds flavor.

Goose is hard for me in Seattle, really cause I have no idea where to look. We have available though, some really good lards. Wouldn't they work well? My real problem with roasting Potatoes has been how long at what is temp. Anyone have a formula?

This is a great thread. We should thank a bunch of people starting with R+P. They have taught many of us a basic way and then we have wonderful discussions like this thread, thanks to all the above. I am really ancious to see which of you has the perfect answer. Then which of you has the more perfecter and then... Thank you all for your contributions. I am so learning from you, how cool. edit; the dumie kant spell

The mealy throws me. This sounds like it might be smoked way too long and have drained out the fat. When I have done this break the stuff tasted like mealy bad oatmeal with flavors [not always good]. The offal doesn't bother me but I think of the good red beans and rice I've had as really tasty and a bit on the bright side of spicy.

Well, this has been a good thread, I have the Sorrel growing for the past 2 yrs and haven't used it 'cause i didn't know how. Now some ideas and have ordered Olney's book. I will pull out Alice Waters too. Thanks especially to johnnyd for the pollack recipe, I think it will work just fine on Halibut too.

My Food Saver died again this year and I didn't repair it this time. [Camano Chef, there is a repair service for the things near Renton,]. Instead i had seen another posting thread in here somewhere and just reread it. It lead me to VacSealer. I ended up buying it and would say Camano Chef has the best unit but this is a grand cheaper. In short, I am pleased.