BRM

I don't disagree with the smell argument but the trouble I have with it is that I can go to a friends house or to a smelly (in the best of ways, of course) restaurant and still be blown away by fairly simple things. I do think there is something about the familiarity of ingredients, tastes and smells. Once they become familiar it takes something really surprising or unique to be really profound. A case in point from my own experience. In the last few years I have started to cook a lot more Thai food. Anyone who has done a fair bit of it can probably put together a nice curry of some sorts with pantry ingredients and whatever is fresh from the store. I do this pretty often and have gotten "used" to the flavors and so they aren't quite as profound even though they are often very strong. However I continually remind myself to go back to the book(s) and follow recipes for new things, when i do that the flavors are often very surprising. This happened to me the other day when I made a grilled fish with a pretty simple sauce but was pleasantly surprised at how the final dish turned out. I had no previous frame of reference. So maybe its about continually trying new things and being careful not to ever get caught in a rut. Easier said than done perhaps. I envy those above like shengcai and Shalmanese who seem to be able to consider everything like it was the first time and simply revel in it with no expectations, good or bad, that are based on prior experience with the dish or the ingredients. At least that is how I interpret their comments.

I have noticed for quite some time that it seems to me that stuff just tastes better when other people make it. Here's what I mean...It seems when I make a dish, whether it is from a recipe or from scratch, I have a long time to consider the flavors. I can 'see' them in my head and taste all of the individual ingredients going into the dish. I develop this vision in my head of what the dish will taste like that it seldom seems to live up to. Conversely, when I eat someone else's cooking I don't have the opportunity to develop this vision beforehand so I consider the flavors and textures of the dish as I am tasting it for the first time. The only opportunity I may have is the detailed description on the menu or hanging out in the dinner host's kitchen (which I do a lot though I probably shouldn't). Considering the flavors without being exposed to them for very long beforehand seems to heighten the element of surprise and so the dish seems to taste better. This is not always true, of course. I certainly have made dishes that lived up to my internal vision and also made things that surpassed it, and I certainly have ordered dishes in restaurants that fell very short. Its just that this happens more than it doesn't. Its kind of like you can't tickle yourself, there's no element of surprise, but other poeple can. Anyone else? or am I way off base here?

In the same genre I would also highly recommend lime basil. It has a very pure lime flavor. I have used it to make sauces and viaigrettes that call for lime juice without using any lime juice. It is also most excellent in a gin and tonic.

I know there are other smoker mod posts here on eG.. I've been meaning to post pics of the modifications to my smoker that i use to get cold smoke. I was super cheap, takes about an hour to build and works pretty well. It is easy to convert from hot smoke to cold smoke and can even be done on the fly, i.e. with the meat in the smoker. Here is the parts list. 1 - 13 3/4 gallon galvanized steel bucket 1 - Galvanized steel pan 1 - Dryer hose, 10 feet 2 - Starter collar from the ductwork section of the hardware store You will also need tin snips and a pair of pliers and maybe some duct tape. I think the whole thing was $30 at home depot. Step 1 - Cut the bottom out of the bucket to a diameter that is less than diameter of the smoker. Step 2 - Cut holes for the starter collars in the side of the bucket and the bottom of the steel pan and attach the starter collars. Step 3 - Attach the dryer hose between them. here is ole' trusty (or maybe that should read 'rusty') before in hot smoke mode. Here is the connector apparatus that i described above. And here is the smoker in cold smoke mode. To convert it you simply lift the top part with the meat inside over to the overturned bucket section and cover the fire pan with the galvanized pan. It takes only a few seconds. My smoker is electric so I don't need to worry about airflow so much in the fire pan. If your smoker was wood you woudl probably need a damper of some sort so you could regulate airflow. They have those at home depot also. If I was doing it again I would move the handles on the pan to the sides. They get very hot. Also the overturned bucket is open at the bottom. I have wondered whether it would be possible to close the bottom and add a damper of some sort to the overturned bucket section. That may allow some measure of temperature control. Anyway, just thought I'd post that in case anyone needs an easy and cheap cold smoker.

Thanks Abra, I was thinking about adding some spices to mine, now I am pretty sure I will. I though about adding toasted ground fennel seeds to get the taste of the Tuscan fennel sausage without the sour flavor of the starter.

Currently the debate is whether starter cultures are even necessary. It seems that they may be advantageous from a safety and consistency-of-results perspective but may impart a flavor that is too strong for certain types of dry-cured sausage. I have been doing some research and am probably going to make a batch of dry cured this weekend that does not contain starter. I am planning to follow the recipe for sauccison sec in the book unless I find something better. Has anyone tried this recipe? Any advice or something you might change? Don't worry, the charcuterie thread won't die. We've all taken a pledge...right?...right? Brian

I have poaching liquids that I have kept for years. I use them every month or so and strain and refreeze then when i am done. As for the fat...fry something that itself has a neutral flavor so that it picks up the flavors in the fat. Potatoes are always a good choice for duck fat and tofu comes to mind given the spice you have mentioned.

You could also thicken with Xanthan gum. That would do much the same job as constarch but would not require heating.

Thanks! though I'm a little nervous...there are lots of white powders at the asian market. I wonder if you could make a sausage that was made up of chunks of other types of sausages all stuffed into a casing, wow (Cookies in your brownies...dude! that is really cool!) Sorry, I'll stop posting while under the influence now.

I may try the Saussicon sec next to get a feel for that "old fashioned" method (I like the sound of that anyway). I have no problem being limited to hog casings or smaller. Where would I find dextrose? I know I can order it from Butcher Packer but I feel lately like I've spent enough in shippng charges through there to pay for my own UPS truck. Is there a product that one might find locally? If I were really worried about the safety of the method (which I don't think I am) is there a way to know?

hmmmm....in chapter 5 the sausages that don't call for starter culture are the coppa (stuffed into beef middles), the saucisson sec and the landjager (calls for Fermento which is flavoring only). Why do some call for it and some don't? The coppa I could maybe understand since it isn't ground but why not the other two? Could you safely make dry cured sausage without starter culture? i.e. cure #2 and the fresh tuscan air only (okay, okay Minneapolis air - but our air is pretty good )

Thanks for this reply Jason. I have a packet of F-LC that I ordered at the same time. I used the RM-52 in this recipe because that is what the authors recommend. I will do my next batch with the F-LC and report back. I suppose I have wondered whether the Bactoferm cultures are the only ones on the market. Seems like that can't be so and yet I have not really found a lot of others. If there are other sources it would seem like some experimentation might turn up one that was a little more delicate for use in sausages like this.

I made the finnochiona from the book as my first foray into dry cured sausage. It has been hanging in my refrigerator for a little less than 3 weeks. When I made it I wasn't sure whether I wanted to grind the fat or cut it into chunks so I did half and half. I would definitely use chunks next time. I will say that the flavor is "OK". The initial aroma when you put it in your mouth is very yeasty. It takes a few seconds for that to subside and then you get to taste the fennel. I used the RM-52 called for in the book but it is my impression that this is a little too tangy, if that is what is causing this sensation. I have had this type of sausage in Tuscany and it didn't taste like this. Not that this is bad, just that was better. I am sure the surroundings had a bit to do with that Has anyone experimented with different cultures and the flavor notes they impart? I ordered several when I got my initial supplies from Butcher Packer. Also, the refrigerator I used to do the curing is operating. These held at a pretty constant 45 degrees and 65% RH during that time. I know this is considerably cooler than recommended. Do you think this could have an impact? All in all a fun project though. I may try the pepperone next.

Like BeJam above I have made my own but IMO its worth the effort. There is nothing like uncorking a jar of your own in the middle of the winter. I use it like really good olive oil, i.e. when you really want the good stuff. As for creative uses, I really like the sweet tomato jam recipe from Paula Wolfert's Couscous...The tomotoes and honey called for in that recipe really are a great flavor combination and you can add other spices to taste.

I have this problem too from time to time. You can also fold over the top of the bag, kind of like a pastry bag, before you fill it up then unfold and seal.

Thanks for that. I am definitely going to try it. Upthread when I said I was using my sealer for way more that I thought...one reason is that I bought the sealer for mason jars. I store all my dried herbs, specialty flours, etc. that way.

Yogurt is a very good idea. Precisely the controlled temperature needs that sous vide was made for. Care to describe your method si'l vous plait?

The immersion circulator is one of the best defrosters of frozen foods that I have ever seen. I use it for this a lot. Its fast and has no hot spots. I also cook steaks and chops this way about half the time. Put the circulator on the finished internal temp you want, go run errands and come home and your meat is perfectly cooked and you didn't have to stand there. I blast it in a hot pan for looks. I like this method so much that I have started seasoning meat and putting in aromatics when i vacuum seal for the freezer so that I don't have to reseal when I decide to cook this way. I am also using my vacuum sealer for way more than I thought.

Bravo! It is hard to imagine that anything would look bad in those but my vote is for Ah Leung's Chili Prawns

I once made an appetizer that consisted of a steamed artichoke (those little ones you find in the stores in spring) that was trimmed and filled with a quail egg yolk, then topped with a little mornay sauce, a sprinkle of breadcumbs and run uder the broiler for a few minutes (slightly runny yolk). It was a bit of work but very tasty. Also, for an over-the-top quail egg recipe I recommend the "Eggs and Bacon" from The French Laundry cookbook. I made it for a New Year's Eve dinner appetizer. It was fantastic.

Mine say roasted and unsalted on the package.

My local Whole Foods Market carries them both salted and unsalted. I opted for unsalted.

I have to say that I just do not get Oceanaire. Every time I have been there the service has been poor, even when there are less people that it sounds like when you were there. The portions are so large, I don't know how any single person could eat one. There are a lot of other places that have very fresh seafood and the preparations are far more interesting. Ok, end of rant. It gets a lot of business from the convention crowd. There may have been one in town the night you went, hence the crush.

Probably being made of raw steel it may also benefit from being seasoned just like a wok or cast iron frying pan. A method I have used for things like this is to dip the business end in oil and leave it in a low oven for a few hours.

I have an Altas extruder as well and this has been exactly my experience. Every couple of years I pull it off the shelf determined to figure it out and never do. My results also have the problem of splitting down the middle if they get too dry.