David Ross

Speaking of tomato aspic, I've got one to show everyone. I paired my tomato aspic with oysters-and it was delicious.

This was my first attempt, but that sounds like a good idea.

We'd love to hear more about this dish and the techniques.

My first dish for this Cook-Off is a 2012 version of the 1958 classic "Orange-Ginger-Ale Ring" taken from the Good Housekeeping Booklet. Grandmother Pink also had a recipe card for a gelled ginger ale salad which speaks to the popularity of this dish that was cheap, easy to make and tasted good. When you think about the combination of flavors and textures, it makes sense in a contemporary kitchen-Sweet orange citrus flavors with the punch of ginger and fizz. If you look at the list of ingredients in this dish, you start to think how you can adapt it for a modern presentation. This is the list of ingredients as written in 1958- Orange-Ginger-Ale Ring- 2 env. unflavored gelatine 1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned lemon juice 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/4 cups orange juice 2 cups ginger ale 2 cups orange sections 2/3 cup chopped pecans Cottage cheese Orange Slices Crisp greens The recipe is very basic-soften the gelatine in the lemon juice. Combine the sugar, salt, orange juice, ginger ale, orange sections and pecans in a saucepan. Heat until hot but not boiling, then add the softened gelatine. Combine this mixture in a ring mold. (I used a non-stick bundt cake ring mold). Chill the salad for about 2 hours until fully set then unmold and garnish with cottage cheese, orange slices and "crisp greens." (I used baby butter lettuce). I doubled the gelatine to 4 envelopes because I found the ratio of liquid to gelatine called for in the recipe didn't allow the mixture to gel. I also cut the 2 cups of orange sections by half to 1 cup. Now before you start to wince when you view these photos, let me say that this salad was delicious. You could really taste the flavors of the ginger ale. Surprisingly, you could also taste the carbonation of the ginger ale. I had anticipated that the fizz from the soft drink would fade when it was heated then chilled with the gelatine, but it retained a lot of that classic flavor. Ingredients- After about 2 hours chilled in the refrigerator- The salad as it would have looked on the 1958 buffet table- It won't make the annals of gel cookery, but it sure tasted good- I don't know why we shy away from buying little tubs of cottage cheese when we're in the supermarket. It's delicious and we should use it more in recipes. A few years ago I came across a recipe from famed French Chef Andre Soltner that called for substituting fresh Farmer's cheese with pureed cottage cheese. Imagine the fresh, mild flavor of cottage cheese in a silken form, (not the texture of small cheese curds). Maybe a layer of cottage cheese puree topped by a layer of orange-ginger ale gel encasing a poached chicken supreme?

As I was pulling together some of the various molds that I have, I came across this little aluminum mold that I remembered my Mother used when I was a kid. When I asked her if she remembered using this mold to make Jell-O, she did, then said this was actually a mold her Mother used. It's in the range of 100 years old. Pretty ironic to think when I started planning this Cook-Off that I never thought I would discover the metal mold that Grandmother Pink used for molded salads all those years ago- In the background are some various molds I've used over the years for pastries and desserts-just never a molded, gel or Jell-) dish. I bought this silicone mold that I think might just work for a gel-

Here's my shopping list for my first take at a "retro" molded salad: -Unflavored gelatine (powder) -Lemon juice -Sugar -Salt -Orange Juice -Ginger Ale -Canned Mandarin Orange Sections -Pecans -Cottage Cheese -Orange Slices -Crisp Greens

That is beautiful. Gives me a greater appreciation for aspic.

To give you an example of how popular gelled salads were in 1958, (and maybe some ideas for our Cook-Off), the Good Housekeeping Booklet I showed above lists 42 different recipes for "molded" salads that use gelatine or Jell-O. Some of the more tempting dishes are: -Jellied Tuna Salad -Cinnamon Candy Salad Mold (using red cinnamon candies and fruit cocktail) -Alma's Pineapple-Lime Salad Mold (spiked with horseradish) -Club Luncheon Salad (including cream of mushroom soup, gelatine, pimento cheese and pickle relish)

Definately. Just last week I was making a huckleberry pie and many of the recipes called for quick-cooking tapioca. I couldn't get over the vision of little eyeball gels staring out of a slice of my huckleberry pie. Tapioca is definately a product that turns into gel--and it gels other foods. (Just not in my pies).

I love that clip art and the tag line, "Just like Mother used to make."

I think my first dish will come out of this 1958 Good Housekeeping classic booklet, the "Book of Salads, to heighten appetites and brighten meals."

In the traditional category, I think of cold dishes and salads that use Jell-O or unflavored gelatine. While I was researching this Cook-Off, I came across Grandmother Pink's recipe folder-an old black leather booklet holding hundreds of recipes that she had written on small index cards, (in long-hand, cursive writing with an ink fountain pen). She had scads of molded gel salads in her collection. Her salads ran the gamut from basic clear gel salads to sweet, (with fruit and nuts), and savory, (with cold meats). It's the modernist movement that I think will open for me a whole new world of thinking when it comes to gels. From my novice background on the subject, I've learned that the Modernist Cuisine series defines gels as both fluid and firm. That opens this Cook-Off to a lot of possibilities. Eggs can be considered gels, as can other dairy products. Even tofu can be considered a gel. Then we have gels that enclose fluids, like Adria's "Mussels in their Juice," that I mentioned in the opener. It can be a shell composed of hardened gel that encases a liquid of more fluid gel. Gels could be used to form a flat sheet of gel then extruded or cut into noodles. A gel-noodle could be quite intriguing. So we can go retro, vintage or traditional, but then our modern bent may take us into a whole new universe of experimentation.

Hello and welcome once again to the ever-popular eG Cook-Off Series. So far this year, we've showcased such divergent dishes as the popular diner classic Hash and the intricate details of Cured, Brined, Smoked and Salted Fish. This summer we argued about the sanctity of the National sandwich of Vietnam-the Banh Mi. (Click here http://forums.egulle...-cooking-forum/ for the complete eG Cook-Off index). Today we start a new adventure--a discussion of Gels, Jell-O and Aspic--a subject with unlimited possibilities for the cook. Gels are at once very traditional, yet at the same time a defining aspect of modernist cooking. Molded Jell-O salads and Tomato Aspic are cherished dishes whose roots reach back over 100 years. But gels aren't simply a jiggly dish found wiggling on a cafeteria line. Joel Robuchon's haute version of "Citron Gelee with Lemon Sorbet and Fraises des Bois," is a contemporary play on the gel theme. Science and technology have entered into gel cokkery in the 21st century. "Mussels in their Juice," (a dish crafted by the renowned Spanish Chef Ferran Adria), is an example of how today's Chefs employ highly sophisticated, scientific techniques to fascinate diners with whimsical dishes literally bursting with flavor. I'm thinking of doing a contemporary version of my Grandmother Edna Pink's Tomato Aspic. Family legend tells me that Grandmother Pink served her aspic at luncheons for the Twin Falls Ladies Bridge Club back in the 1930's. Now if I can just find that old copper mold.

I was at Le Cirque in Las Vegas in May--the highlight of the trip. Never been to the New York Le Cirque, but the Las Vegas branch is exceptional. In fact, the only other restaurant in Las Vegas in the same class is Robuchon. Le Cirque Las Vegas beats Guy Savoy, Twist, Mix and every other dining room hands down.

Actually this was a shorter soak in water than I usually do. I typically use a method from Daniel Boulud that employs soaking the fries in cold water in the fridge for 6 hours. I never thought of the issue of soaking the fries could end up with fries soaking in water like a sponge--but it makes sense. I never had a lot of problems with long-soaking fries, but now that I think about it, they aren't as crispy as I'd like. That might be due to the water-soak issue. What's so wonderful about crinkle-cut fries is that the little ridges add another element of texture. I'll try again with a no-soak method.

Well, finally success! After searching and searching--and spending more money than was necessary on tools that didn't "crinkle-cut"--I finally found a hand-held crinkle-cut fry cutter--and it was less than $20.00 off Amazon.com. I actually owned something similar to this cutter years ago, but it was puny, (the blade no more than 3" wide), and it had a flimsy plastic handle. This time I told myself I would not settle for anything but a hand-held cutter with a blade wide enough to cut grade "A" Russet baking potatoes, (my preferred variety of potato for fries). A full 6" cutting blade- Start by peeling the potato, then begin the crinkle-cut by cutting each edge. You're basically cutting the potato into a block with serrated edges- Then cut the block into wedges. These are about 3/8" thick- Now cut the wedges into fries, trying to keep them square- I like to soak the fries in cold water at this point to rinse out some of the starch. After about an hour in the water, then I dry the fries- Then a double-fry in canola oil. First at 350, then the second fry at 375- And in the end, crinkle-cut fries like I remember them from an old-fashioned drive-in-

Wow, those are darn tasty looking eels!

I found these wonderful wild-caught Smelt in the market. Frozen and harvested in Peru of all places. I've always used Smelt caught out of dip-nets off the Columbia River in Oregon, so I wasn't sure how the Peruvian Smelt would taste. The advantage of these Smelt over what we used to get in Oregon is that they were pre-cleaned--heads off and some industrial strength gutter had removed all the nasty innards. I brined them in a mixture of water, salt, apple cider vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, clove, thyme and brown sugar. The recipes I found called for only brining the Smelt for 1 hour and up to 4 hours. I brined them overnight and they were just fine, absorbing all the brine flavors yet not overpowered with salt. Then dried, uncovered, in the fridge for 4 hours and smoked at 180 for 3 hours. I let them sit in Greek olive oil overnight, then served with some minced lemon zest and capers.

I like the idea of simmering the pork in coconut water. Do you have a recipe for us?

Another weekend of Fried Oysters. This time with a Miso Peanut Sauce-

My tip is that I don't include the salmon in the egg mixture. Stuff the eggs then top each with a bit of lox-style salmon. That way the salmon flavor isn't as muted as it would be if it was mixed into the egg mix.

I like the hominy - cooked from dry or canned? It's Bush's canned hominy. It's really tasty.

Been a busy Summer at work and I haven't done as much cooking as I would have liked, but tonight I got back at it. Fried Oysters, Hominy and Grilled Red Onion Salad, Remoulade Sauce-

Yes, this is fantastic. Now did you act as the actual man that did the dirty deed and sent bo-peep to sheep heaven? How old were these beauties? They look as though they would technically qualify as mutton over lamb, but the two terms are more loose today than in past decades when my Grandfather ate mutton that was from a very old ram.

I would love to travel to Winnipeg. My only stop there was on VIA Rail on the trip from Vancouver to Toronto. Only stopped for a few hours though.