xortch

It still didn't quite set right, but I suppose that is part of the learning process. It's not always going to work my first few tries. Heck, I took me more than a month to finnaly make descent crepes. I'll just have to use the jam on desserts or something else, or just put up with really runny PBJs.

I used blackberries in the recipie. I just used his recipie as a basis and figured the berry in question really didn't matter too much. I found this site and followed its instructions and the jam mostly did set. At least much better than it did originally. I will use the spoon trick from now on to test if it is set or not before I preserve them.

I followed the recipie for making jam on from Alton Brown available here. In the process I measured out 24 fl. oz. of blackberries instead of 24 oz by wieght and my jam did not set. So now I've got a bunch of runny preserves, is there anyway to correct this and boil it down some more or something to get it to set? It's still useable but id rather it be spreadable and not so liquidous.

I'm learning to cook starting with the Les Halles Cookbook, even though it explicitly states in the opening lines of the book that "This is not a cookbook, not really." I have started with easy recipies like roast chicken, I must have done that recipie at least five times before I moved onto anything else. I am now fixated on the porc secition. Mmm, tenderloins. I also have a copy of Mastering the Arts of French Cooking, but have not used it yet. I want to get a hold of some pancreas or thymus to try my hand at sweet breads, but havn't asked the butcher I frequent if they even have such items.

A minor correction, the calories on food are actually listed in kcal, kilo calories. So I should be thinking in terms of what needs to be done to the ingredients such as browning, sauted, etc than specific temperatures. This will always be changing depending on the type of food and the size of the pans, and the stovetop your using? Like so much I am coming to realize with cooking, just try it until you find something that works. Thanks for all of the info, a very detailed post.

Yeah I'm trying to get a feel for what how hot it should be on my stove when a recipie calls for medium heat. I swear if I put my stove on medium it will burn most things, so I am learning to adjust. But sometimes its hard. I guess I just need to keep experimenting, and eventually I will learn what things need to be at.

I am trying to figure out what low, medium, and high mean in actual temperature ranges. I have not been able to find it out online or anywhere. If anyone could post what those ranges are that would be great.

Language evolves and changes in dynamic and usually uncontrollable ways. Get over it. Nouns are turned into verbs often because it makes sense to do so. Take Google, googling, googled, for example. Some maybe more trendy than others, but it is just language. As long as people know what you are saying then there is no need to get your panties in a twist.

What are peoples favorite coffee shops in the area? Being a student I tend to goto the ones around Uw, but I also work at the Grateful Bread out in Wedgewood as a busser. I like Cafe Alegro as well as Cafe Solstice, but I want to hear what other people have to say about places in the region.

Me too! Even the people in the cooking club at my college don't quite get it. I'm still the only one that makes their own stock. Then there are the roommates that aren't careful with your equipment, like using your knives for all kinds of purposes! ← I won't let anyone else touch any of my stuff, and I try to use thiers as little as possible. I'm not going to let just anyone use my Global chefs knife and sharpener. Those things were damn expensive. Same with my flatware and things. No one I know appreciates food as much as I do. Sometimes I swear that food is better than sex. Now if only I could combine the two...

Its really fun being into this as a college student, while most of my roomates and friends are eating ramen and crappy takeout food I am steaming mussels and with sauces, and making my own stocks and demi glaces. Hell I even made chocolate syrup last week. How many college students can say that they have a mandolin slicer, or a good chefs knife. Sometimes my roomates worry when I obsessivly sharpen them, or even sharpen thier knives. Its good to be me.