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Textbook def is bubbling gently btwn 185 and 205 deg Fahrenheit

For most home cooks. No way. For Chefs or culinary students, well sure. It's great for inspiration, see what the classic garnishes were. There are a lot of great sauces. There are no real recipes, so for a chef that is a plus. If you do competition cooking (ACF) It's good to go back to the source, especially if you are using classical terms in your menu. Escoffier's Ma Cusine is very under rated and has more what you would think of as traditional recipes

I've never been convinced American Kobe was such a great idea for burgers in the first place. Sure, it's fatty, but if the cattle is that big and not moving around it's also not developing flavor. Maybe it's just the SRF stuff I've used. Its ground very fine, which doesn't help and the meat itself is pretty bland. I prefer aggressively beefy blends chuck cut with hanger and shank for example.

http://www.foodservicedirect.com/product.cfm/p/95948/Best-Value-Textiles-White-Beard-Cover.htm

My favorite is more or less a honey daquiri the Canchanchara. I know what I like on the aged rhums, mostly Flor de Cana & Ron Zacapa along with some of the others already mentioned. But what stands out on the white rums?

Where does Ruhlman claim to be a chef. He may be trained, but just because you go to culinary school does not make you a chef. IMO he is a well trained home cook and a big voice for cooking at home its their benefits. The point is if there are problems with the book BOTH authors should be blamed and BP more so, because he really IS the chef, even if he hasn't annoyed you yet. Read Dougal's post again. The salt level was HIGH by 5 grams NOT low.

Hmmm. I thought the original Harry's recipe the meat was seared, although I've never seen that done anymore.

Aren't we in the middle of an Angostura shortage? Is this responsible behavior! Kidding, but I do remember hearing this on NPR. Is it really true?

It is the milk solids that are browned. Just make clarified butter on top of the stove as normal, but when the solids settle to the bottom - keep going and let them brown. Then strain through cheese cloth/fine strainer and cool. You'll get a great nutty caramel-y clean brown butter that you can use for all sorts of stuff and keeps well in the fridge.

See if you can talk to a successful butcher out of your area/that you are not going to be in competition with and see if you can get some informal advice. Another idea is to see if Fleichers will let you talk to some people who have taken the course and see if it matches your needs. Actually I'd be surprised if they didn't do some consulting formal or informal. I hear SFBI does on the Baking end.

I try to make it as complicated as possible and cut the 4 sides off, squeeze. cut the remaining center piece in half and squeeze. That usually gets it all, letting the knife do the work. The real trick is getting good juicy citrus in the first place. So you don't have to do any voodoo to get juice.

Add it too pickling liquid. maybe for baby fennel. Or how about a granita or to a broth for mussels

It is a great cut for roast beef sandies if you roast it rare/mid rare. lean, cheap, uniform in shape; you can freeze it cooked or par freeze and slice verrry thin. If you get choice or prime. It's a good tartar cut with a flavorful dressing

If you are doing a larger quantity you can always make a clarified brown butter ahead of time. It keeps well refrigerated. Then you don't have to worry about the butter burning, just heat -fry sage and toss. Any left over brown butter is great in mash potatoes

OMG!!! Wow that looks fantastic and that fried pork skin is perfect. How did you do that?

LOL! Are you sure they are not using the Muir Glen Fire roasted tomatoes? Try tossing with a bit of oil and broiling them or roasting high heat until the skin gets blacked. May be let them cool un covered so they don't get too soggy and let them come to room temp.

Just do what you would do when adding any specialty oil. Substitute a small amount for oil, add towards the end. I would prolly use apple cider vin because it has an affinity with pork, in place of lemon juice ect. Dont use too much though because the texture gets firm and icky when cold.

But they don't start the day with purposely starchy water and really if you make the sauce right you shouldn't need to add any water, starchy or not. Although if you do need to thin it out starchy water isn't a bad thing. The reasons for a lot of water are usually given as faster recovery time (to boil)which helps with more even cooking and less sticking of the pasta to itself. Can you cook pasta in other ways.. Sure you can cook it risotto style, pilaf style. Soak it over night as was mentioned. But boiling in well salted water works consistently well and is pretty easy.

I usually sweat in butter, then hit it with wine/stock, reduce a sec with a bouquet garnie then add cream and reduce again

lol, although dry sherry might be a better substitute than the 2$ salted stuff which doesn't have much flavor in any case.

Ya, you got the cheap stuff. Esp if it tastes like sake! It really should taste like sherry, with some funk to it. A lot of times the drinking stuff will come in what looks like ceramic bottles.

Probably not. I would do two pieces of the smaller size anyway myself, just for convenience sake. It going to be easier to handle the smaller pieces with out falling apart, depending on how tender it is.

Btw: Donna Ruhlman's has a lot of great pictures and advice on her blog http://ruhlman.com/food-photos

All of the serving pieces seem small. I think it is okay to have a bigger plate with more negative space around the plate. Maybe a dinner plate with a folded napkin on top with the cookies on top of that layering color and texture like you do with clothes. Be careful with the focus as well on the cookies the other elements can be slightly out of focus. My favorite shot is the last one, the napkin brings some nice color to the shot. I would just use a different bowl, maybe something wider and shallow? Just some thoughts and ideas.

Braising is combination cooking technique. First you sear (dry heat)and then cook in a flavorful liquid (moist heat). Often the item in partially covered in liquid. The textbook definition of poaching is cooking the item completely submerged in liquid between 160-180 (Although often times restaurants go lower). You can serve the poaching liquid fish poached and served a la nage (in a cort boullion) As an example with pork belly: Braising: I sear the belly, deglaze and cover 4/5th of the way with Coco Rico (coconut soda)and remove to oven until it becomes soft and tender and the soda has turned into a carmel. Poaching: Place pork belly in a dashi fortified with soy sauce and some sugar and cook at low temp until tender. cool and reserve pork flavored dashi. Slice cold and sear on pick up.. AFA cooking time is concerned I hate to do the chef thing, but cook it until it's done!