mr.baconhead
-
Posts
28 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by mr.baconhead
-
-
Yeah except the outfit Costco sells is $649.99 and comes with a million accessories I don't care about. I don't know that you can get just the blender at Costco. There's also the issue of the restaurant model being available. And the Blendtec alternative.
Today, at my local Costco, Vita-Mix is doing the demo, selling only the basic outfit for $394.99. This is the same $449 outfit from Vita-Mix.
-
Stephen -
Just get the Vita-Mix at Costco - you can always return it if you're dissatisfied. I'll bet you keep it and won't look back.
-
One problem for me with smoothies would be the lack of something crunchy or bready.
Have you tried cinderblock?
-
When I can find really fresh young ginger, I buy a lot. Scrape w/ spoon, and puree in Vita-mix w/ a just enough water to get it going.
Vacuum seal in mason jar (hole/electrical tape on lid) and refrigerate. Keeps for months and is ready to go for all those Asian recipes.
Unfortunately, this trick does not work for garlic.
-
I'm in Santa Cruz, which is a few towns away from Gilroy. At Costco, the tubs of Christopher Ranch peeled garlic are organically grown. Someday, if I ever find a need for several lbs. of garlic,....
-
I nibble on it also, in the same spirit as beef jerky or tater chips. (what would I do without Costco's Kirkland...)
-
I have had vacuum sealers since they first appeared on the consumer market and over the years worked up to FoodSaver's "Pro" model - top of the line.
My experience with their customer service was less than satisfactory....
I don't deal with companies who do not back up their warranties....
After my experience with their customer service policies, I have vowed to never purchase anything from them again.
-
Magnificent! Have you seen anything in the U.S. that comes close, or an on-line source?
-
I always have a wok lid handy whenever cooking with a wok, to put out potential fires. I've had it happen indoors on a stove... scary.
-
London Broil (round steak)
Sushi Grade tuna (?)
-
After reading several threads about cooking in a wok I invested in a 32,000BTU burner from the wok shop. The instructions are next to nothing. Does anyone have one of these?
My first attempt was not what I expected. As soon as I put the oil in I had 2 foot flames. The burner doesn't show high or low and I can't see the flame but can certainly hear it. Sounds like a jet plane. Tried turning the knob both ways and it seemed to really roar in one direction so I turned it in the other and the flame went out.
Things cooked really fast, too fast. A little charred was the chicken but edible.
Also, on the regulator is the thingee that you turn for the air intake? How do I adjust that.
Would really love to learn how to use this but need some help. Anybody, please!
Be sure your homeowner's fire insurance is up to date.
-
I never use cold-infused garlic in oil. While the incidence of botulism is low, it does exist and I do not want to be the one statistic.
I oven-roast garlic in oil in a Corning pot. I buy the peeled garlic cloves sold by Costco, Sam's Club or Smart & Final in the large containers.
You can chop it if you wish - I always leave the garlic cloves whole because I like it that way.
Cover the garlic with two liters, or more, of garlic oil - doesn't have to be extra-virgin, I happen to like a Greek brand that comes in a big tin.
Place in the oven at 275 F., and roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the garlic is nicely caramelized.
Taste it.
Transfer to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
This does not need refrigeration and will keep for months.
I've been wanting to try this ever since I saw the tubs of organic garlic at Costco, but always wondered about the bots/storage thing.
Is there a disadvantage to doing this on the stovetop instead of in the oven?
-
Over in the "waste of money" topic, many people have suggested that Sitram cookware is a great alternative to very popular (and pricey) brands such as All-Clad. I am not very familair with this line of cookware.... I see two different stainless steel lines. The "Catering" line and "Profiserie". I see the pics of their skillets, and the sides of them look pretty steep. I would think that would be a disadvantage.
The Sitram Catering frypans do have shallow and steep sides, so are not good if you're flipping omelettes. Their advantage is there is more cooking area in relation to the overall pan size.
-
I'm amazed at how much All-Clad goes for nowadays, and that people are willing to pay for it. I owned A-C back in the day before it became popular - it wasn't available in consumer stores then, and I got mine at a restaurant supply house. There were a few things that irritated me - I don't like rivets inside, and the rims were not made for pouring.
I gave them away and replaced them with Sitram's Catering Line, most of which I also got at a restaurant supply house when it went out of business.
I've never had a problem with warping, but then I never use high heat with AC or Sitram. High heat is reserved for the wok, Bourgeat black steel, and cast iron.
I do have a few non-stick pans, but avoid them when possible. (I now use the a Bourgeat black steel pan for omelettes.)
So, for me All-Clad is waste of money - not because it's not good, but because it's now way overpriced. For less money, I'll take Sitram's Catering line, or Bourgeat's Excellence line anytime.
-
The rondeau is great for carnitas and ossobucco in the oven. I see that the 34cm Sitram Catering Line rondeau that I have is no longer listed on the Sitram website. Seems pricey today - I got mine from Amazon in 2000 for $90.
-
We're well into artichoke season here in sunny California. The other night, we had a delicious grilled artichoke at a restaurant. It was dressed simply with olive oil, lemon juice and some nice crunchy salt. I've always steamed or simmered artichokes but this seemed simple enough to make at home: trim, peel the stem, slice vertically, remove the choke, add a little olive oil & salt, & grill. Well, that didn't work. It was nicely charred but not really cooked. So eGulleteers, I need your thoughts. Do I par-steam or simmer & then grill? Should I more fully cook with water before grilling? Should I do the steaming before or after splitting the artichoke? Something else?
And yes, these were full size globe artichokes and I know I can adjust the time depending on size.
Yes, you should steam them first. (I feel boiling them leaches out too much of the flavor.)
- Lop off the top 1/4, and trim the pokey parts off the remaining leaves w/ scissors.
- Spread the leaves and rinse well.
- Steam upside-down 'till al dente (if you're going to grill them); split in half and remove choke.
- Oil, salt, and grill.
I'm fortunate to live in the Monterey Bay area, near Castroville. My local farmers' market sells artichokes that can be the size of cantaloupes; unfortunately, I think those giant globes have very little flavor. Bigger isn't always better.
-
For many dishes, I roast whole garlic cloves in oil (well in advance) drain them and add them to the dish at the last minute before serving.
I was thinking of doing this in quantity - can they be frozen successfully? And should the garlic be drained, or packed in the oil?
-
If you're considering the Rocky, I highly recommend the Lelit instead:
http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/lelit/PL53.htm
Keep in mind that I've only used mine for espresso, and haven't tried spices. If you do go for a burr grinder, you'll have to figure out how to deal with large items like cinnamon sticks.
-
Butcher & Packer: 40# hickory sawdust - $25.75
http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?ma...ex&cPath=31_132
Shipping is $9.75 for orders up to $49.99, so you might as well order some hog casings and pink salt while you're at it.
-
Please post the highest quality recipe for mushroom soup, preferably in video format.
I want to be able to copy this recipe and make a more tastier mushroom soup than my mothers! She makes is so tasty, I want to challenge her and make it more delicious! Plz in video format, if not in text format.
Have your mother post a video of her recipe, then we can offer suggestions on improving it.
-
The last few batches of bacon that I've made have been extremely lean, and because I hot smoke them to 140 deg., they are fully cooked. My favorite way to eat it has been to wait until Thur. night, slice off a few pieces and eat them as-is while watching "My Name Is Earl"....
-
That's a lovely sausage array, mdbasile!
Me, I'm still having problems with my Italian sausage. Today I tried roasting some, to see whether even heat all around would keep them from bursting out of the casings. Yes, it did. They remained whole, but got very, very small. Why? Because an incredible big-ass lake of fat melted out of them, right through the casings. And then they were dry.
So, did the fat need a coarser grind? Was it not bound properly? I'm at a loss, since no one else has reported on any problems. Can it be that I have bad sausage ju-ju?
Abra -
I'd guess that they were overcooked - the fat renders at about 160+ deg. Next time try for internal finished temp of 150 deg.
-
I want to buy a meat grinder to replace the new KitchenAid system that I now have, and I've read some of the comments regarding the Northern Tool meat grinder:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...340586&R=340586
My query is to owners who have had the Northern Tool for a while - do you have any further thoughts about it, and would you still recommend it, or do you have reservations?
And yes, I'm selling the KitchenAid attachments (food grinder + sausage stuffer + pasta) - if anyone is interested, please PM me off list.
-
Chad - thanks for the cleaver info.
OT, I just received my EdgePro Apex, and the instructions caution against sharpening kitchen knives at 15 deg. because the edge would be too delicate. It suggests 18 deg....
Another OT - out of curiosity, I just measured the angles on the Japanese knives that I bought 20 yrs. ago, made by Aritsugu. The sashimi measures 11 1/2 deg., and the deba measures 18 1/2 deg. As these are single bevel blades, does this really translate as 5+ and 9+ degs. per side if they were double bevel blades?
Phil
Hard-boiled egg question...
in Cooking
Posted · Edited by mr.baconhead (log)
The OP's query is: why does the HB egg get a green ring after a few days... not how to HB an egg. I have the same question. I already know how to boil the perfect egg....