paulraphael

This is my experience, too. I think of the cast iron and the carbon steel as being totally different animals (with the exception of their nearly identical surface). The cast iron has a ton of thermal mass, takes a long time to heat up, a long time to cool down, and can brown a big piece of meat or fish without much drop in temperature. The carbon steel and cools much more quickly. It doesn't have the same rock solid browning ability for big pieces of meat, but it's fine for smaller things that don't suck so much energy off the pan, and it offers quicker temperature control. Adjusting the temperature of a big cast iron pan feels like racing an ocean liner through a slalom course.

Harold McGhee suggests we should be more concerned with surface bacteria, which the browning takes care of. I don't know what the health dept. says about this. It was his suggestion to put it into the cold oven set to 200°. He said the goal was to be around 120 degrees (the maximum temperature for the enzymes) after 2 hours. He nailed it ... mine was at 118.

Here are some pictures of the braised Berkshire pork shoulder I made for my parents. It's the second round of my experiments with this amazing pig. In my first attempt, when I used Molly Steven's methods, everything seemed dry and overcooked. I researched braising in James Peterson's books and in Harold McGhee's On Food And Cooking, and decided on a very low heat, slow method. The meal included an appetizer of braised fennel with prosciutto and vinaigrette; corn chowder with honey-caramelized black trumpet mushrooms; the pork with a brown sauce of apples, red wine, demiglace and thyme; baby greens salad with toasted almond-encrusted baked goat cheese and golden raisins; mixed iced berries with sea salt and warm creme anglaise; flourless chocolate torte with port wine-infused chocolate butter sauce. After quickly browning the meat, I deglazed the pan and put the meat in with the sauce ingredients (red wine, apple cider vinnegar, demiglace, chopped apples, onions, and thyme). It went into a cold oven, partially covered, set to 200 degrees. After 2 hours the internal temp was approaching 120 degres. Time spent between body temperature and 120 supposedly increases enzyme activity, leading to improved flavor and texture. It also helps the meat stay pink even when it's well done (this turned out to be the case). The meat was then covered and the oven set to 250 degrees. I used a probe thermometer, and started checking the texture after the internal temp went above 170. I also turned the meat a couple of times. Total cooking time was around 4 hours. Parts of the meat were succulent and pink and delicious. Other parts (especially the large end, which was less well marbled) were dry and less flavorful. I meant to photograph the meat after it was sliced and plated, but got too preoccupied wiith eating! In the future I might turn the oven down late in the game, to slow the cooking time above 170 degrees. The sauce required mimimal reduction and seasoning. I finished it with a bit of butter. The sauce was my favorite part.

Years of refinement have led to my current system: a few more towels than will comfortably fit, crammed onto the oven handle. They are in various, ambiguouse states of filthiness, and hung in a way to ensure that they drag on the floor when the oven opens, and that grabbing any one towel willl cause all the others to fall into a heap. It's anyone's guess as to which towel (if any) is clean enough to dry a plate, or dry enough to grab glowing-hot pan handle. Why mess with perfection?

THe major downside in the U.S. is the almost complete lack of customer service available here. Delonghi seem to have similar quality control issues to K.A. ... I've heard of them dying early deaths for no known reason. The difference is that K.A. has a quick, no-hassle replacement policy (for warranty repairs) and a wide network of service centers for out of warranty repairs. These things aren't cheap, so I think that's a serious consideration. A blurb from consumersearch.com" "Reviewers say the DeLonghi DSM5 (*est. $350) is on par with the KitchenAid Professional 600. Cook's Illustrated says, "Watching this compact mixer expertly cream butter and sugar into a uniform consistency was a thing of beauty." Like the wide-width bowl of the KitchenAid Professional 600, the DeLonghi's bowl helps keep ingredients "low in the bowl" which cuts down on the need to scrape, say editors. The KitchenAid Professional scores a notch higher because the DeLonghi shimmied and made loud noises while mixing heavy ingredients. Customer reviews at Amazon.com are mixed. A few reviews say the DeLonghi mixer is better than a KitchenAid but others complained that the machine is simply average in overall quality. The DeLonghi DSM5 also has a streamlined modern look which is in contrast to the more traditional-looking KitchenAid machines." http://www.consumersearch.com/www/kitchen/mixers/review.html

I don't know if this counts ... but I was looking for a way to reheat a braise of berkshire pork shoulder, and found that the oven and the microwave tended to dry it out. So I improvised a quasi-sous vide method. I filled an oval enameled cast iron pot with water, heated it on the stove, and then moved it over to an electric hot plate. I adjusted the temp with a probe thermometer sitting in the water. I got it to stay between 145 and 150. I then put the meat in a ziplock bag, squeezed out as much air as possible, and tossed into the soup. The first time I did this it worked great. The second time I tried to hold it longer at temperature, and discovered the limits of the ziplock bag. There was enough air in there that the fats started to oxidize, giving the ends of the meat a gross white/gray color and a stale, warmed-over smell. But the insides were still moist and succulent.

I made a big dinner for my parents this weekend (delayed christmas present) ... I served two desserts simultaneously, because I have a hard time settling on just one, and I thought it would be fun to have two that played off each other. The first was a bowl of mixed, iced berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries), lightly sprinkled with sea salt, served in a pool of warm creme anglaise. The second was a dense, warm flourless chocolate torte, served with a chocolate butter sauce made with port wine. The course was preceded by a card printed with my all-time favorite line from Alain Ducasse: "Desserts are like mistresses: they are bad for you. So if you are having one, you may as well have two."

I wonder what the effects would be of cooking stock significantly below a simmer for the extraction part, not for reduction. Simmering and boiling are convenient markers, but I've learned from both braising and making coffee that they're not necesarily the best temps for the food. Has anyone tried a long extraction at 160 or 180 degrees?

Pierre Hermé says the secret to crisp bottoms of tart shells (especially when you have soggy contents, like fruit) is to lay down a thin layer of crumbs inside the shell. He always keeps crumbs from stale genoise, ladyfingers, or sugar cookies around. I haven't tried this yet, but I plan to.

I saw an interesting product at whole foods last winter ... it was high quality, powdered chocolate from south america. not cocoa--it was complete with sugar and cocoa butter, and ground in some way that kept it from glomming together. This, melted directly into hot water, hot milk, or some combination would be an excellent and easy starting point. Pierre Herme's chocolate dessert books has some great cocoa recipes. Nice as is, or use them as starting points. The only thing I don't like about using high end chocolate for this is the price. But there are many options ... Callebaut bought in bulk costs just a bit more than Baker's nasty chocolate, and around half what you'd pay for Valrhona. At any rate, it seems to me that using a finely chopped or ground chocolate instead of cocoa, and if you need it, using a finely ground sugar (not powdered) would get you well on the way to something that would disolve easily.

The book Crazy Quilt by John Train has a whole chapter of butchered menu translations. Most are English menus in foreign countries. The one that stuck in my mind was "Lao Sauce Water Cockroach." Mmmmm mmmm! http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Quilt-Remarkab...75275343&sr=1-3 I'll post some more when I find my copy. I've also noticed some unfortunate items on local chinese menus, with Strange Flavor Chicken always topping the list. I wonder how much of that they sell?

Replacement Knob? I've never had a problem with the phenolic knob on my Creuset pot, but it obviously bugs some people. Has anyone just replaced it with something else? The lid has a simple hole in the top. Seems you could go to a hardware or cabinetry shop and have your pick of brass or aluminum or bronze knobs, with whatever finish you like. You could get a lion head, with a ring through his nose, if that's your style.

I'm serving a dinner this weekend wiith a few courses. The main course will be a braised berkshire pork shoulder, with a red wine, apple, and thyme based sauce. The preceding course will be a corn chowder with wild mushrooms, that's lightly enriched with cream. Any general thoughts on types of wine?

You can mix in some shortening to help with this (higher melting point) but I'm part of the anti-shortening crowd ... don't like to sacrifice real butter flavor, and hate the greasy mouthfeel that shortening gives. One of the keys to limiting spread with a butter-based cookie is just making sure the dough is as cold as possible when it goes in the oven. And forming it in a good, tall dollop on the baking sheet. make sure the sheet is completely cooled befor putting the dough on it, obviously.

I think it's great. I don't expect to agree with every detail of a comprehensive policy change. The fact is he's doing something, and the broad strokes of it are significant. Any time anyone responds to pressure (assuming that's a factor here) people resistant to change shout out "where do we draw the line! what's next! now we're on a slippery slope!" However, these arguments could easily be used against ANY change. I don't believe for a minute that a restauranteur supporting sustainable agriculture is going to somehow lead us toward a vegan police state.

Some things you could try (these work brilliantly in chocolate chip cookies; i haven't tried them in oatmeal) ... 1) use melted butter instead of creamed butter 2) use bread flour instead of ap 3) chill the dough for a long time before baking, and keep everything (the dough, the bowl, the scooper) cold between batches. 4) increase the proportion of brown sugar to white sugar 5) possibly add a small amount of additional liquid (1 TB or so milk).

I thought my mom's salad spinner was one of the best toys in the house. but now that i have my own kitchen, I just don't want a big, plastic, single-purpose thing adding to the clutter. Anything wrong with using towels?

Right, I bought "The Escoffier Cookbook" on ebay, not realizing it was abridged. I had to rebay it and get the unabridged "Guide Culinaire" ... this might be the short title of the one you mention. It claims to be the frist unabridged English translation. It's an interesting reference, but goes into precious little detail. Things like "prepare lamb as you would boar, lard thoroughly, roast several hours in front of medium fire, serve with turnips and sauce Niceoise." I made that up, but it's about as helpful as Msr. Escoffier likes to be.

Any comments on storing infused oil in the fridge? My understanding was that botulinum is innactive at refrigerator temps.

Almost always brown the butter. The rule should be against blackening it! Especially for things like pancakes ... the options are 1) use something with a higher smoke point but no buttery goodness; 2) use clarified butter (I'd rather reserve it for when I really need it, like higher sautéing temps); 3) let the butter brown. Seems like an easy choice to me. And besides, beurre noisette is delicious. For what it's worth, I also usually make clarified butter with a beurre noisette method (cooking the butter until the water's all evaporated, and the milk solids are brown, then skimming the scum). It's easier than the restaurant method when you're making small quantities. And again, it's delicious.

I get it. This is where we "out" ourselves as true phillistines. Ok, here goes: -eggs. i'm fine with them as ingredients (use them by the dozen when baking) but they gag me, both from taste and texture, by themselves. this is a real handicap at brunch. and omelettes LOOK so good, and are such a great idea. i wish i could enjoy them. -avocados -liver -tofu (my girlfriend is Taiwanese, so this has caused some friction) -kim chee (most of it has a smell that sets off my fight or flee instinct. but recently i had some ... labelled "lactic acid bacteria" kimchee ...yum! ... that i thought was delicious) -paté ... probably because of the liver -urchin and some take-it-or-leave-it delicacies (these don't gross me out, but I don't love them): -foie gras -caviar

I got this book a couple of weeks ago and I have to say I'm disappointed in it. The recipes look pretty good, but in a book title "all about ... " I expect to learn a lot about technique. Besides discussing every imaginable shape and color of pan, there's very little technique in this book. And some of what she describes does not follow the laws of physics, at least not the ones that govern the planet where I do most of my cooking. I've found much more detailed (and credible) advice on braising technique in Peterson's Sauce's cookbook, and in Harold McGhee's On Food and Cooking. Has anyone examined MgGhee's braising advice? Here's a summary, from memory: 1) Brown the meat as quickly as possible in a very hot pan. Go fast and hot to keep the layer of well-done meat as thin as possible 2) start the braise UNCOVERED in a cold oven. Set the thermostat to 200 degrees, and give the braise at least 2 hours to get warm in the center. The idea here is to give the meat a lot of time in the magic range between 120 and 140 degrees, where enzyme activity is most intense. This tenderizes and develops the flavor of the meat without drying. 3) turn the meat, cover it, and turn up the oven to 250 degrees. periodically turn the meat and check the temperature inside the pan. Do not let it get anywhere NEAR a boil. Meat will toughen and dry out if it gets above 180 degrees, no matter what its surrounding conditions. 160 degrees or a bit higher is ideal for slow cooking and breaking down the collagen. Aparently one of the signs of meat cooked like this is that it will remain a deep red in the middle, even though it's well done. It will also maintain much more moisture than meat that's been allowed to simmer. Any thoughts? I braised some berkshire pork shoulder this weekend, using methods like what Stevens advocates, and was not impressed. The results were dryer than I would have liked. I'm going to try the other half of the shoulder this weekend using the above method, and will report back.

I've been researching my favorite recipe, trying to find out where it comes from. The source seems to be Maida Heatter, who somewhere published this recipe: http://theoutdatedkitchen.blogspot.com/200...s-brownies.html My mom's version (which is what i've always made) uses a food processor. The butter is melted on the stove with sugar, and both are whisked together until thickened. This is added to chocolate that's been ground in the food processor. Everything is mixed in the processor, and one by one, the other ingredients are added, with the flour/salt/baking powder going in last and getting mixed mimimally. What's great about this recipe is partly the sour cream, which adds moistness and a barely perceptible tang, but also the gigantic proportion of chocolate. I have yet to find another recipe that has nearly as much. Before finding this (presumably) original version online, I've been working on refining the recipe and adapting it for use without a food processor. This weekend I melted the chocolate and butter together, and separately beat the eggs and sugar together. Everything was stirred together, with the flourf and salt going in last. I ommitted the baking powder, since beating the eggs and sugar incorporated a lot of air. I used callebaut bittersweet chocolate. The results were delicious, but very tender (not chewy like the original version). I assume the mixing method is responsible for the change in texture, but I wonder if using better chocolate (in the past I've often used baker's chocolate from the supermarket) could have anything to do with it. The good chocolate likely has more cocoa butter and less sugar. I'm going to try Maida's original assembly instructions next. I'd also like to experimentt with a bit less sugar and a bit more salt.

Cool, thanks. There may be a lot more wine in my future.

A fifth the price? Do any of the New Yorkers here know about decent wines in the el-cheapo range that are available here? Seems to me the $8 or so is the cheapest bottle I ever see.