paulraphael

I don't think sticking is going to be an issue with something as soft as a grape. This is mostly a test of the absolute keenness of the edge, which suggests that a straight razor would do impressively (if expertly sharpened). Stickiness becomes an issue with things like potatoes, that are more rigid (so there's some force pressing them against the blade) and that have a solid but wet surface. I don't believe a mirrored finish is less prone to sticking. If anything it's worse, because the potato can make an airtight, suction-cup-like seal against it. Like if you were to make a clean cut of a potato and press it against a pane of glass. Some people find a textured surface, like damascus or kuroichi less stick prone. But people who really care about this look for knives with a geometry that discourages it. A fatter blade with a convex slope on the front side gently pushes the food away and breaks contact with it. Personally, I go for knives with very thin blades that are very prone to sticking. I deal with the problem with cutting technique. If you cut potatoes and the like with the tip, and draw the blade through in with the right timing, by the time the two halves are severed, the blade is gone and cant be stuck to. This is just a little slower than using the whole blade and speed-chopping. Maybe if you routinely prep whole 50lb bags of spuds you'll shop for a knife with more stick-resistant geometry.

Yup. But I think the videos speak much more to sharpening skill than to the esoteric difference between alloys. If you can sharpen this well, you'll get performance close to this out of almost any knife. If you can't, you're not going to make grapes split in two by glancing in their general direction. Even with the finest grained carbon steel and laserlike geometry.

This is an example of the shortcomings of ChatGPT. It's a bad answer. Fat caries fat-soluble flavors. It can mute water-soluble flavors. It can be great for carrying non-volatile flavors that you perceive with your taste buds (sweet, sour, bitter, umami, etc.). It can mute many aromatic flavor compounds that you perceive with your nose (but I doubt all of them). This is complex flavor science, but the AI has just picked up on the old lore.

What I mean is, is there anything fundamental to the motor or the machining requirements that would explain such a huge price gap, or does it have to do more with economies of scale, different markets, etc., or does it have to do with technical requirements that may not be relevant to a kitchen? That kind of thing. Not long ago the cheapest immersion circulator you could get was an $1100 Poly Science lab model. You can now get models for $400 that are designed to hold up better in a steamy commercial kitchen environment, and ones for under $200 that do anything a home cook could want. So that original high price for the lab gizmo did not seem tied to something fundamental to the task. I'm wondering if homogenizers are similar. If so, there's a chance this ~$300 model is a great find. If not, it might just be a slightly glorified stick blender.

Jo, based on your experience, is there anything real that justifies the usual price difference between stick blenders and similar sized homogenizers? The difference seems to be close to 10X.

Interesting. Is it different from regular oven cleaner? That's usually based on lye, sometimes with bleach. I've used oven cleaner on some nasty cast iron. Recently I used a wire brush wheel on the end of a drill. The latter is much faster, but I ended up looking like a coal miner.

We just bought a house with one of those. I drag my iron pans across the top with impunity. Could I be secretly hoping it breaks so I get to replace it?

Has anyone heard of the Dynamic MiniPro? https://www.bakedeco.com/detail.asp?id=60812 It looks a lot like the smaller Bamix (like what I've got). But it has interchangeable shafts. This version has a rotor/stator homogenizer. The standard version has a regular immersion circulator shafts, with interchangeable blades that are suspiciously similar to Bamix blades (but not identical ... they attach with a set screw). This looks like a good company that has lousy distribution in the US. Made in France.

The Cannon looks intriguing. Interested in your impressions after using it a while. I'd enjoy fawning over the Weber, but I'm not tempted. I'm familiar with the brand from reading reviews of their hand-hewn solid unobtanium espresso grinders. But I just don't need my pepper mill to be most finely crafted thing in the whole house.

You've probably thought of methyl cellulose. That's the first thing that comes to mind. Not sure how you'd incorporate it. Mono- and diglycerides might also be something to experiment with (fat-soluble). Or portland cement?

How annoying of you to make me aware of these things. Until this minute I was perfectly happy with the Unicorn mill. Luckily my pepper mill budget is about $infinity billion short.

I'd love to hear more about how someone would choose pellet vs. charcoal vs. wood.

Financier. Not just the traditional shape. It's the world's best pound cake. Also good for muffins. The batter's good for cake of any size or shape. Rarely comes up anymore; my girlfriend pilfers all the egg whites to make healthy stuff.

Strawberries, raspberries, pears, dates, figs, honey (ones with sharper, herbaceous flavors maybe), blood orange. Maybe goat cheese.

I checked my notes from ages ago and saw this method for thyme ice cream (~5g thyme / L ice cream): Add thyme to milk; heat to 180°F/82°C Take off heat and cover; hold 30 mins; strain Whisk in dry ingredients and yolks; cook Etc. I also worked some lemon zest into the sugar, which complemented the flavor The thyme flavor from this simple method was fantastic. If I do it again, I'll experiment with infusing the thyme into the fully-made mix in a sous-vide bag while cooking. It will be a longer time but a lower peak temperature. I'm hoping this works out; if not, I'll go back to infusing on the stovetop as a separate step. Thyme is relatively easy because it's so robust and stands up to heat and long cooking. This all gets more challenging with leafier herbs.

If you get your LBG from TIC gums or Modernist Pantry (I believe it's the same product) it can be hydrated at a 75°C. I like to use this stuff for the flexibility it offers. Let us know how the thyme flavor is.

Any thoughts on propane vs. Mapp gas? They seem to be pushing the latter, but it's more expensive and harder to find.

I love that the guy who plays the janitor / handyman is a Canadian celebrity chef.

Here's one. A close family friend was dining there when Perrier came into the dining room to talk to guests. My friend asked him to explain something on the menu. Perrier said something to the effect of, "if you need that explained, then perhaps you are in the wrong place." And he walked away. In other words, the kind of caricature of snooty French chefs that I remember from bad sit coms when I was a kid. This was shortly before the restaurant closed. I don't think Perrier talked to guests like this when he was well.

I don't think that's true. Fine dining is built on a precarious economic model. No one's figured out a good one. A restaurant like Per Se can have more people in the kitchen than in the dining room. Skilled people who are at the top of their industry. They're using the highest quality ingredients available (often investing in suppliers to just make those ingredients available) and putting together meals of over a dozen courses, each with multiple components with complex preparations. It's been common for restaurants in this category to grossly underpay staff, and still to lose money on the food. Profits often come from the wine list, where the markup can be several hundred percent and there's no labor. All it would take to create an $800 price tag is to break the broken model. Pay the staff what their worth. Give them reasonable work schedules and benefits. Mark up the food enough to pay for its preparation and the overhead. I don't know if that's what's going on at these restaurants. But that's all it would take. I wish there were other ways out. Not being a member of the oligarch class, I will not be enjoying one of these meals. Not being a fan of the oligarch class, I share the world's annoyance at the prices. But I see value in the preservation of this kind of cuisine as an art form. Not sure what the solution is here ... NEA grants?

Yup. And it's an industry with few role models who have that skill.

Sounds like an emulsifier problem more than a stabilizer problem. Still kind of surprising it would separate in the freezer. Did you cook all the ingredients when hydrating the LBG?

Here's a Paco vs. Ninja comparison at Modernist Pantry.

Always neat, unless in a cocktail. Some whiskeys, especially stronger ones, I add a few drops of water too. But this really isn't about dilution. Subjectively the whiskey tastes stronger after the drops go in, and the aromas bloom. I haven't read an explanation for this. I suspect it has to do with stuff being liberated at the interface of the high-concentration booze and the zero-concentration water. I have an Ardbeg Uigedal (sp?) and a knob creek single barrel that are both high proof, and that taste more full and balanced with a few drops added.

I believe the historical reason is that carrot cake was a 1970s attempt at healthy. Butter was being demonized so oil was seen as a good substitute. And carrots! Oil is also has a quasi-moisturizing effect, since it's liquid at room temperature. But you can get moisture in other ways, including from actual moisture. I'm making a carrot cake today, as it turns out. I've been working on a recipe that replaces just over 60% of the oil with brown butter. There's also sour cream and trimoline for added moisture. And cardamom. It's my favorite version by miles.