vkrn

THANK YOU! Awesome advice, with cultural, historical, and scientific tidbits thrown in!

Read recs on cook's illustrated, which mentioned nothing re: difference between smooth v. pebbly (the latter being more traditional, supposedly) interior bottoms on paella pans... Searched eGullet info, with no luck. What's the science behind a smooth v. pebbly interior bottom for paella pans? I note that Cook's Illustrated recommended the La Ideal pan with enamelled smooth bottoms... while also pointing out that you want to generate that crunchy rice crust at the bottom... Wonder if it has something to do with increased heat at the peaks of the pebbles? No? Yes?

So managed to dump the Calphalon covered roaster, only to encouter the Nesco 4808-25-30 18-Quart Non-Stick Roaster Oven, at Amazon, where several reviewers said that they've gotten fantastic roasted turkeys, not dry whatsover, using what essentially appears to be a covered roaster! I don't understand the science behind it, unless these roasters allow for both effective dry heat circulation as well as keeping the moisture in by basting the bird via dripping condensation?

andiesenji, thank you sooo much for the advice. I am going to check into your product recommendations and also I'm gettin' me-self a solid turner! Never thought about the granular problem

WOW folks--and thank you Rich for edifying me! I did not realize that eGCI had courses online--thanks for those links--am clicking through to them now....

Mr. Russ Parsons.... You are a genius. BTW I LOL'd.... literally.

BTW Aikens is African American.

Read through the previous posts as I was making some lemon buttermilk pudding cake and bottarga and basil tomato sauce for dinner.... so if I missed something, forgive... (1) when I was in the Twin Cities, I was ***SORELY*** disappointed to find that M Samuelsson had closed Aquavit--did not understand why because MN is swarming with Scandinavians. I must say that while I was in MN--not to knock the state--I ran into more ignorance/stupidity re: ethnic diversity than anywhere else--even Alaska. (I'm Asian American). ANYWAY< so part of me thought, "Hm. Is it because the Twin Cities tastes lean more toward boring Americana (which frankly is true re: Rochester MN), or is it because MS is not white?" I do believe that it may have something more to do with the former than latter----HOWEVER, I want to assert that there is plenty of racism alive and well in the 10,000 lakes state, unfortunately. (2) Also, Curtis Aikens was a fabulous FoodNetwork host--he's vegetarian, and his was the only veggie show. Always promoted literacy as well. Don't know why they stopped producing his show 'cause i MISS HIM! He is such a cheery TV personality! (curtisaikens.com)

wow. damn good advice. of course, being all itchy-fingered in the wee hours of the morning, i surfed and surfed and since i found a calphalon roaster w/ domed lid for not-too-horribly-much $$$, i grabbed it. now, I guess I gotta learn how to braise covered. what's so frustrating for a relative beginner is the multiplicity of cookware shapes out there. like, i cannot for the life of me figure the difference... like, what's the diff between allclad's cassoulet, brasier pan, paella pan, sauteuse pan...!???! they are all shaped relatively the same... and then regular sautee pans seem like they could take the place of all those shapes. please don't laugh at me. would definitely appreciate all your advice. and will be using that recipe!!!

Okay, folks, so with all my new posts, you've figured out why I'd suggest having an equipment forum! Anyway, I was wondering: Are there distinct technical benefits to using a turner WITHOUT slots versus one WITH slots? Besides the obvious draining capabilities of a slotted turner, I'd think that it'd be a pointless differential. in fact, if you're a frugal cook, I'd think that buying a slotted turner would cover all your bases, thus negating the need for a plain nonslotted turner. I've just noticed that in those utensil sets, often a slotted and a non-slotted turner are included.... thus causing me to wonder about this question. Yes, I tried doing research on Cook's Illustrated but couldn't find anything. And of course I searched the eGullet site before posting... Anyway, appreciate any feedback. I'm not just being silly here--I'm quite seriously wondering.

Okay, so everyone knows that although I love cooking and have been doing so for a while, I'm still learning how to upgrade my skills. Anyway, this is a crazy question: Why do people love using wooden salad bowls? I'd think it'd be more of a pain in the neck from a cleaning and maintenance perspective. My husband believes for some reason that salads TASTE better if tossed in a wooden bowl. Is this merely his imagination? I haven't found that. But with the plethora of wooden salad bowls, I wonder if there's a technical issue out there that I don't know about which makes wooden bowls superior to glass/ceramic/plastic for tossing salads?

Given that roasting in the oven is supposed to cook by allowing dry heat to circulate, what would be the point or benefits of using a lid with a roasting pan? Would it serve the same role as wrapping a bird in aluminum foil, or would it change the cooking slightly? help! Trying to plan my strategy for this holiday season. ALSO, what's the benefit of having a horizontal roasting rack verus a vertical roasting rack, besides the obvious spatial concerns (ie, would your bird be too tall)? I was thinking that the vertical would allow the heat to circulate better but am I overplaying it?