gfweb

The issue with vacuum is that the bug is an anaerobe and won't grow in the presence of much oxygen. So vacuum might help it grow by removing O2. I've done a pub med search and cannot find a paper saying that this bug grows below freezing, vacuum or not.

This from foodsafety.gov re sources for botulism... http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/botulism/ Infants: Honey, home-canned vegetables and fruits, corn syrupChildren and adults: Home-canned foods with a low acid content, improperly canned commercial foods, home-canned or fermented fish, herb-infused oils, baked potatoes in aluminum foil, cheese sauce, bottled garlic, foods held warm for extended periods of time

It is hard to imagine that this is a realistic worry, USDA warning or not. There must be some special situation that USDA is referring to. For all practical purposes nothing grows at 0F. We vacuum pack and freeze raw meat and fish all the time with no acidity and no worry.

If you freeze it there's no problem with growing anything including botulism.

I think Wolfgang was pretty influential. He spawned a whole generation of pizzas. Don't overlook the import of Jean-Louis Palladin; there's a great story about him in the current Food Arts. FWIW, Bourdain has probably influenced more kids to go into the biz than any other chef in recent memory. Jacques, Julia, James, Michel Guerard, Richard Olney, Jeremiah Tower. It might be heresy, but as great a personality and teacher as Pepin is, I can't see any result of his influence. He's the master of an out-of-fashion cuisine. Puck, unfortunately, is influential and spawned all those Cali pizzas. An abomination to put pineapple on pizza.

Top chefs need not be influential. Innovators and market leaders are two different groups. For example Waters and Keller had more influence than Puck, but Puck made far more money.

I think you can sign up for BBB email alerts and they'll send you one.

exactly. SV or boiled...same rules once the bag is opened

A few recent dinners, heavy on the comfort food in this frigging blizzard Steamed salmon, mushroom risotto, bok choi Pork potstickers in the pan and on plate French Onion Soup, served with a baguette Bratwurst, mash, braised spiced cabbage

Not being certified "food safe" does not equal "dangerous"

One cavaet...The SVd meat will be as sterile as the least sterile thing its mixed with in the final dish. eg a chicken salad made with nuts or uncooked veg or fruit will effectively lose the safety factor of pasteurization . I wouldn't leave that out warm.

What sort of SVs need temp monitoring? Is this for experimentation mostly?

Pavarotti preferred Lambrusco.

If the chianti tastes ok it ought to be OK. I keep those airplane-sized bottles of wine in the cabinet for just such situations. Very little chance I'll drink them, but they cook just fine. And they are about a cup, so just right for most recipes. And I don't have to open a new bottle of something drinkable.

So now it is authentic!

I love gas, but it takes different reflexes than electric. Each burner is often a little different, so I tend to judge by flame height rather than a knob setting. Flame on Low settings wont touch the pan...and often not on "high" depending on the range. The heat still rises though. Can't see you ruining a pan unless you leave it untended and dry on a high flame. No different from electric really. Gas, esp LP gas is a little "moist", but that's not a bad thing for baking. Can't see a reason to leave the oven door open when preheating. RE smoke detector: perhaps your oven flame is not adjusted properly and is making soot

Seems like a silly chef trick to me. Why not bake the carrots in the mud in which they were grown. Terroir and all that. Farm to table to a new degree!

Rotuts, how many amps does it draw?

Sauteed scallops served on paper-thin cured lardo

I'd say convenience, mostly. I 'm not sure that I have a need for intra-SV temps.

Cool! Looks like foam insulating tape. Home Depot might have something similar, but it's hard to see it cheaper than JB Prince.

So you put this on the bag and insert the needle probe through it and the seal is maintained?

A bit off topic, but I put a breath of cinnamon in many beef braises, to very good effect.

Oregano and too much garlic

If only it was that easy. I'd say the best bet is to buy the same pot and lid used on ebay. Seriously, how often do you see LC lids for sale? From 35 years old pots? It is just that easy. The only downside is that the silicone lid will allow some steam to escape, but if you put parchment paper on top of the braise this is minimized. I use this method whenever I braise in the BSO, which can hold the pot but not the lid.