John Woods

Last night I tried to do a tofu stir fry..... and I ended up tossing it in complete dismay. Any suggestions on a quick tofu stirfry?

Prime beef is available at any number of butchers in San Francisco, New York, and most other major cities. It's also available mail order from dozens of different sources. Lobel's in NY is the only mail order butcher I've used, they're extremely expensive but the quality is excellent. ← I was under the impression (from my beef purveyor) that all beef was inspected by the USDA in order to differentiate choice or prime. The top 3% is prime, then you have your diffrent "levels" of choice and so on. I would hate to think that someone was getting choice for prime. Especially when you're paying that much of a price on the retail end!

They make lots of potato chips in my area. Including lots of kettle style. Are you talking of brining the spuds before you fry them? I have never heard of this. Kettle style in Central PA does not include brining the potatoes. I would be fascinated to hear more about this technique. ← Well what I've done so far is to put the chips in a solution of kosher, garlic, basil, white pepper, cumin and white wine vinegar and about 3/4 of a 1/3pan of water. Let them sit in it for about 2 hours... and go right to the deep fryer. Pretty tasty.

So.... in conclusion, if using a convection oven for cooking prime rib, there is no need to sear... just baste, correct? I've developed a great rub over the years so I believe that is all I will need.... plus a few pieces of injected garlic. Sound good?

I'm going to be doing a "kettle style" potato chip appetizer. Anyone have any good brine ideas?

It has been said that the only constant in the universe is chaos. You have now proven it! Well written and well done. Peoples Choice award to you my friend.

Looking to run a paella seafood special. Any ideas on presentation or "special ingredients"?

After further review, I have discovered that it is due to the mixing process. Actually it's due to using the Robot Coupe to soften the cream cheese. Yes, he does incorporate the eggs one by one using only a wisk.... but I believe that the robot coupe is the reason. CSI (culinary sciense investigation) case closed! Thanks all for your help!

Yes, in the alginate. I was thinking that it may just stick to the sides of the form.

Other than the typical ball shape and flat paper shape, are there other applications that may work? Would putting a "cookie cutter" inside the solution help you to form things into that shape?

Aha! I thought that even on a "low" setting that it wouldn't interfere with the cake, but alas you're probably right. The next chzcake he makes will be done in the regular oven. I'll keep ya posted.

Roasted red bell peppers, toasted almonds, roasted tomatoes, olive oil, toasted bread. You can riff off Romesco in Andres' book. ←

My pastry chef has "tiny bubbles" in his cheesecake. (Not due to Perignon) How can we rid ourselves of this problem?

Thanks all of you for your help in pointing me in the right direction. I promise that when I begin the process I will post all my failures and successes and hopefully my camera will get some pics as well. 1000 thanks!

Thank you sir.... I have another question for you if you feel so inclined to answer. I'm considering making a hot sauce with a smoked poblano and serrano pepper combination. The end result should be a smoky thick semi-hot sauce with a reddish brown consistency. Do you have a suggestion as to what vegetables to add for a flavor enhancer?

Thanks Susan, The links alone are enough help. I'm really starting to dig eG! I'll be posting pics in the near future.

I would suppose that it would be the little savory dishes.... I'm up for anything that's appealing and has a great mouthfeel.

I'm about to roll out a tappas style appetizer menu. What are some of your favorite tappas that could compliment either fish or steak? I'll re-post the ones that I will consider for my menu. (I'm in Georgia, so dont worry about the competition) Pics welcome!

Although some may not think that MG will last, I prefer to use it in as a showcase on my menu. I am planning to use it in a tapas style application with the rollout of my new menu in January. Although you may think MG may not last, why can't we flex our culinary muscle and represent with a fusion of science and food? It's exciting to see something new on the forefront of culunary advancement. Embrace it! (Although Hervé This and Nicholas Kurti have known since 1969)

Consider me young enough to miss out on the Vietnam War but old enough to be a vet from the first Gulf War. I thoroughly enjoyed your writing and I look forward to hearing some more! My two years I spent overseas were an eyeopener to say the least. I wish all "kids" could have an opportunity like I was allowed. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and please keep 'em up!

OK... here goes. I've decided to begin the process of trying my hand at some molecular gastronomy. (Yes, motivated by Blumenthal and Aria and all those pretty pictures) I feel it's time to bring this new science to the Atlanta market. As far as literature or web-sites, are there any that stand out in particular? AKA... for the layman to understand. Your help in this matter will be greatly appreciated.