kbjesq

David Ross, regarding your pressure cooker, does it look like this: Fagor Duo Pressure Cooker I want to try pressure-cooked fried chicken, but this is the cooker that I own, and I can't find anything anywhere stating whether it is safe or unsafe to fry in it. I sent an email to the company (Fagor) and as I recall, they wrote back more or less stating that it was neither approved nor disapproved for frying. After research, I did find that some pressure fryers (like the Wearever Chicken Bucket) aren't sold any more because (I guess) they are unsafe. Google turned up a few articles like this one stating that all the old-style pressure fryers are unsafe. I want pressure-fried chicken, but I don't want to blow up my kitchen in the process. I did find something called a "pressure magic" by Fagor. Perhaps this is your model?

I also was extremely disappointed with the Romania show. If this was the first episode, I doubt that I would have ever watched another one. That theme restaurant was disgusting. And, although I've never been to Romania, I have a hard time believing that it was representative of Romanian food culture. As for his friend with the bad back, that part of the show would have been better suited for an episode of Intervention.

Bravo!

I'm not from NY and unfortunately cannot add anything substantive to the discussion, but nonetheless, welcome to Egullet! And please get a camera! If there's one thing we like around here, it's photos of food and food-related activities. Again, welcome, and I look forward to reading and seeing your posts and photos about your spring break.

Umm, I think that you or your guests will be disappointed with the final color if they are expecting "traditional". Here's what happened to mine last year without any nitrate (I basically used Alton Brown's technique, but left out the saltpeter). People said that it tasted good, but didn't look anything like corned beef. This year, I'm just sending my guests to David Ross' house.

Pizza night yesterday (Saturday). I used the thin-crust recipe from the ATK Family Cookbook and rolled the dough. We like really thin crust and I can never get it thin enough without a rolling pin. Not traditional, I know. Anyhow, after rolling paper thin on parchment, I give the crust a second rise in a 110F oven for 10 minutes, then top, and bake on a stone in a 475F oven for 8 minutes. That produces the thin, but airy, crust that we like, and it's strong enough to hold a lot of toppings (again, family's preference).

I hear what you're saying Kbjesq did a great job with that chicken dinner! ← Well, thanks guys . . . but that's not entirely true. I did NOT post a photo of my biscuits, which were almost worthy of a spot on the anti-dinner thread! Long Live Fried Chicken!

Wow, that is a huge pot of stew. How many people is your neighbor planning to feed? I have never seen such a cooking device - but I can see where it would be very useful when cooking for a large crowd. And portable! This would be perfect for tailgating here (crowds of Americans gathered in parking lots -- eating and drinking to excess -- prior to football games in the fall).

These write-ups just keep getting better and better. I can't wait for the next installment, which if I'm interpreting your teasers correctly, will be from Japan. I'm still not convinced you actually have a job, though. I think the job thing is just another angle in the overall plot.

I soak my chicken pieces (cut exactly the way that David Ross describes, into 10 pieces) overnight. I use a mixture of buttermilk and Crystal hot sauce. I then drain the pieces, and toss them in a mixture of AP flour, S & P. I let them air dry for 20-30 minutes, then into 360F peanut oil. We had a Chicken Fest last weekend (for 18). When I make fried chicken for a crowd, I use my turkey fryer (you can see it in the background) and set up an assembly line: As the first batches come out of the oil, I hold them in a 200F oven until the rest is done: Ready to eat: Nothing goes with fried chicken like a mess of collards and a pan of mac and cheese:

I know what you mean about the peanut snack chips! They are hard to stop eating. To me (an American) they are like a peanut-flavored version of a popular snack here - Cheetos (cheese-flavored puffs). But I have not seen them for sale in the U.S. I took this picture of the Bulgarian "bamba" last summer (the product inside looks exactly like that shown in your bowl, above): I continue to enjoy your blog. I am surprised at how many things we have in common, although we live 6,000 miles apart.

Here are the proportions for a Meyer Lemon batch, just follow the technique from the previous post. Because Meyer Lemons have way less pectin than Sevilles you will get a softer set that works best being spooned onto your toast (or for roasting a chicken or pork!). For about 12 -14 - 250ml jars: 1.7 kilos whole lemons 2.25 liters water sugar to equal the poached peel with liquid The only difference in making this compared to the Seville marm above is that when you poach the soaked peel it will be ready in about 10 minutes. Also, make sure that your "set" test gives a nice stiff wrinkle as it will be too soft otherwise. Meyer and Sevilles combine beautifully to make a combo marmalade and that gets around the lack of pectin in the Meyers. . ← Thank you very much for this info and the pictorial. Now if I can just set aside enough time this weekend to get this project done, I will be very happy indeed.

No, no, no! Not "bad mom" at all. When she is all grown up, she will remember that once in awhile, her mother let her eat nutella first . . . and she will remember it fondly, and she will let her own daughter eat nutella first someday! I am enjoying your blog so much. Your markets seem to have a much healthier selection of food than a "typical" supermarket here in the US, and a much better selection of cheeses, herbs and spices. You would be very disappointed if you had to shop at my local supermarkets, but then again, so am I.

You can often get great deals on appliances at scratch and dent appliance warehouses, and they nearly always come with a full warranty. I've bought a lot of Kitchenaid appliances at such places over the years and never had a bit of trouble with any of them. The only KA appliance that I didn't like was a 5 burner cooktop, which IMHO did not have enough BTUs. But for home use, it was one of the higher-rated BTU cooktops at the time. Also be sure to check out the appliance forum on the www.gardenweb.com site. Lots of great info over there.

Six thousand miles away in the United States, my daughter took her lunch to school in the same Lock 'n Lock container!!!

Can you tell us anything about the lovely pitcher made of pottery in the upper left corner of this photo? It reminds me of the pottery that I saw everywhere in Bulgaria last summer. Also, will you post pictures of your breakfasts, please? I love to see what others are eating in the morning. Thanks so much for sharing your week with us.

To quote docsconz, "Who doesn't?" I personally prefer the Burger King "Big Fish" f/k/a "The Whaler" to the Filet-o-Fish (at least the regular Filet-o-Fish, the Deluxe Filet-o-Fish - with lettuce and a better bun - wasn't bad). Interesting factoid, according to Wikipedia, is that in non-English speaking countries, the Filet-o-Fish is called FishMac, McFish or Fish Filet. I am skeptical, however, of the Wikipedia claim that a Filet-o-Fish or McFish or whatever has only 400 calories. Every one that I've ever been served always had at least 400 calories of "tartar sauce" on board. FWIW, the Wikipedia site states that "The Filet-O-Fish contains a breaded fish patty made mostly from pollock and/or hoki[citation needed], half a slice of processed cheese and tartar sauce, on a steamed bun." I think another name for "Hoki" is whiting, if so, I'm not surprised that it has replaced cod in the Filet-o-fish.

I just got back from the grocery, where I formulated my menu based on what he likes and what looked good today. So, therefore, tonight's dinner will be: Caesar salad with homemade croutons and dressing and extra anchovies Steamed crab legs with butter for him, lemon for me Red potatoes with butter and rosemary Snap peas Champagne Brownies from a post on the brownie bake-off thread, Layers of Love Brownies, from earlier today.

I have the same problem at my house. Chefcrash, thank you for posting your results. Now, I will just have to remember to put a thermometer in the roast before I freeze it.

Two things. First, thank you for keeping this thread going. I really enjoy it. Second, I hope that the seniors appreciate you! I continue to be impressed with how much effort you put into planning, efficiently-shopping-for, and preparing their meals.

How timely! I've been meaning to search the archives as I, too, have an abundance of meyer lemons in my backyard. I would be grateful if someone could share a tried-and-true recipe for meyer lemon marmalade. There are many recipes floating around on the web, but I would prefer one that's been vetted by EG.

Tonyy13 is right. Please do not venture into anything Emeril's in O-town. I had one of the worst meals of my life at his signature Orlando restaurant. I could, perhaps, excuse one bad meal on the basis that it was an aberration (although at those prices, there should be no bad meals IMHO). However, what I could not excuse was the condition of the ladies' room. It was beyond filthy. And I'm not talking about filth that occurred that day, while swarms of tourists were in there (although such immediate, personal filth was likewise present). I'm talking about a good 1/4" of dust/dirt on top of the vanity mirrors, light fixtures and decor. That didn't happen in one day, or even one week. I was so appalled that I brought my sister in for a look. And we both agreed that it warranted bringing to the manager's attention. So we brought the manager in for a look. It was agreed that the place needed cleaning, and we were "thanked" for bringing it to the manager's attention (the thank you did not involve any comped items, FWIW). OTH, I had a very good meal at his restaurant at the MGM in Las Vegas. And I would definitely be open to trying his other venues. Just not Orlando. I don't know what the heck is going on there!!!

If do, try to find time for a late afternoon/sunset drink on the back porch of the "Zane Grey Lounge" which is upstairs in the Worldwide Sportsman (right on the overseas highway). It's close to Uncle's, so you could have a drink at Zane Grey and then dinner at Uncle's. It has a beautiful view of the bayside, and it's a fun place to watch the sunset. Food is so-so, but drinks are good and the view is hard to beat (there is also a marina below, so you can watch the goings-on there, and see the tarpon as well). (Not food related, but there is a replica of Hemingway's fishing boat, the "Pilar", inside the Worldwide Sportsman that is also neat to see, and an aquarium filled with Florida sealife). PS A few more Islamorada recommendations are here.

The best food that I have had in the keys has been at Uncle's in Islamorada. I've been going there for the past 5+ years and food and service has always been top-notch. Dinner, only, though.

I have the same one and it works great for my purposes. Mine came with the attachments, and surprisingly, they have come in very handy. Obviously this is not a commercial product, but unless you are making soup in a 20 qt. pot, I can't imagine that it wouldn't be sufficient for a home cook. I also appreciate the ease of clean up - the bottom part goes right in the dishwasher. Just my .02.