Pierogi

As I was saying before the Interwebs ate my post..... ... I too am a huge fan of Ina's. I have 5 of her cookbooks, and I cook from them regularly. Like eldereno, one is autographed thanks to a good friend. As a matter of fact, I'm making her lasagna from "Family Style" on Sunday. She writes good recipes. They work. They're thorough and involved, but not restaurant-level complex. Some are dead-bang simple, you can do them with your eyes closed, after a bad day at work. Her "Chicken Bouillabaise" from "Back to Basics" is one of my favorite recipes, EVER. Her bouef bourginionne from the French cookbook rivals Julia's, and is easier to make. I love her shows. Yeah....her giggle is a little off-putting, and yes, Ina, I know I should use *GOOD* ingredients, but she isn't constantly trying to take me to "flavah-town" with "EVOO on your sammies and stoups" and her chocolate mousse contains eggs, whipped cream and real chocolate, not "semi-homemade Jell-o pudding and Kool Whip". This whole hoooo-haaaahhhh in the trash media was a bad rap. I lost no respect for her, and no affection. She is, with Lidia, and Jacques, and Rick and *maybe* Ming, the best we've got out there now in terms of cooking teachers. She rocks.

All these things, plus they are on TV! They may be used to pressure in the kitchen, but I would guess there is at least a different kind of nervousness when you know you have a national audience of potentially new customers, who may choose to come or not come to your restaurant based on your performance. And then there are all the lights, the countdown clock and someone in the next room rehearsing clever criticisms they will say directly to your face. It's gotta be tough, and things happen =/ Having a camera in your face, and 2 other camera operators and cable-pullers crawling around the kitchen behind you, and the lights, and the mic equpiment hanging off of you (battery pack and transmitter, since they're all wireless) and the snarky hosts changes EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. Not to mention being interrupted in the middle of your 20 minute cook-time *BY* the snarky host/co-host who asks you inane questions like..."how're you handling the pressure?" I'm surprised we don't see more injuries, actually. TeeeVeee is nothing like real life.

How is it integral? Do you mean that stewing the skin with the broth infuses the liquid with extra flavor? I've always been unsure of that, and believed that most of the flavor comes from meat and connective tissue. I've read that it does, though I can't vouch for the flavor boost. For sure it gives it extra fat for that unctuous and silky mouthfeel (lord, how I hate that term, but it does describe the sensation...) in the liquid that's the mark of a good gumbo. And it does seem to keep the white meat from drying out during a long braise. For those dishes where I'm going to shred the meat off the bones before serving, no big whup to keep the skin on and discard. For those dishes where the pieces are served whole in the broth, then they get the braise-skin-up-run-under-the-broiler treatment. Both work for me.

I *LIKE* it !!!! A lot. I'll pass it on to my colleagues who are still in the 'biz !

Somewhere (God only knows where, in the dregs of memory), I recall seeing the tip of using the bottom of a flat cup or glass to push the crumbs into the pie plate/tart tin. I think the demo I saw used a measuring cup, but you could also use a drinking glass, which I do, so long as it has a perfectly flat bottom. All my measuring cups have rims/ridges on the bottom, so they don't work. Pushing on the glass/cup helps to even out the pressure, and gets the crumbs distributed more evenly. It really, really does work like a charm. I'd suspect even using a small custard cup (like one of those Pyrex bowls) would work as well.

Last bag of C&H sugar I bought was 4 pounds instead of 5. WTF....? A bit higher price, as well, if I remember correctly. And I did look. The store brands were also 4 pounds, and not 5. It's such a scam, and it makes me ill. But it's not like you can *NOT* buy sugar. Not if you cook and/or bake....

I remember several years ago watching a Nigella Lawson holiday special and she had a Christmas drink with blood orange juice and Campari. Can't remember the other ingredients off the top of my head. I think she called it a "Christmas Seabreeze" or a "Blood Orange Seabreeze" or something similar. I *do* remember it sounded good.

I'd guess probably as much as anything, its a matter of economics. The average consumer doesn't realize what a difference the sophisticated controls would make, and would balk at the difference in price between the standard, run-of-the-mill, wildly fluctuating oven and one that will hold a truer temp. Same deal with the steam/combi ovens. The average consumer (especially someone who's putting appliances in a rental unit) is going to look at the cost difference between a fancy-pants steam injected, convection electric oven with a gas cooktop and think...."well, yeah...but this Hotpoint is $400 less, and it's got an oven and 4 burners too".

See, to me, as a former patron of this type of operation, this was a valid critique. When I was working, and was under such pressure I wasn't cooking at night, and didn't have time to do laundry, much less pack a lunch, I frequented these "dash in/get a hopefully semi-decent meal/dash out/scarf at desk before next crisis meeting" places A LOT. "Breath factor" for the people IN the meeting with me (co-workers, clients, government agency inspectors) and "tummy comfort factors" (how much heartburn/gas/reflux did the meal give me) was HUGE in my decision on where to eat. Those that didn't meet the "pass" criteria on those 2 tests didn't get repeat business from me. Trust me, there's nothing worse than sitting in an audit with FDA, who are reaming you over the coals over your autoclave validations while you've got garlic burps from your lunch.

When I do something like a gumbo, or a stew or soup, where the skin is integral to the flavor of the final dish, but the dish is easier to eat when the chicken is taken off the bone and shredded, or chunked, I brown the skin, leave it on during cooking, and then discard it along with the bones when I deal with the chicken. If it's a braise, and I want the chicken left in large pieces for presentation (I can think of a couple of recipes where that's the case), then I remove brown the skin hard, leave it on for the cooking, then remove the pieces from the broth, put them on a broiler pan, and run them, skin-side up, under the broiler, to revive the skin. Best. Idea. Ever. When I roast or fry the chicken, crispy, crunchy, chicken-fatty goodness is the goal, and I will, as others do, scarf the skin before I touch the meat so it doesn't lose that crackle. Flabby, soggy skin is disgusting. I won't even feed it to the dogs (though I'm *sure* they'd hoover it on down....)

This is so timely. I wanted to make a stuffed pepper recipe this week that called for the long, sweet, "Italian frying peppers". Not bells, and not poblanos or Anaheims. Sometimes I've subbed out cubanelles for the Italian peppers. I used to be able to find them reliably at both Bristol Farms and Pavilions locally (both *high end* groceries). Of course, since I wanted them, neither place has them now. I didn't want to schlep to the other end of town to check Whole Paychecks.... I looked at the Baby Bells at Bristol Farms for a long, long time, and almost took the plunge. The only thing that stopped me was that in the package they had, the individual peppers seemed too small to stuff with a sausage-based stuffing. I've seen them at TJ's in a bit larger size, but of course, I'd already done my TJ's run for the week. I ended up getting some Anaheims, which I think will work...but if those Baby Bells had been just a skosh larger.....

OMG, I wanted to comment on that crawfish hole as well. I was always under the impression they lived in the swamp, under water ! What a trip. I second that. Lovely blue eyes.

Rhonda, forgive me if you mentioned this earlier, when we were talking about red beans & rice...but a question just popped into my head about the technique for this dish. I've seen (and have) a lot of recipes that call for "pickled pork" to be added to it. It can be made, of course, but it seems like a whole ton of trouble for what seems to be essentially a flavoring. I guess I have 2 questions actually, or 2 parts of the same one. First off, do you use it/make it when you do RB&R? If you do, do you think it's an essential part of the flavor? And a 3rd part/question, it seems, is it a product you can buy commercially in your neck of the woods, as you would the andouille?

"Cooking Channel" actually has a pretty decent selection of shows that are fairly intelligent and actually teach the viewer things, rather than blather on about EVOO and "stoups" and how you can make chocolate mousse from Jello pudding and Cool Whip (I'm lookin' at you Sandra Lee...). I am rather loathe to admit this, since "Cooking Channel" is also home to the abomination that is "Bitchin' Kitchen", about which the less said, the better. However, they have a French cooking show that I really, REALLY like, one called "Chuck's Day Off" with a restaurant chef who cooks for friends and family in the restaurant when it's closed, one from Viet Nam (!!!), one with Indian food, and as someone mentioned they show a couple of Jaime Oliver shows. And...AND....they show reruns of Julia. AND "The Two Fat Laides" ! And not a silly competition or cupcake show to be found. Nor do they offer air space to Guy Fieri. Although "Bitchin' Kitchen" is the female version of Mr. D-bag.

Rhonda, I can't wait to see the jambalaya festival, and agree with the others that it is an amazing show of community spirit and support. That's what makes life away from the MegaBurbs so great. Thanks so much for sharing your Louisiana with us. It makes me long even more for the bayous and the people. That was the other thing I've noticed when I've been in New Orleans. Along with never having a bad meal, I never met a person who wasn't warm, friendly and welcoming. Much like you !

Yes, Suzi, I agree. It's so much less scary than the ultra-high heat that Prudhomme uses. Although his technique *is* quicker, it's just way too easy to scorch the roux. And it can go from "nice and toasty brown" to "burned and ruined" in an instant. Besh's is the only way I make roux on the stovetop now.

Thibideux, don'tcha know, the place is hummin' Kinfolk come to see Ee-vonne by the dozen, Dress in style, go hog wild and be gay-o Son of a gun, we'll have some fun on the bayou. Oh Lord. When I was making my Mardi Gras gumbo, Harry Connick's "Oh My NOLA" was blasting on the CD player, and his version of "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" was what I stirred my roux to. It worked almost as good as a Dixie Beer ! That aside, would a crawfish pie work with already cooked crawfish? One of the local markets around me has crawfish tails, cooked, for a not horrible price. I'm leary of trying them, but....? I'm assuming they're frozen/defrosted, but locally, that'd be the best I can get. I can't deal with the shipping charges to get them from Louisianna, though if I win the lottery tomorrow, THAT will change ! Do you think they're trash or worth a shot?

Thought that all the challenges tonight were spot-on. No gimmicks, no curve-balls, no tsuris. Just "cook your best" whatever. Well, OK, the Quickfire was a bit dopey, with the "twist", but both of the elimination challenges were right on. Officially checking in for Team Richard. Isabella is still an egocentric @ss-hat, though less of an egocentric @ss-hat than he was in his season. I still want to see Blais win, though since I saw him last night on very late night info-mercials pushing the "Sous Vide Supreme" I'm kinda wondering if he did.... . I'd have loved to have seen Carla in the final, or Antonia. I didn't get the feeling Antonia "slimed" through challenges, I thought she fought hard and when she won, it was a true win. Guess that's what makes a horse race. Or a "Top Chef" season !

I've had this book for a little over a year. When I first got it, I thought "what a *gorgeous* book....but I'll never cook from it !" The recipes just seemed too long and involved and "restaurant like" for someone cooking usually for one, like I am. But I have to say, I've made about 5 or 6 dishes from it (grillades, jambalaya, red beans and rice, gumbo, fig cake, and maybe a couple of others I can't remember), and they all were wonderful. The gumbo was one of the best I've had, let alone made, and I usually make Paul Prudhomme's gumbos from his cookbook. The red beans and rice were different from others that I've had, but still very very good. As was the grillades. Unexpectedly, it has become a book I actually COOK from, rather than just having it look nice on my bookshelf. I made his gumbo during My Blog, and loved it. I have 2 containers of it in the freezer, and can't wait to eat it again. Its a beautifully designed, beautifully photographed, well written book that is surprisingly easy to cook from.

I usually like a little chopped dill pickle, onion and bell pepper in mine. Along with mayo and Dijon. *MAYBE* a slight drizzle of Crystal hot sauce. Or, instead of the dill pickle, cornichons and capers. Or even pickle relish in a bind, but since I usually only have the dill pickle relish in the house, its essentially the same as a dill pickle. Scallions sometimes instead of the onion. The curry powder is a nice, different touch, and I'm loving the idea of the sweet/savory ideas, like the apples and the currants. And Bayless' tuna escabeche that Chris H. talked about makes a killer tostada.

I actually quite like him, but maybe I'm just a sucker for tall, blond guys with an accent.

Those red beans and rice looked amazing. If I wanted to make a non-pork version could I just smoke a turkey and use stock from the bones, then add the meat at the end? I've never had red beans and rice but it looks so good I want to try (a kosher) version. Pam, (and Rhonda), I've used smoked turkey legs in RB&R before when I couldn't find ham hocks. It worked very well, maybe a little less smoky that with the hocks, but pretty good. They may be easier to find than the necks.

Fresh biscuits and sausage gravy are one of the absolute 10 best dishes in the world. Ever. And those look stellar, Ann !

Rhonda, I'm lovin' this ! Those red beans and rice are right in my wheelhouse ("Pops" too !). Is the Prudhomme Family book available at stores in your area? I've been looking for it, since I love his "Louisianna Kitchen" so much, but it's out of print. I'd love to lay my hands on a copy.

Plus one for me "The Sunset Cookbook". A good one, at that !