DCP

As I've been told by a few self-proclaimed experts, the key is to make sure to allow enough time to infuse: an afternoon or overnight is not enough. The bottle may be empty, but you'll be left with a sweet interior and nearly inedible outer flesh. A funnel and some patience is suggested by some, but I've only ever discussed the full-bottle method.

I don't seem to have much trouble cleaning the Showtime, but after four years of splaterring grease, it is looking a bit tired. The grease is the hardest part to clean off the metal. ← I, too, am an embarrassed Showtime owner. I'm on my second model after #1 died. Foodies may laugh, but rotisserie duck is second only to confit in my mind. It's a very nice way to cook. Cleaning is a bit of a pain only because of the volume of hand-washing. I line the drip tray with foil so that I (usually) don't need to wash the bottom. The edge of the heat reflector gets greasy, as do the rods. I find soaking and then scrubbing does the trick for the rods and drip tray cover. Dishwashing works to de-grease (as I found on the first model), but fails to get rid of the blackening - and quickly accelerates rusting.

1. Sliced or diced potatoes fried in duck fat (underneath confit de canard, of course) 2. Au gratin or scalloped potatoes 3. Baked potato soup

My experience can be summed up as 'canned responses and form letters.' I've contacted food companies for issues ranging from quality decline to mislabeling, and the responses are form letters, coupons, or both. When the issue was one of a change in quality, the companies claimed that: * They can't do anything about it; we're just the importer (Melissa's) * It must have been a fluke (Haagen-Dazs; Earthbound Farms) * It must have happened in the distribution chain (Zone Nutrition) . . . and (in most cases) by the way, here are some coupons to get more. With labeling inconsistencies, they said: * We know, but it takes time to get the new bags printed (GeniSoy) [And it took over 9 months to see the change] * You must be mistaken (Trader Joe's) [Later proven wrong by a third-party analysis] . . . and again, sometimes, "here are some coupons to shut you up." Never does anyone promise to look into and resolve a problem - just attempts to placate me with additional gratis or discounted products. Sadly, the situation seems to be a general one in customer service: a recent glowing letter to Clarks USA about one of their employees was met with coupons. Thanks, but no - I want the outstanding employee to be rewarded, not myself.

You're absolutely correct. An odd omission, given the only kind I've ever owned is double-hinged. Here is a photo of the CIA version, said to be used at their restaurants.

I also use 1:1, though more often than not tend towards 2:3 to cut the quantity of oil (I enjoy vinaigrettes - and plenty of them). If I'm using non-Balsamic vinegar (or a reduced quantity in a blend, depending on other additions), this can go as high as 1:2, although 1:3 is just too tart for me - except with the rare light champagne vinegar-focused dressing. Also, mustard works well for emulsifying, but I nearly always add a drop of liquid lecithin before mixing. It has plenty of emulsifying power. Edited to add: lecithin

The photo you posted earlier looks great, and both varieties sound tasty. Would you be willing to share more precise quantities/recipes for both varieties?

I use Environne VegiWash - not all the time, but usually when preparing a quantity of fruit such as for a fruit salad. The one-off pieces of fruit as a snack get just a cursory rinse-and-rub under the tap. The only study on the efficacy of these products I know was done bt the state of Connecticut. (The report may be found here.) It says, in short, that these products are ineffective and that rubbing under water is responsible for the bulk of pesticide removal. I'd like to see other studies contradicting this one, not the least because the source has conflicting interests (agricultural production and welfare of residents).

Perhaps so, but the situation is sadly changing. An article in yesterday's Washington Post suggests that standard ailments associated with Western dietary trends are on the rise. In the context of other such parallel trends elsewhere on the globe, it should not come as a surprise. The rising impact of colorectal cancers in Japan (see World Health Organization graphs) as compared to other nations is also of concern. In short, it may be the healthiest nation, but there is still much to be improved.

The meat-and-cheese variety seems thoughtfully selected. Thanks for the information, and will do. Would have dropped in Saturday had it not been closed for said wedding. Ended up at Miran instead.

No kidding. My SO snapped off the lever on mine two weeks ago. Fortunately, it was easily repaired with a hammer. I never figured out how to use those. I know there are multiple styles of plastic corks, but personally, I've always found them easier to extract than natural cork. The firmness seems to keep the screw from going off-center, and allows extraction with shallower penetration. On the other hand, the saber technique is more visually impressive.

This thread at Consumerist.com, recently posted, may also be of use. It just so happens they're discussing this very topic now.

To the best of my understanding, a 'wine key' is another name for a waiter's corkscrew or sommelier's knife - which folds flat when not in use and requires use as a lever, as phlox mentions. It takes a little practice to use one efficiently. I'm still learning after using the old style (see below) for years. The 'butterfly' style being referenced is probably like this, the kind which has rising levers that are pushed down to remove the cork. This is the old standard, but there are more elegant options!

Weird Meat is one of my favorite blogs. Lizard soup, cicadas, balut... the list goes on. Haven't tried seahorse soup, but nearly anything is worth tasting once.

Which reminds me of the quintessential 'traditional turkey' sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce. 'Yum' does not begin to approach the deliciousness quotient of that creation.

Depends on the soup. I like vichyssoise just a few degrees under room temperature, but gazpacho cooler - and fruit soups colder yet. And spicy kalbi jjigae? Boiling hot.

Adjustments are definitely in order. With rare exception (such as fruit soup or gazpacho), I think that only creamy soups present well cold. Whether the silkiness on the palate comes from butterfat or starch, it is required for optimal mouthfeel. A smooth texture is also key - I've never tasted/enjoyed a chunky cold soup. Seasoning, as you mention, needs adjusting, since chilling calms most spices. Wish I could assist with recipes, but for me it's either hot or cold! I'm not at all sure I believe something like chicken noodle soup could be adapted to a chilled version without a major overhaul, but perhaps others have useful insights. Then again, some people can't palate a cool vichysoisse, but who understands them... Edited to add: gazapacho and vichysoisse

[il]legalities aside, I'd be more concerned about health impact. Fusel oils (types of congeners) produced during fermentation are removed by traditional evaporative distillation, but concentrated by fractional crystallization. Depending on the specifics, one could implicate freeze distillation in side effects from headaches to vomiting, or worse. OTOH, impurities = flavors, and if we relentlessly pursued their elimination then it would be pure ethanol in our glasses. I don't know where the line is; perhaps someone more experienced in distillation can lend their knowledge?

My own method has been to simply leave greens in the container in which they were purchased/bagged, then to wash right before use. For storing washed greens, I've been shown the technique of layering with moist paper towels in a plastic bag - not pressed tightly to remove all the air. Both have their flaws - YMMV.

Must have been there at about the same time - I was there shopping with my SO from 3 to 4 yesterday. We were thrilled with the $1 flats of strawberries and blackberries at OK Lee for this week's fruit salad; easily spent half last week's total from the supermarket. The cherries (picked up the firmest bag, but...) were less than stellar, but even having to toss 1/3, it was a fantastic deal. The pineapple ($3) was excellent, as were the mangoes (both varieties) - despite being picked-over for most of the ones with reddish skin. Of course, going to RTM to save money on produce is fruitless (no pun intended), since the savings are neatly applied to provisions for the hungry shoppers from Hershel's (pastrami reuben), Dinic's (pulled pork with sautéed spinach and sharp provolone), and Bassett's Ice Cream ('Gadzooks' gives Ben & Jerry's a run for their money). If only Lexington Market were as awesome.

I find the double standard irksome, to say the least. On one hand, the Supreme Court held that those who discard trash relinquish their property rights to it. However, some states, like Oregon, disagree. If anything, a consistent standard should be adopted. Either trash is yours, or it's not. If it's not, then 'freeganism' and police 'garbage pulls' should be equally allowable. But perhaps this is way off-topic, and IANAL.

Now I'm jonesing for a tall glass of homemade white sangria. What better way to have fruit salad than steeped in alcohol?

Indeed - no one would fault you for choosing the sailboat instead. Rather like opting to purchase the Viking refrigerator instead of a few pounds of black truffles to go inside it, n'est-ce pas?

That is a thing of beauty. They apparently have a model that does change in height as well, though it's of a different design. Lottery, indeed, at $50K to $75K a pop. Methinks a kitchen remodeling is ahead of the table on my lottery wish-list.

I'm a big fan of Wusthof knives, particularly the Grand Prix series. The chef's knife and paring knives have excellent grip, balance (at least for my hand), etc. Really couldn't be happier, until they sadly departed the house along with something not nearly so precious. Can't speak for their santoku blades; never handled theirs. Henckels have never felt good to me - too light, something subtle in the hand that makes it hard to forget it's there as an extension of the hand - but YMMV.