takadi

I finally cooked a batch, and the end result was good, but not great. I don't have a camera so I couldn't take pictures This time I added way fewer bones, probably about 3 lbs. I used hindshanks with the meat around them, a couple of oxtails, and some bones with marrow I bought from the store. I used about a 6 cloves, 3 whole star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 cardamom pod, a teaspoon of black pepper and a teaspoon of coriander seed. I used about two large onions and about 6 inches of ginger. I roasted those and I toasted the spices. I also put about half a daikon root into the stock. The end result was surprisingly bland, despite the fact that I probably added a cup of fish sauce and loads of salt. It smelled like pho during cooking, but after a while the smell just dissapated when I was straining the stock. I have no clue what's going on. I felt as if the stock was a bit sweeter than I expected, but there was something about it that was lacking in depth. I blanched the bones and the meat. I then roasted the bones in the oven for about half an hour and brown the meat. I simmered all of this for about an hour before I added the onion and ginger. I simmered for another hour before adding the daikon and spices. I simmered for another two hours. Did I do anything wrong? I am just not getting why I can't get that bright restaurant flavor. Too little bones? Tommorrow's another day....

I actually got this from the FAQ from the Staub site "What are the benefits of black matte enamel versus the shiny enamel? Our black matte enamel is highly indestructible and provides better cooking results; over time your Staub pot will slowly season itself as oils used when cooking will penetrate the pores of the black matte enamel. The black matte enamel will also brown, braise and reduce better! " Can anyone attest to if this is actually true?

I often find myself not accustomed to eating foods that older generations and other cultures enjoy. I often find that foods are only suitable when drenched in in something sweet. I find myself craving sodas and fruit juices more than beer, wine, or any other sort of beverage. The older generations of my family, who are vietnamese, often enjoy things like grass jelly, durian, bitter melon, and all sorts of bitter greens which I find vile. Then there are people who enjoy straight black coffee. And most of the time, foods that are brought over to America or translated are often created laden in fat and sugars. I'm wondering if I'm the only who feels as if my palate has been destroyed by all the foods I'm used to eating. Is the American palate dulled by our food habits of today? Everything is milder, sweeter, saltier, fattier. Here is an article however, contesting to that. It actually says that the American palate is evolving. http://www.chow.com/stories/10138 I am really trying to experiment with different flavors, especially the bitter, but I am still finding it extremely difficult. So far, the only way I consume alcohol is when I mix it with something sweet like rum and coke or if I drink it as a sweet beverage or hard liquor. The only way I can consume coffee is when I mix it with loads of cream and sugar and dilute it to nothingness. The only way I can enjoy grapefruit is with tons of sugar piled on top. The only way I can enjoy bitter melon...well...is to not eat it at all! I'm still pretty young, so maybe my palate needs time to develop. Even though I'm just one person, I am still questioning whether our food culture, a one that induces obesity especially, has to do with our tastes being dulled to the point of no return.

Anybody know how purely grassfed beef tastes when used for stock (bones and meat). I know excess fat is a pain when making stock, and since grassfed apparently has has less fat and more healthy fats (as well has less risk of mad cow, so I can use parts like oxtails and neck bones) I would think grassfed bones would be highly superior for stock. As for steaks, I know for a fact that grassfed beef was NOT meant for steaks. I find alot of people go out on a limb to buy grassfed beef only to make steaks out of it, only to be disappointed. I'm not really sure how to cook grassfed beef, but from research I've found out that not only does it lack the marbling for a nice steak or hamburger of sorts, it's a completely different entity from grain or corn fed beef. But as for stock...I have no clue. Anybody out there who bought some nice hindshanks with bones and used it for stock?

Ice cream is a food? I thought it was a drug - inhaled in vast quantities. ← Definitely includes ice cream. Unless there's a melted variety. And don't forget about frozen drinks too! Those are a rarity these days. Remember Donald duck?

Hi thanks for the replies. I'm not really thinking of investing in ALL my cookware at this point, but I like to know what opinions are out there. I started out all my cooking with nonstick and stainless steel sauce pans and pots, and they did a pretty good job. But I guess I'm interested in specialty items that can perform even better. Alwang, you seem to have a very ideal set of cookware. I guess one reason why I want to buy cookware that saves big bucks is not because I would be strapped for cash (which I could easily save up for this kind of cookware), it's just that buying something that is alot cheaper just feels better to keep around (at least for me). I know when I get a huge deal on something that is of great value and quality, I just feel proud of myself, lol. I definitely would NOT mind having a Le creuset for that matter. I mean, who wouldn't want something like that. But the raw simple nature of cooking bare cast iron is what really attracted me to regular lodge. I actually feel like the extra work and obstacles I have to overcome with bare cast iron is not overbearing to the point where it can be fun. Yes, I find seasoning cast iron cookware fun . I've been really looking forward to buying a really nice indoor wok to use. I have all those extra woks, but the only real suitable one I can use on my home stove is the flat bottom carbon steel, and it still doesn't perform to the way I want it to. In my experience, the only way it can get flaming hot is if I put it on an electric stove, and even then, the electric stove is so uneven, hard to control, and restricted. Plus I find it awkward using a flat bottom wok because it's sort of an oxymoron. It seems as if I'm just using an oversized skillet, and that I might as well use a skillet anyways. I'm saving up to buy the really thick cast iron woks from lodge that are round in the inside and flat on the bottom for indoor use, but they are outrageously expensive for just a single wok. I heard that matte black dutch ovens actually can be seasoned, so if I were to buy an enameled dutch oven, I would go for that one, after some more research of course. I like the fact that cast iron can be used for everything (because it's so durable), and you fill in the gaps with the stainless steel for acidic things and temperature sensitive things like sauces, which I was planning in my head as well. As for baking, I've actually done alot of baking in my cast iron dutch oven and skillet, I find it does a pretty good job. The dutch oven can actually double up if I put the skillet on top with the lid since they are both the same diameter, so I can bake beans while cooking cornbread at the same time. I might try apple pie in the skillet, that seems interesting

Well, I'm looking for something that lasts appoximately a life time, haha. I really got into woks because they are claimed to be able to do anything under the sun (braising, deep frying, stir frying, steaming, etc.). I guess that multpurpose factor really got me into thinking about a set of cookware that would cover all my cooking needs. If I had enough money, I would definitely save up for some copper pans after hearing so many good things about them in this forum and other sites. I guess I really have a bad case of OCD, but there's just something about owning something that's just perfect in every way. Again, I'm seriously a BIG newbie at cooking, I am just beginning to get into these kind of things. Alot of people on this forum I assume are already very experienced and some are even professional! I'm just a regular college student who likes food. And looking around at different cookware pieces got me excited about how drastically different cooking can be by the equipment used. I remember trying to make stir fry with a non-stick wok and remember thinking why it turned out tasting so bland and just plain nasty. I'm really intrigued how all the different properties of flame, heat, and metal can translate its energy into really good food. When I first learned to cook, I thought it consisted of throwing something into a frying pan with a ton of oil, and blasting it on the highest heat. I'm not really looking at cooking specific types of food, but I guess you can say alot of the foods I'm into are asian. Alot of people also make claims of how they swear by their certain cookware, like old fashion homecooks by cast iron or professionals by copper, and I'm interested in what makes them so good that some people will use them almost exclusively. Yes I have alot of questions and some of them might be loony! My family thinks I'm crazy with woks flying everywhere and smoke from seasoning floating around the house. But hey, I'm thinking, down the line when I'm 60, I'll be able to give up ramen, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti packages and actually cook up something good!

Yea I've looked into that, and the only reason why I decided not to buy it was because I found several other burners with almost the same power to be cheaper. Also, it isn't very portable because the legs are hard to attach and detach. But then again I haven't tried it out. When you buy it, tell me how it works. I'm about to receive my wok burner soon, so I'll post how that works too.

This is a list of my cookware: 10 1/4 inch Cast iron skillet 5 quart Cast iron dutch oven 12 inch carbon steel wok 12 inch pow wok 14 inch carbon steel round bottom wok 14 inch carbon steel flat bottom wok 13 inch cast iron wok 12 inch nonstick wok (looks like a saucier) 12 quart stainless stock pot 24 quart stainless stock pot MILLIONS of nonstick cookware (from family) All the ones besides the nonstick cookware were ones I bought with my own money and that I'm building into my own personal collection. My goal is to have a collection of minimum amount of cookware that can do that maximum amount of jobs, that can last a lifetime, and comes at an unbeatable value. I have a feeling I am pretty far from that. If I were to accomplish my goal, I would obviously have to get rid of alot of clutter and probably dish out some more cash. The question is...what do I get rid of, and how much cash do I really need to spend? There are just so many disadvantages and advantages to every piece of cookware out there that it's hard to resist the desire to just buy an entire store. I am really looking for some cookware that doesn't go overboard with special features. For example, I would choose a regular cast iron dutch oven over a Le creuset mainly because I feel the disadvantages in bare cast iron can be overcome with some patience and techniques and definitely not worth spending extra money for enamel coatings. Probably the only cookware I'm willing to replace in a lifetime is non-stick. But I still feel non-stick isn't even a required piece in the kitchen. So if you could own the ultimate cookware set, what would you include? We are looking for minimum quantity and price, and maximum quality and performance. Pure pragmatism and efficiency folks.

omg, I can't believe I totally forgot about Jamaican beef patties!! Best invention ever!

So if you were to take copper and iron pans of the same mass and size and say stir fry something in them, they both would perform equally well except that the copper pan will be ten times more responsive? No wonder why they are ten times more expensive too. This food science stuff is getting me excited.

NICE find octaveman. Wonder if it's the same quality as the Lodge one. I found a similar one on ebay. The internet is a beautiful thing

So copperware is superior to any other cookware in every way? lol

I just called the Wok shop and Tane Chan answered. Lol. She is hilarious. Well the short answer is that she has no clue what kind of regulator it is. But she knows it comes from China, and she says its 32000 BTU. I will test out the one I bought. If it's not satisfactory, I will look in hardware stores to see if there are any higher pressure regulators. If not, I'll keep looking for more wok burners.

Well one reason I was concerned was because I am looking for a nice, versatile, high pressure wok burner that is affordable. I've looked everywhere, and I actually went out and bought one, but I keep hearing that some burners don't actually put out that heat, some burners put out MORE heat than they advertise, etc. I don't know what to believe, and I feel ripped off.

Hey windtrader, god, I had a feeling I was being ripped off. I actually emailed the guy asking about how it works, if it uses compressed air, if it actually emits what it says. He confirmed all of this. I said, "Hey it's only 40 bucks". Did I really waste my money? I couldn't find any suitable wok burner anywhere else, so I felt like I had no other choice. I'm kind of confused. So the one I bought actually ISN'T high pressure? That makes me really really angry. I only bought the cheap one because I figured the BTU figures were probably higher than they claimed and that I didn't need that extra heat. The only reason I didn't buy the wok shop one was because I truly believed the one sold at the outdoor stirfry online store was hotter and cheaper than the one sold at the wok shop. But now you are saying the wok shop burner is hotter? I am having a very hard time understanding BTU's and their false advertising. It's kinda too late now, the burner was already shipped. Is there any other product you would recommend? Could you show me an actual picture of what the adjustable regulator looks like? Does the wok shop one come with a pressure regulator?

There is actually a chinese restaurant in New York called Congee village. They have the most extensive list of atypical chinese food I've ever seen. It was the best chinese experience I've ever had. Their garlic chicken is literally covered in garlic cloves. There are also a novelty item called "soup dumplings", where dumplings are filled with a very very rich broth. It is extremely fun to eat and very delicious. As for chinese restaurants always being the same, I've known this since I was born. I've come to accept that it's how it is. It's mostly because the food most Americans are accustomed to are chinese-AMERICAN food, which is cantonese food warped to fit American tastes. I mean come on, fortune cookies? That's probably the most degrading patronizing food invention ever.

I feel somehow that the BTU unit of measurement is somewhat misleading. Or am I just imagining things? Do BTU's really measure how hot something is? Are there other variables involved like the amount of fuel, surface area, pressure, etc.? I see some 100,000 BTU burners out there costing 30 bucks while some 32,000 K burners costing over 100 bucks. It doesn't make sense...

Hmm why is that? lol, that's probably what I did the whole entire time while straining the stock. So much to learn.... I like the bo kho comparison. The carrot addition might be a westernized addition to pho. The pho I ate that had carrots in it didn't taste like typical light clear pho I had before, it actually tasted like a stew almost. *cracks knuckles* I bought all my ingredients and I'm gonna give it a go. Wish me luck.

I just bought a wok burner from www.outdoorstirfry.com. It's the cheapest one which claims to have 50K BTU. It went for about 40 bucks not including shipping. I will have to test it out when it arrives. The burner reminds me very much of those bunsen burners we use in chemistry. I'm not sure how it compares to the Oakland one you bought, but I hope it does just as well considering it's the same price. I hate how the area I live offers none of these things. I probably searched in a 100 mile radius of every Asian food store. DC sucks....

Yes this is the exactly same reason I am going for thick cast iron. However... The one that lodge sells is very expensive (around 70 bucks). And it weighs about 11 lbs (or 14 lbs, I forgot). The thing is massive. What mainly attracted me to it was the heat retention, and the fact that the outside has a flat bottom and the inside is rounded. I have been waiting for a long long time to save up money to buy this thing. But now Octaveman is offering one that is lighter AND cheaper. Well, first off, why is the lodge wok so much more expensive? I want to know if Lodge performs any better with its price before buying it. I am always skeptical about huge price differences when the products could just end up being the same. Now I saw a different model of a lodge cast iron wok that actually has a handle, and weighs less. I forgot how much it cost, but I'll try to find it. I wish I could line up all the cast iron woks and see how they performed and how they compared in value. I would buy the lodge pro logic in a heart beat, but I just don't have that kind of money floating around (I'm very poor, lol). Anybody know of some good quality, heavy, cheap cast iron woks? Preferrably I like 14 inch.

Thanks didi! About you mentioning about simmering aromatics for the last 15-30 minutes, I've actually taken that into account because I've seen alot of sources out there that say that either simmering evaporates all the flavor or some of the spices actually overpower the entire stock if simmered for too long. Also I have a strange case of OCD in that I am always afraid of leaving something out. As a result, I always make all my recipes extremely complex. I have this irrational thought that if I include everything I can put in under the sun, it will at least taste a little like restaurant styles. I really have to learn that simplicity is better. I like northern style pho in that it has very strong spice aromas and very very beefy flavor. However, I feel like it that style is a little too rustic for me. It's just missing that distinct taste that I taste in southern style pho (most of which you find in restaurants in the US). It's very noticeable but I can't seem to recreate now matter how hard I try. As for browning the beef, I find alot of purists don't like doing that because it makes the stock too cloudy. I think that depends soley on tastes. I personally think cloudy equals hearty. I will experiment with that. I actually bought some two inch cross sections of hind-shanks with the bone in. I know chuck is very flavorful (I actually added ground chuck with egg whites in one batch I made to clarify the stock). I'm wondering if hind shank meat will match up. As for the carrots, I distinctly remember my nanny a long long time ago making pho and adding carrots to her stock. I can't say it was restaurant style but it had this flavor that was so delicious and hearty. I'll omit the carrots and see what happens Now alot of vietnamese say beef knuckle is the only way to go. Others say oxtail is the only way to go. Any thoughts on this? I shall make a small batch tomorrow with fewer bones, less ingredients, and I'll simmer the flavor components lastly. I'll tell you all how it goes.

hahah soo...yea...my butt is SMOKIN' hot... ... two years too late huh?

Coat oil on my electric stove to make fire to season my wok. Long LONG story

Packed full of preservatives, chemicals, sodium. I say screw that, it's all a big stereotype. There are actually SOME frozen foods out there that are extremely delicious, and looking on the ingredient list, it actually contains some pretty high quality stuff. Being a hungry college student, last week I actually went to the grocery store and bought random frozen foods and critiqued them. Here's what I thought- Marie Calendar's Grilled Chicken and alfredo bake: This would actually be pretty good...if it actually had noodles. The chicken was good for frozen chicken, pretty tough though. There was no point of the word "bake" in the title though....it was supposed to be coated with a bunch of bread crumbs, but it just ended up being a soggy mess. If you stir it in it doesn't taste much different. An awesome dish that fell close due to slight lack of quality (as well as quantity) Micheal Angelo's Chicken Parmesean: Though I've never even heard of this brand, the cover looked pretty damn good, and it used the word "family" and "tradition" alot, so I figured that I'll take the risk and see if this was actually as good as home cooked stuff. I tried it and there there were two problems...not enough noodles again, and something I tend to notice with all spaghetti type dinners: the noodles are pure mush. They have no firmness or texture, rather they are just thin tubular masses of baby food. The tomato sauce was also LACKING in flavor. Nevertheless, the chicken was VERY good. Maybe I was just really hungry. Corner Bistro Linguini with scallops and Shrimp: Wow, the title...and the ingredients too. Butter, Garlic, REAL shrimp and scallops (pretty average size too). And it's from a BISTRO! ooooo. BUT...dont' be deceived, this was probably the worst tasting and the worst smelling dish of all. Okay, so the scallops and shrimp themselves were pretty good. But again, no noodles, and they were all soggy. Finally...the sauce...for the love of god. A cloudy pile of goo that soon after became liquidy, salty, and flavorless. By the end, I felt like i was drinking fish brine. Afterwards, I felt woozy and disoriented (probably from excess amounts of msg) with EXTREMELY fishy breath and a smell that wouldn't go away. At least the vegetables were okay.... Zatarain's Jambalaya with sausage: This was probably one of the most promising dishes at glance because its made with simple ingredients that don't need much effort to store like rice. It smelled good when I took it out of the microwave. It even looked and to a certain extent tasted good. However, I began to experience a weird bitter aftertaste and a crunchy, gritty texture that I had no clue where it originated. I looked at the ingredients and finally saw the extensive flavor additives and random crap they added, including "silicon dioxide", which according to wikipedia, is used to make protection tiles at the bottoms of space crafts, to make artificial sand at resort beaches, and for the case of jamabalaya, to encourage flow of liquids (in this case, the "spice" liquid that sloshes around at the bottom when cooking). No wonder why I tasted something sandy. So near the end, it ends up being spanish rice with that high-school cafeteria texture, a metallic bitter aftertaste...and sand. The sausage was good though....bu t's just RICE! How hard can it be to freeze it... Taipei Mongolian Brand Barbeque Chicken This is a pretty awkward dish in that it was actually inside a chinese box. And you cooked it inside its plastic wrap. Whatever the box says I guess. So I cooked it and upon opening it it smells REALLY good, partially because I was so hungry. So there were just two problems. One was that upon opening, expecting it to be filled to the brim with chinese goodness, its filled halfway (ripoff). Second, though it tasted good, it is DRENCHED in sauce that gets to be extremely salty afterwards. At least it left my fingers smelling good later. Typical chinese lunchbox dish...extra soaked. Okay if you're really that desperate. Marie Calender's Pot Pie (Creamy Mushroom Chicken with Real Portabello Mushrooms): Words cannot explain the sensual experience of this....I love you Marie Calendar...all 35 g of fat and 17 g of protein of you....fluffy savory crust, SUPER creamy gravy loaded with mushrooms with vegetables and CRAZY good chicken...filled to the brim....ARGHH!!! There is no way in hell this is frozen food...it actually LOOKS like the cover! The ingredients even list Sherry wine...unreal. Finished it off with milk...so full..... In conclusion, Marie Calendar's pot pie is actually better than some fresh pot pies I've had. Wow. Go buy some of that stuff right now. Seriously