CathyL

What was the question? Wood chunks are better than chips. Soaking chips doesn't really accomplish much - just gives you wet wood. isn't the aroma of pork/hickory/apple incredible?

Helena, thanks for the wonderful pictures - and for giving everyone the rare opportunity to compare the masterpieces of Poilane and Schoenfeld! Someone left behind a black pullover sweater - the label says Outlander.

I am very happy that I could provide a venue for this wonderful event. Like Sandra, I was inspired to bake again after a 10-year hiatus, and I'm glad I did. This is one of the reasons I love eGullet. Thanks to everyone who attended, for the glorious food and drink you brought, and for the unmatched company. Special thanks to those who cleaned up. You know who you are, and you know that I love you.

LIVE BULLETIN FROM THE BREAD EVENT!! Stefanyb: Live from the Bread Bowl. Kickoff was 3:00 and we are now still eating and schmoozing about the incredible display of breads that were presented. Jaybee:We've cast our bread upon the essers and the food gods are pleased. Toby: Saint Sandra Levine of Prosciutto Bread. Nina: Toby's "monkey bread" ain't no monkey business. ranitidine: You rulers and bosses have to understand--you have created a community, not just a food website for your colleagues in the business. Now you have to learn to deal with it. You are a bunch of intelligent capitalists. Figure out how to make money from it. Sandra Levine: Poilane, look to your laurels; Robert Schonfeld is here. SA: yvonne: what a bunch of losers cabrales: The proscuitto bread was particularly good. I enjoyed jordyn's champagne. Toby's pork belly rillettes were nicely pepperly. robert nesta marley: ditto on the proscuitto bread, probably because anything! with pork in it tastes grand to me! ohhhhh, and nina's babka! CathyL: Schonfeld's bread is better than Poilane's. Ste. Sandra of Proscuitto Bread, oh yes.

Stone, if you take a pork butt to 170º internal, it will be technically done but not pullable. Don't be too concerned with the meat temperature. Doneness is a condition, not a number. You want to cook the butt until a fork stuck into it twists easily. There's a comfortable margin of error for this cut, so don't sweat it too much. Some people achieve twistability by cooking the meat until the internal temp hits 195-200. Others, me included, cook until the internal temp stalls - typically 140-170 - and try to keep it around that mark. The stall signifies that internal fat & collagen are busy changing state from solid to liquid, which requires an enormous amount of energy, and is a good thing in terms of juiciness and tenderness. When I make pulled pork the internal temp rarely goes above 170, and I cook it for 20-24 hours. Have you checked out this site? Click. It's a well-regarded resource for bullet owners. I like your plan for monitoring grill temp first and worrying about meat temp later. I also think the carrots/celery deal is a waste of time, but I don't cook on a bullet. Try it if you want to. Consider your first effort an experiment. It will likely be edible, and may be great, and you'll learn a lot for next time. Keep a journal of time and temp readings - it's very helpful when you're getting started. Have fun.

We were Manele Bay regulars but haven't been for 2 years, and I miss the place. Were the dolphins around when you were? [apologies for off-topicness but it's so cold here]

Roast chicken with citrus, garlic and cumin. Romaine & radicchio with mustard/shallot vinaigrette. Fougasse from my recent bread-baking adventure, defrosted and crisped on a baking stone. Nothing special, but I had a kitchen epiphany. Browning a whole chicken before roasting has always intimidated me a bit - the breast skin sticks, I brown too much or not enough - but this one was perfect, and the technique finally clicked into place for me. Don't you love it when that happens?

Awbrig, is that Lanai??

Helena. On the way home I read Jeff Steingarten's piece on potato gratins from his newest book, so crusty edges and clots of cream are on my mind. What kind of cheese? What kind of potatoes?

Thought I'd give Stef a break.

Rosie, your name came up at dinner last night.

Bearstew, thanks for bringing this thread back up. I was planning to ask if anyone had visited American Fare, since I had dinner with the chef last night (a rare day off for him) in Manhattan. Phil Gassarro has been cooking at AF for over a year, and Ed has been giving him ever greater responsiblity in the kitchen while he focuses on the front of the house. I'm a friend of Phil's wife, who also hostessed at the restaurant occasionally. He's a really sweet guy and very passionate about cooking. I haven't yet been to American Fare so I can't comment on his food. But I think he'll be happy to know he's on the eGullet radar.

You're right, you're right. Still. The band was named after ol' Jethro, and according to some rag or other (Restaurant??) so was the dead flesh palace in Soho.

Don't know about the sauce, but I rather liked the BoDeans. Jethro Bodean was a character on 'The Beverly Hillbillies.'

Thanks for the report, Simon. A few questions: 1. Were the ribs dry or wet? 2. Any details on the smoker? E.g., gas-fired with wood chunks (what kind) added for smoke? 3. Are persons of the British persuasion likely to know the origin of the restaurant's name?

So well observed, so well written. Steve's so dreamy.

I have a cheapo wooden peel, which works just fine. It's never in the oven (or on the grill) long enough to worry about charring or combustion. Ben, removing a homemade pizza from the oven is so cool that no one will care what kind of peel you're using.

Yes, Blue, just shaped differently.

I have 3 bread knives: a murderous Wusthof (not suitable for anything delicate), a ceramic, and a no-name stainless. That's probably adequate, but if anyone wants to volunteer to bring another, it couldn't hurt. And if Ellen wants to bring her camera, the eGullet community will be spared my lame attempts at photography.

My cioppino wasn't as glamorous as Nina's. Just cod, with onions, garlic, red pepper, tomatoes & white wine. But it was delicious for dinner, and the little bit left over was a welcome cold-Monday-morning breakfast. The fougasse was flat, though. (Topologically, not culinarily.)

I'm supplying wine, goat cheese & Suvir's tomato chutney, probably some Turkish eggplant dip, and my house.

You're right, Rachel. Some people claim wrapping the cable in aluminum foil will protect it. I use the remote probe primarily for low-temp cooking on the smoker. For oven/grill temps above 400º I use an instant-read thermometer.

Irish Cream, have you tried calibrating the probe in boiling water? Most of these thermometers aren't intended for use at temps above 400º.

Blue Heron, how gorgeous. Muir Glen is my preferred canned brand. (For cioppino I buy the diced.) I think they taste fresher, and more tomato-y, than Pomi or canned San Marzanos.

I'm planning to do the same. With a fougasse alongside, if the baking gods cooperate.