FoodMan

The professional is +/- 0.07 so that's not that much difference then +/- 0.10 I don't even own a thermometer that's that accurate as my thermapen is old and doesn't do .1's That's kinda scary, but I expect it's over engineered for that... or else they'll have a lot of complaints from active home users. What is the other unit you went with? The 2/3 days per week is, IMHO, BS from a rep who has no clue what they are talking about. If it is that "sensitive" and fragile, then it makes no sense for it to even have a warranty. Nor would it make sense that the timer goes all the way up to 99 hours. Something like that should also be clearly stated elsewhere on the site or in the instruction manual and explicitly worded as to how many hours it can be used.

The carnita recipe is in the book. Sorry if I misunderstood your request.

How's the display? The noise? It's perfectly silent more or less. Faint humming if you are really close by I suppose. As for the display I guess if you are standing sort of sideways/diagonal and trying to read it it's a bit faint looking, but honestly I had not noticed till now when I went to check and see. I cannot imagine anyone really having an actual issue with the display. BTW, here is a detailed comparison of the three Polyscience SV products: http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/sousvide-professional-comparison.php So, the temp precision (in the kitchen, really 0.1 is way more than enough), pump strength and several other bells and whistles are what differentiates the Creative from the more expensive specimens.

I got the Creative for Christmas (thanks dear wife ) to replace my ailing eBay purchased circulator. So far it's been performing great. It's not exactly intended for "light" use per se from what I understand. It's more like intended for home use, as in if you use it in a restaurant kitchen, the warranty is void. Also I think the temperature precision is +/- 0.1 as opposed to the 0.01 for the professional.

Few things I tried recently: Pressure Cooked Carnitas. I served these with tortillas, refried black beans and stewed pumpkin. The pumpkin recipe is from Diana Kennedy's Oaxaca al Gusto (aka the book with the worst and dumbest index ever) and it is delicious. The carnitas were quick and great, I would just cook them a few minutes longer for a more tender texture. The vegetable stock cooked sous vide is just amazing. I think Chris Hennes already mentioned this, but it's basically vegetable juice and tastes delicious. I used the stock to make the caramelized parsnip apple soup in the pressure cooker. I served this as a first course for Xmas dinner and it was a huge hit. Another sous vide stock I just prepared is the fish stock. Also has a wonderful clean, concentrated flavor and aroma. I plan to use it in a sauce tomorrow. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Yeah, I know celiac is a real and serious illness, but the whole "gluten free" craze is driving me nuts. It had become a marketing gimmick that bestows the aura of "healthy" on anything. Now everyone and their mother thinks they are "gluten intolerant". Same with the latest new "super berry from the Amazon rainforest" BS. Sent using Tapatalk 2

Tried the egg pasta dough recipe to use up leftover turkey and made some delicious tortellini in brodo. The dough worked great and had the perfect texture for working with and eating. This might be my favorite pasta dough recipe yet. The broth is pressure cooked with some turkey carcass, skin, a few short rib bones and aromatics. Filling included some stuffing, bacon and parmesan cheese. I know I'm late to the party with this epiphany, but yesterday was the first time I've tried SV cooked burgers. I ground them with a little frozen butter from all chuck beef. Cooked them per the instructions to rare and then seared them on cast iron for a few seconds. I cannot believe I've waited this long to try that. Perfect in all respects. Sent using Tapatalk 2

Personally i found the boil in the right ratio of water ridiculous. It had little real benefit, and a lot of risks. The amount of needed water will be dependent on the level of boil (more or less evaporation), and you're having to calculate ratios to boil pasta! When i read that i honestly said to myself "ok, this is where the MC team jumped the shark and is doing stuff for the sake of complexity". I was very happy to see they addressed that in MC@H. You really don't think boil and drain is easier than "calculate ratio, boil, adjust heat because it's too high, add water because my pasta isn't ready and the water is gone, don't walk away because otherwise it'll mess up, add cheese"? I have tried both methods (boil in ratio, and boil and drain) and there was absolutely no difference. To each their own, but to me the ratio method was MUCH more complicated. Heh...you definitely are right about "to each their own" Jason. I've done the mac and cheese a dozen times or more and have never had an issue or complication. Just weigh pasta, tare and add water and cook. Crazy easy, less wasteful and less cleanup. It also takes advantage of the starch in the water I think or am I wrong about that?

Nothing really to add about how delicious the mac and cheese is from MC and MC@Home, but I did try the version made with milk recently from MC@H and everyone of course loved it...especially the kids. Now, as an observation, I was surprised that in MC@H they ask you to boil the macaroni traditionally and drain it. WHY?? One of the big pluses to the MC process is that you boil the pasta in a specific amount of water and no need to drain it. Boiling and draining is not an easier or more homecook-friendly method at all. In any case I used the MC ratios for that and did not drain the pasta.

Got my replacement today from Amazon CA. In an Amazon box, in a gift bag and in the proper MC cardboard box.

I agree 100%. It's not just a stretch to call that a paella. It's not even in the same ballpark! an Arroz or even risotto is more appropriate.

I don't have the book in front of me, but what I think this means is 300 gr of milk OR Cream OR Syrup. You could use a 1/3 each probably too, but I do not think that was the intention.

Mathewr- What effect are you going for? BBQ sauce alone in a siphone charged with NOx will most likely come out like thick forth but will not hold it's shape. To make something like a shaving cream consistency with for example, you need to give it some structure with protein, like gelatin. Hope this helps.

I made the BBQ spareribs and Kansas City sauce again and we all already know how awesome these things are, so I'll skip that part. I'm not sure if we've mentioned the Baked Beans though. These are seriously good beans and very simple to make. Just pressure cook the beans, reduce some stock, onions, maple syrup...combine the two and cook SV for an hour. The result is delicious, rich with just the right balance of sweetness (not sickly sweet), tartness and smoke. I made these beans without much planning ahead so I had no tomato confit on hand. So, I substituted a little tomato paste instead (I used maybe half the weight of the confit). [Moderator note: This topic continues in Cooking with "Modernist Cuisine" (Part 4)]

PB&J Gelato Microwave Chocolate Sponge Cake My first try from MC at Home is a dessert, specifically the PB&J Gelato and the Microwave chocolate sponge cake. I decided on the gelato because the original one in the MC books was fascinating but I never got around to trying it. In this case I needed to make my regular batch of peanut butter anyways and I had like five lbs of grapes that needed to be used up (long story...). I decided on the chocolate sponge last minute just to make a plated dessert. First I made the the PB just like I always do. Roasted peanuts and a little salt in the food processor. Blitz until pretty smooth. I juiced the grapes in my Breville juicer and got a decent but not great yield. A Champion would fare much better with grapes I think. The recipe asks for roasted peanut oil. I could not find any at a couple of stores I went to including Whole Foods. So, I improvised by mixing a handful of crushed roasted peanuts in the required amount of peanut oil in a small pan. I heated the mixture but did not really fry the peanuts. I turned the heat off and let it steep then strained it. The oil smelled intensely of roasted peanuts and did the trick for the recipe. The rest of the recipe was pretty easy. The sponge worked ok, but I think the batter is a bit too thick and I had difficulty extruding it from the siphon. Also I am pretty sure you are supposed to shake the canister well after charging with the NOx to make sure the gas mixes with the batter. To serve it I caramelized some bananas and drizzled the plate with grape molasses. The gelato has an amazing texture and a brilliant intense flavor. It was very smooth, creamy and rich and tasted like PB&J! I am planning on trying the Pistachio one soon after the success of this one.

True and I've done that before. I just wanted to make sure I do not get a second one shipped the same crappy way. Seemed like this is the best insurance.

I talked with Amazon.ca CSR earlier and I am getting a new one but it is a bit of a hassle. Basically here is the drill that the very nice rep recommended did: - Refund the one I have and email me a label to return it - Gave me a credit for the difference bewteen current price and price I paid (~$25) - Order replacement and apply the credit to it AND check the gift option to ensure it comes in a box - When I get the new one, probably next week, I'll use that box to ship them the damaged one - When they get it, I'll get refunded my $$ Again, bit of a hassle...but I'll hold on and use my copy till I get the new one. Their customer service is always very courteous and nice. OTOH, he kept insisting that the reason it was sent like that is because of the aforementioned "Shipped in manufacturers original packaging..." disclaimer. Anywho, hope this helps.

I did "clean up" most of the sruff marks but one of the corners is actually kind of broken. Sure the books themselves are in mint condition and the box did its job of protecting them, but I think I'll be contacting Amazon for a brand new one like Judy from MC recommended. I paid for a new set and I expect a new set! In the meantime I can keep flipping through the one I have and so far it looks like a fantastic addition to the set. I have to try that peanut sauce...

My wife signed for the package and was nice enough to send me a few pics. Here's how it arrived from the fine folks in at Amazon CA...the shrink wrap torn and everything: Very disappointing, but I won't be sure how bad the damage is until I get home tonight, check it out for myself and decide if I want to bother with getting a new one or not from them.

I'm assuming Howard re-ordered the third copy and selected the gift box this time. Mine should be delivered today apparently via DHL. We'll see what I get when I'm home this evening.

Was it sent DHL or UPS? Mine is DHL and just cleared customs. I'm hoping it's in an actual DHL box.

Right. I missed that the "manufacturer's packaging" should include an MC cardboard box which contains the shrink-wrapped books/sleeve. Good point. I suppose we should always check the "gift" box when ordering from Amazon.CA!

Great. Now I'm concerned I might have the same issue and I'd have to go through the hassle of returning it...How stupid can they be for sending it like that!

Mine just shipped from Amazon.CA. A bit earlier than I expected too!

Ha ha..well we might end up paying the same when it ships. I did not use the Amazon CA currency converter. I took the CAD total of $96.10 and plugged in my phone's app for converting currency and based on today's rate it's about $97 or so.