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Everything posted by Shel_B
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When sweetie and I were in NYC a few years ago, we had brunch/lunch at the Met. We enjoyed a nice, leisurely meal, the food was good, and the atmosphere great. IMO, well worth considering.
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This is bullshit ... sorry. The pan is not a Le Creuset (which is what this discussion is about), and the pictures aren't even yours. Plus, there's no real cooking going on here, just flour scattered over the bottom of a pan. IOW, it's not what or how anyone would cook in the real world. And, after looking through the article you copied from, I'm inclined to think your pronouncements in previous posts were little more than repeating what you've read elsewhere - taking things out of context - rather than from your own experience and personal testing. Now you can color me "cynical". In the article from Dave Arnold that you copied from, Arnold says, "cast iron’s characteristic properties make it an excellent cookware choice in the modern kitchen. Corn bread made the classic way, in a pre-heated cast iron skillet, highlights cast iron’s cooking advantages: its temperature delivery power generates a good crust, and its temperature-regulating power provides even, constant heat – leveling out the temperature variations of your oven." Even when he talks about the uneven heating that occurs with cast iron, his remarks are tempered, for example (and emphasis is mine): "If you heat the center of a cast iron pan you will find that the heat travels slowly towards the pan’s edge, with a significant temperature gradient between the center and the edge. The pan will heat very unevenly, because cast iron is a relatively poor heat conductor compared to materials like aluminum and copper. An aluminum pan will heat more evenly because heat travels quickly across aluminum. Because of poor heat conduction, undersized burners are incompatible with cast iron cooking. The edges of a large cast iron pan will never get hot on a tiny burner. On properly sized burners you can minimize hot spots by heating slowly ..." What he's saying is that the pan should be matched to the burner size, something that is recommended for all types of cookware, not just cast iron. Maybe that's why my caramelized onions turn out better than yours, as I always match burner size to pan size. He also seems to be suggesting that, because heat travels slowly in cast iron, preheating the pan may be a good idea. In fact, many recipes and techniques I've read in which cast iron is used for the cooking vessel, say right up front to preheat the vessel. Both in the oven and on the stovetop. Further, flour alone will burn quickly, but if one was making a roux, or a soup or a stew, longer cooking times would be used and there would be other ingredients, such as the liquid, that will allow the heat, even from a smaller burner, to spread slowly and evenly throughout the pan. Anyway, that's been my experience. So, just as with other cooking material, proper technique is important. I've said what I had to say, and am finished with this discussion.
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When figuring the weight of a pot for the purpose of estimating heat retention, etc., should the lid be considered? Might this be more of a consideration when using the pot in the oven vs on the stovetop?
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Thermapen for $79.00
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What do all those numbers mean? I don't understand the explanations and descriptions. Can you just tell us in a couple of simple sentences how iron and aluminum compare in the context of this discussion? Is the aluminum used in cookware, or, more specifically, the aluminum used in All-Clad, the same as the aluminum tested and shown in the linked chart? How might any differences effect the heating properties of the cookware? Likewise, the iron used in cast iron cookware.
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So, what ever happened to these guys?
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Last year I ran out of chicken fat and used duck fat in my chopped liver, and it worked out pretty well. I imagine that it would be fine in a paté. I also put some in matzoh balls at around the same time. Gave them a nice change from schmaltz-flavored balls.
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So, what do you use instead of enameled cast iron, especially in a Dutch oven configuration, which is what much of this conversation is about? What have you learned to work with? How do you account for the fact that so many people use enameled cast iron ovens (Le Creuset and other brands) if they don't have much utility? Speaking for my own small circle of friends who cook, they all use such a product, both in the oven and on the cooktop. What do you suggest they use instead?
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Where are you located? I checked your profile and see that you're one of the completely anonymous people in this group. If you're nearby, I invite you to my kitchen to make caramelized onions in a Le Creuset oven and, if you have the time, in a stainless steel sauté pan.
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Friends introduced me to the system yesterday, and one of the things that interested me was the recycling program for the aluminum pods. Here's one link and here's another. There's yet another link that I could not find again, but it describes how the used pods can be collected in a provided bag or box and sent back to be recycled at no charge to the consumer. OK, found it ... here's that third link.
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The Best Thing I Ever Done Nice video about what some say is the best pizza in NYC
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Never had that problem, and I've caramelized lots of onions over the years, using both the Le Creuset (my other one, not the one pictured above), All-Clad stainless steel skillets and sauté pan. I don't know what Tom Keller's technique is, so I can't speak to that, but my caramelized onions are done in a very traditional way. I'd be happy to share the technique with you. ETA: I checked out Keller's technique, and it's very similar to mine. Here's a pic of the onions towards the end of the cooking cycle in a Le Creuset. I don't see any scorching, or pasty looking onions. Perhaps you need to hone your technique, or maybe enameled cast iron is just not your thing. Some people have difficulty with certain cookware for a variety of reasons. For example, a lot of people have difficulty cooking with stainless steel. Click here ... you're not alone in your frustration.
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I take care of my things, very good care. As I said, the pot spent years in my garage gathering dust and used for storing assorted items. IMO, that's not babying ... you say that as if it's unacceptable to take care of one's tools. Frankly, I don't care if you're colored cynical ... that's who and how you are. The pot is colored white, and that's how it is.
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No ... the local pizza places are either chains whose crusts I don't like or some locals whose crusts I don't like, and TJ's is far more convenient.
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Trader Joe's Pizza Dough ... Has anyone tried it? Satisfied with the results? I'm thinking of making some small pizzas for Toots, but I dislike working with dough, and space is at a premium in our kitchens. Pre-made dough seems to be a solution, and TJ's is convenient and well-priced.
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Well, in the FWIW Dept, everyone I know that uses enameled cast iron (and I mean that literally) uses it in the oven, where it works very well, although they also sometimes use the pots on the stovetop. I've had excellent results with it on my cooktops as well (talking about the Dutch ovens here). Between my two Le Creuset ovens, which I've owned for a collective period of almost fifty years, neither has chipped, cracked, or scuffed, and one was used as a storage container in my garage for eight or ten years. That pot certainly was not babied. Contemporary Le Creuset ovens have larger, more ergonomic handles that provide a sure grip, even with oven mitts. Here's my Le Creuset pot that I purchased around 1975-1978. It looks to be in pretty good shape after all that time and having been used as a storage container in my garage: It really comes down to how one uses the pot. There is probably no single type of cookware that excels at every task, or should be used for every task.
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For quite some time I used an 8-inch Wustoff chef's knife, and ultimately found that I didn't always like the heft and the shape of the blade. Staying with the 8-inch theme, I acquired a Victorinox which I liked better for most uses because of it's thinner blade and lighter weight. But after using that for a while I realized that for most of my uses, a smaller blade was a better choice, so now I'm using a 6-inch Victorinox and enjoying it every time it's used. I also use two smaller blades, both Henkels, one forged and the other stamped. 95% of my knife use is for vegetables and fruit, so these knives work great in that they are easy for me to handle and allow for excellent control. These are certainly not fancy or expensive blades, but they do just what I want them to do effectively and efficiently.
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Wasn't necessarily thinking about buying a bottle of vermouth, rather, choosing a brand or style at a restaurant or pub. I sometimes use vermouth in cooking, but that's not very often. Can't recall when I last used the bottle I have now ... it's Noilly Pratt French Dry I believe. It's nice to know vermouth doesn't keep well for long periods ... thanks!
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From David Lebovitz's Blog, Homemade Tonic Water
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This morning I received notice of an open box sale for Thermoworks. Two or three different infrared thermometers are on sale, and the prices seem reasonable. I was wondering if by using an infrared thermometer, cooking results can be improved. I've always been curious about what is going on while cooking, and I know that temperature control can be an important factor, but never having used (or seriously considered) an infrared thermometer, I don't know how worthwhile they are. For those who have used them, have you noticed better results? In what ways, and for what foods or cooking techniques, have you used these thermometers? Are they better for certain cooking tasks?
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Thermoworks Open Box Sale ends Monday ....
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It's nice to know that you like the pan. Have you compared it to any of the D5 pans? I'm wondering how the two versions might compare WRT evenness of heating, heat retention, clean up, etc. I have two D5 pans and like them a lot. The ones I have seem to clean up easier than the regular tri ply, but they are different pans put to different uses. The lack of a nonstick surface is not an issue. I've pretty much stopped using my nonstick skillets.
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Thanks! More than I thought I needed to know, but you know what they say, "The more you know, the better your luck." I truly appreciate your input.
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While poking around this morning, I discovered that All-Clad now has a seven layer line of cookware. It's available at Williams-Sonoma. I'm a big fan of All-Clad - everything I've purchased over the past 40 or so years has worked well and lasted through the years. I cannot say the same for some other cookware I've owned. However, this seven layer design seems a bit of overkill, yet I am nonetheless intrigued. The 3 1/2 quart Dutch oven has piqued my interest Has anyone tried this cookware yet? Any comments or thoughts about it from anyone?