Shel_B

For Christmas, I want to give someone a non-stick skillet. I checked reviews at CI and looked at the Calphalon site. CI mentioned that the winner of their non-stick skillet test has five layers of coating. Calphalon mentions that their Unison model has three layers of coating. Usually the top layer of a non-stick pan is PTFE. Is any other material used for the top layer? What material might the undercoat layers be? Would all undercoat layers be of the same material? How important is it to have multiple undercoat layers? Any other comments on the construction of non-stick coatings would be appreciated. Thanks!

The Local Butcher sent out an email describing their holiday turkeys and prices. They are offering "pastured-raised, Non-GMO project verified, tasty turkeys." The White Broad Breasted Turkeys are $9.00/lb. and the Heritage Breed Turkeys are $12.50/lb. Both of these breeds will be "fresh (never frozen), flavorful and free of hormones and antibiotics." These prices seem a little high to me, but I am comparing them to supermarket birds, and I haven't purchased a turkey in decades. The Local Butcher is a high-end shop selling only local meats and poultry, all of which is pastured, organic, or grass fed. They are a "nose-to-tail" shop, and the quality of their products is excellent. What kind of birds do you get and what do you pay for your them?

Actually, it answers my questions pretty well. I like the recipe and technique described in your link. I was making another batch of tomato sauce when I started reading the article at Serious Eats, and I incorporated some of the ideas put forth in the article. Thanks!

While I've made numerous meat sauces over the years, all with ground meats (beef, pork, turkey mostly), I've not attempted long simmering times - more than an hour or two. The meat has always had some texture and offered a little bit of tooth. Would a long simmer, say five or more hours, really get to a point that's similar to baby food?

I made a simple meat sauce last night, and while I was enjoying it over some spaghetti, I started thinking of how the sauce could be improved. I remembered that sauces like Bolognese and Sunday Gravy tend to be cooked for a long time, sometimes hours. What does long simmering bring to the table? More tender meat? Melding of flavors (although it would seem to me that some items may be overcooked)? Anything else that long simmering may contribute? Thanks!

Thanks, Katie ... we'll see what happens. I can't finish the project for Toots ... my schedule and location prevents me from getting to her house until Friday afternoon.

Toots started to make a soup this morning, and peeled a bunch of vegetables and put them into a pot with some water. She then got called away and now won't be able to start the soup until Friday. She'd like to know the best way to store these vegetables. I suggested keeping them in the pot with the water, covered, in the fridge. Is there a better way?

Contrary to everything I've read, so I welcome the other POV. I'll read some of the articles.

I've just started playing around with safflower oil. In fact, I'll be using it for the first time this afternoon.

Most canola oil is processed with hexane, a known carcinogen. I'd not consider that to be healthier than (extra virgin) olive oil. According to several sources, the smoke point of Canola oil is lower than that of olive oil (except evoo), i.e., it doesn't withstand heat better than olive oil.

I've been making toasted 'kraut for years, since around 1979 or so. I use it as a bit of crunchy topping when I make my Choucroute Garnie.

I'm curious - what do you consider "veg" oil to be? In what way is it different than canola oil? Oh, what veg oils do you use?

I've been eating baked potatoes about once a week for several weeks, and have been experimenting more with time, temp, and prep. An article on the CI web site suggested baking @ 350-degrees for about 75 minutes, and didn't mention oiling the skin. I tried that approach a few times in the past two weeks, and am now convinced that the CI suggestions are excellent suggestions. I cooked two potatoes of the same size at the same time, oiling the skin of one and not the other. I pricked the skins with a fork (same approximate location on each potato), and at the end of baking for75 minutes, the non-oiled skin was noticeably crisper. CI also suggests splitting the potato almost immediately after being removed from the oven, saying that the skin will be crisper. It seems to help. This is how I'll bake potatoes from now on.

The article mentioned not only pasta, but potatoes and white rice as well. I sent the link to my physician and asked her opinion about the story. Posted while enjoying a baked potato ...

They may be the same species, but the different yeasts behave differently, yes? And they may offer different flavor profiles, yes? I don't know how to kill it, and haven't any idea on how to incorporate the dead yeast into what I'm cooking, and I don't have a clue if dead yeast (of the type I'm describing) will add any flavor to various dishes compared to live yeast. In other words, I'm ignorant about this whole topic as it involves yeast, I don't know if my idea is ridiculous or if people have used it before, or if one strain of yeast is better for the purpose than another (heck, I didn't even know there are different strains of yeast). Because I am ignorant about the subject, your suggestions are meaningless to me without additional information.

That's not the yeast I'm asking about. I'm asking about the yeast used in baking bread. Heck, I didn't even know there was another type of yeast.

I often read in recipes and articles of a "yeasty flavor" in breads and baked goods. Can yeast impart flavor to other types of dishes, say, for example (and these are only examples and quick thoughts), when added to soup, meat, salads, omelets, and so on? How might one do that?

Rice freezes beautifully. Been doing it for years. The TJ's rice is always a good option for prepared, but it can get a little spendy compared to making it at home. Still, even though I make my own and freeze, both Toots and I usually have a few packages of TJ's around. We like the brown rice and the rice medley ... just wish the medley was organic like the brown and the jasmine.

Sometimes the obvious escapes me. Thanks, Shelby!

In order to save space when I freeze rice, I put the rice into 1-gallon freezer bags, flatten the bags so they are not very thick - no more than 1/2-inch (usually thinner, but I've never measured), and lay them out flat on the floor of the freezer. When I want rice, I just open a bag and break off a chunk or two, and replace the still flat bag. These bags can, of course, be stacked. I imagine the concept will work with other foods - berries come to mind, as do greens and nuts.

Thanks for all the suggestions. There are a few ideas here that are definitely worth experimenting with.

How do you steam them? Do you just use a steamer insert of some sort in a pot of boiling water? Some other technique?

I didn't read a whole lot of "scientific scrutiny" in that discussion. Lots of opinions, assumptions (including your original post that started the discussion, "Now assume that the typical surburban [sic] family drives a 25 Miles Per Gallon vehicle ..." and so on. Emphasis mine, spelling error yours <smile>. I quite reading that scientific discussion about half way through ... maybe the science part came later.

Where did you get that idea? "Raw" cashews have been available for sale in numerous commercial venues for years, however, it’s not likely you’ll encounter completely raw nuts. The so-called raw cashews sold in natural food stores are not exactly raw, but have been steamed. It is the case that the double shell surrounding the raw cashew (which technically is a seed, not a nut), contains a chemical that can cause skin rashes, and which can be toxic when ingested in large enough quantities. The outer shell of the nut is removed by the steaming process thereby eliminating any concern about toxicity. Here's one citation: http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawcashew.html and another (#7): http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-toxic-foods-we-love-to-eat.php

Yes, that might be a consideration. Here's a section of a screen shot of Jamie's salad ...