Shel_B

Yes, it's a gift, and I want to get him something I know he'll like. I don't know enough about tequila to try some other brand, especially based on a recommendation from someone I don't know and whose taste may not reflect that of the recipient's. Thank you for your response.

Yes, he's a Cuervo guy, for whatever reasons, and that's why I'm looking for something that I know will satisfy him. I see that there are a couple of choices that will be satisfactory in the Tradicional line, although that Cuervo Anejo Reserva de la Familia seems like it would be a real treat for him, so that's what I'll look for and get if it's affordable to me. Otherwise some of the aged Tradicionales will work, and are probably easier to find.

I found this thread as I had just enjoyed a Kitchen Sink Salmon for dinner and was curious if there was any discussion about using the technique. This was the only mention I could find about sous vide salmon, although I recall some discussion elsewhere that at least touched on the subject. I bought a frozen, Alaskan salmon fillet from Trader Joe's, which was about 3/4-lb and rather thin - maybe about 1/3-inch. After defrosting in it's sealed package, I just put the fish into the kitchen sink filled 1/4-way with hot tap water. The hot water from my tap is 122-degrees and, from a previous discussion on cooking salmon, that seems like a good temp. I just let the fish sit in the hot water bath while I prepared the salad and set the table. Maybe twenty minutes later, the fish came out of the bath and made it to the plate, where I added a slight sprinkle of salt and a gentle grind of pepper. Man! The salmon was just how I prefer it, just barely cooked through. Is anyone else preparing salmon, or other fish, in this manner? Any tip or experiences you'd care to share?

I know next to nothing about Tequila, and I want to get the maintenance man at my apartment complex a gift. It came up in conversation that he's a Cuervo drinker. What are the differences between the various styles and which might be considered the best. Thanks!

The really dark, almost black stuff.

At the TJ's that we frequent, we bring the returns to the checkout stand along with our purchases, and a credit is issued at the register at time of purchase. A manager, in response to a signal, does come over to authorize the transaction.

I second clafoutis, and have several good, proven recipes.

Apart from the sumac I received a good amount of Aleppo pepper. It is now my favorite red pepper. Much more flavorful than cayenne and the typical red pepper flakes that one often uses, and while packing some heat, it's not at all sharp or bitter. I love the stuff and have promised myself to never be without it in my pantry. I now have to start looking for a good supplier here in the States, although it will be a while before I need any. I also received some Urfa peppers, and black cumin seeds. I've not tried them as yet, but soon. I don't consider this to be a "haul," just a nice amount of some new spices to play around with.

The pig sty Safeway stores around here have higher prices than the local Whole Foods that I sometimes shop at. And one small, local chain in the area has higher prices on many items.

Thanks for the Jerusalem link. I don't participate in Facebook in any way.

How much water and how much cornmeal do you use? Is there a need to adjust the amount of wet ingredients in the recipe when you hydrate the cornmeal?

Thanks for all the ideas. The friends who got me the sumac (and other spices) will be coming to dinner in a couple of weeks, and I want to include some of the spices they brought back.

Just doesn't do a thing for me ... sorry.

I forgot about rendering bacon fat in water - probably because I very rarely eat or use bacon. Some people loved the cornbread and some were indifferent. I somewhat expected that based on what some of the people usually eat - lots of prepared foods.

Trader Joe's has bacon pieces - never tried 'em though.

How do you cool an angel food cake upside down? Why is it necessary? Did the cake taste OK?

It's great to see a nice, simple, traditional 4th of July BBQ plate. Thanks for posting the pic.

I will, and maybe I'll pick up a few slices of bacon when I get the lard, make two cornbreads, and compare the results. I could render the bacon fat in the oven, which I wasn't thinking about when I posted earlier. That's much more satisfactory and acceptable than rendering in the skillet.

I just called The Local Butcher Shop (http://thelocalbutchershop.com/) and they carry lard. I think I'll try some with my next cornbread instead of bacon fat. The idea of having to cook bacon and render the fat is not appealing to me.

Me, too.

I made Andie's recipe tonight and here's a Q&D pic of the results: I did make a few adjustments out of necessity. Since I had no bacon or bacon fat, I greased the skillet with grape seed oil and added 2 Tbs of butter to the batter. And, because the people I'm making this for might not appreciate a bare-bones southern-style cornbread, I added 15-grams (2 Tbs) of AP flour, and because they were sitting on the counter when mixing the batter, some thawed, frozen corn kernels for a little extra hit. In addition, I added 1-tsp of sugar as there was a slight bitterness in the bread I made yesterday with cornmeal from the same package. I believe the guests at our little party would appreciate them. I'm excited to see how this turns out. I baked for 26-minutes, the tester came out clean, but the top isn't quite as brown as the one in Andie's pic on her web site. Still, it's an improvement over the cornbread I made yesterday, although I used a different, and unsatisfactory, recipe.

Was bacon from the late 19th and early 20th centuries substantially different than what we generally buy in the supermarket these days? Was it cured differently, perhaps without nitrates/nitrites, made by smoking it more, or were different cures used? Thanks!

Maybe someone has a suggestion for transporting a skillet-baked cornbread. I plan to make one Saturday morning and will have to transport it and wait at least four hours before eating it. My concern is preserving the crispiness of the bottom crust. Any tips on minimizing possible softening of the crust? Or might it not be much of a problem? Thanks

Hello, Mauricio ...Bem-vindo ao nosso fórum para cozinhar. I like your idea to try to come up with modernist approach into traditional Asian cuisine. Perhaps you can start a discussion in our cooking section. It's possible that others have the same idea, and some may even have tried it.

I may try your recipe this evening, if not, I will definitely give it ago in the next week. It looks perfect for an everyday cornbread,and so easy to make. I need something like that in my repertoire.