furzzy

LOVE the really thin slices on the Hasselback (Hasselbeck?) potatoes!! I can rarely get mine anywhere near that thin. Beautiful Job!!

Funny - in these days of 'hi-falutin' cuisine & 4-star plating, this picture creates a salivation mostly unmatched. No doubt it has a lot to do with "Mem'ries" - that Je ne sais quois Anyone remember Chef Boy ar Dee pizza from a box? Wonder what that would taste like now.....LOL

Thank you, Ann_T. -- Here's a recent dinner, not beautifully plated, but oh so yummy! Got the Domestic Rack of Lamb on a sale from D'Artagnan (We really prefer domestic lamb - Colorado, in this case) ccooked to perfection on the Big Green Egg- The veggies are all organic/babies, roasted in Duck Fat with only S&P. The potato wedges then finished with a quick saute, also in Duck Fat (which I purchase from D'Artagnan also, in 10-lb buckets, which I repackage into 1-lb parcels & freeze.)

Morten Thank you so much for this topic. This hadn't come up on my radar At All. After the big salad oil scandal ('60s? '70s?) I thought everything was "cleaned up" (if I gave it any thought at all!) And thanks to everyone who added comments. I've learned a lot here, and will investigate further. I love eGullet!

Would you mind explaining how you flattened the celery to be able to cut those rounds? What cuts did you make? Pictures would be especially nice (I do realize that's a lot to ask.)

I'm not just admiring them. I'm hoping you got them online so you can tell me where you got them. I NEED some of those.

As I'm reading I'm munching on some Poilane. Let's see - toppings are: Brie (I'm not sure which one - I know we have at least 3 kinds of Brie in the 'fridge,) duck Rillettes (home made), Cypress Grove Purple Haze chèvre, & Hudson Vallet Foie Gras (bought th foie, then made my terrine with Armagnac - the Real thing) - all with appropriate "garnishes." A friend flew in just last night from Paris for a few days. She always brings me treats such as the aforementioned Miche from Poilane plus some of their punitons - and lots of other goodies I can't get here.

In tthe Chicago area they boought Wild Oats, which was great, but I'd have to say WF is an improvement.

dcarch Love the look of the lobster pasta. CONGRATS!

I loved, loved, loved Roselyn's brownies and chocolate eclairs. Broke my heart when they were shut down. Fox & Obel is definitely up & running now. I'm sure you're right about Eataly - except that F&O has easy/free parking - & there's virtually nowhere to park by the Mart.

Absolutely! I think I found it out by mistake once - one of those serendipity moments, Everything is coated evenly. And I actually use less salt this way.

I have the CookTek - it has a low-high range but ALSO A SET YOUR TEMP function. And it works! Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Yes.http://www.cooktek.com/product/cooking-front-house/cooktops/apogee™-single-counter-top-cooktop I just looked that unit up. It's over $2,000 here in Australia.I'm not surprised. I've had mine a few years, and it was around $1,500. Worth every penny - and I use it for my Sous Vide set up to maintain a steady temp.

I have the CookTek - it has a low-high range but ALSO A SET YOUR TEMP function. And it works! Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Yes. http://www.cooktek.com/product/cooking-front-house/cooktops/apogee%E2%84%A2-single-counter-top-cooktop

Thanks - looks like this may work.

You are welcome furzzy. I hope you let me and others know of your opinion on proper double searing. If done correctly, the flavors are very deep/robust. And safer for long cooks aswell.Help me out with "proper double searing" to give me a head start. How much on the first sear? I'll probably not SV, so how much if any) of the actual cooking goes with the first sear? Then is the second sear mainly for adding the depth & warming it up? I'd like to start this with the knowledge you've already accumulated, rather than re-inventing the wheel. The more I think about it, the more I'm getting into this idea. In my experiences, if using a blow torch, you can get some nice browning on a steak in 30 seconds per side. With a chuck roast or larger roast your looking at around a minute per side, but you kind of have to go by eye. I always go straight from sear to ziplock bag, then right into some ice water to stop carry over, then into the SV for whatever time/temp. After SV I either chill/freeze, or throw on the Infrared grill searing burner for a minute per side and serve immediately.Thanks - not sure when I'll be able to try this, but it's now on my "list" <SS>

My trusty 4" deep cast iron skillet is what I've always used. And make it pretty much the way others here do EXCEPT that I mix my seasonings (salt & whatever else - often cheese, sometimes herbs or spices) into the fat (I use either Duck Fat or Schmaltz plus a little Butter) just before or with the corn, after the one test kernel pops. I just got this recently when we were in the process of buying the Big Green Egg for my husband. It was so cute I just couldn't pass it up: I found it available on Amazon: Amazon Link It made just the right amount for the two of us with my tried & true method. The popped corn was as good as we've ever had. And the porcelain coating makes it easy to wash up...certainly easier than the cast iron, which is way heavier than this.

Not sure this belongs here, but here's my Sous Vide setup using my CookTek Counter-top Induction Burner; I put a pot a little off-center on this: http://www.cooktek.c...ter-top-cooktop which creates the necessary circulation. Note this unit can have the temp set on a 1 - 10 scale or by F degrees . Setting the temp is, of course the one to use for SV. Yes, it costs more than some SV set-ups, but shows the versatility of A REALLY GOOD INDUCTION BURNER. Voila! I used o teach some cooking classes for a major kitchenware store, so I've had lots of experience with some of the induction burners that can be had for <$200. Not Worth It At All.

Fresh isn't required, but it's nice to have the texture so different from the provolone.

It crossed my mind to wonder whether that would be easily misunderstood - thinking I meant Top Chef was on FN. So I guess I should have reworded it. LOL

Can't think I'll be watching anything on the Food Network. I used to like Top Chef, but agree with those who say they've gone too far into the "entertainment" aspect. Cooking Channel (spinoff from FN) has a few of the good old "how to" shows, mostly brought over from FN. PBS remains the best bet.

IMHO it's just a matter of two different kinds of breads, used for different purposes. Upstream I posted two different breads I'd made. One, baguette, is meant to have the slack dough/open crumb. It's good for lots of different things, but the best way to use it in a sandwich is by cutting it lengthwise to have crust on both sides. On the other hand, the 10-grain, tight crumbed loaf is perfect for sandwiches; but not so great for crostini. Both types of bread have their places. Not to mention the flatbreads, pitas, tortillas, etc., etc. I, personally, have always found getting a "good" crum on a baguette to be a bit more challenging that the tight crumb on a sandwich loaf - maybe that's why we see pictures of the "open" crumb more often - happily having had a success.

I have an app for bothiPhone & iPad called "FOODLE" from Pomegranate Apps that gives all that info. It's one of those "free" and then unlock a couple of features in-app for a pittance.

Not sure this belongs here, but here's my Sous Vide setup: I put a pot a little off-center on this: http://www.cooktek.com/product/cooking-front-house/cooktops/apogee%E2%84%A2-single-counter-top-cooktop which creates the necessary circulation. Note this unit can have the temp set on a 1 - 10 scale or by F degrees . Voila!

Oh wow! Would you just look at that crumb! Be still, my heart.

barbhealy - Thanks for bumping this topic. For years, I've gone back & forth between gas & electric. My personal choice was/is still for gas - EXCEPT that I got a high end, professional counter top induction burner a few years ago. http://www.cooktek.com/product/cooking-front-house/cooktops/apogee%E2%84%A2-single-counter-top-cooktop Notice that temp can be set on either a 1 -10 scale OR to a given temp. That's one of the things that sold me on this paticular one. And it's why I can Sous Vide without the expense everyoone talks about. I set the temp, then put the pot slightly off center to create the necessary circulation. Voila! If I ever have the opportunity, I'd do a setup with a couple of gas burners, 3 or 4 regular induction, and an induction wok burner.