saucée

When I was there a few months ago, I was told that the butters (or at least their raw ingredients) came from Wisconsin.

For pizza dough, I've found that good kneading is important. You want your bread to stretch out so that you can see through it (called "windowpaning"). This will ensure that you can stretch it thin, if that's what you're after. Long proofing (i.e. retardation in the refrigerator) and high hydration will make it slack. You still want it to be stretchy enough though, so that it doesn't tear when you shape it and kneading ensures this. josh

I usually eat eggs for breakfast and I am definitely getting older: this study is full of insights.

I use single edge razor blades. Slicing about 1/4 inch in at a 45 degree angle yields best results for most cases. josh

I used the Dutch oven technique, at 450F. No additional moisture (I don't generally think it is necessary for this method, but I could be convinced otherwise...). ← I'm not familiar with the dutch oven technique. Can you provide some details? ← This is a method where you preheat a dutch oven to 450F or so, then flip your loaf directly into it, slash, close the lid for 25 minutes while it bakes in the oven, then bake with the lid off for 15 minutes. I've just started doing it and it eliminates the need for steaming I think, producing a really excellent crust--it's a great method. You can even put your loaf on parchment, slash, and transfer to the preheated dutch oven on the parchment. I would suggest putting your dutch oven on a stone even still, as it protects the bottom from overheating and burning the bottom of your loaf a bit. Chris, do you use parchment? Your loaves look like you are handling them very gently. josh

I went recently and had the tasting. Immediately after I left, I planned on going back for the tour. The problem with the tasting is that you don't get the classics such as hot potato or truffle explosion (at least I didn't when I had it). I would say if you're not sure you're going to go again, go for the tour. On the other hand, it was an amazing experience. josh

That's fantastic looking--what an achievement. At what temp do you bake it and how do you steam it (if you do)? I assume you use a banneton? thanks josh

I often use roasted chicken bones for stock. It works, but what you'll likely get is a small amount of good stock. As for using roasted chicken, it can be repurposed in a variety of ways, from chicken salad, chicken tacos, or even something like a version of blanquette de poulet, making the sauce from your chicken stock and reheating the chicken in it. You can put that over noodles, sprinkle some gremolata on top and it will be delicious, comforting, and elegant. There are lots of ways to be creative with roast chicken. josh

You can make seitan out of it, but that wouldn't be baking. As for baking, cutting other flours with it might be a way to use it but that might take a while.

I live very close by the place I order from so about 50% of the time, the pizza was made less than 5 minutes ago. It's not that bad. I think, though, that you can't really evaluate delivery pizza by real pizza standards. Real pizza can be sublime but delivery pizza always pales in comparison due to the reasons you've mentioned. But delivery pizza, if made with delivery in mind can be good. If you get rid of the idea of a crispy crust and go for a puffier (but not too puffy) crust and put some fresh toppings on it, delivery pizza can be good. If you want sublime pizza, don't get it delivered. If you need something quick and inoffensive, find a place that knows how to produce a good delivery pizza. And I agree that Asian food is easier to make delivery-friendly.

I believe "Mahlzeiten" means "meal times." The entire product is called a "Trekking Mahlzeiten." "Trekking" most likely means hiking, so it might imply that this is food for hikers or backpackers. On the products webpage, it is also referred to as falling under the category of "Zwischenmahlzeiten," or, "snacks." Hope this helps (and is correct). josh

If your meat is burning, you just have to find the proper setting (maybe 7 or 8?) that will allow you to get a nice sear without burning the meat. It should be deep brown in color. This will make your sauce darker in color and richer in flavor. As for stovetop vs the oven, dutch ovens hold heat really well, so that if you are going to cook on the stovetop, its the best way to go. Using the oven will give you much more even heat which allows for even more stable temperatures. I usually bring my braises to a boil and immediately put them in a 300 F oven and it works. Then you don't have to worry about adjusting the heat anymore or whether your simmering looks right if you're unsure. I'm not sure what a "hard simmer" is exactly, but I usually simmer my braises gently in the 300 F oven. If you're looking to reduce the liquid, you can do that by reducing it after the meat has cooked. You could also use a parchment lid which allows for more reduction than using the LC lid. I usually just use the LC lid and reduce later if I have to, after I've degreased. josh

You don't have to really worry about drying the meat out--you are cooking it in liquid after all and ideally there would be a transfer of collagen from the meat and the aromatic braising liquid into the meat, as I understand the process. josh

I don't like the idea of test tube meat either and it seems to me that producing meat that way would turn it into a commodity (which would please the agro-industry) that is so disconnected from the natural course of things. As Jmahl said, we eat animals because they convert things we can't eat into edible protein. To produce meat in a test tube would be to make it into something that no longer serves that purpose. What purpose would it serve then? It seems to me only to feed our predilections and cultural impulses. There is nothing wrong with that, but I don't like the idea of those predilections becoming unmoored completely from the reason it works in the first place and the way it has functioned for many many years. That seems like dangerous territory to me. I think in some ways we're already in that territory though and these articles hint at some of the unforeseen effects of practices that have been in large part proceeding unguided, taking us to a place we might not want to be. As for cutting down on meat consumption, I think it's a good idea. In the long view, historically, it might be interesting to know how much meat has been consumed by people. I don't have any figures on this and haven't done the research, but I have a sense that our consumption of meat is far greater than it has been in many historical periods. That we assume that our eating practices are natural and shouldn't necessarily be subject to change is to be expected. Cultural practices are usually not designed by people writing articles or posting on eGullet. They probably never will be. On the other hand, I think its important to be as self-reflexive about what we do as possible. So on an individual basis, I think cutting down on meat is a good idea and I advocate it. Here's my two cents on statements that don't account for all the consequences: What statement can? Only some kind of Platonic ideal of a statement might take into account all consequences. Even if we try to take everything into account, I don't think we can. That's ok though I think because the collective balance of our dialogue hopefully makes up for it.

I think "bavette" usually refers to a thin steak that is quickly seared. It comes from one of two primal cuts: the plate (in which case it is the skirt steak) or the flank (in which case it is the flank steak). I think "bavette" is translated as "bib," referring to the flap-like shape of the meat. The hangar steak, while similar in many ways to these cuts (it also comes from the plate), has its own name in French, the "onglet." I'm pretty sure this is right--someone please correct me if I'm wrong. josh