Katie Meadow

Do most restaurants treat food left on the plate in the same fashion once it is back in the kitchen? What is that? Are there rules for health reasons or other reasons?

Thanks! I ended up cooking the pork very much as you describe. I started with Daisy Martinez wet rub, but her cooking instructions worried me: the heat was rather high, the meat uncovered the whole time, so definitely not low and slow. I started the pork on a bed of onions at 425 degrees, uncovered in a Creuset pot. After half an hour I turned the oven down to 325, added a minimal amount of white wine plus water (less than an inch) and covered the pot. I cooked it for about 3.5 hours more, checking a couple of times to make sure there was still some moisture in the pot. You are right, that was not an issue. I uncovered the pot for the last 10 minutes, cranked up the heat back to 400, and that was it. Roughly the cooking time was about an hour per pound (the pork weighed just a little over 4 lbs) and the meat was fall-off-the bone tender (well, without the bone) and succulent. There were three of us, including two men who eat like vacuum cleaners, and we still have a generous hunk for leftovers. I have some slaw leftover, so I'm thinking pulled pork sandwiches? Definitely an economical cut of meat--and not fatty, either. Most of the fat is on the top, and melts away into the sauce on the bottom, and as far as I could tell there isn't a lot of interior fat. I would like to try doing a bone-in skin-on roast if I can find one.

Exactly. And I have never heard a waiter call it a doggie bag either. Usually they ask if we would like that wrapped up? We don't eat out often, especially if there's only the two of us, and when we do there is rarely enough food to take home, since I have a husband with a hollow leg and a horror of waste. But since my daughter went off to college I've noticed that she and her friends, and my 20-something nephew who I now see regularly, are religious about bagging up whatever is not eaten. They get downright excited by the prospect of taking home real food. It's sweet. The funny part is that they often are just as happy to have everything put together in the same container.

Okay, I'm making Pernil for the first time. And I've read this thread. Unfortunately my pork shoulder has neither bone nor skin, just a layer of fat on one side. It weighs just a bit over 4 lbs. Prep for tomorrow's meal was done today: made a wet rub, very garlicky, and did the little cuts and inserted rub, then rubbed the remainder on the outside. The hunk is sitting in a bowl covered w/plastic wrap in the fridge. Then I started reading about cooking time and temps. Wild variations! Here's a small selection: Start oven 450 and after an hour turn it down to 300 or 350, cook about 1/2 hr per lb total. Start high, then lower but cover until the last half hour to crisp it up. Start low uncovered, cook an hour, then cover. Turn up the heat the last 15 minutes. Cook at 170 degrees six hours. Cook 250 degrees 3 or 4 hours. Time varied, depending upon heat, anywhere from 3 to 5 hours for a 4 lb roast. Put it on a rack. Don't put it on a rack. Put water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Don't put any liquid in. Baste. Don't baste. So....any advice? I'm getting the feeling that since I have only a modest layer of fat and no skin, perhaps I should be careful not to let it dry out. I have no idea what to do.

Aww....fresh picked local asparagus is worth every....drop.

Are you bored with all pie or just with pumpkin pie? I hate pumpkin anything, so I like sweet potato or apple pie or pecan pie, if it isn't too sickeningly sweet. I've seen some interesting pecan pie recipes lately that involve bourbon and/or espresso. Even one with bacon! If you are the opposite of me, and don't want pie but want something with pumpkin, one alternative to cake is pumpkin creme brulee. I've heard people say it's good. Or ice cream with caramel sauce and toasted salted pepitos. This will be my 32nd consecutive year having Thanksgiving with my husband's family. That will mean, OMG, that Thanksgiving of 2012 will put me in the class of doing it MORE than half my entire life. You can do the math. That's 32 years of my FIL's same cranberry mold from 1950 Sunset Magazine. My husband and I acquired the job of turkey and stuffing about 20 years ago. This is a family that doesn't much like change. And half of them don't like/won't eat the turkey or any stuffing that's cooked inside of it, although that is slowly changing as some of my SIL's encounter menopause and the need for some protein and the sons of vegetarian parents have become lovers of all things meat. The one thing that has thankfully bitten the dust is my BIL's vegetarian gravy. God only knows what was in it, but it involved several cans of something. My best guess: cream of mushroom soup, vegetarian canned broth and some obscure form of tofu or other soy protein. It was one of the worst things I've ever tasted. Yes, he's the relative with that greatest of all distinctions: doesn't make any food for the meal and doesn't do any clean-up. Bring on Thanksgiving!

Perhaps there is something going on with the Hawaiian pineapples these days. I have been disappointed in nearly every pineapple I have purchased this summer. Twice last month I experienced a spoiled (one brownish, one not) interior while the pineapple in the store appeared firm, and definitely not over-ripe; I barely had enough useable fruit for the dessert I planned. I'm going to start buying what appear to be under-ripe pineapples and see if that improves the odds. I particularly like my pineapple on the tart side, but I don't remember having this problem before this year. I usually try to pull out a couple of inner leaves, the theory being that they should come out fairly easily. Don't know if there's any real science behind that, but I usually was able to pick a decent pineapple if the fruit also seemed firm but not greenish. Now I just don't have a clue. In my opinion, Mexican pineapple is far better than fruit grown in Hawaii, but it is very hard to come by. When I lived in New Mexico it seemed easier to find than here in CA, and when I first moved to west coast it seemed possible to find some from south of the border. No more--I never see them.

I make ham stock and keep it in the freezer for beans, soups, etc., but I never heard of ham base. I looked it up and low and behold it's a common product. Some seem more natural than others. The creepiest ones have "ham flavor" as the main source of ham. The instructions on one of these products says to use 1 T base to 1 cup water. That's awfully strong concentrate. I can't see how you would make your own except to make a very strong ham stock, and then cook it down a lot, the advantage being economical storage and the ability to control the strength of the flavor by diluting as desired. I can see how it would be useful for fast gravy; you wouldn't have to spend time cooking down the stock. On the other hand, it takes a fair amount of heat/energy and time to cook down stock to that degree of concentrate, no?

Andie, the recipe you reference on line is the same as mine as far as eggs, milk, flour and butter proportions. For the apples I take one large or two small apples, cut them into 1/3 inch wedges (don't even bother to peel them) and saute them in a pan with butter, a little sugar and cinnamon for a few minutes. They get set aside, and after the batter is poured into the buttered pan, the apples simply get arrange on the top. I think they keep the center from puffing as much as yours. Maybe the apples could go on the bottom, and then the batter could be poured over them and it might puff more. It is awfully good with the brown-butter apples.

Andie, we must be on a similar wavelength. Yesterday morning I couldn't find anything I could toast, so I was forced to actually cook something. I made a recipe I have for Dutch Apple Pancake. It looks like your Dutch Baby, but has caramelized apples baked into it. Having not grown up with Dutch anything, I really never heard of this type of puffed pancake until relatively recently. Considering the ingredients in my recipe, the result is, not surprisingly, kind of a giant reverse horizontal popover and comes out looking much like yours, with the height on the sides and the crater in the center. I bake mine in a cast iron skillet. The recipe calls for a dusting of powdered sugar but I see no need. I assume that Dutch Baby is the name of the pancake, and the dedicated pan is then the Dutch Baby Pan? What else do you do with that pan? A good breakfast, though. But back to reassuring toast today.

My Viking (close to 20 yrs old now) has uncoated cast iron grates. Rust does not seem to be an issue. My gas Weber grill came with porcelainized grates and I found them problematic, so I replaced them with plain cast iron, and that was much better. Maybe treat your grates as you would to prevent rust on any cast iron skillet? Clean with warm water and periodically rub on some vegetable oil? Although I have to say, we do use a little dish washing soap on them when cleaning the stove after use and it doesn't seem to make them more likely to rust. I agree with the poster who suggested contacting the maker.

To follow up: consultation with husband resulted in the purchase of the Viking. I think the manly heft and extra blades did it. Anyway, I couldn't be happier. It purrs and feels like a tool instead of a toy. Sprang for the red one. The retractable/adjustable cord is super convenient, and the position of it is not as annoying as I feared. Never did get up close and personal to the Waring, but it's got to be a great deal for the price.

From the responses here I would conclude that the variety of accompaniments you like with yogurt is directly proportional to how much you actually like yogurt. I'm picky about yogurt. I hate all those supermarket brands that have fruit or flavor mixed in. I do like Fage Greek yogurt--the 2% tastes like whole milk to me--and I do like Strauss plain whole milk yogurt. Trader Joe's European style yogurt is a pretty good sub for the local Strauss organic. Generally I don't like fat-free yogurt. Sometimes I like a lace of honey in plain yogurt. My latest discovery is yogurt with lekvah. Don't know what lekvah is? It is the thick prune paste that goes into a prune danish and other baked goodies. It's easy to make, flavored with a little lemon zest, cinnamon, etc. I like yogurt with berries and especially with cold grapes (adding a sprinkle of brown sugar to bowl w/grapes: yummy!) I like it mixed with cucumber as in a raita to go with Indian food. I could see it on the plate with chopped apple with Indian food, but apple would be low on my list of fruits to have mixed into yogurt. I don't like it with granola or any cereal. I don't care for it in smoothies. I don't like it with any of the toppings you might find at a frozen yogurt joint. I don't want it within spitting distance of my oatmeal or waffles. Cheetos and yogurt is possibly one of the worst ideas I have ever heard, so thanks for that. Cheetos and beer is fine, cheetos and a Bloody Mary is spectacular. Peanut butter and yogurt sounds awful to me.

Perhaps the phrase "enjoy cooking" doesn't really go to the heart of the matter. Those who enjoy cooking and who already have some skills, no matter how minimal, probably don't eat fast food the majority of their evenings. The people who are not cooking are people whose obstacles include some or many of the following: being a single parent, poor access to grocery stores other than convenience markets, jobs which cut across dinner time, one or two jobs that are exhausting, kids to take care of, lack of good transportation, and lack of basic cooking knowledge (must be many reasons for that.) Even if you have some skills in the kitchen, cooking can be work if you are exhausted, hungry, and need to spend time with your kids--who are in the same state most likely, and who have homework that needs some help in addition to everything else. Just looking at the numbers Bittman quotes he's probably right that most people could cook and eat better for the same or less money, but finding the motivation and mental space needed to learn new skills and habits is beyond complicated. I don't think it can be done without a better support network for all parents and working people. That would be access to high quality subsidized daycare, health benefits, cheaper more reliable public transportation in smaller cities and instituting some type of home ec program in elementary and middle schools to give future families some building blocks. I'm sure that many parents would be pretty happy if once a week homework was nothing but making dinner. Then it might be easier to shop together for groceries and produce homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Would anyone with kids disagree that at least 25% of homework assigned in all schools is busy work and helps no one?

Agree 100 percent on Pho Ao Sen. I've been going there for years and it is my very favorite pho. The broth is delicate, not fatty, and not on the sweet side. And it comes to the table hot. Plus I'm extremely fond of the homey atmosphere. However, not much else on the menu stands up to the pho. Down the street a few blocks is Pho King. I haven't ever been but they have a reputation for the Bun Bo Hue. Yes, that's right, Pho King is fun to say.

Mmm, those look lovely. I have two ways to do trout, both really simple. In warm weather I use the outdoor grill. I salt and pepper the cavity and the skin (a little paprika is nice, too), and just make sure to oil the fish and the grill well. It does tend to stick a little, especially if the grill wasn't brushed clean well enough, and doesn't always come off the grill looking pristine, but it's presentable. I don't have one of those folding fish holder thingies for the grill, but for delicate fish that might come in handy. When I don't feel like grilling I saute in butter. I use a heavy cast-iron skillet, generous amount of butter, and cook the trout slowly; when they are done the skin is a bit crispy and you can use the pan juices for a buttery sauce. If you cook them gently on a low flame they don't tend to stick. Sometimes I do what Richard does, which is slice up some lemons and put them in the cavity, often with a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary. I never bother to bone the fish before cooking, it's really easy to lift the entire bone structure out in one piece afterwards. None of my guests have ever complained about having the bones in, but we don't have state dinners here. The plainer the better. Just about my favorite fish.

So I'm screwed, with both of these mixers having non-adjustable cords on the passenger side. At least the Viking cord is sort of higher up, which might make it somewhat less annoying. Clearly the only reason I bought the newer KA that I now own is because I was suckered in by the clever 3-position swivel cord set-up. But in every other way it is junk. One of the blades fell out during mixing. In addition, the blades are difficult to lock in and the button that unlocks them for removal requires super-human strength. Oh well, maybe I should consider this as part of a campaign to build up my right biceps.

Okay, one last question for both Waring and Viking users. I'm left-handed. I want my cord exiting from the driver's side of the machine, or at least from the middle of the back. When faced with right sided cords for hand-held appliances like mixers or irons, I want to hurl the thing out the window. I can't find any details about where the cord is on either of these mixers, so lemme know, since this could be a deal-breaker. Thanks!

The Waring Pro WHM 100 10-speed is available at Macy's for $20 right now, not including tax and shipping, which still brings it in at just under $30. Most other sources are currently charging about $39 for it, some with free shipping. This Waring and the Viking both have a 250 watt motor, for what that's worth. Just noticed that the chrome 9-speed Viking is on sale for $85 on Amazon, but that does not included free shipping.

To be fair, no appliance is sexier than a husband who likes to knead bread. It's partly the money, but that's that real reason we really don't need a stand mixer.

Wow, those helicopter blades are getting loud. Is it really worth an adult's time to puzzle out WHY a kid wants cold pizza for lunch? PJ wants cold leftover pizza. You are saying no. Pick your battles, there will be plenty of harder ones. Like when he wants a container of ranch dressing with it; that's when you know it's time for him to start fixing his own lunches. If you make home-made pizza the night before it will be healthy and tasty for those who want it hot or cold.

Pierogi, the Viking sounds impressive. I don't have a standing mixer and can't really justify it given the limited baking we do, but I've been unhappy with the light-weight cheap hand mixers I've used since I stupidly gave my old workhorse KA to my daughter. The Viking comes in a manual 5-speed and a digital 9-speed. Which do you have? The lowest price I could find on the 5-speed was $80 with free shipping from Cutlery and More, although I didn't spend a lot of time researching. The 9-speed digital is $99, also w/free ship. Both are described by the manufacturer as light-weight, but I guess that's relative. The pricier model comes in bright red with a black handle. Like hot lingerie. That must be the sexy one, yes?

Another year or two of making lunches and you will be so happy to have some cold leftover pizza from the night before. Cold pizza was a treat for my daughter. And since I don't particularly care for leftover pizza, especially cold, I was always so glad she wanted it. Talk about easy. Those tuna and turkey and PB & J sandwiches can get awfully tiresome. (Of course those were the days when peanut butter and guns were allowed in school.) Sad to admit, I was never the bento box kind of mom. At least I wasn't like the mother of one of my daughter's friends in elementary school. This woman used to actually call me up at 7 in the morning and tell me she ran out of bread, and could I please make Zoe a sandwich! The truth is it makes college life a lot easier if you like cold pizza. Not exactly relevant here, but we just made a discovery this year. Microwaved leftover pizza is pretty awful, and reheating in the oven takes too much time, and we have never had a toaster-oven. But pizza, if not a thick, piled-high type of pie, actually can be put by the slice into a toaster and turns out pretty well. Weird, I know.

Greetings from Oakland, Scotty. I was away for a few days and have now caught up to your blog. Glad it's you and not me, but so fun to see pix of my neighborhood. Sounds like you prefer Monterey Market to Berkeley Bowl for major shopping. I like it too, but it's a bit farther to go (and I shop on four wheels, not two!) For seafood I agree, there's no place like Tokyo Market; the only fish counter I know that will clean fresh sardines for me without making me feel like a crank. Ah, Market Hall and the Pasta Shop. Spoiled we are. When I lived in that neighborhood (probably before you were born) Market Hall was just a weedy empty lot. Most of the year my neighbor was allowed to park his overflow Cortinas there. In Nov and Dec it was a Christmas tree lot. Now you can't turn around in that space without knocking over a hunk of $30 lb cheese. Good, though! No wonder my daughter had to work her way through college. I've never been to Brown Sugar Kitchen, but it sounds like fun. What do you like there besides the chicken and waffles? I'm not a chicken and waffles kind of gal, but any place with shrimp 'n' grits works for me. I took a look at their menu. Interesting. The menu changes somewhat day to day and on the weekends; certain days are grits days, and others not. Lovely blog, lovely food.

Daisy's sofrito includes a mix of cubanelles, ajices dulces and one red bell. Finding specifically PR peppers and other ingredients is not easy around here; even the giant Mi Pueblo market, which carries many different kinds of fresh and dried peppers, carries mainly Mexican staples. So I used the best available peppers that I could find without going far from my usual haunts. I'm sure that growing up on the upper west side in NY I could have easily found PR foods, but that was long before I was interested in cooking. My mother pretty much shopped in a triangle that included Barney Greengrass, Lichtman's bakery (gone) and Williams bbq (still there, dunno?) There were loads of little Latin groceries all around us, but you can believe that my mother never bought anything she didn't easily recognize. She has lived most of her 93 years in NY and has still never eaten anything from a truck, didn't know what a tuna melt is until I made one for her last year, and has never eaten a falafel. This time of year the quality and variety of peppers at the farmers' market is fantastic, but they are often unmarked, beyond "sweet" or "gypsy." There are all colors and shapes, and mostly delicious. Probably they grow different types of seeds near to each other and they cross pollinate, I have no idea really. I simply bought a variety of sweet peppers (not bells) from two different vendors, and since they seemed so mild once I got them home, I added a couple of jalapenos that were already in the fridge. When I say they were hot, that would be only in relation to what a jalapeno is usually around here, which is mild verging on tasteless. Nothing like the heat of a habanero or a Hatch New Mexican or what used to be available in NM and sold as jalapenos, which had some kick.