bmdaniel

What did you do with the other 250ml?

Sorry, should've clarified - I was thinking about a neutral oil. Going back to grapeseed probably makes sense for this, especially given the cost of the refined walnut oil (although I originally started using because of omega 3-6 ratio).

What about if we add a constraint that the oil also has to be a good vinaigrette oil? Ive found that i dont like canola much in that application. Lately ive been using refined walnut oil, but its not a great high heat oil. Is grapeseed the best bet?

Which tasks/pans would you say this is the ideal material for? Frying pan and sauce pan?

The phrase "A pints a pound the world around" might help you here.

Kohai - This is kind of a tangent but seems like a good place for it- to get a good feel for these different styles, what bars in tokyo would you recommend (besides Tender obviously).

I pasteurize at 135 for an hour and a half per doug Baldwin. I make my mayo that way now that my wife is pregnant - I wouldn't bother otherwise.

Dallas is a BBQ wasteland. Besides that, your TX list looks pretty good.

I think Blue Star is essentially the current incarnation of Garland.

I did say I was daydreaming didn't I? (Although I didn't see a price on the website and didn't poke around much).

I was doing some daydream shopping for ranges a little while back, and it looks like Blue Star sells a home salamander: http://www.bluestarcooking.com/pr_salamander.html#top I've never used anything related to Blue Star but they seem to be well regarded for high end home ranges.

Why does this matter? Maybe I'm missing something but it would seem like any money you got would be better than just shutting down.

I was about to say the same thing - I always keep an atomizer of absinthe handy.

Not sure which Oxo you're referring to, but mine has 1/4, 1/2, 1, 1 1/2 and 2 oz markings. I've seen others that also have 1/3 and 3/4 oz marks... Mine is the same as KD's - I would prefer a 3/4, 1 1/4, and 1 3/4, but i don't think I'm off by that much on these more oddball measurements by going halfway.

I understand all of that, but from the pictures, it doesn't seem like the ProJig scores very well on that scale - in particular, over-pours will result in inaccurate measurements, you need to make sure you are pouring into the right compartments, etc. In fact, to your point on multiple jiggers, that would make more sense to me than this device, as would the OXO measuring device, in almost any situation. That's why I was asking what Chris's view on it was.

I think they are in essence thinning it less - I thought the early rounds of last season were 4 chefs, one goes on. They switch to the regular elimination process once they get the final 8 - I'm sure it lessens the time commitments for these busy chefs until they have a pretty good shot at winning it (e.g. the 9th best chef only has to be in one show vs. 8 in your format).

Have you used the OXO measuring jigger? Why do you think this one will be easier to use?

How tall is that upper shelf? I always find my biggest limitation in a shelf set-up is having enough space for the super tall bottles (Luxardo Maraschino, Corralejo Tequilas, etc.)

TCG - Drinkupny.com typically carries Alpenz products and ships to TX (despite their website's pronouncement to the contrary). It's not on the website now but I would keep an eye out if you can't find it locally (I wouldn't be surprised if Spec's Smith Street gets it either).

If you are looking for a specific recommendation, I prefer these: http://www.qualitymatters.com/Weston-Vacuum-Sealer-Bags-Variety-Pack-50-bag-p/qm300107w.htm to the foodsaver bags. You can buy them as pre-made bags (which is easier but less flexible) or rolls.

I occasionally use the croyvac bags from the purveyor with no ill effects to date. I'd be interested to hear whether these bags are just the same safe PE bags that I use when I bag myself.

My wife and I are planning a trip to Tokyo and Kyoto for about 8 days in mid-July. It’s our first time in Asia at all, and we are very excited about it! Whenever we travel, food is probably the number 1 priority, and so we are trying to have a broad, spectacular dining experience. Our budget isn’t unlimited, but shouldn’t be the main constraining factor either. I’ve tried to approach making a dining plan by thinking about all the categories we want to try during out trip, and then seeking out the best sounding options in each one (then trying to layer that on top of our day by day plans). I apologize in advance for the length of the post, but maybe it will be helpful to others planning trips as well. I’ve split our list up by category. Sushi Sushi Dai Sushi Miztuani* Pastry Shinjuku Isetan (Probably try to hit all the highlights here – are there any standalone shops worth visiting in addition) Tempura Kondo* Tenyou (Kyoto) Yakitori Fuku Tonkatsu Butagumi* Kaiseki Yuzuya Ryokan (Staying here in Kyoto)* Kikunoi Roan* Haute Cuisine Non-Kaiseki Quintessence (Lunch)* Also considering Tapas Molecular, Aronia de Takazawa and Les Creations de Narisawa Izakaya Aburiya Fudo: Azabu-Juban Ramen Menya Kissou Udon Omen (Kyoto) Soba Yabu Soba Tofu Tofuya Ukai Kobe Beef Dans de la Nature* Cocktails Bar Tender Apologies again for the long list. I’d love suggestions about better choices in each category, or major worthwhile categories I am leaving out. Our schedule is pretty full to hit all these places, so if we add somewhere new it means dropping something – please keep that in mind as well. In Tokyo we will be staying in Minato, but plan to be pretty mobile. Also, for places that need reservations I want to go ahead and try to start getting on lists before it’s too late – I’ve starred above the places I think I need reservations, so if I’ve gotten that wrong it would be very helpful to know as well. Thanks in advance!

Just got a shipping notification on my long-standing beach bum remixed pre-order - excited!!

I couldn't recommend the aeropress highly enough - definitely a solution to the fines issue.

Been playing a bit with the Green Hour Milk Punch I made for the Absinthe MixMo. A little bit of Absinthe goes a long way in a drink, but it hammers home the point to me that milk punch is a great vehicle for showcasing a liqueur or other strongly flavored spirit. Another great example is the Tiger's Milk, which is a spectacular Apry vehicle. Straight up milk punch (whether Brandy, Bourbon, Rum, or Sherry) is a great drink, but for some reason I think it's even more interesting as a showcase for another, harder to mix component,