Chris Hennes

Not really a great word, just a cautionary tale... One of my first unsupervised cooking projects as a kid was making a lasagna, which called for three cloves of garlic. My parents commented on just how garlicky the lasagna was: I had put in three heads, not knowing the terminology. If you don't know, ask someone!

Even short-duration soaking can be very effective: one of my dishwashing strategies is to fill up the pots with water and set them aside; I wash all the knives, glassware, etc., and do the pots at the end.

Oops, you're right, I'm using a 16" wok (not 14" as I originally said): I think it's plenty big.

It did come with a wok, but I swear the thing is just gigantic. My big concern is cleaning it since it is far too large to fit in the sink: 14" is still big, but much more manageable. And I agree about the price... this was a gift .

I bought a separate, much smaller wok to use with mine, I think 22" is just too large to deal with, but the burner itself is great. No issues so far, but I've only used it a half dozen times.

Tom Colicchio tweeted today that Gail Simmons is going to be the host of the new show.

The short answer: hang away. The long answer: Cellars and Chambers for Curing and Aging. You may also be interested in Green Mold on Dry-Cured Sausages?! Chris Amirault and my visit to the Calabria Pork Store in NYC was very instructive in this regard, with tons of salume just hanging from the rafters in the lobby of the store.

When I do rolled truffles I don't dip them on a fork, I use my hand, and I roll them around a bit between gloved hands to get the chocolate layer very thin: this seems to help cut down on turning them into something more akin to filled Rochers , though I do wind up with those sometimes, especially if I'm using white chocolate.

Is there any trick to knowing when the sauerkraut is done, or do you just taste it periodically as it approaches the specified end date? I'm fermenting mine in my charcuterie cooler, which is about 60°F, and I think it's taking a little longer than I expected. It's been two weeks today, and while it is a bit sour, the predominant flavor is still just saltiness.

Cold nachos?! What kind of loser do you take me for?!! My nachos typically feature relatively minimalist toppings, including going pretty easy on the cheese. And they are hot (both spiciness and temperature). Remember that Oklahoma is really just a big suburb of Texas, after all...

I think skirt steak makes a great beef for many types of stir-fried dishes, and I also love it as the meat in a cheesesteak. I'm not aware of anyplace in Philly that actually uses it, but here in OK where there is no one to make fun of me for my unorthodox ways it makes an appearance from time to time.

I eat a lot of nachos. They are quick, easy, and go great with beer and football. But I sometimes struggle with what kind of cheese to use. I'm not looking for a fine aged gouda or anything, just a tasty supermarket cheese, readily available. I've recently been using half Cabot extra sharp cheddar and half Dietz & Watson Hot Pepper cheese. It's good. But I'm looking for suggestions to branch out... what kind of cheese do you use on your nachos, or other salty melted cheese products?

Here are a couple shots of the burner:

I use a lot of celery in my cooking, but I realized the other day I don't really know anything about it... are there different varieties of celery? Do you ever see it at the farmer's market? Is there any trick to picking it out in the store, or do you just pull a bag off the top?

HOST'S NOTE: This topic has gotten a little unwieldy, after 1672 posts! We're closing it here and starting a per-season discussion now, as season six is getting started. Join us!

(The NR topic for seasons 1-5 can be found here) Well folks, the new season is upon us, starting Jan. 11 in Panama. From the website Who's watching?

Does anyone make filled donuts? Is there any trick to them, or are they just raised donuts that you poke with a pastry bag?

I wanted to report back here with some recent experience. I few years ago I got a free one month subscription to Storyville Coffee and really enjoyed it, but was in grad school at the time and couldn't really shell out that much for coffee. Turn the clock forward two years: still in grad school, alas, but a little more disposable income, so I went back and signed up. I get 8oz of coffee every other week, which is almost exactly the rate I go through it, so it works out perfectly. It's roasted and shipped second day air, so when it arrives it is generally 2-3 days from the roast date listed on the bag. Their blend (and they only offer one) is quite nice: sort of a middle-of-the-road roast with a nice rich flavor, but nothing terribly exotic. And the freshness is nearly unbeatable, with no good roasters here in town and no real interest in roasting my own (I prefer to let the pros do that for now... I already have too many hobbies!). I love the fact that I can get small every-other-week deliveries for a (somewhat) reasonable price. Has anyone else tried them, or any similar places?

I store my dry-cured items vacuum-sealed and in either the freezer or the fridge, depending on how soon I plan on using it. It keeps very well, of course. With fresh I usually vacuum and freeze uncooked, but have done cooked as well: both work very well. Sausage keeps better than just about anything else. In fact, I find that with dry-cured sausage vacuum-sealing and refrigerating for a week is actually beneficial to both the flavor and the texture. The moisture balances out throughout the sausage, I think. Also, I should point out that we have developed an index of the original Charcuterie topic, available here, so you should check that out before considering wading through the whole thing.

I've lived here in Oklahoma for a year and a half now, and I went from really enjoying my weekly (sometimes more often even) grocery store trip in Pennsylvania, to dreading it here, to simply not doing it at all. I can't even quite put my finger on what's wrong with the stores, other than the extreme emphasis on prepared food and packaged stuff to the detriment of any type of decent fruit, vegetables, meat, or seafood. I end up going to between three and six different stores on Saturday mornings to get all that stuff, and leave the actual grocery store trip to my wife to get staples like bread, eggs, etc.

This topic needs a revival given the current cold spell in the US- I currently have frost on the INSIDE of my windows! I apparently did not move far enough south . What are you all making during this spate of chilly weather? I had chicken and dumplings last night, and I think I've got a braise in the works for tomorrow night.

For finding sources I sometimes use Craigslist, in the Farm and Garden section. You may have better luck using the list for a smaller city outside the main CHI area, though. Even here in Oklahoma I see more hogs for sale in Tulsa than in OKC. Also, you're a bit out of season, there may not be many available for a few months yet, and those that are available may be last year's rejects . Another possibility is to find a processor you want to use first, and ask them if they can put you in touch with a farmer.

For almost everything listed in this topic I can think of at least one example of homemade that was terrible enough to make me wish the producer had just gone to the damned store. Frequently, the "producer" was me! Cake in particular is difficult to get right: sure, if you are an accomplished baker it may seem simple to you, but I struggled for a long time before I was able to produce a cake anywhere near as good as our local bakery. If you have the time and talent to produce these things from scratch good for you, but I hesitate to judge those who don't. I can make mayo. I have made mayo. I also have a jar of Hellman's in the fridge.

Right: sodium ions do in fact penetrate cell walls. See here for some of the painful details. In fact, based on my reading of that page (though I warn you I am not a biologist and aerospace engineers are not noted for their understanding of biology!), it seems that it could help to explain why sodium in particular seems to make its way through cellular material (e.g. food) much faster than other substances.

Looks great -- Where is the recipe from? What cooking technique?