KennethT

Osmazome?

I asked this question a long time ago in the original sous vide thread... the answer I got from Douglas Baldwin was that at 82-83C for 10 hours, you can basically leave them in your refrigerator for 90 days, assuming your refrigerator is below 4degC. This is also assuming that the bag stays sealed (meaning it wasn't done in a ziplock bag). ETA: I also found this link: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144244-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-part-2/?p=1488909 ETA (again): I found the Douglas Baldwin response, and he actually said that if your refrigerator was very cold, at that time/temp combination, you could hold the duck indefinitely.... See: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/145382-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-part-4/?p=1594516

I'm not 100% sure, but to me, it looks like a parrotfish... they are typically found in tropical, and subtropical shallow oceans, and according to Wikipedia (take that for what it may be), has the largest species diversity in the 'Indo-Pacific'.

Exactly - the purpose of the parchment is simply to aid in handling to keep the pretty presentation. But, the easiest way to do it would be to layer the potato slices on the parchment, then lay the fish on top of it so you don't have to flip it to get it in the pan.

Huiray, the kailan you posted on the other thread is very different from what we had in Singapore, although I have had the one you linked to... I used to grow it! I would commonly bring it to my local Chinese take out joint for them to add to a stir fry, and the first time, they looked at me like I was crazy - they had never seen it before.... the ones ubiquitous in S'pore were leafy, but didn't really have any stems to speak of. They almost looked like individual leaves of very large brussels sprouts, but with a different flavor and texture. ETA: I have never seen anything other than the standard mature kailan in Manhattan's chinatown... I don't go there very often (maybe once a month) but I still have never seen anything other than that there... not to say that something else doesn't show up from time to time. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to spend any significant time at Flushing's chinatown, so I can't answer about that. And also, unfortunately, I don't have enough free time to go there on a regular basis to look for produce... hopefully that will change one day...

Yes, a deep fryer would be fantastic! The torch I have is a searzall hose torch which produces a large 'swirl' flame. It makes a big flame, and I've never had an issue with torch taste. Plus, an added bonus is that the tank hangs from your belt and you can then use the torch at any angle, whether the canister is full or almost empty.

When I do long low temp cooks, I'll presear with the propane torch, rather than in a pan. I find it much easier to get into all the crevices with the torch, and I've never had a problem. Then again, I could have just gotten lucky and not had the spoilage bacteria present in the first place... we'll never know!

Was just there this afternoon, and in addition to the frozen ones they always have, they have fresh ones in the refrigerated case. There is a sign next to them that says they are 2 days from farm to the store...

Very interesting... thanks for the explanation - although I can never imagine myself walking into a restaurant's kitchen and poking around their supplies! I wonder if someone has made a text recognition phone app that you could use to take pictures of menus and have the app translate into other languages... but that's another topic!

Thanks for posting these... I'm enjoying this thread. What percentage of restaurants like this in your area have menus already translated into English? Also, are there people who work in the restaurants who speak any English? I guess my real question is, if one were to order from the English menu, would anyone be there to understand what one is ordering? The menus are quite extensive. If a non-Chinese speaking person were to go to a restaurant without an English menu, would they be able to get by? It's easy to get by in restaurants that only serve a few dishes, but other than looking at what is served on other tables and pointing, do you have an idea of how a non-Chinese speaker would fare?

The smell test will not tell you if pathogenic bacteria are present. These are the bacteria which make you sick, and there is no smell, taste or sight cues which will alert you to their presence. The bacteria which "smell" are spoilage bacteria, which while yucky, will not give you food poisoning.

What happened with your ribs has happened to others and discussed at length on the original sous vide thread. Sometimes there is a surface bacteria that can cause this problem. The way a lot of people get around it now is to sear or torch prior to bagging, or dip into boiling water for 30 seconds or so after bagging, to kill all surface bacteria. Theoretically, the interior of the meat should be sterile unless otherwise manipulated (like jaccarding, etc) This problem has come up with a few low temp long time proteins, but I remember short ribs being especially 'popular' - but that could also be due to the fact that they were very popular to make....

glad to hear it!

I agree - once you add the peach juice, using a more expensive sparkler is just a waste (just as long as the one you've got isn't faulted, which most mass market products never are).. next time, try some peach puree rather than peach syrup... even better! Thanks for taking us along this journey with you... it's been fascinating! Love it!

I agree - I can't see what the pulley puller would push against either.... a torch is an interesting idea too, but I didn't know what material the samovar was made from - if it's something that conducts heat well, then both parts will expand at equal rates, and may not help... but I think it's worth a shot. Edit, the torch may not be a good idea, or you'd need to be really careful, if there are any rubber gaskets in the valve. But if it's metal on metal, it should be ok.

Can you try tapping it with a hammer or something (without damaging it)? Sometimes, a sharp impact will loosen the scale and free it so that you can remove it and clean it completely.

great post, thank you! Also, beautiful photos...

I thought Cosme was great the last time I was there (in the early spring?) and would have highly recommended it, but lately, the reviews have been less than stellar. Notably, they discuss spotty prep quality and service - although, when I was there, my server was great - we had a 15 minute discussion about Mezcal... needless to say, he was very knowledgable...

All right!

What do you think caused the problem? Did you use an aluminum pot?

I couldn't have said it better... thank you!

Science Center and the Singapore Flyer... Nope, nothing to do in S'pore.... Boat tour of the harbor and river... Gives great views of the city, and is packed with information about the country's early history. Tons of food and bars at Boat Quay.... also tons of tourists! For even more, head to Clarke Quay: "The Durians" - what the locals call the Singapore Opera House... The spiky shapes are devices used to shade the building to help keep it cool.

Here's the East Coast Seafood Centre at sunset: Outdoor dining: Chili crab: Tanks of live seafood: RRRRAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I wish this place was open when we tried to go. We were there 3 years ago, and it was amazing, and, according to a bunch of blogs, it's still the best Bak Chor Mee (minced pork noodle) around... It's a bit out of the tourist areas, but still not inconvenient to get to - just take the MRT to the Lavender stop (only a couple stops out of the city center), and then walk a couple blocks... Check out this line - almost as long as the Outram Park Char Kway Teow:

OK, as promised, here's some more info for anyone potentially traveling to S'pore... We thought this was a very interesting Buddhist temple, conveniently located a few blocks from the Chinatown MRT station. Conveniently, it is enroute to: The Maxwell Food Centre - home of the very famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice (written about at the top of this thread). There are actually several chicken rice stalls in this center - one of them supposedly run by an ex Tian Tian employee.