MikeTMD

Hi, Everyone! I would like to make a few dishes: Steamed Eggplant with Preserved Vegetables and Green Soybeans or 雪 裡 紅 枝 豆 蒸 茄 子 なすとザーサイの枝豆入り蒸し物 Braised Eggplant with Crabmeat and Dark Vinegar or 蟹 肉 黑 醋 燒 茄 子 茄子と蟹肉の黒酢の煮 Looking for original recipes, as well as any other suggestions, please.

OK, another Sunday night - another idea: the basic plan is to make a SV replica of Braised Chinese Eggplant with Preserved Vegetables, Edamame and Garlic-Ginger oil (something I had at the "Spring Moon" in Hong Kong Penninsula Hotel). In fact, the original dish is called - Steamed Eggplant with Preserved Vegetables and Green Soybeans or 雪 裡 紅 枝 豆 蒸 茄 子 なすとザーサイの枝豆入り蒸し物 Also, similar approach would work for - Braised Eggplant with Crabmeat and Dark Vinegar or 蟹 肉 黑 醋 燒 茄 子 茄子と蟹肉の黒酢の煮 I am very interested in original recipes, as well as any time/temp suggestions, please.

All right, Lady B is sleeping, so I have a few minutes... I made the St. Valentine's dinner last night - on an occasion like that how can you do without SV? Artichoke Puree, Crispy Artichoke Hearts, Seared Scallop (Roca's recipe idea): I SV artichokes with EVOO for 45-50 minutes @ 88C - pureed about half with Long Balinese Peppper, Grains of Paradise and Shichimi Togarashi , and reserved the rest for clarified butter fry. The texture and taste were great. I would, however shoot for a slighty lighter color on the puree next time - any suggestions, anyone? Hearts were nice golden brown color after a quick sear. I would absolutely use Shichimi Togarashi in artichoke puree again - great flavor, implied spicy background and a hint of citrus undertone work very well. Also, Grains of Paradise add a slightly cooling, almost minty accent. If anyone makes that same dish - I would love to hear your feedback, please. Poached Asparagus, Milk Tullie with Milk Foam, Cold Asparagus Soup, Citrus-Ginger vinaigrette , accented by Elephant Garlic and Sage Broth, Chive Oil ( inspired by Michel Bras): I SV asparagus with salt and sugar for about 15 minutes - color remained perfect bright green ( that's the power of vacuum - in your face, Pounce! JK ). Generally, I prefer vegies @ crispy al dente - it wasn't the case last night: asparagus stalks were very nice, softer "creamy" texture. I liked it, but was it overcooked? Not sure... Again, as always - suggestions and opinions, please! This dish will remain the work-in-progress project - I liked the flavors, textures, freshness and lightness, but it needs a lot of work in the presentation dept. For a minute, I did doubt myself as a cook... Will try again, though. Foie Gras, Honey-Citrus Cake, Strawberry Chutney, Strawberry Salad, Vanilla and Saffron Milk Foam This is another dish inspired by Bras and Roca (mostly the latter). Good flavors, but do prefer Heston Blumenthal's foie with cherry and almond sauces.

In addition to the choices by ulterior_epicure I would suggest: Heidi's - www.heidismpls.com Cafe Maude - www.cafemaude.com JP's Bistro - www.jpamericanbistro.com Grand Cafe - http://www.grandcafempls.com Those are moderately priced, byt if you are looking to splurge a bit, then check out Solera - www.solera-restaurant.com and La Belle Vie - www.labellevie.us (same owners, BTW). 112 - www.112eatery.com remains the top choice for many diners in town, but it's hard to get a table - you can always eat at the bar, though. Great menu, and reasonably priced, although not cheap by any means. One place not to miss is Pizza Luce ( multiple locations) - just stay away from the downtown joint after bar close. I wouldn't recommend any African eateries, but if you feel adventurous - TamTam on Cedar Ave, there are also a few others nearby - but again, you are most likely to be dissapointed... Also, we have what's Called Eat Street - Nicollet Ave between downtown and 28 street - many great choices, esp. Asian. If you like Pho (Vietnamese soup) - Pho Tau Bay is da place!!! Cheap, good and hearty. BTW, Twin Cities asian community is quite vast. If you are looking for a place to hang out - Town Hall brewery brews to die for beer -www.townhallbrewery.com, don't forget to cross the street for a hot dog @ Bullwinkle's - www.bullwinkles.net. Both places are close to the UofM campus, so try check'em out on weekdays, or not... ;-)) Do you know where you are going to be staying? I may suggest a few more places close by.

I agree, although searing in a pan would be my preference -it allows to caramelize a larger surface than a blowtorch, and it get's done at once. The temp should be very high, so searing is quick. My lipid of choice for after SV poaching would be clarified butter, BTW.

OK, I got something on my mind: has anyone tried SV poaching with buttermilk in the bag? I am anxious to try chicken/buttermilk/ginger/Szechuan peppercorns combo. Feedback, please!

OK, last night I made Laab Gai ( Spicy Thai Chicken Salad): Chicken breast SV @ 62C for 90 minutes Roasted Chipollini onions Mint/Shizo Chinese parsley Garlic Thai chillies Mayer lemon juice, yuzu juice, fish sauce Long Balinese pepper, Grains of Paradise, Roasted rice ( for crunch) Asian pear ribbons (garnish) The result was excellent. In my book, 62 C is perfect temp for chicken breasts - meat was very juicy, texture was absolutely perfect, almost foie gras like. Also, I checked the J Roca's book for poultry: they recommend 62C core temp for squab and pheasant. Can't agree more!

Was meat texture any different from what it would be without wine? I've been hesitant to put wine in SV bags becuase of some feedback form "up the thread". Sounds like you are pretty satisfied with your recent results, so I may give it a try. Global question: does wine/alcohol belong in SV bags?

Rob, did you have wine in your SV bag, or did you use it just during the searing process?

Let me throw this one in the proverbial "simmering" pot: How many people prefer the idea of cooking at the core/final temp, thus eliminating the risk of overcooking, vs. the higher SV temps, and thus shorter cooking times. I am a big proponent of the cooking temp=core temp approach, just because of the ideal core temp results. Any input, anyone?

I have many doubts about how long molecular gastronomy is going to last on the top of things to do in the kitchen. Should we all switch to MG, or should we let our own skills, talent and creativity lead us some place else? An unchartered territory, perhaps? Better yet, why not try to perfect one, may be two dishes? Better still, there is food that is simply forever, why not improve that? One thing is certain to me - I don't need a chemist in the kitchen. I want to cook from my heart.

JK, I have not given scallops a try yet, but as far as shrimp/lobster I would suggest 46-47C/115-117F for a 15-20 minutes. 45C was a bit rare, and I had to finish it in a stove. "Few hours" for shellfish is a certain overkill - there is simply not enough connective tissue to justify that kind of cooking time.

Chef, I don't know if switch to molecular gastronomy is at all justified. It's very much in-fashion right now - no doubt, but I question if it's going to be just that ... a fashionable trend, and, like many other trends, a short-lived one at best. Molecular gastronomy is impressive, indeed. So are other chemical experiments... Quite frankly, MG is "edible chemistry" in it's earnest, but I just don't see a family having dinner at a lab table, and I don't see chemicals at a festive gathering with food and wine... except, perhaps fireworks. So, why should we cook on anti-griddles, use liquid nitrogen, and jelly-foam everything??? I don't think we should....

Nathan, I am curious - what kind of equipment do use in your SV set-up?

OK, for the ribs - do we smoke'em first and SV later, or vice versa?

What book did you use as a reference?

Has anyone SV pheasant or quail?

Last night I wanted to SV some chicken, so I opted for a dish from Singapore: chicken & rice. Chicken breast were SV @67C/153F for about 2 hours. I think next time I would drop the temp just a little bit. Garnishes on the plate are garlic-lime-Thai chili, ginger, plate painted with dark soy sauce, topped with ginger-chiken stock foam and spring onions. Rice was first roasted with sesame seed and garlic, then cooked in chicken stock with fresh scallions. What's the lowest temp OK for chicken breasts? Anyone?

If anyone has an opportunity - check out Planet Marxx by Thiery Marx. There are a few SV recipes. I found it interesting that he suggests cooking at higher temps, for the sake of shorter cooking time.

Does anybody have any experience Sv-ing white asparagus? (temps, time, green vs. white)

Still think vacuum is not necessary, huh? ;-) This is yet another good illustration why air needs to be removed.

I found this: www.aibltd.com They got some pretty cool gadgets, including water baths and circulators.

I found this: www.aibltd.com They got a few cool things, including water baths, thermometers and all kinds of pretty cool gadgets.

Double bags work great. Chck out this recipe: https://www.nespresso.com/precom/nmag/4/pdf...046_0051_en.pdf Why does Heston Blumenthal suggest to double bag the pork belly? Any ideas?

That's an interesting statement. Do you have any data to back this up? ← Yes, check your FoodSaver manual, it'd would tell you the pressure range for your particular model. A good indicator is freezer burns: if you see them - there is no vacuum. ← What i mean is do you have data indicating that using a foodsaver instead of a chamber machine is inherently UNSAFE. On top of that, i've had steaks in the freeze for over a year, and there is no freezer burn whatsoever. ← If you don't see a freezer burn - great! It means you vacuum pack is holding well.