ElsieD

I also have saltpetre. Can this be used? If yes, is this equivalent to pink salt? I'm sooooooooooooooo confused.

I'm mixing up the ingredients to cure bacon and I have some stuff called Prague Powder with a sub heading "The fast meat cure". It is white. It is not labeled as # 1 or # 2. It also does not have an ingredient list. Is this the same as the pink powder called for in Ruhlman's recipe? I also have a jar labeled Sodium Nitrate. It is white with some yellow flecks in it. Is this the stuff I am supposed to use? To confuse things further, I also have Morton Tender Quick. Can I just use this to replace the kosher salt and pink salt in the recipe and then add the maple sugar and maple syrup to it? I knew the answer once but I haven't made any in a while and can't remember. I know there is a bacon thread re: Ruhlmans' bacon but I could not find it hence this post. If anyone can help me I'd appreciate it. This mix is for my brother in law and I'm going down to see him tomorrow. He's 5 hours away so I don't get there often so if someone can help me out ASAP I'd really appriciate it.

I guess that explains why my glad stuff doesn't dry but my Rubbermaid sort of does - this particular Rubbermaid being the hard plastic kind, not the more flexable kind.

Stuffed chicken breasts?

I agree with Dan. I finally bought one of those and they are a snap to use.

One final question - do you pre-heat you pan before putting the steaks in it? I would also be using a cast iron pan. Thanks again.

In the early '70s I worked for an accounting firm and one of my clients was a newly opened health food store. During the course of preparing their financial statements, I had to go to their premises to confirm inventory, etc. I recall seeing a lot of products in burlap bags and what to me were weird foodstuffs. It was a small, cramped space. I don't remember ever buying anything. That same store is still in existence but moved to a different location. I now shop there every now and again for their organic fruit and vegetables.

To David Ross: What was the internal temperature of your steak? It looks to be rare, am I right? Beautiful piece of meat. Our Costco recently had prime grade strip loin as well. However, they rarely have it; the last time they had it was a year ago. Needless to say, we stocked up and have a few dozen in the freezer. So, I would like to try your method, but to medium rare. Thank you.

Andie, how long will risotto hold this way?

http://www.chillychiles.com/ This is where I buy mine. Their stuff is always very fresh.

I have the Best Chicken Recipes. We have a lot of their books too, but one for "meat" isn't one of them.

I second puff pastry. You can buy a good quality 100% butter puff pastry here, so I don't bother making it.

Darienne, where did Ed buy those pails? They are a great idea.

http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=10342627&whse=BCCA&topnav=/&cat=22555&hierPath=20418*22568*22555*〈=en-CA Try this. It seems Costco sells it.

We have a large stand-up, a small chest freezer and a spare fridge with it's freezer downstairs. In the kitchen we have a side-by-side fridge. All of the freezers are crammed full. The last time we sorted them, I typed up a list of contents, per freezer so we could find stuff more quickly. That list quickly became outdated. Since that time, Costco decided to carry prime grade strip loins steaks. We got so excited we bought a bunch of them and they have been added to the freezer along with a Costco box of frozen croissants (272 of them - I counted, but they are the small ones), a box of their frozen apple turnovers and their ciabatta bread. All this for two people. I keep saying we should stop buying stuff but.... So, I think I will take up the challenge as well, but am not likely to start until the weekend. Can't wait to see what we unearth.

Just a note to say that Kenmore was the favorite of the bunch.

I bought some of these today at Costco. They are small round green squash. Only problem is, I've never had them and I don't know what they taste like or how to cook them. I also don't know if you eat them with the skin on or if you have to peel them. Any advice?

I rap the egg on a hard edge, pry apart using my thumbs, let whatever falls out fall out, and dump the shells in the trash. I seldom have any bits of shell in my egg(s).

Hi Darienne: We don't eat a lot of them but we have had a couple. I treat them as I would a smoked pork shoulder - I cover them with water and simmer them to a temperature of about 180. I don't add anything to them. They should be very tender when done. They are also quite tasty.

I'm wondering if anyone has a good recipe for blueberry-banana muffins, preferably one that also includes oat bran or wheat germ. I searched the muffin thread on this site, the internet and my cookbooks but haven't been able to find one. Thank you.

I don't buy out-of-season tomatoes either, with a couple of exceptions. One is the Compari tomato and the other is the Komatu. I'm quite happy with either of them. Other than that, I use canned and my brand of choice of canned tomato here in Canada is Aylmer. They actually taste like tomatoes.

So, Tomdarch, will you be posting your experience as well?

Something like this? http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32568&cat=1,43513,43519

Wow, that is really something. I loved all the pictures showing how it all come together. Thank you for taking the time and making the effort to share this with us.

I really enjoyed your well-written, descriptive narrative. Best thing I've read all day. Are you a paid writer in your day job? I, too, was not allowed access to the photos which is unfortunate as I would have enjoyed seeing them.