ilikefood

How did the chili paste turn out? I am thinking of making some with some bhut jolokia peppers my dad grew. I think I have a death wish

Have you tried the stretch and fold method? I have made this bread before, but can't remember specifically if I used the stretch and fold method. I would assume that technique would work just fine with this recipe. Most of my bread is made with this method and no mixer required. A good explanation of the technique can be found at: http://sourdoughhome.com/stretchandfold.html I usually combine all ingredients except the salt, mix briefly to incorporate into a shaggy mass. Then I let it rest, covered, about 20-30 minutes. This is called the autolyse. The theory goes this develops the gluten without the interference from salt. Then I add the salt during a stretch and fold. I do about 2-4 folds, or until the dough is too tight to work with. Let rest another 20-30 minutes and repeat the stretch and fold process again folding about 2-4 times. At this point, the dough might be ready to bulk ferment or finish bulk ferment, or I might let rest again and do one more stretch and fold process. It takes time, but works quite well and avoids having to kneed. Don't let the absence of a mixer stop you from making great bread!

Beebs, welcome to the world of wild rice! I really enjoy harvesting, cooking and eating wild rice. While wild rice is not a true rice, actually an aquatic cereal grain (McGee p. 476), it is frequently cooked as a rice. In a pot,I usually saute onion and garlic with butter until onion is soft. Then I add the rinsed wild rice, stir and coat the wild rice with the hot butter. Then add the cooking liquid to the wild rice/onion/garlic. I usually use chicken stock. Cover and simmer over low-low/medium until the liquid is gone. My usual ratio is three parts liquid to one part wild rice. The Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council (http://www.mnwildrice.org/) suggests a ratio of 1:3 to 1:4. I think four cups liquid to one cup wild rice makes the rice too soft. I would start at 1:3 and go from there. The rice can also be cooked in a low oven. I have never tried cooking it in a rice cooker. As for the type of rice, what color is it? Is the rice shiny black? If so, it is probably a cultivated paddy rice (unless the package/information says otherwise). If the rice is more grayish, then it might be hand harvested with a canoe, either in a paddy/lake or a river. I usually harvest wild rice (true wild, not cultivated) in Northern Wisconsin where I live and is usually grayish in color. The end color is very dependent on who processes the wild rice to remove the outer hull. From my understanding, the processing removes the black seed coat (similar to the wheat bran or the brown in brown rice) so my wild rice could be more black in color if processed differently. However, the gray color doesn't bother me or anyone who eats it. It seems all the hand harvested and locally processed wild rice is grayish. I was told that historically Native American's would process their wild rice to where it is almost white. However, I don't know the truth to that statement. Hope this helps! David

Snowangel - Although I am very new to pickleing, I would vote to use the whole garlic and peppers. You can always eat the pickled garlic and peppers when the beans are pickled.

I use a method based off the zuni cafe technique, salt and air dry for about 24 hours before cooking. I use about one tablespoon kosher salt to a 3.5 lb chicken and rub all over the skin and flesh. The salt acts as a "dry brine" and the air drying helps remove some water from the skin. This isn't a true hybrid method but works well for me. I usually remove the backbone and breastbone so the bird lays flat then roast at 400 (give or take depending on time). This seems to produce a nice crisp skin, but tenting with aluminum foil does soften up a bit, so I don't always tent and just let is rest a couple minutes before eating.

How did those "natural pickles" turn out? I just started a small jar of baby cucumbers using the 5% salt brine with a couple cloves of garlic, onion and dill.

FoodMan - thank you for the update! I just might have to try this method some day.

Those brats look great! I just made the same recipe a couple weeks ago but used all pork and replaced the cream with Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer They were very good and juicy but the flavor was very mild. I think next time I will increase the nutmeg and maybe add some marjoram.

McGee agrees so on p. 65. He also suggests lemon juice or a white wine (for the acid) to help prevent or fix a cheese sauce (p. 66)

When I made my brats a couple weeks ago I threw in some Pabst beer and stuffed them into the larger hog casings. I am not sure if I would want to stuff all that brat mixture into such small casings. I had enough "fun" with putting the hog casings onto my stuffing nozzle, I can't image having to put more casings on there. For fun, here is a side by side picture of an unbroken primary bind (left) and a broken primary bind (right). Both are brats, I made the left and my uncle made the right. I think I had some really large casings in that batch which is why it looks so large. The broken sausage had a crumbly mouth feel and leaked all of the fat while cooking on the grill. The unbroken sausage, although very mild flavor, was juicy and seemed to retain most liquids during cooking. We used different recipes when making these brats (my recipe came from Charcuterie, while my uncle used a premixed season packet) which is why they have different colors.

OliverB - thanks for the recipe! The ingredients you list are similar to the brat recipe in Charcuterie, minus the majoram and lemon (and nutmeg instead of mace). Let us know how they turn out! I just might have to try the recipe My thought is to remove the skin from the belly and shoulder. Although it will be ground up, I would think it would create little hard "bits" within the soft texture of the sausage. You can always save the skin and use for body in soups/stews/beans.

Yes, I semi freeze after cutting and mixing with the salt and seasonings. Then I grind. Sounds wonderful! I have never had a Nuremberg brat. How are they different from regular brats? Please let us know how they turn out. Could you share the recipe with another brat lover? - Thanks!

Let us know how the zsa zsa turns out! After a little reading, it looks like there is only one breeder in the US who then sells piglets to other farms to be raised then slaughtered. That corner on the market is great for them, but not so much for us. Oh, how I would love to get my hands on a couple non-neutered Hungarian piglets.

Mmm, lager. I may sound like a heretic but I might use Pabst Blue Ribbon, a beer that holds a special place in my heart

Hello: Has anyone made any beer brats? Here in WI, beer brats are very popular and would like to make some. The recipe in Charcuterie calls for cream but I don't want to make them too heavy. Could I just replace the cream with beer but still use the eggs and the other ingredients? Also, what would be the best beer for this application? I was thinking an EPA, would something else be better? Thanks! David

Jupe - Thanks for the reply and info. Do you think raw milk produces a better cheese than a pasteurized and homogenized milk would? I should be able to get raw milk and have contemplated using that if I start into cheese making. Also, can raw milk be used for soft cheeses that don't require aging?

Please tell us more about this cheese. What type? Could it be cheddar? Also, where do you get all of your recipes from? I have yet to take the plunge into cheese making but am more tempted every day with your photos

I was talking to a pig farmer who used to raise quality pork and sold at local farmer's markets about how to get the pig to taste good. His belief was, from a flavor standpoint, the feed matter more than the breed. He said the breed will determine the size and shape of the hog (at least with breeds available in WI) but the feed will have a greater impact on flavor. By this time I had a couple beers and don't exactly remember what he believed the "perfect" feed was but I thought it was a combination of soy and corn. So, when you advertise maybe look for hogs with a certain diet (not slop) and go from there. Oh, and I second the "not going for a show pig" idea. Good luck, David

That cheese looks excellent!

Glad to hear a mature duck makes good confit! I just found out tonight I will get four drakes from my uncle who doesn't want to feed them. I was thinking of doing confit for the legs/thigh and if the breasts look thick enough might do prosciutto.

I vote for dry but it must be instant dry yeast NOT active dry yeast (the expensive yeast in small packets usually found at any grocery store). Instant dry yeast does not need to be activated/rehydrated in water like the active dry yeast does. I buy the instant dry yeast at a small bulk foods store under the name SAF. A one pound block usually costs around $3 or $4 and lasts me a long time. If kept in the fridge it lasts for quite some time and have never had issues with the dough not rising.

Thanks! I was assuming the ratio was for a liquid base. Glad I asked Thanks for the recipe also! I might have to try that very soon.

For your ratios, is it a quart of unfrozen base mixture or a quart of frozen ice cream?

Foodman - did you do your experiment with Acidophilus? I am new to dry curing and curious if there is an alternative to bactoferm. Thanks! David

Tim - Thanks for the information. What is the teeth per inch you find to work the best? Thanks!