Starkman

In looking through a few older cookbooks I have, I've noticed a reasonable amount of usage of Kitchen Bouquet. Well, a search of the forums brought up some hits, but nothing specific about current thought in using Kitchen Bouquet. What's everybody's opinion? Does it, in fact, add flavor, or is it namely for color? Is there a better product, or do certain cooking methods and techniques suffice to aquire the same results? Thanks, Starkman

Man, I live in Klamath, and I missed this! Rats. Oh well. Several years back, there was a candy shop right on the main drag, but I believe it closed. They had the greatest dark chocolate covered honey comb! Starkman

Okay, let me see if I'm following you here. You boil the fat that's been removed from, say, a soup (stock?). You cool it and...remove from water and heat it to drive off the liquid? You lost me there! Starkman

More specifically, I'm not interested in brands. I'm only interested in the products themselves: say, the different types of noodles I am likely to find in an Asian Market; the different types of fish sauces (noting, of course, the different Asian countries that produce their basic fish sauces). But yes, eGullet servers as the backup when all else...just isn't. Thanks, Starkman

Thanks for the info. Starkman

Exactly! Asian ingredients. A description and understanding of as many as possible that are found in Asian markets here in the West. Fish sauce, for example, will be called by different names by different Asian regions, which helps to simplify things, somewhat. Some ingredients will not be so common, but that's why I asked for references that address Asain ingredients and products (covering as many regions as possible, obviously) that are found in most Asian markets. Thanks, Starkman

Ah, yes, a smaller bottle, Katie. I forgot about that. However, I'm perplexed about your statement. Storing the bottle upside down (I'm assuming you mean storing the bottle on its lid) would put the air pocket at the base of the bottle, not the closed end. Did I misunderstand you? Thanks, Starkman

Well, there's just one of me and no one else! I can't drink the whole bottle, for pete's sake (well, I can, but what a headache I'd have in the morning), so it's into the fridge until the next evening or so. Starkman

Hello Larry, Say, I accidentally stumbled across The Romantic Table website (Risotto Cookoff link), which in your blog you noted this very thread. I commented in the blog entry, noting that the vinegar taste of the few-days-opened French Pinot Noir was not the normal and acceptable acidity (be it low or high) found in wine, but oxydation that had taken place, something that was begining to ruin the wine. The wine, however, was salvagable by cutting that vinegar taste with just a pinch of sugar. The wine didn't become sweeter per se, but did level out the vinegar taste and made for a few more glasses of enjoyable wine. I understand that there are wines out there that are made to be acidic for acidity's sake, but that wouldn't go well for me. Otherwise, acidity can, and should, be wonderful in wine. Thanks, Starkman

Would sauteing the mirepoix and mushrooms first before adding stock bring out more flavor? Starkman

Okay, grab your shotgun (I've been playing Left For Dead too long!)... I'd be interesting to find out the average ratio of body-to-leg meat there is in one of those monsters. Starkman

There you go! That's how I make them. Starkman

I started reading the Pastry and Baking section on this site . . . um . . . yeah, it's like a world of its own. Gads, is nothing simple?! Starkman

Chad, Do you note this technique in your book? Thanks, Starkman

Such great input. Thanks! The Red Bicyclette (www.redbicyclette.com/) 2006 (or 2007, I can't remember) Pinot Noir, Vin de Pays, to which I added the sugar is from France It was only about $8.99. I was very pleased with the wine, but after three days it was oxidizing rapidly. The sugar (just a pinch) really balanced things out enough to make the last glass enjoyable to drink. (Pssst! You wanna here something even more astounding? After finishing the bottle, I went to the store and picked up a jug of Carlo Rossi Paisano. And... it was, well, not offensive, and reasonably enjoyable. For five bucks? Shoot, I ain't proud! Not to mention, I'm out of a job as well.) Thanks again for the comments, and I'm glad I'm in good company! Starkman

Has anybody ever baked something with a brown paper bag and had the fool thing catch on fire? A recipe I have has a turkey baked in a brown bag at about 350 deg. Now, that's not real hot, but the idea of paper bags in the oven really scares me! Thanks, Starkman

So, there it was, one approximate glass of Bicycletta (I think that's spelled correctly) Pinot Noir left in the bottle from about three days ago. I took it out ofthe fridge, let it come to almost room temp, tried it, and...not bad (it held ok), but I added juuuuuust a pinch of sugar, and...VIOL..VOIL...however you spell that word! It made a world of difference: cut the slight vinegar taste, enhanced the wine. So, did I commit the impardonable sin, or have others done this? Thanks, Starkman

I lived in a rural town in Minnesota, and let me tell you, the water was harder than a rock! Yeah, I found about about the baking soda trick, too. I think it was either from the book "Cookwise" or Cooks Illustrated. Starkman

Thanks, mnanton, for your writing. This is very enjoyable. I once saw Gordon Ramsey telling someone the the proper, and only, way to make scrambled eggs and omlets. Well, maybe the French like there's made in such-and-such way, but that hardly makes it the only way! I mean, for pete's sake, I can't stand eggs and omlets made the French way! Thanks much, Starkman

Hey, now this is what I'm talking about! Thanks so much for the information. I'll be checking these out. Starkman

Hello all, Ok, I was watching Alton Brown's Good Eats episode where he goes into an Asian store and tells you about some of the items in there he'll need for the recipe he was making. As Alton is known for doing, he educates you, and in doing so, I realized how nice it would be to have a reference of Asian store-bought groceries. When browsing an Asian store, it's very difficult to know which brands and items are which and which is best for the job. I'd like to have a better command of the groceries in Asian markets than just having to search for what I need based on a specific recipe, which in itself can be a challenge. So does anyone know of references (books, Internet, etc.) that categorize, list, or otherwise note the many (typical?) Asian ingredients you can find in Asian stores? Last, the attendant in the store I visited would only point me to a bottle of Pad Thai seasoning and not give me the real ingredients and method of how the market's adjoing restaurant prepares Pad Thai. Rats! Thanks much, Starkman

Well, being able to freeze something in 15 minutes would be great. Even just to cool something off that fast would be great as well. But... I can imagine that the cost for these kinds of contraptions is...and what with the dollar dropping...guess I'll stick with the fridge!

Thanks very much for the info. Starkman

That certainly seems to be along the lines I'm thinking. I'm wondering, though, will this thing freeze steaks and other solid foods fast? Starkman

No. What I'm thinking of is the equivalent of what a microwave does, but in reverse! Starkman