DanM

Given Fat Guy's post on scales, I want to recommend the Taylor TE10C. The scale measures up to 10lbs at .1lbs or 5kg at 1g intervals. One nice feature is that it includes a power supply. After 2 years of use at home, it is still in great shape. Dan

When you are at Pikes Place, I would recommend stopping by The Crumpet Shop. I think it is painfully obvious what you should eat there... and a spot of tea. http://www.thecrumpetshop.com/ Dan

Okay, you got me! Care to share the recipe? Thanks Dan

The one thing I do know is that of my own ignorance. It seems that I am developing a reputation amongst my friends and family. A few examples. I make Wolfgang Puck's Savory Squash Soup from his book Pizza Pasta and More during the fall when squashes are in season. It has always been met with rave reviews. At one occasion, a guest asked if it would be rude to lick the bowl. Just last week I gave the owner of the roofing company that was replacing my roof a small cup of chocolate mint frozen custard from David Lebovitz's Perfect Scoop. He came back the next day to collect the payment and humbly asked if it would be possible to get another cup to take home. And then there is this comment written by a fellow member of the local homebrewing club in the monthly newsletter. "UNFAIR COMPETITION WITHIN THE YAHOOS Speaking of unfair competition, Dan the Pastryman should not be allowed to bring his beers to YAHOO meetings. Allowing his beers to be compared to those of the others is simply unfair. For one thing, as a pastryman, Dan is capable of following a recipe, something no self-respecting homebrewer allows himself or herself to do – that takes some of the adventure and mystery away from brewing. Additionally, Dan knows the effects of spices and fruits on his beers – like insuring that the pits of blood oranges are not included in a beer. While the rest of us deal in measures of quarter fist fulls, etc., Dan probably deals in grams and knows exactly the effects/gram. Simply not fair. But then being in the YAHOOS is not supposed to be about competition, but should be about mutual development, fellowship, sharing, and cooperation. Yeah, sure." The reputation I am building is not really built on a particular recipe or recipes, but on an obsessive desire for knowledge about food, using the best ingredients I can get my hands on, and constantly developing and pushing my skills. In the end though, I am still quite ignorant and a ton to learn when compared to my peers. Dan

I highly recommend Hell's Kitchen for their "Salvation Sunday Gospel Brunch". http://www.hellskitcheninc.com/Salvation-Sundays.html. I took my wife there just before I took her to the Walker Art Museum and asked her to marry me. So I guess you can say I am biased. Dan

+1 on this book. The curried egglplant rice is a staple in our house. Dan

I occasionally use vegetarian sausage at home. It is necessary when you keep a kosher kitchen and want a little "meat" with your dairy. I second the notion that you cannot compare them to the real thing. As a vegetable or grain based sausage, most are pretty good. Some stand outs are Trader Joes Sausageless Italian Sausage, Gimme Lean Sausage, and Morning Star Breakfast sausages and patties. Dan Biscuits and Gravy with Gimme Lean Sausage Break 1/2 tube of Gimme Lean sausage broken into grape size chunks. Fry in a cast iron pan on high heat until brown. Remove from pan. Fry a handful of sliced crimini mushrooms in the cast iron pan. Once cooked, return the sausage to the pan. Add 1 pt (or as much as desired) of whole milk and bring to a boil. Once the milk starts to thicken, season and serve over biscuits.

I used to scoff at books that are filled with recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less... Quite often they are filled dummed down versions of more complicated recipes. Ok, I still scoff at a quite a few of them (coff.. Rachel Ray coff...) but I have recently purchased Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday and Jaques Pepin's Fast Food My Way and found them quite facinating. I was wondering what other books people like in this genre that I should consider. Thanks! Dan

I used to drink Trader Joes Irish Breakfast tea bags every morning in a massive latte mug (required only 1 trip). I used hot water from the coffee machine at the office. It was not the ideal way to make a cup (small pot) of coffee, but it was good and extremely strong. The caffeine and good music got me through many days of serious data crunching. Dan

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but Denis Cotter is my Vegetarian chef of choice. It is vegetarian fare that you will not you will not care is vegetarian. Cafe Paradiso Seasons goes through seasonal produce and Wild Garlic, Gooseberries, and Me goes through his favourite fruits and veg. Olive Trees and Honey by Gil Marks and Local Flavours by Deborah Madison are also very good. Dan

And then there is this... http://www.baconsaltblog.com/2009/04/our-newest-product.html

I currently have 4 lbs of pickling cukes in my crock. This is my second attempt at cukes. My first crashed and burned big time. This batch is looking much better. My basic brine is: 1 gallon of water 5.5 oz (by weight) of kosher salt .25 c of pickling spices from The Spice House. That Stuff 4 lbs of cukes. I hope they are ready early next week for canning. Dan

Talk about pastry porn! I would have asked the pastry chef for the formula, but that is me. If you do figure it out, please post it! I would love to add this to my collection. Taking a look at the picture, it looks like the nougatine is in thin flakes over the apples? If that is the case, I would not be surprised if the nougatine was made first, poured on a silpat, smashed, and then spread over the tart. The time in the oven would slightly melt the nougatine and meld the shards together like you see there... I think. Good luck! Dan

One more... Rocky Mountain Oysters Thats if you have the balls to serve them.

I have been cooking with lots of grains lately. It is a great alternative to animal sources of protein. Per 100g serving: Quinoa - 24g Hulled Barley - 23g Millet 22g Spelt - 25g Amaranth 26g Buckwheat Groats (kasha) 19g Kamut 27g Wheat Berries 24g

Or to quote Anthony Bourdain http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2007/02..._blogging_.html Dan

I will need to add two books by the amazing Irish Chef Denis Cotter of Cafe Paradiso. His book Cafe Paradiso Seasons will open your eyes to vegetarian cuisine. Wild Garlic Gooseberries and Me is filled with his experience, thoughts, musings, stories, and humour of his favorite fruits and vegetables. Dan

I enjoy tempeh, but I don't get a chance to eat it that often as my wife cannot stand the stuff. It does make a killer ruben! Dan

Oh well. It went from farm stand to crock in less than 6 hours. Stuffing them may be an option. Dan

I decided to check on the pickles that I have fermenting away in the closet for the past 10 days. I cut one open and found it hollow! I thought this might be a fluke, so I tried another and same thing. I would assume that this might have to do with the fact that the brine is drawing fluid out of the pickle, but will this eventually correct itself? Thanks, Dan

This goes WAY back to high school when I worked at a theme park. We had this kid who was too stupid for words, Paco... but we called him Taco. If brains were dynamite, he could not knock his hat off. Welp, we one day we had him running around the park going from restaurant or stand to another searching for more steam for the steam oven we used to cook hot dogs. He never quite figured out that we were screwing with him. Dan

After visiting 2 Amys in suburban DC, I am a convert to oven roasted olives mixed with fresh herbs. Dan

This is sore subject for me. For the second year in a row, the tomatoes suck. Just like last year, the weather in New England is too cold and damp to grow good tomatoes. Add the light blight to the mix and its just maddening. Tomatoes were going for 6.50/lbs at the farmers market last Sunday!! Dan

And there is the Greatest Sushi South of the Mason Dixon (or the vegetarian alternative) at Miya's Sushi here in New Haven. Dan

Where? I always thought Clementines were a winter fruit!! ← I just looked at the box... ummmm it is a winter fruit... from South Africa! They are good though. Dan