vice

We could all use more practice. And with that nakiri I don't think you can blame the blade

Those flavors sound good, it's just my personal preference to keep them really simple. The first time I ever prepared them I was instructed to split the shell only down the back and rub a thyme-chili pesto between shell and meat. I tore up my hands something awful (results were delicious, though).

I can't imagine how to safely slice garlic on a mandoline, but perhaps my imagination isn't too good. Microtome?

Yep, shell on. I grill only the flesh side, then pull the meat out with fingers and indelicately suck the head.

Can't help you out with storing them as I buy them live and use them same day. Like BadRabbit, I think it's best to keep prep simple - cut in half longitudinally, brush with melted butter or olive oil, a bit of salt. Grill flesh side down over screaming hot coals for 2-3 min. Consume immediately, preferably standing over the grill. From flopping to fork in under 5 minutes (actually, don't bother with the fork).

The River Cottage Meat Book calls for hanging bellies for a period after rinsing off the cure. Don't recall the duration off the top of my head. eta: quote for context

You'll find a Tabasco foam mentioned over here, although it's tinted red. How about extracting capsaicin from chiles into a clear liquid, adding any other desired flavors, and then foam.

I made the parametric recipe for shellfish stock using shrimp heads and shells, with a few major changes: 1) I omitted the fennel bulb and leek because I was too lazy to go to the store, and 2) simmered the stock in a pot instead of cooking it sous vide. I guess that makes it distinctly un-modernist, but it was definitively delicious. The ratios are spot on.

I think David Wondrich's template uses a teaspoon of liqueur as a starting point. More than anything else, the sweetness of the wine component probably governs the quantity of liqueur you can get away with.

Entirely possible, as I'm pretty messy with it and use it a lot. I'll go over it with a fine-tooth comb and see if things improve.

Stopped at K&L Hollywood to pick up Vieux Pontarlier absinthe, Campo de Encanto pisco, and Benedictine. Others in my expedition snagged some Whistle Pig and El Dorado 15.

About 18 months old. It's the same inexpensive pocket scale several folks mention above (this one) - I would assume pressure sensors only.

I have the Precision Digital scale mentioned several times above, and it's been flaking out lately. The weight constantly floats upwards when empty, and I have to tare it several times before it'll settle down. The batteries were over a year old, so I replaced them hoping that would solve the problem but no dice. I've checked the accuracy with some coins and it seems to be spot on, but it's still annoying and makes me doubt the readings. Any thoughts on what could be going on?

Santa Barbara, amateur.

Nothing solid, but this clue: Shola's looking for a short-term sublet in NYC, which doesn't sound like the sort of thing one does when opening a new restaurant in another city.

I find myself warming plates 3 or 4 times a week. Always for pasta, and as needed for some of the other temperature-sensitive items that have been mentioned here.

Hi J.D., and welcome to eGullet! Congrats on your restaurant's success. 18 years is quite an achievement, especially considering the struggles of the past few years. Your question is rather difficult to answer. 'Best' is entirely subjective , and if you ask 10 people you might get 15 different answers. Are you looking for the bottles that will move the most volume, that represent the greatest perceived luxury, that are the most critically acclaimed, etc? Even if you can narrow down your definition of best, the bottles that make the list will probably be largely defined by the market you're serving. So if you can give us more details about the type of bar program you envision, we'll be better able to brainstorm some ideas.

Mitch, those proportions are bourbon:vermouth:campari? I think I first heard about the 1794 from Avery Glasser (here), who indicates that it also incorporates Bittermens mole bitters, but I can't find any substantiation of that in recipes published elsewhere on the web. eta: It's a nice drink, either way. The Negroni is the gift that keeps on giving, and is rivaled in that respect perhaps only by the Manhattan.

Forget cultured products, I can't find regular ol' heavy cream without carageenan in it any more.

Just got an update from Amazon with an expected arrival date between April 11-15. I ordered on Feb 15.

I keep looking at all the beautiful fennel at the farmer's market here and wonder about new ways to use it. Lacto-fermenting it is definitely worth a try.

I've been using these quantities for a few years (note that I still use a volume measurement for the yeast, as discussed by xxchef above): 500g bread flour 10g salt 0.25 tsp instant yeast 350-375g water (you'll soon discover your preferred hydration level)

Small quantities. I'll typically make a 5 oz batch of syrups that are called for less frequently. Well, if you have to ask...

I just polished off a bottle of gum syrup, which led to an after-work stop for more run-of-the-mill demerara crystals. Now this has me thinking I should sacrifice the lump of jaggery in the pantry. Will report back.

That pipe syntax is much easier, Chris. Can you suggest a good resource for folks interested in learning a bit of wiki syntax?