steverino

Hey Malawry- Congrats on the new house! Exhilarating and stressful at the same time. I'm custom furniture designer / fabricator in the Detroit metro area, and your description of what you want is exactly why I, and I'm sure others, in your area, exist. Your specific needs can be addressed by someone like me, to build YOUR table to fit YOUR space perfectly, and function exactly as you want it to. Based on what you explained in your post, I would recommend a 1 1/2" thick SOLID SLAB wood top. My gut says North American Walnut. This is about 99% of what is sold in North America. (go figure...) Also called Black Walnut. Not cheap stuff, comparable in price to Cherry, about $5 -$6 per board foot. A board foot is 12" x 12" x 1" in "the rough". This thickness is called "four - quarter" (1") and, when dressed will yield approx. 3/4". So, to yield 1 1/2", a furniture maker has to purchase "eight - quarter" material. (2" in "the rough"). This is probably way more crap than you need to know, but if you ARE going to go custom, it helps to know as much as possible. If you want edge - grain, versus face - grain, it will be more costly because of labor, and that's where the real money comes from. Your table top should have 1" - 3" radius corners, and it should have a 1/4" round over top and bottom. This 36" height (std. "countertop" height) is the perfect height for active kids to seriously open up their faces. Hence the roundovers, and radius corners. Your table top, to seat 8 comfortably, is going to be 42" - 48" wide, and 90" - 96" long. There needs to be at MINIMUM, 6' between legs on the long side. The planks, for a slab top, should be "splined" together when glued up. Once again, if you choose to go custom, good information. Depending on final design, and built from any "native" species, (Oak, Maple, Ash, Cherry, etc.) I would charge between $3200 - $3800, delivered. Once I establish a design and price, the price is firm, unless you make serious changes. No surprises. Custom made chairs, you pretty much don't want to know about. $1000+ each. This is just a ballpark, to give you an idea. Talk to some custom furniture makers in your area. *Make sure you see their portfolio. *Get a couple references. *Expect a wait of at least 8 - 12 weeks for a custom piece. That's typically the short end of my delivery window. I've never posted pictures before, but (if this works) here are some pictures of my own kitchen table, it seats 6 comfortably. Hope this is helpful, Malawry. P.S. One of the first things I really enjoyed on eGullet was your School blog. Steve

I'm a "channeler", typically left to right, rotate down, repeat. But I've also been known to go left to right, rotate down, right to left, repeat until all kernels are consumed. In both cases, once all the kernels are consumed, there is a follow - up, much quicker, to make sure that all remnants of golden deliciousness are in my belly. YUM. Steve

When I was a young buck, I was a big fan of the Taco Bell Enchirito. There was a Taco Bell about half a mile from my school, and if you managed to sneak out of art class 2 -3 minutes early, you could get there and beat the rush. Glom on the hot sauce, power down 3 or 4 and you're back to school just in time. I think they were under a buck, and they had sliced black olives somewhat decoratively arranged on top. Then, they disappeared. Just recently, I happened into a Taco Bell, and lo and behold, the Enchirito was back on the menu! I steadied my jangling nerves and ordered a couple, with trepidation. They weren't under a buck anymore. They didn't have the (somewhat) artfully arranged black olive slices. I glommed on the hot sauce, and dug in. I came damn close to the summer of '79. The purple 440 GTX my buddy and I flew to the Taco Bell, the stifling return to non air - conditioned classrooms, and the smokin' hot English teacher in her gauzy sundresses. I sighed, put down my spork, and realized, you can never go back. Food, even fast food, is fucking amazing. Steve

I requested, and received, some Williams-Sonoma towels for Christmas this year, and I find them to be roughly as absorbent as Saran Wrap. What gives? They're 100% cotton, made in Turkey. (Just background...) I don't launder them with fabric softener... AND THEY DON'T SUCK!!!! Water, literally. help? Steve

No prob, fifi- There are a lot of cool "back stories" all over that site. Definitely not a "foodie" site, but it has its place! Steve

Here's a case of perfect timing. This guy's known for recreating all kinds of recipes, from Girl Scout Cookies to Tony Roma's ribs. He also includes a great little history of the dressing itself. Link expires tomorrow, though, so move fast... http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/recipes/hiddnval.htm Steve

Cala- I've found the King Arthur website to be a great resource: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/ Happy Hunting! Steve

Cuting up meat. A whole strip loin, tenderloin, rib eye, chicken. I take a lot of satisfaction in taking a big hunk of gnarly looking beef and turning it into beautifully trimmed and portioned steaks. A chicken - I can take that baby apart and make more beautiful and consistent pieces than you'll ever find in a supermarket. Plus, I have the backs and giblets for stock. A beautiful thing. Chopping vegetables. Any and all. Rough, julienne, dice, brunoise, or mince. It doesn't matter. "The Flip" - I learned how to do this from a cook that could flip eggs, one pan in each hand, while working at a Greek, Family-Style restaurant: First, you have to have a slope - sided pan. Put a piece of bread in it, tip the front of the pan down, flip the bread while visualizing the front edge moving in a tear-shaped ellipse. You're kind of pushing the pan away from you, which bounces the contents of the pan off the back edge, to encourage the flip. Practice enough with bread, and you'll be successfully flipping eggs, and pretty much anything else you want. Hopefully that helps. Steve

I've found this website to be extremely informative, and helpful in locating organic, or grass raised, or free range (fill in the blank) meats in your area. http://www.eatwild.com/ I hope this is helpful. Steve

Andiesenji- Could be a dumb question: For pasteurizing the eggs, do you bring the water up to temp before adding the eggs, or with the eggs in it? Thanks, Steve

Thanks, everyone - So...If I render it, then how long do you think it would be safe to keep in the fridge? And, as far as grinding it, I could probably do that in the cuisinart, right? ( I don't have a grinder) I gotta think potatoes would be amazing - Mc'd's used to use beef tallow for their fries, if I'm not mistaken... Peace out, Steve

I'm in the process of trimming a whole loin - about 13 pounds. I've been doing this for about 4 years, just throwing the fat away, usually about 3 lbs. It just now occurs to me ('cause I'm a genius...) Is there a good use for this beef fat? Or should I continue to just "chuck" the stuff? Any input appreciated - Thanks, Steve

"Pedestrian". With the hours I've been working of late, and the lack of inspiration I usually feel this time of year, I'm using this term more than I like lately. My wife and step - kids, God bless 'em, don't heartily agree (too often). "Pointy". This usually applies to a soup or stew, where certain flavors seem to almost stab you - onion being the primary culprit, but celery, pepper and garlic can also be culprits. Usually remedied by more simmering. My Father, while I don't ever remember him ever overtly criticizing my Mom's cooking, would simply say "you don't have to make this again". And then he would go back for seconds. (not thirds) Y'know, starving children in Ethiopia, etc. Steve

Octaveman- I have given this thought much consideration myself, as I love to cook, and have toyed with the idea of a career change as well. One important factor for me is the fact that when pretty much the rest of the world is out at night enjoying themselves and relaxing, you WILL be working. Most likely, that will include most ( if not all ) of the major holidays, your Wife's birthday, your childrens' birthdays ( if applicable ) Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc., etc, etc., I am also a musician, and most gigs I've ever done fall into that "rest of the world relaxing" time frame. Just a few things to consider. Also, I second the reading of Kitchen Confidential, especially the chapter called " A Day In the Life". Best of Luck, Steve

Talk about being the proverbial "fly on the wall"! This could well turn out to be one of the most captivating things done on the internet, especially for those with more than just a passing interest in cutting edge cuisine. The potential here is beyond belief, and this is going to be one hell of a ride! I'm glad I'm along for it! Good luck and Godspeed to all involved.

They're poppin' here in Southeastern MI. My wife, sister-in-law, mom-in-law have pulled in 150 or so, some 4 - 5 inches tall in the last 2 days! I'm hoping to get out tomorrow morning - will post results. Happy hunting!

Beef Broth - MMMMMM!! a bloody BULL! The horseradish creme fraiche sounds like a great touch, too. Riffing..... There's a Bloody Mary variation called a Bloody Caesar. It's made with Clamato (Tomato Juice with clam juice) Sounds disgusting, but it's actually quite good! The horseradish got me going here..... Garnish with chopped shrimp, or deep fried clam strips. Some chiffonade basil or mint might be nice, too. Keep us posted, morela!

Maybe start with a Vodka Marinara sauce. Tomatoes have certain flavors that are only released with alcohol. Add some Tabasco, or other hot sauce, puree, and garnish with chopped celery. Oh, you certainly could also garnish with a shot on the side! P.S. Dill pickle juice adds a certain "something" to a Bloody Mary that my wife and I really enjoy. I'm not sure what that would do to a hot version, however. Then you could garnish with chopped pickle. Just a couple thoughts! P.P.S. Merry Christmas everyone!!

"Breakfast for Dinner" French toast. Saute some Krakus boiled ham lunchmeat with it. Or salami. Omelettes - good with almost anything in the fridge thrown in.

Chicken and/or Beef Enchiladas - Kids: "We have enchiladas, like, every night." Grilled Pizza - Kids: "We have Grilled Pizza, like, every night." Grilled Burgers - Kids: "MMMM Burgers!" Quick stir fry. (Trader Joe's frozen stir fry veggies ROCK!!) Kids: "we have, like, (you get the picture) Pasta with some type of tomato sauce, and mixed green salad- Kids: "We have, like,.. Me: "Make your own damned food, then! I'm sure there's some yummy spaghettios in the pantry! Just don't forget to add a tablespoon of sugar - it's probably not sweet enough! Or there's got to be some scrumptious Mac N' Cheese!! Oooh yeah!" Pasta w/ fresh pesto. Basil. Fresh from the garden. Fresh from the garden Kids: "eewww - what's this green stuff"? Me: "It's what your brain's going to look like in a few years, from all those Spaghettios and Mac N' Cheese!! That's it!! I'm done cooking for you little ingrates!" Next night: Grilled Burgers - Kids - "MMMM Burgers!" Lather, rinse, repeat. Maybe I'm just a slow learner.

I have a KitchenAid that I'm very happy with. Heavy duty, good leverage for "clamping down", good gear ratio, so it doesn't take 11,542 turns to open a can of spaghettio's. (Not that I ever eat that kchudda). Really.

This job is SO beneath me. These little heathens don't even appreciate my egg and tuna salad!

This job is SO beneath me. These little heathens don't even appreciate my egg and tuna salad.

"To eat, per chance to dream" William Asparaguspeare (I think that's how it goes.)

I, for one, especially appreciated the absence of any thing else on the plate.