Jump to content

kitchenhacker

participating member
  • Posts

    42
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by kitchenhacker

  1. kitchenhacker

    Eating Panther

    You might want to settle on a particular big cat to fake rather than using a generic term ("panther" doesn't refer to a particular species). I'd go for something very lean and relatively tough. Goat, maybe?
  2. Use them (still frozen) to keep a Bloody Mary (or other appropriate beverage) cold.
  3. I've been toying with ideas for a burger constructed with the use of Activa. Too much handling is anathema to a good burger. What if there was practically no handling? Well... the burger would fall apart. Right? Here's my thought: Grind some meat VERY finely. Make a beef-sheet (essentially a giant noodle made of beef) with Activa. (Maybe add some egg white? Spices?) Grind some more meat VERY coarsely. Handle it as little as possible. wrapping it in the beef-sheet so that it is a burger-shaped beef-within-beef dumpling. My hope is that you could get a lovely smooth char on the burger's exterior while the interior would stay moist and juicy. Any thoughts as to whether this would work?
  4. My own view is that I do not see a pressing need to declare up-front how I would handle every contingency. My site accepts comments (which I do not delete, unless they are uncivil), and my private e-mail address is also on the site. If someone contacts me via either medium, and says, “You’ve done the wrong thing,” I will make changes if I think they have a valid point (this has happened). ← That's perfectly reasonable. On my blog, I noted that a personal ethics statement could be very in-depth... or it could just be a statement along the lines of "I try to be conscientious, honest, and considerate in my posting. If you have concerns, contact me and I will address them."
  5. I've been thinking about this a lot. I honestly hope that people do not accept this code, and instead take its presentation as an opportunity to think about ethical issues in their blogging and write their own ethics statement.
  6. Thanks for addressing my concerns. Some responses: That's fair, I suppose. I would love to see something added to the code that concedes the inherent fallibility of codes. They are always overbroad in some ways (and may not go far enough in others). The fact that you want to make this an evolving document acknowledges this implicitly. It would be good to make that acknowledgment explicit. I was vague here. The only exception you list is "brief quotations from written works" - but intellectual property isn't limited to written works. What about audio samples? Excerpts from other media that are used for perfectly acceptable purposes? That's why your code is much more stringent. Is it? What is the premise for a preference towards linkage? Is it the assumed preference of the content-owner? An a priori preference for original sources? Neither of those would render it a different species. This feels like a double-standard. Not all websites should be required to allow comments.To say otherwise presumes a great deal about the purpose of that site. Moreover, "free" comment is ambiguous. What about comment moderation? By my account, eGullet does not allow free comment, there is a process that needs to be gone through before the ability to comment is granted. Not all websites are required to allow comments, but the eG Ethics code won't work for those that don't allow comments. The code doesn't require unfettered comment. It allows for limits such as terms of service, registration and a requirement of civility. But it does require that there be a mechanism for fair comment. Why? Wouldn't it be enough to say "if comments are permitted, then they must be fair?" Is there any reason behind the commenting requirement? Also, I think that "free and fair" need to be clarified. They are incredibly vague, especially if limited by the ToS. Limiting fairness by the ToS robs this clause of any point. What if my ToS allow me to remove or change comments if they upset me? No one would say that was free and fair. Depending upon ones definition of "factual" - this should be clarified. Say I have a popular blog post on a topic. I find out that a fact in that blog post is incorrect. Shouldn't I update it? In most cases the best way to update an older post is to leave the post intact and add something along the lines of a parenthetical ("edited to add"). There are also situations where there needs to be a full edit, such as removal of an intellectual property violation. The final version has some language changes to make this all more clear. Why? What if adding such update notices and such ruins the post (because, say, it was dependent upon a certain narrative flow or a certain format)? What if it is just a spelling mistake? There are some changes that are trivial. Why should altering your own content be limited in this way? Is there a compelling reason that trumps all others? I just don't see the reason behind this being an absolute. This is problematic unless you maintain earlier versions as well and allow people to sign on to a specific version. Someone might sign on to 1.0 - but not be willing to follow the changes that you make between 1.0 and 2.0. Retaining them as a signatory to the updated code would be unethical. All versions will be maintained and dated, and those who feel they can no longer comply with an updated version are asked to remove the badge. ← Putting the onus on others to do so seems as morally problematic to me as opt-out mechanisms usually do. Couldn't you have code version numbers with unique badges/links? Thus, when you update the code, people can choose whether or not to update their badge along with it?
  7. Do you know what sort of vegetables you are going with? That might help narrow down exact flavors... If you have a balsamic/honey dip, that is a tangy/sweet option. I'd round that out with something creamy and something salty. I'd go with hummus or some sort of bean dip for the latter, in large part because you can easily make it vegan (which may or may not be an issue).
  8. a few blogs I like (I have about 80 in my RSS feed) that I don't think anyone has mentioned here: - Ideas in Food - a constant fount of creativity - playing with fire and water - beautiful - Khymos - a good Molecular Gastronomy blog/resource - ruhlman.com - Michael Ruhlman's blog - The Pink Peppercorn - one of my new favorites Also, feel free to check out my blog... in my sig, below. I'm always looking for advice on how to improve it.
  9. I have some issues with codes of ethics in general. A code isn't going to be responsive to individual situations. It will leave out a number of cases. I addressed my concerns with the Food Blog Code of Ethicson my blog. I have some of the same concerns about this one. Some are different, though: Is there a reason that this is much more stringent than fair use? I do not see the point of this. If, for example, I am writing something critical of a book that I do not believe deserves to be purchased, why should I link to a place to purchase it? Also, for individual users, how does this fit with policies like those here at the eGullet forums where reproduction of content is preferred rather than linking back to ones own blog? Presumably only if you are writing about that product or service, yes? If someone sends me something unsolicited and I do not write about it, I should not be required to disclose that they sent me something. Not all websites should be required to allow comments.To say otherwise presumes a great deal about the purpose of that site. Moreover, "free" comment is ambiguous. What about comment moderation? By my account, eGullet does not allow free comment, there is a process that needs to be gone through before the ability to comment is granted. What about websites that are intentionally tongue-in-cheek? What about those that take an outrageous tone? As long as they are up-front about these things, is that a problem? Say I have a popular blog post on a topic. I find out that a fact in that blog post is incorrect. Shouldn't I update it? This is problematic unless you maintain earlier versions as well and allow people to sign on to a specific version. Someone might sign on to 1.0 - but not be willing to follow the changes that you make between 1.0 and 2.0. Retaining them as a signatory to the updated code would be unethical.
  10. How would the following process work? Grind your own meat, coarsely. What you use will probably be leaner than 80/20. Toss some frozen butter in when you grind the meat. Form your patties. The butter should melt, leaving the burger less dense (and more flavorful)... I think.
  11. I guess the question is how hard would it be to make a big batch of the soup sans cheese and add the cheese individually to each smaller reheated batch? It might be prohibitive time-wise. It might be relatively simple.
  12. I think there isn't enough Alice Waters backlash. The more people talk about local, sustainable food, the better. Alice Waters says a lot of good things. Occasionally, she says something condescending. There's nothing wrong with criticizing her for the latter. She's made herself a public figure. Personally, I think it is good to call public figures on statements they make that are less-than-wise. In this case, I think it is better than most, as it can potentially jump-start public discourse.
  13. I know that as I've learned more about cooking and gastronomy, I've come to appreciate French cuisine more. Personally, I think it is because it is incredibly well detailed and systematized. It is very traditional, but most of the traditions are in place because they have been thoroughly tested and work well...
  14. My initial reaction was to think about a beurre manié instead of a roux and adding it when you heat to 160... but that wouldn't solve the problem of heating the cheese. Could you simply add the cheese after heating the liquid to 160? If you want to add acid without having an effect on taste... you can cheat. Don't add acidity, but subtract something non-acidic instead, raising the pH that way. My thought? Add the chicken stock (should be close to neutral pH) when the beer-cheese reaches the holding temp.
  15. Have you tried nibbling on one? If so, what does it taste like? What's the texture? Would they be good substrates for dips or spreads? I could see, possibly, using these in moussaka (or something similar)...
  16. kitchenhacker

    Horseradish

    I love horseradish. It is one of those things, though, that you rarely see used in hot preparations. Is this a natural limitation of horseradish or merely tradition? Can it be cooked to good effect? If anyone has any ideas/thoughts about this, I'd be interested.
  17. Avoid the cell phone thing... I think it would be disruptive to have people pulling out their phones. I'd emphasize things that enhance the meal without disrupting it. A bunch of cool ideas so far. Projecting information on a wall (or setting up a big screen) would be good. A soundtrack could work. Automated fans set to send certain aromas to the diners at different points? Hmmm... taking feedback from diners and processing it so that it turns into some sort of art? Webcast the dinner?
  18. Of course food is about more than just taste (even given a loose definition of taste). I'd clarify the question to be whether the quality of a meal is reduceable to the quality of the food served in the meal. To most people, the answer is clearly that a meal is more than just the food served with it. It is the overall experience. Meals in which the food is identical can vary in terms of desirability. Presentation is certainly part of it, but people would rather eat a meal in a pleasant environment than an unpleasant one. That's obvious. The trick is finding out what people consider pleasant and unpleasant. Still, cooking is a skill that can be improved. People enjoy food. All other things being equal, people would prefer to eat good food over bad food. (Yes, there is some disagreement about what constitutes good and bad food.) I've had bad holiday turkeys. Some of those meals were memorable, but they were memorable in spite of the turkey - not because of it. I've also had memorable holiday meals with good turkeys (mostly since I stopped letting my mother cook them). In these, the turkeys contributed to the memories.
  19. In general, as noted, electric woks aren't good at stir-frying, but they do have other good uses: - As noted above, it can make something remarkably like paella, even down to the crusty bottom. Actually, my electric wok is one of my favorite tools for rice dishes. - The shape and heat control on an electric wok makes it good for braises/stews. You can even sear the meat and braise it all in the same wok. - You can use it as a warmer/server/extra burner. It may not be ideal for every use, but (with a little creativity) it is remarkably flexible. I've used mine to mull cider, for instance.
  20. Pre-sliced apples. Apples?!?
  21. I want explanations of what essential role ingredients play in a recipe. I tend to hack recipes into tiny bits and put them back together. If the milk in a recipe is providing fat that is needed to make the dish work, don't just list whole milk as an ingredient. Let me know WHY - so I don't use skim milk. Yes. I know that I am unreasonably demanding.
  22. I like to -thinly slice tofu (about 1/8 ") -marinate it with soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil -dry it -fry it till crispy Great with caramelized onions... or as a stirfry ingredient.
  23. I'm really enjoying (and learning from) these posts. Thanks!
×
×
  • Create New...