OliverB

I almost bought one, but I will probably get the Big Green Egg XL instead. costs a lot more, but is a lot more versatile, from gill to pizza oven to high heat searing to easy to use smoker etc. What I don't like about the Bradley - not that I've ever even seen one, but from reading smoker/bbq forums: It seems to leak brown water, so I can't put it on my deck which makes it useless to me. It only uses the pucks they make, you can't get other wood and I don't like that. I want to smoke some German style things and you need other wood for that. It does not use "real fire" and that just bothers me on some primal caveman level. You can't really use it for cold smoking (just as the egg or webber etc) w/o mods. I'm not that interested in cold smoking, but would consider it a worthy option if it were there. Some of the parts appear to be a bit flimsy and can crack/break (front feet?). As for the digital one, I'd stay away from it. It seems that you can get much better results with one of those third party PIT (or what they're called) controllers. All this based on what I read over several days on different sites and forums. Just the reasons for me personally not to get one after all, and I had it in my shopping basket several times already. Of course, if you don't want to spend that much money, it's a great deal and seems to get the job done just fine. the pucks are not that expensive, I think it comes down to about 1$ per hour or so, not worth worrying about. And they come in all the traditional woods that you'd probably want to use. I just don't like things that limit me in their use from the get go, I want to decide which wood I can use, not Bradely. Something that's most likely not all that important to most that read this here. They seem to have great customer service and the message board on their site is lively. Of course, mostly filled by devoted Bradely smokers, keep that in mind :-)

I just bought it last week, but don't have the old one, so I can't compare. Binding seems just fine, it's a hard cover and I can't imagine pages falling out, but I'm not sure if they're just glued in or bound with sewing too (not sure how that's called in the book making world). A great book with lots of info, IMO a book worth giving to anybody that's just starting and nice to have in any collection. You should be able to find it in any book store to look at. It's a big fat book. From what I understand, it's completely revised and has a lot of new things in it, my guess would be that it's worth to have even if you have the old one. Especially if you actually used the old one a lot. If it's among the books that you have but don't use much, then I'd probably suggest to get something different. There are no photos etc, it's not a pretty coffee table book.

if you cleaned everything it'll eventually go away. Get some of those air freshener things you can plug in, personally I hate them for their fake smells, but it's probably better than the smell of decay. Hopefully nothing soaked into the floor boards etc, I think those have then to be removed. Maybe you can call a crime scene clean up company and ask for advice? And sniff around the room, see if you can isolate where it comes from. Or start smoking cigars for a while, that'll cover everything up! Of course, the question remains, why was the fridge unplugged? What a bummer, sorry to hear that! oliver

I usually make it the way my mom and my grandmother did, the Bohemian/Bavarian way (well, at least our family's) Salt liberally, pepper, sprinkle with a bunch of whole caraway seeds. Cut up an onion or two, put them on the bottom of the roaster. Roast on top, maybe add a bit of water and off in the oven. 375 or 400 degree, use a meat thermometer to determine when it's done, let rest, slice. Serve with potato (or better yet, potato dumplings) and the onion sauce (which is rather watery) on top of the meat. Add a good Bavarian beer and you're done :-)

I have that red Foreman grill with interchangeable inserts, two are for waffles. Works quite well and gives me a handy grill and hotplate (or what a flat top grill is called) at the same time. All non stick, I think I spend $70 on it. Makes nice panini, sometimes I make bacon on it (it tilts and the grease drips into a long narrow plastic pan you place underneath) etc. I usually don't like these 7 tools in one things, but I'm quite happy with this one. You need to let it heat up for a while, but then it works great. What it does not offer, is that indicator that your waffles are done, green light or something. I never missed that though.

I saw this in a catalog, first thought how neat (first I thought you can just buy that holder) but then figured my wire "beer can" holder for the bbq will work as well in the oven. If I'd need a roasting pan that size anyway, I'm sure I'd get it, but otherwise it's a bit much for a chicken hanger. I wonder if you can order just the hanger as a spare part?

this works with other herbs too. Trader Joes also sells these in a little box containing mini ice cubes of some sort. I have not tried those though, as basil is available here all year. Would be handy if I don't have any handy though. You can of course also make and freeze pesto, not sure why your's turn out like grim cow patties? I freeze it in little tubs with a layer of olive oil on top, comes out like new. I usually don't like bought pesto at all, but the one CostCo sells next to the fresh ravioli is quite good and freezes well too. Can't remember the brand, something with a C I think. Come in a tall plastic container, not a flat/low one. If you make the cubes, it's also good to vacupack them or at least get as much air out of your bag as possible if you want to store them a bit longer. Avoids ice build up.

I'll try that Zuni Cafe version, I love their cookbook and things turn out nice, thanks for pointing me that way! I also usually rest w/o tenting.

I mostly just prep at time of need, it's rare that I find the time to dice/slice/cut/prep everything up front. But if I do, I use little glass bowls to have things at the ready. Otherwise things are just waiting on the board or get dealt with as the recipe demands.

cut into small cubes and fried, they can be used in place of bacon in anything that asks for bacon. Just some nice pasta, maybe a small onion and an egg mixed into the drained pasta (it'll cook from the remaining heat) makes a fun dish. Sprinkle on some fresh basil or oregano and you're done. I actually like the framani wares, just think they are a bit pricy (to be expected of course). I'd probably try to return it to where I got it or at least give them some feedback. Maybe you got a batch that was not mixed well to be so salty? The ones I bought were quite delicious. But I also tend to like things on the salty side, might just be a personal taste preference? Pizza is a good place for salami too, I'd slice it really thin and add it after baking the pizza.

wow, that sounds great, thanks! I put it in the freezer as I did not want to rush into it, might just have to take it out again :-) Good idea with the frying a slice first, he actually cut two thin slices off just to show it's texture, I'll use those. Amazing how big that liver is in a goat! Or maybe it was a heavy drinker? I'll post what I made (and with what success). Sausages sound interesting too I must say.

vinegars oils mustards spices a herd of animals in the freezer condiments of all kinds hot sauces salts peppers and just starting with different flours

too bad you did not have a camera for the butcher with the pig head! Too funny :-) Great looking cut of meat too, that fat mountain is incredible! I have 1/7th of a berkshire resting in the freezer, probably will start getting into it this weekend :-)

I use tumeric to color rice, chicken, anything I want with a nice yellow/orange tint. Little goes a long way for color, not as far as saffron, but still. I also use it in my pickled zucchini after the zuni cafe cookbook, awesome! And you can use it if you make your own mustard, which you should :-)

just as an aside, the butcher that gave last night's class mentioned in passing that sweetbreads are really high in cholesterol. No idea if that's true, nor do I personally have to care, but I thought I'd mention it. I have yet to make them, but it's on my long list of things to do. First come the trotters and the pig's jowls I have in the freezer though, and the goat liver, rabbits, ...

I attended an other great butchery class in San Francisco last night, we took a whole goat apart. Part teaching, part hands on, 10 people in class. Might post pictures if they came out and I get around to it (still have a ton of pictures to process from 4 weeks in Germany, including lots of food and butcher shop pix). Now I got the liver among some other morsels. I have not made any kind of liver ever, I have not eaten liver since I was a kid (and hated it), but I'm always up for playing with something new (like the 3 rabbits in the freezer). I have no idea how goat liver compares to other livers, I would probably maybe dust with flower and s&p, fry and then slice, maybe with some onions? Any other tasty ideas? Despite a wall of books I somewhat doubt I'll be able to find a goat liver recipe in there. Google gets me some curries and similar, but that just seems to overpower what ever taste the liver might have. Maybe on purpose? Ideas?

I'm just curious, as I've seen those containers and first liked them, but then had this mental picture of myself pulling one off the wall in a hurry and ending up with just the cap in my hand and a big mess on the counter..... Are the tops screwed on? I thought about expanding my spice laboratory by putting some of these on the inside of the cupboard doors, but if there's a chance of the lids popping or being pulled off I'll stay away from that idea. Just don't want to drive all the way to IKEA to find out :-)

nice stuff, however, I'm not so sure that storing them behind the stove (light, hot, moist) is the best place to put spices, I'd probably reconsider that. Unless you go through your supply pretty quick. I'd also add some saffron or at least tumeric, and some whole juniper and allspice and some white and maybe green pepper. Enjoy the new place!

using different oils can also be interesting, avocado oil, walnut oil maybe? I also like spice/herb mixes, sometimes you can find them 4 in one container with different flavors. I generally stay away from premixed mixes, but those are pretty good.

I only know banana peppers as really mild, crunchy and briny. Pepperoncini are a whole different thing, small very hot red peppers that you mostly get dried in Italy. Also to be found pickled or in oil etc, but for all I know they are what the mostly lame red pepper flakes here try to be. I just brought back a grinder of them from Austria and boy, they are HOT! But oh so good :-) For pickling what ever peppers you have, you can pretty much use any vegetable pickling or preserving recipe if I'm not mistaken. Enjoy!

once thing I've been wondering now, I store garlic on the counter, and while it usually does not last long, it might sit there (warm, bright) for quite a while. How about botulism developing there? If it's fine to store it like the super market, and if your hands and utensils etc are clean, how can you introduce even the possibility of botulism happening when you just peel it and put it in oil? I won't risk it, but I'm still wondering.

now I'm curious, I'll have to dig for some of my garlic oil recipes later on. I do remember that none of them keep long at all, which is why I never made them. Well, at least not to keep and store, just fresh to be used that day. Can't somebody just come up with vaccination for botulism? The culinary doors this could open.... ;-p

my relatives (who are Italian on one side and live in Reggio Emilia) make a very simple spaghetti alio e olio (spelling?) by just smashing garlic, mixing with oil and mixing all that into the hot pasta. Some salt, basil, parsley or red pepper and parmesan. Super easy and one of those foods I want a tub full of to sit in :-) Of course, that area of Italy is full of those things~~ It's all done fresh though, not sure what might or might not have developed in that bucket of oil and garlic, though I doubt the garlic changes much when it's just sitting in oil. Well, it'll deteriorate eventually I guess. If I'd want to try this I'd get the peeled garlic mentioned, throw it for a couple sec into boiling water and then directly into oil. And I'd put that in the fridge I think.

true, but by that time it doesn't really matter if it still would take smoke? You usually start smoking pretty early or in the middle of the process, not just minutes before you get to that temp. At least that's what I do. I can imagine that the crust (or what you want to call it) that forms will stop the smoke ring from expanding eventually, but that no smoke adheres to the food after 140 seems impossible. It might not penetrate, but I'd guess it still sticks to the outside and will taste just as smoky - unless one only eats the inner smoke ring. It might not absorb as well at 140 as before, but with any process that I've used or read about the smoke would have been going on for quite a while already, I've never read of anyone adding smoke at that temp. Possible I guess, people do all kinds of strange things :-D I start the smoke either right away or after the initial searing over the hot zone.

if the event is not tonight, just go and get a couple for yourself to play with and eat. It's really not that hard. I got an OXO knife and used a towel, no glove. I can't remember which kinds of oysters I had, was two or three different ones, including the small Japanese ones. I was very worried that I'm gonna make a mess, but it worked out fine. Once the blade slides in, go slow, wiggle, jiggle, and move around, and it'll open. Then remove shell pieces if any fell in and loosen the oyster. Since all the equipment will be supplied this is more for the general public, you can get a glove made for fishing that's "cut proof". Not as strong as chain mail, but it's made of some woven metal with - I think - silicone covering, and it's pretty cheap. Any good fishing store should have that. But really, there's no need for that much force. I try to find a spot in the hinge area but also am happy to take any other location that looks promising, then just press and jiggle, a good oyster knife will get in with not too much force (most of the time). I do hope that you're supposed to do this before the party starts, otherwise you'll be busy shucking while others are busy eating and standing in line (reminds me of a wedding I was at) and that's no fun. If you have to do it in front of an audience, don't fall into the "I have to perfom" trap, that's when fingers fly. At that wedding we had a very funny guy who shucked an oyster in probably a second or two, all the while looking at and talking to you. You do NOT want to try that. Have fun! Oliver