genarog

I've been trying - with little success - to replicate the taste, texture and color of the Argentinean fresh sausage. A few times I got close, but I know I'm missing something. Most likely I don't know what I'm doing. It could also have to do with the ingredients I use. The recipe I had the best results with calls for Saltpeter and Sodium Tripolyphosphate, both of which I have omitted, as I couldn't find them anywhere. I have used Cure#1 instead. I'm thinking of using #2. I know Saltpeter is still used in Europe. Has anyone seen it used in fresh sausage? Also does anyone know where to order these chemicals in the US. I tried my local pharmacy and the look I got said I'm nuts. My guess is these chemicals were intended for preservation purposes, but the side effect is that sausages taste great. I'm not concerned about the preservation aspect, but I am about taste and texture.

Love that free grill! Mine is not free, but is not that expensive either:

Am I eating this bread right out of the oven? 12 hours past? If I need to buy it in the morning and still eat later, and also use it for fettunta or pappa al pomodoro or gazpacho, I would commit to buying round, crusty bread like this. Now, if you promise me that every time I want to eat bread I'll get it right out of the oven then I would probably say baguette.

And I thought I didn't like asparagus... I tried this today and couldn't stop eating. They were baby asparagus and took only 10 minutes to get "al dente".

They list the current ones here.

I don't know of anyone making it. I've heard of people bringing it from URU/ARG... after visiting. I can tell you where to get very good "regular" morcilla in Queens though.

I'm planning on ordering olive oil from The Rare Wine Co. mainly for finishing pastas and other dishes. Any suggestions on which of their oils would be more appropriate? Thanks!

I have this one. I bought it because there was a great offer - $30 - and I didn't know what to do with it at the time. I now use it all the time and I couldn't make Gazpacho without it. I haven't put it in the dish washer. Cleaning the stuck tomato seeds takes some time... but I find the disks are good for the task. I sometimes go with the medium disk first and then with the fine one. It's probably too small for an 11'' pot.

I'm so lazy with the vacuum sealer... I'll have to give the new ziploc vacuum bags a try. I have tried leaving 4lb pieces at room temp and it wasn't a very good idea. When I wrap them well and put them in the fridge they last a little longer, but the special texture of the Parmigiano Reggiano and other cheeses like Pecorino Romano gets lost after a few days. I usually buy 3-4lb pieces of Parmigiano Reggiano at Teitel Brothers or Locatelli at Casa della Mozzarella and throw them in the fridge, but then rush to use it before quality goes down. Latelly I've been buying smaller pieces of Locatelli at Costco, which is much closer to me. Price is about the same and it's super fresh. When I run out I just go for more.

Anyone knows when the Kirkland Toscano is supposed to show up?

Because I have sinned - I have reheated pasta at work - I'm exploring other alternatives: boiling the pasta just-in-time, and reheating the sauce. So the question is: would it be possible to boil pasta in a microwave oven or in a small electric toaster-oven, which according to the dial heats up to 475? These are the only two appliances I have at work.

I don't know whether the end product is any different with fresh or dry yeast, but I really like the smell of fresh yeast.

I recall having an amazing Lasagne al Forno at Enoteca la Boccadama in Piazza Santa Croce. It didn't seem to be any different than an authentic lasagne bolognese, but in Florence.

Thanks for all the replies. One more question: once I take the guanciale out and start taking slices from it, can I put it back in the cooler with the rest of the products I'm still drying? Or should it go to the fridge?

So I put my guanciale in the adpated wine cooler two weeks ago, and it weighed 619 grams. One week later it was 585 grams (94%). And now it's at 575 grams (93%). The wine cooler has been at between 58 and 62 degrees and between 60% and 75% humidity. Is it supposed to lose weight this slow? I don't care if it takes 6 months and ends up tasting better, I'm just concerned that I may be doing something wrong. So far it smells ok, though.

I’m getting Picholine Olives bulk, packed in water and citric acid. I soak them in water for a few days, and then I put them in a jar and cover them with olive oil. Sometimes I add a few herbs. I keep the jar closed, on a counter. They taste very good for up to 3 weeks. If I keep them longer, they become too soft. Is there a way to keep them longer than 3 weeks at room temperature? While they keep longer in the fridge, I don’t like the texture of the olive oil on the olives out of the fridge, even if I let them sit at room temperature for an hour. Also, should I seek Olives not packed in citric acid?

My second choice would be grilling it, but considering the weather... my third choice would be the lentils you described. You're lucky you can get your hands on pork jowls, I had to special order them. My first choice, Gunaciale is curing in the wine cooler.

In Salvador: In most cities I try to avoid the tourist-oriented restaurants, but if you visit Pelourinho I can recommend the Feijoada served at the restaurant on the main square. In Rio: Street Food I remember the carts selling great Kibbeh.

Quality is great. Regarding the mercury I'll have to research, but my consumption is just 3/4 lb per month or so.

As per the fishmonger I'm eating farmed Scottish Salmon.

Thanks for the info. I'm in the NYC area (Long Island); I'm going to look for russian supermarkets. I'd love to pickle them myself. Is salted herring ready to eat after soaking? Or the vinegar continues the curing?

Anyone know the type of herring fillet that tastes a little sour and salty? It may have a hint of sweetness, but not too much. My grandfather (ukranian) used to buy it, and I recently had something very close to it at a German restaurant. However, when I went to buy herring from speciality stores, they sold me herring that tasted too sweet. Same happenned with all the canned herring I bought.

An acid can also complement another acid quite well. A Gazpacho finished with a few teaspoons of sherry vinegar can be fantastic.

Great looking sandwich! I can imagine its texture. And it shouldn't be expensive, it only takes a few slices of the good stuff.

Thanks for all the replies. Regarding whether the fish was frozen at some point or not, I don't know whether my fishmonger knows for sure it's fresh or he was told it is and he assumes what he was told is true. Regarding the risk, I'm willing to take some risks with food to a certain degree; I just don't want to be totally stupid about it. I regularly eat beef that is rare or close to raw. But I've been eating like that for many years and I feel very comfortable with beef. I don't feel nearly as comfortable with fish.