Dave the Cook

Bread pudding is, traditionally, a sweet dish. However, savory versions do exist. In our collection, I found: Spinach-shiitake bread pudding Bread Pudding With Artichokes, Cheddar and Scallions Mushroom Bread Pudding and then, just to throw another wrench in the works, I stumbled across Croque Monsieur Strata Strata with Spinach and Gruyère Strata With Mushrooms and Chard That last recipe, which I got from the New York Times, includes a paraphrase from Martha Rose Shulman where she calls strata "savory bread puddings." So I suppose that often the difference is often just the vessel in which the dish is prepared? I'm not sure what is meant by "homogenized" here, but it's essentially what I thought. I kind of still do. Yes. Every recipe I listed above, as well as every other recipe I came across, at a minimum called for three things: bread, eggs and dairy. The last two create a custard that is used to moisten the (usually stale or dried) bread and make it adhere to itself. Sometimes wine and/or stock is included.

I'm impressed with your fortitude and your inventiveness. What's the difference, if any, between a panade and a bread pudding?

Your voyages are exciting and inspiring. It's heartening to know that there will be a next time.

Seriously? The LCBO is ripping you off in a more offensive manner than usual. https://www.totalwine.com/wine/white-wine/pinot-grigio-pinot-gris/c/000052?&pageSize=24&aty=1,0,0,1&instock=1

Bota also boxes a dry riesling that's well-regarded by peeps who usually review much more expensive wines. We belong to Naked Wines, too, and are also fans of Arabella. One wine of theirs that we have yet to try but is in my basket, is their pinotage. This is a grape that's not found much outside of RSA. We tried another pinotage at a wine tasting a few weeks ago. If you can get a sample, try it with one of those Superburgers you like, especially if you can grill it outdoors.

Before Google Maps, there was MapQuest, an application that let you "design" a personalized route from Point A to Point B, then print a map out, along with turn-by-turn directions. We used it on a trip from Salt Lake City to a family reunion in Montana. At one point in the trip, following MapQuest instructions, we took a left turn, drove for about 45 minutes and ended up at the place where we'd made the original left turn, having completely and pointlessly circumnavigated a decently-sized lake. Of course, all those problems disappeared (not really) a few years later, with the advent of the early GPS nav systems, one of which directed us through a shopping center parking lot on out way to a Denver restaurant. (Corroboration by the late great Steven Shaw here.) Also, what's "prairie bread"?

The recipe does look good, and since it's based on a Thomas Keller dish, I'm not surprised it's socks-knocking. But this idea of flaming off the alcohol because it "cooks" the proteins is kind of BS. I assume this is based on the recipe in ad hoc at home. In that version, there's no mention burning off the alcohol at all. It's probably a refinement (?) introduced between book publication and the creation of the Keller Masterclass featuring the dish. It is true that alcohol can "cook" (which is another way of saying that it denatures) proteins. For this to happen, you need alcohol in a concentration of 20% to 50%. In the video, the cook uses a 50/50 combination of red wine and port. Most red wine is 12 - 15% alcohol; port is 18 - 20%. That combination (which is not in the Keller recipe; that calls for just red wine) is not going to get you to 20% alcohol. Anyway, guess what else denatures proteins. Cooking. So it's going to happen anyway. But now I want short ribs. Headed to the bank to take out a loan.

Large flour tortillas (corn won't work -- too stiff). Brush with oil. Sprinkle of salt. Bake.

Where's @Kerry Beal when you need her?

We made this cake for St. Patrick's Day. It's really good. A few notes: The nitrogen doesn't matter. I guess most of it fizzes off in the pour; what's left is claimed to contribute to a creamier texture. I don't drink beer, so can't really evaluate those claims. In any case it doesn't affect leavening, if that's a concern. Leavening comes from baking soda. There's another recipe for Guinness cake on Leite's Culinaria. It doesn't use eggs, if that matters. Or sour cream. It's still quite rich. Both cakes are good, but the Leite cake has an edge in its frosting, which is made with browned cultured butter. We made Nigella's cake, but Leite's frosting. The cake will probably sag a bit in the middle. I assumed we'd screwed up when this happened, but one of the photos on the Leite site show a bit of a sunken center. I don't know where this fashion of only frosting the top of a cake came from, but I think it's stupid. The New York Times says it "resembles a frothy pint of Guinness." I call BS. We just made 1-1/2 recipes of frosting, let us frost the sides of the cake, as it should be.

I agree. To hew as closely as possible to the flavors outlined in the recipe (which sounds very tasty, btw), I'd defat the bag juice (what you call "fluid) and measure out 3 - 4 tablespoons. Mix this with OJ, zest, some 5-spice (start with a little; you can always add more, but you can't take it out) and a pinch of salt. Heat to a simmer in a small saucepan, and adjust the spice and salt to suit. If you want to use this as a glaze, add maybe 1 tsp. sugar and dissolve. Brush this on the duck and run it under the broiler.

"Waffle House announced it will be adding a 50-cent surcharge to all egg items sold at its more than 2,000 locations because of soaring egg prices caused by the bird flu." Story here.

I don't remember in detail how the installation went, but I did it myself, which means it couldn't have been difficult. They've held up quite well. The racks in the photo have endured 7-1/2 years of two cooks' depredations, including recipe development and testing for three cookbooks and countless cooking classes. They still have all their original parts, and still work as if they were new. I am fairly certain that the roll-in/roll-out trays rest on ball bearings, which would contribute to their continued utility (and their expense, I imagine).

These are on the expensive side, but they come in a few sizes and several configurations. We have two of the 222x2x11 racks which we use for spices, but some of the larger ones might also work for organizing/storing bigger items. https://verticalspice.com/ There's a photo of ours here.

If memory serves, Alton no-unitaskers-in-my-kitchen Brown used one of those particular unitaskers on Good Eats.