Dave the Cook

Check out these eGCI courses, oatmeal: Pit-roasting a whole pig Smoking And for entertainment and educational value, don't miss: Varmint's Pig Pickin' (the cooking starts about page 30). If you've still got questions after that, there's lots of folks here to help. And please keep us posted.

We're all thrilled to have another member of the congregation, Lily. One pointer: if you're really an Emeril (not to mention a Shrimp 'n' Grits) convert, you need to know the proper pronunciation for the plural form. Not shrimp, not even shrimps, but s'rimps. Because Emeril is overexposed, he's often underrated. But anyone who's cooked from NNOC knows that book rocks, and so does he.

First of all, he's dead-nuts on about the English version of the English breakfast, in my experience. Second, I want to go to Greece and have lamb chops for breakfast. Third, his mention of Brennan's reminded me of one of my favorites, which makes use of the previous night's etouffee (on the rare occasion when there's any left): Mix the rice with a beaten egg and a bit of flour, then press into cakes and griddle in butter. Warm slices of Smithfield ham, and place one on top of each rice "cake". Mount a poached egg, then ladle reheated etouffee sauce over it. Top with the most perfect leftover crawfish tail or shrimp you can retrieve from the gravy.

I'm not familiar with the finished product (although I must say it sounds good), so I'm not sure what to tell you. 300 is peanut brittle temperature -- glassy and hard. 240 is more like what you use for buttercream, I think, and that seems too soft for something with "crunch" in the name, though crunch must also come from the nuts and matzoh. There's too much other stuff in the recipe for me to make an accurate prediction. Here's what I'd do: make small batches, using temperatures ten degrees apart, from 250 to 300, and evaluate. But then, I'm not in a production situation, and maybe you don't have time to do that. If I had to put a stake in the ground, I'd say 255 -- mid-hard ball stage. Good luck and keep us up to date on your progress, please.

OK, I'm not a baker or a candy maker, so I might be off base here. But I wince when I see confectionery instructions like "boil for three minutes." If just water were involved, it might not be so complicated, but when you add sugar to the equation, it's a recipe for frustration. It seems to me that what's being attempted here is to ensure that the sugar reaches a certain temperature. That's because sugar that has been heated and then cooled can exhibit a variety of results, depending on how hot it got. For the author, three minutes does it, and that's a nice round number, so there's no need to be more specific. But the only way to guarantee consistent results is to use a thermometer. Most likely, the three-minute thing works for the person that wrote the recipe. But cooks, stoves, altitude, humidity and moisture content of the sugar are all variable (not to mention: just when is the mixture boiling -- does a simmer count? does it have to roll before you start the timer?), and it might not work for you. The great thing is that this is predictable. Crack open a book of candy recipes, or even a good general-pupose book, and you'll find a table that lists the temperatures and the effects. Here's one on line: Candy Chart

I will never take nutritional or medical advice from Bux.

Thanks, Andrew.

Lately I've been using a Jinmyo "procedure" for tonkatsu sauce: I use ancho for the chile, with a pinch of cayenne. This is great stuff.

Very cool (pun intended, of course). Any chance of getting a real recipe for those of us too dense to suss it out on our own? I found some really nice anchos, guajillos (and chipotles -- hmm) this weekend.

Welcome, FatTony. There are a lot of smoking/grilling threads on the boards. Try using the advanced search, "smoking" or "grilling" as terms (separate searches); any date and clicking on the "search titles only" button. Also check out Col Klink's Home Smoking Course in the Culinary Institute. I'm pretty sure he talks about using Webers, as well as other types of grills. But to cut to the chase, here's the grill many of us (including the Colonel) recommend: Char-Griller.

Ted, in a SSB mood, contemplating ancho puree, chocolate bread,toasted pinons http://www.pbmanagement.co.uk/images/tednicely.jpg and his (former) production career? Smoker, glasses, bald. You show great promise.

Could you use a dead crockpot as a container for an indoor herb garden?

I don't think you've done anything wrong, if that's what you're afraid of. If the pot's not bubbling at all even on high, the thermostat on your crockpot has probably gone bye-bye. They're not worth fixing, so you're due for a new one. But even on high with the lid off, onions often shed liquid faster than it can evaporate, and this is exacerbated by adding flavoring (salt, plus liquids like wine, vinegar, demiglace, etc.) at the beginning. It just takes a while, and that's why it's too wet. Your faulty pot is extending the process. You've got three choices: 1) strain the onions and discard the liquid; 2) strain the onions and reduce the liquid, then add it back to the onions; 3) dump the whole mess into a pot and reduce the liquid with the onions still in it. Which one you should do depends on the texture of the onions. If they're done, choose (1) or (2), depending on whether you want the liquid as part of the finsished product. If they're not, go for (3).

See? SEE? Someone around here know how to make tuna salad. Well, except for the white albacore thing, but I can let that pass.

'zactly. Though I've learned a lot from Ted and Steve and Michael and their peers. Pastry folks are the ones who most consistently push the envelope, in my experience.

fifi, do you, as I, ever wonder why SSBs spend a lot of time on the pastry threads? This is part of the reason.

Have you tried the dog crap thing? We've got this puppy, and . . . well, thanks for the book recommendation. Cinnamon, ginger, and especially allspice are great ideas. I'm not sure about pepper pectin, but it's worth some trial and error.

Thanks, Ted. I'm just guessing here, to be honest. I had the same question about the ingedients, hence my suggestions. I have no qualms about supporting a main ingredient with other items that might not be mentioned in the name of the dish. The trick, especially with something as seemingly unequivocal as sorbet -- it's hard to hide supporting ingredients -- is to retain the appearance of purity, while still doing everything you can to boost flavor. I've pureed anchos, but just for savory stuff, and when I found out about the toasting thing, I kind of forgot. I'm going to try a post-toast puree -- not in sorbet, but as an addition to chili, mole and an egg dish I keep fooling around with. Thanks.

Bastard.

Good job. Not a pickle in sight.

I'd try three things: rather than rehydrate them, I'd toast them for a few minutes, then grind. The toasting does a good job of bringing out the fruit. Second, If you were using any fat, I'd recommend steeping in that, as the chili oils are fat-soluble, not water-soluble. (Maybe you'd consider ancho ice cream?) Instead, try steeping some toasted ground powder in a liqueur (see suggestions below), then filtering to remove the particles. Next to fat and water, alcohol is the best flavor vector there is. Third, I'd look at adding other flavor components that match ancho, and might help to boost it: coffee, chocolate and raisin come to mind. Some of these are available as concentrates or cordials, so you could get by with small amounts.

John Kessler has weighed in: three stars (out of four). and Full review here.

Funny. The pickles I usually use in tona salad are cornichons (tiny little sweet gherkins). When I went over to the thread there were lots of folks agreeing with Dave that pickles do not belong...then moving on to claim that cornichons are fine. Though for Dave it is black and white, for some it appears Say yes to teeny tiny diced cornichons. No.

No pickles in tuna salad.

Guess who's been named as one of the hosts? AJC Peach Buzz