Dave the Cook

I agree that undersalting at the stove results in oversalting at the table. I try to pay attention to salt at pretty much every stage, but I think its effects are most profound in the early stages, especially for starchy things. Rice, potatoes, polenta, pasta and beans don't taste the same if all the salt is added at the end.

Funny you should mention this. Just the other day, I snagged two pounds of pintos to go with some chili. I dumped out half of them to pick over, and as I tied up the remainder, I noticed the package was stamped with an expiration date of this summer. I couldn't remember having ever seen one on beans before, and I became concerned that I had missed it all these years. Happily, your story confirms: it's not me, it's the beans (a line I've used before, under other circumstances).

Only 40 to 50 percent of the white population, and 65 to 70% of the black population (I couldn't find numbers for other groups) are salt-sensitive. I'm not qualified to advise you on the crucial medical aspects of diet, but it might be worth your while to find out if you're really in the sensitive group.

Yes. Morton's is closer to the usual cube in shape (somewhat rougher, but mostly just larger, than standard table salt), whereas Diamond Crystal is formed in flakes. The practical difference is that, when measuring by volume, you get more Morton's in the measure than DC. Roughly: one teaspoon table salt = 1-1/2 teaspoons Morton's = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal

A variation on fifi's excellent basis: - Render some ground andouille in a little bit of oil. - Remove the andouile and saute your trinity in the fat until you get a little brown on it. - Push the trinity to the sides of the pan, letting the fat drain back to the center. Add four or five cloves of garlic, chopped, and a bit of cayenne. Saute until you can smell the garlic - about 30 seconds. - Deglaze the pan with chicken stock (low sodium canned is fine). Turn this mess into your bean pot, add your pork product and bay, along with some dried thyme. - Cook the beans as fifi recommends. I like the crockpot, too. - About a half-hour before the beans are done, brown some sliced andouille, kielbasa or other smoked sausage. Add it to the pot to finish cooking and tenderize. - I think it's Emeril who suggests extracting about a third of the cooked beans and running an immersion blender through them, then returning the puree to the pot. I've done it this way -- it gives you an extra-creamy finished product that you might like. Are Camellias the same as the guys labeled "small red beans"?

It's my understanding (and IIRC, it's what Mario says in the book) that Risotto Milanese is the traditional accompaniment to Osso Buco, but I agree that it's just too much. I prefer noodles or plain rice. (Also agreed on the garlic. Giving the peppers some thought.)

Why rely on your subjective observations? As long as you're there, tell them you want to check out scales, too.

I did Maggie's butt, er, Nigella's shoulder last weekend. I employed the high-temp thing, but went easy on the spice rub, so I'd have more flexibility in the final dishes. First night: pulled pork with a spicy sauce made from chicken stock, tomato puree, molasses and sherry vinegar (and small amounts of a bunch of other stuff). This used up most of the crispy exterior bits, and the sauce disguised the dry external layer. I hate to complicate a wonderfully simple recipe, but I'm considering brining next time. Second night: carnitas, with tortillas, bell peppers, onions, red rice, and a watermelon/orange/red onion salad. Third night: I was left with a meaty bone, the balance of the flesh having been depleted by lunches and late-night snacks. So I dropped it in a pot with a pound of pinto beans, a few bay leaves and a shredded ancho chile. I was thinking that I was done with Nigella, but the stock created by the bone and the seasoning was so wonderfully rich and porky that I strained out the bay and the chile and used it as the base for an excellent chili (which also consumed the pintos).

The difference is that with unsalted butter, you know how much salt you're using.

I agree that Mario has an excellent basic Osso Buco recipe. Isn't the one in the book the same as the one on the Food Network web site? Here.

Is your oven relatively new or old? I have an ancient gas range and oven and I'd be worried about leaving it on whilst I slept. But then again, I'm a pantywaist. Colonel, I think you were busy (getting married, moving, smoking a loon, maybe) when we all joined together to save Maggie's butt the first time she did this recipe.

Just to be fair, I think most manufacturers (Calphalon included) offer a lifetime warranty for their serious cookware. You're right, and I think AC does, too. I was cautioning that the LC knock offs don't carry a guarantee even though they might be quite adequate for some time. I should have been clearer. To be even more clear, I don't recommend Calphalon to anyone. But it's perfectly adequate stuff for oven braising, even if it's not my (or your) first choice. In this particular application, all you really need is a container to hold the contents, since over the period that a good braise takes, the conductive properties of the vessel are far less important than on the stove top. Alton Brown oven-braises in an aluminum foil pouch, for crying out loud.

Just to be fair, I think most manufacturers (Calphalon included) offer a lifetime warranty for their serious cookware.

Right. I was just throwing a number out for comparison purposes.

Not really, and especially not if you're braising in the oven. The main functional issue is how tightly the lid fits. In my experience, Calphalon lids are pretty loose compared to the weight and fit of LC. This means your liquid needs to be checked more frequently. Now, if you're taking the dish to the table, I don't think Calphalon aesthetics can compare with enameled cast iron, but that's a matter of opinion.

PR is $14.99/pound at my local (chain) grocery store in Atlanta.

As shrimps have neither back- nor breastbone, I don't believe they qualify for spatchcocking.

That is a pretty good deal. But looking at the other items by that manufacturer, they seem to work strictly in aluminum and cast iron. I know a lot of restaurants use giant aluminum pots for stocks (especially brown stocks), but I wouldn't recommend them for white or fish stocks, and most home cooks don't have the luxury of dedicated pots for different stocks. On this particular item, the material isn't mentioned, but I'd make sure it was stainless steel before buying. Good advice on labeling, Rachel. I've found myself mistaking beef for chicken -- not to mention the mix-up when the 12-year-old decided to make Coca-Cola cubes. He and Kate's fiance would get along fine.

I have freezer issues, too: two and a half teenagers means I have to fight for space with pizza, ice cream and chocolate-chip cookie dough, and every inch is precious. So I go a step further than Rachel and reduce it to a glaze, so that one ounce is equivalent to one cup of stock. This happens to be the size of a compartment in a standard ice cube tray, so I freeze it, pop it out and bag it: twelve quarts of stock is 48 cubes. When I need a cup of stock, I put a cube in a measuring cup and fill it up to eight ounces. Since the cube is also a glaze, I can also just toss it straight into a pan to give a sauce a beautiful finish and extra flavor.

Siphon it.

I agree with Rachel and Alex that 16-quarts is the smallest size you should get, though I say this as someone who used a 12-quart pot for years. Pots made for home use get wider rather than taller once you reach a capacity of 12 quarts (commercial pots grow in both directions), so a 16-quart is not much, if any, taller than the smaller one. This lets you make more stock at once, without compromising your ability to see over the rim. Chefmate is very decent stuff for these puposes, as is Tramontina. As Rachel suggests, you can get Chefmate at Amazon (which is really Target): I've seen Tramontina at Wal-Mart. If you have a Farberware outlet nearby, check them, too. Occasionally they have an overstock on their Millenium line (the only one worth buying). This stuff is at least the equivalent of the other two brands. It's not worth it to buy any higher quality than what we're talking about here, unless you're into high-end stuff for its own sake. There's no functional advantage to say, an All-Clad pot for making stock.

Related to fifi's point, has anybody else come to the conclusion that sweet onions (Mauis, Walla Wallas, Vidalias, etc.) are a waste when it comes to recipes, like French Onion Soup, that involve long cooking? I find they turn bland, whereas the really pungent ones have enough character to survive and prosper.

You might check out Ca' Del Solo Big House White.

If Le Creuset or Staub is not in the budget, I'd have no misgivings about recommending Sitram Profiserie: 7-1/2 quart Rondeau With a matching lid, you can be ready to go for about $100. My first choice, like most everyone else on this thread, is enameled cast-iron. But the fact is, I often braise in saute pans, and they're stainless steel with disk bottoms, just like the Sitram Rondeau.

I found this one: Stove and this one: Cooktop and oven choices