Dave the Cook

The sugar geek speaks: Do we know for sure that the Passover versions of the big American brands are in fact made with cane sugar? They might be made with beet sugar, which, as far as this goy knows, is perfectly Kosher, and often cheaper. Mostly I'm curious: while I believe there to be taste and subtle texture differences between HFCS- and sugar-based Coke, I seriously doubt anyone could tell the difference between cane and beet sugar, even if there weren't a bunch of other flavor components for the taste buds to contend with. Coke does not handle Kosher certification at the corporate level. It's relegated to the bottlers, so availability will be localized. Certainly it's available in NYC, and some sections of Atlanta, but not every bottler will bother.

Maybe, maybe not. Check out what Randall Grahm is up to.

I'm open to any and all suggestions. I seem to have misplaced my copy of CT (probably at my brother-in-law's), so I'll have to find it or replace it before I can offer suggestions -- except to point out that baking on weekdays is going to be difficult.

I wish I was coming, too, security blanket or not. Don't forget extra side towels -- and since you're on the grill/smoker, an extra pair of welder's gloves might come in handy, in case some guy from Jersey makes off with yours and you don't see them for the rest of the weekend.

I'm in.

If I read this correctly (scroll to the last sentence of Russ' post), there will be some sort of announcement tomorrow.

Sounds great, and a nice antidote to porcine excess. I don't know about the other stuff, but I recognize the garlic -- that nice hard-neck stuff from the farmer's market? -- and basil from G's hangar steak app?

I wonder if Varmint's found the two pounds of leftover, raw, brined shrimp in the refrigerator yet?

Thanks for the background on our pig, Varmint. I knew some of the story, but not all of it. It's inspiring.

Russ: In my opinion, the series you did with Thomas Keller and Michael Ruhlman was (and is, if it's still available on line) not just a terrific resource, but one of the best things I've ever seen a newspaper food section do. - How did you convince these guys to participate? - How did they take to being edited for a newspaper? - Were the recipes developed and/or tested at the Times, and what sort of difficulties did you encounter in knocking restaurant recipes and techniques down to domestic size? Thanks for your participation. This is a great Q&A.

You bet, as long as your grill is big enough. I was thinking about doing this myself. You'll need a pretty sturdy set of tools. Turkey bones are a lot stronger than chicken bones. I think Cook's Illustrated spatchcocked a turkey a year or two ago and did a high-temp roast on it, so you might get some tips there. And just recently, they worked on the interior seasoning with an undeconstructed bird -- it's a lot easier to season the inside of a turkey than the inside of a chicken. IIRC, they roasted it conventionally

After rubbing up against everyone at every pass, those of us that weren't already "friendly" were practically family Thanks, Katie. I couldn't figure out a way to say that, but you got it perfectly.

You did warn us, but it's impossible to describe your kitchen, Varmint. Having seen it Friday morning, I tried to warn guajolote when we picked him up at the hotel. Halfway through my narrative, his eyes started to roll back into his head, so I stopped. However, when we arrived chez Varmint, he took one look and agreed that my description, for all its previously questionable credibility, was entirely accurate. But you're right. It was in many ways a perfect kitchen for five people to prep in, especially if they were friendly. The only real crunch was for stovetop space. Although you graciously offered the use of your upstairs unit, I don't think anybody wanted to be too far away from the action.

Russ: I believe you were involved in the redesign of the testing areas at the LAT during your tenure as editor. I have even more appreciation for what a huge task it must have been, since thanks to Varmint's Pig Pickin', I had the opportunity to cook in three very different kitchens this past weekend. Could you tell us a little bit about how you balanced the need for expedience with the desire to approximate how your readers have to negotiate their home kitchens?

Great trick! When that wears off, threaten to steal her food.

Well, he couldn't get anyone else to do it.

Well, not all of us. You should have seen the look on guajolote's face as we belted out Birdhouse in Your Soul. But he very politely withheld comment until we launched into Dead -- in what I thought was pretty decent harmony. I have no idea what his problem was. Maggie, who along with being a grits virgin, was also a TMBG virgin, lost it at the lines: I didn't apologize For when I was eight and I made my younger brother Have to be my personal slave Perhaps our Dark Lady has a dark past? edit: embellishment

What an amazing thing you put together, Varmint. I'm still shaking my head over it. And what an amazing woman Marcella is to have put up with us. Thanks to both of you for making possible one of the most enjoyable weekends I've had in a long, long time. Others have posted about the food, so I won't go on about it. Everything people have said about the pig, the puppies, the potatoes, greens and the desserts is true, as well as the praise deservedly poured on the libations. For me, the real highlights were the people, especially the kitchen crew -- as we used to say in the music biz, you guys got chops: malawry: always cheerful, always ready to listen, always ready to teach, and completely in love with cooking. What an inspiration. edemuth: always ready to help, and man, can she do a brunoise! maggiethecat: never a bad word for anyone, even the guy who drops another five pounds of taters in front of her, makes the worst excuse for puppy-dog eyes in all creation, and asks her to peel and quarter them. Aurora: I ruin her nails with rancid thyme and heirloom tomato acid, and still she initiates a They Might Be Giants singalong on the way to the airport! guajolote: he pulls a hanger steak out of his surreptitious airline carry-on, and I realize he's going to make the steak/tomato/garlic/basil thing we had worked out on-line a few weeks before. What an honor. What a dish! This is not meant to overlook some other choice eGullet moments: Introducing maggiethecat to Waffle House: her first grits, not to mention hash browns scattered, smothered and covered. Invading the farmer's market on a rainy afternoon and posibly finding the last few ears of fresh corn in the city. Confirming that Whole Foods is every bit as expensive and exasperating in Raleigh as it in Atlanta or Chicago. Organic hot sauce, but no sriracha -- or even real country ham. Speed-thawing three ducks and two capons, then making stock in crock pots. Various random eGulls craning their heads into the kitchen, asking if they can help, and, like joler and Katie Loeb, smiling and pitching in at shredding capon, duck and bunny (and giving a Li'l Varmint a nature lesson along the way)! Or Blondie, mincing jalepenos. Charlie the Mummer and Al Dente belting out Pretzel Logic while we finished off guajolote's excellent post-pickin' whiskey. Watching the faces of the people eating the food we cooked -- and knowing we made something that didn't suck. Is there a better feeling? You guys -- all of you -- rock. Thanks.

Dave, I have a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pathology. I am a Smug Scientist Bastard -- with credentials!! So how come you never offered me a pocket protector?

As long as it's deep enough, why not? I imagine the salt will eventually do a number on the vinyl, but you ought to be good for at least one pig. I've got a remote transmitter temperature probe, so we can set an alarm to go off if the brine gets too warm. You can even clip the receiver to your shirt pocket (let me know if you need a protector; I've got plenty) and call yourself a Smug Scientific Bastard for the day.

If Varmint's got a bowl that big (can't put it in aluminum), and he got the bananas, I'm sure we can get it made. I'm very sorry you guys won't be coming. My best to Jason's mother.

Where in the hell is that written down? That's sure not the way we used to do it in Texas . Lots and lots of pictures, please. Y'all enjoy now, hear? THW OK, let me restate that: "I can't drink that much on Friday." I need to be at my functional best on Saturday, right??? Nah, you just have to be sober enough to sign your house over as bond when they cart us all off to jail as drunk and disorderly.

I'm bringing a half-dozen sheet pans, about the same number of quarter-sheet pans (all with racks), some big Cambro containers, a bunny brining bucket, a big cooler and about twenty shop towels. And I grabbed some HD foil and a couple of rolls of parchment, just in case. I'm also packing my full travelling batterie of knives and gadgets, which will be available for anyone who's cooking. Between what Varmint's got and what I'm bringing, we should have enough tools for the crew (unless we need additional cutting boards?) If there's something you have to have for whatever you're making, PM me for the full manifest.

I think the tomato deal was for 25 pounds. I need a little more than half for the stew, and, as far as I know, the rest are uncommitted. Anybody who's read the Heartland get-together threads has to be dying for an official Guajolote appetizer. I know I am.