Dave the Cook

I had the same first thought. But then I realized that popcorn doesn't have to get that hot -- all you need to do is heat the kernel enough to vaporize the water in the center of the kernel -- good old 212. The trick with popcorn is to keep it the exterieor from scorching before the interior gets hot enough. And since my own damn publisher won't bring it up, here's a link to my article on Teflon. Somewhere in the discussion thread, there's a link to the Dupont website that describes (from a consumer, not a technical perspective) most of the different methods for applying PTFE. The bottom line is really this, IMHO: only buy PTFE-coated pans that have been fabricated using technology licensed from Dupont. They still lead the pack in terms of technology and innovation. Otherwise, FG and slkinsey are right: buy cheap, and treat them almost as if they were disposable.

OK, now I'm hungry. Ooh, pan-fried chicken. Yeah! (Now go tell Jason.) Edited: for clarity

Its like Coke and Pepsi, Jason. Fink is deep frying. Sandy is pan frying. Totally different. Jon's right and Jason's wrong on this one. The biggest difference is evident in the crust that forms against the surface of the pan, something that isn't possible with deep frying. Of course, I'm not known for passing up either. Since pan frying takes 25 minutes (assuming the prep is already done), it's become a lost craft among restaurants -- it just takes too long.

Just for clarification: salting brings water-soluble proteins to the surface of the meat. These are the proteins partially responsible for Maillard reactions that make browned meat so yummy. Getting more of them to the surface enhances the reactions.

I'm with slkinsey, really good beef doesn't need much. But cheaper, tougher stuff gets a real boost from a soy bath (I believe there's something of a brining effect), a bit of brown sugar and some ground chiles, especially if grilling is involved. And welcome, Wolfert. Nice to have you here.

Archie: You have never lived until you've had a battered, deep-fried Peppermint Patty! Sorry, Lily. Next time I'll ask for the recipe before jumping to conclusions. (Better than a deep-fried Mars Bar? Really?)

This may be the classic roundup of all three food groups! Oh, the sin...garlic mashed potatoes and spaghetti and meatballs on the same plate! Welcome, Nikki! I'm not seein' anything fried here.

CSC store locator: lick here.

Bagels? No wait. They suck.

Well put, FG.

We agree about this. I have no idea what really goes on at newspapers anymore, but headlines, traditional story structure, and proper attribution all used to be the territory of The Editor. This postion, in function if not title, seems to have disappeared.

Except that it's easy to recognize and ignore bad writing. Plagiarism, because it often goes undetected, is much more insidious.

Interesting, yes. But would it be productive?

Well, to give you an example of nearby civilization, I paid $6 a bottle at a restaurant in Toco Hills (an Atlanta neighborhood) last September. I also thought I was being undercharged, but the proprietor was actually a little shy about it. No Riedel -- try Libbey. I'm really interested in the restaurant side of corkage and how it's calculated. Arie you don't want to participate here, MarK? Or at least tell us why it's a sore subject?

Here's something interesting. If you Google on "buy leaf lard" the third item in the list is this: eGullet thread on Redneck Ice Cream

Chaste sprinkling of powdered sugar, perhaps? Who needs frosting?? You've got pork! And gosh, Lily, chastity is not the thought that springs to mind when we're talking pork and brown sugar.

In Atlanta, Whole Foods carries it in (I think) vacuum-sealed packages. Those of you familiar with guanciale: what should I be looking for in terms of appearance, texture and taste? It might be worth pointing out that St. Mario provides a recipe/method for home-curing in The Babbo Cookbook. I don't remember it point-by-point, but my recollection was that it was something a home cook could handle. Like Varmint, I am salivating. I will have to check out both these possibilities. Edit: Having racked my brain for a few minutes (I couldn't remember why I didn't jump right up and start curing immediately upon reading Mario's recipe), I realized that the one thing that might be harder to find than guanciale would be fresh pork jowl. Also: in The Babbo Cookbook, Mario lists his father's shop in Seattle as a place to get all kinds of cured meats. There is no website listed, but there was a phone number and address. I don't keep a copy of the book in my office (:shame:), but maybe someone has one handy.

No one seems surprised at the lack of a frosting recommendation.

While tender, young Elyse quivers over there in the corner, I'll point out that this actually sounds like a mincemeat cake. And when it comes to mincemeat, why draw the line at pies? If you make a Pork Cake instead, you don't have that troublesome crust thing to worry about.

Please enumerate. Sometimes it helps if you talk about your fears out loud. And relax -- it's just cake. ...cake made from pig meat.

Congratulations! But if you really want to share, cough up the rest of the recipe!

Brine: yes, water and salt only, for about an hour, then rinse. After reading Suzanne's technique, I might try adding Tabasco in the future. However, my understanding of capsicum is that the molecules are not very water-soluble, and I would bet that not much is getting inside the meat. Since she doesn't do a post-brine rinse, the pepper sauce hangs around. I'm going to have to try this. Dairy: overnight, in low-fat buttermilk. Some sort of colloidal thing goes on that helps the liquid cling to the skin. This doesn't happen as well with the full-fat version. I think that Suzanne's lemon brine probably results in the same tang as the buttermilk soak. Drain the chicken, but do not rinse. Season with sweet paprika, black pepper, granulated garlic and onion, dried thyme and cayenne. Seasoning at this point, before coating, ensures that the spices and herb don't burn. Fried chicken, and a few Cajun recipes, is the only reason I have garlic and onion powders in my larder. Coating: a dredge in all-purpose flour, then allow to dry for about 15 minutes. Frying medium: usually about 1/2-inch of vegetable shortening, with a tablespoon or so of rendered, filtered bacon fat. Like Suzanne, if I've got something else around -- for instance, duck or chicken fat, or lard -- I'll mix fats gleefully. At 325 to 350 F to start, it takes about 12 minutes per side. If it's for immediate serving, I cover it while the first side cooks. This gives you a great exterior crunch and a soft, dumpling-like texture just underneath -- something you have to experience to appreciate. However, this doesn't do so well for next-day picnics, because the undercoat leaches through the crust. So if it's for later, I leave the lid off the whole time. Cookware: cast-iron, almost without exception. Since maintaining the fat temperature is important, cast-iron works because of how well it holds heat. It occurs to me that this sort of frying (with relatively deep fat) would be a good application for a large, fully-clad saute pan, like All-Clad or Cuisinart Multi-Clad. Don't forget the spatter screen. As for it being Southern: from my reading, the technique of liquid dip/coat in starch/fry in fat is essentially Southern, and wasn't known much outside the South until around 1870, when cookbooks started to mention the technique. These early notes often reference not just the South, but specifically "Negro cooks." One might deduce that the African-American diaspora following the Civil War played some part in all this. In American Cookery, James Beard mentions an Austrian techique that is nearly identical, but he makes no attempt to reconcile it with American history. Finally, Suzanne: if memory serves, our 12-inch fryers were separated at birth. Mine has been treated strictly according to the FG protocol: clean only with stainless steel pad and water. It's doing great; it is exemplary among my cast-iron pieces. How's yours?

Before this topic goes to sleep for a while, I thought maybe I could entice you bakers with one last recipe. If I don't get a response here, I'm gonna try one of those folks on the smoking threads. This is from Recipes from Old Virginia, a book originally published in 1958 by The Virginia Extension Homemakers Council and The Virginia Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs. My mother brought it back from a recent trip she took to Williamsburg and Jamestown. I'm pretty sure it qualifies as a cake that no one makes anymore, though perhaps it's not really in need of resurrecting: Pork Cake. I can't publish the recipe due to copyright restrictions, but I tease you with this: it features two pounds each of meat and brown sugar, five cups of flour, and words I didn't know I yearned to hear until I actually read them out loud: Anyone game? PM me for the recipe.

I'll be right over. Edit to say: thanks for the link. I'd never heard of this stuff. Now I'll be on the lookout.

eeeww.