Dave the Cook

I don't think anyone makes a 36" slide-in range. I checked (real quick) KA, DCS and Thermador. Since the counter needs to support the range to some extent, I imagine anything bigger than 30" is too heavy. What you can do, however, is replace the cooktop and put an oven in the cabinet beneath it.

I'm working on a floorplan for this space, but the shape is tricky, and Marlene and I will probably have to go through a few rounds to get it right. Once we have that, I think some things will be a lot clearer. I'm with the group that says you really need power in the island. I suppose there's nothing to be lost by putting in the island and seeing how it works -- you can always add electricity later, and it probably won't cost you any more. But I bet this is one of those things that's going to bug you over and over until you take care of it. We should get some terminology straight, because it will make a difference in your budget: that KA (which is beautiful, by the way, though I can't for the life of me figure out why it's so expensive) is a stand-alone range, not a slide-in. This is important because in addition to losing your drawers, your countertop will need some work in order to accomodate it.

Susan, you make me feel lazy. On the ceiling, did I miss something? Why not give it a couple of spray coats of primer to cover, and one or two coats of a final color? For that matter, if you're considering professional help to re-do the popcorn, why not just hire a painter to do the overhead work? Or one of fifi's dreamy professional muck suckers? Never say never. My first house was a fixer-upper, and until two months ago, I was sure I had gotten that out of my system at a relatively young age. A brand new KitchenAid is on the way (this one, in white). For the first time in my life, insurance paid off. My out-of-pocket is $677.80, including tax and delivery. No one makes grits for Thanksgiving dinner, Marlene. But thanks for the idea.

A few more details on the carrots, please? And I'm glad the glaze worked out. The roast looks awesome. A little pink (almost) never hurt anyone.

Hi, Don!

Here it is (I did a quick -and-dirty silhouette on it, because the background was so cluttered): Here's the reverse angle. It's horribly out of focus, but it shows some of the shape in a way that the other picture doesn't. Ten square feet of cabinets and incipient worktable: $225. Thoughts? Oh, and this will just fit in one of the lower cabinets:

Lots of hot water and a putty knife, a ton of elbow grease and even more swearing. Been there, done that. In fact, still doing it. Bad taste. No accounting for it. Once you get the fabric off, it's even more of the above mentioned nasties to get the adhesive off. Me, I can't understand wall coverings. Paint is cheap and easily redone. And, thanks for the Bulls Eye recomendation. I'm a big fan of their shellac. Stove. For me, it's more about the cooktop than the oven. IMHO. ← Sounds like it would be easier just to put up new sheetrock! I agree with you on the relative importance of cooktop versus oven. This is especially true in the summer, when I do a lot of oven tasks outside, anyway. But with the weather getting cooler, and darkness falling earlier (probably more important, actually), I've been surprised at how often I've had to rethink things in the last couple of weeks. Now, it's probably true that most of the time all I need is a hot box to finish things off, or provide low, steady heat for several hours. The thing is, the cooktops on these three units seem to be equal, so either I go for the cheapest alternative, or I look at other factors to make my decision. I see these as (in no particular order): - size of oven - flexibility of oven arrangement - reputation (including recommendations from eGullet members) - additional features - for lack of a better term, feel -- how I respond to the unit when it's in front of me -- does it feel like a real cook's tool, or like a yuppie kitchen sculpture? What a great idea. But you're taking all the fun out of it. Where were you a month ago?

Great points, Andie. I will do as you suggest. Do you think anyone would object to me trying to wedge a big raw turkey into a showroom oven? I understand about the Gaggeneau -- in fact, a lot of prosumer ranges have the same shortcoming. OTOH, Gaggenau has a really great aesthetic sensibility. Their stuff is just beautiful to look at.

Based on the oven cavity dimensions buried on the Frigidaire site, I calculate the oven size at 3.66 cubic feet. Via PM, I was alerted to the fact that Frigidaire makes a great many of the Kenmore appliances. If you go to the Sears site and use their comparison feature to see the units side by side, you'll find it pretty hard to dispute that. This means that we're actually looking at the same range in two slightly different guises -- one has a handle on the bottom drawer; one has a warming drawer, etc. (I was reminded this afternoon that Frigidaire is owned by Electrolux. The label on the Frigidaire compiled the interesting lineage: made in Canada for an American subsidiary of a Swedish company, who imported it through Jacksonville, FL.) The upshot of all of that is that the Kenmore probably has the same size oven. So, Andie, how big an oven do I need? Is this a significant difference? I do turkey (maybe 14 pounds, max) once a year, a shank-end ham or a pork butt two or three times each. Am I OK with either? Susan: I used a highly recommended primer called Bullseye 1-2-3, then two coats of semi-gloss enamel, sanding between coats but not after the primer. In retrospect, I'd use a full-gloss paint; I'm still thinking that I might go back and put a third coat on using full-gloss. The semi-gloss just takes fingerprints too easily (new knobs will stop this), and I figure it's going to take to grease almost as well. I've been really surprised with our stadium-level lighting -- no bugs in the fixture, though it puts out enough lumens for the Georgia Dome, and we're in a highly wooded area. I still need some task lighting over the future work counter, though. I've got some ideas, but I haven't settled on anything yet. One interesting thing I've seen is relatively cheap halogen monorail at the DIY places -- a lot of flexibility in placement, and good color temperature. I'll post more as I find out more. As for the popcorn, I'm fiercely resisting the impulse to do anything about it. My guess is that the previous owners were a divided couple -- one smoked and the other didn't. This means the kitchen is relatively clean. However, if anyone has suggestions for removing the wall coverings in the living room -- a textured cloth that stretches 24 feet up, and is as well-tinted as snowangel's ceilings, I'd love to hear about it.

The Kenmore and KA both have warming drawers. All three come through Sears, and I'm in suburban Atlanta, so service for any of them is readily available. I'm intrigued by the extra features on the KA: proofing, drying, etc., so it's hard for me to dismiss. And you can't see it on the web page, but it feels well, heavier than the others. For some reason, that inspires confidence. Can someone explain Sabbath mode?

When last we checked in on our hero, he was without a working oven. Today I checked a number of scratch-and-dent outlets, and came across this: KitchenAid range It has a deep scratch in the handle, but it's got a nice spec sheet, it's white, it's got true convection, it's very sturdy, and I can get it for $989. The home warranty company is kicking in $375 (or they'll buy a new one worth $450). I also found: Frigidaire range in stainless steel ($979), and this: Kenmore also in stainless, for $790. What does everyone think? This range problem has put a deep hole in my budget, so the idea of using pre-made cabinets is on very soft ground, and I'm going back to the idea of remodeling a sideboard or dresser of some sort. I found an art-deco piece today that's 60" W x 22" D x 36" high. It's ugly in the way that only badly executed art-deco can be. In other words, it might be perfect. I'll get a picture tomorrow. I think we're looking for an update from Susan, aren't we?

Most decent chile powders contain a high percentage of ancho. Use one of those.

Pear-rosemary granita 1 bottle (750 ml) white wine (a dry riesling is nice here; sauvignon blanc works, too) 1 C pear juice 1/2 C sugar 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary zest of one lemon, in strips Poire William Bruise the rosemary by crumpling it in your fist. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil (not too fast). Reduce heat and simmer for about ten minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain into a shallow pan and freeze. You need a pan big enough so that the liquid isn't more than about a half-inch deep. When it's frozen (it will never get really solid), use a fork to scrape it into a texture sort of like a finely crushed sno-cone. Use a disher to make a nice little ball of granita in a coupe, splash (gently) with Poire William, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. This will make six to eight small portions. I don't know why you couldn't substitute apple juice, if you can't find pear, or go half and half.

We're all adults here (in age, anyway). Let's call them by their correct names, shall we? Panties. Soy-ancho-apple glaze 1 C soy sauce 1 small can apple juice concentrate (I think that's probably about a cup) 6 T dark brown sugar 6 T ground ancho 4 t ground black pepper 1 T lard, butter or vegetable oil Combine soy sauce, apple juice concentrate and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Reduce by about 50% over medium heat (be careful -- it gets really foamy and will boil over into a nasty mess if you use too much heat). You should have a really dark, intense syrup. Heat the fat in a small skillet or saute pan. As soon as it's melted, toss in the ancho and pepper. As soon as it starts to bubble and/or develops a really intense aroma, remove it from the heat and allow to cool. When both components are at room temperature, combine them. Brush on all exposed surfaces of roast before you put it in the oven, and again halfway through cooking. I found a pear-rosemary granita recipe, if you're interested in that for your entrement.

Not stainless -- and not cheap -- but not aluminum, either: black steel sheet pan

I would insist on seconds. Stephen brings up a good point about the moisture. Cukes are really wet to start with (even the English ones), and when you freeze them and damage the cells, it's only going to get worse. You might try salting them for an hour or so as part of your prep. This draws out a lot of moisture, and has surprisingly little effect on flavor (if that matters, since it's a garnish that might not get eaten anyway).

Most of the things that can kill you die themselves at 160 F. Enjoy.

I just use parchment paper, as I don't (I don't think, anyway) own any Silpats. Usually a tilt of the pan and a deft hand are sufficient. If something's really delicate (this would be my definition of delicate, not a professional's definition), I do what Wendy does -- turn the sheet pan over so there's no lip to deal with.

Pear-rosemary sorbet, with a splash of slightly reduced late-harvest riesling (just close your eyes and don't think about the cost or the violence you're doing to the wine. It will taste great) or Poire William. For a chile glaze, I think you have a number of possibilities: - puree a can of chipotles in adobo, rub lemon juice over the exposed meat, and brush the paste on before roasting. - ground ancho, limeade concentrate, cayenne and honey. - soy sauce, ancho, brown sugar, black pepper and reduced apple juice. - tomato, pequins (sauteed briefly, then whizzed in the food processor),Worcestershire sauce, molasses

Unless I'm mistaken, Chef Paul has done eight books. Most of them probably deserve space on your shelf, but not all of them are about Cajun/Creole. If you want to stick close to that oeuvre, I agree with Dana. You can't do better than Louisiana Kitchen. There's a fair amount of background in the book, though it's mostly distributed among the recipes. For history and tradition, The Prudhomme Family Cookbook is fun. I also agree that you'll probably want to work up to the full dose of cayenne. Once you've mastered that, I highly recommend Emeril Lagasse's New New Orleans Cooking, to see how broad, inclusive and adaptable these cuisines can be.

Sorry. Try again. Huh?

did I miss this somewhere? Maggie makes madeleines Chile glaze later. What means blinking after intermezzo suggestion?

I'm going to go all radical on you and suggest that you don't stuff the roast. You've got plenty of food already, and some of it's on the heavy side. I'd rather see you do a realtively simple chile or tart fruit glaze on the pork, and set your adventurous mind to something else, like an intermezzo to clear the palate and lighten the tummy between the mains and your friend's mystery dessert. For potatoes, I love your version of parisienne, but what about maggiethecat's tater madeleines?

Can I get a sense of the room on a bechamel/balsamella issue? I admit that I haven't made lasagna in a long time, and the recipe was probably off the back of a box of Mueller's lasagna (the source, I suspect, of the cottage cheese substitution). As I was reading through this thread, I mentioned it to my assistant, who asked what a balsmella was. I explained that it was more or less the same as a bechamel, which of course meant that I had to explain that, too. The formula I gave her was what I thought was the standard: 1 part flour, 1 part fat (in this case, butter), 8 parts milk (whole, please). So, 2T/2T/1 cup, right? When I got home, I checked Mario (Simple Italian Cooking, and he has something rather different: almost 1:1 fat to flour (precisely, 5T butter and 4T flour), and 3 cups of milk. This is a ratio of (roughly) 1:1:12. The recipe somehow yields 2 cups of balsamella, which seems impossible given that the sauce simmers for all of 30 seconds. So, a couple of questions: isn't this going to yield a sauce too thin for lasagna purposes? And how does (again, roughly) 3-1/2 cups of ingredients reduce to 2 cups of sauce? Finally, what ratio is everyone using for lasagna?

The nice thing about the sheet materials that Steve refers to is that you can slide a sheet of cookies or pastries right off the pan and onto a cooling rack. The baked goods cool more evenly (helps avoid condensation on the bottoms, I think). Once you've done that, you can slide a pre-prepped sheet of unbaked items right onto the pan and stick it back in the oven.