David A. Goldfarb

I don't have a problem either with getting flax out of the glass cloverleaf Waring pitcher, not owning a dishwasher. I usually let it soak a bit, if I don't have time to clean it immediately, and then use a long Oxo dishwashing brush with a cylindrical bristle head to clean it and get under the blades. For some reason, this brush is not easy to find. I've gotten them from Zabar's and Bed, Bath, and Beyond, when they've been in stock.

Sounds about right to me. About when do European cookbooks start using weight? It doesn't seem like it has always been the case. Elizabeth David's cookbooks never got very far in the U.S., as I understand it, because she refused to convert from British units of measure like gills and wine glasses for American editions (not that it matters much, since most of her measurements are approximate anyway, which isn't necessarily a bad thing).

Can't see what would be wrong with putting a Waring pitcher in the dishwasher, and I agree that in general, manufacturers make a lot of senseless recommendations, like the instructions discussed in another thread for "seasoning" an aluminum skillet that no one seems to follow, and that seem more akin to "ruining" an aluminum skillet. But still I can imagine valid reasons for not putting Silpats and silicone bakeware (which I don't really care for myself) in the dishwasher, and wouldn't dismiss that suggestion out of hand.

Imperial Gold China Oolong from McNulty's in Manhattan in my new yixing pot. I liked it, but I'll give it a few more tastings before posting a tasting note.

Well, if putting a Silpat in the dishwasher could cause fiberglass particles to come loose and find their way into the cookies, it might be cause for concern.

I have a couple of those mentioned above, and I'd add The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread: Cakes, Cookies, Bars, Pastries and More from New York City's Favorite Bakery, which is really a good book, and I can confirm that the results are true to the products they serve in the bakery--usually better, because they're even fresher homemade. They give all measurements in grams, ounces, and by volume.

Ouch. Just yesterday, jet lagged and five days away from the kitchen while traveling, I was preparing a brisket in a large copper rondeau with bronze handles, and my wife surprised me by coming home early, adding to my general state of disorientation, just as I was getting ready to transfer the pot to the oven after thoroughly searing both sides of the roast, which means she was watching as I grabbed one of those handles with my bare left hand. I ran my hand under cold water, put the roast in the oven, and then went for a gel compress from the freezer. I was expecting a blister and can feel a little thickening beneath the skin, but so far so good.

I've been using various kitchen brushes, but yes, maybe a toothbrush is the thing.

The recent Silpat thread reminded me of this particular annoyance. I have a fine reinforced stainless steel Piazza chinois and a fine Piazza stainless steel skimmer--both the best tools of their type, and both a real pain to clean. I never feel I've gotten everything out of the mesh, particularly on the chinois. One of these days, I suppose we'll own a dishwasher, but in the meanwhile, does anyone have any special tips for cleaning fine sieves?

Another old standard from the recent London trip--Fortnum & Mason Earl Grey.

Probably not for most bottles of wine, but for any bottle north of $500, I could imagine it becoming a necessity. I could also see MRI certification raising auction prices for collectible wines.

I love the pasta with embedded basil leaf idea. Gotta try that.

When I have guests, I usually try to make things that they aren't likely to make themselves (excepting a few friends who like to cook, of course) like roasts and fish and such. The roast leg of lamb that I posted about in another thread has gotten to be something of a standard thing that I do and that people ask for-- I had a chance to cook a private meal at a friend's restaurant about a year ago or so, and this was my go to main dish, since I've made it many times, and I could prep it at home, vacuum seal it, and bring it in ready to roast. I was unfamiliar with the oven at the restaurant, and I didn't think to bring my own roasting pan and rack, so I used a sheet pan, which changed the cooking time a bit, and made it a bit late to the table, but we had fantastic 1990 Haut-Brion to go with it and there was plenty of good conversation, so no one minded the wait, and the lamb proved itself in the end.

Had a very satisfying pint of Abbot Ale in London this weekend--a bitter with a good balance of malt and fruit and pleasantly mild, natural carbonation that one doesn't find in American commercial brews.

Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend (Assam and Ceylon Flowery Pekoe). I had time to kill in Heathrow yesterday and couldn't resist picking up a couple of old standards from the Duty Free.

With a brisket I'm usually not thinking about how much to make per person, but that it's not worth making a brisket (braised, "first cut" aka "flat end") less than 4 lbs, and more than 5 lbs is ideal, since it's no more work to make a larger one, and it gets better as it's reheated. I think I get a little more than two servings per pound usually. The top round seems to shrink less than brisket when braised, but I haven't done the top round enough to be sure how significant the difference is.

I'm in London for a conference and stumbled upon a shop called Dao in the Greenwich Market with a lovely selection of Chinese teaware, particularly gaiwan and Yixing teapots (they play a bit off the connection between the Cutty Sark, which is just around the corner, and the history of the English tea trade with China). I was actually planning to come back to New York with a proper English teapot, but I didn't know when I'd again see such a nice selection of Yixing ware, so I bought a Yixing teapot, which I think I'll dedicate to oolongs. I only brought a film camera with me, so I can't post a photo at the moment, but I'll make some digital photos when I get back to New York.

I usually do mine with chicken fat on the stovetop in a heavy copper rondeau or saute pan, about 5 lbs of onions to yield a pint of confit.

Looks good, Steve!

Of what you have, I'd use a dutch oven. Don't fill it more than halfway with oil, and you'll contain more of the spattering and prevent overflows. A deep fry thermometer helps, and be sure to immerse as much of the probe in the oil as possible to get an accurate reading--it may require tipping the pot. Depending on what you're deep frying, you can use a skimmer, wok skimmer, fry basket, slotted spoon, or tongs to remove things from the oil. When using tongs for deep frying, be careful always to point the tongs with the working end downward, or you'll have hot oil dripping down your arm. Also, in case it's not obvious, never leave a pan of hot oil on the fire unattended. I've never had an uncontrolled kitchen fire, but I think every unplanned flare up I've had has involved deep frying. You can find fry baskets that fit perfectly in a saucepan with sloped sides. A basket like this and a matching aluminum saucepan shouldn't be too costly from a restaurant supply, if you want to designate a pot for deep frying. Also, I agree with Chris that you shouldn't have a problem deep frying in cast iron. Perhaps Cooks Illustrated was just using a new pot that hadn't been thoroughly cleaned and properly seasoned. I'm dubious of "preseasoning" as a concept. If you're left with something hard to clean, try Easy-Off or another lye-based oven cleaner. It's very effective at removing hard black baked-on grease without requiring much physical effort.

I season pretty much as Ross recommends--garlic, rosemary, black pepper, kosher salt all combined into a paste with a mortar and pestle. No need for foil on the bottom end, in my opinion. Some will be a little more done, some a little less, because not everyone likes it the same way. Usually I remove the awkwardly shaped bone at the butt end and the long bone in the middle leaving only the small shank bone, rub seasonings inside and slice under the fat and put more of the seasoning between the fat and the muscle, then tie it all up with twine and roast on a rack, 425F for 20 minutes and down to 350F or 375F until the internal temperature is about 120F and let it rest before slicing. About 20 minutes after turning the temperature down, I usually flip it for about 20 minutes to get some crust on the bottom, and I baste as needed. It looks like you may already have the bone removed at the large end, in which case, you wouldn't need to do that, but if you remove the long bone and leave just the shank bone, it makes a nice presentation and is very easy to slice straight down against the grain of the meat, which makes for better texture, and it leaves a piece still on the bone, because there's always someone who wants that piece. If you want to know what to expect before you cut into it, here's a video that shows how to fully bone a leg of lamb (all three bones removed in this case)-- Lamb fat isn't quite like beef or pork fat, and more isn't always better. Depending on the lamb, too much fat can give an overpowering flavor, which is probably what most people who say they don't like lamb think that lamb tastes like. The solution to that is either to roast at a higher temperature for a shorter time (like 400F until it's done) or be careful not to have too much fat. If you have a rotisserie setup that turns continuously, then you can leave a little more fat on.

Indeed, the reason for this common misconception about focal length and perspective is that it seems to fit with the way we usually work, moving closer with a wide lens and moving back with a long lens. I wouldn't suggest that one should crop in most cases rather than moving closer when it is possible to do so, even if one has plenty of resolution, but the cropping example explains the actual optics of perspective, and sometimes it helps to understand what's really happening. There is a good explanation of the relation between subject distance and perspective with illustrations, if you're interested, in the chapter of Ansel Adams' The Camera called "Basic Image Management."

I'd take the great chicken over a good but otherwise undistinguished steak. I'd rather save up for an extraordinary $200 meal than have four merely competent $50 meals out. I suppose I prefer the cello to the banjo, but I'd rather hear a great banjo player than a mediocre cellist.

I'd start by looking for a recipe for a spinach foam to get the proportions and substitute pea shoots and whatever flavor inflections you're after.

The Les Halles Cookbook is a very practical book with all the bistro classics, but could backfire as Chris suggests, if she's easily offended by the, umm, saucy tone and salty language. Julia Child's The Way to Cook is not as hardcore or as comprehensive as Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and is much more modern with good photographs and streamlined instructions, and might strike just the right note for someone who liked Julie & Julia.