lesliec

Yay! Just ordered mine (choice of black, black or black). AnovaJeff, if you're watching - the website still says October 2013 for the 220v version (in at least two places I spotted), but it does appear on the dropdown to order.

Exactly. 'Sous vide' is an anagram of 'subversive', isn't it? All this talk of precise control ... we know what you're REALLY talking about.

Looks good, Nick. I'd eat it ... How different, do you think, is the effect of vacuum sealing compared to placing a weight on the cheese? I realise you were intending to keep the cheese in the brine rather than squashing it to make it denser so it can't be a direct comparison; just interested in an opinion. Blessed are the cheesemakers.

I don't think you did! Fahrenheit, maybe.

Ah, Jo, now you're in trouble. You can never go back, you realise?

Hi Rotuts. I normally just bake on a pizza stone, but if for some reason the mix is wetter than usual I might dump it in a loaf tin. Maybe that's the danger of the 5-minute bread; the recipe is so forgiving you can afford to be a bit sloppy in measuring, hence (slightly) varying wetness of the eventual dough. I'd just follow whichever version of the recipe you like and try it in your loaf tins without changing anything. The only thing you might need to watch is that cooking time will possibly need to be a little longer in the tin. Or it might not ... that's another thing the recipe is forgiving about!

My opinion is that less is more. I don't mix anything more complicated than a 'ti punch with it so it can shine. Done. That's tonight's drink sorted. Let us know what you think. ETA: you inspired me to have one last night. I used agave syrup which worked well but even with some water dilution it ended up at the bottom. The solution was of course more rum. The solution to most things is more rum. That may now be my Life Rule # 5. The 'Ti Punch was great and really did showcase the rum. One recipe I looked at mentioned Golden Syrup was the same as the 'cane syrup' normally called for, so I used the closest thing I had - treacle. No problem at all; a good swish of the glass partway through helped stop the layers separating out.

My opinion is that less is more. I don't mix anything more complicated than a 'ti punch with it so it can shine. Done. That's tonight's drink sorted.

Not so much what we bought today, but some things we found in a shop in Auckland last weekend when we were up there: Left to right: Ilegal Mezcal (reposado), Willet's bourbon, Sazerac rye, Barbancourt 8 yr old. The level of the Ilegal and Sazerac is down a little because we've already started, with a very fine Oaxaca Old Fashioned and, well, a Sazerac. Haven't figured out what to do with the Barbancourt yet but I know some of you lot mention it from time to time, so something will reveal itself.

Jo, have you thought about making your own orgeat? Hop over here for Sam Kinsey's recipe, which is one of the more delicious things I've had in my mouth this year.

You need a drink, maybe ...

I can see the Lucien Gaudin as being part of the continuum of 'Negroni-like' drinks. It has gin, vermouth and Campari; where it differs is in adding the fourth ingredient. So maybe we should class it as a 'Negroni-plus' - I bet there's as many of those as there are three-ingredient variations. We've enjoyed the LG several times at home and I had a cracker one at Mea Culpa in Auckland when we were up there last weekend. I don't get sourness/astringency from it; I don't like sour in cocktails, so I think I'd notice! Mea Culpa's a nice bar, by the way; up there with Wellington's Hawthorn Lounge but smaller.

You've got some great colour in there already, Kerry. Or is that just what the W&N picked up from the oak?

Well, if you were agreeable I'd propose an exchange of something you can't get for something I can't get. On my side of this bargain, maybe Lemon Hart 151. Shall we adjourn to the PM system to discuss further? Don't worry if I don't respond immediately; we're away for the weekend and it's slightly tedious doing this on the phone.

Hmm. This may open a debate, but my understanding is that Grand Marnier is officially a Curaçao while Cointreau is a triple sec. The former is brandy (or other brown spirit)-based, while the latter starts with a more neutral spirit. Difference in taste? GM probably richer, maybe slightly sweeter; Cointreau a little lighter. But I can't see why Cointreau wouldn't work. Give it a try. Or you could look up Jerry Thomas recipe 188 for English Curacoa (his spelling) a d make your own. It's not a complex recipe.

Smoke & Oakum Gunpowder Rum, no question. I could possibly get some to you if you were very nice to me.

Ah, but having both available confers a certain je ne sais quoi, don't you think?

Brilliant - thanks, FP, PV and Chris. I've only acquired a nice mixing glass in the last week or two and I'm giving it a good workout. Just to complicate matters, my Hawthorn fits it perfectly!

You might find the Adventures with Transglutaminase thread useful. Our Christmas dinner last year was 'glued turducken' and it was fantastic.

I'm sure you'll be fine. Just don't spill any. And we need full details, with pictures ... of the drink.

Don't see why you guys are so concerned about ghosts - spirits are pretty much essential in the cocktails I make. Maybe Hassouni's problem is he's NOT haunted. Which proves what I've long thought: too much exorcise is bad for you. Moving on ... May I (slightly) hijack this thread to ask a couple of my own noob-type questions? Thank you; you're very kind. Adam and Chris both mention fine straining. I have the technology for this, but I haven't figured out when I should do it. And in similar vein, when should one use a Hawthorn strainer and when a julep? Thanks. Now back to our scheduled programme. Edited to get rid of a stray word the ghosts put in.

Shelby! I'm shocked!! When I wrote about SV Beef Wellington in my foodblog nearly three years ago you said, and I quote: What you been doing with your life, girl?!?

I prescribe ... another couple of weeks in Paris. Guaranteed to make you both feel better, as long as you tell us about it.

Hey, we're not that southern. South-eastern, maybe. I'm not aware of Cascade tonic (and a quick Googling doesn't give any sensible local results). We have Quina Fina, which some swear by but which I don't find really any different to Schweppes, and Empire Tonic Syrup. The latter is made from real imported cinchona (I've seen it!) rather than essences or whatever and is much drier/more bitter than anything else. I was also introduced to anotehr tonic a couple of weeks ago which was difefrent again, but I don't recall the name. Made by and American from Singapore with a New Zealand connection, if that makes any sense. Great fan of West Winds Gin. For the uninitiated, it's made in Margaret River, West Australia. The Sabre is their 'normal' 40% version; The Cutlass is 50%. Worth a topic of its own, Chris?

According to an email I received last week from our local Cordon Bleu school, yesterday (20 Oct) was International Chefs' Day. To mark the occasion, they provided a recipe for braised beef cheeks, potato gnocchi and leeks (in both French and English. A caution if using the latter: it asks for '1 Burgundy wine' when it really means '1 carrot, finely chopped'). I've never met a beef cheek I didn't like, so I gave it a try: Result: very tender, definitely tasty. The sauce was great. Not sure about the leeks; they were OK but I'm not convinced a vinaigrette was really right with the rest of the dish. The whole thing wasn't really that much work, but I'll probably stick with my favourite sous vide beef cheeks - sure, it takes 30 hours but it's not like you have to do anything during that time! The gnocchi were disappointing. I've had good ones at restaurants, but the few times I've attempted them they've come out rather like warm lumps of wallpaper paste. If there's a secret to non-gluey gnocchi I'd love to hear it. Served with a Vynfields Pinot Noir from Martinborough, which was as always excellent.