Crouton

For me lately it's been cooking the steak under (not on top of) a chimney starter.... I've yet to find a better method that produces as much intense heat, including all the various methods in this thread that I've tried over the years.

Would adding marmite taste different than adding straight msg? I picked up a jar of marmite out of curiosity a while back but have never been really sure what to do with it.

Lately for me its been Coke Zero... by a long shot

Volrath is indeed great stuff but she can just get an All-Clad stockpot if she's going to pay that much... My Volrath 10qt brazier was well over $250 and another $45 for the lid. It's built like a tank and looks like one too, but with that said, I don't think they're made to the same quality control as All-Clad. I've had 2 lids sent and both wobbled on the brazier. I'm guessing a wobbly lid doesn't matter for a restaurant but it was a little irritating after spending so much. It sears better than any pan I own, all-clad included.

I think it was proven on a recent episode of the Splendid Table that tasters can't tell a difference between US Supermarket eggs and those "vastly superior" orange European eggs"... we have a farm with fresh eggs most of the year. They do seem richer when I'm staring at the bright orange runny yolk, but I'm not sure I would want to place a bet blindfolded.

Give it a couple months, you'll end up tossing it. The metallic taste will creep in or the plastic lid will gradually lose its ability to properly tighten. I wanted desperately to like them and tried several, but always wound up back with my clear blue Nalgene bottle.

Now I definitely enjoy drinking wine out of my Riedel glasses, significantly more than my Libbey or ubiquitous red solo cups... I'll even say it tastes better. With that said, my wine feels nothing and I like it that way.

Might as well be the quote of the century...

I've been eyeballing that Spaetzle maker lately... what's your thoughts on it?

I've used the Maestro and the Kitchenaid pro line... The Maestro feels cheap and made of plastic just like your typical retail chain grinder, but does grind well. The kitchenaid is built like an absolute tank and is, well, beautiful. kitchenaid Pro Line

Marcel on Top Chef

I love, love, love these... Oxo and Kitchenaid both make excellent ones.

Foams... Take a beautiful dish and spit on it. Well that's what it looks like.

I keep mine usually until food, grease and other gunk doesn't seem to be rinsing out... I've heard you can boil them for 10 minutes to bring them back to life but I've never taken the time.

The iPad has really changed the way I bring my recipes into the kitchen... I no longer print them off or drag a huge book around wasting counter space.

I use Morton's kosher salt exclusively for cooking... With Diamond Crystal, I assume this is attributed to the smaller flakes, but I have to keep adding and adding and adding to get my food seasoned. So for me it's Morton's for cooking... but as a finishing salt, I prefer Diamond Crystal.

Do you type in recipes you find in books/magazines? Surprisingly, I'm usually able to find a published recipe online, and I just copy and paste into a new document. If I can't find it, and really want to save it, I'll hand type it. A majority of my recipes are from well known cookbooks, cooks illustrated or something on Television such as Lidia's Italy, all of which are easily found, copied and pasted Here's a screenshot of what mine looks like...

Interesting... have you tried making a Potato Gratin with Rutabaga? Absolutely wonderful low-card dish. Just prepare it the same way with Heavy Cream, Gruyère and Nutmeg.

Same here... I just do not like the stuff. It tastes like a gym sock.

Google Docs, I can access my recipes from anywhere... my computer, iPad, cell phone etc. Plus you get full text search to easily find what you're looking for. https://docs.google.com

I second the Screwpull recommedation! third'ed... there's just something clunky, inelegant and down-right dorky about electric wine openers. Whoa!! This is coming from a computer engineer... so take that with a grain of salt. Dork

I second the Screwpull recommedation! third'ed... there's just something clunky, inelegant and down-right dorky about electric wine openers.

Interesting... Here in Alabama there's roughly equal space for both Heinz and Hunts. I grew up in an exclusively Heinz household so it definitely has that nostalgia thing going for it... and to me it tastes like, well, ballpark ketchup. When I've got a nice batch of home fries cooked with nothing more than beef fat and kosher salt, I much prefer the clean bright flavors of Hunts... it's ketchup... for adults.

I've been wondering about this myself... as the nostalgia for hand-me-down recipes has worn off since I now have access to a wide variety of recipes online and on tv. I tend to be skeptical about any recipe that wasn't published by a noted chef or America's Test Kitchens. I don't know if this is a good thing or not and irritates my wife to no end when I start critiquing a family recipe.

Flax seed oil is about $1.00 USD per ounce... not exactly cheap and it lasts about as long as a gallon of milk before going rancid. Seriously, unless you're just looking for something in the kitchen to play with, cooking bacon is much more fun and you even get to eat it