Rico

Just bought this today and began to wonder if the awesomeness I'm about to delve into is contradictory to or made obsolete by Modernist Cuisine? Or does MC just go much, much more in depth?

I also use canola oil at a pretty good rate, and have never detected a fishy smell, and like some others, have never heard of it. With that said, if by increased awareness or the power of suggestion I start to smell fish next time I use canola oil, I'm not going to be very happy I ever looked at this thread ...

Christina, if it makes you feel better, I just checked out your site and honestly think it's a good one - it's easy to navigate and doesn't have a bunch of needless flash (smart phone nightmare). There's nothing that looks blatantly amateurish about any of it, and the menu is sharp, easy to access and easy to read. And if I lived closer to Scotland than my present location, I'd probably be hitting your place for lunch today. That menu has my mouth watering.

Used goo gone yesterday, in fact, to get rid of a sticker on a new dutch oven. Worked like a charm.

David, your photo is testament enough that Wal-Mart can sell some good stuff. Wow. Deensiebat - that pizza looks incredible. And it got me thinking - is the only real difference between pizzas and tarts these days the crust? Or the presence of tomato sauce? Cheese? All three? Are they brothers, in fact, or distant cousins? Djyee - The omelet looks great, but I've got a similar question: What's the difference between a baked omelet and a frittata? I encountered an oven-baked omelet at a place I ate last week, and have now seen it a second time. I must find out the difference before my head explodes. I got a sous vide machine the other day. Rosemary garlic chicken at 150F with some pancetta from Charcuterie (cooked in the conventional oven) and crispy sage leaves. The SVS really does seem like it's going to be a game changer for me. Edited to change some phrasing that no one would have noticed in the first place.

My 'rub' for smoking a brisket is salt and pepper.

How long do you have? jmolinari's got a pretty cool take on lamb prosciutto here: http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/2010/01/lamb-prosciutto.html (edited to add that yes, I know you asked for something other than the leg, but this is so unique it thought it might not matter)

I'll second this. I've got a smoker and a weber, and often when I'm having people over for a barbecue, I'll use the smoker (mesquite and oak) for the brisket and sausage and then use the weber (cherry or apple, usually) for the ribs. I've never tried the weber for a big brisket, but it does do very well with the ribs.

Great write-up, Jeff. A few of my buddies and I rented an RV and are making a 4-day barbecue trek through central Texas next weekend - Franklin is first on the list; makes me a little sad that we're going to be starting out with what could be the very best ... And have you tried Slabs in mesquite? A carryout-only place, it deserves to be in the conversation with Pecan Lodge and Lockhart, in my humble view. The guy uses hickory, and while it could use a little better bark, the brisket's got a great texture. Big smoke ring, too, which I like. His sausage is really good, as well, though I don't think he makes it in-house. But very good, regardless.

I have finished an entire box of Reese's Peanut Butter cereal in two sittings ... This week. Second that.

Thanks, Peter! ... but I think Clark D just stole the show. Wow.

brucesw mentioned Pierson's, and I second it. It is a very solid joint. With two tables.

If you want Lucia, call now for a reservation. I hear it's great, but I only hear that, since I'm on the wait list for Tuesday, April 12 ... a weekend reservation might be a long shot. But then again, I'm no one important.

Any sense?? You're speaking my language! I'm a writer, not a mathematician. Three half halves of hot dogs makes a lot more sense than ... what would it be ... what's a half half? An eighth? No, a quarter ... carry the seven ... (It goes on like this) ...

Yes, definitely worthwhile, but a couple of caveats: in order to get the hot dog to fit, you have to use a kaiser roll and a huge amount of beef (assuming you like a thick burger). I made these for my dad and my brother, so that was no issue, but the tiny missus might not be able to finish 1/3 of it. As for the taste, it was worthwhile because the hot dogs took so little preparation. Cut 'em in half and throw 'em on the grill after flipping the patties once. If they took 30 minutes to prepare, I might reconsider. Also what was a little surprising to me was the texture the hot dog added to it. In short, I'll do it again. Oh, and the topping on the front right bun is a heaping helping of dried, ground porcini with homemade mayo. My dad loves mushroom swiss burgers, so I improvised. The mayo turned out really well. The negatives? I call it a hamdog, but I used a kosher dog. This sandwich has two distinctly different beef presences and it's still called a hamdog. And I thought hamburger was a misnomer.

It says in the dropheader to share our personal best, and while I have made a more obscene sandwich, this one is clearly some sort of crime against nature. I give you the Hotburger Hamdog.

Well, the way things are going my guess would be The Most Dangerous Flame: 10 Barbecue teams go to competitions throughout the US and after 10 weeks the winner gets a million dollars: The catch - they have to kill their own bull with plastic knives.

If I'm preparing food for people, I do it just to be safe about the color thing; not sure how much of an effect it has. Except with asparagus. I almost always do it with asparagus, as I notice a huge difference in how it retains its color for roasting, sauteeing, etc. As for the bitterness, I don't really ever notice that much of a difference, but I don't know that I've ever paid enough attention to notice it.

Man, I crave 'em too. But it's like a curse - every two or three months I really, really want a big mac, so I go and pick a couple up for lunch. Then I eat them and feel like I know why I only crave them every few months. But I never crave subway, so I never go, despite the fact that it doesn't give me the rumble belly that McD's does ...

Rarerollingobject - Edible pansies? Will wonders never cease? That salad does look delicious, and so, in fact, does the trout. Dakki - When I clean out my fridge I usually end up with a presliced Kraft cheese product sandwich on stale bread. That pasta looks like a significant improvement over my efforts. Kim - Those pork tacos look legit. Love the evident affinity for jalapenos ... I made some lobster roll sliders with King's Hawaiian Rolls for some company. Also, it was the first time I've worked with live lobster. The cooking was easy, but I made an awful mess getting the meat out after.

Kim, your pantry raids turn out a whole lot better-looking than mine do! I'm usually stuck eating some sardines on saltines ... dcarch, you never fail to impress. Seriously - I don't mean that as a turn of phrase, I mean it quite literally. And blether, that fish is gorgeous ... Made an oyster po' boy. And I may be about to show my ignorance, but is it cool to make these with canned raw oysters - like, would I get run out of New Orleans for serving them with canned? I mean, it worked well enough, and you're deep frying them anyway ... I couldn't tell that a whole lot was lost from using canned; I just want to know if it's a respectable enough way to do things.

My vacuum sealer: Get a straw, a ziploc and insert the straw, sealing the whole top except where the straw is poked through. Suck the air out and move your fingers fast.

Scottyboy, that dish is a thing of beauty.

Ah, but Mike, how was the brisket? (And hello from Texas ...)

Sheepish, that's some kind of incredible dinner. Awesome.