IndyRob

I think most would agree that blaming (or equating) other professions for problems in the one in focus, is not going to be persuasive. It smacks of deflection. Politicians would be the worst comparison -- At least we're not like them.

That bringing up Weinstein serves no purpose. And that it only invites comparisons to a number of recently disgraced high-profile chefs.

And you have?

So anyway, back to the topic (sorry)... I recently perfected a dish that I wish I could have many years ago. But I don't think I could have without all of the various mistakes I've made over the years while experimenting. I don't know if one can become a good cook just by repeating. Even if that will be the ultimate goal.

It seems to me that there are two ways to go. First, a compendium of simple recipes (say, The Joy of Cooking), or something that will actually teach them the whys and wherefores. For the latter I would suggest Alton Brown's I'm Only Here For the Food. His few pages on roasting meat (for example) and how the heat actually penetrates will automatically make you a better cook if that's something you didn't already know. It all depends on whether you think the recipient will sit down and read the book, or simply use it as a reference when the need arises.

You can make $12/hr working as a McDonald's shift manager in Indiana. How can anyone survive in NYC on that? Why would you take that job? I get the resume enhancing angle, but when does that pay off?

No, I think we may be in agreement. I think the relevant point is whether Ts in the hand written recipe refers to teaspoons or tablespoons. Teaspoons would mean only 10% salt by weight - which seems more plausible. That said, it also occurred to me that this whole "11 secret herbs and spices" deal is probably the biggest marketing red herring of the modern age. If KFC - at any time in their history (because I think KFC used to be better back in the day) - left out any, say, two of the herbs, nobody would ever notice.

I think that's about 30% salt by weight (nearly 4 TB) when added to 2 cups of flour.

To be technical, vacuums necessarily have to do with voids (as a vacuum is defined as a space devoid of matter). But voids are exactly what we're trying to avoid by using flexible bags and sous vide. So it's really a pointless argument. And not one that sheds any light on chicken freezing.

It really comes down to a distinction without a difference. Thomas Keller named his Sous Vide book Under Pressure even though Sous Vide means under vacuum. There are those that will argue that it's the external atmospheric pressure doing the work. But it's all relative. The key thing is the difference between the inside and outside. The side you root for is up to you.

How are frozen turkeys done? There are great piles of them every year in November.

Perhaps just oiling the cavity and plastering it with cling film would help. Actually, just cling film the whole thing while you're at it. Then just vacuum seal the whole thing. I doubt a Foodsaver could collapse a chicken. I like the balloon idea though, and will await the Youtube video.

Sorry, didn't mean to bring all that into a price comparison thread.

You didn't provide any specifics. I'm going to guess it wasn't less than $9.99 a pound. That's what they can be had for without memberships.

WINNER! Costco: $1.39 for 3 pounds, or about nine bananas ($0.15 each) Trader Joe's: $0.19 each banana Oh gosh, I could have saved 4 cents per banana if I bought a $60 membership at CostCo and then bought more bananas than I could eat. Nice comparison.

I believe that would be bourdain.

French fries? or Flaming Hot Cheetos? I don't think there's any contest. Unless you're going to put one on the other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IiEzD7wNhM

That's a T-Shirt.

Elbows next to ears? Hmmm.

As I understand it, the flip side is that if you have the non-washed room temperature eggs, you should really wash them thoroughly before use.

Could this be adapted to a baguette shape? After having made some loaves in a dutch oven lately, I'm thinking that that size would be more useful day-to-day.

Oh wait, what about nitrates/nitrites? Clearly, they're pretty good at penetrating meat, although they might not technically be flavoring agents.

I'm reading all the posts and thinking how complicated this is. If I read the original post correctly the question is whether there's any point of adding oil based flavors to a brine. But the title asks if there's any point of adding *any* flavorings to a brine. But even water soluble flavors might be too large (molecularly speaking) to penetrate the meat. Also, sources of oil-based flavors, like a peppercorn, may have some other flavors that might not be oil based. Then there's the salt factor. Salt can bring out flavors we didn't know were there and that we might otherwise attribute to other ingredients. Then there's the osmosis/diffusion/just-sneaking-into-nooks-and-crannies angle. Would we be confident brining our piece of chicken in sewer water and salt? Confident that only the salt would penetrate? After thinking about all of this, I think the most relevant test is salt and sugar (vs. salt only). The sugar is often recommended as a way to balance the saltiness of the brine. They're both clearly water soluble. Perhaps invert sugar would be preferred in this case as the molecules would be smaller? If adding sugar to brine were to be debunked, that would move ball significantly. And if it held up, well then, just the same.

0.59-0.99 for Haas Avocados in my area right now. I think we're moving into the Superbowl prime sale season.

OMG