JBailey

There are multiple products for stainless cleaning (as well as other products for granite and marble) at well-stocked hardware stores, Bed, Bath and Beyond, sometimes Costco and places like Lowes and Home Depot, plus regular discount and department stores. Your alternative was buying enamelled appliances which evokes one look or stainless that gives a different impression. The stainless does not improve performance of your appliances. There are different grades of stainless steel, some magnetic. You have seen the numberous pots and pans that are made with magnetic qualities for induction use. I imagine the reason stainless is used in restaurant applications is that it can be cleaned easily and stainless steel will pass government safety standards. They probably don't worry about fingerprints or pictures.

Please excuse my typing...I was trying to indicate 0.6 GRAMS of xanthan gum

iSi published a book called 'The Trick with the Whip' with many recipes and ideas for using their Whips. One of them is a Fizzy Orange, which you might adapt to lemon or lime. They suggest 1000 ml of orange juice combined with 0.6 f of xanthan gum. Mix the juice and xanthan in a blender for a couple minutes and sieve it into one of their Gourmet Whips. This calls for a couple soda chargers. Also, they recommend chilling the Whip for 30 minutes or more. This was a recipe by Jose Anres for Sunkist Growers and they note it was presented at the 'Worlds of Flavor 2006'.

Yes, I also try to sear or brown when I have the time. This does impart a good flavor in my opinion.

I am a sear after advocate. My thought is searing before may crisp, but time in the bag will soften the exterior crisping done in the pre-sear. As for fat, I have begun trimming as much exterior fat as is possible. My thought is the fat does not render as much as if the meat was cooked conventionally. Even with post searing or torching, I agree with comments that the fat does not have the taste or 'mouth feel' one is accustomed to experiencing. However, when the fat is trimmed before sealing, I do put it back into the bag to seal with the meat so if flavor is enhanced with fat even at lower sous vide temperatures, it is there.

There seems to be a branding effort for 'certified angus beef' at many stores for the last several years. 'Premium black angus' just may be another variable on this, whether it is the store or the packer or the people who raised the cattle. While it may be nice to promote a type of cattle, I am not certain angus is superior to many other types of beef. There are so many variables in where it was raised, what it was fed and at what age taken to market. Overall, I have been pleased and surprised with the consistent quality of Costco beef. Both their 'choice' and 'prime' offerings are great to use. They can only sell items labeled as 'prime' if that is what the packer was told and the USDA inspector stamped on the meat. From what I have read, it would be illegal to take a cut of 'choice' and package it as 'prime' if the original meat shield stamp were otherwise. It does not matter if that cut could have been graded better,once it is out the packer's door, the inspection rating cannot be modified. The variable may be that Costco is such a big and good customer of packing houses that they are getting the best cuts and the best meat and what may really be 'prime' that day the inspector only graded it 'choice'. They probably get the best of the best. Somewhere there was a prior thread here where the son of a retired butcher indicated that his father was buying Costco beef because it was vastly superior to meat from other souces-unfortunately I cannot find that quote quickly.

FG Are you also standing away from your TV screen like everyone was taught? Oh, that was when they were cathode ray tubes, guess I should bring my worries to the current millenium!

Not all here may read the Wall Street Journal on a regular basis, but maybe it should at least be a weekend read. In the Weekend Wall Street Journal where they cover more cooking topics in depth, a cover story of the Off Duty section was "With Ice, Size Matters' where they talk about trends in ice served in drinks. They also had a sidebar explaining how to make various sizes and shapes of ice. Another article was a recipe for Quinoa with Sweet Peas and Sour Cream Dressing. The next article talked about "Stew's Spring Awakening" and how navarin d'agneau showcases first crops of vegetables and lamb. The sidebar on that page was comparing coffee grinders. Finally, there was a long piece by Jay McInerney on Chef Eric Ripert and his sommelier Aldo Sohm about difficult wine parings. They have an abundance of interesting cooking, food and wine topics.

The classic hot pastrami and corned beef. In Chicago, the center of the universe for this combo is Manny's Cafeteria.

Welcome! Now we know there are at least two copies in Spain - yours and the copy left at Can Roca as an after dinner gift for the Roca's by Nathan when he had Steven (Fat Guy) lug them across the cobblestones to the kitchen during the fabled and documented grand elBulli tour!

Yesterday, Costco has some corn on the cob which came 8 to a pack. I am going to do several ears for dinner. Usually, I put in a knob of butter with some other seasonings, seal them and drop them directly into my SVS or SVP at 185F. The other ears I was going to merely seal up to prolong their freshness for another meal. However, that got me to wondering. If I were to prep all the ears and seal them, could I do some for the table today and the others put back in the refrigerator uncooked then putting a pack in the sous vide later? What would happen if I seal them with my butter and spices and they were not cooked for two or three days? Does this cause a safety issue or would the ingredients become too strong in the corn? Would you sous vide all ears now and cool them down, refrigerate them and then pop them back in the sous vide to bring back to temp? Maybe another way to ask the question, other than for marination, but rather for convenience what vegetables and meats can you season, hold and sous vide at another time?

Anna I always had heard you could put a piece of paper between the hob and the bottom of the pan, but didn't know why someone would even try that. Thank you for such a nice tip that I should have thought of long ago...I definitely will try this given that I can be a bit messy at times.

Chris This is an early generation CookTek. I know nothing about this version. However, call CookTek since they will diagnose and repair what they have built, but that presumes they still support C-1500's. Their repair facility is in Chicago. I have had work done there and highly recommend them.

Perhaps another way to say it is: to err is human; to not say anything about it is what too many other regular books and cookbooks do too often. I appreciate the guidance they have posted and ability to download the errata. Maybe, I will just consider the MC site the 7th volume during my reading and experimenting-I do that anyway and they will undoubtedly keep updating, revising and expanding the knowledge base! MC seems more of a living, evolving book and site than anything I have experienced previously. That is the uniqueness and why I am such an avid supporter.

They are "h...e...double match sticks" on septic systems. And they will do nothing good for your waste lines (the pipes, not around your middle).

The glass on my CookTek remains relatively cool. It may take a few moments to be 'safe' to put your hand on after running the heat up to the max, but it is hundreds of times faster than a halogen or even regular coil elements. Mine has a listed range from 85 F to 500 F. Dave Arnold at Cooking Issues had some photos of the distribution of heat on the bottom of pans including an induction hob.

Induction is a great technology. As you probably see when you walk through a warehouse club or department store, many of the new kitchenware products are now made so they may be used on induction induction hobs. I have a couple CookTeks that way out perform any other type of electric element and they are safer when shut off because the do not retain heat. They do not give off heat since they use magnetic waves and when a pan is lifted the surface remains cool (relatively) to the touch-a fairly good safety feature if your counters are crowded or there are lots of people around you. There is the ability to regulate temperatures somewhat akin to how one might control temperatures with gas. Many induction tops can plug into regular home outlets, which means they are portable (relatively) and can be used outside, in a dining room, on a serving table or at another location. I think they are also perfect for simmering and I have heard many bakers like to use them to melt chocolate because lower temps can be maintained.

RICARDOVANEDE Glad you are here contributing also!

VAM & MCDIARMID Welcome out of the sidelines into posting! I am certain all here will appreciate your comments, ideas and adventures.

I also tried the mac and cheese. Likewise, I did not cook the hydrated pasta in the cheese for the 6 to 8 minutes, merely I kept the cheese on a warm setting of my induction burner and folded in the pasta. Maybe it was to just steam off any excess moisture that was not absorbed in the soaking, perhaps it is to help raise the temperature of the pasta. Next time, I might also go for just under 45 minutes of hydration. I have always prefered a softer 'tooth feel' rather than al dente for my pasta. The other think I really enjoyed in the recipe was use of evaporated milk-I think this is both a good flavor addition and a better way to go than other milks.

You didn't keep your box and packaging materials for your personal museum of your life?

In my unit, the ice bin is insulated not refrigerated, with I suppose the theory being that older ice on the bottom melts, the drain clears the water and new ice replaces it on top of the bin. This may not be too different from some restaurant model designs. The difference would be how often the ice is being utilized. If you are merely filling a glass evey so often during the day, the cubes might be 'wet' as ambient temperatures of the room cause melting. If you are taking out ice all the time to store it in a freezer or using it for cooling items like stocks or sous vide bags, it may not be as 'wet' since it does not stay in the bin very long. These put out lots of ice over the course of a day if the ice is being removed from the bin. Also the technology of how the ice is made may contibute to the 'wetness'. The water flows into a mold with a center rod and cycles with a warming bar so the 'cubes', which are formed around the center rod can be cut off or break and drop into the bin. This is a continuous process, so yes there is wet water and ice cubes. I believe the freezing/purging point can be adjusted.

They are convenience, but not very good. Consider an undercounter professional-type ice maker. Scotsman, among others, offer machines that put out clear cubes. One of their models is only 15 inches wide and holds up to 26 lbs of ice. The trade off from lost cabinetry is worth it-forgo the trash compactor!

Yes, it may be 90 degrees off. I might think it would be installed on the right side so that pushing back was hot and pulling forward was cold. If you had someone unfamiliar with how it works were to use it, my guess is more often they would pull it forward and worst case get cold water.

I just happened to look at Carol Blymire's Alinea at Home. She is making a truffle stock that requires the use of a pressure cooker. Carol Blymire has managed to create a very successful 'using a pressure cooker' tutorial. Maybe I now have a bit more confidence to buy one and try using it with the great visuals she has shared.