Dakki

Thanks, Andie. Soaking in dilute vinegar will soften the rust quite a bit if you decide to do it by hand. I have a grit blaster at the shop so I'll probably be using that (unless someone specifically wants to see the traditional method?).

Got this for the equivalent of 40 US cents. I'll clean it up and season it this week if I find a few free minutes to do it. I could post photos of the process if anyone wants to see.

I've been reading the novels as well. George R.R. Martin musn't be a big food guy - he talks about a 77 course feast in volume... 3? and didn't even bother to list the dishes.

Anywhere you'd use ancho or pasilla, really. Salsa borracha is a good use.

I don't think there's any quantitative difference in technique between a traditional chef's and a gyuto, just the qualitative difference you'll see from having a thinner blade and (potentially) a steeper, sharper edge. With the western-style j-knives you let the blade do the work and merely guide it with the lightest of touches, rather than muscling your way through things. Thanks to that I lost the "knife callus" on the base of my index finger years ago, so now I get zero respect from the "pros" - if I ever did. Traditional j-knives are another matter entirely.

A minor point....PhDs are quite legitimately called "Doctor". A PhD who insists on it is an ass of course, but so is an MD who insists.Agree w the rest of your post. Sure. My point is that the "chef" here is a blowhard, with even less legitimacy than a PhD who introduces himself as "Doctor so-and-so." That "doctor" might be technically justified, because that's what his diploma says, but in common usage "doctor" means a medical doctor, not a sociologist or whatever. "Chef" on the other hand is nearly meaningless outside of a restaurant kitchen. As a bit of an aside, we have academically certified "Master" welders, machinists, carpenters, plumbers, etc. in my country. The only times I hear the title actually used is in job applications or sarcastically, when they really screw something up. That's a good point. I think "chef" really betrayed his ignorance and closed-mindedness with that comment. It doesn't prove he's not a culinary school grad or the head of a commercial kitchen or whatever definition we accept for "chef," but it does prove he's not worthy of the respect he's demanding.

From Ikea, I have silicone trays that make a long, thin cube. (Well, not a cube, but you get my meaning). The ice fits nicely in a tall glass and they're much easier to "pop" than regular trays. My sister got some in novelty shapes from the same source but they're apparently not as satisfactory.

Agreeing with everyone who pointed out "chef" is pretty meaningless these days. In my book, it's a courtesy title for the head of a classic kitchen brigade, and anyone else who insists on it is a bit like PhD's who insist on the title "Doctor," with less justification. That said, in my social circle it's often applied to anyone with cookery pretensions, so I sometimes hear that so and so is a "home chef." Besides, as Tri2Cook said, the fact that someone is paid for something is no guarantee they're more skilled at it than someone who does it out of love. Comparisons with other professions may come to mind. So, about this dude: Pretty obviously he's a bit of a dick (pardon my French) and in my experience, people with serious chops very seldom are. What to do about it? If you're a saint, put up with it. If you're bullshit intolerant, don't. If you're somewhere in the middle, toleration sauced with eye-rolling and a bit of good-natured ribbing is the way to go. My 2c worth.

Too late to edit, but I think I should clarify: Steel toes are my everyday wear, so they just feel natural in a context where I might drop something heavy or sharp. Welding gloves instead of oven mitts and leather apron instead of a regular apron. I'm not suggesting they're a necessity for peeling a carrot or whatever.

Yeah, that one struck me as pretty goofy. I don't think steel-toed shoes are overkill, especially after a couple of drinks. Welder's apron and gloves have saved me a few bad burns too. I've done it plenty of times. It doesn't turn out to have discernable little chunks of undercooked bacon in it. It mostly just adds some juiciness and that bacony smokiness.I'd suggest this falls into the "don't knock it til you've tried it" category.I am sure it will make the burger taste good. My point is eating raw bacon safety.dcarchI do this all the time. Just give the bacon a good boil before grinding it in.

I could have sworn I'd already posted this.

I like Woot. I got a set of Shuns there really cheap. Anyway, I buy a watermelon maybe twice a year so I might not be the person to ask, but it seems to me that any difficulty cutting it would be wedging on the rind rather than sticking (for whatever reason) in the flesh. Something long, thin, skinny and sharp, like your garden-variety carving knife or a sujihiki would be just the ticket.

Tripa is one of my favorite things in the world. I recently found out it's not the same part as tripe, though. Tripa is either intestine or part of the udder (tripa de leche, which is a little less gross to think about), while tripe is part of the stomach, called menudo in Spanish. Not a big deal unless you're making it yourself but there you go. BURN THE HERETIC! Just kidding dude. Fantastic-looking brisket. Did you use a rub/mop?

I wouldn't try to choose a material before checking out your suppliers, particularly the heat treatment people. I'd find out what equipment they use and which materials they're most comfortable working with and make my decision based on that, not a spec sheet or the Internet's flavor of the month. Google informs me Brunel University is in the UK. I'm not really familiar with the steel supply chain over there, but assuming you have easy access to Swedish steels something like AEB-L (or the Sandvik clone, I don't remember what it's called) would be an excellent choice, as long as the HT people are thoroughly familiar with it. Devin Thomas and other highly regarded USA knife makers go to some trouble to procure it despite the ridiculous wealth of American standard alloys immediately available. On the other hand, if you're manufacturing in Pakistan or China or USA, you should choose materials that are widely available and understood there. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, IMHO the three most important things to consider to assure the final quality of your knives are heat treatment, heat treatment and heat treatment. Alloy chemistry is #4.

I'll be following this thread with considerable interest.

I'm sure you'll love it. Enjoy Austin, it's a nice town all around.

I don't think I'm the first one to notice that a lot of what passes for conventional wisdom in the foodie world is unadulterated jibba-jabba. I'm not even talking about well-known chestnuts like the one about searing to "seal in the juices," I'm talking about things that seem to be articles of faith to a considerable number of people. I think it is time to have a frank, open, friendly and mature discussion about the stuff we disagree on and allow to go unchallenged for the sake of not going off-topic and/or starting a sh*tstorm. So, at the risk of being hounded out of eG by a pitchfork-waving mob, I'll go first. (For the more literal-minded, I'll just state this is intended to be a lighthearted and humorous way of starting a discussion and no disrespect is implied or intended if your views don't precisely match mine, which is quite probably the case). Modernist cuisine ain't all that. I should qualify that: Research into the science of food, the application of new techniques, tools and ingredients, and the documentation and dissemination thereof is a fantastic thing. Bacon-and-eggs flavored ice cream and spherified everything with a savory foam on top, on the other hand, is merely entertainment for a jaded palate. This "modernist" thing isn't even a new idea, anyway. "Food miles" is a goofy concept. Sorry, greenies. That 15c bunch of grapes could only have cost 15c worth of fuel to get from the verdant fields of Chile where they were cultivated all the way to your local supermarket, tops. Seriously, if you're that concerned about your carbon footprint, don't have children. Getting fixed is the best thing you could do for the planet. In a related concept, "Local" doesn't mean "green." Think about it. If you live in the middle of the Mojave desert, growing rice is going to be a hell of a lot more resource-intensive than it is in, say, Thailand. More than enough to offset those pesky food miles, I'd wager. Pasteurization: A Good Thing. Yes, I am quite aware that most supermarket milk tastes like chalk water, but has it occurred to anyone else that this has more to do with the breed of cows and how they're fed than with pasteurization? Anyway, with all the food safety debate that goes on around here I don't think I should have to point out that ensuring the stuff you pour on your local, organic muesli every morning isn't actively trying to kill you is actually pretty nice. "Artificial" doesn't mean "bad." I know that consuming a tiny bit of petroleum derivate along with all those natural, healthy starches and sugars in a Hostess Ding-Dong makes a lot of people feel like they're chugging down a tubful of toxic waste, but there is no rational reason to fear FDA-approved additives. If you're concerned about your health, get a checkup on a regular basis. Putting down the Sun Chips and getting some exercise couldn't hurt, either. On a trip, that chain restaurant you turn your nose up at home might be your best bet. I've eaten a lot of unpalatable meals on the road, and while it may be possible to discover the perfect rhubarb pie in that roadside diner, that has never actually happened to me. Hit the chains. At least the food is predictable. I don't believe in Italian grandmothers. Oh, I believe they exist, or else there's a lot of unaccountable Italian grandchildren in the world. I just don't believe they're all such great cooks. Rose-tinted glasses and love for Nonna have made a lot of "spruced-up" Prego the final word in pasta sauce, I suspect. If your four-year-old turns up her nose at canned peas and demands organic smoothies, you aren't raising the world's greatest gourmand. The term is "picky eater" and that's an entirely different beast. There is entirely too much testosterone flying around in the knife threads. Probably not a heretical statement but I needed to put that out there.

To be fair, I think you'd get the same reaction if you mentioned Ban Ki-moon to a bunch of enlisted guys today. I got some folding bakery racks recently. At least I think that's what they are...

Ballistic gelatin.

For BBQ try Franklin's on E 11th. It has been favorably compared to the "big three" in Lockhart. Or just drive over to Lockhart, I guess?

Lovely work, everyone. dcarch, remind me never to show your photos to my friends again. It creates unrealistic expectations. Heston's mac and cheese, v2. Served with fried chicken and a green salad. This time I decided to go with individual servings. Really liking this recipe. I think next time I'll adapt it into a casserole, maybe with chicken, green olives and poblanos?

"You've always been a lover of bacon. Now you can be a bacon lover, with baconlube™, the world's first bacon-flavored personal lubricant and massage oil."

Lovely work, everyone! percyn, I have no idea what bo ssam may be but I want it. Here's tonight's offering: chicharron en salsa verde, and mac and cheese from Heston's last show (made with cheap Wisconsin gruyere, because it's my first time trying the recipe). An unusual combination that worked surprisingly well.

Is UK "cornflour" US "cornstarch"? Heston seems to be using the second in the cheese sauce, although he calls it "flour." Also, Julia Child (in Mastering the Art) seems to think pressure cookers are no good for stock. Can anyone clarify why the difference in opinion?

Same here. And when I answer, they say "You didn't make any beans?" So, can we distill some best practices for popularity in potluck dishes? Should be edible with fingers, not mess up a plate with sauces, not wilt or dry out easily nor spoil readily laid out on a buffet table?