dcarch

Thank you everyone. If you bring wine, you all are invited next time. :-) Actually not much clean up afterwards. Lot's of paper plates were used. There is a Party Goods store with very nice designs. You also will notice the plate the fish is on. The plate was made from pressed palm leaves. Very sturdy and disposable. Yes, SV was basically reheating for the final prep. SV meats days in advance has to be done carefully. I went thru very extensive sanitary routines. Everything was sanitized including the bags, which were steamed before using. The meats were dumped in boiling water for a few seconds before bagging. I also have a 55 watt germicidal UV light which I turned on in the kitchen for a few minutes to sanitize all surfaces, cutting boards, utensils, etc. Seasoning for the meats has to be very light. You don't want the meats become cured ham. dcarch

Thanks everyone. Many days before dinners, all the protein were precooked sous vide at different temperatures and refrigerated in their respective bags. Then before meal time, all bags were water bath reheated at around 130 F. About 1/2 hour before meal time, they went into the oven at 550 F and served. Many starch, rice, stuffing, etc were also made ahead. Bread was done at meal time by bread machine. One thing worked well: All meats were done medium rare. I had a couple of butane camping stoves with cast iron pans on the dinning table. Those guests who wanted their meats well done could sear them themselves. Do keep one thing in mind when you are in the same situation, do not tell anyone you sous vided. You will be spending hours explaining. Yes it was not cheap what I spent on ingredients, but I had been on the look out for sales. For instance, prime ribs were $4.99 a lb. Chicken $0.96 a lb. Leg of lamb $2.99 a lb. Pork ribs $1.95 a lb, ducks $1.95 a lb, etc. dcarch

Has this ever happened to you? The past two weeks, many friends and relatives all decided to come visit. The fact that you are known to have the ability to whip up a few nice dishes in the kitchen and the Holidays, gave everyone the right to expect a special meal. No one offered “Can I bring a dish?”. Because of the weather and schedule changes, plane cancellations, it was impossible to plan any specific meal time. I had been cooking crazy everyday. Many meals for many days for many visiting friends and families most arriving at unpredictable hours. It was like juggling with many different objects, blindfolded. While it was hectic to get all the dishes perfectly done and timely served, it was surprisingly manageable with some proper planning and the heavy use of sous vide cooking equipment and a PID temperature controlled smoker. For instance, almost all the meats were cooked and readied many days in advance. I even got to sit and mingle with everyone and was not stuck in the kitchen most of the time. The only thing was not having the time to take some decent pictures. Has this ever happened to you? How would you handle the situation? dcarch Rotisserie smoked/chicken Beef short ribs Prime rib with mashed chestnuts Roasted whole leg of lamb Roasted prime ribs Ox tail with couscous Stewed ox tail Cod filet with black garlic Meyer lemon sauce Roasted pork ribs Curry shrimps Black eyed peas, ham pate in bacon ring, on puffed pastry

Cotton shop towels for me. 50 red ones for dirty wipes, 50 white ones for clean wipes. Once in a while I wet them and microwave them to sanitize them. After they kind of got visibly dirty, they go into the laundry. dcarch

Makes no sense to me. The thickness and size of the containers, plastic? aluminum? steel? glass? specific heat of the material changes everything's temperature. dcarch

Happy 2014 to all! Take a little time to reflect what you have cooked/eaten in 2013. And take a little time to set your food goals for 2014. 2013 was a good eating year for me. I have many new cooking projects planned this new year. dcarch

I have a lot of respect for any food item on store shelves. For a company to have a food product from conception to finally end up on the shelf, a lot of effort and money, millions of $ will have been spent. A food lab in a company has many cooks, chefs, chemists, marketing experts, package designers --------- to work on a concept ---- testing, modifying, designing special machinery ------- focus groups ------ market testing -------- government approvals ----- sales team ----advertising----- . Supermarkets do not waste their expensive shelf space for an item which does not have sales potentials. I have seen an one-hour documentary on PBS on the making of a snack. A very complicated and industrial process. Part of the program was hilarious, like Lucille Ball episodes. Many scientists and technicians in white lab coats worked on it for months, and the final item was something named "Grandma's Kitchen Crispies". dcarch

If your are using the machine for sous vide cooking, the purpose is to have most of the air out for better heat conduction. Therefore a good vacuum is not that important. Many people, including me, don't even use a vacuum. For food storage, that's another story. dcarch

Pig's ears, http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6Ork8YxURMU/SDMx1Qb4MPI/AAAAAAAAAvE/xsc0qeOPPtE/s1600-h/Pig+Ear+3.jpg dcarch

I would be careful with a hand blender. 1. PB is so thick, the motor may overheat. Most hand stick blender motors are not ventilated. 2. You may strip the connecting shaft. dcarch

I don't think you need to worry about moisture. There is still a lot of fat remaining to prevent absorption. However I do find that they can go rancid if you store them for too long. dcarch

I was in the NYC Sub-Zero/Wolf showroom. I asked the salesman, "Do these expensive appliances really last long?" He answered, "Yes sure. They really last and last, because people who buy them don't cook with them." dcarch

Yes, it's cold and snow, snow, snow --------------. Lot's of smoking, smoking, smoking. smoking ------. Makes no difference. My smoker is an indoor smoker. dcarch

Hehe, I came up with another reason: My youngest brother has been hassling me to "lend" him one of my good knives for cooking class (he's studying to be a nutritionist - don't get me started) for a few months now. In conversation I determined he's not just interested in the functional qualities of the knife (the school issues them Forschners), but he wants something "special." I wasn't about to part with one of my flashy damascus jobs so I got him an inexpensive carbon steel nakiri instead, as a Xmas gift. I figure he'll get to brag a bit to the girls in class about his "special" knife and maybe learn some proper knife care in the process, CS being more or less ideal for learning how to sharpen. I just finished the hot vinegar treatment and started sharpening the thing - I think I'll put a 70/30 back bevel at 15 degrees and a 20 degree microbevel. Show us the picture. Please? dcarch

Do they charge for parking? White Plains WF charges $3.00 for one hour parking. dcarch

Yesterday I was at WF. I think dry scallops were $29.00 a lb. Shoprite today is $19.00 a lb. Shoprite today Tyson chicken leg quarters $0.59 a lb. I forgot what I saw at WF, $1.95 a lb? dcarch

The are two WFs not far from me. I seldom shop there. Just don't feel like paying their prices. Tomorrow, I will be going to Shoprite for Prime rib roast, $4.99 a lb. I think it's $15.00 at WF. dcarch

An amp clamp. A recording chart amp meter. dcarch

My smoker is a converted 4.5 cubic foot refrigerator, PID controlled. The smoker is capable of maintaining down to 35F on a hot summer day for cold smoke. External motorized adjustable cold smoke generator for cold and hot smoke. A motorized blower for smoke evacuation because the smoker is an indoor smoker. This is to clear out smoke when the door is open. A 500 watt halogen bulb inside to get temperature up to 200 F for hot smoke. Interior fan to circulate smoke and even out heat. Interior ultrasonic humidifier for long hot/cold smokes. Just smoked a few pounds of salmon and cheese yesterday. dcarch

Exactly my feeling. It will taste good, but it will taste like bacon. dcarch

Buy a duck. Skin the duck. Cover the goose in duck skin and cook. Clever right? dcarch

Anna N, indeed those are broccoli stems. I pan fried them in oyster sauce and some beet juice. I am puzzled why people often discard broccoli stems. They are so delicious. I guess they are the same people who throw away beet greens. dcarch

Huiray – wonderful meals of diverse menus. Ann_t – your short ribs definitely are not short of flavor. ChrisTaylor – Nothing like crab cake made with fresh crab meat. Sapidus – very beautiful picture! Patrickamory – No, your bean dishes are never boring. Baselerd – Beautiful plating, as usual. Basquecook – Wow, those Cornish hens sure look great. robirdstx – You are like me. I enjoy both dark meat and white meat. Adam George – Very artistic scallops. Dejah – Love that Thai Curry Seafood stew:. Franci – gorgeous confit duck legs. Anna N - Pickled herring, roast beef on pumpernickel , I got to try that combination sometime. Sounds yummy. Steve lrby – Those are perfect roasted chickens. ------ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A few recent meals dcarch Sous vided chicken, farro Pulled pork, black bean sauce Calamondin orange pork on purple asparagus

Here is my suggestion: Get a used hairdryer from Goodwill for $2 to $4.00, take out the fan and motor and run it with a few (4?) batteries. or a cheap ($3.00?) battery personal fan. This way the cold air will recirculate inside the box. You don't want to move air into or out of the box. Keep your cool. :-) dcarch

Vodka will freeze with dry ice. Plastic can get very brittle at extreme low temperature. dcarch