dcarch

Thanks everyone. Yes, caltrop nut (Asian waterchestnut) is very edible. There are many recipes you can find on-line. dcarch

I got lucky, Sandy didn't do much damage (NY). Power never went out. Last year's Halloween was cancelled because of a big snow storm. I was determined to celebrate this year. dcarch Blondes Have More Meatballs? SV Tenderloin with baked Kabocha Squash For dessert, I found some crazy nuts (caltrop) to go with strawberries.

I don't think those are generators. They are just inverters with batteries. They are OK for low wattage use, like phones and computers, TVs and radios, not for any household appliances. dcarch If you read the specs they can power refrigerators... If you get an available solar panel charger, you dont even need to plug it in to charge it. Yes you can power up a refrigerator, the question is how long. You will need a huge huge huge solar panel to charge it up to run a refrigerator during a power outage. A system like that will need to be on trickle charge fulltime 24 hours year after year. Perhaps someone can have a small engine which uses hydrogen, or fuel cell battery technology. dcarch

I don't think those are generators. They are just inverters with batteries. They are OK for low wattage use, like phones and computers, TVs and radios, not for any household appliances. dcarch

Great to know this dcarch, I was just thinking about buying a unit like the one you showed, or the Iwatani as I already stock Iwatani canisters for the torch. I was thinking in fondues or searing meats "on the fly" at the table, but keeping food warm is another great use. Are these type of units also strong enough for real cooking with then if needed? No, you can't cook on them like regular stoves, but plenty good for light duty cooking, about 1/2 the fire power of a regular stove. Many Chinese hot pot restaurants use the same type, which is much cheaper, about $20.00 each. dcarch

Based on all the reviews, that seems like a good unit. I have had mine for 10 years (15?) no problems. I use it regularly. Put a ceramic plate on it on low fire, keeps food warm/hot the entirwe meal. dcarch

I have seen that place. They restore (not just repair) old appliances to their original glory. I wish I can remember that name. :-( dcarch

And don't do any 48 hour sous vide meals even if you have a generator. dcarch

Very inexpensive, you can find it in most Chinese stores. http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00WBNQHFeECqlg/Portable-Butane-Gas-Stove.jpg dcarch

"----Yes, the gas will still flow, and you can light your burners with a match. But be careful that you don't burn yourself when it ignites. I keep long matches around for such emergencies. Presumably you could do the same with your oven,---" Not really. You can only do it if the oven has a pilot light. Many gas ovens use an electric heating element to heat up the valve. Don't damage this element with fire. dcarch

Unlike earthquakes, weather related disasters do not normally impact water supply and natural gas supply. In the many power outages we have had in the NY area, the only thing that was a problem had been gasoline supply because gas stations do not have power to run their pumps. For those of you who do not plan on having a backup generator, get yourself an inverter, very inexpensive. You can run your computer, internet, TV, and charge up you cell phone by plugging in your car and run the engine at idle speed. A used car battery can be charged up to power a 12v LED light for many days. Cheaper than buying batteries for your flashlight. dcarch

Keith_W, EnriqueB, and Scottyboy, thank you so much for your kind words. It weas very depressing to look into my freezer. So I decided to play with the food a little. I felt better afterwards. dcarch

Centrifuge is the way to go. A vacuum system will give you max 14 + lbs / inch sq. pressure, no matter how powerful your pump is. A compressed air system can give you much more, 100 lbs/in sq is easy. Let gravity do it's thing for a few days in the refrigerator then filter, if you insist on filtering. dcarch

Looking at all these incredible multi-dimensional extraordinary creations, I feel a little timid to post my dinner tonight. In doing my archeological excavation of my freezer trying to find things to demonstrate the use of vegetable plastic bags for freezer use, I discovered a lot of old odds and ends leftovers. I hate throwing food away, so dinner tonight was petrified historic freezer food discoveries. dcarch Tofu with truffle oil Re-baked leftover pizza and deep fried cod Couscous, Tapioca and radish

I've never heard of toasting salt! Intriguing. Please can you shed more light? When you go to a Chinese restaurant, that little dish of salt is often toasted salt. dcarch

It is a lot of fun and impressive to be able to toss food in a wok, I do it all the time, but there is no real purpose in terms of ending up a more delicious dish. It is mostly showmanship, IMHO. It is very useful if you work in a busy kitchen and have to handle three woks at the same time. Thank you for sharing the video. Very interesting and informative. Just a quick suggestion: I know most people know about being careful handling raw chicken, but for forum like this, you never know. You may want to add a quick statement to your video about food safety. This is not a criticism, not even a suggestion. Just my own preference if I was to make this dish. I generally add scallions at the very end. I find I get better flavor and color from the scallions (spring onion). I also like to add a few drops of sesame oil at the last moment. dcarch

Efflorescent? Efflorescence (which means "to flower out" in French) dcarch

Definitely not someone in Canada. dcarch

Why is it called "Hoisin" sauce? dcarch

I may be mistaken, but I think the OP's intention is to talk about what happens after you make the food delicious. dcarch

C Sapidus, "---I love yard-long beans, and the ribs are very cool. Do you have a bandsaw in your kitchen? " Thanks. What I did: I used a vegetable plastic bag, froze the slab of ribs and cut it into three strips on my table saw with a carbide blade. Very easy and quick. dcarch

Cooking is like circus acts. High wire walks, flying trapeze, juggling, ---------- all very impressive. But Circ Du Soleil transformed everyday circus acts to high art form. That’s what good plating can do to food. dcarch

Just came back from Katz's an hour ago. Go there. You will not be disappointed. dcarch

Amazing! Just amazing the kind of cooking by everyone. I would say the diversity is mind boggling, not too many of the dishes can be found on restaurant menus. ------------------------------------- Thanks to our friends from up north (Canada) sending us the crispy chilling weather. Reminder to all, there are not too many grilling days remaining this year. Grilled some ribs and shrimps, and putting away all the tools, charcoal, etc. dcarch

You are limited by the max wattage (1,800 watts in NY) at the outlet. It doesn't matter that much, all electric heaters are by definition 100% efficent. Try an induction cook top and the heaviest cast iron pan you can find. dcarch