dcarch

There is a thread on how to make ribs moist. It got me thinking. What are we talking about? We all have heard plenty times, do this and do that, dip the meat in marinate, spray water on the meat, brush oil on the meat ------- and you can help made the meat moist and juicy. What in fact is going on? It seems to me that unless you burn the hell out of meat to evaporate the water in meat, there is not much you can do to change the water and protein composition. Of course, I am not talking about brining, pickling, or using tenderizer type of cooking methods. Aren’t we really talking about textural changes mostly? If you weight the meat before and after, can you actually increase the water in meat to make it more moist and juicier? If that’s in fact what we are talking about, wouldn’t it be true that it is mostly about temperature control and not what you put on the meat that would make the biggest difference? dcarch

While having a converation with your friends, "I am sorry to interupt you, but how's everything?" I automatically take off 2% from the tip. dcarch

Possible. Depending on the manufacturer. I don't have a brand in mind. I believe some restaurants use them and many hospitals use them. dcarch

All forms of filter impose restriction to air flow, all except electrostatic filters. It traps particle by electric charge. The only consideration is capacity. You need to find one with good enough CFM volume. BTW, once you have trapped lots of dust, grease, etc, you just take the filter out and put it in the dishwasher. Nothing new to buy. dcarch

There is a way. Use an electrostatic air cleaner nearby. An electrostatic cleaner will trap over 95% of air borne (smoke) particles. An electrostatic air cleaner with an activated charcoal filter can trap smell ( cigar) in the air as well. dcarch

My sous-vide setup Bread maker Pasta maker dcarch

Here is how I take the whole duck apart: Two more way to render duck fat: 1. Same a cooking bacon in a microwave. 2. After you pressure cook duck parts to make stock, all the fat goes to the surface. You get all the fat after you refrigerate the stock. dcarch

OK, I got this from a friend: 菱粉 = WATER CALTROP starch. 馬蹄粉 = Water chestnut flour dcarch

I did this long time ago (Yes, long time ago there was a thing called Whiteout) Whiteout bottle for the body, little brush inside the bottle for the tail, and #2 pencil for the legs. water caltrops can be enjoyed cooked or raw. dcarch

I don't know how indigenous corn is to China, I know corn silk has been in use in Chinese herbal medicine for many centuries. dcarch

Is that similar to the arrowroot mentioned earlier? I have used it and it is a much more delicate starch No, It has nothing to do with arrowroot. It is a very strange looking fruit. http://amylamsg.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/1271189917_e32f06054d.jpg I think you can still buy the flour in a large Chinese store. dcarch

Water chestnut (WATER CALTROP, not typical water chestnut) flour I believe was more traditional. dcarch

"---What are the drawbacks of installing such a system at home? Increased gas bills? " I think they are all electric, not gas. "---Much prefer the Zojirushi water boilers but hubby has an issue with leaving them plugged in overnight. " Touch the outside of the container, if it is warm, then the unit is not insulated well. If it is cool, then plugging in overnight will not use much power. They will not start a fire. There are safety thermostats built-in. dcarch

"You have almost got me thinking of poaching from the neighbor who has masses of the day lilies. At what stage are they best?" They need to be very young. I cover them with fallen leaves from last fall before spring to kind of blanch them. What vegetables you can grow in the shade that is so delicious? dcarch

Harvest of Daylily stems from my garden. dcarch

Jenni, yes, very delicious Kerala meal. rarerollingobject, thanks for posting the recipe for the Crispy Thai pork belly. That is a dish I will have to make soon, after looking at your picture. ChrisTaylor, that roast, rolled lamb shoulder sure looks well roasted. SobaAddict70, That Bento box lunch makes lunch something to look forward to, and the dinner is not so boring as you indicated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I still have some duck in the freezer. Sous vide duck breast medium, on beet green with wild rice stuffed pepper. Duck goes well with wild rice, and wild rice goes well with bell peppers. dcarch

If you are really going to have your last meal-------- Try Googling "last meals death row" dcarch

I would use the set for "mise en place" in the kitchen. They take up less room on the counter then round dishes and you can stack them. dcarch

Some how that just doesn't look like it is a good design for bones next to a dinner plate. I have two sets. I normally use them for nuts and dips. dcarch

Looks good. I bought a pack of frozen scallops from Trader Joe's. It was labeled "Sashimi Quality". But I sous vided them instead. You may want to grow some Perilla. While not a perennial herb, it re-seeds readily. You get so much every year. dcarch

I'd like to think that it does, indeed, offer better release, but... no. That's very disappointing to hear. So purely for aesthetics then? To begin with, damascus blades are decorative, functionally it is not meaningful in kitchen uses. You pay a high price for having that. Damascus is meant for battle field combat situations. dcarch

"-----No. The blue is unburned, therefore cold. The hottest part is just ABOVE THE TIP of the cone. ---" I see what you are talking about. I think we are talking about the same thing. The diagram you linked to is missing some information. The typical well burnt flame has three parts, not two as shown. I am talking about the bright blue cone and you are talking about the dark blue cone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bunsen_burner_flame_types_.jpg -------------------- BTW, the torch can burn way beyond the flame. it can melt plastic, burn your kitchen towel, scorch your kitchen walls up to 12" to 18" away from the flame. Make sure you are not near anything that you don't want to BBQ. dcarch

rarerollingobject, I just bought a pamelo. You dish of pamelo with prawns, etc. is very interesting. I think I will copy you. I may add an idea of my own. I may add sautéed pamelo rind. Kim, thanks. The sauce for the duck was honey mustard. Many well made dishes. In particular the omelets. I was following the “Best Scrambled Eggs” thread. I think yours is the best. robirdstx, lovely grill marks on the rib eye steak. SobaAddict70, thanks. Beautifully photographed delicious flounder and asparagus. I just used up my ramps. I will have to get some more to try out your Spring vegetable risotto. ------------------------ Duck breast, sous vide cooked to medium. Black garlic flavored. Wild rice (real wild, not farmed) with crab meat. On Daylily stems sauté in duck fat. dcarch

Are you sure about that? High pressure gas exits the orifice thru a Venturi cavity that draws in air and mixes in the torch head. The gas/air mixture burns completely, which is indicated by the blue flame. The blue cone is where the burning temperature at the hottest. I use a propane shop blow torch, I have never experienced propane taste or smell on the food. In any case propane and butane are highly volatile; they will evaporate immediately even if they somehow are deposited on the food. dcarch

Kim, Have you gotten a new camera? I have noticed a significant improvement in your picture qualities. (the dishes are not bad either ) dcarch