dcarch

Here you go, for NYC: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/tool_kit_barbecues.pdf dcarch

None of the above. If you can get a famous person to do an introduction, endorcement --------- success! dcarch

Yes and no. Yes, it will be very slightly better. No, not that much better. By creating turbulence using a non-round container, you will need a more powerful motor to overcome the drag resistance. A hand blender’s 200 watt motor is nowhere near close to Vitamix’s 1500 watt motor. Or you may want to try my technique as posted on #19. And there are other methods which I don’t recommend. You can increase the voltage from 120VAC to higher by using an auto-transformer or digital voltage controller. Do it for a few seconds at the last moment of blending, so that you don’t burn out the motor. dcarch

That is my special black garlic sauce. dcarch

I am very good in figuring things out, I enjoy watching magic shows and trying to figure out how they do it. Most of the time I am able to tell, but not always. That's the whole fun of magic shows. What is seemingly impossible to you, feats that totally defy logic and laws of physics happen right before your eyes. I am keeping an open mind about this new appliance. dcarch

Actually, 1800 watts can be very powerful, plenty to char or vaporize a piece of meat. When the meat is being slow cooked at low power in the begining, the power not used to cook the meat can be stored in a bank of super capacitors. When needed, the energy stored, paired with full 1800 watts line power, can do an amazing job in searing. dcarch

There are many factors when comparing effectiveness of a Vitamix and a hand blender: ( numbers are not exact. I am doing this by memory) 1. Speed of rotation - I think Vitamix's RPM is 32,000, and a hand blender is around 20,000 or less. A very big difference is being able to chop food particles. 2. Diameter of the blades - Vitamix is about 4 inches, and a hand blender is about 2 inches. This tranlates a huge difference in blade tip speed (miles per hour) in Vitamix's favor. 3. Fluid dynamics - Effectiveness of chopping is the difference in speed of travel between the blade tip speed and the food particles. If the blades are rotating at the same speed as the food, it makes no difference how powerful the motor and how fast it rotates, the will be no chopping at all. The squarish shape of the container of the Vitamix creates a lot of turbulance to slow down the food to allow the blades to cut the food particles up, v.s. the hand blender, which does not have much resistance to prevent the food from moving close to the same speed as the blades. dcarch

I am not sure there is any cavitation action with any blender. Cavitition I think involves ultrasonic energy. dcarch

Question to you, Eric: It looks like to me the Palate Smart Grill can only cook mostly flat meat such as steaks. Is that true? Can it sear the sides of a thick steak? Can it cook a chicken? Can it cook a whole rack of lamb? dcarch

Ideally, you should buy an extra blade, and keep one blade ultra sharp just for smoothies. Once you used the blade for hard stuff, like ice cubes, nuts, etc. it will get too dull for smoothies. dcarch

May be the blades have gotten very dull. See if you can find a narrow file to sharpen the blades. dcarch

Actually, there is a pump which circulates continuously the water inside a compartment. All the water will be exposed to UV germicidal light more than once. Not an expensive gadget. dcarch

I am not sure about my numbers. Doing it by memory. To cool one gallon of water from 212F (boiling) down to 40F will need 1,434 BTUs. Average home refrigerator can remove 2000 BTUs per hour. It really would not stress out the refrigerator that much by putting in hot stock in a refrigerator? ---------------------------------------------- Wouldn't it be a good idea if they make a UV liquid sterilizer for kitchen use, like the ones you can buy for aquariums fishtanks.? dcarch

Thanks! I have been told by others too. This year for some reason, all tthe tomatoes are very thick skinned. Still tasty, but annoying. So I peel them. This is the way I do mine: Put tomatoes in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour. Boil water. Next to the boiling water, a pot of ice water. Dip chilled tomatoes in boiling water for 5 to ten seconds. Immediately drop tomatoes in ice water. And peel. dcarch

Sorry to hear all the troubles you guys have been having. dcarch Yesterday's dinner

I am not one to make a negative comment about asymmetrical plating. Because I am guilty of having done one once myself. dcarch

I do have a lab vacuum pump, which I was going to do vacuum sputtering of telescope mirrors. I think vacuum sputtering can have interesting food applications. dcarch

Now that's disgusting, powdered eggplant, LOL!! Although eggplant powder can be used in eggplant ice cream. :-) dcarch

Thank you very much everyone. It is fun to play with food. Interesting that I don't have the space to rotate crops, and I am too lazy to keep the planting area clean, dead deceased plants piled on the growing area. So far I am lucky. I grew Roma last year, not this year. The sauce on the chicken is bell pepper, onion with leftover pineapple salsa. The squiggy line is red wine vinegar dressing thickened. Yes pickled daikon. dcarch

This is not to say what your are saying is not true. We all have different ways of using kitchen tools and appliances. I will accept and will not dispute that it has not work out for you. All I am saying is that the bamboo brush is used extensively in heavy duty commercial kitchens by the millions day in and day out. I will say further that it is used in many home kitchens as well. For them, it is a lot more than "I keep one by my decorative wok for hipster value" Don't forget, cast iron cookware and wok were first invented by the Chinese. dcarch

They are coming fast and furious. Tough keeping up with the garden. How much tomato sauce can you make and keep? How many tomatoes can you dehydrate? How are you dealing with the Solanum lycopersicum onslaught? dcarch With sous vide chicken breast With center of watermelon With watermelon rind

I am not so sure. Look again. It looks like the print belongs to whatever who did not have opposable thumbs. dcarch

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BU3QTI6CcAElBBf.jpg:large http://cdn.cheftalk.com/6/63/500x1000px-LL-633d5405_ASp1.jpeg http://cdn.cheftalk.com/c/c2/350x700px-LL-c2e48c0e_IMG_3933.jpeg http://cdn.cheftalk.com/e/eb/500x1000px-LL-eb7a525a_image.jpeg http://www.yammagazine.com/test-site/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/MG_0003.jpg LOL! dcarch

Sorry to hear that the bamboo brush does not work for you, even it works for millions of chinese restaurants. Including modern Chinese restaurant upscale kitchens. Like this one: Also sorry that yours have a habit of falling apart, even bamboo is stronger than steel in tensile strength. and water proof for building rafts. I am sure you don't cook as many dishes every day as the chefs in a busy Chinese restaurant. When using the bamboo brush, depending on how far up or dwon you hold the body of the brush, the brisltes can be very flexible or very stiff for scraping. dcarch

"asymmetrical" or the glorification of "negative space". I am negative on any plating by formula. dcarch