BenT

'Cultivating Flavor: A Recipe for the Recipe' - Dan Barber's lecture at Harvard as part of the Science and Cooking series is available on iTunes U. Really cool lecture on bio-dynamics.

I have been watching this lecture series on iTunes, and find it really interesting. Not so much from a production point of view. The heavy lifting/cooking bits appear to happen in the classroom, while the lectures by the chefs appear to be illustrations of the ideas covered in the classroom. I feel that some lectures are more successful than others in getting at these ideas. For me, where the lectures really succeed is in presenting the point of view of each chef. I really enjoyed the Grant Achatz lecture and the Jose Andres lecture. I will have to rewatch the Ferran Adria lecture because I missed bits of it, both because of translation and because of distraction. Anyone else watching this series? Any thoughts on relative successes and failures in this series, so far?

I really liked the lecture he did with Nathan Mayhrvold at the New York Public Library. It can also be found as a podcast on iTunes. A nice discussion on the technical and logistical end of food innovation.

Made a gallantine from the Charcuterie book. Used turkey instead of chicken. (1 16 pound bird for 2 people = lots of extra meat). I used the breast and foie gras for the forcemeat, and cut up the loin to add texture. After pulling from the stock bath this morning, I have a question I am hoping to find an answer to: The turkey skin used as casing is still kind of 'slimy' - for lack of a better word. Does anyone have experience with using poultry skin as casing, an if so, is it an acquired taste, or are there better ways of finish it for a less slimy texture. I currently have the whole think in the oven, slowly browning to see if that will do the trick.

This is aside from the current conversation regarding the verticality of the bag in the bath - (though Nathan's comment regarding natural convection was a very nice 'aha!'). Here's one for y'all - especially the bbq purists - and it is blasphemy to the brethren - I've started doing my pork shoulders Sous Vide. Normally, I would trim, tie, and rub the shoulder, wrap it tightly in Saran Wrap and let it sit for a couple days before smoking. Then Smoke for about 5 hours @ between 230 - 280, then finish in a dutch oven, rendering the remaining fat into the BBQ sauce. Recently, I've started to put the rub on the shoulder, then vacuum seal the roast. a day before 'cuing, I put the roasts into a water bath @ 140F for 24 hours. pull the roasts out, let rest for a few, then smoke for 3-4 hours. Finishing again in the dutch oven, just because I like how the smoke gets imparted to the sauce. I started doing this because I could not get my BBQ "done" by the time guests started to arrive. And it works great. I can get a really tender pulled pork thats melt in your mouth good. Not traditional, but I can still get a decent bark on it and a decent smoke ring, and I don't have to watch the fire nearly as much. On the one hand, I feel guilty for cheating, on the other hand - it's just really tasty. My friend from Georgia even gives it his stamp of approval. Nathan - I am really looking forward to seeing your book, and I am finding the cash to order a copy. I am glad its a book and not an epub. Books are a paramount technology. Apologies if my BBQ/Sous Vide method is in any way offensive and/or sloppy cooking. It's just the way I roll...

If you call ahead, most restaurants will either tell you straight up that they don't do vegan fare or will create a vegan menu for your friends - at least, that has been my experience. Vegan in Seattle: there is plum on 12th Street on Cap Hill. It's all vegan. Across the street is Barrio, which can do easily vary standard menu items to suit your needs. Le Gourmand on 46th created a vegan menu for my wife that was amaaaazing. Her food was better than mine.

Found this thread and decided to excavate. The variety and thought that goes into a good sauce is an interesting topic. Made a sauce last night that's basically a sofrito - 3 onions, 3 heads of garlic, 7 or 8 tomatoes - cooked into a paste. Add a little salt, about 2tbsp of sweet vermouth (Madeira might work better) and some fresh herbs. Upside is: It tastes amazing - downside is - it takes about 4-5 hours to prepare.