runwestierun

Congratulations on your good work. I would like to say that I really like Special K's new name for you, Not-So-Fat-Guy. I may be alone here, but I have always been a little uncomfortable with your "Fat Guy" name. If I write to you, I feel like I'm insulting you. I don't want to insult you.

I am not familiar with your type of vacuum bags, however, I am familiar with the Ziploc freezer bags that have that honeycomb layer inside of them. It's a thinner honeycomb plastic inner layer that lines the thicker outer layer, right? It's thin and is supposed to cling to the food easily to help eliminate air pockets for freezing. If yours are similar, I know I can't sous vide with these because the inner layer throws a serious plastic taste. I microwaved one and the inner layer melted before the outer layer was even distressed. Could this be the problem?

I should preface this by saying I think I am a very cautious person. I have a degree in biochemistry and worked in that field for the federal government for years. I would never use a piece of used lab equipment for food, ever. So much of what we used our equipment for was so toxic and/or radioactive in such minute amounts. I read the argument above that the food would be sealed in bags. Two things: 1) I've had my food bags break in my Sous Vide Supreme and 2) the bags are sealed, but your hands handle the outside of the bags. I always think you have to weigh benefits vs. consequences. You save $50 vs. small chance of cancer, death or mystery poisoning. Used equipment does not come with a trustworthy provenance.

Hey, its new to me - BUT - when I went looking I found http://www.nespresso.com/pro/uk/en/professional-coffee-range and it looks to me as though the 'pro' capsules have a domed, not flat, base (the outflow side). see also http://www.nespresso.com/pro/uk/en/professional-accessories-range/capsules-dispensers Which I'd bet would make the pro capsules not fit into domestic machines. Which would make a great deal of sense where pilferage could possibly be a problem! I had come across references in eBay auctions to "ensure that these capsules will be compatible with your machine" and not appreciated what was being referred to. Ah, I see! Thank you, now I get it.

Dougal, Help me out. I don't understand what this "subtly incompatible capsule" is. Could you please explain?

I have the machine that has the milk frother attached. It froths milk insanely well. And I am not a barrista. The machine makes good tasty espresso consistantly, better and more consistantly than I can myself. I also like that it's idiot proof. I generally make espresso when we have guests. I can operate the machine and keep in the conversation. I don't have to consentrate on what I'm doing. I know that sounds like a cop out, but I like things that make entertaining easier without compromising quality. I also like having many different varieties on hand, way easier than storing and grinding many varieties of beans. The milk frother will heat (or not) the milk and froth it perfectly. No evil spurting wand. The whole thing is contained, and couldn't be easier to clean. The espresso does have a beautiful crema, and with the tasty capsule varieties and the perfect froth, I am very happy with this machine. I got mine at Sur la Table. http://www.surlatable.com/category/cat450560/Nespresso

Decades ago I worked in a Chinese kitchen and if we wanted flavors that liquid would impart in the rice, we would cook the rice beforehand with the liquids added to the water, cool the rice down and dry it a bit overnight, and then fry it the next day. Am I explaining that right? To get soy flavor in fried rice, boil dry rice, water and soy until the rice is cooked. Cool down, then fry with oil and egg.

OK this may make me sound like a hoarder, but I assure you I am not. 3 years ago I lost everything in my kitchen to a large storm. So I was very bare in the cupboards when I stumbled upon the mother of all garage sales. I spent $800 and took 5 carloads of stuff out of there. 14 dozen canning jars, 36 ramekins, 107 cookbooks, a barrel smoker, nice bundt pans, serving dishes, giant steel griddles, steamers, baskets, utensils, cast iron enamel pots, various baking pans, seriously, lots more. Everything was priced really well. I also bought art supplies and jewelry making supplies. It was a really great find. But now here's the weird part: the guy who had the garage sale wants his stuff back. He was going to move out of town but now he works at a local grocery. The first time he approached me at the store he wanted the jewelry making stuff back. I said, "You don't make jewelry." (It was originally his ex-wife's stuff.) OK, he said, he had a friend who wanted it. Next time I saw him he told me again how much he regretted selling the stuff and how much he wanted it back. I asked him what he wanted back. He asked me what I bought. I said, "The smoker." Oh, he said, he missed the smoker. I said you couldn't possibly, the smoker was never used. It was still in cardbard. Such an odd uncomfortable situation.

Thank you, Genk. This was such a good blog. You showed me such an interesting side of PDX. I cannot wait to explore the places you've described. Thank you so much.

There are several things I think you should be able to make out of things that may be going south in your refrigerator without going to the store. Soup is one of them. So are ground beef tacos. My constants are beef, fresh and dried chilis, cumin and onions and from there, it's what you want to get rid of. I've made tacos with half beef half wilted chopped cauliflower. I sauteed that with all of the above, and whatever else I had that tasted good, if I remember some celery, green chilis and cilantro. They are always a little different, just like soup is always a little different. I call them one of my "garbage entrees". Num, huh?

My outside propane wok (65K BTU's) allowed me to properly cook Chinese food (I am saddled with an electric stove, no natural gas available here), that greatly improved my cooking. I bought a BBQ Guru on someone's advice here for my Big Green Egg. That allowed me to control the temperature to one degree so I could really smoke well. My 2.5mm copper sauce pans greatly improved my candymaking. My Sous Vide Supreme opened up a whole new world of cooking. The biggest game changer so far: you might not think of it as kitchen equipment, but Modernist Cuisine is certainly the price of a new piece of kitchen equipment and it's been a giant game changer for me. Total eye opener.

I have a Beater Blade and I love it. I made some stiff dough once and used it by mistake (I should have used the dough hook). It developed a small crack in the center of the shaft that runs perpendicular to the floor if the Beater Blade is installed on the KA. The crack has been there a year and hasn't grown. I would like to say I have seen a marked improvement in the quality of my cakes since using the Beater Blade. Like Andiesenji, I've also purchased a backup.

I use mine with the dough hook most often for pizza dough and bao dough. Bao dough is so tough and the KA makes it so easy. With the paddle I most often make quick breads, cookies, and cakes. I also love the after market silicone scrapy paddle. Cheesecake comes out so much better using that. With the whisk I most often make egg whites, primarily for meringue or folding into waffles. I use the whisk alot for frosting, too. I use the pasta roller the most of the attachments. I also regularly use the new pasta extruder. It's the only KA extruder attachment that works. I have many other attachments. I use the ice cream maker alot, but usually in spurts for some reason. So often when a task could be done with a food processor or the KA, I would choose the KA because the bowl could go in the bottom basket of the dishwasher. The FP takes up half the room in the top basket and often it would already be full. That is really a big part of what pushed me towards using the KA so much.

I bought two fatigue mats at Costco that I think are something like 42X20. They work as well as GelPro for me and they were $24.99 each. I am very happy with them.

OK so let me ask this: If Steve buys 6 oranges, puts them in a bag and takes two more bags and it is stealing, is it stealing if he buys 6 oranges and puts two in each of three bags?

I like Thai stuffed chicken wings, but they are alot of work. They are sort of like the lollipop that Toliver mentions, but the lollipop is stuffed. Here is a recipe that stuffs them with pork and noodles, I usually use rice. http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2009/06/deep-fried-stuffed-chicken-wings.html I have also made them by pushing the meat up and over the bone of the top section of the chicken wing (drumette) lollipop-style and stuffing that. My favorite go-to wing preparation is a deep fried wing stirfried in oyster sauce. I marinate the wing sections in soy and ginger, then I dip them in a slurry of seasoned cornstarch and water and deep fry them. Once the wings are cooked I immediately transfer them to a wok and toss them in a mixture of equal parts sugar and oyster sauce. I stirfry for a minute or two, until the sauce is sticky enough to adhere. Then I toss them in a giant handful of chopped scallion greens. Num.

How do you do this? Is there blanching involved?

Could you make a riff on an aviation, maybe with St. Germain instead of creme de violette, maybe garnished with an edible flower, and call it the "Share Our Strength". If someone asks you why it is called that, just tell them that you would like to share with them that it is strong.

heh heh carbonara.

I would make a dressing substituting wine for the acid, making sure the salt balance was right. If wine is too acidic, I would substitute salted water. Olive oil Fresh garlic Salt + Pepper egg yolk + mustard powder (if dijon is too acidic) (or some instant clearjel + mustard powder if she doesn't want either) tarragon or basil minced shallots wine or salted water Sometimes potato water tastes better in something like that than plain water. I have only tried the potato water thing on a nicoise with potatoes in it, though. If yogurt isn't too acidic she could make any creamy dressing she wanted.

I dislike stainless for a reason I don't think has been mentioned here: it's gray. I live in Oregon, it rains constantly here. It's gray outside, why would I want it to be gray inside? My perception is that stainless is dreary.

Call your butcher! He's gotta know...

Where are you that your stores all have bulk spice bins?! I wish! I buy most of my spices from Penzey and often wish they would sell out of bulk or at least offer some packaging recycling program for the small jars. I suppose I should venture further afield but I think the transit cost would probably outweigh any financial savings. I am also in the US, like you; I'm in Oregon. Here almost every store has bulk spices, but I am always surprised at how many people are not aware of it. So where I live we have Winco, which is like the old Cub Foods. They have bulk spices in a corner of their bulk foods, back by bulk honey. It's pretty regular things, like dried thyme and garlic powder. Then our regular grocery has it too, it's called Fred Meyer's. It's in the natural foods section. Our other regular grocery, Safeway, is the only store here that doesn't offer them. Then we have a co-op here, they have a really good selection. It was the only place I could get bulk juniper berries for the Modernist Cuisine pastrami. And Whole Foods has it here along side the bulk section. They have a good selection as well. The spices always seem to be in a cubby that looks kind of like this: http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/wfm3(2).jpg You scoop the spices into little bags and label them with the number on the canister. Often people see these displays and think they are just for selling bulk tea. I noticed on the internet that you have a Penzey's in Falls Church. They aren't cheap, but they sure are good. I am envious. There is also a place called Indian Spices, that sounds promising. Do you have any natural foods co-ops? I don't think I've ever seen one that didn't sell bulk spices. I would also call around to your major grocery stores and ask if they sell them. Good luck.

Goo-Gone. Works on the most stubborn stickers. Great to have around.

Chris, Where are you buying your silica gel packets? Thank you for all the pictures. You give me so much confidence to try these dishes.