ChrisTaylor

How long does the achiote paste keep? With the booze content being so low, could I just freeze it in ice cube trays and hang onto it a good long while?

Spaghettoni with octopus. The octopus tentacles were cleaned then bagged with a bit of salt, pepper, olive oil, a dried chilli, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. It was bathed at 77C for 5 hours. I peeled off the suckers, chopped the tentacles and set them aside. The sauce was pretty much just some baby romas with a little garlic, bird's eye chilli and parsley.

Preparing the hare royale component of the game medley. An impulsive thing: I was walked past a poultry store and they were selling hare considerably cheaper than what I've paid in the past. I figure I'll do something involving porcini to stand in for the truffle toast. As per the recipe the hare is sitting in a marinade comprised of red wine, carrots, onion, celery, juniper berries, allspice and black pepper.

Have some octopus tentacles in the bath at the moment. 77C for 5 hours. The tentacles are bagged, as per the Thomas Keller recipe (although I'm serving them with pasta), with bay, rosemary, thyme, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, a bit of salt and pepper, dried chilli and olive oil.

Prepared a couple of the recipes in the past few days: Mac and Cheese. As good as everyone says it is, even when you're just using okay supermarket cheddar and gouda. It's very rich, though. I mean, I found it I could eat a much smaller portion of it than I could my go-to version (which involves bacon-infused cream rather than a roux-based sauce). No wonder 100 grams of dried pasta provides enough Mac and Cheese for 4 people. Hamburger. Just the meat component. I served it with some leftover processed cheese from the Mac and Cheese and some other elements. I've cooked one sous vide and one in a pan. Unsure which I prefer.

You could make a Daiquiri using the white rum, lime juice and some simple syrup. You could use the curacao or triple sec in a Sidecar (with the cognac, obviously). You could also make Margaritas. A few variations on the Collins, too. And, with some mint leaves, a Mojito. With some tomato juice you could make a Bloody Mary--vodka based or maybe using one of those other spirits (tequila, perhaps) in one of the many variations on the format that exist. Did you buy the various schnapps because you like sweet fruity things or just because they sounded interesting? I ask for a couple reasons: I can't think of any use for those, altho' your selection of base spirits isn't a bad start at all. If you added some cheap rye and maybe a bottle of Angostura bitters to the collection you could open up a few more options. And secondly because I guess we need a definition of 'something nice'. When I saw the spirits I instantly thought of the big classics that use those ingredients but don't require any vermouth or bitters (with vermouth and bitters you'd be able to make things like Manhattans and Martinis, plus variations on the Old Fashioned). But maybe that's not you at all. If you prefer sweet, fruity things you might not enjoy any of my suggestions. Give us an idea of what you like. Any cocktails you've especially enjoyed at a bar or restaurant or friend's place? General preferences re: sweet, sour, bitter, boozy (i.e. would a cocktail that's basically just booze, like a Sazerac [not that you could make one of those at the moment], be enjoyable or would you prefer something that disguises the booze or lessens its impact with a lot of fruit juice and soda water)? EDIT I've never had that bitter herbal liqueur or, I admit, even heard of it. Anyone familiar with it? If some vermouth was added to the collection could it make a workable sub for Campari in Negronis and Americanos? Too, if you've never really had cocktails before--I hadn't had anything other than a Black Russian, of all goddamn things, before I dove into this world--then maybe go to a bar that has a reputation for making nice cocktails. If you lived in Melbourne I could direct you to a few places but I suspect you don't. Order a few things off the menu. Try a variety: something brown and stirred, something tiki-ish, something in the sour family, etc. Get a feel for what you like. As much as cocktails in a bar can be expensive, I figure it's a cheaper way to find out what you like before rushing off to buy more stuff, as let's face it, bottle shops are never short of options for spending money on stuff that turns out to not be very nice.

Prices seem to be a mixed bag. I mean, I've had ex-Americans tell me that the high end was more expensive than it is in Australia but the lower end is usually cheaper in the States. There's the odd exception to the rule, however. To be honest, having scouted out the prices for a few places myself I'd say that 'normal fine dining'--i.e. a really nice restaurant that isn't exceptionally expensive by local standards--is maybe on par. Maybe slightly dearer in some instances. Maybe slightly less. Certainly you pay a lot less for alcohol, be it in a restaurant or at a bottle shop. That said, a friend just returned from the States and found that most things were significantly cheaper than in Australia. So. Yeah. It varies. He was in the South, too, as opposed to New York or wherever else. Maybe the state-to-state variation in the States is more significant than the variation from, say, somewhere wealthy in the States to Sydney or Melbourne (I mean, Melbourne and Sydney are considerably dearer than Brisbane and Hobart). Wages, however. Despite what haresfur says, it's my understanding that typically wages in Australia are higher than those in the US. I know that even as a fairly recently graduated primary teacher I earn significantly more than even a fairly experienced teacher in the US public system (altho' I understand that the salary varies considerably from state to state and city to city). As a teacher, even tho' I'm lower midddle class by Australian standards, I'm still able to go to Australian fine dining restaurants and not starve for the rest of the month. We also have a minimum wage here for, er, everyone. And legally employers have to abide by it. So if you're a waiter or a salesperson of some kind--i.e. the sort of job where you get tips or commission--you still have a living wage to fall back on. Every so often there's the odd move from the right to mess with the system but that's seemingly a one way road to political suicide. You also don't need to rely on your employer to provide health insurance or other benefits necessary to living a happy and healthy life. In addition to the universal health care and private insurance and whatnot, if you're on an especially low income there are benefits (i.e. discounted medication and treatment). At the same time, knowing a few people in the industry here, your income is basically fixed. Being a really great waiter in a really high end restaurant doesn't necessarily mean that you'll earn a whole lot more than someone who does just an okay job in a casual restaurant. Tipping isn't part of our culture, altho' it's steadily creeping in more and more. The attitude of most people I know is to maybe round up--i.e. if it's a $152 bill we'll put in $160--or maybe to throw in a little extra if the service is great. And even if you do tip, what seems to happen at most places is the tips are shared equally between front of house and the kitchen.

Check out http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/kohlrabi-recipes_n_1597114.html#slide=1097539

It's something fairly readily avaliable in Australia, which I guess is why both of us--I assume--got it quickly.

Reminds me of kohlrabi. In fact, it reminds me so much of kohlrabi that I'll put everything on that horse.

I thought that the lamb rack was better at a slightly lower temperature and for two or three hours instead of Blumenthal's one. I mean, at least, I was happier with a version in the eG 'sous vide index' than I was with the one from Blumenthal at Home. Anyway. Tried the scrambled eggs recipe today. First time I've cooked scrambled eggs sous vide. Didn't have any cream on hand so I just used milk and butter. I really liked the texture. Would've been so much better with a little bit of diced crisp bacon ... such a shame that I decided to prepare it on the last day of my vegetarian challenge.

It's now been the best part of a week. I've fallen off the wagon at a restaurant and when someone else was preparing dinner for me--I wasn't going to be a pain in the arse as a guest, I mean--but everything I've eaten within the confines of these here walls and everything I've prepared or purchased myself has been vegetarian. And it's been difficult. So far I've had the most luck with pasta-based dishes. Maybe because I've always liked some vegetarian or near-vegetarian classic Italian sauces (ie. something that might flavour a whole lot of other ingredients with a small quantity of cured pork or anchovy fillets) I haven't found surviving off pasta the least bit difficult. I haven't been in the mood the roll out the dahl and bean-based curries, even tho' I'm normally a big fan of chana masala. The handful of Ottolenghi things I tried were a bit of a let down. Plenty was my first port of call after hearing such positive reviews. To be honest, I doubt I could ever go vegetarian full-time. And unlike when Chris was doing it, I have access to dozens of cookbooks. Two or three days each week is doable and I hope I can stick to that. I find it slightly disturbing that I feel addicted, altho' that's perhaps too strong a word, to meat. I get that the body craves protein and everything else, but it feels decidedly fiend-like when some meals (i.e. the tofu) are unsatisfying die to an obvious lack of animal product. I wonder if I should revisit that sort of dish but allow myself the indulgence of, say, fish sauce.

Well, yeah. I mean, I can't think of a time when I've been a restaurant that's specifically mentioned sous vide on the menu or anywhere else. The only time it has maybe been brought up is when a friend asked about how a particular ingredient was cooked. You're more likely to see 'roast' mentioned on a menu. And it's not like we're saying that, oh, by using a modern oven (as opposed to, say, something involving stones and a coal fire) they're cheating.

Revisited an old favourite in the form of a Negroni. Incidentally, I think white rum (wanted to use up the last dram or so of a bottle) works better than the original gin or the dark rum of a Kingston Negroni.

I don't know if making a big deal about sous vide this and sous vide that is hugely different to BBQ cooks banging on about low and slow smoke treatments.

Brunch.

I guess there's a fear that, hey, you give them this idea and they run with it and then you're expecting money. I mean, if some multinational business worth many millions of dollars was using one of my ideas, I'd sure as shit want a cut.

So far I've yet to be truly inspired by anything. Plenty's tofu recipe just didn't do it for me. I didn't realise how much my love of the tofu in Ma-Po depended on the pork content. Tonight I looked to Giorgio Locatelli's Made in Italy for inspiration re: something involving mushrooms. He asked for fresh porcini, which I can't get. I used a mixture of baby king oysters, regular oysters, rehydrated morels and a little bit of porcini powder. The egg was the 'perfect soft boiled egg' from Modernist Cuisine: boiled for three minutes and then placed in a 64C bath for 35 minutes. It didn't peel too well given I don't have any butane for my torch and the eggs were very fresh, but that didn't matter for this application.

Depends on what it is, really. Rare to medium rare for most steak-type things. Leaning towards even rarer for things like skirt steak or red-fleshed game such as wallaby and venison. However with some cuts I do prefer them at a higher temperature. Pork belly, for instance. The low temperature sous vide versions are nowhere near as good as a slow-roasted (or high temperature sous vide confit) version. I like duck in all its forms. I like rare duck breast but I also like duck that's slow-cooked in an oven or smoker to the point of well-done-ish greasiness.

Because the places where it really took off, unless you count the rare product that's quickly (by charcuterie standards) dried in warm areas (see also: biltong), weren't places that were warm during the depths of winter. Same with hanging game meat and a whole lot of other things that involve just leaving food out.

It's a $1000 stick blender. I've no doubt it's very good but it's somewhat more than what I'm prepared to pay for a small appliance. I'm not going to be knocking out pureed soups for a hundred people, after all. Funny you mention that about the Cuisinart stick blender. I think my Cuisinart icecream machine works just fine but, yes, the construction is clearly cheap. For something I use as infrequently as an icecream maker--and for something that is very limited in its potential applications, meaning I can't accidentally throw in something too 'heavy' for the paddle to mix--this is not a big deal. I would not replace a perfectly functioning icecream machine. If it died I suspect I'd live without one for a while. But it's a shame to hear that the poor build quality tag could also be applied the Cuisinart.

I did make a few extra modifications along the way. I added the spices gradually--some at the start, some about half way through, some towards the end. Smoked paprika became part of the spice mix and I also added a little bit of liquid smoke. It was okay but, damn, just a few flecks of shredded pork or beef--say, some leftover smoked brisket--would've been lovely. Today I suspect I'll be falling off the wagon at lunch time but I'll make up for it, honest, by preparing tofu for dinner. I'm thinking of that recipe in Plenty. Maybe serve it with some soba or something. Bulk it up with some napa.

Yeah, I soaked and cooked the beans apartheidly. One look at the ULTIMATE Pressure Cooker ChartTM confirmed my suspicion that the three legumes would all require different amounts of pressure cooking. Incidentally, I suspect they're all equally fresh-ish--I purchase my beans in small quantities from a place with a fairly high turn over--but the maximum suggested cooking times were a wee bit short for everything except the chickpeas. Still, I figure the best part of one hour in the sauce will soften the blacks and northerns enough.

I have a cheap and nasty stick blender. I was initially considering upgrading to a full on benchtop blender but good ones are very expensive. It seems that a costly appliance in the States--say, a Vitamix--costs an obscene amount in Australia. $700 for the Vitamix, I mean. That's an expensive blender. Anyway, I decided to look into good immersion blenders. Something in the 300-350W range. Powerful enough to make short work of vegetable soup, curry pastes, sauces, rehydrated chilli peppers and so on. I won't use it every day--I don't use my current one every day--but when I do I don't want to mess around. There's a huge price difference between the 300W Cuisinart and 350W Bamix Gastro. Huge. $60 versus more than $400. Aside from the wattage and cost, is there anything significant that sets these two apart? The 240W Bamix is still considerably more expensive than the Cusinart model.

I haven't cooked it yet so I might have some last minute modifications, however ... Altho' I'm going to start with a chilli paste made from pasillas and guajillos. I'll add the chipotle later in the cooking process. And too, I'm using a mixture of beans: chickpeas, black beans and great northerns.