jrshaul

Kitchens have better stoves than I do. It takes nearly fifteen minutes to boil a few pints of water. Incidentally, I would think that a vented lid would be a disadvantage? A lot of heat is lost via evaporation, and for puny stoves like mine, a lid is a necessity.

Well, I make a big batch of orangecello once a year....

Has anyone had a problem that requires the use of preservatives? I have a very low alcohol tolerance. The "Cooking Issues" blog suggests that many infusions have a short shelf life, and I'd rather not have to dump any. On the subject of "Anti-craftiness", I would consider that this is the same additive found in high quality wine; if it's found naturally on the outside of some grapes and added to $100+ fine vintages, why not use it ourselves? I may try ascorbic acid in the pepper infusions, though. Also, a side note to the sulfite-allergic: The use of metabisulfite in homebrewing appears pretty common, both as disinfectant and preservative.

I write for an unread campus paper. If anyone I work with ever again repeats that all pork should be cooked to 170F to prevent (insert horrible doom here), I will personally hunt them down and make them eat a Kwanzaa Cake. I especially hate when they show a lovely medium-rare steak, and then tell you to cook it 'till it's indistinguishable from the charcoal.

Has anyone tried adding sodium metabisulfite? It seems like it might solve the preservation issue.

Interesting. I might just try a pot still, though; I've seen some reasonable setups produced from pressure cookers.

Thanks for the recipes! I just bought a 100-carton of cylinders, so I'll have to try this.

I would, but I have a 215sq. ft. apartment. I'd have to live on my balcony.

https://www.spectrumchemical.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?section_name=Antifoaming-Agent&minisite=10020&respid=50577&item=81089&section=16891&beginIndex=0 I quoted the price wrong - it's $120/liter. Ouch.

I've been using the everclear, but it's not very good. The Spirytus might be a viable option.

Can anyone comment on the longevity and and preservation of their n2o infusions? I've finally broken down and bought a big carton of cylinders, and hope to make the best use of them. I don't drink very much, so the ability to preserve infusions is very desirable, but I recognize that some flavorings (e.g. coffee) remain intact far longer than others. Also, what's the thoughts on chopped vs. whole? It seems to me that using finely minced ingredients would be more efficient than whole ingredients, but reality is rarely so intuitive. I've had good luck reducing things to a paste before making liqueurs, though avoiding the lengthy filtration process would be a major benefit.

I lived in Nashville for a few years; Noshville was, if I remember correctly, very good. The Alpha Bakery appears to still be open; the brioche bread will probably kill you, but you'll die happy. I was still a kid when I left, so I'm not the most reliable judge. Is Hog Heaven still a go-to barbecue spot?

While reading the Cooking Issues blog, I noted that the authors recommended the use of food-grade lab ethanol in lieu of everclear. The quality and speed of many infusions can be greatly improved by using high-proof alcohol, but the overtones of engine degreaser just aren't worth it. The supplier they prefer is now up to ~$70/liter, but I wonder if there might be another alternative at a more reasonable price point.

You really, really, really want to filter these.

Whiskey and/or rum. Both as an ingredient and to dull the pain of eating a botched recipe.

Here's the recipe I used for my first try. It works pretty well. One way to reduce infusion time is to grind the coffee very, very fine. http://www.homebrewunderground.com/99/homemade-kahlua-part-1/

Here's a few thoughts I have on the subject: 1. Groupon doesn't work. At all. In any way. How do I know this? I use Groupon frequently, and don't go back. Admittedly, it's because the restaurants in question are often bad or remote enough I'd never go without the discount. Same applies to restaurant.com. 2. Target your advertising. Distributing free samples is an interesting idea, and in my opinion, not one without merit. The local cheesemongers' shop charges hideously inflated prices, but they provide so many tantalizing samples it's hard to walk out without buying. The trick is to ensure samples are only given to potential customers. Hosting a dinner for representatives of the hospitality industry is a good idea, and consider that the Chamber of Commerce in many cities meets at a restaurant meets monthly or weekly . Another option is to associate yourself with a local winery or brewery by creating a special tasting menu to accompany their products - I see a lot of successful restaurants in my area doing this. 3. Don't make your guests feel slighted. $2 off a sandwich is the sort of thing you clip out of the newspaper for Subway. Offerring a bottle of wine or chocolates will make your guests feel appreciated, but tiny discounts - especially with some degree of risk, as per the "First XXX sandwiches sold" above - gives your establishment an air of desperation. On the other hand, "Surprise and Delight" doesn't have to be expensive. Sending customers a flyer for a a couple of gratis chocolate truffles not on the regular menu every few months will cost you the same $2, but without making your customers feel slighted and ensures that your e-mails are read before being deleted. 4. Associate yourself with local favorites. My city is full of microbreweries and has a strong "local food" scene. Restaurants frequently work to associate themselves with popular brands, such as advertising a specific local cheddar on their burgers or offering an uncommon beer from a local brewery. Find what people are passionate about in your area, and latch on.

The only simple campari cocktail I know is called a Fizzy Dar, invented by and named for an old friend of the family. It's a mixture of campari and a flavored soft drink called "Bitter orange" I haven't seen much in the USA. I haven't had one in years, but they're fantastic if the ambient temperature is above 100F.

I know a machinist who can produce molds like that for under $200 - just call up a local shop and they should be able to do it no trouble. I might try it myself.

I looked up the price for copper stock - unless you're buying tons or getting it from a scrap dealer, you won't pay much less than what BellaCopper asks for a 9"x9"x0.125" sheet . My only worry is that high-purity copper can become very soft, even in 3mm thicknesses, though this is only problematic if you're a dunce like me and frequently drop things. Given the very low price of aluminum, I'm surprised it's not used more for this application. A 6mm aluminum sheet should perform very similarly to a 3mm copper sheet, but would be significantly less expensive. Also, has anyone tried placing a small pan on top of a big cast-iron pan?

Thank you for all the suggestions. The Yirgacheffe sounds right on the money, and I (hopefully) can find one locally; if not, the Starbucks blend should be affordable enough. I'm still at the "working out the bugs" phase of making coffee liqueur, so I'll try and stick to the stuff I can get at the store 2oz at a time. I'm also hoping to try a n2o cavitation process instead of infusing it into vodka. I've found anything made of cellulose - especially cinnamon - can impart a strong woody flavor to the finished product, and infusing for minutes rather than weeks will hopefully prevent these less desirable compounds from dissolving. However, the extracted flavors will no doubt be different.

After having reasonable luck with my last batch of coffee liqueur, I was hoping that someone here could help me select a more suitable sort of bean. I don't drink a lot of coffee (it gives me indigestion), but I love the flavor in desserts and cocktails. My previous attempt used a dark roast coffee that was quite sour - sort of like what you'd find at Starbucks. The end result had a very potent coffee flavor with a less processed taste than Kahlua, but much like the raw ingredients, it was a lot more sour. I'd like to fix that. What should I look for in a roast? I wouldn't mind using a nationwide distributed variety, but being able to find something locally would be nice as they can grind it very, very fine.

Coca Cola is battery terminal cleaner with sugar. Sometimes, without sugar. It's how it's supposed to be. Unless, I suppose, you go for the original recipe, which is battery terminal cleaner with sugar and cocaine. Also, I'm not sure America is ready for the meat pie floater. I know I'm not.

I apologize for post-dredge, but I've had some success adding bacon to deviled eggs. I made nearly thirty of them for a relatively small going-away party, and they were gone before the guests had all arrived. Most things I make don't go over nearly as well. Instead of coarsely mincing the bacon, I drained it and blended it to a fine paste with mayonnaise, mustard, and loads of freshly roasted garlic before combining with yolks. The use of roasted garlic reduces the required mayonnaise, and prevents the end result from becoming greasy. I seasoned with mustard powder, paprika, and a little cayenne and combined with minced green onion. The additional mustard powder is required to balance the strong flavors of the garlic and bacon. For those who wish to make the recipe lighter, the roasted garlic provides a soft texture to the yolks without adding fat. The only downside is terrible breath.

I bought a big cast iron frying pan from Target for about $16. It's the best pan I've ever owned - I've used more butter on "nonstick surfaces." I don't think it's going to warp anytime soon, either. About 90% of what I own is secondhand, mostly from eBay and garage sales. Curiously, I now own better stuff than anyone else I know.