Norm Matthews

The jet dcarch is talking about is the orafice that is placed in the venturi of the burner. It is drilled out for the type of fuel being used by the stove. That absolutely should not be messed with. The holes around the burner that the gas comes out of can be drilled out somewhat but like everyone else has suggested, it is better to replace the burner or clean it out so it functions at its maximum design. Increasing the holes on the burners does not increase the gas pressure or air mixture (which is separate from the 'jet'). Those would also need to be adjusted if the burners are altered. It's not for someone to do willy nilly. Restaurant stoves are different animals from home stoves. They put out a lot more BTUs in the first place and are not insulated as a domestic stove. The restaurant walls are coded to take the heat. Increasing the amount of heat a home stove puts out can void your home owners insurance. If someone needed that much heat in a restaurant, he should invest in a stove for a wok.

If you mean "cooking wine" it is wine that is too salty to drink. A restauranteur created cooking wine to keep his chefs sober in the kitchen. Marsala and dry sherry are OK wines for cooking if for no other reason that they are fortified and will keep a lot longer than table wines. In the past I have used generic wines for cooking like Mountain Red or Chianti made in California. I think Gallo burgundy and Hearty Burgundy were Ok too. I have no idea if any of those wines are still being marketed but that can give you an idea of what to look for that may be better than the Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir that you are trying to avoid.

OH oh. You may have just opened . There are a few Texans who might think so, a lot of others everywhere else who don't.

I agree with andiesenji. After you get accustomed to making biscuits and know when the dough is at a good consistency, it is a lot more trouble to weigh it out than it is to just scoop it out and adjust the wet by eye.

Orange or soft sweet potatoes are called yams to differentiate them from other kinds even though non US yams are a different vegetable altogether. As to blended bourbon, that is tricky. Some is great and expensive, a lot of it is neither. It is easier to just stick with straight bourbon IMHO. You can get small bottles if you don't want to have a lot of it left over.

If you have a brand name, use what they suggest, otherwise here is a general guide http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/flour_volume_weight.html

Jack Daniels or Jim Beam are good choices. For cooking it doesn't make a lot of difference. Technically you can use just about any whisky, bourbon or not. I'd even use brandy without giving it any extra thought.

Well as for keeping it on hand, it will keep for a long long time after opened. I have one in the kitchen to use as a cooking wine.

I make biscuits in a cake pan. Being close together in a pan with sides helps the biscuits rise up instead of spreading out.

I imagine sherry in Spain isn't fortified before it is turned into vinegar. Since sherry is fortified, I think you'd have to dilute it before you could add a mother to turn it into vinegar. Another thing to think about trying is to add sherry a little at a time to relatively neutral (unpasteurized) white vinegar until you get a flavor you like.

To paraphrase Shirley Corriher, cutting in butter coats the flour so the liquid does not have as much ability to develop gluten. When creaming butter, air bubbles are incorporated which assist leavening.

If you look at the asparagus I got, they were small, appeared young, and didn't need peeling. I cut the stems off about half way down. I inspected every spear and some of the heads had gone soft. I threw those away and rinsed the rest. I think mine were starting to get a little old. Maybe they took a slow boat from Peru or wherever.

See the dinner thread where I made this yesterday. I used a half pint of inexpensive brandy. It turned out very well. Calvados would be a good choice too but not cheap. After marinating, I reduced the marinade to 1/2 C. then used the reduction to deglaze the pan after browning the chops.

I grew my own asparagus for several years before I moved here a couple years ago. Since I moved here only got it from the farm market before today. I will know better now not to get it whenever I want it just because it's there.

I didn't notice where the asparagus is from. I know it isn't in season anywhere around here.

Thank you. Cassie does not like celery so it seldom make an appearance on our table. At times I substitute bok choy or Romaine stems when I feel something like that is needed.

20 most popular? Must have been a pretty small sample group.

Everyones meals look great. I was out of ideas until I saw a pork recipe posted yesterday by ElainaA. I went to the store yesterday morning and got everything I wanted for dinner today. I made the pork loin chops, reduced the marinade to 1/2 cup then used the reduction to deglaze the pan after the pork chops were browned. We also had asparagus with hollandaise, cranberry chutney and baked potatoes. The asparagus was a disappointment. It tasted metalic. The pineapple was for dessert. We had it with homemade egg nog. Cassie is not a big fan of pork but both of them agreed that this recipe was a keeper.

ElainaA, That sounds wonderful. I have copied it and plan to try it sometime. I am tempted to try it with hard cider and no bourbon though. (hate to have bourbon and not drink it)

I think by discussing all different brands and build of cookware, kinds of heat, etc, people are getting away from the original basic question of what to use for a good browning: Cast Iron or All Clad steel?

A friend asked me if I had a good beef stew recipe and I remembered one I used to make years ago. I don't know why I stopped but I made it today. It was kind of appropriate that we had it while watching the football game . It is called John Madden's Stew. Cassie is working. She can have some later.

My stainless steel skillet gets blazing hot.. too hot if I am not careful. I get good, quick browning with it and a little oil. I have cast iron but I use it more for retaining heat over a longer period of time than for getting hot enough for a quick sear.

Thomas Jefferson was a Francophile. While he enjoyed French cooking and wines he tried to introduce corn to the French without much success. There was American cooking and food before there was the Declaration of Independence. With the advent of cookbooks and cookbook authors came -in my opinion- apologists for the way people cooked and what they ate before the industrial age and fueled by the love affair some Americans had with English and French cultures. American food included fresh water fish and seafood, corn, hominy, corn bread, turkey, cranberries, wild rice, raccoon, venison, squirrel, rabbit, beans and nuts. There were cooking influences and traditions that were American Indian, African, English, Creole & Cajun to name a few. PS Oh yeah, BBQ style cooking was introduced here before the United States became a country. BBQ pork has evolved into pretty much an American food IMHO. I would argue against anyone who wants to classify American food as being not good.

Kim Shook I was drafted to do Thanksgiving next year and I also have a slow cooker big enough for a turkey. I usually use it to keep side dishes warm while waiting for the turkey to get done. I was wondering if I could cook it in the slow cooker and then brown it in the oven. Have you ever tried that? Otherwise, i just may do the turkey and have it cut up and ready to serve when everyone arrives.

I have never has anything sous vide. I don't want to pass judgement on your shoulder roast. It isn't the old way to do it but it may taste great. Seems like a lot of effort though.