Norm Matthews

I found a good looking cast iron skillet in an antique store but it was so gunked up that I would not want to use it -as is- so I ran it through a full cycle in the dishwasher. It came out as bare iron and rusted. If is dishwasher can do that, I expect a putting a non stick skillet in would be somewhat akin to using a sand blaster on it. My wooded utensils are bamboo. They go in the dishwasher all the time and I could not see any negative effect until after about 5 years. Now they look dry and are bleached out.

dcarch,Thank you for your comments. Just for the record though, the roast sat, covered with foil on that plate for 30+ minutes. You can see the foil in the background. The juice run-off you see on the plate is from the outside of the roast before it was cut. If it was from the inside, it would not be that dark.

Spraying in a stream instead of a mist has happened to me too but if I clean it and have enough pressure, it sprays OK. It only takes forever to pump up and not spray its best if the cap isn't tight enough and the seal isn't oily. I generally only fill it up a quarter, then when I have used it up, I put some soapy water in it and spray it , the do the same a couple times with clean water then dry and re fill with oil. It takes some putzing around to keep it working but I don't mind the work compared to the cost of Pam and the sticky residue it leaves. It also irritates me that they advertise it as being fat free then when you read the amount needed for it to be fat free, the spray time is in milliseconds... practically. Oil is oil, it will have the same calories if it comes out of a commercial product or you pump your own.

I have not used Pam in three or four years. I use those canisters like Misto. I don't know if Pam works better but it works well enough for me. I can use any kind of oil in them. There is also bakers grease that you can mix up ahead of time. You may not like the idea of using a vegetable shortening and lard is an alternative but I don't feel very much is used In a single application and I don't use it very often, but it is another altrenative. Baker's Grease: equal parts of Crisco shortening, oil, and flour. (For a large amount, use 1 cup each) Beat together until light and airy. Apply with a pastry brush. No need to add flour. Keep refrigerated, covered

Larger roasts will go up more then a smaller one.

We like the end pieces best too. Sometimes I will take a roast and before cooking it, I will cut it between the bones and grill them as individual rib steaks. Faster prep method and all the pieces have a nice crust.

I did a 2 1/2 bone rib roast ( roast was cut so some of the 3rd bone was there but it was a 2 bone for all intents and purposes ) last month. I let it sit at room temp. , salted and peppered for 30 minutes, preheated the oven to 500º, put it in bone side down on shallow baking rack with thermometer probe inserted and after 15 min. turned it down to 325º and cooked to target temp. which for me was 135º then removed, covered with foil for 30 minutes and sliced. It rose 5º out of the oven. This is it. I consider it just a hair over medium rare and is the way we like it.

I am confused. Are you planning to smoke a brisket or smoke a pastrami made from brisket? You need to cure a brisket for about 3 weeks before smoking. After curing, pastrami should be smoked for about 4 hours at around 250ºF. Keeping it at 140º F for that long may allow it to become unsafe to eat. I can't advise on chunk or chips with your set up because I am unfamiliar with it. If they sell Brinkman electric smokers where you are, or a similar smoker, I suggest you look into getting one of those and read the booklet that comes with it. They aren't very expensive.

You say that somebody ate the star. But I see a star. And you say that's the relish tray "with dip." But I see no dip. Where is the dip? Yes the star is there. It had slipped when someone moved it and I did not see it over on the side and thought it was gone. After I posted, I noticed it was still there. The dip had not been moved with the dish and did not show up in that picture. I had the dishes arranged to take a picture, then the kids came in and started setting the table and moved everything while I was busy in the kitchen with some last minute detail or other, so in my last minute attempt to take at least some pictures, I didn't notice everything was not where it had been. I was somewhat hurried at that moment. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks everyone. FYI the asparagus was slightly cook crisp tender so it would not have a raw taste. Everything else were crudités.

If the smoke is white, it is because it was wet. Grey smoke starts when the wood first starts burning. If it continues more than a few minutes, you may need better venting.

Soaking or not soaking is controversial. Some say yes, I say no. Soaked chips make white smoke. That is steam, not real smoke. When you throw them in the water and steam lower the temperature. The black chips are actually smoldering and making smoke to flavor the meat. If the smoke is a faint blue or even if you can smell smoke but not see it, it is doing what it is supposed to do. Gray smoke is burning wood and that isn't good either. Also the temp. problem may be additionally caused by your arrangement not being vented and insulated to maximum.

36 hours ago I was not planning to do anything for Christmas but Cassie and Charles wanted at least a little something and made suggestions. Cassie wanted roast chicken, Charles wanted honey teriyaki game hens so I made both, then more "suggestions" followed, then they decided to invited some of their friend and it ended up as you see below. I had everything grouped for a picture, then the kids came and started setting the table and spaced everything out. The roast chicken the vegetable tray with dip- somebody ate the star I cut from celery before I could take the picture

Most baking stones are made out of stoneware ceramic and will take direct heat IF it is completely dry, started to heat very slowly and evenly. A potters kiln shelf will work too but isn't cheap either. Several fire bricks will put quite s strain on the Weber grate because of the weight and will take a very long time to heat enough to be hot enough. It will hold heat for quite a while though. Someone on the cooking forum took a sheet pan and filled it with water, put some stilt brackets on it and put a baking stone on top of that. I would expect that to work on a gas grill but I imagine the lid of a Weber is to low to work with that arrangement.

What I meant to say is that the person reading the recipe should be aware that there is Southern AP flour, Northern AP flour and National AP flour as well as bread flours and using the proper flour for the recipe makes a difference. Southern AP flour makes amazing biscuits but so-so bread. It is not because the 'formula' is flawed. The hydration level for it is much lower than for a bread flour. Using a Southern AP flour without realizing it can make following a bread recipe written by someone using King Arthur or Gold Medal problematic. The hydration rate will be significantly off. Too many times, I think, an inexperienced baker thinks they can just grab any flour off the shelf and it will work as well and any other. That should be part of the education process included in a well written recipe. You can't take it for granted that someone will just know it.

I understand how important it is to weigh the flour and have a proven formula for consistent results. What I see most often though are recipes being very specific about the amount of water but lacking any information about what kind of flour to use. Until one has experience in being able to know by look and feel that the dough it right, it is equally important to let newcomers know that the recipe works best with a flour that has a given protein level. PS according to Shirley Corriher, ambient humidity plays a negligible role in flour absorption of moisture.

OK then. Now I know.Thanks all. Since hydration is a ratio of water to flour, then I can see Shalmanese point. A given amount of water to a given amount of flour isn't really very informative since the kind of flour determines what amount of water is needed to make a dough. For instance, King Arthur bread flour will require several tablespoons less water to make an optimal dough than, say, White Lily All Purpose flour. A good hydration level for KA flour dough would make a batter with the other one.

I see where people talk about bread recipes and mention a % of hydration. How do you figure that? When I make bread, I start with the amount of water or other liquid in a recipe then add the dry ingredients and rapid rising yeast to a cup of flour and beat it with a whisk on the KA mixer until aerated. Then I switch to a dough hook and add flour without measuring. i add a little at a time until the dough hook will work the flour without the dough sticking to the bottom of the bowl... well, not stick too much. Then I let the KA knead the dough for a few minutes before turning it out with a little flour to knead until it is smooth and elastic and can be rounded to form a smooth and stretchy top. At that point I oil and cover in a bowl until risen. I like my method because I can vary what I add like some milk or potato flour or egg and or oil and not worry about changing the recipe because I always add flour until I get a proper dough. So I do not understand what it means or how one figures 'hydration' percentage.

I always slash after the last rise and just before it goes in the oven. It does tend to heal if slashed before the last rise. and the cut is fairly deep. Note the one cut that was not very deep. The gap widens with the oven rise.

Correction: He made cheesesteak sandwiches instead.

My son's cousin is here from California to visit her dad and other family for a couple of weeks. He was visiting her at noon and brought back some Korean food for us. There are some yaki mandu and dulkgogi (?sp) we also have a couple of flat iron steaks in the refrigerator and he is going to make some bahn mi sandwiches.

It worked for me. I always put the egg in an old fashioned pyrex glass custard bowl, lower the bowl in the water and let a little in, then carefully slip the egg out and then with a spatula, turn the white over the top of the egg. This time I just slipped it in when the water was starting to bubble, took it off the heat and covered it for 4 minutes. It worked just fine but I think it cooks quicker if the heat stays on and the water simmers slightly. The whirlpool method works but isn't practical for me because I usually poach two or three eggs at a time.

I love poached eggs too. I just slip them in 'nervous' not bubbling water until the whites are set. I will try your method today.

Dinner tonight was a stuffed pork loin. I looked at some recipes then used some of the ingredients in a couple different recipes to make the stuffing. Son liked the stuffing, Cassie was so-so about it. I used baby bella mushrooms, sweet onion and an unripe pair. I may add bread crumbs next time. And maybe some vermouth. Also on the menu was mashed potatoes, half russet, half gold, with cream and butter, carrots roasted with the pork and spinach. The spinach was kind of bitter even though they were all small and young leaves. Gravy was flour, butter, evaporated milk and chicken broth with a little nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Thank you Kayb Those meatballs do look delish. I think having them with ravioli is a great idea.