Norm Matthews

http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B0007M2BN0 The microwave egg cooker is by Nordic. Here is a link and a picture. This method steams the eggs in the microwave in about 8 minutes. Here are some links to steaming eggs with a steamer basket http://www.onegoodth...ut-boiling.html http://whatscookingw...e-easy-to-peel/ http://www.kokoscorn...uaranteed-.html They always (98% of the time) peel completely and easily for me whether. I peel them under cold running water as soon as they are cooked and cooled slightly. Soft boiled eggs are a little more delicate.

In South Louisiana okra is gumbo. But gumbo is also the soup-ish dish made with almost anything sometimes including okra. The menu had both okra and gumbo but only okra was served. The gumbo was supposed to be the soup with the sausage and shell fish.

It is cold and rainy today. I wanted soup and had some stock in the freezer along with stuff that needed to be used up: some corn on the cob that I forgot to use a few days ago along with left over hamburger, mushrooms, onions, a carrot, a couple of fingerling potatoes, and part of a tomato. Son isn't a big soup fan but went back for seconds.

I don't think there is such a thing as uncured bacon. If it is uncured it isn't bacon. It is pork belly. "Uncured bacon" is cured, just not using nitrites or nitrates. It is probably cured with a some type of salt . If the bacon smells ok, and does not feel slimy, then I think it is ok to cook. If you need long term storage, put it in the freezer.

I am just seeing this thread for the first time even though it was started over 2 years ago. My response is to the original post. My first beef is with the Today Show never giving cooks enough time to present the recipe they were invited to show. The hosts want to chat and would talk away all the time the cook needs. So don't be surprised when cooks spill stuff or uses approximations in measurements when they don't have time to be more accurate or mix the batch thoroughly. The Today Show is going to start playing music and cut to commercial before they get finished anyway. I am quite sure Martha didn't say those things or imply that that was how it should be done, just because it happened while she was trying to get done before they went to commercial. It seems everyone loves to pick on Martha these days. And sure, lots of times someone on her staff will make a mistake in typing out a recipe of hers. I am not defending her but that circumstance is too extreme to think was SOP for her or any other cook one is watching while their child gets her teeth checked. By the way, baking is not a science. Exact measurement is not as important as most people think. Especially flour. Baking works on chemical principals but there is a lot of room for playing around. An good baker knows full well that any home recipe for flour is an estimate and experience is what is needed for good results, not a set of scales. Now someone who has their own show and has control over editing and does stupid things is on their own. I agree with many of the other comments I saw as I was scrolling to the end of the thread.

I am not familiar with outliers. I have only a passing contact with Zagat's. I got the impression that one of the top rated BBQ restaurants by Zagat's in Kansas City was put there by tourists, not locals who knew better. My concern is the ability of a random sampling of people to be able to judge what is good. For years I lived in a small midwest town and was often amazed at how many people raved about professionally prepared food that I thought was mediocre or not well prepared- like perhaps it had sat on a warming table too long. Here is an example: I was at a private affair where the menu was designed by a CIA trained chef and executed by professional caterers. One of the items was gumbo. Apparently the caterer didn't know what that was and served okra. That is what they pointed to when I asked where is the gumbo. I over heard one person eating the okra say that the gumbo was very good and several agreed.

I have made a pumpkin cheesecake (yes it is a pie, not a cake) with this kind of crust. Also a strawberry cream cheesecake with graham crackers and walnuts.

I have been steaming eggs for years, ever since I stopped scoffing at my son for bringing home a microwave egg cooker. The eggs are shielded from microwaves by being sheathed in aluminum while holes in the bottom allow steam from the water you add to get to the eggs. The whole thing is shrouded in plastic and the eggs hard cook in about 8 minutes. They peel perfectly with no green ring around the yolks. The only time I don't steam them is when I am doing more than the 4 the container holds. Then I still don't boil them but steep them in water that is removed from the heat as soon as the water starts boiling- with the eggs in the water. It is removed and covered and allowed to rest for around 15 minutes, then cooled and they are peeled- for deviled eggs. I believe this was the method originally used by Julia Child. This kind of egg also nearly always peels easily too... even fresh eggs... well not direct from the hen house fresh but so grocery store fresh that there is no air space between the white and shell. I didn't find that salt made a difference in the way they peel. No need to find a better way when what I do is working. Edit, a person I know was experimenting with ways to cook eggs so they would be hard cooked, peel easily and not have a green ring from being over cooked when I mentioned to him about the steaming method I used. He tried steaming them as illustrated in the Alton Brown link above and it worked well for him. Neither of us had heard of Alton Brown's method at the time. In fact it may have been before he aired this segment on TV.

I have had fondue with cheese, chocolate and hot oil. It gets the oil hot enough to cook thin pieces of beef. I also used the two fondue pots and two chaffing dishes I picked up at antique stores for actual cooking when the electricity went off for several days, including making soup and hot water for coffee. Those sterno cans get the pans hot enough for heating up any pre cooked food.

We had grilled boneless pork loin chops, corn and a salad.

Family requested a repeat of a previous meal and I have posted pictures before so none this time. We had grilled Cuban steak with chimichurri sauce, nopalitos with onions and tomatoes, broiled tomatoes and fried sweet potatoes. Garden fresh tomatoes were halved, cored, salted and peppered, topped with kerry gold butter and fresh bread crumbs then a little more butter and grilled briefly.

This kind of spatchcock cuts the breast free so it swings up and leaves the back bone intact. It is called Leaping Frog. IMHO it is quicker and saves the whole chicken for roasting.

We had grilled chicken with a Jaques Pepin mustard glaze recipe, salad and green beans. We had grilled chicken with a mustard glaze ( Jaques Pepin recipe), a salad and green beans, Southern style.

Thanks. I usually use the smoker instead of the oven for pork and BBQ seasonings instead of this gastrique. The coconut rice suggestion from an Indonesian friend seemed like a good combination. It was a nice alternative. The mushrooms were good but I think the store bought sorbet was a little better in the champagne than what I made without an ice cream maker. Cassie liked the two combined together in the wine. ps The Strawberry Hill Bakery down the freeway a bit was having a two for one sale so we had povitica bread for dessert. Povitica is a Croatian nut bread.

Quick shot of some of the food mentioned above. I had a quick meal before I left for the airport to pick up the kids. I had not finished the stuffed mushrooms yet nor opened the sparkling wine for the mimosas yet.

Son and his GF are coming back from Las Vegas after several days out there visiting his mom's side of the family. It will be late when they get back but I'll have something for them if they are hungry. If not, we will have it tomorrow. I have a pork shoulder roast slow cooking in the oven in a dutch oven with some onions, celery and garlic. When done I'll use pan juices and a gastric made with bourbon, caramelized sugar, cherries, vanilla, and vinegar. I'll be doing the gastrique instead of a BBQ sauce. We will have some stuffed mushrooms and yellow rice cooked with coconut milk and mimosas made with orange sorbet.

I had some eggplant sauteed with garlic, ginger, peanut oil, then steamed briefly with some spicy Asian red bean paste and chicken base with a little water.

Thanks. We ate the bacon. It wasn't as bad as I thought. I just scrapped off the burnt brown sugar and it was good. It is bacon after all. There is still enough for lunch and sandwiches for the rest of the week. The half pan method of cooking the meatloaf lets the fat drain off as it cooks the vegetables as well. I use a blend of hamburger and bratwurst. It is really good that way. I know replacing the thermostat is cheaper but it isn't nearly as much fun as shopping for a new stove. This one looks positively ancient anyway. (Ancient as in not in good way)

The oven in this house which I moved into three months ago seems to overcook everything. I tested the temperature the other day. I found that we I set the oven at 350, it was heating to 410. I turned it down 50 degrees and it went down 65 degrees. I turned it up 20 degrees and it went up 35. today I made a meatloaf with some bacon woven across the top. I put it in at 40 degrees less than the recipe and took it out 15 minutes early and it still overcooked. the bacon weave will have to be tossed but the meatloaf under it is still good. Looks like I am going to have to replace this 25 or 30 year old stove soon.

Made moussaka for dinner tonight.

It was too hot to cook today. I grilled a couple of chicken breasts outside and nuked some bacon in the microwave and made a Cobb Salad. Cassie made some garlic bread. We had our first tomatoes from the garden today too.

Just by coincidence, I made some polenta from a tube last night. I pan fried it in some oil and butter until it was crispy brown on both sides and topped it with a garlic, onion and butter and dry white wine cooked until reduced, then added some tomato sauce and provolone cheese. It was OK. I also think freshly made is better.

Years ago I remember a lady guest chef on a Martha Stewart show mention salting before makes meat or most dishes taste seasoned. Salting afterward makes it just taste 'salted'. Last night I grilled Kansas City Strip steaks. I expected son and his GF to arrive around six or seven so I salted the room temperature steaks about 5 pm. It was after 9 pm before they got done helping her sister move and that is when the steaks went on the grill. they looked absolutely dryed out but everyone commented on how well they tasted. They were grilled to medium rare to medium and were juicy and tender. Salting a stew such a long time before would seem unnecessary since the meat cooking process is longer and the results are different. ON edit, BTW, I used a flake Kosher salt from Penseys on the steaks with some fresh cracked pepper. No other seasonings were used.

A picture of dinner. Bok Choy and Kansas City strip on the grill, salad, baked potato, polenta, fresh cut fruit and a California Zinfandel.

Thanks Kim. Your dinner looks scrumptious too. Cassie and Charlie took the pick-up to her sisters house to help her, her husband and new baby finish moving to a new apartment. They are going to call when they start back. It is about a 45 minute trip back here. I plan to do some bok choy and KC Strip steaks on the grill outside. I have already baked some potatoes and made a salad to assemble when they get here. I'll pan fry polenta and add a tomato sauce and wine, onion and garlic reduction and top it with cheese. The store had some fresh peaches so they will be dessert. I hope it isn't dark by the time they get home. I think I'll run to the store and see about a nice red wine to go with dinner.