Jen Rehm

DISASTER!!!!!!! I was hoping someone could shed some light on an epic SV fail last weekend. I picked up some beef shank. Removed the marrow bone and tied it in a nice little package. A little seasoning and in the bag they went. I got a good seal in the vac bag. I plugged in my new polysci circulator and set it at 53c. I made 3 bags so I could test the meat at 24, 36, and ultimately my planned time of 48 hours. At 24 hours the water smelled a little funny. The bags had not broken and it looked like there was still a good seal, so I drained the water and added new thinking that the cambro was dirty or something. The meat at 24 hours was still unchewable, but was fine otherwise. I went to bed. The next morning I came down stairs to the WORST smell. I mean like week old road kill in the sun. I opened the door to the room the sv was in and almost fell over from the stench. The bags did not rupture, but 1 was filled with a substantial amount of air. I immediately took the offending equipment outside (at the demand of my family) and opened the bag. Whoa........ Puke. I've sv'ed before without incident, beef, fish, chicken, lamb, all just fine. Obviously the meat spoiled, I'm just curious about when and why. Do you think the meat was bad to begin with? Did something go wrong with the cooking process? What do you think? Oh and p.s. my family will not let me sous vide again for a long while. It was that bad. Jen

Ok so not straight forward s and t Lobster/barley risotto and marinated skirt steak. The barley is make in a creamy risotto style with a shellfish fish fumet and topped with a butter poached lobster, hint of bergomot and citrus The skirt steak is marinated with soy, beer, mustard and rosemary. There is a an arugula parsley chimichurri to dress the steak. What wine would you serve? Oregon Pinot? Thoughts suggestions? Jen

Breakfast for dessert is a potential idea. Sweet stacked Pancakes, dessert style omelette, candied bacon creamy sweet custard, maybe even a dessert cereal (think Milk Bar trademarked cereal milk)..... Discuss..... Jen

Thanks for weighing in everyone. I am intrigued too, but not enough to risk $100.00 worth of tenderloin I am going to oil the roast, cook it high and fast. I'm sure it will be fine....i"ll keep you posted. Since this technique is always associated with fowl - I am going to try it on a roast chicken tomorrow night. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I've done a little research on the idea of using baking soda to enhance the browning of chicken skin in the oven. Some claim that it dries the skin out, thereby making it more crispy. These advocates recommend putting it on the chicken the night before cooking. I've also read that it's the change in alkalinity the baking soda causes on the surface that enhances browning. There are places where it is recommended for scallops as well. So what's the deal? Have you had success with this? Have you ever used it on beef roasts? I'm cooking a tenderloin for Christmas and due to the timing/kitchen restriction, I can't sear the meat. I was wondering if dusting it with baking soda will increase the limited browning that will occur while roasting. Any other ideas? Broiler? I just hate the idea of brownish grey tenderloin. thanks!

OK so I know this is a real and meaningful word, and please do not take offense if it applies to you, but I find the word culinarian, a little dirty sounding. Like it might perhaps mean something totally different....

I'm with the roast and stuff idea. it ties up into a nice little package. you can also braise it.

try adding a hand full of chopped mint sauteed greens like swiss chard, kale and spinach just before you pull them off the heat. It adds a whole new depth of flavor. j

saffron cardamom ice cream Brown butter and apple ice cream totally agree with the "just say no to garlic" comment above - BLECH!

pulled cumin lamb in a red wine BBQ sauce quick pickled red cabbage goat cheese (i mixed it with mayo, lemon and parsley) on a Portuguese roll really nice....

Thanks!!!!!

Last night I tasted Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos 2006. What a revelation! Where has this been all my life! I am busy scouring my neighborhood for a bottle (or 2), but have some questions about storing this gem. I it was served cold so I am assuming the fridge is the best place to store it, but what about after you open it? How long will it retain it's flavor profile? Is it like a porto that you can drink over months or something that will turn undesirable in a week or two? This was my first experience with Tokji, are there others that you like? Any input is welcome! Thanks Jen

It really is a great conversation! Thanks for contributing. All the comments made me really think about what was driving my desire to go. Bottom line: I've decided to do it. French Culinary Institute in NYC: Culinary Techniques. Not sure if I can enroll for the July session, but I am pretty excited. HungryC: I totally get where you are coming from! I could eat my way through Italy for this $$, but i think i want to be in a kitchen. A big kitchen. Kryptos1: we do have similar situations and I am patiently waiting for my copy of MC to arrive (6/2 according to amazon) SpecialK: LOL! I will be the oldest, but I already have a tattoo And for everyone else who spoke about lifelong learning - I totally get it. I'll let you know how it goes.... BTW any FCI grads here? jen

I will probably never be a chef in a restaurant or anywhere as a full time endeavor, but I seriously love cooking. Seriously. I call in sick to work to make veal stock. I have wasted an entire day making something that turned out inedible, with no regrets. That said, I'm pretty accomplished in the kitchen. Have most of the basics under my belt. While I get all hot and sweaty thinking about hydrocolloids, basically i have a love and respect the art and science of feeding people well. I have the opportunity to take a fairly involved cooking program (110 hours) at a well known school. My question.... is it worth it? It's not cheap. It isn't a program you can fluff through. It will be a pain in the as* to get to. So, is cooking school worth the investment for the serious amateur?

waiting.....Amazon reports deliver will be on June 2nd....