Twyst

Can you freeze cream soups? I never freeze anything but my parents just purchased a home out of state for their retirement and although my mother will be working a couple more years, my father will be spending significant amounts of time there soon and its 30 minutes away from a real town etc so I want to make a bunch of food I can freeze for him since he doesn't really cook all that often. He loves cream of broccoli soup so if it freezes well Im going to make him some to go with all the other stuff Im cooking and packaging. Thanks!

gorgeous plates as usual dcarch, I have no idea what you do for a living but Im pretty sure you could switch professions and be a food stylist rather easily

Ive ordered from them a couple of times and have had no issue. Smooth transactions both times.

It is rather strange how pork belly is not even indexed in the book. The recipe you are citing calls for baby belly, but the cooking method for the belly is the same as the regular pork belly recipe found on page 148 "glazed breast of pork with swiss chard, white wine poached granny smith apples, and green mustard vinaigrette."

I'm having difficulties getting a really nice crispy skin on duck breasts after cooking sous vide. Anyone have any tips for this, I never was a master of getting a really crispy skin on them cooked traditionally either, but I'm getting a less crispy skin after cooking them sous vide. I find that cooking them from cold allows me to cook them a little longer without overcooking the meat, but I'm really failing on getting a super crispy skin.

<3 meat glue. Biggest problem with it is I can only find it in huge quantities. Wish they sold smaller packets.

I absolutely LOVE tasso so I'm sure that was delicious. For anyone who doesnt have both books you can just order tassso cheaply over the web, savoies is definitely the local favorite brand in louisiana! http://www.cajungrocer.com/savoies-tasso-pork-p-364.html

Since I really started loving and learning to cook in the last 7-8 years I have always lived in apartments in populated urban areas and dont have very many chances to grill or bbq so I am not well versed when it comes to outdoor cooking. Can you please explain the the pros and cons of marinades vs dry rubs and when each should be used? Thanks!

I was taught the same thing, although Modernist Cuisine seems to disprove that theory though and advocates flipping things very often. I dont know what to think on that subject anymore

48 hour short ribs from the momofuku cookbook. Cooked tham at 140 as directed, think Ill try 135 next time!

I'm guilty of this with my food processor I live alone but cook 4-5 times a week and have a fantastic food processor thats been sitting on my counter for about 6 months and has never been used. I always find a way to use my immersion blender instead :laugh:

Please expand on this. I'm just curious as to what negative connotations you can derive from seeing someone set up for sous vide.

Bad food.

I paid my way through college bartending at various Brennans restaurants in new orleans (they invented the dessert) and had to make these damned things countless times. We always used to cook the brown sugar and the butter at the same time to make the caramel, so maybe you could vary your method back to the original method for some variety. Also perhaps try substituting cinnamon for the allspice for a more classic version. As for when to add the seasonings, part of the "show" of the dessert is shaking the cinnamon over the flame and watching it sparkle in the flames as it falls.

Cooks illustrated listed this fryer as one of the best home fryers period, and it happens to claim to require half the oil of a standard fryer. I have no experience with the product but it is very well reviewed by everyone for holding temperature well and overall performance. http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-D895UX-Cool-Touch-Electric-2-Pound-Capacity/dp/B00004RGAW

Better yet make a very small roux, like 1 tbsp of flour and the same of butter, and cook it til it browns a little. You dont have to go very dark and it only takes a few minutes. Drop a little diced shallot or onion in cook for a couple of minutes then put your peas in. DELICIOUS! Pretty much a staple on most old cajun ladies' sunday dinner table.

It's how I was taught to make roux as a kid, I thought thats how everyone did it

If I cook chicken thighs sous vide for a few hours are the bones still suitable for stockmaking or has most of the good stuff been cooked out of them?

Something is really wrong with me when it comes to traditional ice cream sandwiches. I dont eat them very often, but when I do Ive tried all the premium brands etc that have them around here, but for some reason when it comes to ice cream sandwiches the el cheapo generic brand is always the best to me. I think it may be because they are the most similar to what I used to get off the ice cream truck when I was a kid, but the more expensive and premium a traditional ice cream sandwich is, the less I enjoy it

I had to laugh at the preview of the next episode when rocco tells one of the contestants "you have the nerve to cook meatballs for me?" Rocco's "famous" meatballs were the signature dish of a restaurant that managed to stay open less than a year and had a tremendous amount of advertising behind it. I don't think that's a very glowing endorsement for rocco's "famous" meatballs. As to whether or not its better than the restaurant, it looks like Cat deeley is going to be one of the guests at a future dinner party. I have a serious crush on her, therefore rocco's dinner party wins on that account

My copy arrived today and I was quite shocked with the amount of stuff inside. Just as others have stated, it's a really thick magazine with no ads, definitely not something you can just flip through in an hour like most food mags. So far I'm really impressed.

I was laughing at that too. He was totally clueless when it came to cajun cuisine but tried to appear to be an expert.

I actually like the concept of the show a lot, but I really truly can't stand Rocco. I will probably continue to watch, but would get a ton more enjoyment if there was another host. Almost anyone in the food world would be a better choice. Ted Allen would have probably been an ideal choice since it blends a little cooking with a little decorating etc.

I think they have actually exceeded expectations on number of subscriptions. Bourdain has been pimping it on facebook and that led to so much traffic to the subscription site that it crashed for about a week.

Im anxiously awaiting for my copy to arrive, subscribed a couple of months ago. I believe Anthony Bourdain is supposed to contribute to every issue as well, that was the selling point that got me.