gdenby

I hear a T.V. sales promo: "What do you think this miracle poaching pan is worth? $200? $150? No, if you buy now, you can get the pan, and the 4 ultimate poaching cups (a $50 value by themselves!) for just the low, low price of just $99.95..." I must admit to a rather pricey purchase. A few years ago, after first seeing Julia Child flip an omelette, I tried to do it several times in my $7 bargain skillet. I noticed her talking about her pan, and searched on line for the maker. When I found them, the price immediately cancelled my desire. The $80 I paid for an All-Clad seemed quite reasonable. The All Clad did work a lot better than the bargain pan, but I spent several hours buffing it to a mirror finish and it really did work better.

Its been a long while, but my recollection is that once upon a time, extra-crispy appeared to be regular that was double battered, and, perhaps, double fried. It seemed to me that it was identical in flavor, and only mildly crisper. Back then, needing every calorie for every penny, I was happy with the extra batter. I recall the first time I had extra crispy, and it was extra crispy. I was disappointed. While some crunch was satisfying, the sweet succulence of the original was better. I don't know if the new pot pie is a re-introduction of the pot pie that was available some years ago. When it was introduced years ago, I decided to try it. It was very tasty, altho' I thought it was rather small for the price. I later found a list of fattiest convenience foods, and it was near the top. Well, it was very savory.

I've done a few trials using smaller pieces of butt, around 2.5 pounds. My goal has been to make something close to pulled pork, but making only enough for a single meal, and not having to tend the butt for hours. My first attempts did the sous vide first, with the pork lightly rubbed, at 140 for 32 to 48 hours. Then, into the cooker with more rub for smoke till the meat reached 190. The flavor was O.K., but the texture was poor. The outside just dried out, rather than forming a bark. I had better results from smoking the portion till it was about 140, which took around an hour at 250 F. Some fat rendered during that time. After 48 hours in the water bath, I found that the smoke flavor was better than the other way around, and the meat was quite pullable. Used in a sandwich, I think it is a reasonable approximation of standard PP.

I started growing my own garlic 3 years ago just because the quality of most of the store bought was so poor. Unlike other posters in this thread, some of the poorest quality was from an Asian market that generally has good quality produce. My guess was that it simply was stale. Tho' my homegrown yield is fairly small, if there is enough, they last till spring. Some of the market garlic is a papery husk, or a fungus pod within 6 weeks of purchase.

For me, a good knife used with a good cutting board (and sharpening kit) is an essential. But a pressure cooker's convenience and quality of food puts it way up on the desirable list. Leftover bones for stock become a treasure.

If I'm figuring this right, my homemade bread has 2.4 gm of sodium per 475 gm of wheat flour. I am and have been watching my sodium consumption, but suppose that anything bought pre-made will have a ton. Which is part of why I bake bread.

Let me offer this. My first thought was cans of creamed whatever soup. They've been my crutch, and tho' my mother was an exceptionally good cook, they were hers, also. But then I have to add the ready-made pancake mix, the blocks of cheese process stuff. And on, and on. All of the stuff that has been the best stuff since sliced bread, including sliced bread. The process goes back at least to Napoleon, and the invention of canning. Yet another layer. A few years ago, a young fellow hit me with this: "Your generation was so lucky." he says "How so?" I asked "You had Kraft macaroni and cheese." "What?" "You at least had to know how to boil water. My generation just has the microwave." My younger son was able to confirm this. Among his college house mates, one could not even make mac-n-cheese from a box. I'll offer one more thing. Home cooking lost its prestige. Indeed, many home cooks only did the job because it was necessary. But there were some who went out of their way to do better, or at least eventually gained the skill to make something exceptional. As the saying still goes "as good as grandma made..." as if the product was as good as someone who had spent maybe 70 years on a particular dish. Why would anyone bother learning something that did not at least bring the accolade of their family? Why would anyone now want to learn how to "flip burgers?"

As mentioned, don't even start till you have a clear idea of what is food, and what is not. I'm assuming by forage you mean fruits, nuts, berries, herbs, and not wildlife. Define sufficient. Enough for a meal? To not starve? To have enough to store? It will depend a lot where you live. Where I am, there are few old forests, or fields that have not been cultivated recently. There is no single place with enough for more than a day. One needs to travel all over to find things as they appear. It depends a lot on the season, and the vagaries of weather. Right now, where I live, there are a few roots under frozen ground or icy ponds. Some very bitter, dried crab apples. Even with a fire to cook the roots, one would most likely starve working all day. Is tapping trees for syrup foraging? If so, there are still lots of trees that run sweet sap. Still, expect a lot of time boiling the sap. From solstice on, there are weeks when there are berries everywhere. A few hours will make a meal. I have a friend who is a good mushroom hunter, and after summer thunderstorms can usually find a couple of pounds of mushrooms in an afternoon. Myself, maybe 1 mushroom. I know a few places where in the autumn I can gather a meal of nuts in an hour. A hundred years ago, the same time would have been enough time to fill baskets.

"Smoking" actually is kind of misleading. As pointed out, there is "steam" smoke, and wood smoke. Neither are what you want. What you want is an almost invisible vapor that is the product of the wood's lignin breaking down. Soaking the chips helps if the chips are exposed to high heat, and would burst into flame. At lower temperatures, the wet wood will just make water vapor and maybe some compounds that will combine with the water vapor to coat the food with creosote. Yuk. Because you are just using a hot plate, the chips should not need soaking. Before the lignin breaks down, lots of more volatile compounds are released, and they don't give the flavor you want. My guess is that you should have put your food in the smoker when the chips were black, not before. Really old fashioned 'Q was often made with wood burnt down to partially white ash coal, that didn't offer much smoke at all. That the chips burst into flame is a sign your cooker does control air flow enough that you won't have an open fire. I'd suggest waiting till a heap of chips turned black, into "charcoal," and then put in your sausage. The sausage will cook, and the partially burnt wood should offer the flavor you want. Actually, before messing with smoking, just use your cooker to cook some food, and see how that works. Good luck. I used to cook from a hole in the ground, and the food was acceptable. The best brisket I ever had was from a trench dug in a backyard. You should have good results with a PID set-up. It does take practice. A good nose helps.

I do not have a cabinet smoker, or have I used one. I do make BBQ, as far as I know how. So take my comments with a grain of salt. Always cook to temperature, not time. At best, a recipe that says "Cook X pounds of meat at Y temperature for Z time," is just offering an approximation. Most meats used for BBQ have lots of fat and connective tissue. Depending on the cut, an internal temperature of 190F - 205F will ensure that the fat has mostly rendered out, the collagen has turned to gel, and there will still be enough moisture in the tissue to make the food pleasant to eat. For BBQ, I cook at 250F, but other people go as high as 350. If your smoker will raise the temperature of the meat to 190 - 205, the food will be quite edible. But the surface of the meat may not have become warm enough for the browning that makes for the best flavor. Try cooking something to the above temperatures. If its tender but bland, toss the next batch over a hot fire briefly. Marinades often tenderize (pre-cook) meats because of the acidic component. They are better used with less fatty meats than those usually used for BBQ. Haven't ever had any kangaroo, but rabbit is helped from a marinade. I'm not much of a baker, but I cook my breadstuffs at 350F or higher. Baking in the presence of smoke can add a nice flavor, but breads need higher heat than BBQ Vegetables? I usually roast or grill veggies. I've never tried lower temperatures.

My experience with goose is fairly limited. Cooked 5, and ate another. As I have progressed with cooking technique, I have learned how to remove fat, and render out as much fat as possible by slashing the skin all over. Without lots of fat on the meat, I think the flavor is no stronger than turkey dark meat. So far, the meat is somewhat tougher than turkey. The quality of the rendered fat is remarkable. My wife asked if I had fried some potatoes in duck fat, because the flavor was so extraordinary. I replied that I had fried them in goose fat, and she said "Best ever." My own results have improved, but not matched the first goose I ate. It was at a large party, and everything disappeared in a few minutes. It was easily the best bird I've ever tasted. So my Christmas cook will be another goose.

A pureed soup should be fine. I would expect some separation of water from veg particles when defrosted, but I would also expect that re-blending with a bit of butter would remake a nice creamy soup. Can't comment much on the other items. I've never frozen brisket, but have held it refrigerated for several days, and served reheated with some stock.

I have not used a walnut cutting board, either end or side grain. But I will comment on the wood based an a little wood sculpture experience. Walnut is fairly soft for a hardwood, and so wonderful for carving. For that very reason I would avoid it for a cutting board, as it will scuff/scar quicker. But I am not concerned with presentation, as you are. The beauty of walnut, or cherry, may be a value for you that outweighs the durability of maple. Especially if you are not using the board as a base to cleaver apart squash.

Michelob used to be positioned as a finer beer. Way back when, my parents would offer it on holidays. And the brand did try to offer some variety. At this point, I can't think of any craft brew that doesn't beat their offerings. Most of my guests would not consider being offered a Michelob a treat. However, there are a number of ABInBev brands that would be appreciated. For instance, I can still remember how WRONG Michelob's hefe weiss was, but am pleased with Goose Island's 312 wheat ale.

I like fish sticks too. Like may be too strong a word, but they are now certainly better than the ones I chomped on as a kid. But my wife, NO! just can not put those down in front of her. Tried making home made fish sticks with the mediocre cod I could find. Umm, no? The store bought were better. Even with tartar sauce.

Fish sticks are the reason that many Americans don't like fish. My wife's family never had good fish unless they were visiting her father's relatives in New England. According to her, they never had anything but frozen fish sticks during her entire childhood. To this day neither my wife or her siblings ever expresses any desire to eat any seafood, and on the infrequent occasions that they have some which is reasonably good, they always comment on how odd of an experience it was. My own experience is different, at least as far as fish goes. We lived near fish shops that would get fish in fresh from the Great Lakes. I had an uncle who was an avid fisherman, and many weekends the whole extended family was treated to platters of freshly caught fried fish. But I am dismayed at the current price of similar fish, and I can almost never find them fresh. But this brings me to another reason why Americans might not be big on seafood. When I was young, fish and seafood were pretty much seen as "poor peoples' food." It was a cheap substitute for "real meat." There were exceptions, such as lobster, oysters, or rarities like swordfish. But there just wasn't much esteem gained from serving wall-eye, or perch, much less catfish or buffalo fish. After all, anyone could just go down to the river, or pond, and catch a whole "mess" of them. Sometimes trout were seen as being a fine meal, but I suspect that was because of the skill an angler was supposed to display to catch one.

I have made portions of pork shoulder sous vide a few times. I have tried searing both before and after. Searing before worked better. I would not have considered serving the meat without a browning. what I have made is not quite as good as a long cook over charcoal. But it is close, and I can use fairly small pieces of shoulder that would dry out over a fire. I have done pork loin and beef top round, and served them pink. They were good, but the portions of beef that I tossed in a pan afterwards were improved. I haven't had really good results yet with beef chuck. I am not yet familiar enough with the differences between beef short ribs from near the clod section, and those nearer the back. As a result, my "traditional" short ribs vary in quality. On the other hand, every attempt made through sous vide has had eyes popping. From what I have read, the long low temperature cooking allows enzyme activity to break down the collagen even better than braising. The texture of the meat is surprising and delightful. Spice flavors become quite intense. To get back to the original question, my sous vide set-up is not very expensive. I just bought the cheapest controller I could hook up to my slow cookers. Because I don't have a circulator, cooks take longer. Hopefully the controller will last long enough that some of its cost will be off set by the very low cost of cooking this way.

As mentioned up thread, Cooks Illustrated thought one of the inexpensive pull thru models was good. I was a little unhappy with the "Magic Fingers" that I had because some of the edges of the blades were scuffed, but it did improve the sharpness. I gave it to a friend, and he was delighted. It was very easy to use, even on serrated blades. I'm somewhat concerned that people who would be intimidated by the Spyderco would have a truly sharp knife. I've told my family members to NOT put the good knives into the sink, especially under soapy cloudy water. At least one cut a finger after doing just that.

At the core, for me, it is not so much a matter of using a particular piece of technology, but understanding the whys and hows of cooking. If I had spent a lifetime in the kitchen, as my mother did, and had the acquaintance of older and more accomplished cooks as a guide, as she did, I suppose my cooking would be a lot better than it is. However, being mostly a casual cook until the last 10 years, many recipes left me bewildered. As an example, my early attempts at baking bread were complete failures. Even with practice, my improvements were very small. Once I came across recipes that described how to use a scale to precisely measure the amounts of flour and water for a particular kind of dough, the end results of my efforts were pleasantly better. A quick read thermometer to tell when the bread was done worked so much better than thumping on the top of the loaf. Having an IR thermometer to tell when the stone was well heated likewise improved the results. The list goes on. I can make decent braised meat with a roaster and oven. I've tried cooking in paper, and with salt crusts. But for me, sous vide makes a good result much easier. I'm willing to make the trade of cost for effect. The only thing I've done for many years was work at BBQ. It is one of the few things I think I do O.K. Spending 6 - 12 -24 hours tending a fire makes dropping something into a waterbath for a few days seem like a snap.

Some guys in another forum I participate in liked this: http://www.v-sharp.com/ and the Spyderco sharpener also had good mentions. I started with small Arkansas stones. Not very good for larger knives. Got a few cheap pull thru models, one maybe was Wusthof brand. They were O.K., but didn't seem to make the edges very keen. I had a 3-sided DMT stick sharpener, and it helped, but I had trouble keeping the bevel the same all along the edge. I decided that I needed a mechanical aid, and when I started buying better knives, I got the Edge Pro Apex. I guess it is somewhat more expensive and harder to use than what you need. However, with a little practice I've been able to keep my knives paper slicing sharp.

jfresch, looking at you early posts, I'd suggest considering 2 things. The blade bevel and the weight. The Misono, as far as I can tell has an asymmetric bevel. Harder to maintain. Can't find info on the weights, but lighter is generally better, no matter how much slicing you do. Even as an amateur, for cutting down to bones, and into carcasses, I have several very inexpensive plastic handle knives. They are hard to damage, no worry about rust or chipping. And and easy to sharpen, which is good, 'cause they need sharpening a lot. So, whatcha' going to buy?

The Egg really does not do cold smoking, which is what the recipe calls for. Some folks have gone to great lengths to adapt an Egg for cold smoking. The easiest approach is to get a charcoal starter chimney, and just put that in the bottom of the Egg with a half load of lump. Other folks have been very industrious, and hooked a mini-Egg to a large via a drier vent hose, and just pumped smoke thru the hose. I've tried a couple of variations on MC techniques w. the Egg. My best results have been to cook as usual, dome around 250, for 45 - 90 minutes. That gives a good smoke flavor, and melts the rub into the meat. Then into the SV. The wood used for smoking makes a large difference. A local market has been selling some oak from Texas, and those chips make the most extraordinary smoke flavor. Strong, but subtle, much richer even than hickory. I think getting a fork tender piece of brisket is a success. I find brisket to be the hardest cut to cook and get something both moist and tender. So if the taste was not so great, well, that is why there is sauce, as you found with a few days later.

If your friend is finding fresh adzuki beans packaged in a store, I am not surprised at the cost. There is one place I shop that has various kinds of beans packed fresh, and they cost 3 - 5 times more than the same beans canned. (They are very good, but $$$.) I can get them dried at 1 local Asian market. They are more expensive than most other beans there. I also have had them from the Purcell Mntn. farms web site. Likewise, fairly expensive compared to other beans. They are noticeably sweet. I like to use them in a sort of pork sausage chili/stew. If they are dried and not too old, they only need a little soaking before cooking. I've used them as old as 2 years, and they needed 12 hours to soak.

Do let us know how the brisket comes out. Brisket is the 1 thing I've never been able to Egg w. really good results. What temp did you have in the Egg?

I don't think there is much danger in this recipe. As I understand the matter, it is dangerous to use a pressure cooker as a pressure fryer. In the event of going over pressure, the sprayed oil will possibly ignite, and certainly burn anyone nearby. However, I don't think the amount of fat/oil in the carrot soup recipe is enough to cause a problem. Its not like trying to deep fry a piece of chicken. My most successful attempt used twice the amount of butter. I brought the cooker to pressure using a low fire, listening to make sure I heard no sound of boiling inside the cooker. As far as using olive oil goes, I think the main consideration is one of flavor. On the one hand, the carrot flavor might be overwhelmed by the olive flavor. On the other, perhaps the olive flavor will diminish with the higher heat, and not offer any better flavor than something more neutral. If you do it, let us know how the flavor changes, if at all.