weinoo

Giving a couple of "modestly priced" Balsamic vinegars a try...these are IGP, not DOP, so while not top, top quality, supposedly quite good. The 3 gold medals - on the left: (tried this one last night on some Vanilla ice cream - it was quite good). Made from sweet, sundried grapes and aged in oak barrels. The aromas and flavors of plum jam and red fruits blend with hints of honey and vanilla, creating a dense and sweet product. Ideal as a fresh dressing for both savory and sweet dishes. The one on the right: Aged for a long time in acacia barrels, it offers a deeply aromatic flavor with scents of ripe fruits, accompanied by notes of tobacco, roasted coffee, and hints of wood and honey. Giusti

Spring Brings New Businesses to Commercial St.

I saw mostly 4 for $5 in my walk thru Chinatown yesterday, a slightly better price, but definitely smaller specimens. I didn't get over to the stands where your favorite stuff is (Canal?); I was only as far north as Hester Street.

The 4-packs of Ataulfo mangoes are nice quality (so far). And not bad at $6, as they are a nice size.

I always thought pasta was clean, no? Last night: Seared ahi tuna (saku block) from Great Alaska, ikura, avo, cherry tomato, gari over trfny rice (koshihikari).

This time and temp worked quite nicely...I thought the duck was moist enough, and quite tender. I crisped the skin in the steam girl for about 20 minutes. Served with baby lima beans and a salad. These were Moulard legs.

I think the strangest and most glaring omission from the Serious Eats article is that he takes no time distinguishing amongst the various types of duck available to us. D'Artagnan alone sells at least 4 breeds... Rohan Moulard Muscovy Pekin

According to the revised edition of Paula's book, she suggests: 180℉ for the following times, depending on what kind of duck one might be cooking... At least 8 hours for Moulard, 9 for Muscovy, and 5 - 6 for Pekin. In general: Muscovy ducks are larger, and the meat is more gamey with less fat. A Moulard duck is a cross between a Muscovy drake and a Pekin hen, and has a hefty breast. And from Serious Eats: Cooking Temperatures for Sous Vide Duck Confit 140°F (60°C) for 20 to 40 hours Firm texture across the time spectrum, more like roast duck. Good, but not like confit. 155°F (68°C) for 20 to 40 hours Incredibly silky and moist; completely fork-tender. The best were the 36- and 40-hour samples, which were difficult to distinguish. 170°F (77°C) for 8 to 40 hours The meat falls from the bone the most easily, but there's a noticeable chalky dryness in the 20- to 40-hour samples. Shorter cooking times produced duck that was slightly drier and less tender than the 155°F samples. A decent option if time-saving is critical; otherwise, not the best.

So, I have two duck legs, cured overnight, and I'm probably gonna do sous vide for, I dunno, 6 or 7 hours. Just read this piece, wherein the author does mention... I have both Wolfert books mentioned above (I'm sure I'm not the only one, and both are well tattered) and have often used Paula's method for sous vide confit, from the revised edition. But based on the Serious Eats piece, I think I'm gonna go for a temp in the 170 range, for 7 hours or so, and see what happens.

A couple of recent bottles... \ A lovely Nebbiolo that went well with a mushroom pasta. 2010 was considered a great year in Piedmont, and while I'd love to be drinking a Barolo, this Nebbiolo was just fine. With shrimp and scallops last night... Kermit Lynch is the importer, and you usually can't go wrong with those wines. A lovely Chenin, which is one of our favorite grapes.

Pan-seared wild Gulf (of Mexico) shrimp, Hokkaido scallops, salad. Rice, too.

Yes, the size of small cherry tomatoes, and around the size of a Goya Queen olive...

It's 5 o'clock somewhere. My dad was never without tomolives.

A couple of recent dinners... Penne with chick peas and green beans - ramp pesto. Large salad accompanied. Crispy-skinned chicken thigh, pan gravy. Sautéed green beans with shallots. Potato salad on the side.

Fresh Direct's price for DeCecco currently (and recently) is $3.19.

Mrs. Melitta just rolled over in her grave.

Of course now most of the manufacturers sell pans that are "pre-seasoned" so that might take the worry out of it! I had originally taken that little video because a friend wouldn't believe me that I could cook eggs in my carbon steel without sticking.

I'd use 4 cups of stock to 1/2 cup Jasmine rice (well washed)...cook till the rice falls apart Add anything you feel like - lots of ginger is always good.

To be honest, my favorite "non-sticks" are my well seasoned carbon-steel pans. When properly heated and oiled/buttered, anything and everything just slides around beautifully. I believe I have both Matfer and deBuyer...old school.

I guess it was bound to happen, but I won't be buying any of these... Falk proudly presents the first solid copper and healthy non-stick ceramic coated cookware! Unless their non-stick interior lasts a lifetime, I can't imagine buying any nonstick type of pan (in copper, at $200+) that I normally replace every couple of years. And used properly, my Falk is basically non-stick anyway...though I'll use dedicated omelet and crepe pans for those jobs.

Sorry, these were not over-picked. However, eater is.

I'm pretty sure it depends on how long the bird's life is (and also what they supply the bird with), and when it is harvested. Last week's bird from LaBelle was well over 5 lbs, came with the neck, but no insides like gizzards or liver. When I'm buying a bird I can actually see at a butcher counter before I pay for it (as opposed to Fresh Direct, where I just put the bird in my online "basket"), I tend to look for birds in the 3 - 3.5 lb. range, as it's only two of us, and I cook the whole thing. With the big bird mentioned above, I "break it down" and freeze the breast for another use, only cooking the legs, thighs, and wings. And if I buy a 3 - 3.5 lb. bird, and it's a BoBo bird, it comes with head and feet still attached, as well as the gizzard, heart, and liver.

Not exactly a glowing review, but a good value...https://www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/bota-box-2013-riesling-other/#:~:text=When you buy something through,flavors like sugared honeydew melon.

Host's note: this post and the next few followups were split from the Chicken Skin topic. Today, the NY Times ran a piece specifically referring to the chicken I mentioned (and cooked) above. It's my weekly chicken order... The Secret to Restaurant-Style Chicken at Home