Really Nice!

I keep mine at 36F which is about 4 degrees lower than the typical default setting. Things last much longer with that extra 4 degrees. Milk lasts 2-3 weeks past expiration, and very few things get moldy. I do have to be careful with greens, however. Sometimes it'll be too cold for them and they wilt.

It seems that everynight I see a commercial advertising this place. Where is he getting his funding? Did he get out of the internet boom before the collapse? Has anyone been here? Is it worth it? What's the pricing? He claims that you don't have to go downtown for fine dining; but how fine is this place. Thoughts?

What's the temperature of your refrigerator?

Yes, that's also where I got mine for $160. It was the full kit including the machine, 2 11-inch wide rolls, 2 8-inch wide rolls, three plastic canisters, an adapter for sealing mason jars, a demonstration video, and a bunch of coupons. You can also get them at Fred Meyers, Target, K-Mart (are they still around?). I think they're around $30 a box for 6 rolls (4 11-inch, 2 8-inch). I use the canisters for storing coffee, cereals, grains... I've sealed whole chickens, IQF (individually quick frozen) fruit and vegetables at the height of the season, individual slices of foie gras, steaks, duck breasts... you name it. I also like to take a beef brisket, seal it, and then age it in the fridge for about three weeks. It comes out more tender. There's a thread on cooking lamb and mjmchef says that he used to use a cryo vac (which is what this is) to seal the meat and cook it in the bag. I'd like to try this, but I don't know what the high-end temperature range is this plastic. Since you can boil it, I assume it's okay to at least 225F. I'd have to say that I can't live without mine. Edit to add: Regarding clothes. If you go camping, sealing socks and a wool sweater is a lifesaver when the rains come.

If its properly vacuum sealed, with little to no air inside, couldn't it theoretically last for months? Not that you'd realistically want to risk doing that. No. The microorganisms on the chicken could continue to thrive even if all oxygen is removed from the package. Microorganisms are placed into three categories: Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Facultative. Aerobic: requires oxygen to grow. Anaerobic: can grow when oxygen is absent; botulism is anaerobic. Facultative: can grow with or without oxygen; Salmonella, Listeriosis, and e. coli 0157:h7 are all facultative. Most microorganisms that cause foodborne illnesses are in this category.

Welcome Mathew, I know what you mean. I too was recently 'released' after 11+ years with the same company. For a long time I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning, but the last two years... Anyway, how do we go about starting a new network?

At one time there were well over 1,000. A couple garage sales for benefits (to friends of ill health) reduced it drastically. Now it's around 600-700, but my most prized are those that are autographed; Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, Jacques Pepin, Julia Childs... But most I treasure my culinary school notebooks. You won't find those in any bookstore, until I gather my notes together and...

The preview of Food Fight appeared tonight. Is this a redneck show? The opening episode was completely different from the commercial spots we have been forced to get excited about for the last three weeks. The scene, environment, and locale were not as advertised. It sadly looks to be from the same people who developed Date Plate... and that's not a compliment. What can you do with pork chops, $20, and two hours? Sounds sadly familiar with date plate, a sad program in and of itself. EDIT: Wait a minute, they "validated" themselves when they anounced at the end of the program that time was up. Someone from Team 'X' said, "Hang on, I need to kick this up a notch." Ahhhh, put this on my TIVO. ...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... EDIT II: At the end of the program, they gave away 'gourmet prizes.' The 'gourmet' prize of prizes was the George Foreman grill! Even local PBS stations have higher budgets than these new FoodTV programs!

Developed?

Welcome, Snooky. Sorry to hear of your loss. It appears to be a common theme... There's plenty of discussion regarding restaurants on the way out and those on the way in, in Farewell & Welcome, Restaurants out of biz and starting anew.

This is a recipe my dad used for english toffee and turtles. 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1/4 cup water 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract In a large saucepan add sugar, butter, water and salt. Cook about 10 minutes; stirring constantly to prevent burning. You want the mixture to start turning a light brown. When this happens remove mixture from heat, add vanilla and stir. Careful, it will bubble up. Allow to cool to near room temperature for it to thicken up.

Hello mjmchef, I like this idea! I want to try it. How hot was your oven? Any idea how hot it can be before the plastic starts melting? (I know it can go in boiling water so it should be at least 212F. Thanks!

Isn't that warning sign next to the video camera that records your face as you enter the store? Taking pictures at grocery stores, restaurants etc. isn't an everyday event, so it's natural to be suspicious as to the purpose of the recording. Remember, Chicago-area Jewel Foods stores had that salmonella outbreak in its milk, sending over 20,000 people to hospitals in the winter of 1985. You couldn't watch TV for weeks without seeing some Jewel dairy department on the news. The same results occured with Jack n' the Box and the E. coli bacteria they had in their hamburger meat in February 1993. If you're driving up to a place like Superdawg and taking photos, they're probably thinking one of two things: you're looking to copy the look and feel of their establishment, or you're trying to catch them doing something (stealing, bad HACCP practices...).

How are you measuring the temperature? If you're using a thermometer, have you calibrated it? Are you giving it time to rest so the juices redistribute back into the meat? Without this extra time, even a medium-cooked piece of meat will leak raw red juices. How does it feel when you cut through it? I mean to touch it with your fingers. Does it feel like raw meat? How much resistance does it give?

Can't tell you exactly how much a jigger is, but isn't a "pony" double that? Also in, Cook's Book of Essential Information: A Kitchen Handbook page 86: 1 pony.............3/4 ounce 1 shot.................1 ounce 1 jigger........1 1/2 ounces 1 split.................6 ounces

I have recipes that call for a "#2 can" of something. What is that? A number 2 can is 20 ounces. 2 1/2 is 28 ounces 3 is 33 ounces 5 is 58 ounces

Thanks, all. I'm talking about the stems above the (single) bulb. They looked and tasted much like green onions. I thought they could be eaten, but when I couldn't find any recipes I started to wonder. For last night's dinner I made zucchini 'spaghetti'. Slice the garlic bulb very thinly with a truffle slicer; mince about two tablespoons of greens. Slice the zucchini into thin strips (about 1/16" thick) using a mandolin. Spinkle it with Kosher salt and wait about 5 minutes to help draw out excess water. Pat dry with paper towels. Toss it into a skillet with olive oil. Toss for about 1 minute; add garlic bulb and greens. Toss for another two minutes. Served it with slow roasted baby back ribs.

I just came back from the market with a bunch of fresh garlic. The greens are about two-feet long. Are they edible? If yes, what can I do with them. I checked my French and Italian cookbooks and came up with nothing. I'd like to try infusing an oil with some, and sauteing the rest. Thoughts?

I would cut it with an acid, such as champagne vinegar or a citrus juice. Experiment a little and see what you like. Also, bitterness diminishes the perception of sweetness. Maybe a little brewed coffee will help.

If you play this chicken backwards on your turntable you hear a secret recipe with 11 herbs and spices. Jim Actually, I think this was a song from the '50s. Looooove Chicken number Niiiiiiine.

Can sizes. Arg. #1 is 10.5 ounces #300 is 15 ounces #1 1/2 is 16 ounces #303 is 17 ounces #10 is 106 ounces Source: Cook's Book of Essential Information: A Kitchen Handbook page 87. Where is the logic in this? Who does this make sense to?

Due to the slumping economy, the Brewwerks - Hole in the Wall Barbecue in Kirkland (I'm a financial partner in the restaurant) will be closing its doors for good this week. The brewing side of the operation opened in 1996 and added the restaurant in 2000. The BBQ was decent food, and it gave me my first experience in the restaurant biz, albeit a small, simple operation. Someday... someday... I'm going to address this relentless passion and open up a place of my own.

Isn't this ham?

Hmm, sounds like a project for Cooks Illustrated!! I'm thinking that maybe you could sprinkle something on it to prevent the skidding, but everything I come up with would burn. How about sand?!? A steel plate or crumpled foil sound good. You can also just put a skillet on the stove first, and top it with the dutch oven...

Yeah, I guess there were some good skits. The chicks from Kent with the high hair and beercan earrings. Cops in Redmond... Unfortunately for me, the good ones were too few and far between.