Martin Fisher

I also go an email from them this morning.....

Yep, that's for sure....Drs. Phinney and Volek have written much about it in recent years.

Yep, my Dad has promoted ground hog day for years! LOL

Offal is good. Scrapple Sunday? Headcheese Thursday? Hog Maw Monday? Souse Saturday?

Bacon screams November to me because I can close my eyes and smell the aroma of a full smokehouse from November's long ago....but that conflicts with Thanksgiving so I don't know.....early November, maybe???

This is difficult...I've thought about this for several days....there are many potential favorites but if I had to whittle it down to just one I'd pick my big granite mortar and pestle....an extremely versatile, yet simple (I like that), piece of equipment.

Bacon, definitely bacon.

Yes, that's correct, I only pay attention to net carbs...total carbs minus fiber. So yes, I eat a good amount of fiber. Unfortunately, I think that I've always been carbohydrate intolerant...I can eat about 30-40g of net carbs per day but beyond that I get into trouble. It doesn't help that there's diabetes on both sides of the family and the fact that I had cancer 28 years ago which screwed up my endocrine system.

I'm all for fat, I'm in much better shape now that I limit carbs and eat a diet with a high percentage of fat. It's interesting that although the percentage of fat that I consume is now higher, total fat is a bit lower because I don't have the cravings that I often used to have when eating a higher carb diet.

Neck from old beeves makes truly awesome stock! But almost any cheap cut with a lot of connective tissue will make good stock.

Yep, only because it's refrigerated and must be kept refrigerated at 34-38 degrees.

Go here http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/10/november-challenge-curing/ amd scroll down to Jambons de Camont
 AKA Noix de Jambon. A video of Dominique Chapolard preparing Noix de Jambon......

It's hefty....about 5 pounds 14 ounces.

They're here!!!! I'm VERY impressed!!! That was a heck of a deal!!!

Yup...16th century thinking.....LOL

Where's the definitive evidence that cooked tomato leaves or stems are a serious risk?

I brought up the subject of tomato leaves in cooking (Paul Bertolli mentioned it in his book back in 2003) a few years ago in a forum and the control-freak fearmongers went berserk and shut down the thread. Unreal!!!!! http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=19476 Again, Harold McGee's article on tomato leaf toxicity....... Accused, Yes, but Probably Not a Killer http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/dining/29curi.html

I address that problem in a few different ways. I sometimes refrigerate the butter, which is a pain because it'll stiffen or I keep it in the cupboard or wherever and flip the jar every couple of days or whatever it takes....a couple days on the bottom....a couple days on the lid....that'll keep it mixed quite well. I've also added a small amount of coconut oil (I use it a lot) when making peanut butter or the like....that keeps the butter from separating. If the butter has already separated and you don't need it right away, flip the jar for a few days until the oil reincorporates....short of that it's best to remove it from the jar, mix it and return it to the jar, but that's a pain in the rear end.

The "Bread and Cheese" (hawthorn buds) will be ready soon! MMMMMmmmmmmm!

Have you considered fluid gels? See Chris Young's comment (5th post) in the following thread...... http://forum.chefsteps.com/discussion/401/thickening-sauces-especially-gravy-without-starch

Pride!!!

Try 1%-2% powdered gelatin.

I just ordered the set of three along with the $15.00 de Buyer crêpe pan. http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/25203-De-Buyer-French-Steel-Crepe-Pan-9-inch.aspx#BVRRWidgetID

Chef's Catalog currently has a set of 3 de Buyer Mineral Pans (8", 10", 12") on sale for $76.00 with free shipping. http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/25200-de-buyer-mineral-fry-pan.aspx

Merkinz, From here, it looks like you have the upper part (collar) of what we call a "Boston Butt." That is what's cured (often after trimming) to make coppa or cottage ham. See BriCan's first post in the following link....he demonstrates how the collar is separated from a full Boston Butt and prepared for coppa..... http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8603