Martin Fisher

I'm with you there...but...trouble is...Murphy seems to follow me everywhere....something catastrophic would surely happen when I needed the crippled grill most. I think it's wise to have a back-up plan.

It'll almost surely continue to crack. It's difficult but not impossible to weld cast iron. Finding someone willing to attempt it may be difficult and the cost may approach that of a new grill so it may not be worth the risk.

SousVideMagic

I don't think that fragile copper cookware would survive my kitchen very well. Why not consider a BellaCopper diffuser and use that in conjunction with premium and durable stainless steel pans such as Demeyere?

I agree, Bittman hasn't got a clue!!!!! There are a lot of issues in play here....not the least of which is subtherapeutic antibiotic use which leads to antibiotic resistance and creates strains of super pathogens. Quoting Mr. Bittman... "Until the Food Safety and Inspection Service (F.S.I.S.) of the Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) can get its act together and start assuring us that chicken is safe, I’d be wary." Sorry, Mr. Bittman, it isn't possible for any government agency to 'assure' the public of a food's safety, there will always be a risk. In terms of antibiotic use in livestock, the FDA issued voluntary guidelines last year. Hopefully some sensible mandatory guidelines will soon follow.

That's awesome!

Interesting article praising Rieslings here in the Finger Lakes region....... http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/dining/reviews/in-the-finger-lakes-devotion-to-riesling-shows.html

I hope the strategy serves them well but I'm afraid that simply focusing on defining their various models in terms of home or commercial use falls critically short of seriously addressing their direct competition.

Well, it is the harvest season, hunting season and it's just before the holidays......I don't think that delays should come as much of a surprise during was is -by far- their busiest time of year! Literally dozens and dozens of folks who frequent the linked forum above have ordered from VacuumSealersUnlimited without any complaints......I'm sure the back-ups are just temporary.

I was interested in the VP215 until I read some of the nightmare reviews. This one in particular....... http://www.amazon.com/review/R2RAONONP0WEX4/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2RAONONP0WEX4 Three machines went bad in in just over 12 months??? The $999 PolyScience 300 Series chamber looks interesting, hopefully it's a good machine. http://cuisinetechnology.com/chamber-vacuum-sealer-300.php FWIW, VacuumSealersUnlimited.com offers a monthly 10% discount code..... http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125236/another-vacuumsealersunlimited-thread-plus-vacmaster-review#post_1067316

Mugaritz – back from the brink..... "The new design and setting of the kitchen allows us now to work from the beginning to the end [of service] without interrupting the 'heat chain' that begins on the stove and finishes on the plate. It sounds obvious, but it is a very complex issue in a kitchen producing 600 dishes each day for lunch and dinner."

Delicata squash is good. I love it simply roasted with some fresh chopped rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper. The cultivar Honey Boat is very good but Candystick is even better with a flavor somewhat reminiscent of medjool dates.

My guess is that it means there should be no pause between the smoker and the salamander.

Trompette des Morts?

Most local winemaking/beermaking shops should have one gallon glass growlers in stock.

Here's the all-purpose cleaner formula I've used for years..... http://www.food.com/recipe/the-best-all-purpose-cleaner-26191 It's cheap and works very well. A gallon of it costs $1.00-$1.25

I have lots of seasonal favorites but there's one in particular that I must be sure to have at least once a year, this time of year, for nostalgic reasons. Stewed Tomatoes and Dumplings was one of my Grandmother Brown's favorites and it brings back lots of good memories.

Hens don't commence ovulation until they're at least 4-5 months old. Most commercial hens are far too young to produce oocytes. This morning I spoke with a French friend about the use of stewing hens in coq au vin. She insists that when coq au vin is viewed as a farmhouse dish of necessity or comfort-food, quality stewing hens are an acceptable replacement for cocks. Look for the larger breeds with ample flesh such as Jersey Giants, Australorps, Orpingtons, Delawares and the like. Avoid the scrawny breeds, especially leghorns, but also Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks and the like.

Looks like harmless tartaric acid crystals from here. It happens.

FWIW, these fellers gave a stewing hen a go in coq au vin, served it up too soon and didn't like the results.

In that case, yeah, I certainly wouldn't use a "boiler" chicken for coq au vin. Around here they're typically called "stewing hens." They do make good soup, broth or stock. I get them free. These, Freedom Ranger Broilers, are the cocks I grow for coq au vin.

You'll just have to give it a try and see if you like it...... Here, the common classifications (which were updated by the USDA not too long ago) of chicken are......... Rock Cornish game hen or Cornish game hen: an immature chicken younger than five weeks old (previously five to six weeks), of either sex, with a ready-to-cook carcass weight of two pounds or less. Broiler or fryer: a chicken younger than 10 weeks old (previously younger than 13 weeks), of either sex, that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin and flexible breastbone cartilage. Roaster or roasting chicken: a young chicken between eight and 12 weeks old (previously three to five months old), of either sex, with a ready-to-cook carcass weight of five pounds or more, that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin and breastbone cartilage that is somewhat less flexible than that of a broiler or fryer. Capon: a castrated male chicken.

I also should have noted that the food processor likely contributed to the wateriness by freeing up excess water. I like to use the tater ricer or food mill because I prefer that consistency.

In my opinion, it should be prepped at least to the point where it doesn't easily weep. I prefer to whack the 'pumkins' in half and roast the halves open-face down on a roasting pan. When soft, I run the meat through a tater ricer or food mill. It's almost never too loose that way. If need be, you can firm it up but spreading it out on a baking sheet and in a slow oven stir the 'pumpkin' every 10-15 minutes until it firms up to the desired consistency. "Cheese pumpkins" are c. moschata and the moschatas do make the best pumpkin pie. Nearly all commercial pumpkin is made from c. moschata and not c. pepo - which are most generally recognized as the 'true' pumpkins. While the Seminole pumpkin (a c. moschata) arguably makes the best pumpkin pie, there's really no need to go out of your the way to source C. moschata.....common butternut squashes are c.moschata and they make a good pumpkin pie. I have for many years made my pumpkin pies with 75-80% c. moschata and 20-25% carrot....the carrot adds a nice flavor, natural sweetness and bright orange color.

Fried or gumbo. Hmmmmm....The Ann Venderhoof "poppers" sound real good, I'll have to look into that.