Martin Fisher

I'm glad they're doing this, I'll definitely be ordering more from them now. ~Martin

Heck, I'm just trying to figure out if we were even discussing the same thing! But that aside, 'bacon explosion'? I'm intrigued. State/county fair sort of thing? I wish it was just a county or state thing. No, It's a obsession with bacon thing that started in the BBQ community probably five years ago. Now everyone is doing it. https://www.google.c...chrome&ie=UTF-8 I love bacon. Really really love bacon. But I don't like bacon explosions, it's the ultimate lily gilding over the top "lets see if we can weaponize bacon and be disgusting americans" thing. I'll bet that'd go great with a nice tater tot casserole!!!!! ~Martin

I just ordered the controller and I expect to have no more than $200 invested in a set-up that will, among other things, allow me precise temp control in cheese making and sausage making (better finishing of sausages without additives.) Those are my main interests. I do agree with you on much of the other modernist stuff, it's definitely not for me. ~Martin

I think that the better precision and accuracy made possible by sous vide is a boon to home cooks.

I ordered the SousVideMagic 1500D HD.....can't wait! ~Martin

Yes, it'll stick to what's there, but as you said, it's best to get an unseasoned pan and start from there. In my experience, whatever Lodge is using for seasoning doesn't hold-up well. ~Martin

Flax seed oil is a 'drying oil', meaning it can polymerize into a tough solid and resilient form. That's what makes it best for seasoning cast iron. Poppy seed oil and walnut oil are a couple other 'drying oils'. ~Martin

Wow! Great post! ~Martin

I agree, it's routine with me too, it doesn't require any special thought. ~Martin

I came up with this idea a couple years ago. Less than $20 invested. The following is how I cold smoke inside...... A stainless steel colander flipped over the target helps concentrate the smoke if needed. My vent hood doesn't vent to the outside, I open the window and use a box fan. From my old blog....... "Small Batch Indoor Cold smoking." "I spent several weeks looking for a reliable and inexpensive way to do indoor cold smoking. I settled on rolled cigarettes (LOL) heated with a soldering iron because it’s possible to smoke with pure tea leaves, herbs, sawdust, etc. without the fuel burning up too rapidly. I invested about $20 in the cigarette roller, papers, soldering iron, spring and clamp." "Below is some rosemary being rolled." "Applewood smoked butter, rosemary smoked foccacia, tea smoked hard-boiled eggs….the possibilities are endless." "The cigarette must be able to slide freely inside the spring. The soldering iron raises the temperature inside the cold oven only about 10 degrees above room temperature. Each cigarette smokes for about 30-40 minutes. A vent hood is recommended. My vent hood doesn’t vent to the outside, but that wasn’t a problem with a window open and the ceiling fan running. : ) It's habit forming!!!!!" For bigger jobs, the A-Maze-N smoke generators can't be beat!!!!!! http://www.amazenproducts.com/ ~Martin

A butcher's saw or a hacksaw as sparrowgrass suggested. ~Martin

Restaurant/Bar Annoyances? After so many bad experiences, I stay away from restaurants and bars. ~Martin

Wow! I usually go with 1% to 1.5% salt in an equilibrium poultry brine, when using cure, about 1.8% salt. ~Martin

I'm glad you found it useful. ~Martin

Understood, but I could accomplish the same thing in a slow cooker if I bought the $26 sandwiched perforated stainless circulation plate along with a tube air diffuser and air pump for about $35 total, correct? http://freshmealssol...9&Itemid=100079 Thanks! ~Martin

Other than a potentially larger container size, is there any advantage in going with a FreshMealsMagic II Heater/Air Circulator rather than a slow cooker or coffee urn? Thanks! ~Martin

How about this? http://www.phidgets.com/products.php?product_id=3108_1 ~Martin

I add it to cookies and the like. ~Martin

I use an Aeropress daily and a Chemex for special occasions. ~Martin

I pull the trays out of the dehydrator and set it on high, it'll warm plates in short order. ~Martin

Does anyone know how well the SideKIC maintains temperatures? I emailed them on December 9th asking about availability at Amazon and they said "they should be back in about a week or so.". ~Martin

Didn't you provide a string of references upthread regarding the dangers of irradiated food? Yes, I certainly did, because someone asked for them. ~Martin

I agree with you there! It's already happening in the case of pasteurization, folks are much less careful about how food is handled because they know that pasteurization should take care of the problem. ~Martin So pasteurization is a new-fangled thing that folks are beginning to abuse? Who said it's new-fangled? I certainly didn't. The abuse, by some, has been happening for a very long time. ~Martin

Of course they are defensible. They just have nothing to do with whether irradiation is safe. You can choose not to eat irradiated food, but we aren't discussing your choice. I never said that the reason I avoid it is because it's unsafe. ~Martin

I agree with you there! It's already happening in the case of pasteurization, folks are much less careful about how food is handled because they know that pasteurization should take care of the problem. ~Martin