JoNorvelleWalker

I just picked up Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and Jerusalem for $2.99 each. Standard disclaimer applies.

Yet you had to tie it down!

Last night was a reprise of my Georgian chicken with walnut sauce from the other day. Though this time with thirty second green beans rather than Brussels sprouts. You see, Shoprite had no little packages of Guatemalan green beans, only the "Club Discount" size bags. Green beans may feature in my menus for the next few days weeks. The chicken was served with my very first Georgian wine: Marani Kindzmarauli. I confess the only Georgian wine locally available. The grape is Saperavi and it is sweet and red. Very flavorful, no tannin. Bread, of course, and cheese. Edit: I forgot the pomegranate! Not forgot to eat it, forgot to mention it. Sami Tamimi method.

Your poor hen is upside down.

Did I hear ice cream? I grew up in Philadelphia. A family friend had been an ice cream magnate in the city: http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15037coll3/id/41295/rec/2 No connection to the later owners nor location. Word is he watered down his father's formula and went out of business.

Indeed, it came out like new.

Interesting and very helpful. For decades I'd been using Zojirushi bread machines to mix my dough but switched to the KitchenAid method after reading Modernist Bread. Possibly I may be overdoing it with the mixing but I'm using MB suggested times. I note you call for high protein flour. Which flour exactly? I've been using KAF organic AP for years. I can't remember if I've ever tried a higher protein flour for baguettes. But the proof is in the pudding and I've never seen more beautiful breads than yours. Though I must say the cutting boards don't detract much from the presentation.

Lovely!

If it helps anyone I just got a pair of toothbrush holders for storing my blades... Eunion Plastic Toothbrush Holder for Travel - Clear White, 2 Pack (No idea what the plural is of "lame".)

I got to thinking about that 137F. I'm a bit afraid 137F might be too rare for me. @mgaretz suggested 140F. I may split the difference. @Anna N when you cook loins sous vide what temperature do you use? Still looking for more browning thoughts, but please don't suggest a torch.

Well, months later, last night I made chicken cacciatore and baptized my All-Clad screen. Rather than being continuously spattered with hot fat, the kitchen and I were only intermittently spattered with hot fat. The chicken browned nicely and did not seem steamed, so I'll claim success. The screen is now in the dishwasher and it remains to be seen how well it cleans up. Wishing maybe that I'd bought the smaller size.

This week organic avocados have been 3 for $5.00 at Shoprite. Unfortunately in the bitter cold I have no appetite for avocados. Besides, they'd freeze before I got them home. Last week, or perhaps the week before, there were regular avocados for $0.99. But all were past the point of no return.

I shall never again pick up a pan hot from the oven...and then several minutes later, after running my hand under ice water, attempt to pick it up again.

Tonight chicken cacciatore... Bread and Boursin not shown.

Now that the sun is warm, days are getting longer, and the seed catalogs are here...the ground is like a brick.

Ann, you obviously have your mixing and proofing down perfect. Could you please say more about your methods? (I realize you may already have at some point.) Particularly for your baguettes. Since studying Modernist Bread I've switched over to using my KitchenAid for mixing. None of my recent baguettes have come out with the expected nice open crumb and the scarification is disappointing, though taste has been pretty much OK. The loaves are not cottony or anything. In contrast my boules I have been quite pleased with, and more often than not the scarification is beautiful...from the same batch of dough as the baguettes.

What kind of sauce?

It was a compliment. Beautiful pictures. So much for dry humor.

Shoprite featured pork loin on sale this afternoon for $1.99 a pound. They would not have fit in my refrigerator, my largest pot, nor in my Polyscience. All this is moot as one would not have fit in my backpack to carry home. There were none smaller. I made do with a pair of extra thick loin chops that I shall pretend are a roast. The experiment is planned for later this long weekend. Meanwhile have to think about browning. Further thoughts appreciated.

Went through to the keeper

It must all be due to the quality of the camera.

I baked a boule and a baguette last night. This time I reduced the salt to 1.5% and found it more to my liking. The baguette I had for dinner, most of the baguette anyway. I have not yet cut into the boule. So far with the book the crumb of my baguettes is not as open as I would like. I have been more pleased with the boules I've made.

I was thinking a pork roast would be a little large to vacuum seal. What is your time and temperature? Do you brown the meat?

I've never been able to cook a pork roast that wasn't at least somewhat dry. And I no longer even try. But I just had a recollection. Where I once worked, going back more than thirty years, there was a decent quality cafeteria for the staff. One day they served roast pork. The chef mentioned that he prided himself that he could cook roast pork without drying out the meat. And he told me how. It really was quite good. Obviously memorably so. Now if I could only remember his instruction. As I recall the technique involved a long time at a low temperature.

Thanks! I used the opportunity to buy a 1000 ml Baron shaker. One of my smaller Baron shakers came from MTC as well.