Stephen Bosse

My family has gone through 3 KitchenAids. The first was a Hobart-era KA (not sure the model, but it has the bowl cradle) that we got for my mom in 1986 (happy mother's day to her!). When she finally thought about getting a new one, she let me take the Hobart. Big mistake. Her new one was the swivel head, or low end one. It just couldn't keep up with her (professional baker, retired). So she got the Pro, which was very similar to the Hobart and loads better than the baseline version. But even after using that one and comparing it to the Hobart, the old boy still carried the day. At more than 25 years later. I've since had her tuned up with some replacement parts, which cost be a bottle of Jack Daniels. If I had to get another, I'd find a vintage Hobart era KA on ebay. They only cost about $200.

I do a lot of homemade bacon and since I smoke it with the skin on, I end up with a good amount of smoked pork rind. I will go on record right now and say that this is the secret ingredient to awesome refritos. The smoke and flavor permeating the rind melds very well with pintos or negros, and the gelatin content lends a luscious mouthfeel that is complimented by whatever oil you use to refry the beans. It may not practicable for all cooks, but it is well worth doing. 1 lb pinto beans, sorted, picked over, and soaked overnight. 1 onion, peeled and cut in half. One half copped fine, the other left intact. 5 cloves garlic, chopped fine. 1 sheet smoked pork rind, ~ 5" x 5", rolled around 1 stalk oregano and tied into a scroll with twine. 1 tsp salt 1/8 tsp baking soda 1 cup neutral oil (grapeseed or rice bran oil are good here), lard, or brown lard 1 or 2 chipolte chili en adobo, chopped Drain the beans and rinse thoroughly. It really does help to reduce gas-inducing substances. Put the beans in a deep pot and cover with cold water to twice the height of the beans. Add 3 cloves chopped garlic and the intact half of the onion. Add the pork scroll. Stir in baking soda. Put pot on burner over medium heat. Do not allow to boil, reduce heat if necessary. Gently simmer for 60 - 90 minutes, or until beans are al dente. The baking soda will help make the beans creamy but still firm. Heat the oil over medium heat in a steep sided skillet or saute pan. Add onion and chipotle, saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute. Spoon beans into the pan one ladle-full at a time. Mash the beans with a potato masher or machacador. Repeat until all beans have been mashed. Add a spoonful of the cooking liquid and continue to fry until the liquid has evaporated. You can repeat this process too if you want and also to adjust the liquidity of the final product. Season with salt.

Hey All, I'm interested in building a collection of comprehensive cookbooks by country and since you are some of the most knowledgeable people out there on the subject, I was hoping to get your opinions. For now, we can leave out "America" as a whole. I'm interested in regional American cuisine, but there is already an excellent thread dedicated to this topic. Here are the countries I'm interested in. Brackets are what I already have. France: [Gastronomique (really more pan-Europe, but French dominant), Culinaria, Mastering the Art I/II, When French Women Cook.] Spain: [Culinaria, William Sonoma's "Barcelona"] Italy: [Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Hazan), Culinaria, Silver Spoon] Germany: Culinaria Greece: Russia: Morocco: Eastern Mediterranean (Israel, Jordan, Syria): India: [From Mother with Love] Nepal: Cambodia: Laos: Thailand: [Cracking the Coconut] Vietnam: China: [some tome of a book, can't remember the name] Japan: [2 sushi books, Japanese Cooking - The Traditions,Techniques, Ingredients, and Recipes] Korea: [i'd be very interested in a kimchi book] Mexico [i have an old Diane Kennedy book, but it's pretty thin] Argentina: Brazil: There are just ones that I'm interested in off the top of my head. Any other recommendations on books regarding countries that I've omitted are also welcome!

In your opinion, of course. Also, this is distinct from what your favorite fish may be. I recently came across a fish I'd never heard of before: Sanma or Pike Mackerel. Apparently, it's a Japanese delicacy, only fished once a year and is a herald of Fall. I found it at the Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley, and asked the guys behind the counter (super knowledgeable) about how to prepare it. Their response: salt, a little neutral oil, and grill over hot wood fire--finish with lemon. Guys. Best.Fish.I've.Ever.Had. So, that's my vote. Anyone else?

Hey All, So I have been wanting to replace my cookset for a long time now. I basically have 2 different sets of cookware: a full set of Revereware USA Signature (and I've just found out that these are rare and sell for quite the price) and a 3 pot/3pan set of off-name SS with a copper disc bottom. After looking around, I opted for the Tramontina 10-piece set. Anyone else have any exp with this cookware? I've heard great reviews of it, comparing it favorably to All-Clad, though there are differences. The only real drawback for me is that I had to buy it through walmart, who I would really prefer to never patronize. Here is a link to the set--I'll let you know my thoughts after I've put the pieces through the paces. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-10-Piece-Tri-Ply-Clad-Cookware-Set-Stainless-Steel/22984414?findingMethod=rr S

I use it to "finish" my Indian daal dishes. Everything else is standard in terms of components, but I like the added level of flavor that the fish sauce brings.

Blue Nun. The wine so bad it made the news. http://achewood.com/index.php?date=01292003

Even though I know it's not technically choucroute, I make this dish with fresh savoy cabbage, cut into 1" strips. The cabbage braises with the pork, onions, spices, wine, and vinegar and it takes on the most amazing sweet flavor. Sometimes I'll add an apple and a pear, peeled/seeded/diced, to give it a rounder sweetness. A great way to eat up a lot of cabbage, which I hear is good for you, right?

I bought a large 8# tub of duck fat from Polarica in San Francisco probably 4 years ago. I store the large tub in the freezer, but have used the fat to make confit on several occasions. I usually strain the fat and store it in mason jars in the fridge. I've never had any issue with it going rancid and I've used essentially the same fat about 10 times now. It also hasn't picked up much salt, which is good. Potatoes in duck fat are better than potatoes without duck fat.

Smoked Sea Salt would help.

I just noticed "cubes". Do you not grind or mince the meats in this version? That sounds like it could be really good. No I don't mince the meat. After it has had a good 3 hour braise, it shreds down rather easily. In fact, here are a couple of pics of the Bolognese recipe that I did last week. First is pre-braise. Second is finished result. Rough-hewn Tagliatelle

Not really much for me to add to this thread, since it's mostly covered already. But I would like to urge you not to get discourage. Braising is one of my favorite cooking methods and produces some of my favorite dishes. I would recommend trying a traditional Bolognese Sauce made from cubes of veal and pork. I use a 2:2:1 ration of veal stew, pork shoulder, and beef stew. Brown, deglaze with onions, garlic, and wine, add tomatoes and herbs, cover and simmer for 3 hours. The BEST.