radtek

Ah such a shame. Some of the Chef's I've worked made a fine art out of sarcasm and had little to no respect for anyone unless they could gain something from them. Bullies would be an apt description. Sounds like things haven't changed one bit.

Well here are the results for the frittata and the soup. I garnished the soup with some fresh cilantro and served with a caramelized onion roasted-corn relish topped baked potato. Very satisfying and low fat. Nothing goes to waste in this kitchen if I can help it!

BTW I think there may be a sale at Thermoworks right now.

[drool] The moment I saw these they were instantly familiar. I recently inherited some of my mother's ancient Oneida Stainless Community flatware service for 40 or so. To my irritation it wasn't divided evenly and sister got the bulk of it. Most likely purchased in the 50's. I haven't seen any flatware like it when it comes to the spoon curvature. I've been using the tablespoon when cooking since I didn't have an intermediate sized spoon. After seeing the above pic the large was brought out and looks nearly identical to the Kunz spoon in form except for the handle. These are the saucing/serving(?) spoon, tablespoon and teaspoon: I don't think the heft and balance is the same but will give the large one a whirl for a while and see how it performs. It's like wanting a pair of Raybans though- I'll probably order the Kunz' set as a christmas present to myself...

Ha I have seen more nit-picky behavior from forum participants...! I'm in the medical field as well and am painfully aware MD's certainly rank in the top 5 for being particular. My opinion is to split the salt 50/50 with sugar. I've found that the end result is more pleasing be it chicken, pork or shrimp.

I don't think it is possible to actually retrograde starches once they've broken down. At least not easily. Maybe it is possible in a lab. A cooled baked potato wrapped in cling-wrap lasts much longer in the fridge than a couple days. Par-cooked potatoes seem to keep well in the freezer depending on type. Fully cooked get mealy as mentioned. It just isn't a dark place for raw potatoes- it needs to be cool as well. I keep mine in the guest bathroom which is the coolest place in the house. One might ask-why not the fridge then? Well, the starches start to convert to sugars almost immediately and the texture and taste changes. Also, unless they are kept under perfect conditions potatoes are best consumed quickly- so I buy just enough to last a couple meals so that they aren't around for more than a week. If stored on the counter and the potatoes just start to turn green then it's a sign to use them right away. My understanding is they are turning toxic. http://www.wisegeek.com/are-green-potatoes-poisonous.htm#lbss

There are 100g pocket scales with a resolution of 0.01 on Amazon for around $10. Bought one this summer. The Thermapen has gone up in price but there always is a sale at some point. This was one of my better buys. Hanna makes inexpensive digital pH readers ($20-30) but you need calibration solutions and a way to store the darn thing. I think the strips are the way to go. As you are in someone else's kitchen maybe you should buy a few key small items to satisfy your "purchasing need" and save the rest of the balance for when you are in a different situation. Get a small box to hold your "treasures" and place somewhere it'll fit unobtrusively- perhaps on the booze-shelf. This way they are clearly yours and wont be contested if and when you decide to change the situation. In the meantime you can plan for the day you have control of your own kitchen.

Thanks heidih! Odd that it didn't show up in my search of the forum. Nice thread. Guess I missed my chance to resurrect it!

I seem to remember that the wine industry in France was suffering due to the popularity of Absinthe. The infamously purported perils of the liquor were actually a result brought on by a smear campaign that ended with the banning of absinthe in 1914. Sounds familiar...

You might have got one bad rack of ribs. Happens sometimes. What impressed me though was the polenta! A trick to ribs is to do your rub, marinade etc and then a visit in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes with a natural release. Then smoke or braise. The juice from the PC can form the basis for the sauce. No rack of ribs should take more than 5 hours at 225 even without parboiling!

Braising temps are around 200-225F but the oven needs to be closer to 375F and will take up to 4 hours depending on cut of meat, size etc... It's a little easier to do braising stovetop but also easy to dry the meat out as well. You'd think it would be simple and it is but can easily be F'd up- especially if one is on a deadline and doesn't get the parameters right.

Couldn't find a "Martini" thread so here we go: I call this the "Deepwater Horizon" or a "BP" Bombay Sapphire and Noilly Prat stirred- in the traditional proportions. Garnished with a jalapeño-garlic olive and a boiled Gulf shrimp. If you look close one can see the little oil-slick!

There is no psychoactive effect, other than alcohol. It tastes like black licorice / fennel. If you like that flavor, get a bottle. I personally don't drink it often except as an ingredient. As a rinse, a bottle goes a long way, as the OP noted. If you like Pernod / Ricard, then definitely try a bottle. It is more interesting, less sweet, and higher in alcohol. My suspicion. As an aperitif alcohol can have some potent affects on an empty stomach...

Unbeknownst to me I've been doing charcuterie for most of my life- but on the BBQ side. As a result of watching the "American Heartland" episode of NR I bought Ruhlman and Polcyn's book "Charcuterie" and the Marianski Bros' "Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages". As soon as it came out I had "Salumi" shipped to me. I am very late to this side of the game! Bought a separate mixer, grinder and 5# stuffer which is the only way to go in my book. Have made countless batches of sausage and smoked, poached and #1 cured to my hearts content. I must say that Ruhlman's "Master Garlic Sausage" recipe is exemplary. Make it a lot and this as it is a good base for fresh sausage. Bacon, pancetta, guanciale and filleto are staples now in my kitchen. Pate and rilletes as well though this is not made nearly enough! What I want to do ultimately is fermented sausage which to me is the pinnacle of the craft. I'm just waiting on figuring out the starter culture and getting my fermentation chamber dialed in. A pic of one of my fermentation chambers: The problem with a chest freezer is that the humidity levels can remain very high due to when opening the lid as air does not flow out. I have quite a bit of damp-rid and salt in there to absorb moisture- think I can maintain 65% humidity now. Also- one should be careful when "squeezing" the meat early on as a gauge for doneness as mold can develop- contaminated even by clean fingers! I bought a spray bottle that is filled with vinegar to combat any of the nasties. Might investigate light smoking prior to placing in the chamber... I'm very passionate about this pursuit. My family accepts my gifts of charcuterie only to humor me I'm afraid.

Dated by a few years but I'll quickly weigh in about the starter culture- one is better off using plain boiled tap water instead of distilled, purified or RO. The cell walls of the bacteria cannot control the onrush of the osmosis and die; by using tap water with minerals in it the transfer is slowed and the cells hydrate more effectively. Further, one should not add sugar to this solution initially, but only after the bacteria have fully hydrated. Quite possibly by using distilled water the relatively small amount of culture recommended by the Marianskis was at least 50% destroyed. Hence the poor performance. I love the documentation of the experiment. Now my question is: instead of having culture shipped to me would it be possible to use buttermilk or yogurt and feed/build a small culture up to add to the mixture?

Couldn't bring myself to read (slog through) all 36 pages of this thread as I am late to the game. FrogPrincess has some might tasty-looking food there- here and in other threads! I might have to start following some recipes... Soup is king in my household. Eventually nearly everything finds it's way into the soup pot. And even then leftover soup can morph into different soups... As a result I rarely need to compost out of my kitchen and my trash-can rarely has any scraps in it except cooked bones. One thing I cannot stand is overly hearty gloppy soups. I love soup but feel it should be on the thinner brothier side. Not talking about bisques or the like, but if one can stand their spoon up in their chowder or bean soup you have made seafood stew and in the case of the latter- just beans.

I've never had it due to unavailability but is its properties' reputation deserved? I would like to try absinthe...

I'd eat the boiled eggs right away after a sniff test- they should have been sterilized by the boiling and if they have been kept cool then should still be ok. Earlier- as in right away would have been better and I also subscribe to the "when in doubt" philosophy. It's been a week already. The juxtaposition is are you lacking for food or is this ultimately a waste issue?

Sounds tasty! Didn't know there was an actual official dish like this. I've been making it for years because it just makes sense to do so. In a pinch you don't even need the kraut one can use sautéed thinly sliced cabbage done with vinegar, white-wine and if you are feeling brave some mustard to kick it up a bit. I'd rather use kraut though.

I've never heard of anyone cooking with it, though maybe you could use it in place of Pernod.

If the oven isn't being used I like to cover with foil and place in there out the way of any draughts. Depends on the meat though and how much. A steak or piece of chicken might need a warm plate as well. A platter of BBQ will keep itself warm under foil.

I made a frittata with half the panzanella. Used three whipped eggs and about an oz of diced cheddar cheese mixed with the salad. Into a saucepan over low heat for 15 minutes uncovered and then under the broiler for 2 minutes. Served hot wedges on ripped romaine. That's it. No dressing- I could have fancied it up a bit but the crunch of the lettuce contrasted the piquant frittata quite well. Basic- not perfect but maybe a decent idea for a starter or light lunch. The other half I picked about half the bread out and reserved. Heated 5 cups of chicken stock and in went the rest of the panz. I simmered for an hour and whirled it up with the immersion blender. Another 15 minutes and got another whirl to really smooth it out. Then the soup was chilled in an ice-bath. It's in the fridge with the reserved bread waiting for lunch tomorrow! Will try it chilled but when the bread goes in it while hot they will make some nice soft dumplings so I'm excited about that. The soup has a brightness to it that is quite pleasing and refreshing.

Thanks pbear! Out of all my cookware only one stock pot, a dutch-oven and my Fagor PC attracts a magnet. None of my stock pots, triple clad skillets or saucepans work. Guess it may be option B for me and stick with the hotplate.

LOL the FIRST thing I looked at and tested was the vent in my kitchen when considering buying the house. Even so I still often cook outside and will not fry anything inside at all. I've wanted a portable induction cooktop but was afraid my cookware wouldn't work with it unless it said so on the bottom- which it doesn't. I'm taking it that this is not exactly the case?

How about a frittata? To me this makes more sense though guess one could make two dishes- frittata tonight and soup for lunch or dinner tomorrow. Whew. Time to get some eggs.