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radtek

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Posts posted by radtek

  1. I agree. Start taking detailed notes and write your ingredients down or you'll never approach anything near consistency. 

     

    I think it is critical to weigh what needs to be weighed and measure exactly that which needs measuring; and to do this every time you make dough. Bread baking needs a certain amount of discipline and results correlate directly to this.

  2. Actually, I think Velveeta and a bit of milk (melted then chilled) is far superior to mayonnaise as the binder in pimento cheese. I like mayo but discovered that some "queso" used in a pinch was actually better. 

  3. One piece of bacon, some gouda and a bun sized dog. Except I used a hoagie bun. I froze the bacon wrapped dog for about 40 minutes before introducing it to the pan.

     

    Served with spicy mustard and Bavarian sauerkraut.

     

    IMG_20150611_193438.jpg

    IMG_20150611_194324.jpg

    IMG_20150611_194931.jpg

     

     

     

    I think prepping the wrapped dogs and freezing them in advance would make this a tasty and quick meal.

    • Like 5
  4. So......no one thinks I can lessen the heat of these jalapeños by changing to a fresh vinegar solution? My experience with pickled peppers is that if you eat them slowly, over a period of months, they don't lose heat in the refrigerator, but that would be if they were sitting in the same solution the whole time.

     

    Try it. Take half and change the pickle out. Then you can compare. Might only take a day or so.

  5. I notice that heat fades over time under refrigeration. My salsa, which can induce hiccups freshly made tends to fade noticeably overnight. I think acidity may have something to do with the process and how much surface area is involved- such as a puree vs chunks or whole. I don't make chunky salsa.

     

    Fairly sure the heat in peppers has been tamed for consistency over the years as indicated earlier. Also our perception and remembrance may be skewed some.

     

    I think serranos make better whole pickled peppers anyway and they can knock your socks off. Especially the tiny ones.

  6. For some reason I thought this was about whole chicken. My suggestion is to "spatchcock" or butterfly a whole chicken (can be a rock/cornish hen if desired) which is to remove the entire spine and spread the chicken out flat skin side up. 

     

    Any compound butter can be worked under the skin to add a lot of flavor during the roasting or grilling. I like to do it on the pit, but have done in the oven as well. IMO whole chicken done this way cooks quickly, more evenly and is easy to break down for serving.

     

    I shoot for around an hour at 375F for a regular chicken. Might take longer. A thermometer should read over 170F and the juices should run clear before removing from the heat source.

  7. I found Emeril's recipe for the cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dogs:

     

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/stuffed-dogs-recipe.html

     

    I wouldn't grate the cheese as recommended in the recipe, but rather cut it into logs and put them in the freezer a few minutes. That way you can get the bacon crispier than shown in his photo before the cheese melts.

     

     

     

    His directions for turning the dog and the cheese side down last- is this still appropriate for the frozen cheese modification?

  8. I count myself among those that have a problem with fresh tomatoes. By themselves that is. Ripe tomatoes need salt, pepper, raw onion and an acid. Or salty fat- like on a BLT. Or as a condiment/garnish. But just the thought of a lovely tomato by itself makes me a bit queasy. Even one out of my garden. The texture to be sure but also there's a vegetal aspect that doesn't appeal to me- especially from what's available at the market.

  9. It's frustrating to have to learn by oneself with advice from afar and perhaps a book or two to guide. However, practice makes perfect... and it's a good thing you have a ready and willing panel to critique and offer suggestions as well as get rid of the product.

     

    In order to understand baking perhaps it is better to think of baking as chemical reaction with a formula, where you want to be exact as possible and also need to pay attention to the order of process to achieve desired results. 

  10. But to the OP's credit, commercial toms look great but that's about all they bring to the party. 

     

    AArgh. I got a late start and with too much rain (almost killed the plants) the tomatoes plants aren't even in the ground yet. And, soon (already) it'll be far too hot to flower. But, I may get a late summer early fall crop out of them.

     

    As far as the frankentomatoes go... I've had my homegrown last quite a while on the counter. Late in the season when the last is harvested, and they only have a hint of blush the tomatoes will keep for more than a month on the counter slowly ripening.

     

    At this point I make stewed tomatoes for freezing once enough have ripened. 

  11. Precision is not impossible.

     

    When I ferment my hot-sauce it is initially 6% salt by pepper weight. One kilo of peppers will make more than a liter of finished product. Once fermented I add white vinegar 5% acidity and run it through the blender again. Total process takes about 60 days. But that's all the technique I'm giving out on my sauce.

     

    And... I don't refrigerate my pepper-sauce. It keeps just like Tabasco does at room temp. 

  12. Hot pack will keep in the fridge (forever?) and if you slice the peppers thin you can pack a tremendous amount into a jar.

     

    Have thought about this quite a bit actually. One could freeze uncooked paste in ice trays, that way it'll retain the bright color and flavor. Ten pounds is quite a bit so you options for variety as well as preservation.

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