Joe Blowe

Since no one has linked to this yet, I guess I'll take the opportunity: http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatBeefB&F.html

By all means, check out Mitsuwa -- if they don't have instant nuka, probably no one will in your area. It'll be a fun trip to Edgewater anyway. Ahh, good memories... And here is one source for what appears to be non-instant nuka. I would think the prices for nukazuke no moto shouldn't be too different.

Have a look at the Lee Valley zester holder -- you may want to order one if you find the microplane difficult to work with on its own.

Joan, Yes, I suppose that's the disadvantage to having such heavy-duty racks! Such is life. Anyway, the oven thermometers I use (Taylor or a Polder) usually have a "base" (i.e. the sheet metal is folded back to make said base) which sits on the topside of the rack. What type of thermometer are you using? Bekki, Yes, the BlueStar is all-gas -- Prizer-Painter does not even offer a dual-fuel option. And, yes, there are "issues" with gas as well as electric: moist heat vs. dry heat, "poseur" convection vs. true "euro" convection, irrational fear of having a gas line in the home vs. the expense of having a 220v line brought in if you don't already have it, etc., etc., etc. [but I'm not concerned 'cuz I have both! In addition to the BS, there's our trusty lil' countertop convection oven which is made by Cadco. Have cake and eating it...] The major difference between the BlueStar and the Wolf (dual-fuel option aside) is the burner design -- have a look at this article and see what the fuss is all about. Short answer: Don't let others influence your stove decision because, in the real world, gas and electric perform almost equally in terms of the final product.

I can't tell from your picture (or my monitor) if that's rust or staining. Try a little bleach and let us know how it works out...

From what I understand, a distiller is required to make an age statement only when a whiskey is aged less than four years. By aging longer than four years and not making an age statement on the bottle, this allows a distiller in some leeway in blending the contents from year-to-year and not violate a printed age statement (e.g., the removal of the "7-year Old" statement from Evan Williams Black Label). Regarding the age of Saz Jr., I know that at least one company insider has posted over at straightbourbon.com that it is at least, on average, six years old...

Be sure to check out this thread, and have a look into FornoBravo's free plans...

You're comparing Chantal's enamel-on-steel cookware to LC's enameled cast iron cookware? Two completely different things... eG Forums -> Understanding Stovetop Cookware It's probably safe (?) to say that Chantal is better than generic enamel-on-steel cookware, but it sure is different than LC.

You can always try going this route. No additional help on "that" is forthcoming

Personally, I would've shot for an even 600,000 BTUs, but that's just me... Congrats on a sweet setup!

I replaced the phenolic knob on my ChefMate with a stainless steel knob from Home Depot: I'm on NNTK batch number 20 or so, and the knob is holding up just fine. Just pick a simple, solid steel knob and there's nothing that can go wrong... And, BTW, the HD knob cost 4 bucks. Plus tax

Congratulations! Welcome to the club! I've had my Magnum for a year now, and I'm still in awe of everytime I use it...

After all this talk about starters I feel I must give a shoutout for Carl Griffith's 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter! Not that it's anything special -- it's just easy for a beginner (like me!) to drop a SASE in the mail and have a 160 year old "strain" of starter show up at your house, ready to roll!

I bought a Turbo Sport last year during a Memorial Day Sale (got it for $150), and I've been very happy with it -- heats up quickly and intensely, sears (or burns) quite nicely, and is easy to clean up. Downside is the limited usable surface area. I know that the Solaire was the original portable infrared grill, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost. I've read that the Solaire's construction is much better than the T.S., but I don't see the benefit of that unless you actually plan on hauling it around (or giving it to your kids). But let me throw something else into the mix: the Char-Broil TEC grill at Lowe's. This unit has the same undermount infrared unit as the Solaires and Turbo Sports, but it has two additional regular gas burners along with all that additional real estate -- great for searing, and then moving to the side to keep warm.

There's a reason why it's hard to find -- if it worked, all the brick & mortar home stores would carry them, all your friends would have one, etc. But, it doesn't work well, and that's why everyone I know has a Weber... And using a charcoal grill for a small amount of food is not wasteful, IF you remember to close the vents (starve the oxygen) on your Weber when you're done cooking. Those coals can be used again.

Whoa, blast from the past! If you can find one for a couple of bucks, go for it. But, I'd rather spend a few more bucks and get this, or spend even more and get this. I happen to have both, and I'll go out on a limb and say that it'll blow the doors off the newspaper grill. But, they sure did cost a lot more...

http://search.ebay.com/thermomix

My wife, who's kind of a militant ABC, finds him repulsive! And her brainwashing has convinced me that he's quite a dork. It appears that new episodes will begin airing on Feb 26th...

Based on the one show he's done so far, it's going to take a lot to convince me to watch another episode...

Would like to add a shoutout for Blue Star. We've had our RNB30 for a couple of months now and really like the burners, like the oven capacity (which holds up to three commercial full sheet pans <-- haven't really had a need to do that yet!), and the infrared broiler is top notch... (Grates removed for cleaning...) One day I'll post pictures of the completed kitchen, whenever I get around to actually finishing the thing...

A few more pics are available here, along with some additional comments on the product...

Hummus. No, really...

UMRP for the PRO 48 is $11,999 (hit Ctrl-A, and look for the 11,999 right above the 800 number, middle of screen). Question: If one buys a PRO 48, does one have to trade up to an all-black wardrobe?

I was just going to weigh in on those -- those "panchan fridges" are amazing! I've played around with a few of them at our local Korean megamall, and they're definitely on my list when our bottom freezer goes belly up...

Yes, that's one of my nitpicks. Induction is a method of heating, not cooking. And it's a constant source of debate over at the GardenWeb Appliance Forum: induction vs. everything else (gas, electric coil, etc.). The "induction people" are quite fanatical about their technology, and some of them believe that this technology can make one a better cook. (NB: This sentiment does not apply to this thread.)