BaconFat
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Posts posted by BaconFat
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BTW, a lot of recipes mention this, but it should be rinsed before using.
Curious. I frequently cook with this ingredient and have yet to rinse it as none of the recipes call for rinsing. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I don't notice any adverse saltiness when I cook/use TPV's.
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I fished out of Dutch for a time and have had many fun times while in town.
I'd agree that the best you'll get is probably what you cook yourself. Unalaska/Dutch is a company town for the fishing industry. The best you can expect is low scale diner food. Fish and chips, burgers etc. Everything is expensive. A can of Bud costs the same as a full tumbler of call brand 80 proof.
Cash is king, just don't wave it around.
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Aloha,
We just returned from spending two incredible weeks on Maui. We ate out at a bunch of different restaurants and it seemed the plate lunches (at several different places) had steamed rice that tasted kind of sweet and was a different kind of sticky compared to the steamed white rice we cook and eat in Seattle.
Is the rice cooked with something besides water? Coconut milk, maybe? Is it a different kind of rice than what we use stateside?
Maybe it was just being on vacation and everything tasted, looked and smelled better.
Thanks
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Thanks to this thread that I've been lurking in since it started, I've been slowly getting into meat and stuff and stuffing meat.
I got the book a couple of months ago. I made the bacon first, and why wouldn't I? Thanks to Ranch 99 and fresh bellies cut to order. I did two five pound bellies, regular smoked and a black pepper/garlic. I really liked them both but will add more spice next time as the smoke overwhelmed the spices.
Then my wife got me this nice electric grinder/stuffer from Northern Industrial Tool, thanks to a reference upthread.
Next I ordered casings from Butcher-Packer. I swear they sent me a Gordian knot of hog middles. Is there a trick to getting the casings off without messing up the whole lot? I couldn't figure it out and ended up cutting what I couldn't untie. What I had was plenty long enough, but I would have like to save more for a later use.
Next up was a recipe that my friend's Croatian family has made for over 50 years. We did 20 pounds of sausage, ate some for dinner and smoked two coils like you see in the photo. Smoked at 130 for four hours, about eight pounds per coil.
The end product out of the smoker is very similar to kielbasa. The coils would normally hang in the attic and air dry ending up like pepperoni, but I'm not going to try that just yet. I cut my coil up into large chunks and used some for a nice pot of Red Beans and Rice on New Years Eve.
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My husband and his work partner are very excited to be spending several days in Anchorage for business. They are compatible dining partners as well -- loving to seek out local gems, the hole-in-the-wall-ier the better, though they also appreciate more up-scale meals. I promised to find them some good recommendations from the good folks on the 'gullet. They will have rental car. Where would you send them?
My wife and I had fun killing time in Anchorage before our return flight at both Club Paris for the cocktails (big, strong, cheap) and Humpy's for the Alaskan pub grub and beer.
We found Club Paris just walking around downtown. They close early so the bartender recommended Humpy's as we had more time to kill. Humpy's is kind of divey, and has a great vibe. The place was packed with both locals and touristas.
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The reports I've heard so far indicate that Szechuan Chef is either exactly as good, or not quite as good, as 7 Stars. I'd love to hear other opinions-any dishes you think SC does better than 7SP? Anything they do that 7SP doesn't? I just don't want to make the drive to the Eastside unless I know it's worth it.
As I understand it, Szechuan Chef in Bellevue is the new place opened by the origninal owners of Seven Stars Pepper in the ID.
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I get a lot of meats from Cash & Carry; their prices are great. They have packers-cuts of brisket, pork butts/shoulders, beef clods, whole NY strips, Rib Eyes, etc. I'm pretty sure they'll order for you as well.
If your brisket was tough, it didn't cook long enough. You also need to cut it against the grain to help with the tenderness.
Have fun.
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Checked out Anita's Bistro, the new Indian joint that took over the Sakura space in Mapleleaf off Lake City Way and 15th.
We three arrived mid day on last Saturday and there were maybe three or four other tables.
The owners were very nice and they've done a nice job with the decor in the dining area. The food was great for a buffet; very tender chicken curry, great veggie dishes. The spices were even and the food was hot.
The tandoori chicken was a little o-d. I think holding the food was a problem and they'd do better with a little more volume, customer-wise.
They didn't charge for our 6yr old which was nice and definitely not the norm compared to other Indian buffets that we frequent. They even comp'ed a nice coconut ice cream on the way out. Based on our experience, we'll go back for sure to try out the full dinner service.
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I have a wood question. I've been looking for a local source of apple, cherry, or maple wood, so that I can have logs or big chunks instead of having to use chips. I found a guy with a bunch of cherry, but here's the thing. It's not dry, as in kiln-dried. It's been cut, but outside, for a year. I'm not clear on the science of wood drying. On the one hand, it seems like I'm going to soak it anyway, so wet wood is ok. On the other hand, it also seems like in the drying process some volatiles, not water, are probably emitted from the wood, and that their presence in wet wood might not be desirable for cooking. Any ideas? And how about bark, on those fruit and nut woods? Do I need to strip the bark? On alder I've been leaving the bark on, but alder has a very thin bark.
I've been getting my smoke wood from barbecuewood.com. They are way cheaper than local (Seattle) sources and the quality is good.
Wood should be dried covered for at least a year, so you're probably ok.
I never soak smoke wood. I think it just delays the inevitable as the water needs to evaporate in order to smoke.
I don't like wrestling small chunks of wood and losing, so I take the bark off if it looks like I can get it off easily.
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I've been really happy with my Kamado #7. It's very versitile; I can smoke ribs, butts, brisket, fish, oysters, bacon, etc. I can sear steaks like nobody's business. I can do breads and pizza really well.
It's basically a set it and forget machine. A single load of fuel (natural lump charcoal) will last >24 hrs for low and slow cooks. Once you get the hang of it, it is very easy to maintain temps from 120f - >1000f.
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Costco has a great price for the Pro 5; $250 includes a $20 rebate. Costco has such a great return policy I couldn't pass it up.
They have same deal both online and at their stores:
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Farmed salmon is bad for you, bad for wild salmon and bad for the environment.
I know this is somewhat off topic, but I think it relevant to make informed decisions when selecting what we use and consume.
After reading through this topic and seeing that some others mentioned that farmed salmon is bad, I thought it would be helpfull to post some links to info that substantiates these claims.
Here's some info on farmed salmon and it's impact:
Farmed salmon threatens the long-term genetic integrity of wild salmon
Here is a wild salmon supplier that ships overnight:
Pike Place Fish Market - Seattle
Don't get me wrong; I've used farmed salmon in the past. I enjoyed the availability and low prices. But after learning more about this product, I found it hard to justify its consumption by me and my family given all the issues that surround it.
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yumm!
So who else in town is making their own dougnuts, that's actually good? I've done my croissant crawl with definitive results (besalu!), maybe it's time for a Doughnut crawl?
And for that matter what do we judge them on? I'm of the opinion that a perfect buttermilk is the peak of the doughnut makers art, but a really good clasic cake style with chocolate icing & cocount flakes is not to be sneezed at....
I'm a huge fan of Family Doughnut in the Northgate area. I think Top Pot doughnuts are good, but they are too greasy for my tastes.
Seattle Weekly - Family Doughnut Review
edit: spelling
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I'll be visiting Seattle in October and wanted to know the best place for dim sum. North of Seattle is fine, too. Thanks. I'm from that area but I haven't lived there for a long time, so I know things have changed.
I've really enjoyed the dim sum at Jeem in the Overlake area in Bellevue. Excellent dumplings: Shark fin, Shu-mai, etc. They do fried squid like none I've ever had.
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Sooo....
One of my purveyors let me know about Sam Hassan's new place. He was the owner of the Rio Brazillion Grill in the U-District. His new place will be called Samba, and is located near the corner of 94th and Roosevelt, up near Judy Fu's. After I finished screaming his ear off with excitement, (Thanks, Greg!) I decided to stop by on my way after work. Luckily for me, Sam was there working on getting the place open. Samba is in what used to be an old japanese place, I think it was called Satchi. In any case, wow....I have not met a nicer guy in a long, long time. I let him know how thrilled I was to be meeting him and was ecstatic that he was getting his new place in shape. I asked him if it was ok for me to post about our conversation and he had no problem with that.
(Can I say again what a nice, gracious guy Sam is?)
So. Family style Brazilian food. Interior will be bright, blues and oranges. It will not, repeat NOT be a churrasceria. The menu will be relatively simple to start with. The beef will be Australian Free Range, and the coffee will be Organic, Shade Grown Free Trade.
He'll have some Brazilian beers, and the wine list will draw mainly from Spain and Argentina. There will be about 20 wines, and Sam wanted to stress that he will strive to keep the markup down, because it is his opinion that wine should be approachable and that it adds to the enjoyment of the meal. (Amen, brother, Amen.) Also, he is making it a point to match the wines to the food that he will be serving. I'm glad to hear that personally, 'cause I am an idiot when it comes to wine.
He's shooting for an early August Opening.
<snip>
See ya!
Jason
I've been watching this place (live two blocks away) and noticed as I drove by that by the looks of things, Samba is now open. Has anybody ventured in yet or heard anything?
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Costco has whole sockeye at $6.99/lb. I grabbed three nice fish.
It was a funny scene around that cooler. It was like a cabbage patch doll frenzy the day before christmas. I think I just dated mice elf.
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Besides asking for the "Irwin Special", ask the operator at Pag's what the "frequent pier" special is for the night. They usually offer a large salad for the price of a small, or 75 cents for two ltr of soda.
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If anyone has a lead on a Mexican restaurant that serves breakfast in Seattle Metro, please post....I am Jonesing hard for Migas and Chillaquilles.
Taqueria Pancho Villa is located on Lake City Way and 80th in North Seattle. They make great tacos (cabeza, tongue, al carbon, etc.) and also make their own tortillas. I haven't been for breakfast yet, but they serve it every day.
Also a great diner that I used to hit almost every weekend was Voula's Lakeshore Cafe on North Lake Union. Good times.
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The Central Market in North Seattle has about six or seven live oyster tanks. I wasn't looking for Stellar's when we picked up a doz of the Penn Cove this weekend.
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Amazon.com has good deals on Le Creuset. I purchased a 16 qt Stock Pot that retailed for ~$150 for $79. They also had a great deal on the oval 6 3/4 qt French Oven that I couldn't pass up.
Edit:spelling
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There is no membership fee required to shop at Direct buying service.
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Check out Direct Buying Service in SoDo. We've purchased several major appliances from them and they've been great to deal with and are very competitive. They can get any brand you're interested in. You should look at Wolf, they are superior when compared to Viking - imho.
Direct Buying Service Discount House
1749 1st Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 623-8811
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You can order it online if you don't want to take the time to drive and drive and drive and drive....
Cracking the Cream with Homogenized Coconut Milk in Cans
in Elsewhere in Asia/Pacific: Cooking & Baking
Posted
I have had the same issues with splatter when trying to break the oil out of the coconut milk. I also use "Chaokoh" brand and do the same rotation mentioned up thread.
I have a set of Viking cookware that I normally use except when cooking green curry. Whenever I tried to use the Viking stuff, the coconut would seriously spatter before getting hot enough to break. Out of frustration I went back to an old Analon non-stick pan and the spattering issue was solved. I could get the heat up and break out the oil without wearing half of the coconut milk.