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Richard Kilgore

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore

  1. Daniel, I don't understand the urgency...other than to save you from the Ronco TV advert.

    You will not use most of the pieces in a set.

    You're not going to get a 10" Chef knife in a set.

    You're not going to get a usefully long bread knife/slicer in a set.

    You can get good quality in a Forschner 10" Chef knife and paring knife (or any old paring knife) for what you want to spend. That will do 95 % of what you will use your knives for. Then add a bread knife slicer (12") for about $20 later. These will last you a long, long time in a household kitchen. And then you can upgrade to something else when you want to.

    But save yourself from knife sets.

  2. Interesting find, Linda. I am not sure about this group literally saving the Dutch oven from extinction, though. Wal-Mart and the outdoor big-boxes like Cabella's and Bass-Pro carry and move an enormous amount of Lodge cast-iron Dutch ovens, skillets, griddles, deep fryers and such.

    I have three without legs, but do not use them much indoors, given the advantages of enamelled cast-iron. The one large Dutch oven with legs goes camping and often is responsible for the cobbler. I could use two more of these in different sizes, but this time in the pre-seasoned Lodge.

  3. I'm thinking about making some baked beans in a bean pot, but first I have to purchase one.  Not sure what size to get for baking about a pound of beans -- maybe a 3 quart?  I've never had or used one, so if anyone knows how they work that would be great.  Maybe people mostly just use a regular dutch oven instead...

    Are you talking about cooking any and all beans, or traditional New England/Boston Baked Beans? If the former, you may want to use an unglazed pot; if the latter, the traditional brown glazed pots are carried by Sur La Table (and I am sure other vendors). In either case you may want to take a look at the thread Dried Beans, what we know and what we don't, a fascinating and useful compedium of information and all the controversies about how to best cook beans.

  4. Newest news from Jimmy's:

    The store is much larger and has a new, updated face lift. There are large pillars in the center and a new front area where the cashiers will be located. They also are expanding into the extra space next door that used to be a hair salon.

    There will be a room in the new store exclusively for wine, but for now they will have the same assorted selection as before until the new room is completed. The refrigerators are now larger and the back will have more space for the deli items.

    And they are going to carry the anhovies packed in salt that I have been searching for. :biggrin:

    Re-opening is imminent.

  5. I took a quick look at this Chef-Mate enameled cast-iron at Target a few minutes ago. Hard to beat a 4 1/2 qt round "casserole" for $29 (regularly $39). The even more useful one may be the 5 qt oval for $39 (regular price).

    While I don't think it's Staub or LC, the enamel looks okay to me and the lid seals well. No way to know how chip-resistant the enamel is, or how brittle the cast iron, or any other metalurgical qualities of the cast iron. And I don't care for the colors. But it still looks like a good value. You don't have a whole lot to risk.

    I did not see any enameled cast-iron gratins. Just stoneware.

    As a side note, it's worth looking at most of the growing line of Chef-Mate pots, pans and utensils that seem to be taking over the shelves and walls at Target. Most appear to be well-designed and of good quality. We have been talking about the pots and pans here for over two years.

  6. There are lower priced French ovens that are of better quality than the ones currently coming out of China. You can sometimes find them at discount stores such as TJMax and Marshall's, where you can also find LC seconds (5 qt for about $90) at times. They also have the ones made in China for less.

    There is also the Le Cruset factory outlets, with lower prices on seconds (cosmetic imperfections) and I have found even lower-prices on Amazon for firsts...if you are willing to wait for them to appear and do not find it important to have a certain color. When looking at Le Cruset on Amazon, always flip through the various color choices for a piece you want; sometimes one color choice will be drastically cut in price and have a good second piece thrown in for free.

    You can also keep an eye out for annual Williams-Sonoma sales when they discontinue a LC color --- prices are slashed; one year I picked up a 9 1/2 qt oval LC for $90.

  7. 4) after that initial water has seeped through, back off the screw about a turn and a half and fill with off boil water and replace lid.

    How the deuce do you do this without boiling your fingers? Seriously, everytime I try to unscrew the press a turn, I end up with blisters!

    Wait until the initial water has drained, then back off the screw before pouring the off boil water. The screw will be hot and you have to be quick with the turning if you use bare fingers, but I have never burned myself enough for it to even show. The screw is sloted, so you could use a screwdriver (or a spoon handle or some other kitchen tool) to turn it, I just usually don't bother. But now that you mention it, I think I may leave a dedicated Vietnamese coffee screwdriver in the kitchen.

  8. I found a new display in my local Kroger store here in Texas. I tried a mini loaf which required finishing in the oven for 10 minutes, then cooling for 45. This was much better than the quality of the Kroger chain's "Artisan" breads, which are tasteless, and about the same quality as the Corner Bakery restaurant chain (their bread is parbaked and I believe was developed by Nancy Silverton), but not as good as the top couple of local bakeries, especially Empire Bakery in Dallas.

  9. I just ordered several new Le Creuset pots, but the 6 3/4 qt has a lid that does not fit all that tightly.  In fact, it rocks back and forth some when you press on it while its on the pot.  None of my other LC's have this characteristic -- has anyone else had that problem?  Thanks --

    That's a flaw, and I would return or exchange it, which should not be a problem.

  10. They make a number of different lines.  http://www.sitramcookware.com/products.htm

    Curiously, the information on the Sitram site and on Amazon conflict on one point. The Sitram site says that Profisserie is safe to 1, 112 degrees, but says nothing about the limit for the Catering line. On the other hand, Amazon says 1,112 degrees for the Catering and 500 degrees for the Professerie.

    I am shooting an email to Sitram to see if they can clarify what's what.

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