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Richard Kilgore

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by Richard Kilgore

  1. Another issue may be: while the dishwasher seems to work okay, will this affect flavor over time?
  2. I have not found soaking them for a few minutes to be a problem...just soak it while preping the ingredients. And cleanup is not a big deal...a light scrubing with a plastic thingie, then into the dishwasher. What I am curious about is whether or not the clay contributes something to the result that another material does not. Subtle, not so subtle, nada, short-term, after longer use? Anything that should not be cooked in clay?
  3. Starnge Fruit is an allusion to the Billie Holiday song.
  4. You mean that baked potatos are not cups for sour cream?
  5. I thought I had tried to invite discussion, but may not have been broad enough. Anyone else use clay? Pros. Cons. Does it make a difference in the result...compared to anything else?
  6. The diner in Morristown, NJ..if it's still there. Used to be great for late night cheesecake. And I disagree, Lyle --- I think the Denny's diners are pitiful. They don't feel like a diner...and I guess that's the only criteria I can find useful. Not enough grease, not enough diner waitresses, not enough...diner. They feel like you're inside someone's cookie cutter concept --- which, of course, you are.
  7. Last night I did a Pork Loin in the clay cooker: thin slices of three cloves of garlic inserted into knife slits in the loin, then rubbed with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. One medium onion cut into eighths on the bottom of the clay cooker, topped with three sprigs of rosmary, the loin (fatty side up) and three more sprigs of rosemary. Cooked at 375F for 90 minutes --- it registered 170F internally (so 350 should have been better), then finished with the clay lid off for about 12 minutes. The garlic was creamy and the pork still moist. The rosemary was not much more than a rumor.
  8. Anyone use a clay cooker such as a Romertopf? The insert with mine sounds contradictory, in that it talks about cooking at low temperatures, but indicates 220C (Gas 4-5) for all the examples provided. The conversion table in J. Pepin's Technique book does not quite jive with this, but tells me 220C is about 425F, which does not seem "low" to me. I have gotten fairly good results cooking chicken and Pork Loin at 350, and I would appreciate any info from your experience in using one of these.
  9. Thanks, guajolote and Suzanne. I'll find a copy of the Casas book first.
  10. Lately I have been using Bornier, both Dijon and whole grain. I have an ancient unopened crock of Pommery Moutarde Royale --- how long will it be okay unopened...or would it have been? And, true confession: a squeeze bottle of French's.
  11. "The souffle collapsed," Chef Tom said flatly. "Bourdain's on tour," Fat-Guy said tonily. "Where have all the flour's gone?", the pastry chef sang folksily. "Where does Maggie get off grilling fish," the chef said catily.
  12. Okay. I have had Tapas --- very good Tapas I would say --- few years ago in Taos, but I still do not know for sure what makes a Tapas a Tapas. Any Tapas books to recommend?
  13. The Wilder Shores of Gastronomy J. Pepin's Technique book Re-reading Olney's Simple French Food A stack of various fish & game cookbooks Off-topic: Phil Caputo's A Rumor of War Looking for good books on Mexican food & cooking by Mexicans, translated into English
  14. Thanks Sandra. I will look forward to your recommendations. I have seen the Frida book and planned on picking it up just because it is related to Frida.
  15. Sandra - Can you make some specific recommendations for books by Mexican authors...ones that have been translated into English and are available in the U.S.? I would not buy just any cookbook on, say, Southern U.S. cooking by a U.S. author because they were from Georgia, without an idea of the quality and preferably a recommendation.
  16. Thanks. I'll try the reduced orange juice. Honey did not sound right to me either.
  17. I am doing an orange, fennel and arugula salad that calls for a sweet and salty vinegarette. What would you use for the sweet? A little honey? Or would you do something different altogether?
  18. Thanks again, snowangel. I picked up the Chefmate "Professional" (tri-ply clad bottom) three stockpot set for just under $50! They had Chefmate "Essential" multipots, too, but they were not aluminum clad, and not (internal) three ply --- just plain stainless. I have another old thin stainless multipot for pasta and steaming that is vented, so the Tramontina may go back to Wal-Mart due to no vent. Fifi, was the multi-pot at your Target thin stainless or aluminum clad or three ply?
  19. Thanks, Snowangel. I'll check the stores here for the stockpots. I have not seen the Chefmate multipot at Target or on the Amazon/Target website. Amyone know of a current source?
  20. Do the ChefMate Multipot and stockpots have a vent hole in the lids? I found a Tramontini multipot that appears to be identical at Wal-Mart, but it has no vent hole --- I did not notice until I got it home. I'll return it if the ChefMate has a vent. Anyone?
  21. Thanks.
  22. Elementary question - I picked up a 9.5 inch fluted tart form at W-S. Mamster's recipe call for a 9 inch diameter. Is that enough difference to require an adjustment?
  23. Put asparagus back in the pan, after dumping the water, to keep it warm. Forgot to turn off the burner. Added insult to injury by leaving a paste of Barkeepers Friend on the pan too long, resulting in a no shine, streaky surface. Good thing it was not an All-Clad.
  24. Steve --- Was your quote about other uses for the sharpmaker rods in response to Eric's question or just to point out an additional feature?
  25. The Spyderco Works fine for kitchen knives. I have posted about them here before. And you're correct the larger numbers are a matter of doubling. The 20 (or 40 depending on how you want to describe the same thing) are for routine sharpening. The 15/30 angle is usually only used for re-profiling an edge that is very, very worn; following the re-profiling at 15/30, you then also finish it with the 20/40 angle. How often you do a routine 20/40 angle sharpening depends on how much your knives get used and how fast they become dull (once a week to once every month or two perhaps). On the other hand, a steel is not for sharpening; it only realigns the edge and running a knife blade across your steel twice on each side every time you use it is no big effort. The Spyderco is easy to use accurately. It's built into the design. The manual and video that come with it reveal all. I don't think you will regret getting one.
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