Richard Kilgore
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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore
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I think it depends on the crustiness of the bread. Store-bought bread, even the "artisanal" ones, tends to have a fairly soft crust. This cuts well with a regular blade. Home made hearth breads and "baked today" bakery hearth breads tend to have a more crackly crust that cuts better with a serrated blade (at least until the crust is breached).
I agree. When I wrote "artisinal" I was referring to bakery hearth breads from the two or three such bakers here and my occassional home baked bread -- not the pseudo-artisinal bread found in many grocery stores. The 12 inch cheapie Dexter Russel Sani-Safe slices through large, crusty round loaves with ease.
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I have come to prefer an inexpensive (about $20) long slicer, meant for meat but great for large, crusty artisinal loaves. I think it was andisenjie who suggested that a few years ago here in the forums. (Thanks, Andie!) I have not needed to sharpen it, but consider it to be my only disposible knife. I have not used by German made 8 inch bread knife since.
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Check out World Market stores for Chinese double-lidded tins on sale at 50% off.
They are located in most states in the US, except for the northeast. I picked up two large ones, roughly 3/4 and 1 lb capacity (maybe larger) for less than $10 for both. Most of these have a small ding in the lid. While I don't store that much of any one tea, I will use them for storing samples and smaller quantities that come vacuum packed or in air/light tight zip bags. They also have smaller ones at a reasonable price.
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If asked by friends for a recommendation of one book on tea, I currently send them to The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss. I discovered in the back of the book a brief but helpful guide to the typical aroma and taste characteristics of the major classes of tea. There are subtlties and individual differences beyond this guide, of course, but it is a terrific starting point.
Buy this book! I can't say enough good about it.
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While we're getting the second tea tasting organized, I wondered if anyone has had a chance to brew this TGY more than once? Did you vary the leaf: water ratio? The time or temperature? If so, what differences did you notice, if any?
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I don't think anyone would pull your tea-club membership card if you just started with a wine flavor/aroma chart as a base - then add to it. In fact, when drinking wine or tea I often find it helpful to go through those types of charts just to see if something jumps out at me. Sometimes I need to think of something specifically in order to pick it up.
I also don't worry too much about using acceptable phrases/words. If something smells like cola and antifreeze poured over potato, well, thats what it smells like.
I agree. Sometimes I don't notice something unless I read it or someone else mentions it. Then, "aha!". And since our life experiences with smells is different, the associations that components of a tea aroma or taste will trigger may also be different...and positive or negative, just depending.
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Starting out enjoying a red/black tea from China, a Keemun Mao Feng...from The Cultured Cup. Brewed Western style in a Yixing teapot. The directions from TCC say one tsp per 8 ounces water, but I used two tsps and prefer the richer brew.
So what are you guys drinking today?
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I received this puerh from Ming at Vital TeaLeaf in Chinatown SF during the Fancy Food Show. He has gifted me with many great teas before (including a nice sized portion of an $800/lb tea on this visit also), and knew I didn't really care for the 6 or 12 year puerhs he has given me before. This one is aged inside of a tangerine skin and it was much less odoriferous, but had much of the positive tastes of the other puerhs. I could see myself drinking this more often.
Lucky you! I have had tangerine pu-erh and liked it very much. Bamboo pu can also be a smooth alternative.
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I know I am not the only one who has a favorite coffee cup or who has accumulated a few for a variety of reasons.
So show us your coffee cups. One or a hundred. (I am truly afraid that someone out there has a collection of 1,000 in their garage.) I'll take some pics and post some of mine in a few days.
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I'm afraid that I am stupid like you. But I'm trainable so there's hope.
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In the New York Times, an interesting article by Eric Asimov on South African wines.
FORGIVE me if I’m excited, but I can’t help it. I want to tell you straight out that South Africa, of all places, is one of the greatest sources for moderately priced cabernet sauvignon on the planet today.It would be tempting to characterize these wines as more Bordeaux than California, but I think that’s too easy. A more accurate and meaningful comparison would be to liken these wines to Napa Valley cabernets of 25 to 30 years ago, a time before so many California producers began picking grapes that were riper than ripe, thus producing Napa red rather than Napa cabernet.In recent years I have been drinking mostly Spanish and French wine, as well as some Italian, American, Australian and South American. But have yet to open a bottle of any South African wine. Anyone here have experience with the cabs? Recommendations?
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I'll kick it off with a couple.
Are some lessor known -- in the US -- regions now making it into the US?
How is the global financial situation influencing Spanish wine makers and export to other countries, and thus availability to us?
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What Spanish wines are you drinking this year? Tasting notes or not. Favorite regions and vineyards. Questions and discussion.
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My only experience with Bunns has been with their commercial units, where the coffee is uniformly lousy, but that's because no one uses decent coffee in them. Maybe with good ingredients they do better. Still, I'm surprised at the enthusiasm for the Bunn. Doesn't holding water at 200F rid the water of dissolved oxygen?
My vote would also be for the Capresso MT500 (here's a Society-friendly Amazon link: Capresso MT500). Like ElsieD, I have a recent version of the Cuisinart Grind and Brew -- actually, I'm on my second, since the grinder gave out after three months. Three months into the replacement, the grinder on that one broke, too. If I'm going to spend $170 on a coffeemaker that won't grind, I want one that makes better coffee than the G&B does. The Capresso does that, and it has a timer and a very good thermal carafe.
I don't have any experience with the Bunn, but have heard good things about the Capresso. If I was looking for a drip-machine the Capresso probably would be it.
Holding water at 200 degrees should not be a problem. The tea bar at The Cultured Cup uses Zori water heaters that can hold the temp at one of three settings, including 208 F and they do a great job brewing black and red teas at 208. If you run a full boil for a minute or two past reaching 212, however, it will indeed boil the life out of the water.
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Okay, now after sitting in my cool mudroom for a couple of days the KA Artisan decided to work. I've been trying it off and on since it died and all of a sudden it came to life. Same outlet and everything.
I also found my Williams-Sonoma receipt from 2004. So, I'm thinking I should return it and put the money I spend on it towards one of the larger all-metal ones that they carry - like the Pro 610. That would buy me some piece of mind, the newer dough hook, and larger capacity (which I don't need). At this point I don't really trust it to not crap out again. The return policy at W-S does say to return if not completely satisfied ........
I also checked into getting older one repaired and it's only $15 for them to look at it. So I'm definitely doing that and keep it for a back-up. It's a 4.5 quart and is too small for much of what I make but it would make a great back-up machine.
I have found W-S to provide consistently great service on returns. Call a shop nearby to check and then take it in for an exchange or credit.
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I was in Santa Fe recently, and had this amazing chili at a cafe on the plaza. It was the spiciest chili I ever had, but not just spicy, intensely flavorful too. Just looking for a recipe that might replicate this...I feel like New Mexican chili powder is different from the stuff you buy in like a Safeway.
Can you tell us any more about the chili? Flavorful in any specific type of way? If you recall the name of the restaurant, someone here even may know exactly what bowl of chili you ate.
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Late note for this past Thursday.
I did a tasting with a couple of people to explore three teas from jingteashop.com in China.
a red tea - Anhui Gift Grade Keemun Gongfu: brewed western style
a green tea - Dong Ting Pre-Hing Bi Luo Cha A - brewed western style
an Oolong - 2003 Anxi - Aged Tie Guan Yin - brewed gongfu style
I don't think we got the best out of the red tea, but a couple of attempts with the green paid off - with a 1'30" first infusion and subsequent infusions doing very, very nicely.
The aged TGY was incredible! We had five infusions and stopped, but I expect it would go for at least 10 total.
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That's wonderful! I'm impressed that you're moving at all.
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From members' experiences, I would go with first seeing how much to get the older one working. There are a lot of old Hobart made KAs still running. That's where I would put my money.
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On a whim yesterday I risked picking up this Chilean Cab - Atacama 2007, a mere $3.49 on clearance at World Market. I think it was originally about $9. I was not even looking for wine when I walked in the door. Somewhat better wines available in many places for $9, but for $3.49 it's a drinkable everyday bargain.
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Article by Andrew Jacobs in the New York Times on the speculative bubble in Pu-erh tea and the impact on farmers, manufacturers and merchants in Menghai China.
A pleasantly aromatic beverage that promoters claim reduces cholesterol and cures hangovers, Pu’er became the darling of the sipping classes in recent years as this nation’s nouveaux riches embraced a distinctly Chinese way to display their wealth, and invest their savings.The article notes that at least 1,000 of the 3,000 tea manufacturers and merchants have gone out of business, and farmers have begun planting more profitable crops like rice and corn.
The article is uneven. A mixture of interesting reporting, weak research and what appears to be a marginal understanding of tea in general, not saved by what is either a marginal understanding of wine or a wine dis-afficianado attitude. There also is a not too subtly disparaging attiude toward the idea of medicinal and health benefits of pu-ehr, while ignoring the possibility that there might be research available, but the bulk of it just might be in Chinese rather than English.
The writer also compares Pu-ehr to "the Western fetishization of wine" and then goes on to list various factors that "enthusiasts" consider in Pu-ehr tea: older plants vs younger, "wild "trees, oxidations levels, loose-leaf vs compacted, spring vs fall harvest. The idea that knowledgeable wine and tea producers and consumers think that differences in types of plants make a difference, that differences in proccessing make a difference, that time of harvest makes a difference is reflective of "fetishization"?
Curiously, the paper reports that "From 1999 to 2007, the price of Pu’er, a fermented brew invented by Tang Dynasty traders, increased tenfold, to a high of $150 a pound for the finest aged Pu’er, before tumbling far below its preboom levels." And then a little later in the piece, "Prized vintages from the 19th century have sold for thousands of dollars a wedge." If I am not too far off, I think it was (and still may be) in four and perhaps even five figures per pound for the finest aged Pu-ehr.
Perhaps an editor will clean it up before you read this.
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Hello-The people at Goldfish Tea were short-handed, so I did a teabar they had schedualed(when business picks up, they plan to put me on the payroll).So I had Yellow Mountain Mao Feng A, 4 seasons of spring, Keemun A, and a 6 year- old loose pu'erh. Also, I went to my favorite Chinese store and bought and drank some of their amazing
8 year-old pu'erh Please tell us more about these teas, Naftal.
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What's everyone drinking for an everyday, inexpensive, $10 US and under wine this year? I'll post mine later, so go ahead and jump in.
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This TGY tasting appears to be winding down. Thanks to Greg Glancy for providing the tea and to everyone for participating in the discussion.
The next tasting is of an Imperial Dian Hong, a Chinese red tea (called black tea in the West).
Serrated knife v. regular knife for cutting bread
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
I think that if you have an extra food processor, you could probably strip out the motor, strap this knife to it, and cut firewod.