jackal10

My local butcher gives them to me free when I buy my meat. Today i go beef ribs and shin. Making stock now (pressure cooker method)

I meant a quaitch of course. A hip flask (with the lid becoming a glass) is a nice present.

There are many threads here on tipping. Personally I never tip, and think restaurants should pay their staff a decent wage. If I have the problem with the service, of have exceptional service I will write (or talk) to the management. Its their problem to sort or reward, not mine. If the meal is to cost 20% more I would rather that was honestly stated upfront, than implied as a "routine" tip. Why should I collude in a revenue evasion scam? Someone has to pay for schools and unemployment benefit...

Escoffier?

They are both yellow waxy potatoes, You can make puree with them, but its not as light as that with starchy potatoes, although tastier, except that Binje is rather bland. Since they are so nice plain boiled, most prefer not to puree, bit boil (au vapeur) or use them cold for salads..

I'd mince the meat, but not the bones. You don't want fine bone particles which might be difficult to remove without clarification (and consequent flavour removal), and also you don't want to promote "bone taint". You can make perfectly good stock from beef bones, just won't gell as much. Pigeon and duck are also good substitute. You might want to add something more gelatinous, like chicken wings or pork (especially pork skin) for the gelatin. By the time its cooked and reduced to a demi-glass with the other flavours, vegetables, herbs and Maillard flavours, its hard to tell what the base meat was anyway, providing its fairly neutral.

Prague Powder Cure or #1 This cure contains sodium nitrite (6.25%) mixed with salt (93.75%). Consumers are recommended to use 1 oz. for every 25 lb. of meat or one level teaspoon of cure for 5 lb. of meat.

Lets try and figure out what is going on when making a stock/jus. I'm sure there must be lots of work on this, although I've not found any useful references. There seem to be two stages to the process 1) Extraction Here mostly water soluble flavours are dissolved from the stock components. A few fat soluble flavours will also be picked up in emulsified fats. Comparatively large amounts of water are used in order to lower the solute pressure and enhance extraction. This has several implications: a) Meats must be above the muscle degradation temperature so the components are available b) The stock must be cooked for sufficient time (temperature dependent) for the collagen to dissolve, if desired. That is mostly a texture component. c) On the other hand it should not be cooked for so long that the collagen in the bone matrix dissolves releasing the calcium hydroxide ("bone taint") d) Maillard flavours can be obtained by either pre-roasting, or by cooking long, hot and concentrated enough for them to occur in solution e) One key issue is emulsification. If the stock is boiled fast, then the fat present can form an emulsion. This can add oil-based flavor components, but cloud the stock. I guess it depends on the proposed use as to whether clarity wins over taste. f) Some impurtities (mostly blood proteins) may form a foam, that mechanically can capture fine particles, that then disperses as the proteins cook 2) Concentration Traditionally by boiling off the water used to assist the extraction. Side effects are a) loss of aroma b) Maillard reactions as the stock concentrates c) Emulsification d) A skin may form from polymerisation of protein components at the surface I think that both stages of stock making can have process changes, for example one could consider concentrating under vacuum, or extraction using other media, such as alcohol. Personally when making a jus I use the traditional method of roasting the meat, bones and vegetables, then simmering at about 90C for 12 hours, then concentrating. When making a light stock, for a potage for example, I use a pressure cooker and chicken wings, since I don't mind it cloudy.

Don't bother with cocoa powder. Melt an ounce of good quality chocolate into your mug's worth of milk Whisk, sweeten to taste; add rum or other hooch to taste. Drink and feel that the world is a better place...

Another trick is to freeze the liquid portion first.

Does the tangerine at the bottom of the Christmas stocking count?

Is the texture even and its just outgrowing the tin, or is ther a hole under the crust? If its outgrowing the tin, then use a bigger tin, or smaller dough weight. A slightly stiffer dough (less water) may help as well, and stop it drooping over the sides. Multigrain will rise much less than white bread.

Strawberries are low in pectin. You need to either add pectin (certo, or apple jelly) or puree enough strawberries to extract it. I like whole strawberries in my jam, and they take a long time for the sugar to penetrate. If you cook them without macerating they tend to collapse. Stay with the Ferber method.

I can just see lime jello foam as the must-have garnish in the next generation of up-scale Midwest or Washington restaurants Note: Don't try this with fresh pineapple or juice. The bromelin attacts the gelatine and stops it setting. You have to use canned or otherwise cooked pineapple.

For pleasure I like something like a Dartington Crystal whisky tumbler http://www.dartington.co.uk/acatalog/Class...isky-Glass.html If I'm tasting professionally I'd use a small tulip glass Riedel are naff, and modern marketing inventions Ceremonial use a silver tassie (small bowl).

Nope the theme was chosen quite a while back. I had to arrange a dinner for an angel investment group I'm part of. It was going to be an early Xmas dinner (its was the last investment meting of the year) , hence the mince pies that sneaked in, so the turkey part had been chosen, but it seemed a bit early for Christmas. Thus Thanksgiving was a suitable theme, even if a few days late. It also gave a chance to try some of the New World wine that was available. In particular the Cave Spring Riesling Icewine from the Niagara Peninsula was spectacular (29.95/half bottle from Berry Bros UK http://www.bbr.com/GB/db/product/58628H/Ca...X64QBLNGNX300B4 ) $59.95 from the vineyard http://www.cavespringcellars.com/winedb/wi...uyEVyZuTTNjpBUa

Whats wrong with potted shrimps? Just shrimps (prawns) butter and a little nutmeg. A sort of shellfish version of confit, with the same preservation idea. They are delicious on hot toast. Remove the thick butter topping and spread the fishy goodness below...

Many years ago I was involved in that area, but as a civilian contractor. We were doing research and comissioning equipment that involved lengthly sea trials. I have nothing but admiration for those chefs. Food (and drink - the UK navy is not dry) is extremely important for morale, and a key element on a long tour of duty. They turn out amazing food in from very cramped conditions, day after day.

Escoffier, in his Christmas menu for 1906 lists Gelee de Pommes de Amour aux Ecrivisses (tomato jelly with shrimp)

If you roast using a long time low temperature method (e.g. 8-12 hours at 140F) you don't need rest at all since the juice is never squeezed out

Pseudo thanksgiving: Watercress soup with cured ham and nutmeg crouton 1999 Cuvaison Chardonnay Corneros Turkey supreme stuffed with chestnuts Port wine sauce Creamed potatoes Mashed sweet potato Brussel sprouts 2002 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel Pumpkin pie with Bourbon Chantilly 2003 Cave Spring Riesling Icewine Stilton Walnuts Mince Pies

Mostly USA for a thanksgiving dinner 1999 Cuvaison Chardonnay Caneros.....fruit bomb! 2002 Ridge Geyserville Zin 2003 Cave Spring Riesling Ice Wibe (Niagra Peninsula) There are no US Ice wines worth drinking easily available here...

Latkes: No squeeze, no washing of the starch. That's what holds them together. Then you don't need egg or matzo meal. Always seemed crazy to me to dry the potato, then add wet eggs and they dry them off with added Matzo meal. The potato and onion as grated fry up fine (especially in goose fat). Like pancakes they get eaten as fast as they can be produced I have been known to eat 17 in one sitting...

Can I submit the Latkes in the eGCI Great Potato Primer http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=31701 as my contribution? Latkes must be potatoes. Made with other veg they are fritters. We never solved the vexed question of whether the potato in hash browns should be grated or small cubes, smashed...

I also think the veg pictured are celeriac and romanesco You eat the young leaves of cardoons, blanched, othrewise they are bitter. You Blanch them like celery by earthing up or wrapping newspaper round them. Problem is the slugs and snails love them as well. Once blanched you can treat them a bit like chard or celery.