fifi

NOT superfluous! The pan just went into the oven. I finally found a good way to get enough sugar on the bacon. I had about 6 strips of thick sliced bacon. I put the sugar and pepper into a big zip-loc. I cut the strips into quarters, dropped in a few pieces at time shaking the bag to get them coated. (If you put too many at a time they stick together and all sides don't get coated.)

That isn't a problem. That is a collateral market. Everyone will have to get new dishes.

OK... andiesenji wins. She is the gadget queen. But then... We knew that. andie... that site with the pastry brushes is the bomb. The prices are incredible. Some of them are really pretty. I have to have them. You have done a major service to your community. Perhaps a topic in the Pastry forum is in order to see how they are used and how one would choose. I am wondering about bristle size for different uses. But, I know next to nothing about pastry. That wooden mushroom is really cute, but the stainless gets the smell off. If I can't find the stainless I may go ahead with some of the wooden ones just because they are cute.

I think I am in love with these two.

Best of luck on your journey. And may your onions not be laden with water. (Otherwise, you might want to plan on that pork roast for Tuesday. )

I haven't found a way to contact Amco, either. Do any of you folks out there even know what city Amco is in? A google search on Amco and kitchen just gives too many hits. While one would expect to see the company site at the top, it isn't.

Yeah andie... I got all excited when I found it on Amazon, then all other resources dried up. I think I am back to contacting Amco. I saw that really weird whisk somewhere and wondered about it. Now I might have to get one based on your report. My first impression was that it was the product of a demented mind. What makes a serrated peeler special? edit to add: I got all excited about this find, got all the way to placing an order for $11.95 each, and got an error message.

I haven't a clue. It wouldn't have been much because I am pretty tight with money. But then, maybe it was. If something really touches my heart I can get downright irrational. (Like a $200 rice cooker that I still love and have no remorse. ) I am actually going to try to contact the manufacturer and see what I can find out. I just ordered Lemon Squeezers for the kids' goody box. I love these things. They are great once you figure out that you put the lemon in cut side down. This thread has neatly handled my dilemma... I am traveling to my son's place in Chicago from Houston. My daughter is traveling to Chicago from DC. Now... How to get gifts there? Second problem... How does daughter get gifts back to DC? Here is what I am doing. I am assembling two identical goody boxes. Luckily, both are building up kitchen stuff. I will ship one to Chicago and one to DC. Daughter in DC will have instructions to just put it away and don't open it. They will open the one in Chicago together, daughter knowing that her box is the same. Here is what is "in the box" so far: Heavy aluminum half sheet pan with rack Heavy aluminum quarter sheet pan with rack At least a dozen "bar mops" Matfer Exopat for the half sheet pan A set of silicone spatulas Microplane Lemon squeezer All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking by Molly Stevens An AMEX gift card (I haven't decided how good they've been, yet. ) The book is because they love their little Le Creusets that I sent them as much as I love mine. The first three items will require a trip to the restaurant supply. The rest is coming from Amazon... via the eGullet link, of course.

Thanks for the report on the final sauted product and the crispy skin. I was wondering how that would turn out. And I do wish you had taken a picture of that. Oh well... You will just have to do it again. The legs went for 5 hours at about 175 to 180. They may have been done a half hour or so earlier, I just didn't test them that often. Like I said, I expected the legs to take longer just because I think they are tougher... but what do I know. Being a rather inattentive sort, I love recipes like this that are so forgiving of inattentiveness.

Now, those are interesting observations. If I were going to keep my confit any time at all I was planning to reheat the oil and submerge it in a jar. As it happens I will probably use it all up in a couple of days. Of course, the olive oil will congeal in my fridge but not into a hard fat like the duck fat. I wonder if that makes any difference. Also odd about the wings. I would have never guessed that. In fact, when I was discussing my plans with the butcher, as I looked longingly at the empty thigh shelf, we dismissed the wings right away. How handy that you did a side by side. I forgot to mention that I did get contrary like I mentioned up-thread and removed most of the skin before salting. I wonder if that had something to do with the fact that it doesn't taste like turkey? I just nibbled another chunk and if I close my eyes and really think about it, I can find a glimmer of turkey in there but it isn't obvious. Do any of you who did it with the skin on taste turkey? And... my curiosity is killing me. How much did that bucket of duck fat cost?

Heh... I was wrestling ImageGullet into submission when you posted. This is a keeper. Olive oil and turkey are available and cheap. As you can see, I used the light, cheaper grade of oil. I don't think I would waste extra virgin on this. I might try it once just to see. But I think it would be an entirely different thing. *everyone get your stones and bricks ready to throw* This is not unlike really good duck confit. IMHO it would pass the average taster. Confit for the masses! Victory for the downtrodden and duckless!

The confit is done and I have to say that I am impressed. Finally... turkey meat that I can like. As promised... This was so pretty it inspired me to take the pictures. Five hours later I had this. And, the final product. This is from three drumsticks minus my nibblings. I will have to say that thighs would be a big improvement and I will hold out for those next time. There is just too much "junk" in the drumstick to work around and the texture of part of it isn't great. Here is the oil after straining. I used a light olive oil and, amazingly enough, got all but about a half a cup back. That is turkey juices on the bottom. This is weird... The juice was impossibly salty but the meat isn't. And these lovely garlic cloves are now all nestled snuggly in their little jar in the fridge. So... Now what? I will add some chunks to a garbanzo bean salad for lunch. And, I will probably make a small faux cassoulet. Any other ideas?

Great ideas all... I can confirm that the gloves are well received. I gave them last year and I am still getting positive comments on them. Same with the silicone spatulas. spaghetttti... I have one of the ceramic julienne thingies and I don't like it. It cuts too fine and is hard to use. The first thing I tried was jicama and I made mush. A carrot was impossible. W-S has it here. I keep saying that I am going to get a diamond steel. I think I know just the person that might be worthy. Dishtowels... How many times I have been in someone's kitchen and they are usually at one extreme or the other... rags with stains and holes or fancy schmancy useless things that don't absorb anything because they have had doses of fabric softener. (Spring fresh, you know. ) I did those a few years ago and will do it again. My favorites are those "bar mops" that I get in a bundle of 12 at the restaurant supply place. They are just the right size, about 14x16 inches, and a rather loose terry cloth. I go through stacks of them because as they get wet or soiled, I throw them in a heap. When the cooking is over, they go into the washer with a healthy dose of bleach. I used them to wrap individual items in a "goody box" one year. If you don't already know, Ikea is the best place on the planet to buy ss utensils. For 3-5 USD you get the lovely things that are the equal to those horribly expensive ones. Now where did I see those olive wood spoons and spatulas that were so pretty? If I am going to someone's house as a "gumbo coach", I bring them a wooden spatula for properly stirring the roux. It is one of those things they don't know they need.

Ooooo... Good one. I have been going through Paula Wolfert's books lately and have come across recipes that call for a third of a teaspoon of something. Then I can't find that measure. At least, this one has a 2/3 teaspoon.

That does not suck. I have to say that after the family started to expect the gumbo, my options for getting creative with soup went to the wayside.

To attempt a truly dark and sultry gumbo, please go here for the roux instructions.

Here is another one I just thought of... vertical spoon rests. This one is ok but I recall seeing one in a catalog some years ago that was a really elegant design. The one I have now is infinitely useful but really ugly. I haven't found that elegant one since. Vertical spoon rests are essential.

These Kyocera peelers are the bomb. I love mine. Don't go for the little julienne things though. They are too hard to use and turn things to mush. EDIT: eGullet friendly link added.

Here is the link to the Amazon take on the SS mushroom. It doesn't look promising.

I am thinking that I might have found it at Sur La Table but I am not at all sure. It was made by Amco as I found out by looking at the well used bottom in good light. Web searches have turned up nothing. I may call them directly if I can find a way.

Heh heh... I gave the nephew the Orka's last year. He is always wrestling with big pieces of some animal. When he got them he said... "These are awesome kitchen condoms." So much for the distinguished attorney. Jason... I am truly ashamed that I didn't remember the Toast N Serve wraps. I just thought of the perfect recipient. On the Oxo stuff... I can recommend this shrimp peeler. I have cheaper versions of the same sort of design and they really work to remove the shell and devein at the same time. Unfortunately they no longer have the chicken lifter. It was a fairly stout U-shaped ss rod with the typical Oxo handle on one leg of the rod and a little forked thing on the other. You insert the forked end into the cavity of the chicken (or other bird) and with the handle at the exact advantageous center of gravity, you can lift the bird in complete confidence. My daughter's immediate reaction to this device was that it brought to mind unspeakable torture devices and would I please put it away.

Oh wow... Good ideas already. Curlz... That SS sugar pourer sounds ideal. I find that folks typically add sugar to their coffee in 1/2 teaspoon incriments. How cool would that be over by the coffee pot. The silicone pastry brush is ingenious. I was just growling today about how you can't really clean bristle brushes properly. I can't tell you how many I have thrown away in the last couple of years because they start to smell of rancid fat no matter what you do. Heh.. heh... I bought the cherry pitter from W-S last year to make cherry clafoutis when the cherries were in season. It works great but you had better be wearing black because you get speckled with cherry juice. The Microplanes are truly life changing. Thank you for reminding me. I can think of a couple of candidate recipients. Does anyone remember the Citrus Express? A few years ago when they first came out, I bought all of us one. The darn things really work!

I seem to have more than the usual need for small kitchen gifts lately. We are talking roughly $15 or less but they need to be really cool. I thought that this might be a common problem, especially this time of year, and it might be useful to get our heads together. For instance... I bought this charming garlic smasher some years ago, I don't remember where. It is ergonomically perfect for smashing garlic cloves, then you can rub it around on your hands under water to get the garlic smell off. The edges even work under fingernails. Additionally, it looks really cool just sitting around. I have had several folks ask me how to get one and I can't find it to save me. (I did see it listed among the AMCO products in Amazon but it is no longer in stock.) This is a good example of the kind of thing that makes people smile. Any other favorites out there that never fail to delight? Anybody know how to ask about stainless steel mushrooms without sounding like a whacko?

Well... a "proper" soup is anything you want it to be. Actually, on those times that I have gone for soup instead of gumbo, I lean toward having some kind of beans in there. I like hearty soups so a simple veggies, broth and turkey doesn't get it for me. I also head for something with a lot of seasonings so it doesn't taste too much like turkey... which I am not all that fond of. From there I just wing it. (sorry) After the usual onion, garlic and maybe carrot and celery, the beans usually determine what I do next. Pinto beans send me in a Mexican direction adding some chile pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano. White beans may send me in a French or Mediterranean direction with thyme, basil, tarragon, whatever. Garbanzos are a particular favorite due to their texture. With beans you can always cheat and use canned. I like Goya brand. There is always the pasta option, with or without tomato of some sort.

*bump* (again) As I was having a nice garbanzo bean salad for lunch, courtesy of this thread, I remembered that there was some discussion here on "old world beans" and that the parsons method may not work. Well, it does. Richard Kilgore took the first shot. Then, I tried it as well, except that I actually timed them. 1/2 pound Goya garbanzos 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt Into the 2 1/2 quart Le Creuset 2 1/2 hours later they were perfect. (What is it about this 2 and 1/2 thing? Is this some cosmic formula? )