AlaMoi

point number 1, I am no meat curing expert. however, black/dark molds are generally not a good thing. here's a primer: http://ruhlman.com/2011/02/meat-curing-safety-issues/

Tamworth . . . seems as scarce as Berkshire. the 'source farms' are multiple hours away - and no internet mention of retail places in my immediate area. some of the on-line sources are like out-of-their-minds. $/lb plus shipping makes for a veddy expensive meal. I know the stuff is more expensive, but . . . I need to gin up a list of a wider area butchers and get in the car.

thanks for the input! I may have to buy it mail order - can't find a single place in the area that carries it. all the restaurant fare I've had was really excellent - I wonder if the stuff is that short in supply only a few local businessi can get their hands on it.

had this in eateries - always enjoyed it. so I set out to learn whether it's so good because of the pork, the chef, or the fact I didn't have to cook it . . . . was in a 'farmer's market' a bit back - tripped over a (not open that day) butcher stall that had signs of "we have Berkshire pork" - so today I went back after researching what days that shop was 'open' - the market is 30 minutes travel, downtown, parking is a bear @ $500 per second (okokIzagerate...) go in, go to stall, empty. everything cleaned out, stuff stacked upside down. so I asked the neighbor cookie lady - very nice person - what happened. oh, they've been gone for quite some time - gosh, the market website has them listed as of yesterday..... that was Heritage Breed Farms of Russia,Ohio. oops. so here's my question: it the stuff really worth finding it? I've located another source around Gettysburg - which explains how/why a local eatery there had it.... - but it is one-way an hour+ drive. I dislike freezing good meats - exception: pork tenderloin does not seem to suffer in my freezer - bottom line to that is I'm not going to buy a whole / half pig and freeze it for use in perpetuity . . . experiences with Berkshire pork welcome!

state laws vary about how a "tipping pool" can be constructed. and the proprietor, working within those laws, establishes how any "tipping pool" is handled / divided in the proprietor's business. there are a couple recent cases where proprietors did not meet local laws/guidance - and turned into (successful) legal actions. POS=point of sale (system) it is bought / paid for / installed. and although I was involved in those kinds of things up past my earlobes, I have never heard of a POS provider getting any kind of residuals - and even less believable, from tips.

these have been on the market since the '50's - or earlier http://www.foodchopper.info/chop-o-matic many variations thereupon. the nifty bit is they 'contain' the chopee - but some minor experience is needed to appreciate how fine/coarse the chop is because the results just appear as a pile of stuff inside the round bit.

"I'm reviewing a cookbook on pickling\oil preserving for a publisher...." considering some of the questions and advice I've seen published on cooking websites, can't say I'm surprised in the least. time to time you see "professional" ala ChefTalk come out with stuff that will stand your bacteria on end - and these are people who purport to cook in restaurants for a living. some people don't know better, never knew better, can be bothered to learn better, then they write a cookbook..... "......that's a potential deadly piece of advice" when things get taken out of context, they can go wonkers real fast. if this is a chef from a starred restaurant talking about preparing a high end dressing for their GMO free organic washed in glacier water baby greens grown on the east slope but only above 15,000 ft yadda yadda as they be so prone to prattle on about.... the "recipe" is fine. when a ghost takes the recipe at with no knowledge of anything other than "spelt check" then thinks the prep can be put in the pantry for use until gone, well, that raises some hairs.

we're in PA. and the rules vary by state, county, township and wind direction. all ('approved') plastic, alum and glass and paper is collected in one recycle container. I'm guessing they sort it mechanically at the recycle center. everything else goes in the "trash" - but there are things we are directed not to put in the trash batteries hazardous mat'l - like florescence tubes construction debris the odd unneeded nuclear warhead . . . probably other things .... in our specific area, most of the trash goes to incineration/power production. of course, the NIMBY crowd makes incineration a very difficult thing to implement (new) nowadays. I garden, so I compost all our vegetable stuff and yard waste - I have a stainless bowl w/ lid on the counter; gets emptied when full. except weeds - for those I have a special place in h3ll .... what frosts me is the batteries bit. stuff like dead computers/phones we can recycle through BestBuy and other locations. but AA and kin type batteries have no convenient recycle collection. I suggested to our local supermarket - "heh you're collecting used plastic bags, how about a bucket for batteries?" zilch reaction... I can drive 15-20 miles to BestBuy and they've got a bin.... went to Radio Shack for a new timer battery - bought it, handed the old one to the clerk with the "got a spot for these?" and he accepted the button battery, turned around and tossed it in the waster basket. supercitizenship. in Germany every other street corner had a recycle container - paper, corrugated, clear glass, colored glass - and welded onto the side: a pocket for batteries. in USA we have strict vehicle emission laws (ask VW, they're wondering about that.....) but very little to prevent consumer pollution.

thanks for the link - it gives a good overview. I'd really like first hand examine them - so much of stuff now-a-days looks good on the web but it's just junk inside. one would think the medical types would be a bit more reliable...

sounds like an idea to dump (g) I haven't (yet) found a plain ole toe-push that operates smoothly - pretty much all Chinese cheap as possible stuff - so wondered if the self operating were any better. we have deer, fox, raccoon, ground hog, possum, chipmunk, squirrels.... and a couple people. the township does the trash pickup and they recently switched to the big plastic totes to work with the mechanical pickup arm on the truck. fortunately the wildlife is not getting to the trash - I compost all the vegetable stuff, perhaps that keeps them happy....

bit earlier than that - left in '70.

` you'll have to call your local pizza joint and ask. you'll likely not get a straight answer. it can be structured as an independent contractor or an employee. I have never heard of a delivery driver getting the "minimum tip wage" ($2.13/hr) plus tips, and obviously plus mileage, etc - however as some have pointed out, not every employer has proper, or any, regard for "the employment" laws.

I was born in the Philadelphia Naval Hospital; to celebrate my birthday, the USA dropped a biggie bomb. lived in/around Philadelphia all my life. did the Mummer's Parade every year. I know where to find the eagle. went to college at UoP. in my subsequent travels I've ordered / seen / eaten / tossed in the garbage... so many restaurant/eatery things labeled "Philadelphia Cheese Steak" I've lost count. outside of Philadelphia vicinity, it's extremely rare to find anything resembling the sandwich. and none of the combatants can lay even a shadow of an "invention" claim. but who cares..... so what makes a good Philly Cheese Steak? the roll - Amoroso. there is no substitute if you want "Philly" - goes for hoagies as well. good beef - it can be anything - just has to be tasty a cheddar flavor cheese - provolone? never heard of it.... I'm about 75 miles left of Philadelphia now-a-days. we have one, and exactly one, pizza/hoagie shop in the area that makes the real stuff. he's Italian, grew up in Germany, relocated to Philadelphia. he does not comprise - so he has a "standing" deal with a courier company to bring him Amoroso rolls on a daily basis. the same people that courier vehicle tags/licenses/etc to/from Harrisburg. their car smells really good.....

for years we had a stainless 30L with a step on pedal. little by little the operation became and more unreliable, sticky, etc. so I toss the outer shell, used the plastic inner w/ bag. last night the kitty kat decided the pork chop bones smelled pretty good, maybe a 4AM snack would do a kitty good.... now that's she's learned, time for a new lidded can. I like the idea of the (battery powered?) hands-free type - when I'm cooking I'd generally prefer to not be fondling the trash can.... anyone with experience / good / bad / brand / etc?

..if they are good they are good …right? ah-bet-so-lutely. try some in real life cooking - I get the impression you've been at the cooking bit for a while - so either you will or will not notice a difference. I have Bourgeat stuff - from the last century (TRUE!) which I chose over other brands because at that time Bourgeat was citing 3mm thickness vs. "everybody else" at 2.5mm. that situation apparently changed at some point as Bourgeat is now in the 2.5mm camp as well. lips . . . difference between 'flared' and 'straight' and 'rolled' - the rolled stuff is thin enough that it actually forms a hollow round bead. flared lips gush outward - but they are cut flush. see the pix. straight lips got none of the above - the sides go up and end in a 90' flush cut. Bourgeat flared lip:

the rolled edges/rims indicate they are probably on the thin side. here's why copper nuts go off on their tangents, time to time: first, copper transmits heat better than all the common materials. only solid silver is better/faster at heat transfer/'distribution second, copper does not "hold" heat as much/as well as other materials. this translates to: copper is "responsive" - it heats up and and it cools down fast, as the dude/dudette requires. 'how thick' is an important consideration. the copper flashed Revereware bottoms really don't do much in the area of fast heat transfer. the induction top people are very bonkers over how fast it heats up / cools down - well, ditto for the copper people. the benefits of copper are largely lost on electric coils. the coils react (ie heat up / cool down) much much slower than the copper. 'what's the best cookware' is not a valid question because the real question is: 'what's the best cookware for _________(fill in the task)' you can easily do a few "tests" to see if you think they will help: - tomato soup, heat it up without burning anything - any kind of a roux based sauce, make without noted hot spots/crudding up - chili / thickened beef stew, cooked/heated through with no stuck on bits - bacon strips, sizzling end to end without undercooking spots..... above all else, I would not recommend trashing them - you may well find an interested buyer.

I bought a bone in NY strip for a beef stir fry. ten minutes ago I boned it out, trimmed out the gristle, and sliced it to slithereens for stir fry. one single draw cut pass per slither. 8" Wuestie Chef which I took to 21' on my EdgePro and sees a steel every time out of the block. it's sharp enough I don't even feel it when I manage to slice myself.... I have trouble reading the newspaper reflected on the bevel - the words are backwards..... so I just settle for sharp.

I seen a few on-line that have a thing . . . 10-15 hours polishing the bevel on glass with 500,000 grit pastes, pictures of newpaper print reflected on the bevel.... and they're going to cut something with it? K.C. Ma was fond of edges that would cut 1 mm slices of huge bundles of chives - so sharp he said the slices would stay fresh for a week in the fridge. okay. my definition of fresh green stuff does not include a week's worth of pre-prepped stuff, but that's just me. the sushi types are fond of, and rightly so, very very sharp knives. who wants a chunk of raggedy fish slice? my personal favorite tho is the poster who bragged his knife was such fine metal that they could slice up three apples before "going back to the stones." me? my idea of good metal is a knife I can slice up three bushels of apples before it needs attention. but that's just me.

counter service to me is sitting on a stool at a counter as opposed to tables/booths/etc. once upon a time, Dunkin Donuts had only counter service, plus out - no booths, no tables.

those situations happen in many places/cases, but be assured it is not "the rule" there are few people I know who would go work someplace for hours, then _pay_ out of their own pocket for the privilege. I have long term exposure to the back rooms of the restaurant industry; on the east coast I have never seen any establishment that required table waitstaff to pay more than their tips to the bussers, bartender, etc. paying people under the table is commonplace everywhere in every industry. and there is a limit and it only works for so long - businesses reporting/with holding next to nothing in employee contributions bubble to the surface pretty quick in states looking for revenue. and yes, this is why some eateries are in a constant state of going out of business / bankruptcy. crooked owners/operators fleece the business and/or their employees and have to go bankrupt before they get caught. and I have never seen in any industry people willing to be paid under the table and then being required to pay their employer / co-workers out of their own pocket for the privilege of working there. you got some real slime balls around there - but it would seem the job pays so well in the busy periods that hosed employees are willing to go along with this.... which is why the "woe is me at $2.13/hr" is so silly - it's not true, it's not even close to real life - and the replies here demonstrate that. (ex)waitstaff, etc., explaining how terrible the job is followed by "and I could do extreme well" and "days where I would average $50 an hour" don't tip at counter service? seriously? I have no problem with "tipping" - I do take exception to the "we need $15 minimum wage because you can't live on $2.13" - a $500,000/hr minimum wage - according to your experience - would not help because everyone is getting paid under the table and then so thoroughly enjoy being hosed by their employer they keep the job. and I don't have any objection to patronizing a place that includes a service charge. I understand the thought behind the "I will not pay for poor service" line, but quite frankly I suspect those kind of people are actually real SOBs to deal with. since you've waited tables, you know the kind - there is virtually nothing anyone in the restaurant can do that will make them happy. I wrote software that did the books - the early POS implementations - and part of that was keeping track of tips. over a medium term it was perfectly obviously who was not reporting the cash tips, tip amounts broken down by service, by hour, by day, even 'by dish.' either they were the worst waitperson ever or they were exempting the tip pool from some portion of their efforts. and given the turn-over rate - in a job averaging seriously better than minimum wage - it's apparently not difficult to come up with another job and another place. "it's a hard job" - seriously? and mine / his / hers / theirs isn't?

I don't disagree with anything you said. there are crooks, and then there are more than that crooks. being "technically correct" but not correct because crooks don't follow the rules and exploited people accept that.... dunno what to say about that. find another job and blow the whistle on the crook? eateries have an abysmal record of crookedness, fraud, skimming, cooking the books, etc. the people I dealt with had million dollar homes, hundred thousand dollar cars, vacation villas in the Bahamas, and their restaurants went bankrupt every two-three years. I think they were cheating a bit..... the interesting question is,,,, does it make a difference? if the $2.13/hr employer contribution makes any kind of serious difference in waitstaffs' gross pay, it'd be time to look for a better joint. the only mathematically possible way for a wait person to "owe" money to the house is if they are required to share fixed dollar amounts to the tip pool. "the law" allows employers rather a lot aka rather a huge amount - of discretion in how tips are handled - but that would be unusual. what I do disagree with is current manic crowd screaming about you should tip your waitperson more because they only earn $2.13 per hour. this is not correct, it is not even close to being correct or accurate. my wife worked the counter at Dunkin'Donuts way back when donuts were $1.99/dozen. her tip share was 2-4x her hourly wages - so this is not some "new age" situation - as is quite amply demonstrated by the lack of wait persons screaming about how they can't live on $2.13/hour. and, in some states - now morphing to the county, city, town, street .... level - waitstaff are paid minimum wage by their employer PLUS they earn their tips/share of tips.

....no zone . . . omg. watched the video. it would take me four pages of posted-on-the-wall instructions to even think about this kind of stuff. burner. got burner, burner on, burner off. flame high, flame low. so simple even the Internet can understand it . . . .

your "pay" was not $2.13 per hour. your employer paid you $2.13 per hour, and your "pay" was: $2.13/hr plus your tips. if the $2.13 per hour plus your tipped amount did not amount to the legal local/state/federal minimum wage at the time and place of your employment - after you shared your tip pool with other employees - your employer was required to pay more than ther $2.13/hr, specifically to meet minimum non-tipped hourly wage. if you are ignorant of the law, that is not the law's fault. it is legally not possible for you to "owe the house" anything. "I could and I could do extremely well." so,,,, you made more than minimum wage? extremely more than minimum wage?

.............way old thread. but recent events repeat history. a "tipping wage" - first understand that the wild-eyed "OMG they get paid nothing" is completely removed from the truth. in the case a waitperson does not report enough tips to equal the minimum hourly wage the employer must pay them addtional over and above the $3.xx "tip wage" in some states, employers are required to pay the full minimum wage (heading for $15+/hr) and the waitperson gets 100% of their tips _in addition_ to the state/local minimum $8-15/hr (current) wage paid by the employer. if you wonder why so few waitpersons are chiming in about starving to death on less than no wages..... it's because so many of them make a lot of money based on tips - forget about _any_ hourly wage amount paid by their employer. the $3.xx minimum/hour tip wage is a way long dismissed after thought. one honest bartender cited making $1500 in tips _per night_ Fri-Sat-Sun. do the math: Fri+Sat+Sun=$4500 times 50 weeks/year (gotta do some vacation....) that's $225,000/yr plus hourly wage plus tips for Monday thru Thursday. this is why we don't see a lot of whine from waitstaff..... a waitperson whining to the management about a customer not tipping to the waitperson's expectations - well, the waitperson needs a different occupation. he/she may seem to be popular - but his/her attitude is bleeding through to all the clientelle. in my world, at the conclusion of his/her whining, he/she would have his/her walking papers in hand. a business does not need a front line representative with that kind of approach. in Germany, located in Europe, unless they've moved it of late.... the menus state at the bottom: words to the effect "Prices include a 15% service fee." if one is prepared to walk out of an eatery that includes / specifies a service fee, do not go to Europe - you will become very very hungry. a lot of European wait staff just adore Americans. because Americans don't know about the 'included' fees so they add 15-50000% on top of the 'tip already included' price. I suspect legal requirements differ. I have been to places for example in Italy....there's not a question remaining about being 'not local' after listening to my Italian...where I've been charged for the tablecloth, the utensils, the glassware - oh, and the food..... it is customary in Germany to 'round-up' the bill. but a percentage of 'rounding up' is not applied or expected from locals. note also the overwhelming quantity of tabs are paid in cash. none of that credit card writing in to the penny stuff.

what? you mean the government does not do everything perfectly for everybody? the PA "idea" of wine distribution stinks. one of the things I hate about going to a nice eatery out of state is: you like the wine, you write it down, you go home, it's not available. special order? did you say..... lets' gin up 20 PA residents and send them to their local state store for a special order. 21 of them will report being treated like a heroin addict in a pharmacy want to special order some 'good stuff' I made such a special order inquiry. the clerk knew the wine, immediately recognized the name. and then promptly informed me that he could special order it - case lot only - but I'd never get it because the restaurants buy up the entire production. and the pricing . . . obviously none of the stuff on the shelf has any cost for shipping. for special orders you have to order an entire case - and pay for next minute shipping/handling/delivery from the winery to your local store. $100+ per case (nine bottles) is not unusual. so, whenever I'm out of state I'm always on the alert for wine vendors. have trunk-on-wheels, will shop.