SLB

Report from the Uptown Manhattan Bluestar: oven door no long closes fully!

The handles browned a little bit; I greased them, and also I did 3 15-minute rounds in a 500 degree oven. I'm committed to testing donut recipes for my best friend's teenage baker-entrepreneur, so my theory is to fry the test donuts in this pan (I'm testing for how different fats work, since I'm the only person in his circle with lard in volume . . . anyway). My theory is to fry a whole lot of donuts in this pan over the next month. You sure are right about its beauty. I'm thrilled. And -- it isn't as heavy as I feared, either! Part of my Darto-apprehension was the sense that it didn't save a whole lot of weight; my theory of slowly converting to carbon steel was that as I age my larger cast-iron pans may not be manageable, making the case for good ole' Matfer. But I'm weak for art, is the truth. Especially metal art. And metal art doubles as a tool? I'm <daid>.

I bought myself a Darto last week, the No. 35 paella pan. Because, company! On revisit of this thread, I can report that they seem to have elevated their grade of cardboard; the box was untraumatized, even having been opened and resealed by customs. I got no bag, which I was ok with (too many bags in this modern world. Really, people. We don't need any more bag swag). It was just the gray pan in the box, with the bill of lading. I did the full 10 rounds of seasoning, most over the stovetop but a few in a 500 degree oven. Although there's some visual blotch, the surface feels entirely smooth: I'm a little concerned that the blue-ish portion isn't uniform. But not concerned enough not to start frying food. New chapter in life, new backpack -- a whole other community -- new pan. Onward. Still eating.

I just [hopefully] closed a chapter on my life (work related); and I got me a Darto. The Darto arrived on my last day on the job. Which was so perfect it felt divine. As soon as these rounds of seasoning are done, I'm gonna post a pic in the Darto thread. But the thrill goes here, as far as I'm concerned.

@JoNorvelleWalker, always a reliable rescue. 😋

So, I'm attempting ice cream this new year; I noted in the kitchen consumer thread that I bought myself the KA attachment. My first effort, an attempt to follow a recipe for apple ice cream from Chez Panisse Desserts, was a total fail. I think everything was just too thick going into the frozen bowl, you wouldn't call it a "batter", more of a porridge. Good God did that porridge taste divine, however. But on initial dump it blew the dasher off of the drive assembly, and the porridge promptly froze solid. One problem that, uh, may not have a solution, is that I am not using the KA attachment with an actual KitchenAid. Rather, I am using the KA attachment with an old Hobart N50. According to the internets, it's supposed to work; but these reports are very, very old. I'm made the base for my second effort, also from the Chez Panisse Dessert book, which involves overripe pears, warmed, pureed and duly strained. It's chilling now, and went into the fridge in a condition that would be uncontrovertibly described as "pourable". I am brand new at this, so most of my questions may well need moving to the "stupidest questions on earth" thread. It won't hurt my feelings. Anyway, I am very excited about everthing except all of these egg whites. I make frittatas flotsam-n-jetsam literally every week; but I have no words for how much I hate eating egg whites sans yolks.

Take your time. xoSLB

It certainly sounds delicious. I see it in my future.

I'm in!

Got it. Thank you! I'm a total neophyte at ice cream making, the last time I even observed such a thing, it involved rock salt, a wooden bucket-thingy on the back porch, and the men in the house taking turns cranking seemingly forever.

Me too! Be warned -- those ice cream threads are dizzying in eGullet's Very.Best.Way. I am starting with the (possibly overly) simple recipes from the Chez Panisse Desserts book. They seem to all involve the fruit of the moment (the current moment in NYC is apples and pears); all and only heavy cream; a custard assessed without even thinking about using a thermometer; and some kind of booze. On revisiting those threads, this seems like . . . some instructions might be missing. But my bowl is in my freezer too. Looking forward to seeing what we come up with!

Clay pots are gorgeous, but I'm done paying major money for a tool that breaks so readily. If the function isn't primarily art, and the price isn't cheap, gimme metal.

Also. If the beans seem like they might be old, just add a five-finger pinch of baking soda and put 'em in the oven on way-low overnight. Yes old beans take longer to cook. And yes their subtle taste notes will evaporate. But people? Sigh. Emphasis on "subtle". Beans are food for people to stay alive. Old beans fulfill this purpose. And if you add some pork fat, they fulfill this purpose really very well. As do canned beans.

Yeah. I live in a serious bean-eatin', price-sensitive neighborhood. There is no evidence of a shortage here.

Soimething about using chops or muscle good enough to be ground makes me. . . anxious. In fairness, it's probably an anxiety arising from my wallet; it's never occurred to me to boil a chop. But still, anxious. I make unsmoked pork broth from bones or unsmoked hocks. My stock needs are not sophisticated, and I think it's marvelous and use it interchangeably with chicken stock applications. [FWIW -- I also make smoked hock stock and smoked neckbone stock, which I definitely do not use interchangeably with chicken stock].

The Kitchenaid ice cream attachment. I have been dying to make ice cream, even though I eat sweets at home like once a year anymore. However. However. A dear friend, who's old and no kids or wife or anything, has started to love ice cream and eat it every day. A DEDICATED EATER!!! Between him and my 2025 resolution to start having people over again for dinner, I think this could be a lot of fun. I'm starting out with apple something. Because I have a lot of apples. <Edited for a loud typo>

I can't WAIT to dive into the Li Ziqi channel! THANKS!!

I don't know if all of YouTube needs its own topic, or whether just the show I'm flipping over now needs to be the topic. Mods will edit as warranted . . . . But anyway. People, this show has turned into my nightly meditation. I respond to it in a manner that is similar to @Shelby's hunting thread -- exactly HOW did I end up with an apartment and an office in this life??? -- anyway. I learned of it from a publication well known for its food reporting, The Economist. (?!) https://www.youtube.com/@country_life_vlog The lack of dialogue won't suit everyone. But for me, the enameled pails, the mountains, the birdsong . . . sigh.

I ate at Stars in 1993, when I was a paralegal at a Big New York Law Firm, supporting a hearing in the Bay area. Dude. I was a kid, fresh out of college; and it was an education.

Alright, I've got a camping trip this weekend with a twist: it culminates in a half-marathon run on Sunday. Meaning, I'm trying to maximize food (not alcohol) calories to be ub reasonably strong condition after two nights outside. We are car camping, will have the Coleman plus a campfire. Trip is in north Georgia, US, and will be cold at night. My current theory for Friday is soup-stew with cubed lamb (got this upthread from decades+ back), some random vegetables; and ravioli stuffed with these indulgent white beans I make from a Time-Like Good Cook recipe called "white beans in sauce". The recipe calls for TWELVE TABLESPOONS of butter per pound of beans. (I may have mentioned this on this board somewhere because I was gobsmacked when I first saw it). When I made them before, all I wanted to do with them was to boil 'em down, puree, and stuff into ravioli. So, god willing that I can get myself together tomorrow, that's the soup pasta theory for Friday night. Anyway, where was I? Friday dinner of some brothy thing with lamb and these fat-and-fiber rich ravioli. That's it for the fiber because, long run come Sunday. Saturday breakfast is eggs, someone upthread mentioned adding in the tortillas for migas. If not tortillas, then grits. Because, when in Rome . . . . Whichever, plus cream, cheese. Saturday lunch is sandwich or some kind of store-bought something, we'll be mild-hiking. Saturday dinner is noodle-pasta with salty-delicious smoked fish, and whatever-green vegetable. Maybe more butter. I'm considering as an alternative the above-referenced "hobo dinner", with maybe just a side of buttery noodles; I'm imagining that I could just make the packets in advance and freeze them. Sunday breakfast -- cooked apples (I have a stupid amount of pie apples up in here) and cream. Sunday post-race will involve someplace that serves steak and gin. As in civilian life, I totally lose steam when it comes to dessert. But that does seem like a way to boost the calorie intake. I think we're gonna have to stop at a bakery or something en route from Atlanta.

People. Margaret Hardin's "History of American Food." It's just outstanding. And this is true even though she sometimes comes across as if reading from the article she just wrote. But it's a good article!!! I totally want to have her over for dinner. Meaning -- I recommend, heartily! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-american-food/id1557586133

I'm the same as you re barbecue sauce, I can't stand it when I can't taste the meat. Also, pasta. I like what turns out to be a very small amount of pasta sauce. And, since it's pie season -- I hate it when I can't taste the fruit because of all the sugar. HATE IT! I'm sensing a trend here . . . . Thank you.

You know how dry rubs on meat like ribs always appear to have been applied with a heavy-hand, looking like 100% coverage? Why do people do this with as strongly-tasting meat as beef? Is this actually necessary?

I am looking for a proven recipe for alcapurrias. I've got the filling down -- I make a piccadillo that I love so much I ain't messin' with it -- but I'm unclear about the dough, and not familiar enough with the relative merits of plaintain vs yucca vs yautia blanca. There are some recipes online, but honestly I'd love to have someone's proven version since they're so labor intensive. I have exactly one Caribbean cookbook that I rely on because the recipes are killer ("The Sugar Reef Caribbean Cookbook"), but there are no meat-filled fritters in it, unfortunately. Help!

Yikes. I used to love Lupa, and then had a TERRIBLE pandemic experience there. Haven't been back.