rustwood

@Joe Blowe, there is an Anova rep that follows the the SousVide forum on Reddit. Whenever anyone contacts that rep though a Reddit PM they seem to get a replacement, but it usually after they have posted their problem in the forum. It shouldn't be necessary to go that route, but it seems to work. My unit failed and I got a replacement on the first try with no questions asked by just emailing the support address. I have seen many reports similar to mine but also many like yours. Perhaps it depends on who gets your initial request. As for the oven, so far I am not very interested. Sous vide has a lot of room for error in terms of timing so I rarely use the app (although I will have to use an app if my Joule ever gets shipped). Oven cook times are not as forgiving though so perhaps a temperature probe and a smart cooking algorithm will be a real advantage. I will definitely need to be sold on the usefulness of communication between the PC and the oven though. I wonder if that is mostly an attempt to gain a marketing advantage over their SV competition.

@IANSTUART, clearly you are happy with induction, but if you were redoing your kitchen and had the choice, would you do induction again or go with gas? We are going to be redoing our all-electric kitchen (came with the house) and have been planning on running gas to it (we have natural gas heat). I was surprised to find that electric seems to be the way to go for ovens these days and now there is a lot of induction buzz so I am reconsidering the gas line. Neither the pan restrictions nor the wok issue is a deal killer for us. We currently have a 220V Bosch electric/glass cooktop that was once a high-end model. It has one high-power/instant element, but we aren't thrilled with the level of control it offers on any of the elements. Even after many years of using it, finding the right medium or medium-low setting always seems involve more trial and error than it should, certainly more so than the gas elements in our previous home. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has that issue with their induction hobs.

+1 for this what @Kerry Beal said. I did the same a couple of months ago and it was very well received by my fellow pitmasters at a BBQ competition. You definitely get the tender, tasty, pink beef inside, but the bark on the outside of true pit beef is tough to replicate with an eye roast cooked this way.

FWIW, my long-time vegan and spicy food-loving spouse seems to like it. Multiple pages are marked and ingredients have been purchased. I believe the plan is for at least the first dish to be made this afternoon/evening.

I pre-ordered it and it is supposed to be delivered today. I've seen some of the teaser recipes from it online and haven't been moved to make any of them, but hopefully there will be enough in the book to make it worthwhile. I'll follow up once we have had a chance to check it out.

The article came right up for me - probably because I don't read many WSJ articles on this computer. The focus definitely seems to be on the marketing/commerce potential. Notably absent is much in the way of "local" foods - moringa from Latin America and Jackfruit from Southeast Asia aren't going to earn that label. The Jackfruit as meat-substitute seems to be the only thing in the article that might have a widespread direct impact in the kitchen though.

I mistook the price that was posted as the cost for the pre-packaged bags, not a per pound price. I should have known better, but it was expensive enough that it seemed quite plausible. It wasn't until I got to the register that I realized my mistake and just how big/heavy those bags were. FWIW, the first time I had them they came with a picnic lunch and they were rather warm. They definitely tasted like cotton candy. The ones I bought only faintly hinted cotton candy, but I later wondered if that might have been because I was eating them straight out of the fridge. I am OK with leaving that mystery for someone else to solve though. I didn't like them nearly enough to justify their cost.

Would that be the one that is dry brined or a traditional wet brine? They seem to have both methods. I've been dry brining for at least the last couple of years. I like the results and it is a lot easier.

I have nothing to contribute to your quest, but I do appreciate your passion.

I am in a somewhat similar situation (1 meat eater, 1 non-meat eater). It is very conveniently located for us so that makes it a lot easier to justify the membership. We have 2 sets of tires from Costco and it is worth it just to get them rotated for free. I also get a prescription at their pharmacy for a fraction of the best price I can get it for at other local pharmacies. That alone more than covers the annual membership fee. I've read that you don't have to be a member to use the pharmacy, but I believe there are member-only discounts on prescriptions. I am often the only person in line who is only purchasing 2-3 small items. Of course most items are packaged in sizes that are way too big for 1-2 people (especially fresh food), but there are things I like to buy there on a semi-regular basis (balsamic, peppercorns, maple syrup, vanilla, etc). Those sort of recommendations are probably already in another thread though.

I just read this Mark Greif article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/23/how-to-live-well-in-age-of-plenty He has much to say about food and foodies so I was surprised that I couldn't find any comments about it here. The lead in is "Cancel your gym membership and come off the Paleo diet. Your basic human needs are all catered for, and life is too short to spend in the pursuit of longevity." He goes on to say many things, including, "The foodie wades out and swims in possibility. And then, surprisingly, many a foodie will deliberately restrict his range. He sets rules or laws for himself that make the quest for food harder and the thinking more complex." It is likely true that some people are being misled into contorting their foodways such that they are unjustifiably missing out on enjoying aspects of their life; however, I wonder if Greif believes everyone who is passionate about good food and cooking is committing some sort of error. I can't put my finger on anything in the text to clearly illustrate it, but his overall tone makes it difficult for me to divorce myself from that notion. With that said, I very much enjoyed reading this article. I agree that many people seem to spend inordinate amounts of time worrying about food and health related issues that may not have any basis in fact. Even when they have some basis, the amount of time. effort, and energy invested in them by some may be grossly out of proportion relative to their potential impact on our lives. I have to assume Greif realizes this is not an entirely new concept. Obviously many have expressed some variation of the idea that they would rather live an enjoyable life than spend a longer life denying themselves of every indulgence. Clearly the 'trick' is to find a reasonable balance. Greif highlights ways that current culture and media may be pushing or pulling us out of balance with respect to food and the pursuit of health. I may not agree with every point he makes, but the thoughts he provokes seem well worth consideration.

It may be even more expensive in person. I have held the 375 ml bottle (12+ ounces) of Blis bourbon maple syrup in my hand twice now but both times I couldn't bring myself to pay a significant premium over the web price. Of course I haven't paid $18.95 plus shipping to buy it from the web either. I'd love to try it, but I fear it might spoil less expensive syrup for me. I am tempted to just add a little bourbon to my Costco maple syrup before I warm it up

Here is another list from the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/this-years-best-autumn-cookbooks/

Being a novice home chef, as I read this thread I wondered if perhaps this book would be more suitable for someone like me than for a more experienced contributor. Unfortunately, I just started it and I already have issues with it. The first thing I noticed was the constant referencing of other pages in the book. It wasn't long before I stopped chasing the references. I don't see the point of referencing a short paragraph on page 378 every time you use a toasted spice. Also, the next to last paragraph of the introduction says, "Before making any of these recipes, see my notes using salt on p371 and 375." If the author feels so strongly about that and all of the other references to that section, then the book should have started with that material. Alternatively, put those pearls of wisdom within each recipe as they come up and then stop repeating them. The book is supposed to build knowledge from beginning to end so that would make perfect sense. It would still be fine (if not best) to also include them in a summary at the end, but please save the references to other pages for when they are truly useful. My guess is that these issues should have been addressed by an editor. As a novice I appreciate her sharing her opinions and recommendations - even if they are a bit fussy at times (an alternative to BLiS Maple Sherry Wine Vinegar would be welcome). I can even live with her opinions when they probably aren't widely held ("I've found tomatoes in cans have a metallic aftertaste"), but I take issue with her stating something as fact that is probably untrue. For example, after stating that she only uses wood cutting boards (fine), she says, "Plastic cutting boards are brutal on your cutlery." Are they? Who says? I am sure there are others somewhere who share her opinion, but as far as I can tell it is not a widely held belief - at least not for the commonly used soft plastic boards. The minor issues I've spotted and the other issues already pointed out in this thread make me wonder what other questionable facts and techniques are contained with the text. As such, I doubt I will invest much time in reading or cooking from it - in spite of the fact that I could probably learn a lot from it.

I've been thinking the same thing but I thought maybe it was just me. I am not yet wedded to using reading glasses all of the time, but I am well on my way there.

FWIW, I chatted with Ashley from Amazon and, after having me jump through a few hoops, she concluded there must be something wrong with that ebook. She said she is submitting it for review. I will be interested to see if anything actually comes of it.

Same on my Kindle - no page numbers and no hyperlinks in the River Cottage preserves book.. Very odd. I am going to try to ask Amazon about it. I also bought "Pasta by Hand" and it has both page numbers and hyperlinks.

It definitely has more depth, but note that you hold back 3 cups of the fresh tomatoes to add back in at the end. Last time I took out some of the cooked down sauce for pizzas before I added the fresh and it ended up a little too fresh for my tastes. I do like it rich and spicy though.

@Okanagancook, by any chance have you tried the Serious Eats slow cooked recipe? That has been my favorite of late so I am curious to know how yours compares. If you can't comment I might have to make up a batch of each.

Not to enable you, but check out ereaderiq.com (e.g. http://www.ereaderiq.com/drops?c=156154011&t=week ). The problem with this and similar sites is that not everything in the cooking category is actually cooking related and for every good title, there might be dozens of not so good ones - and the crummy ones tend to repeat at regular intervals. With that said, there are filters available that can help thin and improve the results. What I use most is their tracking feature. You can set criteria for a specific title and they will email you if/when it hits that price. I've used it for titles that I couldn't get from my library, but wasn't sufficiently interested in to pay full freight (e.g. when when the kindle book isn't much less expensive than the hardback). For example, I just searched for Keller's Under Presssure and it came up at $18, but the site suggested tracking it because it may drop below $10 (I presume based on past history). It's a handy way to check whether it might be worth delaying a purchase.

Thanks I went for the River Cottage book

I just finished Pig Perfect by Peter Kaminsky, which made me want to buy expensive ham and Ossabaw pork. Then I started Meathooked by Marta Zaraska, which has me reconsidering - or at least feeling a little guilty. I was surprised to find a local source for Ossabaw but they won't be available for at least a month. Maybe if I hurry up and finish Meathooked I'll be over it in time.

OK, so that does seem to be a fairly priced rental. Clearly I was missing something - I didn't even notice the 0 bedrooms. I was thinking of the missing prep area. Maybe it is sealed off - or even in another location (the magic of TV).

Am I missing something? That kitchen doesn't look like what I recall from the show. Anyway, we've rented a couple of VRBO type places in VT recently and that is not outrageous - except that it sleeps 12 and has 1 bathroom. My guess is that you could get a really fabulous places in that price range with 3+ bathrooms. I can't imagine why 2 families or 3 couples opt for it over other choices.

That exact reasoning has already led me own too many books! I always tell myself when I am done I can just throw the book away (like a magazine), but of course I rarely do. I am getting better though. I am increasingly discriminating at these sales and I've already started gathering titles from some of my neglected hobbies to donate. I've also been putting my beat up trade paperback fiction out with my newspapers for recycling and leaving others in the book "exchange" at work. Mostly it seems us older folks add books to it and the younger folks take them away. That is just fine by me though. As much as I like to read books, I've become a bit of a slave to my recipe software. I am too lazy to enter recipes by hand so I typically end up searching for an online version of the recipe. I may not end up with the exact recipe in the book, but I am often led to a variation that I am likely happier with than the original - perhaps something more suitable to my tastes, with easier to find ingredients, easier to make, etc.