slkinsey
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Posts posted by slkinsey
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Basically there are several issues here:
1. Polytetrafluoroethylene, otherwise known as PTFE and sometimes branded as "Teflon" is one of the most biologically benign substances we have in terms of tissue reactivity, etc.
2. The OP on this thread spoke of "emissions from a teflon coating facility," which is not the same thing at all. There has been some concern that ammonium perfluorooctanoate ("C-8"), a chemical used in the production or PTFE, is causing health problems around plants and factories. This does not necessarily have any bearing on the safety of PTFE once manufactured.
3. The animal deaths, etc. related to overheated PTFE have to do with the fact that PTFE, like many substances, will shed "ultrafine particles" when heated above 550F. These particles get into the delicate and small lungs of birds and other small animals, clog them up and cause the animals to die.
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I grew up in Boston, and we always called them subs. I saw a show once that explained where the different names came from, but I can't remember.
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"Grinder" is a name for a sandwich? I've never heard this before.
What is its origins?
A grinder is a large sandwich, usually served on a small loaf of "Italian" or "French" bread. Also known as a submarine, sub, hero, hoagie, po' boy, etc.
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Go for lunch. No reservations needed, AFAIK. And you get an entire day to walk it off.
Edited: "walk it off" not "talk it off."
Some of us -- particularly yours truly -- exercise our mouths more than any other part.
Guilty here! (sigh)
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I love my LeCreuset stuff, but I want to have an affair with Staub. Those are SEXY pots!
Aren't they? Let's say it together: "seeeeeelf baaaaasting spiiiiikes."
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Raw cast iron is not recommended for the kinds of low/slow braising and cooking of long-simmered tomato sauces for which one uses an enameled cast iron casserole. It's too reactive.
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From today's New York Times:
American-made buffalo mozzarella from Star Hill Dairy in Vermont is available at Whole Foods. $6.99 each.
FREE hot chocolate on cold days in the lobby of the Regency Hotel on 61st Street!
Union Square Wines Group (includes Union Square Wines and Spirits, Vintage Grape, Columbus Wines and Spirits and Park East Wines and Spirits) is having a winter wine sale. 22% off 1/19 - 1/24; 21% off 1/26 - 1/31; 20% off 2/2 - 2/7
Sherry Lehman is having a big sale to celebrate their 70th year on Madison Avenue. Many special deals, including an interesting feature: the "unsung heroes of Bordeaux" featuring 12 wines all under $20/bottle.
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Kinsey: They have a word for letting toxic heavy metals build up in water in order to remove them with a high-tech filter, when you could just run the water for 30 seconds to get rid of them without a filter. I'm having trouble remembering the word. Oh, right, the word is . . . stupid!
Oh yea? I thought that was the word for people who spend 600% more on a yearly basis using a Brita filter. Seriously, though, I am not the least bit concerned about lead and heavy metals in NYC tap water. And the efficiency of my filter (those test results were after 20,000 gallons had run through the filter) is such that I have even less concern. Indeed, if in fact I did have a lead or heavy metal problem in my tap water, I am certain that the water coming from my filter would contain lower levels than the water from the tap after 30 seconds. All that said, it's not a big deal to run the tap 30 seconds before turning on the under-counter filter or flushing out a plumbed-in espresso machine, assuming that the filter and/or machine was plumbed into the same water line. That simple procedure should satisfy even the most paranoid.
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The stuff is so heavy and heat retentive that small differences in heat transfer for cooking purposes are probably not significant.
Totally. The only qualitative difference will have to do with the enamel.
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Round shape is best.
7 - 8 quarts is most versatile.
All the brands are more or less the same, although the less expensive brands may have fewer layers of enamel and lower quality enamel.
I prefer Staub, especially for the lids. Le Creuset is the most promoted and general favorite. Chasseur is almost identical to Le Creuset, and less expensive. Descoware is good stuff you can get on eBay (the company is defunkt).
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Bring it on, lard ass! I bet you're not so tough without that dog!
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You don't have to go back to the Croton reservoir. You have to go back to the point in the line where the water is running pretty much continuously. In an apartment building that means the main line that's bringing water to many apartments. The simple way to tell is to run your faucet until the water is cold. That's when you're drawing from the main line of fresh water, as opposed to the crap that has been sitting in old pipes collecting gunk, sediment, and off-flavors.
I still don't think it's significant. In fact, I'd bet you the water coming out of my plumbed-in filter tastes the same or better than the water coming out of your Brita. Less sediment, too.
A lead and heavy-metals take on this. From "Tap Water Recommendations" from the Brookhaven National Laboratory:My filter removes lead from water with 97% efficiency, and all heavy metals and other contaminants to well below the EPA's maximum contaminant levels (test results). This is not to say, by the way, that I have the best filter in the world. It's quire reasonably priced, and I am sure one can do better.
It is true, FWIW, that cold water holds more dissolved gas than warm water. I don't know how much this effects coffee.
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Go for lunch. No reservations needed, AFAIK. And you get an entire day to walk it off.
Edited: "walk it off" not "talk it off."
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That's a good point, Suzanne, and a reason why I would never plumb in an espresso machine without a very fine sediment filter on the front end of the line. Even in NYC which has, as you point out, some of the best municipal water in the country, I still have to clean out my 0.5 micron ceramic sediment filter around 4 times a year to keep the filter tap running fast.
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But still, what about the sitting-in-the-pipes problem? This is the same issue I have with inline filtration systems for drinking water. I'd much prefer to run the water for 30 seconds and then fill a Brita pitcher. The amount of water that comes out of my tap in 30 seconds could probably make 9,700 espressos.
It depends on the filter and on the diameter of the pipe that's plumbed to the machine. There's no reason not to use a low-diameter pipe with low flow-rate to the machine. As for the filter, it depends on the filter. I would argue that my two-stage under the counter filter is a lot better than your Britta, and will continue to be better until I replace the filters three years from now. As for the sitting-in-the-pipes problem... I think you're going to have to run your sink a lot longer than 30 seconds before you start pulling in fresh water straight from the Croton reservoir. All the water that comes out of your tap has been sitting in the pipes.
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It's always fun getting up to speed with a new machine. I remember when I got my Rancilio and I pulled something like 18 shots trying to get the grind right. Well, of course I drank them all... Needless to say, it was a jittery day at casa slkinsey!
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It totally depends on how much coffee you make. In situations where one or more people work at home or maintain a home office, and if these people are using the machine 4-5 times a day (not all that unusual for some), then having a plumbed-in, double boiler machine makes a certain amount of sense.
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I was thinking of the lime caviar as specifically being made from those Australian finger limes, which apparently are filled with tiny caviar-like sacs rather than the usual citrus configuration. While they are still rare and largely unavailable, I can see "lime caviar" from Australian finger limes being used in high-end places. Once they (hopefully) become more ubiquitous, it will turn into a middle-brow cliché.
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I had an interesting conversation with Mr. Cutlets the other night about Peter Luger. He remarked that he didn't think it was a great idea that they seem to bring the steak directly from the broiler to the table and proceed to cut it into pieces. Now that I think about it, it doesn't seem like such a hot idea to me either.
I wonder if it would be possible to have the waiters bring the steak to the table uncut so it could rest for a while. I also wonder whether it actually would make much of a difference, and to what extent. I sense a side-by-side testing in my Peter Luger future.
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Michael, you are so ahead of the curve. You beat the Times in bringing attention back to Col Legno (that's "with wood" for the non-Italophiles) by two years!
I was glad to read the review in the Times, but I'm even more glad to read that you liked it. Anyone want to share favorite dishes to try?
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I have seen both sweet limes and key limes at the 74th street Fairway in recent weeks.
What I really want to try, though, are some of those Australian finger limes. What do you want to bet we start seeing "lime caviar" on fancy restaurant menus over the next two to three years?
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As long as names aren't being called and people not being flamed -- as long as real arguments are being made and evidence shown -- I think people should be willing to accept challenges. Members shouldn't expect to be made fun of, but they also shouldn't expect to have to walk on eggshells for those that don't like to be challenged.
This is a very salient point you make here. One does not have to agree with another person to respect that person. I would even go so far as to suggest that one does not have to respect another person's opinion to respect that person.
You and I, for example, have taken opposing positions and gone around the tree on a number of subjects. And yet, at the end of the day, it was all a good time. I think we came away from it appreciating our counterpart's position a little better, appreciating our counterpart a little better and liking each other a little more. I certainly know that, based on our debates, I tend to check out your posts to see if something interesting is going on.
That is only good, in my opinion.
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Best bbq in town is at "Hickory Hollow" on Hights blvd. It's a family run business where everything is great. My faves are the pork ribs.
The inclusion of the word "hickory" in the name and your mention of pork ribs makes me wonder if this place serves echt Texas barbeque, which is to say: mesquite-smoked brisket with a thinish, tomato-based, black-peppery sauce on the side.
What do you think of the Goode Company Barbeque on Kirby for TX barbeque?
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If it's not too late to chime in, I *did* buy the Sitram set from Costco. It's a good set, and the price was great, but I do have some issues with it...
Thanks for the report, fimbul. That is, as you have discovered for yourself and nicely summarized for us, the main drawback of buying a pre-configured set of cookware: most of the time you only get real use out of around 50%.
Plumbed in espresso machines
in Coffee & Tea
Posted
How many ways are there to say "informed?"
In 1991 the EPA lowered the maximum contaminant level for lead in drinking water from 50 parts per billion to 15 ppb. According to the EPA rules, the City of New York must test at least 100 "worst case" dwellings per year to ascertain the lead levels. Upon doing so, 90% were found to be below 24 ppb. These are, mind you, the worst cases. In addition, for over 10 years the City has been adding orthophosphate to the water supply. Orthophosphate is an anticorrosion agent that forms a coating on the inside of pipes, thereby preventing lead from dissolving into the water. (Information from the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection). Since my filter can reduces the presence of lead by >97%, I could start with, say, 100 ppb and still end up way below the EPA's MCL.
But you can always do what I did. I already know my water is fine straight out of the tap. You know you can get the city to test your tap water for free, right? Just call (718) DEP-HELP.