dls

Thank you so much, dls, for sharing this information. I have apple, cherry and maple wood available but will probably use combo of the first 2, as that's normally a combo I end up enjoying. If you're willing to share your rub recipe, I'd love to have it. But if you consider it proprietary, I completely understand. Thanks again, =R= ← Ron - They apple and cherry mix will work well. Nothing proprietary about my rub. Similar to the GP / NC rubs with a few additions. As I mentioned, I "paint" the meat with homemade worcestershire sauce (Emeril's recipe) and let it sit for 30 minutes. If I'm feeling really exotic, I might add a thin layer of Creole mustard. Then, add the rub... 4 T smoked Spanish paprika (dulce or agridulce). 3 T coarse salt 2 T garlic powder or granulated garlic 2 T coarsely ground black pepper 2 T white pepper 2 T brown sugar 1 1/2 T cayenne 1 T ground allspice 1 T Coleman's dry mustard (omit if you have layered with Creole mustard) 1 t cinnamon 1 t onion powder 1 t celery salt 1/2 t ground cloves 1/2 t ground nutmeg Mix & Rub - Heavily. Also, the foodsaver is a godsend when making tasso. When finished, I seal in 1/2 lb packs then freeze. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

Ron - I've made tasso many times using the Gumbo Pages (A. Patout) and Nola Cuisine recipes as a guide plus a few tweaks of my own. I've never used pink salt and the results have always been great - similar to the NC pic. A few hints... Meat - Most recipes call for pork butt or shoulder. I use a well trimmed pork loin roast. The final result is not meant to be moist. Slice it as described in the recipes. Rub - Lay it own very heavy. Shake off the excess after a 3 day cure. Also, before applying the rub, I "paint" the meat with some homemade worcestershire sauce and let it soak in. Smoke - You want to smoke it at a low temp. Start off at about 150F then raise it to 170F after a couple of hours. Take it to an internal temp. of 150F-160F. Get the smoke rolling good before you put the meat in. Put the meat in as cold as possible. I usually put it the freezer for 30-45 minutes before smoking. Wood - If you have access to pecan, go for it. Otherwise, use apple or cherry. Avoid mesquite and hickory.

That is a different model. Shorter shaft, plastic parts. Mine is Model WPIB0010 I will post a photo. ← Yep - You're right. Didn't notice the difference in the units.

FWIW - Quite a few of the Puck IBs are listed on ebay for a "Buy It Now" price of $26.00 + $14 shipping.

Ron - 4 hours seems awfully short to me. Most recipes that I'm familiar with call for at least an overnight cure. I normally go 2-3 days. I can't put the links in since I'm responding on my Treo, but google and check out the gumbo pages, john folse, and nola cuisine websites.

FYI - For those in Chicago or the western suburbs, the products are available at the Marion Cheese Market in Oak Park. Don't know all of the prices, but the lomo is $95/lb. The producer, Embutidos y Jamones Fermin, is the first one certified by the FDA for export of Iberico products to the US. They are located in the northwest of Spain in an ancient village known as La Alberca. As a coincidence, I happened to be in La Alberca for a few days this past May and had an opportunity to tour the production facility. Very small (to me, at least) and spotless. They also had an FDA certified inspector at the facility on a full-time basis. One of the owners mentioned that, due to the demand from the US, their order book was filled 2 years out. As a matter of interest, as good as their products are, the locals consider them average, at best. They directed me to their favorite shop where I purchased a nice supply of chorizo, salchichon, and lomo for a non-certified return to the US. Amazing stuff.

You may want to consider Alice's. Copy of their Thanksgiving menu is here.

I'm in an out of Sarasota 2-3 times a month and, while I'm pretty familiar with the dining scene there, I've never heard of Madison's. I think that you may be referring to Mattison's. If that is the case, you need to narrow it done to which restaurant your parents are referring to. The owner, Paul Mattison, has 3 of them in the area. Downtown, at the corner of Lemon and Main (across from the Gator Club), is Mattiison's City Grill. Basically, it's a large open bar and covered outside dining area. Though I have never had a full meal there, I've been there a number of times for apps and cocktails. They have live entertainment most evenings. Bottom line - The food's OK (apps at least). Nothing to rave about. Nice place to meet your friends for drinks and snacks. On Longboat Key is Mattison's Steakhouse. I've been there once and it was pretty much what it is advertised to be - a steakhouse. Think Morton's or Ruth Chris. On Siesta Key, near the base of the South bridge, is Mattison's Siesta Grill. Similar to the downtown location with the exception most of the dining is inside. I've been there a number of times for cocktails, apps, and also dinner. As before, it's OK. And, for me at least, it's a decent choice if I don't feel like driving much since my house is nearby. Re: Burn's Court - The only places that I recall are El Haberno and Uva Rara. I enjoyed both early on, but over time they have gone downhill in as far as quality and service are concerned. I might give El Habanero another shot but you won't catch near Uva Rara anytime soon.

I vote for green tomato chutney also. Used 5 lbs of tomatos (and lots of other stuff) to make 6 pints last weekend using a recipe that is somewhat similar to the one posted by andiesenji. This stuff is really good. Freezes up well for later use.

I'll ditto this suggestion. I've done it a few times for large informal parties. Economical and can be prepared well in advance. I served the PP on buns purchased at a White Castle. Came in bags of 100 for $10 each.

Like most here, for a number of years, I have purchased knives (never in a set) from a number of of the usual suspects - F. Dick, Wusthof, Global, et al. On an individual basis, they all have their pros and cons. Over the past few years, I've become partial to the Shun knives from Kerhaw for no other reason than they seem to work best for me - perform well, maintain a very sharp edge, and I find them comfortable to use. Speaking of Shun, is anyone familiar with the Ken Onion 8" chefs knife? It's a beautiful looking piece and I've read some good reviews. Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate a retail store that has them in stock to check out the knife in person.

I'd eat it without hesitation, as long as it smelled ok. I think Mr. Ruhlman posted upthread about pates being good even a couple weeks after being made. =R= ← =R= Thanks for the input. Had a couple of slices last night and it was great. I've made this pate several times in the past and this was the best result. Maybe being aged for 11 days played a role. Took a few pix, and if any turned out OK, I'll post later.

Hello all. I've been following this thread from inception (12/05/05) and have found it entertainig, instructional, and truly inspirational. The pictures are downright gorgeous and, based upon the one posted by ronnie-suburban of his duck and cured ham pate (P. Casas), I decided to give that a go 11 days ago. Following cooking and cooling, I placed weights (foil covered bricks) on the pate and put the terrine in a 2nd storage refrigerator that is kept at a very cold temp. and is seldom opened. The next day, I removed the weights, foiled the top of the pate, and covered the terrine. The following day a business emergency arose and I found myself in Madrid for 8 days, during which I completely forgot about the pate. Discovered it last night when I went for a cold beer. Now comes the food safety question. What do you think I should do - Keep it (eat some and freeze some for later) or toss it. Also, when going through the freezer , I found some pork pate with tenderloin insert that was leftover from from New Years Eve. Any thoughts on that one. TIA

As someone who flys often, please please please please PLEASE do not bring 'tins of tuna' on the plane! On a side note, I've actually flown next to someone recently who had their own little cheese and charcuterie plate, sliced bread, etc. with them. Was SOOOO jealous sitting there with my meager PB&J... ← I ditto that. As much as I love good quality canned tuna, it does put off quite an odor in a confined space. Tried it once on a flight and it was really obnoxious. Along those lines, nix the pastrami as mentioned upthread. I was flying SFO > ORD a few years ago, and even though I was upfront with a full meal service, I decided to pass on that and picked up a really big, fat, and juicy pastrami sandwich from David's Deli en route to the airport. When the meals were served, I opened my very fragrant sandwich and started devouring it. After a few minutes, I noticed heads looking around trying to figure out what the smell was. A few minutes later, a lady sitting a few rows ahead of me said to her travelling companion "Do you smell that? I think something is wrong with the plane. Are we going to crash?" Sheepishly, I rewrapped the remainder of the sandwich and carried it to the lavatory and threw it ito the trash container. Shortly thereafter, a gentleman exited the lavatory and told the FA that something was seriously wrong with it and that he would prefer to use the one in the economy section. Last of my airborne pastrami sandwiches.

Any suggestions on places to snag a *very* quick bite or sip in O'Hare? I'm particularly interested in places that sell caffeinated beverages in the various United concourses that are open between 5 and 6 AM. At that hour, I'm not too picky. MelissaH ← MelissaH - If you're flying United, you most likely will be in T1 (a very limited number of their flights arrive/depart out of T2). For caffeine, there's always Starbucks and numerous other vendors. Wolfgang Puck is OK for a quick bite or to grab something to carry on board. A full list of the concessions in T1 can be found here. I assume that, with the exception of the bars, most will be open at the time you will be there. Safe trip.

Allowance of water bottles apparently varies from one airport to another. I have this as first-hand info from friends who've flown very recently. But the bottom line is that you can't count on being able to take water on with you. ← I've been on about 30 flights since the new TSA regs went into effect. With O'Hare as my base, destinations have included most of the major airports on both coasts and to/through points in between. After clearing the TSA screening area, it appears to be "business as usual" at all locations. Not once have I seen additional screening at the gates I'm boarding through or the ones nearby. Several times I've witnessed individuals putting bottled water that they had purchased in the terminal into their carry on bag and zipping right on board. So much for the new regs. BTW-The TSA rats did confiscate a few miniature bottles of Tabasco that I always carry to "enhance" the food served on the plane along with a couple of miniatures of Vodka left over from prior flights. My guess is that the Vodka never made to the dumpster.

I'll be in Madrid for 3 nights in the latter part of May. Just sent an email to Viridiana requesting a reservation for one of the evenings. Also, I'm already booked on another evening for the restaurant in my hotel - the Santo Mauro (Have never dined there before-Comments are welcomed). Assuming that I am succesful with my Viridiana reservation request, I'm looking for a suggestion for the remaining evening in the general vicinity of the hotel. Since I have a very early departure flight the following morning, I'll be dining a bit earlier than normal and possibly before some restaurants commence serving. Casual dining or tapas recs are fine. TIA

Cerveza!

Doc - There's a Penzeys store about 2 blocks from one of my offices in Chicago that I use a a resource. Store prices are the same as catalog.

Chris - My guess is that Ron used the Folse recipe from the Gumbo Pages website. It's interesting to note that the andouille recipe here on Folse's own site calls for 2 T of salt instead of 4 and pecan (+sugar cane) instead of hickory. Sort of confirms a couple of Ron's adjustments and observations.

Here's a recipe I found with an interesting translation courtesy of Google.

Alida - I'm slightly familiar with Anna Maria and, if you have done any research, you'll note that there's not much that one would consider unique with regards to dining options. Mostly very casual beachside pubs, serving sandwiches and other light fare at reasonable prices. Easy dining with nice views. If you want to notch it up a bit, I would definately recommend The Beach Bistro. It's my favorite place on the island. Another good pick would be Da Giorgio. Other than that, you really need to get in closer to Sarasota which, depending upon in-season traffic on Longboat Key, can be a real PITA. Can't help you with the wine shops or fish markets. Close by, at the far north end of Longboat Key is Moore's Stone Crab restaurant. They have their own fleet of boats for capturing the stone crabs which you can have at the restaurant or purchase at retail to take home. They may catch other sea food for sale as well.

It's typically found in most Middle Eastern markets. It's also quite simple to make at home. In a heavy enameled saucepan, combine 6 cups of pomegranate juice with 1 cup each sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Simmer to reduce to a syrupy consistency - about 1.5 cups. Cool, bottle, and refrigerate.

Pamela Why don't you contact the farm to see if they will ship directly to you? If not, they certainly should be able to provide you with a favorable distributor for your location. Contact info here.

Piri-Piri is one of my favorite all-purpose sauces. I have also noted that there is a large variation in the recipes to be found. Most differ as to the type of chiles to be used and the inclusion or exclusion of certain vegetables such as onions and tomatoes. The recipe that I have been using for years is nearly identical to this one offered on David Leite's web site. For the chiles, I use piquins. I vary only in that I allow the sauce to age at least two weeks before straining and serving. IMO, this recipe is about as close as you are going to get tto the traditional recipe. But, as mentioned by BonVivantNL, you'll no doubt find a multitude of variations on the tables of every house and restaurant in Portugal.