Toliver

I am a huge fan of AB and I have the Oxo salad spinner to prove it (thanks, "W"!). I've tried his "Serious Vanilla Ice Cream" and it kicks butt. I enjoy seeing the "why" behind the food process...explaining the science behind something so minor like why crushed garlic is stronger than sliced garlic, presented in an entertaining way...or the classic "Three Chips for Sister Marsha" (aka known as "The Thin, The Puffy, The Chewy") explaining the how's and why's of chocolate chip cookies and why some are crispy and some are chewy. Eye opening, to say the least. If you like "Good Eats", you'll like the Good Eats Fan Page. I'm thinking about buying a t-shirt from the site: "I'm a briner, not a nutritional anthropologist."

Damn! I knew I shouldn't have looked at that thread before lunch! #%@*! Sometimes good barbecue just makes me want to weep tears of joy, and I was tearing up just looking at those pictures and reading what Ellen and you posted. Now if I can just get through the next couple of hours [stomach rumbles]...

It never really used to matter to me, but after dining out numerous times with my best friend, I've gotten so I like it. My friend always asks the waiter's/waitress' name, if it's not given (it usually is nowadays). Then throughout the dinner, he will make it a point to call the wait-person by name..."John, I'm can't decide between the smoked pork chop and the catfish. What do you think?" or when the wait-person comes back to ask how everything is "John, the pork chop is wonderful. That was a great recommendation." Using the wait-person's name moves the dining experience from the impersonal to the personal. Channeling Martha, I think that's a "good thing". This may be something that deserves a thread in itself, but I've also dined with friends who have waited tables themselves and they don't cut the server any slack at all. I never have so I am a little more forgiving when things go wrong.

Yes, beans. I agree. Don't wait for your foodblog turn. Make it a good, long "travelogue/what we ate at the celebration" post. It sounds like it's going to be a great party. Travel safe!

fifi and everyone who's done this, Do you have to weigh the cans down so they stay in place? I'm assuming they're heavy enough not to float so they will stay submerged. But say you're just doing one or two cans. Or does it not even matter, just as long as they're covered with water?

Thanks for both recipe posts!

Mouth watering delicious! I would propose marriage but I believe you are taken... And don't be ashamed of the Biquick biscuits. My mom has been using it for years when she makes her pork roast with sauerkraut (our ethnic dish) and Bisquick dumplings. I asked her why she used Bisquick instead of making her dumplings by scratch and she said, "Here someone invented a shortcut that tastes as good as the "from scratch" biscuits...I'd be stupid not to use it and save myself some time." I'll take mine with honey and Plugra, please.

Was this from a recipe? If you can post it, I'd appreciate it.

Col- Have you described the smoking method elsewhere? Could you provide a link? Sounds lovely! I believe col klink will be smoking a turkey in his impending eGCI smoking class, if I am not mistaken.

Closing the barn door after the horse is gone...but for future recommendations: I concur with the recommendations for both Blue Point and Prado...both owned by the same company who also own Dakota's in the Gas Lamp District. The mixed grill at Dakota's changes each day. Don't be surprised to find rabbit in the mix. I've also enjoyed Gulf Coast Grill in North Park. Nothing too fancy, but we thought it was good. Mmmm...pork chops & jambalaya. If you're looking for cheap eats, you cannot go wrong at any of La Torta's 4 locations. One sandwich can feed two people. Do yourself a favor and stick with the mexican tortas (carne asada, chorizo, etc). Everything is good but that's where they shine. They also have a "pepper" bar so you can embellish your huge sandwich (see the picture on the web page...it got me drooling). They also have a tasty chipotle mayo condiment that we dip our beer battered onion rings in. One drawback to the restaurant is if you want a soda, it's just a can (no fountain) so have a beer instead. And if you're out late and want a cheap snack, there are a gazillion little mexican restaurants named Roberto's or Alberto's or Hilberto's or Royberto's, etc , scattered about San Diego. Roberto's was first...the rest are either knock-offs or are related to Roberto's. I recommend the rolled tacos for kids and the carne asada burrito for adults (no beans and rice in these burritos unless you request it...just meat, salsa and guacamole in a tortilla). I hope you had a good time. Post about your eating experiences if you have the time.

Bordeaux, yes! But I also like their Key Lime Truffles, especially in the middle of Winter. They're like a refreshing bite of Summer.

And what about a grilling/barbecue class? Are you guys planning to do one on that, too?

I'm a little baster, too, since way back. My mom's turkeys were never bad, but were fantastic once she started using those Reynold's Oven Roasting Bags (turkey sized). The turkey turns out incredibly moist and cooks in a shorter amount of time than the regular oven method. When it's done it literally falls off the bone. Funny story: The first year she used the oven bag method, she went to check on how far along the turkey was using the "wiggle" method. Using a potholder and grabbing onto the leg through the bag she gave it a wiggle and the leg bone slipped right out of the meat. She yelled out to all of us, "Dinner's going to be a lot earlier this year!" Her one complaint about the oven bags is that the skin doesn't crisp up like it does using the regular oven roasting method. I don't mind it that much since the meat comes out so incredibly juicy. There's nothing worse than dry turkey. Word. It was the same with us last year. One good thing, though, is that since we invite so many people over for Thanksgiving dinner, my mom roasts a turkey in the oven while we do either the smoked or deep fried turkey. Then when she sends people home with leftovers, we hide the "good" turkey so she won't give the good stuff away. We're shameful, I tell ya!

Thought I would Google a search on that butter-flavored oil, "Butterlicious", and Google keeps asking me if I mean "bootylicious"! An ad campaign waiting to happen! The two will be forever entwined in my mind now.

That's the start of a good beer-cheese soup!

Good idea. I'm working up to a smoking something that will take a long time, but I'm not there yet. I'm with snowangel. A turkey sounds great...not so daunting yet it will still be a good achievement. And I agree, a smoked turkey makes for a great Thanksgiving. The leftovers made into gravy, stock, soup, etc, are "kicked up a huge notch" (to borrow an over-used phrase) thanks to the smoking.

guajolete, Can you (or someone who knows how) put that recipe into the archives? It sounds wonderful and I would hate to see it get lost in the threads.

Apparently you and I have different methods of deep frying a turkey because "greasy" is not a word I would use to describe the finished product. In fact, slicing into the finished product is similar to slicing through a good, moist pork roast. This took us by surprise our first year in deep frying a turkey since we were expecting "lightness" like the meat of an oven-roasted bird. Instead, it's juicy and dense. Usually deep frying kits come with a thermometer with the point being to maintain the temperature of the oil at 375º F. At that temperature, the oil is hot enough to "seal" the outside helping to prevent the food from sucking in the oil (yes, it does absorb some but it's relatively a small amount at that temperature). If the temperature falls below 375º, anything you fry will absorb the oil. Yes, the skin can be greasy in parts, but I liken it to pork cracklin's. Imagine really crisp bacon. "Crisp" is the exact word to use when describing it. My brother's and I fight over it. No, it's not the same "crisp" as oven-"Crisp", but it can be described as such. It's also extra tasty because of our additions to the turkey. We inject our turkeys with usually a store-bought "injection juice" the night before cooking and then when prepping the turkey for the actually frying, we also cover it with a good, spicy rub. In fact, the first year, after deep frying the turkey and seeing that the rub had come off into the oil during the frying, basically seasoning it, we told my niece to ransack my mom's freezer of all the frozen french fries and onion rings and anything else she could find that we could deep fry. Talk about great hors d'oeuvres! The wings do get toasted, but not being a fan of wings in the first place, I don't see that as such a big deal. I believe the largest size turkey you can put in one of those fryers is a 16-pounder and we usually max out on poundage. You can't beat the cook time, either. What is it...2 & 1/2 minutes per pound? In just under 40 minutes, your turkey is done. We don't deep fry a turkey every year. Last year my brother smoked it (just incredible!) and this year I will try to introduce the subject of "brining" to my family to see if they will want to experiment. As for us, it doesn't really matter what's "in" and what's "over"...we like to do what works and, more importantly, what tastes good.

Just the thought of that combo makes me smile. Interesting visually and texturally. Any dressing on it? Or are they summer tomatoes so who needs it? Of course, you could always improve it with a little bacon. Mmmm...bacon. It should be illegal to see something so beautiful this early in the morning. Howcha Magowcha!

My mom's chicken fried steak! Welcome, rachiesarah!

That rocks! Whatta symphony! This thread is better than any freakin' art museum.

Not too hungry...just a grilled Velveeta (sorry...no real cheese in the house) sandwich, using whole wheat bread slathered with Plugra that had been mixed with minced garlic & hot pepper flakes. Thinly sliced sour dills inserted after grilling. Trader Joe's Salt & Vinegar potato chips on the side along with a Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock.

This may sound like a stupid question but will your class be tailored to address just smoking and smoking issues? Or will it encompass more topics than that (grilling vs. barbecuing, direct heat vs/ indirect heat, marinades, brines or rubs, etc). If it doesn't, I hope there will be a barbecue/grilling class at eGCI (=Mark? jmcgrath?, et al). I think if you're able to gather up and incorporate the info in your past posts/threads, that would be a great start (or even a class!). Like I mentioned before, your "minute-by-minute" smoking post was great. Something along the lines like you've been posting about what cuts of meat are better suited for smoking and which aren't, what happens to the meats at certain temps and why that's important, does the type of wood/briquette used really make a difference, using rubs, marinades or mop sauces (or are they even neccesary?), how much time is involved, why kind of equipment do you need, how is cold smoking different than regular smoking, the importance of letting meat rest, and on & on. I am sure there are many more smoking topics that other eGulleteers can come up with. col, I am looking forward to the class!

Yikes! I wasn't aware of that. My TJ's offers only the silver wrapped Plugra. Guess I should check out some of the upscale grocery stores in my town to try and find the red wrapped kind. Thanks for mentioning this.

It looks delicious! Thanks for doing a taste-test and posting the results. This is one of the reasons why I find eGullet to be so invaluable. Doing a taste-test for Plugra sure beats doing a taste-test for fake chocolate bars, eh? (Darn it, I can't find that thread!)