jsolomon

Women cook with cinnamon when they're trying to seduce? Crap. I've been getting cooked for by the wrong women. As for when I'm cooking and trying to seduce? I really like to use food that stimulates more than just the eyes, nose, and tongue. Drippy foods that are unctuously juicy like muskmelons or brie. Hot chocolate mounded with liquor-laced whipped cream. Foods that need to be eaten using the digits primarily and then cleaned off carefully are always good. Halved large peaches are spectacular. Unfortunately, the only things that work consistently seem to be hot chocolate and champagne. Everything else is nearly always a bust.

K is right, but, alas, I have a counter-example (so I advocate using eG as an intermediary). The roaster that I frequent in Lincoln, Nebraska has no web presence. There is nothing that would alert you to his roasting at any higher level than these heinous slow-roasting bastards. And yet, when I traveled to Chicago, I think his coffee edged out Intelligentsias in flavor, etc. Not by much, but a little. There are bastions of light, ya just gotta open yer eyes.

You may also want to check the Good Eats website for Alton Brown's recipe. I've used that with pretty good success.

Dailey, what size pie did you try to make? If I recall correctly, the 3 TBSP is for a nine-inch pie. Also, did you reserve the juice from the cherries when they thawed, or did you put it in with the pie? Unfortunately, I don't do much pie-baking, so I can't be a ton of help. Something about rolling pastry dough brings out the sailor in me.

Coffee Bacon Home-grown tomatoes that is my list of three.

I've got to find something other than Martini and Rossi in this town. For bitters all we have is Angostura, and it's hard enough to find real premium beer.

Err, would you care to deconvolute "red vermouth" for those of us unfamiliar?

Thank you for validating one of my easily quaffables of choice. For the price point, I think Old Style puts out a hell of a brew.

Admin: This is an especially big and interesting topic, so it was split off from the thread on Gary Regan's Orange Bitters. I know this isn't exactly the thread to be posting this to, but... Can I get some pointers on how to understand and appreciate the zen of bitters? Thanks...

I've been drinking Sam's product for years, and I have to admit, it hasn't suffered any quality problems with the switch. Which reminds me, I told Yellow Truffle I'd send him some of Sam's stuff. I haven't forgotten, I'm just a worthless tool! But, I'll open an invitation to all eGers. I'll happily bring some to share if I know I'm heading to your area!

I'm not convinced it is a pH thing. So, I did some quick web-work. And... I'm still not convinced. However, there is at least some evidence that it is due to either small peptide chains if not amino acids (which are known neurotransmitters and signalling molecules) are at the root of Pan's question. And, even things like free SH groups (from reduced cysteine residues) and alkylated SH groups (from unknown stomach crunk). PubMed abstract of gastric protection So, to expound slightly, I think that people who find that papain soothes their stomach are predisposed to a sensitive gastric mucosa (the skin inside your gut) and the products of a papain digestion of proteins signals their stomach to produce more protective compounds which then reduces the acuity of the current irritation. Or, as I would tell my 4 year-old niece: it makes your belly produce snot so your food is slicker and don't stick nowhere.

I always thought the best Italian dessert was grappa...

I must be one of the few here who have had homemade ketchup. My mom's was really good. Not too cloyingly sweet. Slightly oniony with some hints of spices. Really quite different from what you find from Heinz or anyone else. I prefer del Monte. I am also in the pro camp. And, yes, it does belong on cheap hot dogs. On proper sausages with bits and spices, then I am a mustard and pickled pepper relish purist, but an American hot dog doesn't quite make that grade.

Q was meant to be #3 in P...

I hate to be pedantic, Pan, but I think you're confusing lines between enzymes and (using a very broad definition) drugs--which I shall henceforth call "signal molecules". I do not believe that the enzymes in papaya and pineapple are human signal molecules, but I do believe that some of their enzymes may produce stomach-settling signal molecules. However, as far as settling a stomach goes, it may simply be psychosomatic, or even more simply (and likely, IMO), the sheer presence of bulk in the stomach.

It's not "microabrasion". Dish detergent is just that, detergent. It doesn't matter whether it's gel, liquid, or powder. If it's got some sort of chlorination agent in it, your knives will suffer. It's the chlorine and other oxidizers that do the disinfection that also damage knives (at least the metal).

There is a good amount of chlorine in the detergent used in most dishwashers. That is generally bad for any kind of steel.

As long as you're not flaming them in the blender or on the stairs, I think you'll be okay And, even though I'm abstaining from choosing my favorite, I am confident that you can do it with no further injuries!

How about ice cream and flaming cherries?

I feel so jilted!

The wikipedia has a reasonable entry on enzymes.

It does, in some cases. But, you can also go too far. For instance, eating charcoal and metal oxides (cooking your food to beyond burnt) is not good for you. But, most plant matter is made up of cells which are encased in an insoluble, inert, cell wall of very complex carbohydrates that humans cannot digest. So, we end up with two major choices: get rid of the cell wall by mechanical means (chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew... ad nauseum) or by chemical means: cook, ferment, pickle, nixtamalize, etc. In truth, cooking also destroys some of those as it liberates them, but so many are unavailable unless cooked, that it is better to cook some things (like beets) than to eat them raw. Unfortunately, your mileage will vary widely. Some nutrients survive cooking much better than others. Vitamin C, you can kiss goodbye if you put the spurs to it, for instance. It's just too chemically reactive. But, vitamin C isn't an enzyme.

I don't think it's horribly geeky. I do lots of things outdoors in the heat in summer, and then go back inside somewhere for a beer. And while everyone I am out with is chatting and lying, about one time in five when the drinks appear, one person being spoken to will halt conversation with an upstretched finger while he or she savors that first taste of beer. I think it's unfortunate timing that you had that situation occur, but what an experience! If we could develop a sixth sense about wine, we'd probably find out what kind of romances the bottles were planning with each other as they danced in the dark cellar while the people are away living their lives of yearning and thirst. Now you know how the champagne breaks!

Wow, only two posts before someone with a chemistry degree posts. Either there is a large number of chemists on eG, or the title scared everyone away... Classically, an enzyme is a catalyst. Which is to say, an enzyme generally works on a discrete chemical reaction between (often) 2 chemicals with a defined energy to perform that chemical reaction. The magic of the enzyme is that it lowers that energy, and generally by lowering the energy, also speeds up the reaction. Enzymes are usually proteins folded in a certain way. Sometimes they have sugars, metal ions, or lipids associated with them for reasons of chemistry, or to hold them in their shape. But, the thing that holds most proteins in their folded position is the hydrogen bond, the same thing that causes jello to gel. So, when you apply the heat, you break those bonds, and most often the proteins, enzymes in this case, come unfolded, and then it's extremely unlikely that they'll cool and refold into their enzymatically active form. However, most enzymes are designed to have a lifespan within the cell or body so that they can be under cellular control, which is to say that they are made digestible. So, most enzymes get deactivated and digested readily within the stomac and small intestine anyway. What kills enzymes chemically is anything that causes them to fold or refold improperly. Addition of acid can do it, think of curdled milk. Adding too much salt can do it. Heat can do it. Cold can do it. Time can do it. Other enzymes (like papain) can do it. Even removing a salt, or water, can do it. Also, adding large percentages of alcohol can do it. When you get into cellular chemistry (note, I'm staying away from the B**chem word because I'm generally a p******* chemist) it becomes awe-inspiring to realize how close to on the head of a pin we dance with ion concentrations, sugar concentrations, cellular timing, etc... and we're completely unaware of doing it ourselves.

Ham and bacon!