jsolomon

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!

From here the Lincoln Journal Star it appears the people have spoken on how they prefer their beer to be bottled. Which do you prefer? Bottle? Keg? Can? Barrel? Personally, I enjoy a good brown glass returnable, but I would like to know other people's thoughts (and advertise a story about a good guy and my old boss)

Great coffee does it every time. As does (surprisingly) toast with cinnamon sugar on melted butter. Rhubarb upside-down cake.

I'll have to give my vote to the most creative use of ice cream and Nutella (within the confines of the foodblog, mind you)

How finely did you grind the sausage? Having finely ground sausage can also cause a drier texture. Aside from that, I usually ask my butcher what the fat percentage is, and then figure he's low-balling it.

It depends somewhat. For instance, last night, I tossed in some mushrooms and a fine chiffonade of mint into my and my girlfriend's carbonara last night. It was lovely. Becky asked me if I put anything "weird" into it, and I said no. Well, naturally mint isn't weird. But, it was just enough to perfume the bite but not affect the flavor. Quite lovely. When I told her, she just shrugged her shoulders and continued to tuck in. But, I've had people get pissed at me for serving them heart. Beef heart. Honestly, once you remove the skeleton and muscles, the steer doesn't have much use for his heart, so why not? Americans spend an inordinate amount of energy anthropomorphizing their foodstuffs. And Momma Nature has rarely won a Miss Congeniality contest.

Yes, but can he hold a candle to y'all cooking? Truth be told, though, my favorite low tea snack is a pint of IPA or a proper sweet stout. Edit: grammar police

Dilbert was remarkably on topic for this thread.... Clickety

I've got it! Nutella!

Heh. The chemistry department I used to be in would just as soon invite everyone for tea, toss in a grenade, and lock the door. Those cats cannot get along whatsoever... and to think, they wanted me to look up to them as role models. Over my cold dead ice cream covered body! But, it would have been nice if they would have had low tea. Not that there weren't plenty of Mountain Dews being cracked open about that time of day...

Gazpacho is definitely awesome. Peanut butter is good, too. Even though it's got some calorie punch, it has good nutrition to go with it. And berkerka, you oughtn't be intimidated. My lifestyle has its own unique pathologies which will probably see me drop dead at 40 in some embarassing state at an underground sports event. Live hard, die young, leave a handsome corpse... but I'll join you in some ice cream!

Well, I'm not a calorie-counter... as you can see. But, my suggestion would be: eat something to get your blood sugar up, e.g. some fruit or yogurt (my personal faves are prunes and grapefruit), and then something with caffeine, e.g. tea or coffee to help reduce your appetite. Edit to add: I also have to sing the restorative praises of a simple pickle. A couple of kosher dills always restores my flagging resources.

Actually, that would be "disinfecting". Sterilization is a higher level of bacterial death which alcohol does not attain.

Well... beat eggs in her favorite coffee cup and tell her that's exactly why you need a BGE or the like. You can't do certain things with the Bullet. You need the proper tool.

On the particular Grill Dome I pictured, it would be a stretch to get that much meat in it, you're right. But, you must admit, it looks sharp. However, having a Smokey Mountain and a ceramic cooker would allow you certain amounts of greater flexibility in how you cooked what you were cooking. Different tools, different uses.

Oh, I certainly agree with you. There are differences between "clean" "antiseptic" "disinfected" and "sterile". And, bacteria and fungi have been around much longer than we and have many many tricks up their sleeves to survive quite harsh environments. However, handwashing will get rid of the vast majority of vegetative (actively living, eating, and growing) microbes on your skin. All bets are off when you ask about spores and the like. Also, keep in mind the culturing process will turn most spores into vegetative cells...

Hello, I have a smoker very similar to the Char-Grill that is pictured upthread. I also have some lovely pecan firewood... but I can't get the @#$%#&%^# wood to actually light and stay lit. Am I simply too destined for a group home to try to smoke a butt or brisket? Is it kosher to put some lit charcoal underneath your wood to keep it lit until you've built up some heat equity? What am I doing wrong!!!???

Here are a couple of snaps of my uncle's Grill Dome for comparison.

Well, when you have one of those lovely (think T-bone or ribeye) steaks that you can find in Nebraska at room temperature and seasoned with some salt, 700F for 45-120 seconds on a side depending on the thickness and you will have this lovely Maillard caramelization and sweetness that you'll swear is out of this world. But, BGE's and the rest also hold their temperature very well, to my understanding, even at low temperatures. 225F for 18 hours isn't a problem once you know how to use them. edit to add: pure iron melts at 2780 F

There are several manufactures of cookers similar to BGE. Kamado, Primo, and Grill Dome are the main four competitors. All have their unique bits that set them apart from the rest. However, I don't think they're a "status" item, per se. I dont' know of many people who get their Weber Smokey Mountain nearly as screeching hot (700+ F) as my uncle has routinely got his Grill Dome to reach. The downside primarily is that the ceramic charcoal cookers do have a larger learning curve as their higher tolerances, greater thermal mass, and larger insulative values do affect their performance remarkably compared to a chunk of iron or steel. Also, I believe FG has posted in topics I've read that Kamado and the like are really the thing for the money. However, if you're wanting to shell out fewer bones, either a side-box smoker, or a Weber Smokey Mountain will certainly do nearly everything you want your grill to do. Pair them with a chimney (for starting charcoal, and to get that afterburner-hot sear) and you've got a paired cookery set that should serve you well for many years.

Right now, I just have two tomatoes. Soon, I'll be putting in the herb part of the garden. Garlic, chives, parsley, basil, mint, dill, and horseradish

Actually, it doesn't quite work that way. The mechanism by which antibacterial soap is antibacterial is much different than the mechanism by which antibiotics work, so it is very difficult to gain resistance. The funny thing is, the antibacterial chemicals added to soap, unless it's something like chlorhexidine gluconate (like surgeons scrub with), really don't do much better than soap and water alone. But, make sure you're using adequate soap, and scrubbing the whole surface of the hand.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned mountain oysters yet. From my experience, you essentially have to be a part of the "harvest" to appreciate their taste and texture... which is really interesting given the extreme chauvinistic bent of most of the "harvesters".

Yep. The dining hall is cavernous. Watch out for the muffins. The firsties have a nasty habit of cutting the top off, taking the crumb out, and filling it with travesties, then replacing the top.