Least Expensive Upgrades From Modernist Cuisine

[weinoo]

I know there are a lot of complaints out there (mine included) about the expense of Modernist Cuisine. And the post-traumatic expense too, once the book is purchased and actally in hand, to buy some/many/all of the toys, tools, appliances, chemistry sets and so on you must have in order to "cook" from this book.

But since I don't really cook from cookbooks, I probably won't be cooking that many recipes from this one either. What I hope to do is learn and maybe change an old habit or two, or perhaps pick up a new habit...or two.

Interesting enough, I already have. And it was REALLY CHEAP, TOO. All the better. Today, I bought one of these...

I plan to use it, at my kitchen sink, all the time. I mean, how much less can you spend in order to be a Modernist Cuisine early adopter?

Oh yeah, 1 - 196. Show me your cheapest.

[Mjx]

Hm. It'll be at least a year, probably longer, before I actually have Modernist Cuisine, but a packet of citric acid gives a remarkably big bang for the couple of bucks it costs, from the standpoint of experimenting in that direction. I have a hunch that, properly sourced, this holds true for many of the less-common/traditional ingredients mentioned.

[cbread]

Ok, a very well insulated beer cooler, and some zip freezer bags.

Super cheap, since I had the cooler anyway. Add hot water and I've been able to do my first sous vide cookery, chicken breast, without circulator or vac sealer.

Dip the bags with the chicken breast into a cool pot of water to squeeze the air out as I slide the "zipper" to closed position. Then heat water to needed temperature on the stove and dump it into the cooler. Add bags to cooler. Check temperature five minutes later and correct for initial temperature drop. Subsequent temperature drop runs only a couple of degrees an hour. Easily manageable.

Beer cooler sous vide has been dubbed ghetto vide elsewhere on the net. GF calls it redneck sous vide.

[gfweb]

Pressure cooker!

[the modernist chef]

Have bought myself some mdigital gram scales (£4.99) and some measuring spoons (£0.99p)

[jsmeeker]

I don't have the book. What is the nail brush for? I'm guessing "cleaning stuff". What what exactly?

[ScoopKW]

I don't have the book. What is the nail brush for? I'm guessing "cleaning stuff". What what exactly?

For me, it's for my fingernails. I'm interested as well in other applications.

[weinoo]

I don't have the book. What is the nail brush for? I'm guessing "cleaning stuff". What what exactly?

Cleaning "stuff." Nails.

For me, it's for my fingernails. I'm interested as well in other applications.

Let us know what else you come up with .

[dml]

Things I've picked up or put on my shopping list as a result of the book, in increasing order of cost:

- nail brush, as mentioned

- quart and gallon freezer ziplocks (to go with the circulator a friend lent me while he's out of the country)

- xanthan (well, I already had some, but I replenished)

- white soy (for some reason they like to use it a lot instead of regular soy)

- white port (see previous item)

- essential oils: rosemary, clove, thyme. Easier than Keller's plastic-wrapped sachet for getting flavors into vac bags.

- Ohaus gram scale