Our de buyer Carbon Steel Cookware Experience

Selling a set of beautiful, old cast iron is sufficient grounds for divorce (or worse!). Anyone who has the audacity to sell a hundred year old family heirloom just isn't worth keeping, much less feeding. That would be like someone selling my favorite dog. There'd be no second chance; that's what a .45 is made for.

stukin in Cookware

pepe's "sorry no clams" question

I live in Stamford and learned a long time ago never to make a special trip to New Haven too have a Pepe's clam pie. The possibility that they'll be out of clams is just too great to chance it. If I'm in the area, I'll sometimes give them a try. The first 4 or 5 times I went there for clam pie they had them. The next 3 times in a row, they were out. Since then, it runs about 50-50. They might have them at 7:00 PM and be out by 7:30 PM. It's the luck of the draw.

stukin in Southern New England

Desperate for suggestions - First wedding anniversary somewhat near Madison, CT.

I haven't been to the Dressing Room, but my daughter has. She said it was extremely expensive and just not worth it.

stukin in Southern New England

Coromandel or Tawa

Coromandel in Darien!!! Easy decision. No brainer.

stukin in Southern New England

Qestion about portuguese acorda....

There's a very popular restaurant in Lisboa called PAP AÇORDA that is famous for their açorda (as the name might imply.) Most often they use bacalao instead of other seafood products you mention. The only problem is that they do not use the boneless bacalao, so you're forever picking pieces of sharp, hard bone out of your mouth. If you make the mistake of swallowing one, you're headed straight to the hospital. It's really dangerous. If it doesn't skewer your throat or stomach, your small intestine is almost sure to get punctured. BE CAREFUL!

stukin in Home Cooking

Qestion about portuguese acorda....

AÇORDA ALENTEJANA (Traditional Portuguese Bread Soup)

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 bunch of cilantro, washed and roughly chopped

2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup of olive oil

6 medium eggs (the freshest possible) at room temperature

7 cups lightly boiling water

6 cups (a good size loaf) day old Portuguese, French or Italian crusty bread, torn into 1 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 tsp ground pepper



1. In a large pot, get the water boiling and add the salt



2. Using a mortar and pestle, pulverize the garlic and cilantro together until it forms a thickish paste. Transfer to the bottom of a heat-proof bowl or casserole dish and drizzle with the olive oil.



3. Crack the eggs one at a time, and add to the simmering water holding the egg as close to the water as possible. After about 20 seconds, very carefully move the eggs to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Gently simmer until eggs are barely cooked through but the yolks are still soft on the inside (about 2 or 3 minutes.) The eggs will continue to cook in the hot water/bread mixture. (Very fresh egg whites will hold together much better than old eggs.)



4. Add the bread to the bowl and coat all the pieces with the cilantro-garlic-olive oil mixture. Sprinkle with the ground pepper.



5. Pour the boiling egg water mixture into the heat proof bowl and arrange the poached eggs on top. Sprinkle the top with fresh cut cilantro.



6. Serve at the table with a ladle being sure to place an egg in each person's bowl.

This soup is very often served topped with shrimps, lobster pieces, cooked salt cod, good quality black olives (NOT the canned ones).

stukin in Home Cooking

Padron peppers from greenmarkets

Excellent observation. It all depends on size. If picked very young and small (as they do in Spain), they'll all be very mild. If you can buy them lose, make sure you pick out only the smallest ones. To my taste, even the hottest ones are not too incendiary to eat. You just have to develop a taste for "heat." I'd rank mature Padrons about the same as jalapenos, maybe a little milder.

This year, just for giggles, I'm going to try growing some Padrons in very large containers (18"H by 22"W.) I was able to get about 2 dozen of them from a landscaper who was throwing them away after planting the shrubs that had come in them. I'll use the compost that the city gives away to residents, so my total investment will be very minimal. I'll try containers with just a single plant and a few with multiple plants to see how much I can crowd them without sacrificing yield.

I've grown them in my garden for several years and had huge crops of peppers. They're one of the earliest crops to be ready for picking because they're picked so young. Last year, I was picking Padrons in mid-June and had way more then I could use by July 4th. I firmly believe that growing conditions have absolutely no effect on spiciness; it's all a matter of maturity. BTW, spicy chilies are just as plagued by insects (especially pepper maggots) as the mild ones. Padrons, if picked young - as they should be - are not bothered by pepper maggots since they are picked really small. If allowed to mature, they'll be full of pepper maggots. There's no need to even think about spraying; it's not necessary. Jalapeno peppers are exactly opposite. Even habanero peppers are extremely susceptible to pepper maggots, so that disproves the theory that hotter peppers are in any way immune to pepper maggots. (After more than 60 years of growing peppers, I'm somewhat of an expert.) I haven't gotten crazy enough to grow bhut jolokia, yet!

stukin in Manhattan

Balducci's or Fairway?

I've found that Trader Joe's has some of the same cheeses that Fairway and Whole Foods have for somewhat less $$$. I bumped into a woman from Greenwich who told me she now goes to Trader Joe's in Darien first because she's tired of feeling ripped off by Whole Foods in Greenwich. She looked as though she could easily afford Whole Foods' prices, but I guess even the very wealthy don't like to be gouged if they can avoid it. Fairway prices nearly all their cheeses by the quarter-pound to avoid the shock effect of showing the price per pound. I guess it's easier to sell a cheese that costs $10 a quarter pound than the same cheese for $40 a pound. It's amazing how small a quarter pound piece of cheese is when you look at it.

stukin in Southern New England

Stamford Lunch near Fairway

Brasitas is Columbian and, IMO, very good. Colony Grill is, IMO, the most overrated pizza I've ever had. In fact, I'd rather go hungry than eat there! I seem to remember someone telling that Colony doesn't accept credit cards, but that could be wrong.

stukin in Southern New England

Balducci's or Fairway?

Balducci's is outrageously expensive!!! Fairway's not cheap, but it's a bargain compared to Balducci's. There's a very little known secret about Stew Leonard's is that their "whole" beef loins are not what they're represented as. They often advertise "Whole" boneless loins, but they open the Cryovac sleeves they come in from the packers and remove the best 2 or 3 steaks from the better end to sell as individual, pre-cut steaks for a lot more money. The easy way to tell if this has been done is to simply look at the package and see if it's still vacuum sealed in Cryovac. If it's in an ordinary plastic bag, they have stolen the best steaks and left the junk. One end of the loin will look great, but in reality, there will only be a very few really good steaks. This is very deceptive and, IMHO, dishonest. Another thing to know is that if you have their butchers trim and cut the meat for you, the trimmings go into a barrel to be ground and mixed in with their regular ground meat, so they're actually selling the same meat twice. If you insist on buying Stew Leonard's "whole" beef loins, get yourself a good knife and cut your own meat. Don't let their butchers do it for you. You'll be amazed at how much meat they trim off with the fat; that's all meat that you're paying for. In the winter, you can put the big pieces of fat in a suet feeder for the birds instead of throwing it in the garbage.
Penzey's Spices is across the street from Stew's and a hundred yards or so to the east. I love that store! Very friendly service, fantastic selection and fair prices. You'll find items there that you just won't find anywhere else. For example, I went crazy trying to find nigella seeds; Penzey's had them. Smoked Spanish paprika is another hard-to-find item; Penzey's carries it (although I wish they also carried the hot type.)

stukin in Southern New England

Spots to Buy Padron Peppers?

Even in Spain, Padron peppers are seasonal. La Tienda has them in the summer months, but they're outrageously expensive (especially when you add shipping.) I had a good crop this past summer and couldn't use more than about a tenth of what the plants produced. I feel guilty just letting them go to waste, but there's nothing i can do about it. Seeds are now available from a few sources in the U.S. Johnny's Selected Seeds in Albion, Maine, has them in their catalog. If you know anyone who gardens try asking them to put in a few plants. They start producing fairly early in the season, and the more you pick the more they produce. The big trick it to pick daily or at least every other day to keep them productive. This past summer, I was still getting fruit well until mid-September. If the fruits get too mature and hot, they're still useful as hot peppers for other purposes. Unfortunately, the plants get fairly large, so they're probably not suitable for growing in pots unless you have room for some very large containers.

stukin in Manhattan

Our de buyer Carbon Steel Cookware Experience

It seems to me that it would be relatively easy to have "helper handles" made and installed at a good welding shop. I wouldn't do this with most pans, but it should be feasible with DuBuyer pans. The handles could be either welded or attached with large rivets. The rivets should be heated and hammered for maximum strength. I don't think this is a job you should attempt to do yourself, and I would bring along a pan with helper handles to show them exactly what you want done. I don't have a clue what it would cost, but it would be interesting to find out.

stukin in Cookware

Grilled Pizza

I've been making pizzas and pitas on my trusty Weber grill for at least 20 years and have done it literally hundreds of times. Here's how:

For the dough, place 3 cups A/P flour (I usually use 2-1/2 cups A/P and 1/2 cup whole wheat), slightly heaping 1/2 tsp active, dry yeast, 1 tsp table salt in food processor fitted with a dough blade. Pulse to mix. With the machine running, slowly add exactly 13 fluid ounces warm water, and continue to process until dough comes together and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. (It's ok to continue to process for about 10 seconds after the ball forms, but don't get carried away.) Generously oil the inside of a bowl (at least 2 quart size) with extra virgin olive oil. With a spatula, transfer the dough ball to the bowl, and turn it over once just to coat it with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for several hours. If you don't want to use the dough immediately, place it in the fridge after it has risen. It'll keep for up to about 2 days and will improve in flavor as it rests. Just bring it to room temperature at least 4 hours before you want to use it. This will make enough dough for 3 very large or 4 medium/large pizzas.

To make pizza, pre-heat the grill on medium/low for about 20 minutes in warm weather and longer in cool/cold weather. Prepare a pizza peel or thin, flat board such as an old drawer bottom by sprinkling it with a little coarse corn meal. Roll out a piece of the dough so that it's quite thin - how thin is up to you. Place it on the peel or board, brush or spray it with a little olive oil, and cover it with a plastic bag for about 10 to 15 minutes. Before sliding the dough onto the grill, lower the heat to low. (Before you try to slide the dough off the board, make sure it will slide freely without sticking by shaking the board.) As soon as the dough is on the grill, close the cover and set a timer for 3 minutes. Check the dough by lifting a corner gently; if it's sufficiently browned turn it over with tongs. Immediately and quickly brush or spray the other side with a little olive oil, and, working as quickly as possible, sprinkle on whatever toppings you prefer. Close the cover and continue to cook until the bottom side is nicely browned. The second side will brown more quickly because it was oiled unlike the first side which was facing down on the board. Keep in mind that the toppings will not brown as they would in a conventional oven (unless you want to cremate the whole thing.)

I keep several old drawer bottoms on hand that I've sanded down to about 1/8th inch thickness with tapered ends. They take up very little storage space and are perfect for this purpose. The dough won't stick to the wood if you just remember to use a little cornmeal. (I bought an old dresser at a tag sale for $1, removed all the drawer bottoms and burned the rest of the wood in the fireplace.)

You can make pocket pitas with the same dough recipe. This recipe will make 8 pitas. If you want pockets to form, DO NOT oil them. For some strange reason, the oil seems to prevent pockets from forming. They take exactly two-and-a-half minutes on the first side and one-and-a-half minutes on the second side - 4 minutes total. Brush or spray them with a little olive after they are finished cooking, and keep them in a plastic bag so they stay soft.

One thing to definitely remember is DO NOT overload the pizzas with topping. Less is more! The toppings should be very sparse unless you want to end up with a soggy mess. The toppings should be as dry as possible. If you use fresh basil leaves, put them on immediately after the pizza is finished cooking. If you use any tomato, drain it really, really thoroughly and use very little of it. That's probably the most important rule to remember.

stukin in Home Cooking

Is there any good food in the Azores?

If going to Las Açores, I’d strongly suggest going to more than one island or city. IMHO, Ilha dasFlores is, by far, the prettiest (and most western) of the islands. The principle city is Santa Cruz which is on the eastern side of the island. The best food and accommodations can be found at the Hotel Ocidental (one C) which is within easy walking distance of the airport which is itself built right into the city. The hotel is owned by a local fisherman who brings the best of his daily catch to his own hotel kitchen. The food is typically Portuguese, meaning simple, substantial and tasty.

In Ponta Delgada on Ilha de São Miguel, the best hotel is the Hotel Atlantico which has an excellent restaurant. There are numerous other excellent restaurants; just ask at your hotel. I found the people at the front dest at the Hotel Atlantico to be extremely helpful and knowledgable. By the way, the Atlantico is where the President of Portugal always stays when he visits the island on his annual tour of Açores.

On Ilha Terceira, there are many excellent restaurants. I found a particularly good one in the little seaside town of São Mateus da Calheta just west of Angra do Heroismo, but there are many others.

Ilha do Faial attracts numerous yachts from all over the world and has some really good but somewhat pricy restaurants.

The short answer to your question is a simple YES. There is a lot of excellent food in Açores, and I found it relatively easy to find by just asking around. Don’t expect a lot of fancy, elaborately prepared food, but the seafood, in particular, is terrific. Most of the beef that is raised in Las Açores is shipped to the mainland because it is known to absolutely free of any possibility of “Mad Cow Disease.” (No beef of any kind is allowed to be brought to the islands from outside.) Go down to the docks in Horta to see the catch being taken off the boats to the adjacent fish market from where it goes directly to the restaurants and onto the tables in a matter of just a few hours. That’s as fresh as you’ll ever find anywhere. Wherever you go, you'll love those islands. The people are friendly but reserved. English can be a bit of a problem.

stukin in Spain/Portugal

recipes for hen of the woods?

I just found about 20 lbs. of the most perfect Grifola frondosa clusters I've ever seen anywhere. I can't believe my luck. They're as clean as they could possibly be and at the perfect stage of ripeness. They were in plain sight of the road, so I'm amazed that no one else grabbed them. I'll have enough in the freezer to last for at least a year.

stukin in Home Cooking

Our de buyer Carbon Steel Cookware Experience

You're exactly right on the Circulon.

I'll be using a new GE Profile 5-burner induction range. I've heard that the hot plate-type induction burners are not worth the trouble or the money.

It should be interesting to see if the steamer pot works with induction. Also, my daughter might be able to use her All Clad tea kettle.

stukin in Cookware

Our de buyer Carbon Steel Cookware Experience

From what you're saying, I presume that the pot or pan should be smaller than the ring above the induction coil, and that the pan should be carefully centered so as to avoid unheated areas.

I have a large stainless steel pot with a steamer insert that is very thin metal. It's definitely magnetic but just stamped out of a single sheet of steel (read, CHEAP!) I was just wondering whether it would work with induction. I recently bought several pieces of Circulon Infinite that are amazingly heavy for such inexpensive cookware. It's highly magnetic at the base, but the sides are non-magnetic. I assume the sides don't really matter as long as the bottom is magnetic. My main reason for getting the Circulon Infinite is that the non-stick coating - I think it's anodized - has been practically indestructible on one that I bought about 3 years ago. Another reason is that the bases fit the burners on my cooktop perfectly.

stukin in Cookware

Our de buyer Carbon Steel Cookware Experience

I'm just wondering whether the weight/thickness makes any material difference in the performance on an induction cooktop. I was told that just being a magnetic metal does not necessarily make a pot suitable for induction. For example, All Clad makes a tea kettle that is magnetic but relatively thin metal, and the sales woman at Williams Sonoma said it won't work with induction. I know that cast iron is usually thought to be the best material, but the weight makes it difficult to use. To put it simply, which de Buyer line is best for induction use? (Or should I go with Lodge at a fraction of the price but heavier weight?)

stukin in Cookware

Our de buyer Carbon Steel Cookware Experience

I'm new to de Buyer and "the potato skin method" of seasoning. What do potato skins have to do with seasoning??? I'm visualizing heating some oil in the pan and then adding potato skins until they are toasty and then calling the pan seasoned. Am I close or clueless? (Duh! I feel like an idiot.)

stukin in Cookware

DeBuyer Carbon Steel Cookware

Compatible or not, I won't pay All Clad's outrageous price for a roasting pan I use maybe once a year at most. If a roasting pan won't work with induction, I have a Weber grill with a side burner that I'll make due with.
I'm really anxious to find out how well (or poorly) induction works. I've heard great things and some horror stories. One of the women at Williams Sonoma told me that their single-burner induction unit crapped out in the middle of a cooking demonstration/class. They took another one out of the box, and it, too, quickly died. For the first time in my life, I bought the extended warranty (4 years in addition to the 1 year manufacturer's).

stukin in Cookware

DeBuyer Carbon Steel Cookware

Many thanks for all the input.
No... I don't trust her to season anything, not even egg salad. If I season her pans, she'll ruin them the first time she uses them. If I show her how to do it, she might, perhaps, maybe maintain them a little better. She's addicted to her dishwasher, but I'm slowly changing that.
Is the de Buyer stainless steel cookware induction suitable? Some high grade stainless is non-magnetic and just won't work with induction, however All Clad is highly magnetic. I was told that the All Clad Copper Core will not work with induction, but it seems to be just as magnetic as their other stuff. I have a few pieces of the Copper Core, so I'm anxious to try it to see if it works. I can't see any reason why it won't as long as it's magnetic.
I've used Cameo Cleanser on my All Clad as per the suggestion in Cooks' Illustrated. It works well, but I have a feeling it dulls the highly polished finish somewhat.
As for non-stick, my new favorite is the Infinite line by Circulon. The coating is not Teflon, and it seems to be damn near indestructible. I bought one of their 11" open fry pans about 3 years ago just to give it a try. It was new then, and they were offering the 11" at an absurdly cheap price as a come-on. I use that pan nearly every day, and it still looks and performs like new. I've never seen non-stick cookware last so long. The bottom is magnetic; in fact, it specifically states, "Dishwasher and Induction suitable" on the bottom. Circulon doesn't have any snob appeal, but their Infinite line is terrific. It's available on-line direct from Circulon, and the 11" skillet is still only about $20 (MSRP $70!) with free shipping over $75. IMHO, Circulon is just so-so, but their Infinite line is excellent. That said, I'm on the fence with the de Buyer. I'll have to get her to go to Williams Sonoma to look at it. That's the only place I know of that carries it around here. She might be turned off by the weight and her snobbish belief that All Clad is the best there is.

stukin in Cookware

DeBuyer Carbon Steel Cookware

My daughter is about to take delivery of an induction range, and I was thinking of buying her some suitable cookware. She loves the All Clad she uses now, and wants to add to her collection. She's not particularly good about taking proper care of her cookware, so I'm wondering whether de Buyer will be a waste of a lot of money. I've had to bring her pans to my house to get the built up crud off the bottoms. One comment I saw (can't remember where) said that de Buyer can be run through the self-cleaning cycle in the over to clean them, but they have to be re-seasoned again before use. Is this information accurate? Another concern is that the bottom diameter is substantially smaller than the overall diameter. This means buying much larger and heavier pans to get a decent cooking surface. Given the weight of de Buyer, I can't figure out why they do not put "D" handles on all their larger pans. The handles are long, but I didn't find them particularly comfortable on the pans I've seen. Do the handles get hot even with induction? De Buyer seems to have several different lines; the ones I've seen are the "Mineral" line. What's the difference between lines? Any help would be much appreciated.

stukin in Cookware

What is a Hanger steak?

I've known about "hanger steak" for many years but was unable to find it anywhere. Then, by chance, I happened to see it in the meat case in a very fancy "gourmet "food store in Westport, CT for something like $45 a pound. No thanks! I'll wait. I finally saw it advertised for $3.99/lb at Fairway a few months ago. Bingo! I stocked up. It is, by far, the tastiest piece of beef I've ever eaten. I presumed that it should be cooked rare/medium-rare, and I was right. They now sell it for $4.99 on sale and regularly for $6.99, but it's worth every cent. There's no waste, and it's an incredible treat for anyone who really likes beef. I friend who used to be a butcher, always brought it home for himself and his family rather then selling it. The name "butcher steak" stems from that common practice, and that explains why it was so difficult to find. It is NOT skirt steak, flatiron steak or flank steak. There is only one small hanger steak in each animal, so it will probably remain hard to find and go up in price. Enjoy it now while it's still under double digits per pound.

stukin in General Chowhounding Topics

Spots to Buy Padron Peppers?

I planted 35 Padron pepper plants this year. Last year I only planted about a dozen and had more than I could use. The plants look terrific so far; loaded with blosson buds already (June 14). If I get as many as I expect, I might try to sell some in the local area. There are a few Spanish restaurants nearby that might be interested. I got the seeds in Spain, so I know they're the real thing.

stukin in Manhattan

Habanero cheddar soup [Split from What's My Craving]

About 10 years ago, I had a fantastic habanero cheddar cheese soup at a restaurant called Klondike Kate's in Newark, Delaware. Ever since then, I've been looking for a recipe that might approximate that delicious soup. I've tried the standard recipies with habanero peppers added, but nothing seems to have the intensity of heat and flavor that I remember from Klondike Kate's. It was a "daily special," and I never saw it there again after that day. The server was so sure that I wouldn't be able to eat it that she insisted on bringing me a taste first. I then ordered the biggest bowl they had and proceeded to finish every last drop to the total amazement of every server in the place. One of them came over to ask if I needed an ambulance after I had finished, but I assured her I was fine. I grow my own habaneros every summer, and those that are not used fresh are dried to make a habanero powder that keeps forever in the 'fridge in a tightly closed glass jar. I make a fresh, thick sauce that I mix with mayo to make the most excellent sandwich spread imaginable. I use the Rick Bayless recipe that is on his website. I give full credit to habanero peppers for my long life; I'm 93 (and my super-hot Brazilian girlfriend is 34.)

stukin in Home Cooking

Spots to Buy Padron Peppers?

I finally gave up trying to buy them so now I grow my own. I bought a big pack of seeds in Santander a few years ago and brought them back with me. They still germinate just fine. The plants are loaded with tiny peppers that'll be ready to pick in about another week. Sorry I can't help, but I can understand your craving for the real thing.

stukin in Manhattan