Captainspirou's Profile
ideas for relatively healthy French party food
The only non-dairy vegetarian cooked French thing I can think of is ratatouille. Asparagus with a vinaigrette would also work.
Something I really like is a simple tomato salad. It's sliced tomatoes and shallots with olive oil and vinegar. Be sure to use red wine or sherry vinegar. No real French person would use balsamic. It's not something you can really make ahead of time though. You have to make it just before serving.
Where can I buy European butter?
I think Kerrygold is excellent and you're the first person I've heard of that doesn't like it.
salvaging duck fat
Today was my 3rd time to render duck fat. The first two times I did it I ended up with this golden liquid that looked like melted butter. No prob. However this last try I left the heat a little too high and the fat looks a little dark. The cracklings I made from it taste burned. I presume I probably burned the fat but it doesn't look that dark, just a little brown.
Is this fat still any good or do I have to throw it out? I was trying to collect enough fat to make confit but I don't want my duck to have a burned taste. I understand if it's unusable for confit but can I use it for something else like roasted potatoes? Is there a way to test the fat to see if it's still good?
I'll also just add that I don't like the new look of the site. I'm not against change, I just think the old one was organized better.
Oyster/Seafood situation in New Orleans affected by oil spill?
Like I said the figure came from a friend in LA. It's also likely that my friend was feeding me BS. Which means he's now earned a place on my skepticism list.
Why does chicken need to be cooked more then beef?
So I was wondering about why beef can be cooked pretty rare without much problem but chicken needs to be cooked all the way through? Is there some kind of bacteria that can makes it's way to the center of chicken but not a steak for some reason?
Oyster/Seafood situation in New Orleans affected by oil spill?
I have a friend that lives in Louisiana that told me that shrimp has gone up to $30/lb! I read some news that said a lot of oyster beds are closed as well as a precaution.
Trouble with Candied Fruit
They became soft after 7 hours but definitely weren't candied. I was very dependent on the "lowest possible setting" remark so I wanted to make sure I wasn't over cooking. There's a video that says they are suppose to sink to the bottom after awhile because they become heavy with sugar. I never really had that happen and didn't have enough time to do this for a third time. I really think the heat was way too low the entire time.
Trouble with Candied Fruit
I need some help with a recipe. I'm trying to make this orange confit I saw on nytimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/20/dining/201CREX.html
I've noticed that things don't behave the same way in my kitchen then other places. I rely on my thermometer when I want to simmer because fairly often I get no bubbles until it's practically boiling. The recipe calls for a very low simmer and I need to know what that is in terms of temperature. Is it 180F? This is also cooked in a highly concentrated sugar solution so the boiling is going to be a bit higher. Does that mean I need to be near 200F?
I've already made this once exactly according the the recipe but it doesn't seem to be absorbing the sugar at all. Playing around with the bubble rate gives me temperatures between 140F to 210F. It's much easier for me to just find the right temp then to figure out what it should look like.
Grant Achatz "Next" restaurant -- Ticketing and Off-peak pricing
Personally I love the idea. I always hated people having the "option" not to pay the waiter. The meal experience should be considered as a whole instead of the sum of it's parts. Especially abolishing the awkwardness at the end of the meal where everyone discusses the tip and does math. I just want to pay the check and leave. This is even better because you don't even have to pay the check!
What would happen to American Food if Government Subsidies were removed?
I think New Zealand would be a good example to look at.
http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0303/newzealand_subsidies.shtml
best high end food in houston
If you're willing to drive then check out Chez Nous in Humble. It has a very good reputation.
http://cheznousfrenchrestaurant.com/index.html
I've never been but it's at the top of my list in places I want to go in Houston.
No difference with organic food
That's the fundamental problem isn't it? We sell them our food but at the same time destroy their farming. The predominate occupation for people in poverty is in fact farming. Organic farming was never meant for export and the attraction to it is that it must be local for it to make sense.
Think of it like Walmart. The argument is that the lower prices is a good thing but they push out a lot of smaller stores in the community. In the end they must close shop and a lot of them wind up working for Walmart. They get paid much less at Walmart so even though the items they buy cost less in the end there is a net loss in the community.
If you truly believe our place is to make the world's food then the countries we are selling to should have a product for us in return. So there is no moral argument against selling food to most of industrialized Europe and Asia. But Congo or Darfur isn't going to be making cars anytime soon so taking away one of the few occupations that truly anyone can do is really not a benefit to the country.
No difference with organic food
Well I guess I'm ignorant. I've never imagined non-organic treatment of grass. Do people actually use fertilizers to raise grass?
No difference with organic food
I wouldn't say it's too short. Think about the plague or black death in Europe and Asia. Half the human population at the time died. Those that survived were those that had resistance to the disease and it's still present in our DNA today. That was only a few hundred years ago. Now I'm not assuming the development of new taste but that those taste already exist and that those who are more inclined towards healthy foods will survive and pass on their genes. Now I admit it is a stretch to assume that our taste buds will evolve to that. But it is not invalid to think that our current sense of taste are absolutely important towards survival before processed foods and that it is a good indicator of nutrition.
No difference with organic food
True. But one was evolved over thousands of years so that the ones that survived ate food that was good for you. Processed foods takes advantage of the taste without giving you the benefit of what is in the plants. If this went on for another few thousand years I'm sure our taste buds would develop to find convenience foods repulsive.
So I guess the good rule is that it's ok to rely on taste when it comes to plants and wild animals. However with processed foods your taste may fool you into thinking it's good for you.
No difference with organic food
If that's the case then the study is fundamentally flawed. I have read numerous articles that say that grassfed cattle have much higher level of omega3 fatty acids then ones fed on grain. If they weren't able to identify that then their standards of what is nutritious needs to be evaluated.
No difference with organic food
You're right. Which is why I put a much bigger emphasis on something being local rather then organic.
I live in Southern California in a fairly affluent neighborhood so 'organic' is one of those buzz words that gets people to shell out a few more dollars on food. So my local farmer's market actually is mainly organic and they let you know at every opportunity. So that is why I would think that most farmer's markets are the same.
No difference with organic food
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8174482.stm
The article talks about a study where they say there is no nutritional difference between organic produce and standard produce.
While I can see an argument for that the article goes on to state that meat, dairy and eggs had the same results as well. I don't buy that at all. I think what is misleading is the 'organic' label. I mean if you feed a cow organically grown corn you're going to get the same result as if you fed it the garbage they usually get.
This article just talks about nutrition as well. I'm sure many of you can attest to the difference between a farmer's market tomato and a supermarket tomato. Now whether taste affects nutrition is something different. I'm of the opinion that evolution has geared our taste buds to make nutritious foods the best tasting ones. But that's a tangent.
So does anyone have any thoughts on this?
So, Even if You Eat Out, Are You Tipping Less?
No it's not true. That's how much employers pay servers but only if they get enough tips. Federal law requires employers to make up the difference if tips are less then minimum wage. There waiter get at LEAST minimum wage.
http://www.dol.gov/wb/faq26.htm
Cleaning garlic off
I notice that every time I handle crushed garlic with my hands that the smell stays for quite a while. Even after I've washed my hands with soap several times, it will still linger around the next day or two. What is the best way to take care of garlic hands? Do I need a special soap or is there some food remedy like rubbing lemon juice on it?
Preparing kosher steak
I saw a kosher steak at the store and I bought it because I am curious what it taste like. I was about to season it the way I usually do but then I realized that kosher meat is usually heavily salted at first for an hour or so. So I wanted to know if I can just salt and pepper it as usual or should I avoid any seasoning?
Miracle Fruit
If you don't know about the miracle fruit I have this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html
Now does anyone know if I can buy this in Southern California? Either the berries or the whole plant?
Linkery's (SD) tipping policy attracts wider attention
This doesn't make much sense. When i tip I look at the price after taxes is charged.
So which is better? Paying 18% on the tax or paying 8% on the tip?
Well since multiplication is is an associative operation then it doesn't matter which is charged first. You pay the same thing in the end. Don't let your hatred of taxes blind you from logic.
Linkery's (SD) tipping policy attracts wider attention
I don't get what people are complaining about. They call it a "no tipping" policy because they don't accept anything extra. Plenty of places add an 18% service charge but this is the only one that refuses to accept more.
I think the issue is that people think they lose their perceived power to influence the wait-staff. That power was never there. If you want to reward the restaurant then just become a repeat customer. If the service is bad then don't go back. It's also much more fair since it gets split with the kitchen staff who is many times more responsible for the food then the wait staff ever is. Plus numerous studies have shown that tips don't influence how you're being served. Especially if it's something you pay after the fact and they would have to remember you or guarantee that you get the same server every time to be truly effective.
Plus at the end of a meal you shouldn't be forced to do math. In no other business do I have to do this. If someone makes an excellent product do I pay the manufacturer extra? No, I buy more of his product and tell people how great it is. It should be the same thing for the restaurant industry.
Family foods I thought was normal
I guess the ethnic Vietnamese stuff I ate can be considered unusual. Especially caramelized fish and pork.
Personally I always liked bananas with american cheese. It's the only instance that I will ever eat american cheese.
What regional foods do people just get wrong?
I know my answer is delayed but I've been busy.
According to the wiki link it says that american cheese has it's origins in cheddar. It's much older then what is wrapped in plastic. I was making the argument that cheddar isn't a bastardization of a philly cheesesteak in american cheese is allowed.
What regional foods do people just get wrong?
I'm from Texas and I know the 2 foods people should be getting right is steak and pancakes and yet everyone is bad at them.
If we're talking about international food though everyone screws up crepes. Not even most of France gets them right. Real savory crepes are called galettes and are made from buckwheat. Yet almost every crepe place I know here does them with practically the same batter as the sweet crepes.
I will argue about american or whiz on a philly cheesesteak since neither was availible when the original cheesesteak was invented. Also REAL(non plastic wrapped) american cheese is cheddar. It's only called american to distinguish it from UK variants. I go with provolone 90% of the time.
Changing oven temp
I have a recipe that calls for 375 for 30 minutes and then 450 for 25 minutes. The problem is that the oven take awhile to get to 450 so it's not really cooking at the temp. It's actually cooking somewhere between 375 and 450.
So does the recipe take this into account or should I crank the oven to the maximum temp to get to 450 as soon as possible and then start my 25 minutes then?
