ChefTalk Cooking Forums http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/ ChefTalk.com Cooking Forums - Food and Cooking disucssion for the professional and the at home cook. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:43:55 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/images/styles/cheftalk/misc/rss.jpg ChefTalk Cooking Forums http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/ Question What are you smoking? http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57363-what-you-smoking.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:41:41 GMT Hi all :)

I thought it could be inspirational to post what your currently smoking. This doesn't have to be anything formal, just post what you smoked and/or get some ideas for new recipes.


The other day I smoked a couple of things...


On the top rack I Cured/Rubbed/Smoked some tasso ham. I got the cure recipe and the inspiration from CapeChef's Hot & Cold smoking thread.

After doing a little research on tasso ham I found that it is traditionally made from raw pork shoulder, not the ham portion. So I cut the pork butt into 1 1/2lb pieces and applied Cape Chef's cure recipe. After 3 1/2 hours I rinsed, dried and rubbed for a rest overnight. Because this was cured raw pork I did cook it to an internal temperature of 180f.

The tasso ham was absolutely wonderful. Great hammy flavor, nice spice, plenty of fat...YUM! This is great by itself, with breakfast, in rice dishes, or sliced thin on a sandwich. ...I wonder if I'll ever by sliced ham from the deli again???

Below the tasso ham I had a brisket cooking, using BDL's brisket recipe. I followed the recipe with the exception of the truffles. I really wanted to give it a try with the truffle oil injected into the brisket, but I was making this for alot of people...and truffles are just one of those things that people seem to find heavenly, or down right objectionable.

My only complaint about the brisket recipe was that there were NO leftovers!

Under the brisket and tasso ham I had some raw kielbasa sausage smoking. I like to make some of these guys and throw them in the freezer. It turns out great for rice dishes, gumbo, etc. The trick is trying to find the raw kielbasa. It's just not out every time I want to smoke.

At the bottom I had a large foil pan of baked beans that I was smoking. I took the quick route (I had enough things on my plate for that day) and used canned beans. I used drained/rinsed baked beans, black beans and white beans. I cut up some onion, garlic and red pepper. I added some molasses, some bourbon, dry mustard, salt and pepper and then lined the top with bacon. All the juices and spices from everything the tasso ham, the brisket and the kielbasa all dripped right into the beans. They were wonderful!

Dan ]]> gonefishin http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57363-what-you-smoking.html An Easy Way You Can Help ChefTalk http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/announcements/57361-easy-way-you-can-help-cheftalk.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:44:01 GMT To All Community Members, Just a reminder that there are two easy ways you can help support ChefTalk.com this year. 1.)When you shop through Amazon.com use the ChefTalk link to amazon and every time you make a purchase ChefTalk gets a small percentage of the sale. This is a great way to help... To All Community Members,

Just a reminder that there are two easy ways you can help support ChefTalk.com this year.

1.)When you shop through Amazon.com use the ChefTalk link to amazon and every time you make a purchase ChefTalk gets a small percentage of the sale. This is a great way to help keep us up and running when you are buying cookbooks (or actually anything you buy from Amazon).

Link to Amazon

2.) Consider purchasing a premium membership for $12.00 and remove all of the ads you see when you surf the forums. In addition to not seeing anymore ads you will also get a larger allowance of private messages, a larger size allowance profile picture and a larger size allowance for your avatar. So for a a buck a month you can few the forums with no ads.

If you would like to do this simply click here "Support ChefTalk". ]]> Announcements Nicko http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/announcements/57361-easy-way-you-can-help-cheftalk.html Switching from AP to Bread Flour http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/pastries-baking-general/57360-switching-ap-bread-flour.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:50:21 GMT For the past two years of breadmaking I've used, for my 6 cup recipe, KA AP flour with 2 C water, plus salt and yeast.

Today I've begun making my std 6 C loaf using KA Unbleached Bread Flour; therefore I've gone from using a flour at 11.7% protein to 12.7%. There water volume has increased from 2 C to 2 1/4 C. Although the dough feels a bit more hydrated, I'm wondering about the rise, crumb's texture and flavor.

Any comments appreciated. BTW the loaf goes into the oven in about 90 minutes! :peace: ]]> Pastries and Baking General kokopuffs http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/pastries-baking-general/57360-switching-ap-bread-flour.html Question Turkey bags http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57359-turkey-bags.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:25:56 GMT I recently overheard a conversation about cooking turkeys. They were talking about using a cooking bag. Any opinions? I am pretty coventional, I just usually roast with seasoning under the skin and bacon over the breast. They were saying the turkey cooks faster. I recently overheard a conversation about cooking turkeys. They were talking about using a cooking bag. Any opinions? I am pretty coventional, I just usually roast with seasoning under the skin and bacon over the breast. They were saying the turkey cooks faster. ]]> Teresa http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57359-turkey-bags.html Question Pork belly in a crock pot? http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57358-pork-belly-crock-pot.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:09:18 GMT Making it for an early Thanksgiving get together. Oven and stove will be reserved for turkey and other things, so I figured the crock pot might be a good alternative for braising some pork belly. The belly will be used in pork buns a la Momofuku. I need some advice on timing and temp. Normally I... Making it for an early Thanksgiving get together. Oven and stove will be reserved for turkey and other things, so I figured the crock pot might be a good alternative for braising some pork belly. The belly will be used in pork buns a la Momofuku.

I need some advice on timing and temp. Normally I would do 2-3 hours. I'm thinking 4-5 hours on low in the crock. But I am also thinking a better way might be to just cook the belly to a specific internal temp and then stop the cooking. Any advice or guidelines on what internal temp to cook the belly to? Will it be difficult to get a good temp reading with such a fatty cut? Any other advice or suggestions welcome!

Thanks! ]]> MingusRude http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57358-pork-belly-crock-pot.html Does anyone know about the Culinary Art Program at Cypress College in Anaheim? http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/culinary-schools-culinary-students/57357-does-anyone-know-about-culinary-art-program-cypress-college-anaheim.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:15:34 GMT Hi everyone! I am looking for a pastry school next year in the Los Angeles area, I saw a lot of posts about le Cordon Bleu and the Art Institute but what about the Cypress College? Hi everyone!
I am looking for a pastry school next year in the Los Angeles area, I saw a lot of posts about le Cordon Bleu and the Art Institute but what about the Cypress College? ]]> Culinary Schools \ Culinary Students anaisb http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/culinary-schools-culinary-students/57357-does-anyone-know-about-culinary-art-program-cypress-college-anaheim.html Lemon Pepper/ Garlic Turkey Marinades http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/recipes/57356-lemon-pepper-garlic-turkey-marinades.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:11:06 GMT *Lemon Pepper/Garlic Marinade* 3 tablespoons melted butter 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2/3 cup chicken stock 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon garlic power 2 teaspoons onion powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Lemon Pepper/Garlic Marinade

3 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic power
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste (optional)


Combine ingredients into a small pan and cook over medium heat until well blended and all spices are dissolved. Allow marinade to cool to room temperature. After cooling, stir well before loading injector. This recipe makes enough marinade for an 8-15 lb turkey. After injecting, deep fry as normal. Yummy!


Hope you like this marinades for your turkey.



Turkey Deep Fryer - Turkey Marinades ]]> Recipes mikhon http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/recipes/57356-lemon-pepper-garlic-turkey-marinades.html <![CDATA[Feedback Please Which Sabatier is Which Sabatier? What's a Sabatier Anyway?]]> http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/cooking-knives/57355-sabatier-sabatier-whats-sabatier-anyway.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:01:46 GMT This topic jumped up in another thread, but I thought this was of sufficient general interest that it deserved its own.

Petalsandcoco was browsing the Lee Valley catalog when she,
Quote:
... saw another set [or knives] called “Maitre de Cuisine” , beautiful too... In the magazine I saw a set that looks like some of my Sabatier knives, which brings me to my question , how do I know that my knives are authentic. What is the trademark of these knives (Sabatier) ? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, everything seems to be made in China...
It's not dumb at all. A lot of people share it; moreover, there's good historical reasons to be a little bit leery of knives represented as "Sabatier."

First, the name "Sabatier" isn't actually a single brand -- at least not in the way we think of brands. It was first licensed in the early 19th Century to a knife maker in Thiers. Interestingly enough, the second licensee was also named Sabatier but wasn't a relation.

The license was given in such a way that all of the Sabatier families' members and local competitors could use or steal the name. Everyone and his brother in the Bellevue/Thiers area started using it -- and if you're interested in that sort of name there's a wonderful collection of Sabatier marques from the area.

By the latter part of the 19th C., appropriation of the Sabatier license had spread to other parts of France as well.

By the mid nineteenth century the Sabatier name was diffused among a number of French makers. Fast forward to the late-middle of the twentieth century, and some of those makers sold or licensed the name to "international" makers and a lot of poor quality "Sabatiers" started coming out of one part of Asia or another.

When buying a Sabatier it's important to know the identity of the individual maker. Three examples of still notable, French Sabatiers, well distributed in North America, are K-Sabatier, Thiers-Issard, and Mercier et Cie . I feel good about all three of these especially; also about the NOS "Nogent" knives; the recently uncovered stocks of "Canadian" and "Massifs;" and about a few others too. There are too many ins and outs to cover in a CT post.

When it comes to determining which manufacturer made a specific knife, the first thing to look for is engraving -- whether on the handle or the blade. Unfortunately, many Sabatiers made by the best makers during the 20th Century weren't engraved with the maker's name, but only silk-screened.

There's no way to know for sure who made them, as most popular Sabatiers followed the same few venerable French design schema (although the "Canadian" aka "Massif" knives are actually fairly distinctive -- their finger-guard bolsters are a byproduct of martinet forging).

In any case, with older knives, ultimately quality will out -- whether it's a good knife or a bad one is something you discover empirically. Use it long enough to require a couple of sharpenings and you know everything about its use, sharpening and maintenance qualities. If you have one and like it -- it's a keeper no matter who made it.

Several of the Sabatier marques, including the three I mentioned are still making high-quality "carbon" (non-stainless) knives that are very much the same appearance and alloy quality as knives in the fifites. These are the last of the mass-produced carbons and are very desirable knives. In my opinion, they compete well with similarly priced Japanese carbons -- giving up some ultimate sharpness and strength for toughness, comfort and impeccable French geometry.

During the period extending from the mid-sixties to the early eighties, German knives -- especially Henckles and Wusthof -- drove the Sabatiers out of the high end of the North American kitchen cutlery market almost completely. That was due in part to lousy French fit and finish and, as stainless increasingly dominated, because French stainless of the time was even worse than the German.

Since then, modern French stainless alloys are substantially the same as the Germans', and French F&F has improved to a similar level as well.

Most of the major Sabatiers even make a "German profile" line as one of their offerings. If you're going to buy a German knife, you're better off not getting a French clone. The Americans, Swiss and Germans do a better job of it. On the other hand, if you want a French profile, look to the French and the Japanese.

When buying a new "Sabatier," no matter which marque, don't under any circumstances buy anything that isn't made in France. ]]> Cooking Knives boar_d_laze http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/cooking-knives/57355-sabatier-sabatier-whats-sabatier-anyway.html <![CDATA["Cook"book suggestion?]]> http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57354-cook-book-suggestion.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:41:58 GMT I'm being asked for gift ideas, and since I like to try new things cooking I was wondering if anyone knew of a good book that had great descriptions and/or instructions for creating 'food art,' sculpting fruits into various flower designs. Thanks ]]> pullmanpair http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57354-cook-book-suggestion.html Umami? http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57353-umami.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:59:15 GMT Can anyone explain Umami? It seems to be the new buzz word for foodies, but what exatcly is it supposed to be? I saw it defined as "savory", however after that I watched a food network show where the contestants were supposed to have umami in all the dishes they prepared. Either the food had umami, or it lacked umami, even though the dish was supposed to be sweet, sour, salty, etc. My cooking has delighted family and friends for decades with neither compliment nor complaint about this "umami"... is it real, or just more pretentious food snobbery? ]]> amazingrace http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57353-umami.html Quick question on a cheesecake http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/professional-pastry-chefs-forum/57352-quick-question-cheesecake.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:42:39 GMT Hey guys, I was planning on making a mango cheesecake this week and then I got the thought to turn it into a mango-coconut instead. Im pretty good on the recipe, Im adding toasted coconut to the cookie crust, and adjusting the filling recipe to add some coconut milk. What I need help with is I want... Hey guys, I was planning on making a mango cheesecake this week and then I got the thought to turn it into a mango-coconut instead. Im pretty good on the recipe, Im adding toasted coconut to the cookie crust, and adjusting the filling recipe to add some coconut milk. What I need help with is I want the top to be covered in toasted coconut, Im assuming if I use already toasted coconut it will burn, so I considered just putting it on the filling and baking it normally, thinking maybe Id still have to cover it part of the time. Any suggestions? Ill be baking around noon Fri. Thanks!! ]]> Professional Pastry Chefs Forum ianman1128 http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/professional-pastry-chefs-forum/57352-quick-question-cheesecake.html Ideas to cook with Meyer lemons? http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57351-ideas-cook-meyer-lemons.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:35:07 GMT My Meyer lemon tree is full of almost ripe fruits. I know I can use them to make lemonade, but what else? I don't have a sorbet machine. Any ideas you might want to share?

I have so many lemons.. I'm wondering if those would work ok for preserved lemons?

Thanks! ]]> French Fries http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57351-ideas-cook-meyer-lemons.html Tip or get thrown in jail http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/late-night-cafe-non-food-cooking-discussion/57350-tip-get-thrown-jail.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:21:21 GMT Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip | NBC Philadelphia (http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Time-In-Prison--70426052.html?yhp=1) How to offer crappy service and still make money as a server. Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip | NBC Philadelphia

How to offer crappy service and still make money as a server. ]]> The Late Night Cafe (non-food/cooking discussion) kuan http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/late-night-cafe-non-food-cooking-discussion/57350-tip-get-thrown-jail.html Question hard beans http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57349-hard-beans.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:22:14 GMT Greetings: Ever since I moved I have had difficulty getting beans, even lentils, to cook thoroughly. I soak the beans over night and do not salt until the end of cooking. I live at 1,770', have well water, and cook with propane. Last week I soaked lentils for 6-8 hours, and cooked for close to three hours and they were still al dente. I would appreciate any ideas on what is happening here or what I might try. jeff ]]> hoplandhophead http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/57349-hard-beans.html Gluten free, Casein Free (Dairy Free), Egg Free, Nut Free, Soy and Sugar Free Cake http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/pastries-baking-general/57346-gluten-free-casein-free-dairy-free-egg-free-nut-free-soy-sugar-free-cake.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:39:33 GMT HELP HELP HELP!!!!

I usually don't bake often as it already is, and now I have been asked to make a special cake for a child that is autistic with SEVERE allergies!!! =( As I mentioned in the title, he cannot consume soy, gluten, eggs, casein, nuts, nor sugar.

I seriously have NO CLUE what to do. The only thing I am guessing is to use Splenda in place of sugar. I have never used Splenda for cooking or baking, so I am hoping someone can tell me if it is ok to replace it with sugar on a 1:1 basis.

ANY help at all with alternative ingredients would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Thanks so so so so so much!!!! ]]> Pastries and Baking General lovetoeat http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/pastries-baking-general/57346-gluten-free-casein-free-dairy-free-egg-free-nut-free-soy-sugar-free-cake.html