Random Food Questions Thread

[itsstillmatt]

As far as I know, suffocation is not a legal way of killing birds in the US.

 

[JhwkMac]

Electrical shock? Hitting them in the head with a blunt object?

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by JhwkMac

Electrical shock? Hitting them in the head with a blunt object?
I'm pretty sure that, eventually, they need to be bled, so no "canard etouffee" here. Maybe things have changed, though.

 

[Piobaire]

Guys, no help on marking the onions tasty?

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Guys, no help on marking the onions tasty?
Sure, peel, season with a little salt and a little sugar, then brown in some butter, cover tightly with parchment, cut the heat to low and let them cook in their juices until they start to sizzle. Some people add water, I think it is better without.

 

[gomestar]

I make them like this, and they're quite tasty.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Sure, peel, season with a little salt and a little sugar, then brown in some butter, cover tightly with parchment, cut the heat to low and let them cook in their juices until they start to sizzle. Some people add water, I think it is better without.
Thanks Matt and Gomey. With the parchment, actually wrap them or just lay it over the top of them for a parchment lid?

 

[JhwkMac]

How can you not make onions tasty? so delicioous!

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Guys, no help on marking the onions tasty?
I think you said you had cippolini onions, Piob, but here's the recipe for the Osteria Via Stato onions:

Simmer pint to a quart of cream with two or three bay leaves in it until flavor steeps into cream.
Slice 1 sweet onion into 1/3 inch slices and put in a 13x9 or a deep jelly roll pan.
Pour in cream to the Top of the onions.​

Smother generously with grated grana padano. Stick in oven for 25 min at 375. That's it! Adjust to your taste the next time of course.

 

[GQgeek]

Vacuum sealers...

foodsaver or is it worth it to pony nup the extra for a pragotrade pro 2300?

Was listening to keller talk about sous vide and he was talking about compressing watermelon that sounded neat. Not really sure how that works.. is it possible with the latter?

fwiw cooks illustrated says it keeps food from getting freezer burn quite a bit longer than a foodsaver...

 

[JhwkMac]

it protects food a lot more then a ziplock bag if that's what you're asking about your foodsaver question.

as far as compressed fruit, even the ones at costco can compress it. marinating fruit in syrup and other things keller does in his 'under pressure' book can be done using the costco home variety.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

Vacuum sealers...

foodsaver or is it worth it to pony nup the extra for a pragotrade pro 2300?

Was listening to keller talk about sous vide and he was talking about compressing watermelon that sounded neat. Not really sure how that works.. is it possible with the latter?

fwiw cooks illustrated says it keeps food from getting freezer burn quite a bit longer than a foodsaver...

For someone in your position I would just get the CostCo vacuum sealer. Having gone through two of them I will vouch for them. I upgraded due to my use but there's nothing wrong with them. Also, I've had stuff in the freezer over a year, with no freezer burn, that I sealed with the CostCo item.

 

[itsstillmatt]

In my experience, it is not possible to compress vegetables and fruits without a chamber vacuum, but compression is hardly an important technique.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

In my experience, it is not possible to compress vegetables and fruits without a chamber vacuum, but compression is hardly an important technique.

This. You have to raise the pressure in the chamber in order to compress, and you can't do it without the item being in a chamber.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by iammatt

In my experience, it is not possible to compress vegetables and fruits without a chamber vacuum, but compression is hardly an important technique.

yup. we had a bit of an issue with the piece Keller did for us, because we used a FoodSaver for vacuum sealing, but in the sidebar the test kitchen manager wrote she said that you could use them for preparing sous-vide as well. Thomas is of the firm opinion that they don't do a good enough job of sealing to prevent the growth of harmful organisms during extended low-temp cooking. had to fix it. fine for marinating, not for cooking. and not for compressing.