bokeh's Profile

i'd just like to point out that you did cover another re-use before (vinaigrette):
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/quick-tip-use-leftover-pickling-brine-to-make-vinaigrette-062623

i remember because i searched for a solution here when i had a similar question, only to have that post show up the next day :) i did make end up making a nice spicy vinaigrette dressing with the leftover brine!

in sf, there is a stand for The Critical Edge at the ferry building farmer's market that sharpens knives, and i think they do it while you wait/shop, but you have to go early - their order queue fills up before noon i think. i haven't actually used them yet, but might soon. they have great reviews on yelp too.

i started saving bacon grease after making these maple bacon cupcakes, and now use it regularly for frying eggs.

i've made the flickr recipe posted by thousandfold before with success. the cream cheese frosting was a little runny, but i probably just didn't add enough powdered sugar. strawberry cake is my favorite - looking forward to trying some of these other recipes.

i tossed a couple trays during last year's cure - i realized that i could just use a container like you describe if i ever needed more than one tray's worth of ice (for a dinner party, say). but i don't leave it in the freezer, i just use a large tupperware container and start making ice a day or two before it's needed.

i would suggest noting that you should not open the oven door at all for at least the first 20 minutes or so (depending on what is being baked, as stated above), otherwise you will end up with not-so-puffy puffs.

as for when to tell the dough no longer needs to be on the stove (after dumping the flour in), i just stir vigorously until the batter pulls away from the sides of the pan.

i discovered that you could buy pearl sugar from ikea on this site, and i've been using that to sprinkle on chouquettes - it's awesome, though many people think it's large-grained salt at first :)

i made this tonight, too (the post was so convincing!) - really amazing flavor, i couldn't stop eating it. but the breast meat was a tad dry for me, even though i left the lid on for the first hour and occasionally basted it with the liquid. maybe the basting was my problem - should i have just left the lid on the entire hour, and not crack the oven or the pot at all?

definitely an awesome recipe for its simplicity though, and i will make it again soon (maybe with individual parts instead of a whole chicken though, just to test scalability).

thanks for the post (and for the link to mark bittman's TED talk, i hadn't seen that yet).

i feel like i've done a lot in terms of my own personal choices - i shared a grass-fed/finished beef CSA with friends this past year, shop at the farmer's market weekly for produce, support a local market that is mostly conscientious in its offerings. i've recently started to eat more whole grains and vegetables and less meat generally.

but when it comes to raising consciousness in others, i feel like i'm either preaching to the choir, or talking to a brick wall. i've started to use facebook to promote articles and ideas, and i'm hopeful that i can reach people that way, but i still wish i could do more.

in that interview linked to earlier this week, michael pollan said "People have strong, quasi-religious views. Secularizing the issue is challenging." this summed up how i feel very well - it's really difficult to change people's minds about food - it has to come from their own curiosity and learning. but i'm inspired by the simple message that both michael pollan and mark bittman are promoting, which is just to eat less beef/meat. i don't think everyone needs to eat exactly the same way i do, but if everyone would just change one thing in their diet like that, it could make such a huge difference.

my current favorite weeknight egg meal consists of an over-easy egg mixed with smoked salmon over brown rice.

ooh, thanks for the link to the sables korova recipe - adding that one to my list.

the recipe that i've been desperate to try is david lebovitz's (and dave lieberman's) braised short ribs. i think someone said that they were going to make it in the last open thread..