Another Hello

[UnConundrum]

Hi All. A good friend of mine suggested that I'd fit right in with this crowd. I owned a small Italian restaurant that we sold in 1987, and I've continued to cook ever since, always adding to my kitchen. It's my only hobby, so I've been able to accumulate a lot of kitchen toys over the years... While I haven't jumped into the Molecular stuff, there isn't much else we can't do. I'm a big fan of sous-vide, and most recently I'm playing with a ThermoMix my wife bought for me.

Here's a picture of my playroom :)





(http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X4ZOECIpkGE/R5FUGaTcv8I/AAAAAAAAA6E/RrFORP0Wi7c/s144/SinkAndStove.jpg)

[PieSusan]

Wow! Welcome to net cooking. Do you bake at all?

[chowhound]

Howdy!
Nice Bull Terrier

[Maverick2272]

OMG I need that room!!!

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

[TexasGirl]

OMG! I LOVE your playpen!!!!!!http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z249/Super_Girl_Rox/drooling.gif

http://gi115.photobucket.com/groups/n285/DAXDSWNFNR/ToGroupCountryBear.gif

[Deelady]

Goodness....now THATS a kitchen!!!

Looking forward to your tips, recipes and of course covo!

:D Welcome!

[Calicolady]

I FOUND MY THRILLLLLL........
Died and gone to heaven! BEAUTIFUL! Even a salamander!
I NEED that kitchen! I'd give my whole house for that!

You're welcome an y time. But please just keep showing pics of that room!

[UnConundrum]

Yep, but not desserts. I do a lot of bread baking. Some time ago, I took some courses up at King Arthur, and a visiting baker from Montreal (James McGuire) lectured about the fact that they didn't have mixers in the middle ages, and the bread was made by hand. He was doing some research on the subject, including methods that he shared with us. I have since developed several recipes/formulas based on his theories. They are "no knead" breads based on the idea that the town baker couldn't possibly knead enough dough to feed a community. You can find many of my no-knead recipes here: http://www.recipesonrails.com/tags/no-knead , complete with pictures and step by step instructions.

[UnConundrum]

Nice Bull Terrier

That's my boy :)

[QSis]

Sweet dog! Excellent photos, too!

You will definitely fit right in!

Welcome, Un!

Lee

[Calicolady]

PRETTY! I've got butter. Who's got beer? Rye and beer. Yum
And your baby looks like a HOOT! Cute!

http://www.netcookingtalk.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=326&stc=1&d=1233277594

[PieSusan]

I love your fur baby! He is a beautiful!!!!

[joec]

HAY HAY Glad you made it over here Warren, you should really love this place and group.

Oh and folks this man can cook too, I can attest to that.

[UnConundrum]

Hey Joe, thanks for the invite :) I'm impressed with how fast and frequent the members visit the site. Seems to be a lot of energy here.

[joec]

Yes it was slow at first but a new batch came in over the last week or so and have flat picked it up.

[PanchoHambre]

:angry:Wow I hate you... your kitchen rocks... and your Dog ARGH adorable

Welcome

Dutch country eh... sweet

[sattie]

Man, nice kitchen, nice dogs (dogs always steal my heart!)! Welcome to NTC!!!

[jim_slagle]

Welcome to the Forum! :tiphat:

glad you found us!

Jim

[joec]

Here is me cutting onions in Warren's kitchen.

[JoeV]

Welcome, Warren. Here's some no-knead back atcha...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Breads/BreadWreath-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Breads/ab-5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Food/P1010121.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Food/P1000637.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Food/P1000446.jpg

We'll need to get a no-knead thread started when you're ready.

[chowhound]

I was wondering how long it was going to take for you to smell that bread, JoeV :smile:

[joec]

Yes me too chowhound.

[JoeV]

Beauty & talent require acknowledgment and praise.

[joec]

I figured you and Warren would hit it off since both of you love to bake. Me I love to eat good bread and hate baking it.

[PieSusan]

I love to bake good bread, too. I am even willing to spend all day doing it. I had a blast making bialys for my friend Andy, may he rest in peace.

[UnConundrum]

Damn, a picture gauntlet has been thrown down, and we're having web problems with Comcast :(

Take this, and this, and yet THIS !!!!

[sattie]

Man oh man... that looks heavenly!!

[Barbarian57]

You've got to stop posting these bread pictures! I can't stop licking my monitor! :yum::yum::yum:

:smile:Barbara

[JoeV]

Damn, a picture gauntlet has been thrown down, and we're having web problems with Comcast I love it...another picture taking bread whore...and with a fantabulous kitchen to play in. I'm stuck working in this prissy kitchen...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/House%20Pictures/MyKitchen.jpg

... but I can turn out some tasty loaves in spite of my handicap. Like these sub sandwich rolls...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Food/ItalianSubBread.jpg

...and this challah bread with my Pasta E Fagioli...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Food/P1010177.jpg

...and even plain-ass white bread (with a side of banana bread to keep it interesting.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Food/P1000372.jpg

Enough of this bread porn. I have to go pay my bills online and get ready for work...the curse of those of us who like to eat.

Rock on, bread whore.:chef:

[Lefty]

Welcome. :punk:

[chowhound]

Fabulous pics you two.

[UnConundrum]

Ohhhhh, you have no lock on Challahs,

http://www.recipesonrails.com/recipes/photo/34-challah.png

And, if you like rolls, how about onion rolls with caraway

http://www.recipesonrails.com/recipes/photo/574-onion-rolls.png

And, don't forget JoeC's donuts :)

http://www.recipesonrails.com/recipes/photo/609-donuts.png

So, I'll raise you one pumpernickel raisin.

http://www.recipesonrails.com/recipes/photo/532-pumpernickel-raisin-bread.png

[High Cheese]

I love the kitchen you have.

Would like to pick your brain on an entry level (cheap) sous-vide setup. I was able to find a hypodermic style probe and meter, still need the cooking apparatus and vac packer. I bought a water bath off Ebay last year but the damn thing leaked. I've been eying up some immersion circs on Ebay, just haven't taken the plunge yet.

Besides the hypo thermo probe, should I also use a mercury thermometer in the bath itself as backup?

Where did you get your temps/times from? I was able to download the large sous vide book but it's in spanish. lol I had it translated via software but still not really east to read.

[High Cheese]

.....I can't believe you have a salamander in there!

You suck! :chef:

[UnConundrum]

THE best place to get sous-vide info is a THREAD (http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=116617) over at egullet.

I built my setup, using an ice storage chest I picked up at a restaurant supply house. Bought a Lauda circulator off of ebay. I don't use the thermometer anymore, and rely solely on the Lauda, which has done fine by me for a few years now.

As to vacuum packing, I went whole hog, and bought a chamber vac. I use the vac for many other things, such as sealing my herbs in ball jars, sealing 1 cup packages of homemade stock, sealing leftovers, on and on.

[High Cheese]

How much was the chamber vac?

I thought I read there were decent results with off the shelf consumer type sealers. I think I even saw someone using one of those $10 hand held jobs.

[High Cheese]

....I saw that thread a while ago, looks like some new info on there now. I'll have to do some reading.

You never used the thermoprobe and tape to check internal temps?

[joec]

And, don't forget JoeC's donuts :)

http://www.recipesonrails.com/recipes/photo/609-donuts.png



Now how could I forget those I only ate a few, well perhaps 2 dozen of them by myself. David (Boardsmith) matched me bite for bite though. :blush: :whistling:

[UnConundrum]

The chamber vac was about $1400, and I think they're more now. A foodsaver does great too. That's what I had, but then the gasket wore out. I tried to get a replacement, and they really pissed me off. Told me it was back-ordered, and it would be 6 months before they'd have one. I couldn't believe it, and felt they were trying to push me into buying a new foodsaver. So, screw them, I bought something else.

No, I don't use the probe anymore. I leave stuff in so long, that I know it's reached the ambient temp of the water.

[High Cheese]

Cool, thanks. Yeah, I have a motorcycle hobby so that's where most of my dough goes at the moment. I'd like to get a setup with a shoe string budget, looks like a Foodsaver is in my future.

Me, you , we can make a thread on this type of cooking. :chef: