note to self: try soft-boiled eggs. perhaps as an easier alternative to poached.

i was going to write something about spices, but then i learned that BELL BATES IS CLOSED WTF.

goddddaaamnitttt motherfffffuuuuuu–

lots of people [and america’s test kitchen] like the stuff by thermoworks, particularly their RT301WA and RT600C digital thermometers. the thermapen seems to be the gold standard for speed and accuracy but it’s hella expensive at $96 retail [with the occasional $85ish sale].

they sell lots of other low cost pocket thermometers here.

protip: if you [or someone you know] is really dying for a thermapen [and has too much money on their hands] then subscribe to the email newsletter where they’ll occasionally advertise a supah sekrit open box sale [currently $74].

although i find cleavers rather difficult to maneuver, my dad can use his to julienne vegetables and mince garlic [better and faster than i can with my knife].

… the dumb, skilled jerk.

see also: this excellent, super detailed review by the sweethome. and this discussion over at cheftalk forums. pay particular attention to the posts by boar_d_laze, who pops up all the time and seems stupidly knowledgeable.

[sidebar: i love cheftalk. i could spend all day there omg.]
[more precisely: i could read BDL’s posts all day (and often have).]

i’m not nearly serious / proficient enough to sharpen my knives at home, though i think it’s a skill worth learning [if you want to / care enough]. occasionally using a respectable, paid service is good enough for me.

[if i did care enough, i’d start with a pre-set sharpening machine and maybe work my way up to the badassery that is learning how to use waterstones.]

based on my [admittedly limited] experience with knives, here is what i like:

- 8 to 10 inch chef’s [maybe both if you’re really nuts]
- 10+ inch serrated bread [‘cause i love my carbs]
- 6ish inch serrated utility
- 3-4 inch paring

preferred brand: victorinox. they’ve gotten good reviews from america’s test kitchen and seem sturdy. also: they’re affordable, light, and sharp.

on second thought: for more intense chefs, maybe a schmancy [somewhat pricey] 8 inch japanese knife for more fine / detailed work, like perfectly julienned carrots or filleting meat. then a sturdy workhorse 10 inch victorinox or possibly a cleaver [if you’re into that sorta thing] for larger / tougher jobs like chopping through bone and cutting open pumpkins and other squash.

[note: size recommendations–particularly for the chef’s knife–are based on my own experience and tiny hands. others might prefer something larger.]

hey just fyi i now have a public tumblr where i reblog things / violently express my fandom feels all over the internet / other fun stuff.

there’s not much there right now / i haven’t used it a whole lot, but i think there’s a good chance this will change in the near future.

for those who give a shit: kidpotato.tumblr.com

german / austrian deliciousness:

[not sure where one cuisine ends and the other begins; sorry]

- keiserschmarrn [austrian pancakes]
- zimtsterne [cinnamon star cookies]
- pfeffernusse [pepper nut cookies]
- linzer cookies [also: linzer torte]

“To read a book in one hour requires a particular kind of book. It works for most scholarly books, especially in history and social science, the denser the better. It works less well for books in philosophy or for heavily argument driven texts that require the reader to follow along (I would not recommend trying to learn calculus in this manner). More importantly, it requires the apparatus that a scholarly book gets when it is published—i.e. it does not work for dissertations, drafts, self-published works or poorly-published ones. Indeed, a well-crafted scholarly book is fantastic machine, one that can be readily approached, understood, extended and critiqued. In this era of the crisis of scholarly publishing, it seems to me that presses should be doing a lot more to indicate that they can turn an otherwise messy manuscript filled with hard-to-find but good ideas into a scholarly hot rod tricked out with everything necessary to teach generations upon generations, connect up scholarly communities, and parse out complex topics into loadable modules of delicious knowledge. Publishing a scholarly book is not about making it available—it is about making it readable, and this is what you pay for, or should be paying for anyways. If you can follow these steps, especially with a work of history or ethnography, then the book is a well-produced scholarly work.”

http://utminers.utep.edu/trcurry/How%20to%20read%20a%20good%20book.htm

“Which drop bar shape and size is best? That depends on your anatomy, conditioning, position on the bike, type of riding you do, how your bike is equipped and your bike’s geometry. One cyclist’s ergonomic heaven is another’s hell. I’ve assembled samples of a representative range of most of the traditional road bar geometries together with current production shapes. I’ve omitted anatomic bars as I’ve never found one that fits my anatomy, so apologies to fans of anatomic bars.”

http://ruedatropical.com/2009/03/road-drop-bar-geometry/

will probably attempt dry rubbed slow cooker pulled pork this weekend. for the record:

probably could’ve halved the spice rub for one 4 pound pork shoulder

also made a few changes since i didn’t have all the spices and felt too lazy to go out.

- 2 tbsp black pepper [instead of 1 black, 1 white]
- 1 tsp cayenne instead of 1.5 because i’m a wimp
- 1 tbsp smoked, 1 tbsp sweet, 2 tbsp regular paprika
- thyme instead of oregano [not sure how this will work out]
- added some extra brown sugar
- kosher salt instead of regular

i think i’ll omit the ¼ cup water in the slow cooker, but i might add a bed of sliced onions and carrots.

for a vaguely healthy accompaniment: brown rice with vegetables of some sort.

the plan: toast rice in a pan with butter, garlic, and maybe onion. add water and low-sodium chicken broth. simmer for however long it takes to cook brown rice. add chopped vegetables at some point [probably 10-15 minutes before the rice is done]. possibly broccoli, carrots, peas, and/or peppers [fresh or frozen, who cares]. also: scallions. or maybe rosemary? and/or lemon?

[this person says 1 cup brown rice cooks in 2 cups liquid for 40-45 minutes.]

for a vaguely balanced meal: pasta with tomato sauce, sausage, spinach, and ricotta.

[note: since i eyeballed everything, i have no idea whether these measurements are accurate. i tried.]

- about 12 ounces dried pasta
- 18-24 ounces tomato sauce
- a couple of sausage links [7-9 ounces]
- 8-12 ounces baby spinach
- 4-8 ounces ricotta cheese
- garlic, pepper, salt
- oil, butter

optional: parmesan.

[serves about 4]

1. boil water and salt for the pasta. dump that shit in there. set a timer.
2. while that’s happening, oil up a saute pan. pan fry the sausages.
3. in-between checking the sausages, mince a few cloves of garlic. when the sausages are done, take them out and use a pat of butter to re-lube the pan [because butter is tasty].
4. saute garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. dump in spinach and cook until wilted or something. be sure to scrape up all those delicious sausage-y pan drippings.
5. dump tomato sauce in the pan. if it seems too thin, simmer for a while until some water has evaporated. slice the sausages and add those back in too. keep everything warm on low heat.
6. at some point the pasta will have finished cooking. drain and add to the pan with the tomato sauce, spinach, and sausage. mix it all up.
7. BAM. IT’S A MEAL.

serve with a dollop of ricotta [and if you’ve got it, some grated parmesan].

chocolate + water = chocolate mousse?! :O

[for those unable or too lazy to watch: melt a bunch of chocolate and water in a saucepan. place the mixture in a bowl in an ice bath and whisk like crazy until it starts to look like chocolate mousse.]

roasted balsamic strawberry shortcake

my parsley seeds have germinated! best thing i’ve done all semester.

[fuck. classes.]