1. 

   • Rommy G.
   • Brooklyn, NY

   • 0 friends
   • 1 review

   Hey A J,
   
   I baked some pork chops the other night.  They came out good, but I think they could come out a little more moist.
   
   How do I keep my pork chops from drying out when I bake them in the oven?

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   1/30/2008
2. 

   • Rommy G.
   • Brooklyn, NY

   • 0 friends
   • 1 review

   And by moist, I mean tender.

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   1/30/2008
3. 

   • A J.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 328 friends
   • 116 reviews

   brine them before hand...
   
   cook them more gently...
   
   don't overcook them

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   1/30/2008
4. 

   • Euge L.
   • Oakland, CA

   • 1232 friends
   • 776 reviews

   brine, come on this is aj, give him some hard stuff

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   1/30/2008
5. 

   • Euge L.
   • Oakland, CA

   • 1232 friends
   • 776 reviews

   damn he even types faster than me.
   
   ok so i want to make a pork belly foam.......
   
   where do i start. HAHAHHAHA i kid i kid

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   1/30/2008
6. 

   • A J.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 328 friends
   • 116 reviews

   try some shoulder chops instead of loin chops
   
   jihaad after cooking, not before

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   1/30/2008
7. 

   • Euge L.
   • Oakland, CA

   • 1232 friends
   • 776 reviews

   wait, pork belly foam dressing a perilla leaf sorbet with a miso syrup.....
   
   wait that wouldnt be half bad. yum

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   1/30/2008
8. 

   • Rommy G.
   • Brooklyn, NY

   • 0 friends
   • 1 review

   A J. says:
   
   try some shoulder chops instead of loin chops
   
   jihaad after cooking, not before
   ***
   I jihad day and night.

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   1/30/2008
9. 

   • James C.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 13 friends
   • 86 reviews

   sear both sides of your chops before you put it into the microwave

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   1/30/2008
10. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    when are you going to grind my lamb?

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    1/30/2008
11. 

    • James C.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 13 friends
    • 86 reviews

    or cover them with lots of sauce to hide the dryness

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    1/30/2008
12. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    james - did you just say the M word on AJ's thread? you can get shot for that.

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    1/30/2008
13. 

    • omar b.
    • Dallas, TX

    • 936 friends
    • 423 reviews

    Dearest A J,
    
    does tenderizing steak, etc really have
    a significant affect on taste or is this more for texture?
    
    Sincerely yours,
    pounded meat

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    1/30/2008
14. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    Ok...I will present a challenging question.: When having sex with chickens...
    
    Just kidding.
    
    What's the best way to preserve fresh herbs over a prolonged period of time.  I'm a single guy living alone and unfortunately, when I buy cilantro or parsley, they sell it in bunches that could feed a small army.
    
    Thanks A J.

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    1/30/2008
15. 

    • James C.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 13 friends
    • 86 reviews

    oh, i meant the oven!

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    1/30/2008
16. 

    • James C.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 13 friends
    • 86 reviews

    suge - is the M word a no no?

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    1/30/2008
17. 

    • Arnold G.
    • Torrance, CA

    • 674 friends
    • 485 reviews

    Suge...I know you'll want to see this!
    
    inuyaki.com/images/micro…

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    1/30/2008
18. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    james - i don't like microwaves. a friend of mine once told people that i didn't believe in them. i told her that was ridiculous - it wasn't like a ghost or a dinosaur where you could say you don't believe in its existence (i believe in ghosts and dinosaurs) - i know they exist, i just don't like using them. i don't own one.
    
    and i'm incredibly lazy. AJ is a purist. i'd be surprised if he was pro-microwave.

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    1/30/2008
19. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    I don't even own a microwave.

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    1/30/2008
20. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    wow - arnold - that looks NASTY. way to ruin a good piece of meat!

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    1/30/2008
21. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    AJ - what should i do with swiss steaks?

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    1/30/2008
22. 

    • James C.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 13 friends
    • 86 reviews

    that's impressive - "incredibly lazy", but willing to make food w/o a M

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    1/30/2008
23. 

    • Bucky K.
    • Louisville, KY

    • 304 friends
    • 327 reviews

    AJ, how do you crack your eggs???
    -In Vitro In SF

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    1/30/2008
24. 

    • James C.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 13 friends
    • 86 reviews

    AJ - wrap your herbs in a paper towel to keep them longer and fresher

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    1/30/2008
25. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    ah, james, i think it's pretty well known that i'm one lazy bitch - but i still find ways to not use a microwave. i heat things up in the oven or on the stovetop. i think microwaves are kind of evil.

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    1/30/2008
26. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    Great.  You assholes scared him off.  Your words of advice mean shit.  Especially Suge's.  No thread is sacred on Yelp.

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    1/30/2008
27. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    when are you going to make your own cheese?

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    1/30/2008
28. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    i didn't offer any words of advice on here you stupid terrorist.
    
    AJ is probably whipping up the proper meal to eat while answering our asinine questions.

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    1/30/2008
29. 

    • Nancy W.
    • Tacoma, WA

    • 30 friends
    • 166 reviews

    re: pork chops, or any meat.  Invest in a good meat thermometer.  Take the meat out about 10 degrees before it's at its 'done' temperature and tent it (don't wrap tightly) with foil for about 5-10 minutes.  It will come up to temp.
    
    Herbs - depends on the herb. Stuff like parsley, cilantro and basil - I wash, trim the stems and stick in a water glass with about 1" of water in the bottom and store in the fridge on the top shelf.  make sure there are no leaves touching the water. I also have one of these:  amazon.com/Progressive-H… and it works like a champ - I've kept parsley, cilantro or basil fresh up to two weeks.

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    1/30/2008
30. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    wait, pork belly foam dressing a perilla leaf sorbet with a miso syrup.....
    *****
    
    take pork skin and simmer in a rich pork stock, salt, strain and reserve at room temperature
    
    place miso in the vita-prep with simple sugar syrup and agar and blend until smooth.  strain, and place in refridgerator for 3 hours to chill and set.
    
    Perilla sorbet Method 1:
    Heat up simple sugar syrup gently.  Take off heat and add perilla leaves along with a little water.  Steep for an hour at room temp, then refridgerate.  once very cold, put in ice cream maker.  
    
    Perilla sorbet Method 2:
    Rotovap Perilla to cold extract essential oils.  Add to simple syrup.  Freeze in Pacojet containers to -20C.  Place in Pacojet prior to service
    
    Assembly:  Take pork skin broth (if it has jelled, warm it until just liquid) and place in a bowl over ice.  Use immersion blender to aerate until a air has formed.
    
    Take Miso jelly and place in blender.  Blend until Smooth
    
    Make Quenelles of Perilla sorbet, dress around sorbet with a spoon of miso syrup, add pork foam
    ***
    Suge...just find a time that works for me!  If you're available tomorrow....maybe but DJ stuff has priority
    ***
    Omar, tenderizing steak may not have an effect on taste per se, but it does have an effect on the perception of taste.  A more tender steak appears to release more fat and juice when bitten into and so will seem jucier than a very tough piece of steak.    Tenderness is only one aspect of steak flavor, so pay attention to the composition of the meat as well as how tender you plan on making it.
    ***
    Rommy, Other than a cool and appropriately humid area to keep the herbs in, your best bet would be to try to grow the herbs in a small planter rather than sticking them in the fridge.  Aside from that, if you can't grow the herbs, then when you use them, only wash the portion that you plan on using at that moment, because the wash water can cause wilting of the rest of the bunch and will shorten their lives in the fridge
    ***
    Suge, chicken fried steak!  or paprikash, or make a schnitzel and serve with spaetzle
    ***
    Bucky, with one hand
    ***
    Grace, when I have the time
    ***
    
    Oh and back to the juicy pork chops...Nancy reminds me....definitely let it rest if you aren't doing that already.  Maybe even in beurre monte and in a very warm place (vs just out on the counter)

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    1/30/2008
31. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    A J... you're a bad ass, dude.
    
    when's are we having a dinner party?!

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    1/30/2008
32. 

    • Rachel G.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 586 friends
    • 423 reviews

    Muslims eat pork?

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    1/30/2008
33. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    *when*

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    1/30/2008
34. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    AJ - do you watch LOST and have tivo? i have a cello lesson until 8

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    1/30/2008
35. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    tiffinie - you taking english lessons from euge?

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    1/30/2008
36. 

    • phil h.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 889 friends
    • 1054 reviews

    I think I have a foodie man crush on AJ.

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    1/30/2008
37. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Suge, I don't watch Lost, but I have a Tivo.  I'll have to get back to you and see if we can meet after your cello lesson

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    1/30/2008
38. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    : \
    
    i was simply mixing my thoughts (when's the vs. when are we...)
    
    silly suge!  you play cello? cool!

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    1/30/2008
39. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    tiffanie...you've already been to one!  who knows when the next one will be.
    ***
    
    phil, yes.

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    1/30/2008
40. 

    • K L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 1002 friends
    • 1147 reviews

    I learned today that eating less of good quality food can sustain you better than lots of lesser quality food.
    
    aka ice cream isn't dinner.

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    1/30/2008
41. 

    • Bella W.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 602 friends
    • 199 reviews

    i love aj:)!!

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    1/30/2008
42. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    chicken fried steak? yeah? ok - never knew you used swiss steaks for that. recipe? just dredge in flour and then dip in batter and deep fry?

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    1/30/2008
43. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    Suge K. says:
    
    AJ - do you watch LOST and have tivo? i have a cello lesson until 8
    ***
    HAHAHAHA.  Cello lessons.  Why don't you use the proper term?  Prostitution.

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    1/30/2008
44. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    who doesn't, phil. who doesn't.
    
    lucky for me, i have a man who knows his way around the kitchen ;)

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    1/30/2008
45. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    keane - whoever taught you that is a god damned liar.
    
    ice cream CAN be a damn fine dinner every once in a while

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    1/30/2008
46. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    don't you pan fry chicken-fried steak, suge?

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    1/30/2008
47. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    tiffinie - i'm just getting back into it after a LONG hiatus.

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    1/30/2008
48. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    I feel like A J's pimp all of a sudden.  Everyone wants him: Tiffinie, Bella, Phil.

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    1/30/2008
49. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    that was too big to be a dinner party... i'm talkin' about a nice sit-down situation.
    and not on your nicely plastic-wrapped carpet.

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    1/30/2008
50. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    yeah, tiffinie - pan fry is what i meant. thanks for clearing that up. i'm sure AJ will have some other technique though - like putting a cast iron pan on the burner of a hot air balloon

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    1/30/2008
51. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    tiffinie - i was just telling a friend about his plastic wrapped carpet the other day!

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    1/30/2008
52. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    and about how grace said it was the most filipino thing he's ever done!

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    1/30/2008
53. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    hot air balloon! yeah right!

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    1/30/2008
54. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Suge, Yep...a swissed (pounded flat) steak would be perfect for CFS.  Go with flour, egg wash, then seasoned crumbs.  Batter would be fine too...just depends on what you want!
    ***
    
    Keane, next, you should learn that it's not the fact that it's ice cream that makes it a "lesser quality" food...but what goes into the ice cream and how it's made.

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    1/30/2008
55. 

    • K L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 1002 friends
    • 1147 reviews

    AJ cooks cow in the cow's own inflamed stomach.
    
    You know, for flavor.

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    1/30/2008
56. 

    • K L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 1002 friends
    • 1147 reviews

    You know I have an ice cream maker..
    
    i keep forgetting that.

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    1/30/2008
57. 

    • K L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 1002 friends
    • 1147 reviews

    i meant nutritionally inferior... to like broccoli.
    
    i should make broccoli ice cream.

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    1/30/2008
58. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    AJ cooks cow in the cow's own inflamed stomach.
    
    You know, for flavor.
    ****
    Mmmm, cheese
    ****
    
    But Keane, that's exactly my point...it's not nutritionally inferior...it's just how we make it, and how we overconsume it.  The fact that it's ice cream doesn't make it "bad" for you.

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    1/30/2008
59. 

    • Cheryl D.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 279 friends
    • 408 reviews

    AJ -
    what technique do you use to make ukoy so that its not a  greasier batter-y mess in the middle while the outer ends are less dense and crispy?

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    1/30/2008
60. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Similarly, if you eat a diet of only spirulina, brocolli, mangosteen and acaci berries...I'm sure you'll find that your body will run into all kinds of health problems.

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    1/30/2008
61. 

    • phil h.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 889 friends
    • 1054 reviews

    AJ, you are needed over here:
    yelp.com/topic/san-franc…

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    1/30/2008
62. 

    • neil c.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 183 friends
    • 301 reviews

    Broccoli ice cream sounds kind of good.

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    1/30/2008
63. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Cheryl, I don't have first hand experience with Ukoy...but to me that sounds like an issue of temperature control.
    
    I'd try:
    
    1. letting the batter and perhaps even the papaya to come to room temperature before dipping
    
    2. using more oil and precise measurement of the temperature (and perhaps moving to a lower temp oil)
    
    Both of these work to lessen the cooling and recovery time of the oil...as well as shorten the actual time it takes for the batter to cook. Should help with the soft center problem.

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    1/30/2008
64. 

    • Bucky K.
    • Louisville, KY

    • 304 friends
    • 327 reviews

    AJ, you are needed over here:
    yelp.com/topic/san-franc…

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    1/30/2008
65. 

    • Euge L.
    • Oakland, CA

    • 1232 friends
    • 776 reviews

    aj on e big issues ive been have with my 12" allclad, not sure if temp control, or didnt scrub it clean enough, but
    
    when i cook a steak, say one nicely sized bonein rib eye, i oil up the steak, get the pan nice and hot and sear the fuck out of the sides.
    
    i noticed lately, brownish blackish shit starts acumalting on teh sides. its semi liquidish then dries up into a fucked up crust.
    
    now if i was just searing and broiling, that would be fine, but if im trying to my a pan sauce, it fucks it all up.
    
    signed
    trouble working my meat.

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    1/30/2008
66. This post was removed by a Yelp admin.
67. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    Bucky!!
    hahahhahahaha!!!

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    1/30/2008
68. 

    • Cheryl D.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 279 friends
    • 408 reviews

    =) Thanks AJ!

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    1/30/2008
69. 

    • CINDY K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 117 friends
    • 231 reviews

    AJ - someone once told me that black pepper was a "binder".  I didn't know what they meant, but pretended that I did.  What did they mean?!??!

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    1/30/2008
70. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    Actually A J...
    
    I have a cast iron enamel baking dish/casserole.   Last week, I cooked some roasted vegetables with olive oil and then added balsamic vinegar late in the cooking process.  Oddly enough, the vinegar stained the white enamel coating of my dish.
    
    Is the stain permanent?  Should I care what my cooking utensils look like?

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    1/30/2008
71. 

    • K L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 1002 friends
    • 1147 reviews

    AJ, do you like garbanzo bean cookies? I saw a recipe for it online yesterday.

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    1/30/2008
72. 

    • Euge L.
    • Oakland, CA

    • 1232 friends
    • 776 reviews

    cindy not sure ,but let me squeeze in a side note question with that, is black pepper oily, i mean does it have a high oil content? and if so, why the fuck do they sell preground?
    
    reason i ask thisis that i went to a pork belly place, owner lady preared this whole black peppercorn dipping sauce, insisted i try one lettuce wrap with the whole peppercorn and i swear, after the crunch, there was this awesome flavor explosion, peppery oily...
    
    damn im hungry

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    1/30/2008
73. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Euge...try using a cast iron skillet instead of your fancy schmancy all clad.  Your all clad might be too responsive to the heat...and your fond burns.  Alternatively... turn down the heat before the fond burns.  Or break out the blowtorch that I know you have and do a little pre-searing so that you don't have to burn the fond....or do what the french do and just use a beef glace for the sauce...
    
    In the end, there is such thing as too high a heat...you've got to balance the needs of the steak, and your desire for a good fond.
    ***
    
    Cindy, I don't think they're referring to Black pepper as a "binder" in the sense that it holds other things together...but perhaps they just mean that it harmonizes flavors to some extent?  Honestly, I can only guess as to what they really meant.

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    1/30/2008
74. 

    • omar b.
    • Dallas, TX

    • 936 friends
    • 423 reviews

    you rock AJ!!!!
    
    EUGE!!!  you wouldn't be soo hungry if you didn't stand-up Nobu the other night!!!!  hahaahhahaha!!!  i know iam an asshole for bringing that up..

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    1/30/2008
75. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Rommy, I don't know for sure if this would work, but I'd try two things to get rid of the stain.  
    
    1. baking soda wash
    2. barkeeper's friend (just in case this is some sort of rust stain)
    
    Actually, it's hard to say for sure if it was the vinegar...or something that was leeched out of the veggies (like carotine)...so without trying things first hand, hard to say what would work for sure.
    ***
    Keane, never tried them!  how about you make some and we'll see if they're good....
    ***
    Euge, black pepper does have oils in it...but it's not like you squeeze them to make a cup of pepper oils.  More like the oils in citrus peel....(ever squeeze citrus rind by an open flame?).  The sauce could've been cooked with oils...and the flavor explosion could've been both from just the fact that the corns were left whole, that they were in a sauce, or that they were just really good, fresh peppercorns....or maybe they were cubebs!  Did they have anise notes?

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    1/30/2008
76. 

    • phil h.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 889 friends
    • 1054 reviews

    Best thread ever.

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    1/30/2008
77. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    AJ, when are you going to make the amazing peach sorbet again?

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    1/30/2008
78. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    Rommy, I don't know for sure if this would work, but I'd try two things to get rid of the stain.  
    
    1. baking soda wash
    2. barkeeper's friend (just in case this is some sort of rust stain)
    
    Actually, it's hard to say for sure if it was the vinegar...or something that was leeched out of the veggies (like carotine)...so without trying things first hand, hard to say what would work for sure.
    ***
    Dude...where did this fucking guy come from?  Seriously...you need your own TV show...or at least cooking blog.

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    1/30/2008
79. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Grace, peach season's still a few months off!
    ***
    Rommy, the planet zecktar

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    1/30/2008
80. 

    • Nelson W.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 147 friends
    • 390 reviews

    " No thread is sacred on Yelp."
    
    ===========
    
    Duh.

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    1/30/2008
81. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    I'm going to zecktar.  Hot chicks on zecktar?

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    1/30/2008
82. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    ::i heart this thread::

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    1/30/2008
83. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    i heart AJ. i wish a building would fall on rommy

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    1/30/2008
84. 

    • James C.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 13 friends
    • 86 reviews

    now, i'm officially scared off.

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    1/30/2008
85. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    oh euge.
    you stood up NOBU?
    ::shakes head::
    
    dude, you need a personal assistant.

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
86. 

    • Nelson W.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 147 friends
    • 390 reviews

    AJ, is it ok if I fry my lardons in the nude?

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
87. 

    • James C.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 13 friends
    • 86 reviews

    can we go back to pork chops and herbs and something about rust stains.

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
88. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    euge - how could you stand up nobu? that's terrible!

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
89. 

    • Arnold G.
    • Torrance, CA

    • 674 friends
    • 485 reviews

    AJ, I have a hanger steak in a water bath (58C since 1am) for dinner tonight, but I don't really have any other food to serve it with other than some pasta.
    
    Any ideas on accompaniments and plating?

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
90. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    I'd love some advice on growing my own herbs...I have the perfect place on my fire escape right outside my kitchen window.  Anyone do this?

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    1/30/2008
91. 

    • Nelson W.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 147 friends
    • 390 reviews

    Rommy, rosemary grows like a weed in this climate.  I'd suggest starting with some of that in a pot.  Cats supposedly hate it, so you won't have to worry about fluffy eating it either.

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
92. 

    • Euge L.
    • Oakland, CA

    • 1232 friends
    • 776 reviews

    damn omar.
    
    there was a good reason.

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
93. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    rommy - i know what you can hold your herbs in - if only you had told me this yesterday i would have gotten you some
    
    ilovemobos.com/gallery.p…

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    1/30/2008
94. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    euge - hookers and blow are  usually a good reason - but not to stand up nobu!

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
95. 

    • Bella W.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 602 friends
    • 199 reviews

    rommy g. says:
    
    I feel like A J's pimp all of a sudden.  Everyone wants him: Tiffinie, Bella, Phil.
    ----------------------------------
    What do you mean all of a sudden, Rommy? I've wanted AJ since I first laid eyes on his long, wavy hair:
    
    livenintendo.com/wp-cont…

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
96. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    Cooking with beer has always interested me.  Any good recipes you can offer, A J?

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    1/30/2008
97. 

    • Rommy G.
    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    And what are the benefits of cooking with beer in terms of flavor and texture?

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
98. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Rommy, absolutely.  But they're all asian and only into white men
    ***
    Nelson, yes...just make sure that you keep the heat on the lower side so as to reduce the chance of splatter burns.
    ***
    James, only if you want to
    ***
    Arnold, why not go to the market and see what veggies look good?  the ideas should spring from the ingredients!  Are you making any sauces?  If there's juice in the bag after cooking, you could incorporate that into some kind of sauce.
    ***
    Rommy...I'm sure there are plenty of folks who can chime in on the herb growing...Erin W and Poe are excellent folks to try first.
    ***

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
99. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    AJ is special....

    Report as inappropriate

    1/30/2008
100. 

     • A J.
     • San Francisco, CA

     • 328 friends
     • 116 reviews

     Beer...is great for chili and other braises....great for boiling shellfish and mollusks (crab, lobster, mussels, clams, etc)
     
     Texture wise...I'm not sure if Beer has any unique effects compared to say wine or stock.  It doesn't contribute acidity like wine does....but it does contribute it's own malted flavor to things..so that's a positive.  Think of it like a different form of seasoning.  Also, it's great for batters because of the bubbles...
     
     Thinking along the same lines, have you ever made tempura with pellegrino or other bubbly water?  Great stuff!

     Report as inappropriate

     1/30/2008
101. 

     • Nancy W.
     • Tacoma, WA

     • 30 friends
     • 166 reviews

     Euge - AJ's idea re: cast iron is good, but if you don't want to go there, try this:  hot pan, high smoke point cold oil, bring the oil to near smoking, COLD MEAT (pre-salted and air-dried in the refrigerator) in the pan.  Don't turn 'til it releases easily.  Then cook in the oven to bring to whatever stage of doneness you want.
     
     AJ (or anybody) - did you read this article: nytimes.com/2008/01/02/d…?  It's NYT and I don't know if they still require registration, but it's free in any case.  It's on 'heat' as an ingredient.  Made me think.

     Report as inappropriate

     1/30/2008

Load More

Most Recent Posts

1. 

   • Grace M.
   • Great Falls, MT

   • 779 friends
   • 850 reviews

   wow this has over 1100 posts! awesome.

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
2. 

   • Arnold G.
   • Torrance, CA

   • 674 friends
   • 485 reviews

   Suge, Bruce Aidells (the sausage guy) has a really nice book on meat called "The Complete Meat Cookbook" amazon.com/Complete-Meat…

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
3. 

   • Suge K.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 308 friends
   • 306 reviews

   thanks, arnold! the specific book i was looking for was 'a field guide to meat'.... but that one sounds good too.

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
4. 

   • A J.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 328 friends
   • 116 reviews

   Yep, you've already got my recommendation Suge.  But in addition to that book, I'd also suggest
   The River Cottage Meat Book - If you're looking for something broad and nose-to-tail.
   
   However, it might be a bit intimidating for someone "just getting into cooking meat"

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
5. 

   • Suge K.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 308 friends
   • 306 reviews

   it's for my friend's husband. i bought them their first le creuset dutch oven (heeeheeeheeee) and now he's really excited and wants to get into slow cooking meats and bbqing and all that jazz. i walked him through how to make a roast for this party they're having tomorrow night, but i figured he could use some books instead of calling me all the time.
   
   or maybe i'll just give him your number.

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
6. 

   • A J.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 328 friends
   • 116 reviews

   "Suge's concierge service, this is AJ speaking"
   
   The Field guide's great for identifying most of the cuts and customary preparations for each.  If the question is, "what is this piece of meat, and what should I do with it"  then the Field Guide's perfect.  However, it sounds like he's interested in learning the different techniques for cooking meat...and so the River Cottage book might be even more fun.  It covers all manner of ways to cook meat, as well as gives really good breakdowns on cuts from various animals, discusses husbandry and processing issues...really end to end.  Pop on by Green Apple and leaf through it....it's worth a gander.

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
7. 

   • Arnold G.
   • Torrance, CA

   • 674 friends
   • 485 reviews

   I just picked up All About Braising by Molly Stevens, a book I've wanted for a long time. It's like $21 bucks on Amazon right now.

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
8. 

   • Suge K.
   • San Francisco, CA

   • 308 friends
   • 306 reviews

   you guys are awesome - thanks!
   
   and really? all about braising? i didn't know there was that much to learn about braising!

   Report as inappropriate

   12/12/2008
9. 

   • Lyly D.
   • Austin, TX

   • 322 friends
   • 231 reviews
   • Elite ’24

   Dear AJ,
   
   I'm staring at a 5lb piece of London Broil trying to figure out a way to cook it for dinner tonight. It looks lean and daunting, any suggestions?

   Report as inappropriate

   1/19/2009
10. 

    • Summer Y.
    • Orlando, FL

    • 0 friends
    • 0 reviews

    I would just season it with salt, fresh pepper and olive oil. Place in broil for about 10 min (give or take for 5 lbs) each side and slice against the grain. Serve it with sauteed onions and mushrooms.
    
    I'm sure AJ has a better recipe

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    1/19/2009
11. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Sorry that it's probably too late for dinner tonight...but for the future;  london broil's pretty versatile.  You can roast it whole, or cut it against the grain to make individual steaks.  And it takes just fine to both dry-heat and braising methods.  And yep, as you've noticed, it's a relatively lean cut, so don't be afraid to add some fats into whatever cooking method you choose...render some bacon, use a good amount of oil, hell, lard it!  Also, because it's lean...it's just that much more important not to overcook it.
    
    I'm sure you'll have no problem "gussying" that sucker up though.  Enjoy!

    Report as inappropriate

    1/19/2009
12. 

    • Lyly D.
    • Austin, TX

    • 322 friends
    • 231 reviews
    • Elite ’24

    Thanks B and J (AJ's usage of "guyssing" made me horny),
    
    I cube cut the sucka and marinated it in soy, oj, garlic, ginger, and made a stir fry. It looked so lean, I didn't want to expose it to heat for too long.
    
    AJ, how would I cook it with bacon fat?

    Report as inappropriate

    1/19/2009
13. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    All kinds of ways lyds....  the ever standard "wrap it in bacon" kind of like bacon wrapped fillets, to just rendering some bacon fat to cook the beef.  If you want to get all fancy schmancy about it, you can lard it---basically using a larding needle to run strips of fat through the meat.  Or if a larding needle's just too random, you could make little beef and bacon sandwiches (uncooked) and tie them with some twine to hold them together.  You could also glue them together, but that isn't the most practical thing to do at home.

    Report as inappropriate

    1/20/2009
14. 

    • Mary S.
    • Fremont, CA

    • 62 friends
    • 87 reviews

    So, with all the wing talk last week we decided to make them for Superbowl. We had never made them before. They turned out okay flavor-wise however I didn't think they were crispy enough. What's your average frying time for the chicken? I didn't want to over cook but I think I could've left them in longer.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/2/2009
15. 

    • Jeff T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 534 friends
    • 513 reviews

    Did you make sure the chicken was close to room temp before frying?  Also depends on the size of your fryer and how many you're frying all at once.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/2/2009
16. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Jeff really is the expert on frying chicken around here....and his tips are good ones.  Another thing to consider is the fry oil temp recovery time.  If you dump lots of cold wings into your fryer, it'll struggle to get back up to temp.  To help with that, in addition to getting your chicken up to room temp, you might want to overshoot your fry temp by 10-15 degrees just to begin with.
    
    Also, for parties/large batches, I skip the deep fryer altogether and just go with wings on sheet pans in the oven.  425-450F and wings take about 20 min (turn over at the 10 min mark)

    Report as inappropriate

    2/2/2009
17. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Also, if you want super crispy wings, next time, if you're able, take the wings out of the package, pat them dry, and let them sit open to the air in the refrigerator overnight.  This dries out surface moisture and gives you crispier skin.  As an aside, it also helps steaks obtain a great browned crust (instead of a gray one)

    Report as inappropriate

    2/2/2009
18. 

    • Mary S.
    • Fremont, CA

    • 62 friends
    • 87 reviews

    Okay, good tips for next time. (not that the bf didn't pratically inhale them anyway)

    Report as inappropriate

    2/2/2009
19. 

    • Lyly D.
    • Austin, TX

    • 322 friends
    • 231 reviews
    • Elite ’24

    Dear AJ, please divulge your sexiest V-day dinner menu? Not for some friend's husband, but what's sexy para tu.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/11/2009
20. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Hmm....can't say that I remember a sexiest V-day menu!  Most years I avoid the day altogether...
    
    But.....here's a recent menu:
    
    Carpaccio Amuse: tenderloin rosebud on a leaf of little gem lettuce, mayo, shallots, parm, olive oil
    Lobster Lasagna: free form lasagna with glazed carrots and snap peas, lobster cream sauce, coral clarified butter, chive flowers
    Beef Tenderloins: Vitello demi, snap peas, king oyster and shaggy mane mushrooms, potato gratin
    Winter Citrus Soda Float: cara cara, satsuma, lemon, agave, lemongrass, Blood Orange sorbet
    
    too busy for pictures though, sorry!

    Report as inappropriate

    2/11/2009
21. 

    • Jeff T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 534 friends
    • 513 reviews

    you tease...

    Report as inappropriate

    2/11/2009
22. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    watcha making me, lydia???

    Report as inappropriate

    2/11/2009
23. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Jeff....you've seen enough pictures of my food.  s'all the same!

    Report as inappropriate

    2/11/2009
24. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    I once made grilled ostrich over a strawberry salad for valentines day.  it was quite fitting because the sliced strawberries are heart shaped.  the strawberry salad had a raspberry vinaigrette with creme fraiche, toasted cumins, and paprika, so was tart and spicy.  quite tasty really.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/11/2009
25. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    I have the recipe somewhere.  and a pic too I think.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/11/2009
26. 

    • Lyly D.
    • Austin, TX

    • 322 friends
    • 231 reviews
    • Elite ’24

    AJ, that menu sounds so motherfucking good! If I ask you for recipes will you slap my face? ...because that turns me on (noted for Suge).
    
    AJ, where do you get this shit from? Btw, how's your sous vide skills coming along? When do I get to come over and tasty??

    Report as inappropriate

    2/13/2009
27. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    again, what are you making me, lydia? because as much as i love whiskey and cigarettes, i need to eat every once in a while

    Report as inappropriate

    2/13/2009
28. 

    • Lyly D.
    • Austin, TX

    • 322 friends
    • 231 reviews
    • Elite ’24

    I'm making you bloody marys with a hitachi swizzle stick. I've never ventured into lesbian bestiality before, and now's a good time as any.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/13/2009
29. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    what is a hitachi swizzle stick? do i want to know?

    Report as inappropriate

    2/13/2009
30. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Sure thing lyds...I'll give you the recipes (more like methods) to the best of my abilities.  As for where I get them from...it's comes from anywhere and everywhere...things I eat, things I see, and on rare occasions things I make up. Every dish contains a backbone, a method, and once I understand the method, I can pretty much sub in whatever ingredients I want.  
    
    As for sous-vide...I think things are coming along nicely....I've got killer control over my stove now.  As for coming over...who knows!  Depends on how mad I want to make Suge.
    
    Hitachi swizzle stick?...Lyds can answer that question.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/13/2009
31. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    AJ doesn't invite me to dinner because i'm not asian. he's trying to get round eyes banned from ad hoc.

    Report as inappropriate

    2/13/2009
32. 

    • Arnold G.
    • Torrance, CA

    • 674 friends
    • 485 reviews

    AJ, what bacon do you buy? The whole Niman Ranch thing has me a little bummed.
    
    Or should I try making my own? :)

    Report as inappropriate

    2/24/2009
33. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    I get my bacon from my CSA...but making bacon isn't one of the most difficult things int the world...just one of the more time consuming.  I know you already have a smoker setup, so just get some curing salt, and you're all the way there.
    
    If you're looking for another bacon to try...try Benton's it's grrrrreat!

    Report as inappropriate

    2/24/2009
34. 

    • Tsada K.
    • Oakland, CA

    • 795 friends
    • 273 reviews

    Can you give me a recipe for a great Asian vegetable broth (for won ton and noodle soup) that does not include miso?
    
    Thanks!

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
35. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Sadly, I don't think I can?  Most of my Asian soups start with some kind of meat stock.  For Won Ton Mein, I use chicken stock, ginger and green onion  (adding dried fish if I want more of an HK type of flavor).
    
    Given that, if given your mandate of an Asian Vegetable broth, I'd start either with a Kombu Dashi or perhaps a sauteed Onion and Star Anise base.  Both will provide a nice savory base from which to begin.  Want to make it even more savory?  add reconstituted dried shitakes (or fresh). From there you can add whatever veggies or aromatics you like.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
36. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    wow...maybe I should proofread before hitting that reply button?  Anyway...you get the picture.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
37. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    As for "more asian" aromatics...there's ginger, garlic, lemongrass, cinnamon, star anise, coriander, clove, sichuan pepper, various barks, goji berries, maitake, shitake, citrus peels...it's pretty much up to you!

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
38. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    I made a lotus root, ginger, red date, and goji berry (wolfberry) soup the other day for my veggie friend.  it was tasty and subtle.
    a simple daikon broth is very flavorful and simple.  as is a napa cabbage broth.  my mom also does a loufa melon soup.
    
    these can all get along ok without the meat bone base.  but of course tastes better with meat ;)
    
    for a wonton soup, I would use daikon.  it probably  matches better.  and maybe add some carrot for sweetness.  some seaweed (kelp) would give it some fishiness.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
39. 

    • Stanley K.
    • Fresno, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 575 reviews

    how do I tenderize my meat? lmao. ok, cook rice? ok, nm.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
40. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Take out an ad on Craigslist Stanley!

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
41. 

    • Stanley K.
    • Fresno, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 575 reviews

    thanks aj, you're the best cook evar!

    Report as inappropriate

    3/3/2009
42. 

    • Tsada K.
    • Oakland, CA

    • 795 friends
    • 273 reviews

    Thanks, AJ.!
    
    I am thinking of the vegetarian won ton and noodle soups you get from veggie places like Golden Lotus, Golden Era, and Long Life.  They always taste so flavorful and rich, but when I attempt the same thing, it tastes like oniony dishwater.
    
    I will definitely try some of those tips.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/4/2009
43. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Hmm, I haven't had the soups from any of those places...maybe after I try them out I can better point you in the right direction.  But yeah, I'm definitely leaning toward dried seaweed (kombu) and dried shitake as the base.  Both will give you a nice rich base to start with.  If you're not familiar with Kombu dashi, just remember to slowly bring the water to a simmer with the Kombu and take it out before it gets to the boiling point or you may end up with a bitterness that you did not intend.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/4/2009
44. 

    • Victoria M.
    • Walnut Creek, CA

    • 28 friends
    • 177 reviews

    I've some left over chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  Any suggestions for a sauce/marinade for pork or chicken that doesn't include anything dairy?  I'd like to be able to cook up the stuff then freeze it to use as a quick weeknight dinner later on.

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    3/9/2009
45. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Tori, thinking along the salsa lines should give you plenty of places to go.  Use your chipotle peppers along with some chopped onions (char them if you like!), garlic, canned tomatoes (unless you have early access to fresh) or tomatillos, along with some spices and you'll have a pretty easy marinade and braising sauce.
    
    One way to make use of it, would be to take your chops, season and sautee them just to get some browning going.  Then, with a mortar and pestle, or using your blender, grind up the chipotles with the tomatoes, onion, and toasted spices.  Add this salsa to your chops and let it simmer on low heat until your chops are done...or if you're working with something like shoulder, then let it go for hours so that everything melds.  Towards the end, check the seasoning, and if it could use some brightening up...then add some of the adobo vinegar.  A little goes a long way.
    
    Otherwise, you could use the peppers like a regular marinade, chop them up and mix them with some olive oil, some parsley, again some of the adobo vinegar (which adds acid and reinforces the flavor of the chipotles) and basil (or other fresh green herb).  This chimichurri would do just fine as a marinade...or as a finished sauce for your cooked chicken or pork.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/10/2009
46. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    I like how this thread is over 6 months old and still going.
    
    AJ, when are peaches in season?
    
    And if they are, when are you making your peach sorbet?

    Report as inappropriate

    3/10/2009
47. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Stone fruit season's just a couple months away....
    
    And if I find fruit good enough for you, I'll make sorbet as soon as I possibly can.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/10/2009
48. 

    • Tiffinie T.
    • Alameda, CA

    • 470 friends
    • 201 reviews

    mmmm...*raises hand* me, too?

    Report as inappropriate

    3/10/2009
49. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    i'm not above wrasssling preggers for some of that peach sorbet.....
    
    jk. ;)

    Report as inappropriate

    3/10/2009
50. 

    • Lauren V.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 37 friends
    • 106 reviews

    AJ help me use my leftover miso paste!  i have one full container and one half a container remaining from making miso soup for a sushi party...what next?

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    3/10/2009
51. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Lauren!  There's a whole cuisine of stuff you could do with Miso...
    
    use it as a marinade for meats and fish, mix it with pepper paste and use it as a dipping sauce, or as a base for korean soups....add it to your bacon.  Hell, ask the koreans, japanese and chinese what they do with fermented bean paste, I'm sure they'd all have fun ideas beyond miso soup.

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    3/10/2009
52. 

    • Lauren V.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 37 friends
    • 106 reviews

    fantastic!  i will definitely start experimenting...any idea as to how long it will last?

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    3/10/2009
53. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Not so sure Lauren, I haven't gotten any concrete answers to the same question.  I think it depends on both the presence of live cultures and your storage conditions.  I still have some of Euge's mom's doenjang in my fridge and it's from quite some time back...and still good.  Can't really hazard a guess on how long the stuff keeps though.

    Report as inappropriate

    3/10/2009
54. 

    • Victoria M.
    • Walnut Creek, CA

    • 28 friends
    • 177 reviews

    Thanks AJ! Love the pork shoulder idea.  Pardon my niavete, but please explain "toasted spices"

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    3/10/2009
55. 

    • Scotty D.
    • Pleasanton, CA

    • 2001 friends
    • 1136 reviews

    toasting spices brings out the olis and all of the full flavors

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    3/10/2009
56. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Scotty's got the right idea.  And by toasted spices, I just mean taking dry spices and putting them into a hot pan to lightly toast. You don't want to burn them...just enough to awaken them.

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    3/10/2009
57. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    re: miso, look online for a Gindara cod marinade/recipe.  nobu (the restaurant in NY, vegas, etc) makes an awesome one.  Koo in SF also makes a really good one.
    
    miso lasts pretty much indefinitely I think.  all the salt and any possibly active cultures pretty much kill off all new microbial comers.
    
    chinese don't use miso per se.  we use fermented tofu, fermented beans of all sorts, but not actually the paste so much.  fermented tofu is like concentrated miso.  it's often stir-fried with ong choy (aka kang kong by the filipinos), along with some hot peppers.  Along with many other uses.  it's kinda creamy and salty.
    
    as for chipotle, you can pretty much substitute it for any hot peppers you want, but remember it adds smokiness.  Maybe you can make a chipotle and sundried tomato marinade?  or maybe add some tarragon and thyme and make a sorta cajun style marinade?
    
    what's adobo sauce, exactly?
    
    -Fong

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    3/10/2009
58. 

    • Victoria M.
    • Walnut Creek, CA

    • 28 friends
    • 177 reviews

    ah yes, of course, on the stove..... thanks for saving me....i was having terrible visions of the poor little spices under the broiler or some such nonsense.
    
    And hmmmmm....very good thought.... I LIKA Cajun!  Good thing I bought 2 cans of the stuff, now I can do some 'xpirmentin!

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    3/10/2009
59. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Fong, the Chinese don't use fermented bean paste?  I find that strange...make all that soy sauce and not use the fermented beans?
    
    As far as "adobo"...it's just the generic word for marinade or seasonings. in the case of the chipotles, it's the spices and vinegar...it doesn't mean a specific kind of sauce...not at least in the sense that we have ketchup, mayonnaise, and sauce gribiche.  Of course, in the PI, "adobo" is quite a bit more specific..but we'll skip that discussion for now.

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    3/10/2009
60. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

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    well ok, miso is made from "yellow" soy beans.  that's the same type that tofu is made from.  note this is not edamame, which is another sort of soy bean.  this type of bean paste in chinese cooking is usually mixed with chili peppers and called dou ban jiang.  black beans are another type of soy bean that starts out black.  many many pastes are made from black beans.  I'm not sure which type is used to brew soy sauce, but I believe it's mostly the black soy beans as well.  I very rarely see anything resembling miso in chinese cooking.  the fermented tofu (which is effectively super-concentrated miso) and dou ban jiang are the closest.

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    3/10/2009
61. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

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    thinking about it, you could add hot sauce/chili to your miso and use it like dou ban jiang.  "fish spice eggplant" (aka garlic sichuan eggplant etc) is a classic dish with dou ban jiang.  You can also use it to make a whole fish--pan fry a fish on both sides, and then make a sauce out of the dou ban jiang to pour on top (with the fish spices of course).
    
    the chinese fish spices are garlic, ginger, scallions.  chinese always use these with fish/seafood.  I can look up a recipe for you if you like.

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    3/10/2009
62. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

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    FWIW, the fermented tofu is more intense, and more complicated a flavor than miso, by far.  plus it's a lot more compact so doesn't take as much cupboard space.  if you haven't tried it, you should.  if you don't like it, you can give it to me :D.  note this is NOT stinky tofu, which is not actually fermented.  stinky tofu is perfectly good tofu, soaked in fermented/rotten cabbage.

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    3/10/2009
63. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Fong "all night Fong" L. says:
    
    FWIW, the fermented tofu is more intense, and more complicated a flavor than miso, by far.
    ***
    I will have to try it...And it's funny that you put it like this in the first place, because I've been talking up fermented beans with Euge for quite some time.  And he's said the same thing about Korean doenjang.  "it's more intense and complex compared to Japanese Miso"  And his doenjang is indeed more intense and complex...compared to grocery store miso.  But then again, perhaps we just don't get "good" miso over here?  After all, Euge's doenjang is completely home made and super old school.  Later on, I found out that in Japan there's plenty of miso with live cultures and far more complicated flavors compared to what we commonly see over here (pasturized commercial miso).  So, while I can understand pride in one's own products, I'll hold off on the judgments of quality until I can get a taste.

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    3/11/2009
64. 

    • Mimi L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 255 friends
    • 419 reviews

    Hey AJ,
    
    I want to make potato gratin and am wondering how much I can prep ahead of time. I've seen recipes where they pretty much assemble the whole dish, refrigerate, then bake the next day.  Originally, I was thinking along the lines of slicing my potatoes the night before then assembling the day of.  Will putting pre-sliced potatoes in the fridge keep them fresh? I guess a mandolin would help. Thanks!

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    3/13/2009
65. 

    • Ken K.
    • South San Francisco, CA

    • 103 friends
    • 1498 reviews

    What we do with miso at home:
    
    My better half cooks king oyster mushrooms (sliced at a certain thickness and at an angle) for that pseudo vegan abalone or meat substitute, with green onions, miso paste, and carrots. And voila, a nice simple dish.
    
    Costco sells frozen sea bass (yeah evil I know) and after properly thawing them, put them in freezer bags or a container. Then pour in a mixture of miso paste and hot water (mixed together first, you determine the thickness), marinate for a few hours, then grill or medium heat on the stove or those George Foreman type grills. Good stuff.
    
    You can also kick up that plain miso soup a few notches. My favorite way is to get a piece of salmon fish head (as fresh as possible) from my local A$N super, miso paste + hot water for the soup (add beef stock or beef stock paste like the kind from Costco), add San Jose tofu (cut into smaller pieces), shimeji, enoki and similar types of mushrooms (upwards of 3 kinds), maybe some seaweed and carrots, add konnyaku if you want to (cubed or as thread noodles), bring to a boil then turn down the heat (at least till the fish head is cooked), and you'll have a very flavorful and creamy delicious miso soup (as good as or better than the super miso soups at the sushi restaurants that add more ingredients to it).

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    3/13/2009
66. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Mimi, my "old-school" prep for potatoes au gratin involved infusing the cream before hand and slicing the potatoes close to the bake time...just to prevent the potatoes from browning.  I don't know personally if the potatoes will do just fine if the entire dish is assembled and kept for a day before baking.
    
    However, if you want to ensure that your potatoes will be just fine, what you can do is cook the sliced potatoes in a pot of water at 65C-70C (149F-158F) for 30 min, then cool them down in an ice bath.  (You can do this at the same time as you infuse the cream with whatever flavors).  This stabilizes the starches in the potatoes, and they'll do just fine in the fridge overnight...hell maybe even a couple of days.  You can then take the cooled potatoes, your cooled, infused cream, cheese and whatever else you want to add and assemble them and it should be good to go for at least a day...opening up your schedule to work on other parts of the meal.

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    3/13/2009
67. 

    • John P.
    • Anchorage, AK

    • 736 friends
    • 189 reviews

    Hey AJ
    Snared 3 White Meat King Salmons.  Been looking for a KILLER sauce, got one?

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    3/13/2009
68. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Awesome John!  I've never had the good fortune to try one of those white fleshed beauties!
    
    Given that, I might not do anything sauce-wise other than a simple home-made mayonaise.
    
    But if you do want to tart it up a bit, a mustard-dill sauce would be in order.  Basically a vinaigrette with an egg yolk, lots of good mustard and dill.  Should be good with cooked Salmon and even better as gravlax

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    3/13/2009
69. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    And thinking of sauce another way...you could do the salmon in parchment with a little white wine to mix in with the juices from the salmon and aromatics.  Then when you pull the salmon out of the parchment, use the liquid as a base for a beurre monte.  Basically, start with a little bit of the liquid in a heated pan, then whisk in butter in chunks to emulsify, once you have the emulsion going, add all of the cooking liquid, and keep incorporating butter until it's a finished sauce. (check for acidity, salt...etc)

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    3/13/2009
70. 

    • Suge K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 308 friends
    • 306 reviews

    so you want him to tart it up a bit?? pervert!

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    3/13/2009
71. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    pretty much!  he's got some white salmon...so why not get some serious rouge on those cheeks?

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    3/13/2009
72. 

    • John P.
    • Anchorage, AK

    • 736 friends
    • 189 reviews

    2 minutes ago A J. says:
    
    And thinking of sauce another way...you could do the salmon in parchment with a little white wine to mix in with the juices from the salmon and aromatics. Then when you pull the salmon out of the parchment, use the liquid as a base for a beurre monte. Basically, start with a little bit of the liquid in a heated pan, then whisk in butter in chunks to emulsify, once you have the emulsion going, add all of the cooking liquid, and keep incorporating butter until it's a finished sauce. (check for acidity, salt...etc)
    ---------------------
    I'll try this one A.J., thanks a million. I normally stick to the pattern, the simpler the better for the fresh Salmon, but I thought a little "jazz" just for one would be appropriate!

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    3/13/2009
73. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Yep John, I like that one too...should reinforce the flavor of the salmon rather than being a "cover up" sauce.

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    3/13/2009
74. 

    • John P.
    • Anchorage, AK

    • 736 friends
    • 189 reviews

    I'm going back out weekend after next..Jenn and I still plan on coming down, and hosting a party (small, but hopefully big enough), to meet you all, I'll deep freeze some for you!

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    3/13/2009
75. 

    • Mimi L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 255 friends
    • 419 reviews

    Thanks AJ! I figured a water bath would be involved. Oh and what kind of potatoes would you use?

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    3/13/2009
76. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    It all depends on what you want out of the dish.  Waxy or Starchy...it's totally up to you.  Us 'mericans are used to russets and other starchy potatoes, if you're making a gratin dauphinois a la Point (how chi chi), then waxy potatoes might be more typical. [and don't even think about adding cheese! =P]

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    3/13/2009
77. 

    • John P.
    • Anchorage, AK

    • 736 friends
    • 189 reviews

    John "Dobie" P. says:
    
    2 minutes ago A J. says:
    
    And thinking of sauce another way...you could do the salmon in parchment with a little white wine to mix in with the juices from the salmon and aromatics. Then when you pull the salmon out of the parchment, use the liquid as a base for a beurre monte. Basically, start with a little bit of the liquid in a heated pan, then whisk in butter in chunks to emulsify, once you have the emulsion going, add all of the cooking liquid, and keep incorporating butter until it's a finished sauce. (check for acidity, salt...etc)
    ----------------------------
    Alright A.J.....I don't want you to feel bad because you couldn't be here, but all I can say is WOW...Sooooooooo good, thanks for the tip!!!!!!!!!!   :)

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    3/26/2009
78. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Very nice John!  Glad it all worked out!

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    3/26/2009
79. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    Hi AJ,
    
    I bought hecka Ben & Jerry's on sale, so I stocked up, but our freezer is hella janky.  I set it on the "COLDEST" setting, but the pints feel soft when i squish them.  Do you think employing exothermic reaction techniques (via ice bath and salt in ziplock bags) would work without having to purchase a $200 mini freezer?
    
    I would really like to have my ice cream now.

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    3/27/2009
80. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
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    I believe you mean endothermic, graceypoo, but also I don't think you have the chemicals you'll need to make an endothermic reaction, unless you go to a sporting goods store to buy those chilling packs.  and even then they probably won't get cold enough.  just go get some dry ice or LN2 from UCSF somewhere.  find some grad student to hook you up.

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    3/27/2009
81. 

    • CINDY K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 117 friends
    • 231 reviews

    Check the seals around the freezer door, missy.  If it's all hella crusty, your freezer is leaking all the cold air out. A good wipedown may be all that you need.
    
    In any event, you can't eat the ice cream now unless you're okay w/mush.  It would take time even if you pack the freezer full of dry ice, as Fong suggests, to solidify more. I'd say at least a couple more hours.

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    3/27/2009
82. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
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    LN2 would be instantaneous though.

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    3/27/2009
83. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    Fong, i mean EXOthermic.  I need heat to LEAVE the ice cream mush.  
    
    When you introduce heat to X, the heat breaks apart the bonds of the crystal lattice.... HENCE, ENDOthermic reactions include melting an ice cube (conversion of solid to liquid).

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    3/27/2009
84. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

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    melting/freezing a substance is not a chemical reaction.
    in order to freeze your ice cream using a chemical reaction, you need an endothermic reaction that draws heat into it.
    fire = exothermic reaction.

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    3/27/2009
85. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
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    clarification:  melting a substance is an endothermic PROCESS.
    however, in order for you to induce an exothermic process in your ice cream, you need to have an endothermic process OUTSIDE of it.  or just a colder temperature outside.

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    3/27/2009
86. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    I never said I wanted to do a chemical reaction with my ice cream.  I AM TALKING ABOUT HEAT TRANSFER by creating an environment for the ice cream mush that has a lower freezing point (via the salt-ice bath)

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    3/27/2009
87. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    isn't that what I just said?  shit fong, shut up.

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    3/27/2009
88. 

    • CINDY K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 117 friends
    • 231 reviews

    I think endo / exo thermic can be applied to just chemical change ( ie - solid, liquid, gas), and not just chemical reactions.

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    3/27/2009
89. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    I thought this was a thread about cooking questions?  =D
    
    In any case, I would go with cindy's advice first (check your seals, look for frost) then Fong's Dry Ice advice second.  You can *make* ice cream with salt, ice and ziplock bags, but even then, if you want hard pack ice cream it needs to harden in a freezer.  
    
    I'm not even gonna talk about Liquid Nitrogen...cause unless someone hooks me up with some, I'm not going to recommend it willy nilly.  And trying to hook up a dewar just to freeze a couple of pints of Ben & Jerry's sounds a little like overkill.

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    3/27/2009
90. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    sorry gracey, when you say endothermic reaction, that is shorthand for an endothermic chemical reaction.
    and to freeze your ice cream, it doesn't necessarily need to be a lower freezing point--just a lower temperature.  just get some LN2 from some UCSF lab, and you'll get the ice cream plenty cold.  a classic high school chemistry/physics trick was to make ice cream using LN2.

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    3/27/2009
91. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

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    exothermic reactions are a subset of exothermic processes.
    back in college we used to get LN2 from the chemistry building just by filling a 2 liter bottle with it, and using lots of towels.  haha

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    3/27/2009
92. 

    • CINDY K.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 117 friends
    • 231 reviews

    I'm not comfortable with working any chemical that freeze an entire limb of mine off.  Just a personal thing, though.

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    3/27/2009
93. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    Kent....KENT! Wake up Kent!...
    
    This is Jesus, Kent, and you've been a very naughty boy!
    
    What do you think a secret phase conjugate tracking system is for?

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    3/27/2009
94. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    on another note, I suggest we start a new cooking questions for AJ thread.  this one's getting too long to post on.

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    3/27/2009
95. 

    • A J.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 328 friends
    • 116 reviews

    *sniffle*

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    3/27/2009
96. 

    • Grace M.
    • Great Falls, MT

    • 779 friends
    • 850 reviews

    I will check the seals.
    And Fong, you are ALWAYS right.

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    3/27/2009
97. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    let's move to here... it's a pain to scroll to the bottom of this thread every time.
    yelp.com/topic/san-franc…

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    3/27/2009
98. 

    • Lainie L.
    • Oakland, CA

    • 353 friends
    • 253 reviews

    I will always love this thread the best!

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    3/27/2009
99. 

    • Fong L.
    • San Francisco, CA

    • 697 friends
    • 286 reviews

    sigh... me too :\

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    3/27/2009
100. 

     • Fong L.
     • San Francisco, CA

     • 697 friends
     • 286 reviews

     per AJ's request, we're moving to a "cooking questions for everyone" thread, so he's not alawys under the gun to answer.  :D
     yelp.com/topic/san-franc…

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     3/27/2009