Serious Eats: semarr's Profile

Ah, thanks for the reply and comments on the other recipe. Emulsions are new to me, and I'm looking forward to making my first trial run of this baconnaise soon.

I actually never knew the true definition of aioli, until I just looked it up, but when the word started popping up everywhere, I thought there must be something amok. I'd put money on there being a menu in NYC that offers sliders slathered in aioli.

Actually, why don't I just look up the Stanton Social menu. Yep. There it is:

Grilled Cheese Slider

Ah well, sounds tasty anyway!

semarr at 12:51PM on 11/02/09

From Talk

What childhood food do you wish they still made?

Oh, man, I thought I had blocked out my Gatorade Gum cravings!

semarr at 1:31PM on 10/29/09

From Talk

Cooking for a family who recently lost a member.

When I was in a similar situation, we were usually given whatever the family that sent the food was also having for dinner that night. And usually it was one of that family's "favorites".

There was something really nice and connecting about that aspect of sharing the same meal. I got to eat a lot of delicious homemade, "crafted-with-love" type meals that I'd never had before, or were kind of different from what my family made, in some way. Kind of made us feel like we were part of a big family.

Once, someone even delivered a "taco night" in a box... all the ingredients prepared and ready to be assembled. That was really fun.

So, my suggestion is to consider making something that would be a special meal for yourself/your family, and then make a double batch, and send that over.

My sympathies to you and your community.

semarr at 11:57AM on 10/29/09

From Recipes

Baconnaise

So, the Zingerman's recipe for this that was posted last month (it was a "Cook the Book" recipe) uses all bacon fat (but considerably more egg yolk and lemon juice). Your discussion of balancing saturated and unsaturated fats was while experimenting with the beef fat mayo, but I understand that the balance in all of these recipes is in reference to the emulsion issues. Did you do any bacon mayo experiments with just bacon fat alone? If so, how did that turn out flavor-wise and emulsion-wise as compared to the beef mayo?

I completely agree with you that this will take off and become the next It condiment... I imagine casual-dining restaurants serving "smoked applewood bacon aioli" and grocery store shelves stocked with baconnaise.

For me, I just really want to make it for Thanksgiving leftovers sandwiches. I invited my whole family out to my place in Brooklyn this year, from all across the country, and to quote my brother's simple email in response to when I sent him the Zingerman's recipe last month: "prepare it and they will come."

semarr at 1:04PM on 10/27/09

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

taco truck @ wyckoff ave and gates ave, brooklyn

semarr at 12:36PM on 10/26/09

From Talk

The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made

@J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Ah yes. There is definitely a blasé dunking of the twinkie wiener sandwich, but it's into regular milk that's been sitting out on the counter.

Classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-_FO9p8Xdg

semarr at 2:41PM on 10/20/09

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table

Simple, pizza.

semarr at 2:02PM on 10/20/09

From Talk

The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made

My mom recreated the "Twinkie Wiener Sandwiches" from the movie UHF for my older brother's birthday when we were kids:

Twinkie, sliced like a hot dog bun, hot dog placed in twinkie, Easy Cheese squiggled atop the dog.

semarr at 11:55AM on 10/20/09

From Serious Eats: New York

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Cheesecake

mmm. I love the Zabar's cheesecake.

One time, years ago, I was standing on line at the cake counter at Zabar's, and I was quietly on the phone with a friend who was also living in the city, up near Columbia, at the time. She asked me what I was doing, and I said I was buying a cheesecake. Then she asked what the occasion was, if I had people coming over. I said there was none, and she chastised me for my frivolity. Then, intoxicated by the freedom of Living Alone In New York City With A Job I Got All By Myself, I shouted into the phone, "I'M 26 YEARS OLD. I CAN BUY A GODDAMN CHEESECAKE JUST FOR MYSELF IF I WANT TO."

Everyone on the dairy side of Zabar's stared at me.

I blushed, thoroughly embarrassed, but I held fast in that line, and I got my cheesecake. And it was delicious for the two days that it lasted.

semarr at 11:29AM on 10/20/09

From Talk

Toaster oven recommendations

This is probably too small for what you want (it's only 2 slices), but I have this one:
http://www.target.com/Hamilton-Beach-Toastation-Gray-Black/dp/B000Z59AUQ/

It works great for what I use it for (heating garlic bread, making toast, roasting veggies, baking a couple cookies), but it's quite small.

semarr at 2:09PM on 10/16/09

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: Pumpkin Baking

Pumpkin cheesecake.

semarr at 2:01PM on 10/16/09

From Serious Eats

Gadgets: Rival Crock Pot

@Nikki, Ah, yes, I think that I will try "loosening" the lid on my crockpot (I've noticed mine creates a pretty good seal usually). Maybe put aluminum foil folded up at three points along the edge to pop the lid up just slightly.

@betterreine, I read things similar to what you described, with the basic theme of food safety and manufacturers' liability. No clue if it's true, but it does sound plausible.

@Peggasus, yeah, I think garage sales will probably be the only way I invest any more money in the slow cooker option. I will keep an eye out!

I reckon ultimately I'd rather just have a 1970's slow cooker than something with lots of fancy settings that I don't need and that will cost me lots of money. I want the contraption for the main purpose of cooking low and very slow.

For now, I just prefer my oven and stovetop. And those don't take up any of my whopping 2 sq ft of counter space! : )

semarr at 1:29PM on 10/16/09

From Serious Eats

Gadgets: Rival Crock Pot

My Rival crock pot, purchased around 2005-ish, just cooks way too hot. I can make beans or chili or soups, but if I want to do a roast, I put it in the crock pot (with the proper accoutrement), set it to LOW, and by the time I get home from work its internal temperature is soaring past 225!

My understanding is that slow cookers built in recent years have a higher "Low" temp, but this information is gleaned from online forums, so I have no source to back that information up.

Anyway, I'm on the lookout for older model crockpots now.

Or maybe if I leave the lid open a bit? Perhaps I'm getting some kind of minimal pressure cooker effect, increasing the temperature inside the pot?

semarr at 10:57AM on 10/15/09

From Serious Eats