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From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

@smackrabbit: Robin would've said, "I had breast cancer so my dish is pretty lame but simple, and I think I deserve to be here."

Translated: Glad she's gone.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

Lots of "yay, Jen!" Interesting.

Chicks rooting on gender and not merit, I think.

From Talk

Help: Deep fried turkey not crispy

Olddad is right. Overheat the oil just a bit initially, to compensate for the drop in temp.

Make sure you start with a bird that has been very-well dried, too.

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Bloggers -- and Blog Readers -- are Sheep

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I've Lost My Broth Mojo

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Onions and garlic -- and other accepted recipe "mistakes"?

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advice on roast/timing

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

@smackrabbit: Robin would've said, "I had breast cancer so my dish is pretty lame but simple, and I think I deserve to be here."

Translated: Glad she's gone.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

Lots of "yay, Jen!" Interesting.

Chicks rooting on gender and not merit, I think.

From Talk

Help: Deep fried turkey not crispy

Olddad is right. Overheat the oil just a bit initially, to compensate for the drop in temp.

Make sure you start with a bird that has been very-well dried, too.

From Serious Eats: New York

Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?

1. Sides, especially stuffing and potatoes.
2. Spaghetti Carbonara, a la Calvin Trillin
3. Turkey

From Talk

For NY'ers: dirty water dog inconsistencies. What gives?

Hi Kenji,

Big fan of yours, so I decided -- out of curiosity too -- to look into it.

Seems you can simply buy the umbrella here, directly from Sabrett. It appears they don't care who flies it.

Also, there is a push-cart company here that admits it is not related to Sabrett, but sells carts branded that way.

Weird. And, IMHO, kind of a bad marketing move by Sabrett.

From Serious Eats

Alton Brown Says No to Stuffing the Turkey

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this.

You don't HEAT UP dressing and then stuff the bird, for safety reasons.

You also don't stuff the bird and overcook the turkey.

Simply put, you stuff the bird, get the bird to temp, pull it, unload the stuffing into a separate baking dish and then finish the stuffing while the bird rests.

All problems solved. You get the cooked-in-the-bird flavor, safety, and a moist turkey, too. No more drama. Yay!

From Slice

In Which I Find Margherita Pizzas Boring

Here's what I don't get.

If very few pizzaioli can succeed with a Margherita (and I do agree, WikiAdam), then why do so many offer a plain cheese?

On a related note, I am nonplussed here in California by all the parlors that offer cheese, pepperoni or sausage -- any many, many iterations beyond that -- but cannot seem to carry basil in their kitchens?

Thoughts?

Thanks for this. Enlightening and refreshing. But not as much as a perfect Margherita.

From A Hamburger Today

Father & Son Chili Dogs and Burgers: An Undiscovered Gem in New Jersey?

If it had two slices of overlapping cheese, was melted 15 seconds more, and was cooked just a little less -- well, that would be near-perfect in my book.

From Talk

Stupid to Make Homemade Halloween Treats?

"I don't have kids." Just read that again now.

Which explains the whole idea of "pumpkin chocolate chip cookies" or the whole idea of home-made goods to kids on Halloween in the first place.

From Talk

Stupid to Make Homemade Halloween Treats?

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies? Do you even have your own kids? lol

From Talk

Anthony Bourdain and Vegetarians/Vegans

Do me a favor. Reach up right now and grab your upper, front teeth. Feel how sharp they are. Now stick your fingers way back in your mouth.

Feel those molars?

We're omnivores. Have been for many, many years.

Vegans and vegetarians are fighting nature. They'll be eliminated by natural selection in about 4-6 generations.

From Talk

what's for dinner 10/21?

This is the "grilled cheese" thread that makes this site more lame than it needs to be. Please stop.

Joyyy, please.

i cut up two potatoes

Chicken soup and garlic bread

sandwiches that were left over

Sure, I'm cherry-picking. But can this ongoing, ongoing, ongoing meme be any more lame? What are you having for dinner?

Seriously?

From Talk

MOCK MEAT... IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER... (really?, why?)

Mock meat? No such thing. Either leave it or embrace it -- but "mock meat" is like trying to turn jello into asparagus.

On the bus, off the bus Please chose, folks.

From Talk

Old posts disappearing?

Alaina, you are always so quick to address these questions -- I admire and appreciate that.

But you know that there's a lot more that SE needs to do. I think this site is losing lots of folks to FB.

Mandate that more profile sections be filled out. Cuts down on spam, makes it all more fun.

Enable messaging between folks. Individual and group.

Just date the posts, please. None of this "older" and "newer". So 1998.

Make it a little less NYC-centric? Why are you not enlisting Chicago, LA, SF, etc. bloggers to contribute and opening up more boards?

I love this site, but it's in the dark ages, frankly. Please pull it together.

From Talk

Pre-Made soups

Snow's NE Clam Chowder is passable for sure. Nothing to add.

From Talk

Greatest Pizza Box Ever Designed: No need to waste!

Dumb.

1. There's food and/or grease attached. Fail.

2. Anything less than airtight will cause the leftover pizza to dry out. Some might like that -- I don't.

3. Use real plates. They can be washed with a minimal amount of water.

Just another gimmick preying on peeps who want to feel better about themselves. Sad.

From Talk

Bad mood, bad food?

I love cooking regardless of my current mood. Being blue doesn't change anything. In fact, cooking helps cure it. Isn't that the whole point? Cooking = joy and immersion and taste and escape. How could it be anything else?

I hope it all sorts out for you, JetCity -- I am sure it will.

From Talk

Pizza: A cure for the blues?

I meant "if it made HIM grin" -- my apologies

From Talk

Pizza: A cure for the blues?

I think you're sweet, dhorst. That's love.

And I don't get why some douchbags say "I don't like pizza" -- why bother commenting then, unless you're a total attention whore?

Just do it up, dhorst. Pizza cheers me up too, and if it made me grin -- well, go for it.

From Talk

Good food in San Jose?

It would be totally helpful, lexa, if you posted your preferences, price range, location, etc. san jose/south bay is big.

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Chinese Chicken Salad

lol @eng: must be the sesame oil, ginger, or rice wine vinegar. Looks nothing like a chinese chicken salad should look to me. whatev.

From Talk

What's your favorite food when drunk?

Sliced sourdough bread. Toasted. Buttered. Smeared with a little cream cheese. And topped with cold, store-bought salsa.

Jerzee, please stop being Foodie Falwell.

From Talk

Help: Deep fried turkey not crispy

I also agree with the need for some old oil. I use my deep fryer quite a bit, and have always noticed that a vat of completely fresh oil never gives the color and crispness you would expect from deep frying. I have never read about the reasons, but know from experience that it happens.

From Talk

Help: Deep fried turkey not crispy

You might also let your bird rest at room temp. on the counter for a little while to take the chill off before frying. Good luck!

From Talk

Help: Deep fried turkey not crispy

I don't know how your fryer works, but perhaps pre-heating it for a longer period of time will help to get the oil to a point that is hot enough when you start. If the oil is at 380, that should be fine. Check to see if it will get warmer than that with time.

The bird must be lowered VERY slowly into the oil. Longer cooking won't make a difference as far as crisping goes. The oil needs to be at the right temp and remain hot enough to crisp the skin.

@mongoose' used oil suggestion makes sense. If you don't have used oil, you could probably sweet talk a few cups from any restaurant with a deep fryer.

Have a great holiday. Let us know how it goes.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

Michael, aka the douchey, backwards behatted bro, just doesn't get it. He's got a lot of chops but his ideas are masturbatory in their complexity. Simpler, well-executed & flavorful food always wins over a plate full of 40 different flavors of nouvelle late 80's 'America-in-its-fine-food-infancy' style cooking. He's like a kid with his or her first giant box of crayons - bizarre rainbows everywhere, well-drawn rainbows perhaps, but those colors don't work together. His ego is the one who does the cooking, not him.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

I heart Kevin, or as he's known in my house, "Teddy Ruxpin." Food doesn't have to be overcomplicated to be special. He knows that. Everything he's made this season has made me drool.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

Moe: “Bring us your finest food stuffed with the second finest.” Waiter: “Excellent, sir. Lobsters stuffed with tacos."

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

Haven't seen the episode yet (we seem to be a week behind in Canada), but I'm rooting for Kevin. Michael can complain all he wants about Kevin's dishes, but the guy is consistently in the top, or winning. It's that simple. He can cook very, very well, and can create dishes that fit the challenge. The fact that he has such a great attitude just makes him look better, and will serve to bolster what will undoubtedly be a long and stellar career.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

Call me crazy, but I think Bryan would like to kick Michael down a couple of notches too. Giving Kevin some sous vide pointers and ultimately having him win the challenge has to really be p*ssing Michael off.

Nice little kick to his baby brat brother.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

Michael V is arrogant; criticizing Kevin's food is classless and also shows he's a sore loser and most likely jealous of Kevin's success on the show. As long as the judges like it, who gives a s**t what he or anyone else on the show for that matter, thinks?

I already knew Eli was going home before the judgine even began because the final four are the strongest chefs left and he was the weakest one left. Jen has improved, but her ability to work under pressure is seriously questionable.

I really like Kevin; not only is he kicking ass, his personality is GREAT! Humbleness is ALWAYS a good trait! He is polite and gracious after every win and often encourages his competition. Kevin is full of class something Michael V. lacks in the worst way.

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 12

"Kevins food is the kind of food I cook on my day off." Please. MV is losing fans fast. I just don't understand why he can't give credit where it is due. Lighten up Bro. When Bryan told Kevin about the proper temp, and said I'm not sure if my brother would have...no way he would have. I understand it's a competition, but quit being a sore loser Michael. Kevin wins it all, I hope.

From Talk

Help: Deep fried turkey not crispy

Your oil may be too fresh.

According to Cook's Illustrated (May &June 2009, p. 30), fresh oil (regardless of temperature) does not give the crispiest results when frying.

The explanation for this is that 'Oil that is too fresh cannot penetrate the barrier of moisture that surrounds food as it fries. Over time, as the oil continues to be exposed to heat, it breaks down, producing slippery soaplike compounds that can penetrate the water barrier. This increased contact between oil and food promotes browning and crispness.'

Their recommended solution? 'Save a cup or two of of used oil the next time you fry (we found that a ratio of 1 cup of used oil to 5 cups of fresh oil worked best).'

I haven't tried this specific approach yet, but it does gree with what I've noticed whan I've fried things in batches, and I have inevitably found Cook's Illustrated to be uniformly reliable.

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

Congrats to our winner bogusrogus, and thanks to everyone who entered! The winner has been notified and the Contest Winners page has been updated.

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

Corn Bread Dressing with Pecans and Bacon sounds perfect for our southern-themed Thanksgiving feast!

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

Sautéed brussels sprouts with bacon, maybe toss in some walnuts.

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

I'm still fascinated by the Apple-Brined Smoked turkey!

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

smoked oyster and sticky rice in lotus leaf
want!!!!

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From Talk

Bloggers -- and Blog Readers -- are Sheep

From Talk

I've Lost My Broth Mojo

From Talk

Onions and garlic -- and other accepted recipe "mistakes"?

From Talk

advice on roast/timing

From Talk

Mmm, sausage

From Talk

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