Serious Eats: Talk

'Talk' is Dead

2014-05-05T16:18:48Z

Apparently Talk is being shut down today. Even though I rarely commented on Talk (along with much of the silent majority here), I thoroughly enjoyed reading y'alls posts. It was nice to be able to read these witty and neighborly discussions without the overbearing distractions and drama of social media. I, for one, won't be following on social media where all of the content will inevitably be poorly-lit food selfies.

Lunch near Columbus Circle or Puck

2014-05-05T15:19:03Z

I'm graduating in a few weeks and am looking for a nice lunch place for the family. The ceremony is near Columbus Circle, but there's a reception a few hours later at the Puck building, so either area is fine.

Sadly, as much as I would eat anything, my family avoids Indian, Mexican and Italian (weird relatives). Thanks in advance!

Soy-free Japanese Chashu Pork

2014-05-05T15:16:13Z

Any ideas on making chashu (for ramen) without any soy products? I am allergic to gluten and soy.

I use coconut aminos as a substitute for soy sauce, but it's not salty enough. And, it's much more expensive than soy sauce.

I've found a soy-free miso online, which is also an option.

Any ideas on different flavor profiles or ingredients to make this work?

Thanks!

Sangria recipe?

2014-05-05T10:51:19Z

I had Sangria the other night, for the first time in a long time. I'd forgotten how much fun it can be. I'm looking for a red sangria recipe that's light-bodied and somewhat silly, if you get my meaning. Any favorites?

Safety question

2014-05-05T09:35:19Z

For some time now I have been cooking corned beef and cabbage. Is it alright to save (freeze) and re-use the water that is highly concentrated and infused with flavor? Or, do I need to discard the water after each use?

Chef, the movie by Jon Favreau...

2014-05-05T08:20:15Z

Chef, the new film written, produced and directed by Queens-bred Jon Favreau, is premiering with a stellar cast including: Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara,John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr. and Oliver Platt. It's about a star chef who loses his mojo and is fired from his restaurant only to find himself with his family in a food truck in Miami. Roy Choi, founder of the popular L.A. Kogi Food Trucks, helped train Jon for the role as Chef.
As an old family friend who grew up across the street from the Favreau family in the Bronx, I am most pleased post this for all you Serious Eaters...

Do you have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen?

2014-05-05T00:26:07Z

Was chatting with co-workers last week, and was surprised at how many (north of 75%) did not have a fire extinguisher in their kitchen, or by their outdoor grill.

I have always keep two handy, one under the kitchen sink, and one near the outdoor grill. I also make sure they are charged and not expired.

I have only used one once, thankfully. My neighbor's turkey deep fryer boiled over and caught fire, and I grabbed my fire extinguisher out of the garage and ran over and put the fire out. Afterward, he went to the hardware store and bought several.

Pork belly in greater Chicago

2014-05-04T20:18:14Z

My mothers day present to my wife is to use our smoker to make home made bacon but I have not been able to find local sources for pork belly.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

The best edition of Joy of Cooking?

2014-05-04T14:26:37Z

Hello,

I was browsing eBay and noticed there's many different editions of The Joy of Cooking for sale. My question is which is the best edition? Should I just buy a new copy of the latest version? What is everyone's thoughts?

I know there's lots of other good cookbooks and I own a few, but I feel like I'm missing out on something by not having Joy of Cooking.

Cinco De Mayo - What Are You Cooking UP?

2014-05-04T12:05:10Z

It's just around the corner. What are you cooking up - your favorites? Admittedly, Mexican cuisine is not one of my favorites. Inspire me.

Star Wars themed recipes?

2014-05-03T13:25:05Z

Tomorrow's May 4th! You know what that means!!

So, do you guys have any fabulous star wars themed recipes to celebrate? Puns welcome!

I have so far: Wookie Cookies (Chocolate coconut macaroons) & Han-burgers.

Suggestion for improved search results

2014-05-02T22:59:58Z

First off I love the site and appreciate all the work the SE team puts into it.

One thing that would be greatly appreciated would be for an author's name to pop up somewhere in the text of search results using the website's search function.

It's been a nagging desire for a while but for a most recent example I was interested in finding Damon's original review for Umami after reading his LA burger article today. The link in the posting today just referred back to today's blog. So I searched Umami burger in the search bar and got "Many" results. If I could filter by author after searching that would be ideal. I'd settle for even being able to scan down the list for his name. What I won't be doing is clicking on every link to find the original article.

Like I said, you guys rock. If you could make that little enhancement it would be greatly appreciated by at least one daily visitor.

White Beans with Ham Hocks - RECIPE

2014-05-02T22:44:56Z

I've never seen anyone else serve this "Old Family Favorite" quite this way, so I'm dropping it off for your consideration. I usually use Small White Beans, but ANY White Bean will do. Use what you have! I use a Pressure Cooker, but an ordinary, stove-top pot is perfectly fine. (I do not recommend a Slow Cooker for beans.) At least 8 hours (24 is better) peel, dice one White Onion and marinate in White Vinegar. Ham hocks (Or shanks) vary a lot. When I can get them, I prefer using meaty shanks and asking the butcher to saw them into 3/4" to 1" slices, across the bone, If that is not possible, I use smaller, whole hocks and in both cases, slash through the skin/rind in several spots. I precook the meat (under pressure) for at least 10 minutes, then use the Natural Release method. IMO it helps to extract more flavor from the bones, meat and connective tissue, but it is not absolutely essential. Reserve the cooking liquid and cut meat from the bones in large chunks.
Cooking times will vary slightly; please remember that this dish is supposed to be fully-cooked, tender *whole* beans, not bean soup. The marinated diced onion (with a slotted spoon) and ketchup, if desired, are passed at table as condiments. I prefer onions alone, but many folks like a dollop of the red stuff as well. I usually serve these beans accompanied by a green salad and/or plain biscuits - or not. Any leftovers reheat well in a microwave, but freezing is not recommended. As with any bean dish, I do not add salt during cooking. I find the Bay Leaf essential and the smashed garlic is optional. Additional notes in the recipe section. Enjoy! -GC

Whatever happened to Scala's

2014-05-02T20:30:04Z

What the hell happened to Scala's Italian Beef? I would always buy their hot
Giardiniera at Jewel but It's been gone for a few months and their website has been taken out. Did they go bankrupt?

why are food scenes important to the film industry?

2014-05-02T17:58:58Z

I remember writing a paper for one of my English classes in my senior year of college. I had no idea what to write about at the time. Then, I researched food films. I had no idea that they exist. I had no clue that food scenes can tell so much about the film and the characters. My favorite directors that link food scenes to their characters are Quentin Tarantino and Alfred Hitchcock. Name your favorite director and food scenes.