Fifth Avenue Forum

I have a cambro bucket with lid for my doughy adventures. 10/10. Would recommend.

For those that SV, what kind of containers do you use? I have a feeling that would be another added cost.

Thought I had typed up a response to this yesterday, but I guess I never posted it.

I have a 12L Cambro with a plastic lid that I cut one of the corners out of. I also have two of those big 18L Cambro food boxes that were all over the early ChefSteps videos, but I've reverted them to batch cooking or cooking larger items. But lately I've taken to just using a 5L enameled Dutch oven.

Whatever you use, make sure you have some kind of barrier between the hot vessel and your countertop. I'd recommend something like a wire rack that physically lifts the vessel up and provides some air circulation, but a trivet, or a wooden cutting board, or even a folded up towel is better than nothing. For your pork chops or New York strips, the cooking temps and times aren't that high or long. But if you're cooking vegetables or something at the high end of the device's heating capability for extended periods with the hot vessel in contact with the countertop, you can actually crack the countertop (obviously depending on the material).

I have both of these OXO Good Grips silicone racks, and they're great for protecting the counters. I use the two oblong ones under my big pot and the single round one for a small pot. I've also used them to weigh down items in the pots that want to float, I use them to keep colanders from slipping in the sink, and I've even used them as roasting racks, which is what they're supposed to be. Super useful.

Didn't even know things like that existed, neat.

My brother got a Blackstone griddle which I used all weekend while camping and now I kind of want one..

I know a few people who have them and love them.

My brother in law has one and loves it. Cooks a whole breakfast feast on it all the time (plus normal grill foods). Very versatile.

Yeah, I cooked breakfast every day, reheated lunch (in foil pans), and did a few other things.

Looking into getting a gas grill to supplement the charcoal thing, and now I'm wondering if I should just get a dual-fuel deal.

Sams club has an awesome propane/pellet combo. If money aint a thang I'd look into that route. I love my pellet grill/smoker.

Anova is making a $600 countertop combi-oven (a convection oven that adds steam injection) with a "sous vide" mode.

https://anovaculinary.com/anova-precision-oven/

My joule shut off last night during a carnitas cook.

It was at 165 for about 4 hours, then shut off for about 4 more. By the time I saw it, the bath temp was 105.

I should be good from a safety perspective, right?

I say roll tide

I mean, I'm gonna. I just like to hear you guys affirmation

If the bath was still at 105 after 4 hours, it probably wasn't under 140 for more than maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Did you temp check the pork itself?

I wouldn't worry about it, btw. If it was bagged and sealed the whole time, there'd be no concern on my part at all.

I think as an effort to payoff ratio, focaccia has to be close to the top of the list for bread. No shaping, no forming, nothing. Just dump the dough (when it’s ready) into a pan, proof, pokey pokey, and into the oven.

RE: Blackstone Griddle

I love mine. I rarely use my gas grill anymore. Everything you can do on a grill, you can do on the griddle, plus a whole bunch more. If I was in the market for a new gas grill, I'd skip it altogether and just buy a blackstone. There are even models that have hoods. One even has an air fryer built in lol.

@count2infinity

I made lasagna last night. Turned out great. No water, for the 5th or 6th time in a row

Added a dash of nutmeg to the ricotta mixture. Definitely kicked things up a notch.

Nutmeg is the unsung hero of a lot of stuffed pasta dishes. (When I cook lasagna it's a Bolognese style, so the nutmeg is usually delivered via besciamella)

What do yinz mean by no water? What's the secret?

I'm guessing he means water released from the low-quality cheap a$$ 'cheese' he normally runs.

It's an old joke from one of the first times I made lasagna. The recipe called for a 1/2 cup water in the sauce mixture which I've since abandoned to great success.

I made somewhat of an impulse order of a pair of kitchen knives made by Tops Knives, the Dicer 8 and the Dicer 3. The Dicer 3 can also be used as a utility/outdoor knife.



I've been using inexpensive Victorinox knives up to now and have been quite happy with them, but I decided to splurge on something nicer. I also wanted something a little more distinctive than a Wüsthof or similar. The new knives should show up Wednesday.

I made lasagna last night. Turned out great. No water, for the 5th or 6th time in a row

I made sandwiches with my leftover focaccia on Sunday. Fried prosciutto, salami, lettuce, tomato, fresh mozz, pesto aioli. Good stuff. But today for lunch... damn. Got the panini press heated up, did grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, fresh mozz, left over fried prosciutto, pesto. Threw that into the press and bam. Lunch. Was awesome.