Regarding the poor man's sous-vide…

Regarding the poor man's sous-vide post from yesterday, it looks like boiling Ziploc bags is not recommended. From a consumer specialist at S.C. Johnson & Son (makers of Ziploc), "Ziploc bags are not designed or approved to withstand the extreme heat of boiling and therefore, using Ziploc bags to make any recipe that requires the bag to be boiled is not recommended." The plastic can melt at the temperature, and who wants to eat food merged with plastic?

Of course, if I'd read the recipes more closely, I'd have realized the salmon I was keen to try out doesn't even call for the faux sous vide prep, and is just slow cooked in the oven. The only recipe that calls for the use of freezer bag is the slow-poached shrimp, and that only wants water brought "to 150 degrees, just below a simmer." So you might be ok if you keep the temperature low, but consider yourself warned. [thanks Allan!]

I'd heard rumors of this,…

I'd heard rumors of this, but it looks like it's official: Danny Meyer's opening a Union Square Cafe in Tokyo. Wonder how the famous Meyer hospitality will translate to Japan, and how he'll manage a restaurant so far away. It will be interesting to see the results.

See also: a diary of the opening process. [thanks Jason!]

Poor man’s sous vide

photo by Ken Hively/LAT
The Los Angeles Times looks at "poor man's sous-vide" in Low, slow and succulent. Instead of using an immersion water bath and vacuum-packing the food to be cooked, the article describes a simpler technique: Ziploc baggies! Place food in a zippered freezer bag, place bag in warm water, poach. The results look pretty good, and the three recipes at the end of the article sound tasty. I think I'll try out the salmon and see if it actually works. [via The Ethicurean]

From Esquire comes this list…

From Esquire comes this list of 60 Things Worth Shortening Your Life For, many of which are food. Also some of which I've eaten, and would eat again, like duck-fat potatoes and deep-fried Twinkies. I'd like to try The Fat Darrell at the R. U. Grill & Pizza in New Brunswick, New Jersey, a "sandwich made up of chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, and french fries." Yum. And of course, the downhill skiing they mention sounds pretty fun too.

The cuisines of the world…

The cuisines of the world are merging into one giant, amorphous mass, worries Salma Abdelnour in May's Food & Wine. "The problem is, too many chefs worldwide are creating menus that flit across so many borders and reference so many traditions that they–and we–lose any sense of place." She raises a valid point, but I'm not sure I buy it. Of course if you go to one of the may Nobu's anywhere in the world, you're not going to have a local experience. But there's plenty of street food to be had that's authentic. I traveled around Asia a few years ago and ate Thai food in Bangkok and Vietnamese and French food in Saigon. Perhaps if you only visit high-end restaurants, you'll get stuck with fusion and miss out on local specialties. But after the amount of eating and traveling I've done in the past few years, I don't feel like we're in danger of a homogeneous world cuisine any time soon.

My mother-in-law was visiting recently…

My mother-in-law was visiting recently and while she was in NY, she stopped in at the MOMA Design Store and picked up these awesome Nested Prep/Measuring Bowls as a gift for me. The orange melamine bowls are designed by Mario Batali (what can't that guy do?!) and inside have lines for measuring. So you can use them for prep, or measuring cups, or both! Handy dandy, and beautiful to boot.

I'm a few days late…

I'm a few days late on this, but David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream sounds fantastic. My ice cream maker's been out of the freezer for a while now (I use the KitchenAid attachment) because it hasn't been ice cream weather. But after reading this, it's going back in. And with the warmer weather coming (it's got to be coming, right?) I'm going to get back to making more ice cream. Mmmmm…I wish I had some salted butter caramel ice cream right now!

Interested in visiting the New…

Interested in visiting the New York Food Museum? If so, no need to buy a plane ticket, it's mostly an online museum. Currently with no permanent home, the museum organizes events (like Pickle Day) and exhibits at schools and in mass transit stations. Poke around the site for a look at New York City food 100 years ago, and other interesting tidbits.

What is this, you…

What is this, you ask? Port Wine and Confit Duck Sausage with Truffle Sauce Moutarde and White Truffle Cheese from Hot Doug's, "The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium" in Chicago. Mmm…mmm…good! My husband and I wanted to go to Hot Doug's last spring when we visit Chicago and somehow managed not to. Stupid! We'll have to head back soon.

You'd think with all…

You'd think with all the recent wind (gusts over 50 MPH) here NYC, the Shake Shack would be able to power their web camera but the poor thing's been out of commission for at least two weeks. Either that or this guy's been hanging out forever trying to decide what to order. Come on, Shack Crew! How hard can it be to keep a lil' ol' web cam running?