Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Just got the fourth issue of Lucky Peach in the mail yesterday. While I haven't read many of the articles yet, I've looked at the recipes, and if you're into classic American comfort food, but with a modern twist, you'll love this issue. There's a very interesting hamburger recipe from Wylie Durfresne that includes shio kombu, which supposedly ups the umami of the burger. I think I'm going to try this over the weekend as I have about a kilo of kombu.

Fuzzy, you'll want to skip this issue. It's written for diehard carnivores.

Also, there's an interesting article from McGee on a technique to make even the freshest egg easy to peel after hard boiling.

Amy

I really want to like LP, but I am afraid I can't muster up much affection. I agree the Dufresne burger looks good, but most of the other recipes leave me cold. I think the rye bread recipe calls for much too big of a loaf pan for the size(9x5 pan for a 1 lb. loaf). They don't give weights for the chocolate cake recipe. I've noticed that while the ideas behind some of the recipes are intriguing, the recipes themselves seem to be riddled with errors: not properly scaled/confusing directions/pictures don't match descriptions/etc. And I don't particularly care for the way the recipes are presented with the "flow charts" that sometimes go up, sometimes go down, sometimes go across.

And let's not forget the artwork! Really, a photo of a dude's butt crack? I could do without some of the interview articles, too. They read like a bunch of frat guys talking while stoned--what they are discussing is 'like totally deep and cool' to them, but everyone else is like 'WTF'? I guess it's written for a different audience than me. I did think the "choose your own adventure" article about tacos employed a neat device, but the actual writing was just 'meh.'

I don't mean to sound disrespectful--I think the people behind the magazine are great chefs and/or know their food--it's just that I don't enjoy the magazine nearly as much as I thought I would. Maybe I'm just cranky; I'll have a whiskey sour after work and give it another go.

Darcie, I know what you mean. It's the only food related magazine that I'd never ever let my kids near. Holy use of profanity batman!
I will confess to not having made anything out of the one issue that I have (the chef issue), I hid it away. Maybe I too will have a whisky sour (or similar) and reconsider.

What's kombu?
fitzie

Darcie,

I do know what you mean. I thought the ramen issue was fantastic, and the next two paled in comparison. At first glance I didn't really like this issue, but there are some gems in there. The article on American Microbial Terroir is fascinating. And I want to try the Waxman fried chicken (although that recipe seriously needs some garlic), and the bologna à la bologna.

Not all of the magazine interests me (I think they are talking to themselves sometimes), but I get enough nuggets out of each issue that I enjoy it.

Amy

P.S. Fitzie...kombu is seaweed.

What's a "whiskey sour"

And adds a totally wonderful, wonderful taste....

Thanks! I'm still working on Issue #3, so I'll just skip #4.

Darcie,

I regard LP as entertainment rather than a source of recipes. There's very little in there I'd want to make, anyway.


Fitzie,

Konbu is and of several varieties of Pacific kelp. It contains a bunch of vitamins, and (most importantly) is a big natural source of MSG.

Even as entertainment I find it somewhat lacking. But Amy is probably right, one or two articles each issue are informative. I mean, how can you go wrong with Harold McGee (even though I will probably not try the alkaline/acid thing with my hardboiled eggs).

Well, just for those who may be MSG haters, it isn't a source of MSG, but is a source of Glutamic acid. I don't think it is in salt form.