Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Kenji and team are producing a 6 episode cooking show called The Food Lab.

Indiegogo is here with rewards for the show and his book.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-food-lab

SCIENCE!

--Lisa

The book arrived today. It is giant. I am glad I didn't have plans for the weekend.

Here's a photo I put on instragram of it. [click]

--Lisa

jealous!

Lisa, any impressions thus far? Although I usually love all things Kenji, I somehow restrained myself from pre-ordering it so would love to hear how you're liking it, etc.!

Emilie

Ours arrived yesterday. It weighs twice as much as McGee. I haven't read it yet but Kathy says it's great.

I haven't gotten to sit down with it seriously as I am studying for a certification (I should really find a job...). I did read most of the 100+ page introduction but i got bored with it and skimmed parts. I thought that was a tad much. The items I have thumbed through looked interesting and detailed, and I need to pick a random recipe next week and give it a test.

Honestly, the size is a problem for me. It is just uncomfortable to hold a book of this weight for any length of time, so you have to be willing to sit at the table for as long as you want to read. And, I am surely not taking it into bed, which is how I normally read through a new cookbook.

I read/skimmed it and DH made the chile verde which was excellent. I'm excited!

I've been reading through the book and cooked a couple of things out of it. 2 nights ago, I made the roasted chicken parts (good recipe; fast, efficient and tasty) and lemon caper sauce (it was ok; needed more thickening, and I think the taste is not quite right for chicken; I'll try what is left on swordfish tonight, and I think it will be better there). Previously I tried the super fluffy potatoes, and it was a disaster. Could have been my mistake.

Overall I like the book, but I think it is a little over oriented towards american cooking, and a little too much emphasis on 'easy'. I'd prefer if the recipes had 'branches' -- weeknight, do this. When you are feeling crazy, do this. Some of the time the lab findings are too pat; just one winner. Other times he gives the variances; alter X to get the result to change in Y. It is the latter that is real value, not just optimizing a recipe (which is the CI schtick). When he does the variance I especially like the book.

Inspired by the book, I diverted some short ribs from the low and slow path to the grilled path. Wow. Short ribs will have hard time getting back on the low and slow path in my house unless the sizing is totally wrong. They were very very beefy, but very delicious.

Paul - which beef ribs recipe in particular (page #)???

Thanks!