Let's talk about food

I would love to find a Science VS Food forum. Another of my pet peeves is the very shoddy historical research done by cooks and cooking shows.A history and chemistry section and I’d be in hog heaven.

One of my favorites is a very simple dessert:A very nice vanilla ice-cream (one with bits of whole vanilla included).Sprinkle on top, a light coating of espresso powder.Eat.

I watch Alton often. I respect Alton for correcting himself on a latter episode about noodles about a statement he made about oil being added to water in an earlier.I am disappointed that his website doesn’t have a forum.

Yes, I do like Alton's show.Thanks for the link on the book.While we're talking links. I've been wanting to give making home made cheese a try for some years now. One of those back-burner things. Have you tried that yourself, suggestions on where to begin? I was thinking maybe mascarpone and ricotta, then moving on from there.

Emeril, makes me blink quite often over historical cooking topics.I really underestimated Batalli the first time I caught his show. Just tonight, I was telling someone I would really like to make it back to one of his restaurants.

Thanks, I had not concidered trying to make those.

I'd be really suprised if a large fully stocked chain didn't carry it. But it is one of the easier cheese to make. Looks like there are several recipes on the net.http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art25894.aspIngredients1 pint heavy cream
1/2 tsp tartaric acid
1/4 tsp confectioner's sugarTakes about 12 hours. Which seems less then my books at home say. I'd let it sit 2-3 days.This one says 3 days.
http://recipecircus.com/...ow_to_make_Mascarpone_Cheese.html

I'd go with one of the Cooking for Dummies books. I haven't looked at it, but the structure of those books usually take a bit about history, craft, mechanics, etc. Jar's appoach does work, but works better if you have a sense of how things work to begin with or have lots of time and materials to play with. ;-)There are different flavors of the Cooking for Dummies books, so you can try for instance, Mexican Cooking for Dummies. Unlike many other cookbooks, the Dummies series is fairly inexpensive.Jar's suggestion of the Joy of Cooking is a very good one, and with little effort you should be able to find a cheap copy. Used bookstores or a garage sale in TN.This message has been edited by Trae, 04-12-2005 08:45 PM

One of the books I have is a translation of: le Viandier de Taillevent. Guillaume Tirel (Taillevent). The translation claims it is based on a second edition believed to have been written between 1386-1393 (Vatican Library manuscript).Has gems like:Subtlety of a swan reclothed in its skin including its plumage.Take the swan, inflate it between the shoulder, slit it along the belly, and remove the skin (including the neck cut close to the shoulders). Leave the feet attached to the body. Put it on the spit, bard it, and glaze it. When it is cooked, reclothe it in its skin, with the neck very upright on the plate. Eat it with Yellow Pepper [Sauce].