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Munchies_Matt wrote: go back to 1970s cooking, fondues and all that
Gawd! It's been decades since I last had 70's cooking* - a fondue was a good way to pass an evening with friends and a lot of wine!
* Except Prawn Cocktail, which isn't cooking at all. Damn good though!
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I love fondue, unfortunately the family isnt so keen, so I get to eat it on my own! 
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Do you give yourself forfeits if you drop the bread in the pot? 
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No, but I have heard of it. I imagine a shot of ice cold schnapps could be a good forfeit.
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They just don't make things like they used to. 
My mother's Kenwood mixer died recently after 55 years of heavy use. Where do you get such quality nowadays?
Ad astra - both ways!
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Daniel Pfeffer wrote: Where do you get such quality nowadays?
Second hand, I suspect ... modern stuff is mostly designed to survive the warranty period. Just.
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My Mums Kenwood mixer died, took it apart soldered the broken wires applied some heat shrink, all good!
. Things these days are not built to be repaired.
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In this case, it was the motor that burnt out. 
Fixing it is beyond my talents.
Ad astra - both ways!
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OriginalGriff wrote: it was held together with tamper proof screws
the $1 shop has sets of drivers for them things and over 1000 sellers on ebay that'll sell a full set for a few dollars free postage from China, cant really call them "tamper proof" any more, more damn annoying trying to figure out which bit to use.
In fact star slot bolts are quite common on everything from bicycles to heavy machinery - not to be tamper proof, rather
- for small bolts/screws the star shape is a more resistant to over torque damage (rounding), and
- sometimes to differentiate bolts purposes' such as on bikes the hydraulic brake oil resevoir cover will be a star whereas the fixing bolts are usually hex/allen.
A lot of [Chinese] machine assembled electronic items such as your PSU most likely also used them for the better torque handling, often the bolts/screws are made from low grade cheap [soft] aluminium alloys, and they also can handle a higher margin of size error compared to the allen and philips. (Most of these things are fully machine assembled, millions of units per month.)
Signature ready for installation. Please Reboot now.
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Looks rude.
Keep your friends close. Keep Kill your enemies closer.
The End
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A friend of mine has one of those. He loves it. What's your favorite meal to make with it? He's always looking for more recipes  
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I tend not to cook "whole recipes" with it - just use it to get the primary ingredient right - steaks, beef joints, lamb legs, burgers, chicken breasts / chunks all work really well. Since the various ingredients generally need different temperatures to "give their best" I find whole recipes a pain rather than an help.
But... steak au poivre, Red Thai Curry both work well, as does pretty much any fish!
I'm still trying to get Dauphinoise potatoes right in the sous vide though - they are a PITA to gently simmer for long enough without the potatoes falling apart completely!
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Yea, whole meals aren't worth the trouble. He most recently used it for a rack of lamb that turned out really well. I haven't had gratin dauphinoise (or as I know it - scalloped potatoes) in a long time. Now I want some 
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Yeah, they do lamb really nicely - once you get the timings right. First time I tried I followed timings I found on t'interweb and gave a half leg 18 hours at about 56C. Came out like slimy baby food, just inedible. Now we do it 2 1/2 hours at 57, and it's really good!
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OriginalGriff wrote: So I've had to get another: Anova Precision Cooker[^]
Looks like a dildo. What do you do, stick it in the arse of your animal of choice and it cooks it from the inside out?
OriginalGriff wrote: But ... direct from the manufacturer, it's $99 and free delivery from the Netherlands, 3 - 6 business days. Or I could add £16.50 for DHL delivery ... in 3 - 7 business days. Hmmmm....
Pay the extra £16.50, you know you want to.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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So, I had no idea what a Sous Vide is, so I researched it.
I still don't know why you would want to cook this way? Not saying it is bad, I just don't understand it.
Is this something that a slow cooker (aka crockpot) can do?
Anyhow, I always try to buy products that have been on the market for at least 3 years, and then, If I can, search the reviews for a feel of what the average life expectancy is for the product. If it has been doing well for at least 2-3 years, then I will most likely purchase it.
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Sort of - the problem is that a slow cooker / crock pot isn't accurate as far as temperature stability goes. And that is exactly what sous vide provides. Because you can select the exact temperature that your food cooks at (and have it maintained to less than one degree C) you can "target" specific proteins, which means that you can turn tough meat into wonderful medium rare tenderness without any risk of it drying out, and with a guarantee that the results will be the same each time. So you don't get chicken that is raw in the middle, or dried out and tough.
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OriginalGriff wrote: you can "target" specific proteins, which means that you can turn tough meat into wonderful medium rare tenderness without any risk of it drying out, and with a guarantee that the results will be the same each time.
How the hell do you get a piece of meat in that thing?
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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You don't - it heats and circulates water in a container, and the meat goes in a vacuum pack which goes in the water. That way, you get the stable temperature, and better heat transfer (since water is a better heat conductor than air) which means a more even cook through the whole product.
Plus, (within limits) it doesn't matter how long it's in for, after the actual cooking time, the product won't overcook, or go dry while it stays at the "right temperature" - so you can chuck steaks or chicken in there and eat them when everyone is ready (after a quick very hot sear in a pan or on the BBQ) instead of having people be ready when the food is done.
It can get very, very nerdy when you start playing with the temperatures, 0.5C can make a significant difference to texture!
Or - as you suggested - you stick it where the sun don't shine (and then get done for animal cruelty). 
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Well, then. I think this is something that I need to look into, and quite possibly, add to my kitchen.
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I started with one of these: [^] and it worked very well - and then died.
The new one is different, it clamps onto a pot so what I'll probably do is see if it will clamp to the old one then cut a hole in the lid so I still get the insulation (and lack of humidity around it). It's a lot cheaper, but does have a good reputation.
You do need a vacuum sealer as well (I started with the ziplock ones and discarded that after the first use: waste of time) - I use one of these: FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home[^] (but that model is discontinued) and get through around £40 of bag rolls per year. Expensive, but it does pay for itself in the long term as you can buy in the cheap season and vacuum seal it for the freezer where it lasts for about two years apparently. I also use it to make 1KG of mince into Chilli, or Bolognese, and bag'n'freeze it in "two person" portions. Stuff one in the sous vide to defrost and reheat and you've got a meal ready when you want it.
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Slacker007 wrote: Is this something that a slow cooker (aka crockpot) can do?
I don't know, but I think it probably could. I live and die by my slow cooker.
On one of my foreign postings (of which I had several) I got to know the French ambassador (in Baghdad  ) quite well. Talking food (well, he was French) we got on to the subject of Bouillabaisse He maintained that there was no set recipe for it, but just a method. Early in the morning in Marseille the husband would go off fishing and the wife would gather together whatever vegetables were to be had (yes, garlic IS a vegetable! ) and put them in a pot on the back of a banked down stove for the day, and go off to work for the day herself.
In the evening, hubby would come home with whatever fish was damaged/could not be sold, and that would be chucked in to the pot, and the stove fired up to full speed ahead. When the fish was cooked, the meal was eaten.
I tried this for the first time on Friday when we had some friends coming in, and it worked perfectly in the crock pot. Chuck in all the veges first off (but NO potatoes - anathema) and leave it on low all day. A couple of hours before the meal, chuck in the fish, and whack the pot up to high, and serve with fresh baguettes.
I make no claim for the quality of the meal beyond the fact the all the guests, husbands and wives separately, emailed or texted me the next day to congratulate me on the bouillabaisse. Nobody mentioned the baguettes. 
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Chris C-B wrote: I live and die by my slow cooker.
I have experimented with a slow cooker, and for something things like Roast its amazing. I just haven't found a whole lot of use for it (admittedly that's my fault for not really looking to close into it). Have any recipes, or better yet suggested sites with recipes?
Common sense is admitting there is cause and effect and that you can exert some control over what you understand.
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I have collected a few books over the years specifically with crock pot recipes, but I find the best way is to decide what you want to eat first, and then Google that meal with 'in crock pot' after it. A quick reading of the recipe will soon indicate whether or not it is a good approach.
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