Becoming a Better Cook

[Greg]

Of course I have feminine hands... otherwise, masturbation would be gay.

I don't think I should be laughing, but I am. That's very disturbed.

[HTRN]

I have a Le Creuset factory outlet close by.

Flemington, right?

BTW, twice a year, they run a sale with hefty markdown - once in the summer, usually around june/july, and once around, well, now. Considering that the "visual defects" models are already discounted vs. the "perfect" ones, you may be able to pick up a 5.5 quart dutch oven for a hundred bucks or so, vs the 230ish they are at full retail.

Any thoughts on this set: http://www.amazon.com/Circulon-Anodized ... s=circulon

Buy the Tramontina Tri-Ply set from Walmart I linked to. People buy far too much nonstick cookware.

I can't imagine spending $300 on a Dutch Oven.

Tramotina and Lodge both sell similar enameled dutch ovens for far less, around 50-75 bucks. The difference? lower quality, and made in China. vs. the made in France LeCrueset. Also, the 300 buck dutch oven is a 9 quart model - most of us won't need anything that big(They sell an even bigger 13.5 quart model with a list of 450 bucks). The 5.5 quart lists around 265 and streets about 230ish.

I"d gather the cast iron that needed to be re-seasoned, put them in the brush pile, then light it off.

Burnoff is traditional, but it has a rather high chance of either warping, or cracking the cast iron. While this isn't a big deal with a in production Lodge, I wouldn't do so on a Wagner or a Griswold - the pans are too valuable, and much more of a hassle to replace.

[MarkD]

Last year I bought my wife a dutch oven in Macy's (she said she wanted one), don't recall the brand. She unwrapped it, loved it, looked inside and found a little piece of paper saying "Don't put this in the oven." Seems the handle on top of the lid was plastic. We returned it, and found that William Sonoma had an after Christmas sale, AND they had a clearance on Le Creuset dutch ovens in discontinued colors (as if anyone CARES what color the thing is!). We got a nice oval dutch oven for under $200, and we use it often. One of our better cookware purchases actually.

[randy]

I guess I'm really on the left side of the bell curve on this subject. It would never occur to me to put a dutch oven into an oven. All my experience (extensive when a scout in my younger years) with dutch ovens involved them hanging over an open fire or buried in hot coals.

[Weetabix]

It just becomes another roasting vessel option at that point, albeit one with good heat characteristics.

[MarkD]

I guess I'm really on the left side of the bell curve on this subject. It would never occur to me to put a dutch oven into an oven. All my experience (extensive when a scout in my younger years) with dutch ovens involved them hanging over an open fire or buried in hot coals.

It works very well for browning meat, adding veggies and other stuff, then covering and putting in the oven until done. Very nice beef stew can be made like that.

[HTRN]

Last year I bought my wife a dutch oven in Macy's (she said she wanted one), don't recall the brand. She unwrapped it, loved it, looked inside and found a little piece of paper saying "Don't put this in the oven."

The Lodge ones have that. The solution is to buy a Le Crueset knob off of Amazon and replace the original with it.

[MarkD]

Of course I have feminine hands... otherwise, masturbation would be gay.

I'm trying to decide if there's any topic Yogi can't make vulgar, profane and horrifying.

I think I'll start a thread about teddy bears and see what happens.

[randy]

I think I'll start a thread about teddy bears and see what happens.

Yeah, nothing could go wrong with that. Rule 34 anyone? Want me to hold your beer?

[Erik]

I think I'll start a thread about teddy bears and see what happens.

Yeah, nothing could go wrong with that. Rule 34 anyone? Want me to hold your beer?

Ted trailer. NSFW!