Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Some good tips here:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/08/24-e ... -tips.html

I was really interested in the one about buying prepeeled garlic. Having worked with Kenji I know what a fanatic he is and if he signed off on using store-bought prepeeled garlic I'm willing to give it a try. I also could hit myself in the head for throwing away the liquid in feta and fresh Mozzarella - it makes so much sense to use it in a pasta sauce.

My least favorite kitchen job is peeling garlic. Sadly, pre-peeled isn't an option for me.

Amy

I use the pre-peeled when I will be using lots of garlic. The only place I've seen it is TJ's and you have to buy a butt-load.

We can get the pre-peeled garlic in fairly small containers in the local discount grocery.

I prefer peeling garlic to peeling shallots...

I'm with Paul - I wish I could get pre-peeled shallots! Esp. when making nam prik pao or Thai curry pastes, which are things even I sometimes get pre-peeled garlic for. It has been available around here for a long time, but I first saw it only in large containers (about 1 1/2 qts.), and the only ones that would get them were the Italian restaurant people that would come into that produce place and stock up. A few years later the Asian markets started carrying 1 lb bags, and not long after, the supermarkets started stocking it.

One thing I wait for every year is that garlic from my garden, and when it has been harvested and cured 3-4 weeks, you really can tell the difference between that and older garlic, though mostly in raw dishes, not so much in cooked dishes. And anyone else here that grows garlic knows that there is NOTHING more difficult to peel than garlic right out of the ground! I always get a few broken up heads I have to use right away, and the flavor is incredible, but there is no skin yet! Or at least it is not at all easy to find.

All,

I dunno, I don't find garlic at all hard to peel. I don't even think about it, really. Takes seconds. Of course, I'm not preparing food-service quantities ...

I disagree pretty strongly with tips #1 (ginger) and #10 (avocados), which are things I prepare all the time. I see these tips from other people, and they're bad every time I hear them. Has anyone tried tip #4 (eggs in a strainer)? I know Kenji did a lot of experimentation with poached eggs. What kind of strainer is he talking about? How fine?

I agree with tip #12, but am completely unable to follow it. Tip #22 makes sense if you live in a dry climate, but in a humid place it's better to use *dry* paper towels. Has anyone tried tip #21? (cheese brine for pasta sauce)

I can't get pre-peeled garlic but also don't use enough of it to bother with it.

I have started putting my eggs in a sieve. Metal mesh or tea strainer. I do that PLUS putting vinegar into swirling water. Much nicer eggs. I have been on a bit of a poached egg kick. I need a better slotted spoon for removing them from the water. And the ability to make them look as nice for company as they do when no one is around.

I am also very curious about the cheese water thing.
Mary

So how do you peel ginger, Josh? I use a spoon, and it's fast and easy. I also slice my avacado in the skin, unless it has gotten bruised or old and needs trimming.