Feline Follies

Grind, steep, filter ... regardless of extraction technique, all three steps are necessary. my interest in grinders might have peaked when i bought an old KitchenAid grinder to discover how well it worked. it was quite primitive and fell short of Hobart's usual standard. i have also owned grinders made by Braun, Bunn, Geska, and Gaggia, have used others, e.g. Zassenhaus, and read countless reviews. they can be useless. Grind in my opinion, Mazzer's Super Jolly is the gold standard. it isn't their best, and i doubt that Mazzer is the best grinder manufacturer. on the other hand, gold isn't the most precious metal. the Super Jolly's burrs are larger than the ones most people use for paper-filtered coffee, and its motor is powerful enough to turn them without hesitation. Yes, Virginia, size...

Classic recipes born in poverty can be revised to take advantage of things we take for granted. in particular, many dishes traditionally cooked in one pot benefit from separation. on the other hand, we should respect timeless combinations of flavors and textures. ain't nothing like the real thing. Pork off cuts are authentic because this was a slave's dish, but i prefer bacon. ham hocks can taste a bit coarse and deboning them is a chore. i always have salt pork on hand, but it would require rinsing. in general, do not buy packaged bacon unless it's deeply discounted and reasonably lean. packaged ends/pieces can be easier to use and always cost less than slices. when a butcher displays the lean end of a slab, buy all of it. for this dish, i want bite-sized piec...