tony b

Excellent use of the purple crack, Shuley! I just did some roasted carrots last night (in the oven, as I did fire up the grill - insanely windy and cold yesterday!) and I'll remember next time to try them with the PC. btw - spotted the "Better than Bouillon" - their stuff rocks!! I have like 6 different varieties of it in the pantry.

Seriously well done, sir!

It's the fun part of this hobby - experimentation!

The red one is not very hot at all - disappointing really. But the other two make up for it in spades! I also realized later, when they'd been sitting out for a bit, that I'd forgotten to put the xantham gum in it, so it separates out fairly quickly. Just means you need to shake them up well before using. I wasn't about to empty the bottles and refill them just to toss in a bit of emulsifier.

To quote one of my all time favorite TV characters - "Homey don't play dat!"

I see light saber kabobs in my future!

Experiment - mix it with other spices, try it straight, use it in different applications. This was no different for me than other new ingredients that I've learn to use and fall in love with - another good example: gochujang - the perfect marriage of umami and heat. I put it up there, right next to Sriracha. Moroccan flavors - berbere spices, oil cured olives, and preserved lemons. Which suddenly gives me an idea - preserved lemons with purple crack! People - forget all that nonsense that your Mothers implanted in your brains - Play With Your Food!

The aji and ghost pepper ones will definitely "get your attention!"

Well today was bottling day. To finish off the discussion above, I did find some mold on the surface of the red pepper batch, but not the others. Just scraped it off before I dumped the mash into the chinois to strain out the fibers and seeds. Next, mixed in rice vinegar with a pinch or two of salt and into the bottles. The aji (yellow) and chocolate ghost (brown) also got a bit of roasted garlic paste to add some flavor to balance out the heat. The red came out much milder than I was expecting, so it only got half as much rice vinegar as the hotter two, to not overly mask the flavor of the peppers.

You guys are getting it - it's a cross between a clove-like numbness and chile pepper heat, with some other nice side notes tossed in. I think it's similar to Szechuan peppercorns. I've been using this stuff in a lot of things since I got my bag earlier this year from Aussie. I have a flaked salt mix with 2 parts purple crack to 1 part salt that I shake on as I'm cooking. I also have a grinder with the straight stuff right by the stove as well and use it interchangeably with black pepper. Part of the reason that I named it Purple Crack, as I've found it quite addictive. Here's some pics of ribs, chicken and eggs done with the purple crack. All pics are uncooked so you can see how they stain food purple.

Indeed!

Cracked egg! (pun intended)

Sort of like MacKenzie's own house Chalet chicken?

I have used these and like them, plus it support folks with disabilities. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C3KO7X0 DAMN, no longer available!! These look similar. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MRF8FNL

Can't get it here, but others on the Forum have made positive comments about Lazarri charcoal. It's just the nature of some charcoals to spark more than others. I understand your concerns, given the wildfires in So Cal. What method are you using to start your charcoal?

I found that to be true, as well. Bought a couple of nice NY strips that were 100% grass fed. My dinner guest and I both commented that the meat was very tough. It had decent flavor, but was very chewy. I haven't bought any more of them. If you scope out Snake River Farms, be prepared for some sticker shock! They have great stuff, but it ain't cheap!

Never had a turkey egg (or seen one) before. I've had duck and quail eggs and other than size, there's not a lot of difference in taste/texture. Supposedly duck eggs are "richer" - whatever that means?

Of course there's salad, it wouldn't be an Aussie cook without salad!

I love to sleep in, but my dogs have other ideas! They want breakfast and to go out usually between 5:30am and 6:00am, but we go back to bed and finally get up around 7:30am most days.

Did it impart any raspberry flavor to the ribs?

Nice cook, Aussie! @Bruce Pearson - WTF are you doing up at 3am? Only legit reason is to start a whole packer brisket for dinner!

@Bruce Pearson - I kept mine in the refrigerator in the butter compartment for a year (I just looked at my original order in Amazon.) Even though I use it a lot, there was a lot of it in the jar, so it lasted me quite a while and I never noticed any spoilage. @MacKenzie - I chop it up as small as I can (it sticks to knife blades something fierce!) and mix it in with my butter and cream in the sous vide bag. It mashes out well with the potatoes, but does make your mashed potatoes kind of brown in color. Throw in some purple crack and really color things up!

SWEET!

I will - NOPE! Yeah, the black garlic cloves are almost like gummy bears in texture. I just got my 2nd order of them. I absolutely love them in mashed potatoes! Great suggestion, Robert. Haven't made a batch of red beans and rice in a while and I have both andouille and tasso in the freezer. Maybe Monday (when else? LOL!)