36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

[Bec1208]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Hi KB,
Just finished installing it yesterday. Plan to fire the oven this weekend and give it a test spin. From posts I've read, it seems I have to be careful of too rapid heating. I am looking forward to experimenting. He put in sliding vents and I can remove the bricks in front if more airflow is needed. In terms of posting, I haven't felt like I had a lot to add, given the level of expertise on this site. I was in Louisiana for about two weeks and took a few cooking classes in New Orleans. Brought back about 10lbs of cajun sausages and andouille. Made a great red beans and rice, gumbo, and bread pudding when I got home last week. Today I made a creole style tomato bisque. Last Satuday I experimented with a cajun pizza using a creole tomato base along with spicy smoked pork sausage, green pepper, onion, mozzarella, and chedar. Tasty, but a work in progress. I have also been trying to improve my baguettes.

[kbartman]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Bruce,
Good to hear from you, always enjoy your posts. I know what you mean on focusing your attention. I have yet to focus on my oven doors yet and Its been about a year since my first fire. Food has been coming out great. Hope to get started on my oven doors soon.

I really like what your brother in-law has done, beautiful work of art and utility. I hope to incorporate the hinged doors on mine. Lift out hinges great idea. I noticed your doors look like they have sliding vents. Have you had a chance to experiment with them I would love to hear how they work.

[Bec1208]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Well, I'm well over a year. Once the oven itself was completed, my energy and motivation switched to cooking. He is an amazing metal worker. I am going to visit in a few weeks for their daughters wedding. I will try to take and post a few of his creations while I'm there.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Bruce,

That is some nice SS fabrication. I know what you mean about trying to finish the oven. I going on three years.

[Bec1208]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Ny brother-in-law made me an outer door for my oven. It is made of stainless steel and the doors open 180 deg. Also, the doors are removable, simply lifting up out of the hinges. Maybe this will get me motivated to at least finish the apron area of the oven. Bruce

[cobblerdave]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

G'day Bruce
Well the boned chicken turned out ... Well it was alright.
Firstly , well its a basic mistake, leave the wings intack till you cook the thing. You cut them off afterwards. Mistake no 1.
Secound... Well if you have the grill bars at 180 degree to what you entrance is of courses its going to stick.....
Well the meal survived all my attempts to make it uneateable
Lesson learnt...... Again ......you would think that I would learn!!!!!

Regards dave

[cobblerdave]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

G'day Bruce
Great to hear from you. Your not the only one that finds that life gets in the way of the WFO. I've only had the chance to cook on Sundays it seems now but its good in a way because I experimented with a few more things and are very taken with fire in the oven cooking.
I'm taken with the Tuscan grill and as we speak I'm just about to light the oven and get an hours burn to get the oven warm and a good bed of coals going.
Its a boned chicken marinated in garlic lemon and rosemary. Its a bit of an experiment really to see how it will cook . Should turn out and then I'm planning to do a bone leg of lamb.
My latest play thing is a vacuum packer. Its a great tool . Chuck you meat in and marinate vacuum and seal and leave in the fridge overnight. Really puts those flavours in the meat. Buy some fairly ordinary steak, vac it put it in the fridge for a few weeks till the blood turns dark. You get the best "aged" meat , cut it with a butter knife!
I'm really suprised that you haven't posted more on food which is a shame because I was always interested in the food you posted . That trip away I found extremely interesting because of the different goods you spoke about from different places you went. You have got to remember I'm in Australia and have no idea of the foods you find ordinary. I don't care if you not a master chef or baker because let's face it none of us are really.
Again great to hear from you
Regards dave

[Bec1208]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

G'day Bruce
Hows the oven standing up to the cooking load your putting it under?

Regards Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for checking in. We've been so busy traveling the last 6 weeks, I haven't been home long enough at a time to make full use of the oven. I looked on the calendar and realized the last firing was on April 7th when we had company that visited on their way from Denver, Colorado to a beach south of us. We left the next day for San Antonio, Texas. The best trip was to Kentucky for a Bourbon Festival. My brother arranged for us to have "Golden Tickets" and we were treated like insiders of the industry. I' leaving this Wenesday for Orlando, Florida and hope to get back to the oven when I get back.

I've been lurking on the forum but don't feel I have a lot to contribute. I have thought about starting a what's cooking thread but I am not really a master cook, baker, or pizza maker. My build thread is only remarkable for demonstrating that a successful wood fired oven can be built without any previous experience with the help of the forum. Of course, a bit of determination helped.

I'll attach a few photos hope all. Is well with you. By the way, the hat I am trying on in the last "selfie" had a price tag of $1,500. Maybe for Christmas.

[cobblerdave]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

G'day Bruce
Hows the oven standing up to the cooking load your putting it under?

Regards Dave

[Bec1208]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Bruce,

Like the old sayin goes, "Check is in the mail", your bet winnings were dropped in the mail this morning. You can recall your enforcers now, enjoy..........

Russell, the payoff arrived yesterday. The goons have been called off. I look forward to trying out the spice blends. That's quite an assortment.

[deejayoh]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

My bad Gulf! Sorry, I was out all day. We're on! I'm not sure what the item is on my end, but we'll go with in-kind, meeting your approval. You want to say $20 limit?

[Gulf]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Oh, I think some kind of bet is order. Add a little more fun to the game! It's gonna be loud and crazy. This town has been football crazy all year!

OK,
I'll go the 16 bagger box .

DJ,
Are you still out there . Kick off is @ 3:35 CT tomorrow. I need just a little bit more of a confirmation than "some kind of bet is in order" .

Nothing personal, Just business .

Seriously, If the chips or chits ain't acceptable, I'll go with a with a surprise bet at the dollar amount that you set. I'm not too terribly worried though, since the Saints game plan is to wear freakin ear plugs .

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Bruce,

Like the old sayin goes, "Check is in the mail", your bet winnings were dropped in the mail this morning. You can recall your enforcers now, enjoy..........

[Bec1208]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Bruce,

You may be right it being an aquired taiste, but I think it is mostly a mindset type of thing. Heck, a few weeks ago someone on this site actually called one of my favorite southern delicacies squirrel ,a "tree rat" .

Fried, really is a great! way to enjoy chitlins. I chit you not .

Well the chitlins I had certainly tasted like "chit" (don't ask how I know what chit tastes like).

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 36" build in Tallahassee - AKA Bruce's Folly

Gulf maybe a Chitlin topped pizza might be the rage . I am on the trailing edge of the generation that used everything from nose to tail which like Greenman said is becoming trendy again. I was in Buenos Aires a while back at a restaurant with a huge parrilla where they would serve gigantic portions of four legged animals and the first question the servers would ask is do you want the outside or inside of the beef or a combination of both