"confit" news and stories

Worried about how to make it through the holidays with a (hopefully not too unruly) family? The NY Times shares some etiquette tips that should help get you through some sticky situations, but if everyone can just focus on the food and try to be polite - sharing any controversial opinions the next day - everything will go just a little bit more smoothly.

In a piece that rehashes some of Chowhound-founder Jim Leff's background, there is some discussion of groups that splintered off the main boards even before the site was bought by CNET. Some contributors moved to egullet.org and others can be found at Opinionated About Dining and Mouthfulsfood.

A lot goes into finding a really good sommelier. An applicant needs to have wine expertise, passion and enthusiasm - and all must be conveyed to the customers convincingly, but without obsession.

Here's a brief holiday food guide of sweets and savories, along with the names of a couple of mentions of places to find good cookware.

Frank Bruni dines at Porter House New York and gives it one star.

Looking for something really different to do with that raw turkey in the fridge? Mark Bittman, the minimalist, suggests turning it into turkey confit.

Our Daily Bread is a new documentary on the food processing industry. Whether you want to watch depends on what you still want to eat.

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Derrick, from Obsession with Food, saw that there was an important instructional gap missing from the internet and set about to fill it. He created a photo-illustrated, step-by-step guide to rendering lard. He tells you how much to pay for it, what kind to get and exactly what it looks like at key points in the process. There are also plenty of ideas for what to do with it when you're done, from french fries to flakey pie crusts. It will take you a while to make it, but it keeps for months in the freezer and, unlike many shelf-stable brands at grocery stores, contains no partially hydrogenated oils. Lard also has approximately the same fat and calorie content as butter, so it is an alternative when preparing savory dishes.

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