Congrats to Aaron Haley, a former line-cook and current project manager for a non-profit in Austin, Texas, who won the new immersion circulator from Polyscience. Aaron writes, "I write about food for several local blogs and I cook quite often for pleasure now, just got done canning a bunch of pickled items last night. I'm dying to cook the perfect 68 degree egg and local pork belly as well as work my way through Under Pressure, might be a new blog. :-)"
Congratulations, Aaron, and happy sous viding! Glad you have Under Pressure already—now it will really come in handy.
The following are a sampling of the 1600+ comments we recieved:
Matt Reed
If chosen, I promise to use it only for evil.
I will lash it to a frame of jagged metal and splintered bone, lubricated with the tears of orphans, powered by the dreams of homeless rodeo clowns gone mad from mercury exposure.
With this machine I will march like Sherman to the sea, whereupon I will declare myself the Emperor of All That Is Taupe, and I will unleash my terrible creation upon an unsuspecting humanity, singing the song that ends the earth while the screams of the tormented rise up in terrible harmony and the sky is blackened with despair.
I will also probably cook steaks and stuff. I hear these machines are really good at that.
Celeste
….”Come on Rhulman Lottery, Momma needs a new set of Trotters.”
Justin
This would make it much easier for me to daily re-enact Top Chef season 6.
Brian Carter
Would get plenty of admiration and exercise in a busy Buddhist retreat center kitchen (yes, we are omnivore) …..
“I will use it’s powers for Good. I promise. I will benevolently unleash it’s magic upon family and friends…”
I’ll tell you what I would not do: 1- poison my family with foodborne illness from my crazy home made sous vide experiments
2. burn my house down with above experiments.
The major thing I would do is to start getting my money’s worth out of the vacuum sealer I purchased without my wife’s permission. Yes, my marriage may just be at stake here
Chris B
I’m a 27 year old single guy who works way too much. I’d love to sous vide dinner for girls who I want to impress. I can’t get much more honest than that.
Adriane
I love slowly cooked foods because they are succulent and deeply flavored. My husband does not like “wet” food. Because these two gastronomical ideologies are often (always?) mutually exclusive, I have long believed that the sous vide would be the answer…foods slow cooked in water, but not wet. I think the first thing I would do if I had one would be to go to the butcher and get a brisket. And then cook it for a llllloooooonnnnnggggg time. And if my husband is lucky, I’ll share it with him!
Greg freeman
Stove conked out. Thought about trying to sou vide with hot water and a coleman cooler. This would work so much better.
Tim
I’ve got a bag of bambi guts and a head that I’m trying to figure out how to make use of… usually it’s tossed out the window into the nearest state park on the way home. Will this thing render out anything edible/usable?
My brother has a pig, Ernie, who will soon meet his demise. After paying him our utmost respects, we would give him a nice rub and sous vide his belly, his butt and his ribs. We might even try immersing some sausages, some feet and some ears. Every one in my family would enjoy this fresh succulent pig. Except Ernie’s buddy, Bert, who resides in the pen. We won’t tell him about our little “spa” for pigs. But I might threaten the old mean rooster, Ivan The Terrible. I wonder, however, if any contraption is capable of tenderizing this tough old bird. Ivan would be the true test for Sous Vide.
Brendan "BIG B"
After seeing your video and reading Catching Fire, my wife and I have been having more success in getting together with family and friends. We have been luring them to our house with food. I want the immersion circulator just so I can prepare great food, and spend more time with the people I love. I wish everyone happy, healthy holidays.
This dude was deserving. Congratulations, Aaron!
Wait, what's that Sous Video book you have pictured in this post? Is it a new one apart from Under Pressure?
It's the book that Keller and ruhlman put together just to go out with the circulator, really nice but not available on it's own.
LOL @Matt. Congrats to Aaron - I want a link to that new blog!
The almost-winners' entries are so good, I almost don't mind not winning! Maybe next time! I am not a sore loser, even if the 40% Wms and Sonoma employees discount on electric equipment ends in 2010....how sad!
I thought I was a shoe-in with sous vide beaver tails, but now I think Matt Reed should've won. Who can compete with the Emperor of Taupe?
Except now I need to figure out what the fuck I'm going to do with five pounds of beaver tails...
Congratulations, Aaron.
Congrats aaron, maybe next time MR.
Congratulation to Aaron. I wish it had been me, but I'll get one, one of these days. I just have to figure out how to get it in the house without the wife knowing about it. Congrats again, Well done
Hey, great for Aaron. Guess I have to depend on Santa!
Damn!! First it was the Easy Bake oven Santa repeatedly refused to deliver and now this?!! LOL. Congrats Aaron!.
Thanks Michael. That was a fun exercise.
Congratulations, Aaron!
Wow, 1600 comments! They were pretty entertaining too. 🙂 Nice job, everybody.
Congrats Aaron! Glad to see that someone from here in the ATX won-now, how about letting me know when something is cooked with it!
I know my chances of winning were slim and none, but i couldn't wait to get home last night and actually find out who won. MR, this was so much fun!!!
Congratulations Aaron!
This technology is wasted on me I think. I frown when it doesn't brown. Simple as that.
The browning/Searing is the step missing in all these gadgets that makes me wonder...about the real utility of it outside a professional kitchen.
If I am not brazing or stewing or pressure cooking then I'd just rather not go the extra hassle and just NuWave or Grill it. Even though I am aware of the super healthy and super real clean taste of food when you apply this technique. Even at that there are many herbs/spices that bloom in direct heat so flavor enhancment/creation might again require the extra step of browning and saucing...for the home cook??? I don't know??
I posted this but it is still stuck in moderation, sorry! Here's an edited version....
I’m SOOO thrilled. I will have to consider doing a blog. I can’t wait to use it, but it’s hard for me to slow down enough to document. 🙂 I forgot to mention my other fun semi-cooking-related project of creating custom cutting boards and knives with my laser, Austin Laser Art. ps. I think that cover is the TK manual that comes with the SV Pro high end package.It is on their website. Thanks again MR!!
I have had a little vino.. so don't take this too hard... but I think you could benefit from... some real special help. Or it is your Eureka moment! if so...you should make it happen..at least you owe it to yourself and your people.