44 Comments
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Oct 26Liked by Michael Ruhlman

I'd love to use my cast iron skillet if I could figure out how to get the damn rust off.

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author

Wire brush to start with.

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Oct 26Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Lots of YouTube videos on this. (One of the interesting things was that mirror finish wasn't a good thing)

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Oct 26Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Unless you’re trying to see if your sesame seeds are burning :-)

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Oct 25Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Thanks for the repeat shoutout for Blood & Whiskey, Michael! Had a Pegu Club last night and toasted you and Ann.

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Oct 25Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Michael, what do you have against nutmeg? Your recipe calls for "Many gratings from a hole nutmeg" 😉

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author

Nutmeg makes this dish. I love nutmeg.

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I guess that you didn't get the "a hole" typo? BTW - made it and really liked it (without the nutmeg which, regrettably, disagrees with my wife.

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Oct 25Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Well worth repeating Marcella’s classic recipe. I’ve been enjoying making and eating it since forever. Thanks for giving her the praise she deserves,

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Great newsletter, Michael.

I did not know you had written the book Boys Themselves. Now I will have to read it, along with Tracy Kidder‘s book.

I have a personal interest in this topic because our son Max graduated two years ago from Woodberry Forest School in Virginia, where he thrived. I attended the school, and had a more complicated time there, and my father attended it as well. So my current perspective is that teaching boys altogether can be useful. They need things that girls don’t.

I have only good things to say about Woodberry Forest, which seems to have just the right blend of nurturing and the contrary. Its location helps.

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Hi Alex, bottom line is that single-sex for boys can be a great thing if done right. It can also be harmful. Most important, it benefits boys who most need eduction to be good, namely poor kids from broken families, those people least likely to be able to afford it.

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Another reason to read your book.

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Thank you for re- posting. I am only 6-7 months in so I this was my first time reading this post, and it was a great read. Love the bolognese recipe.

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thanks sheryl!

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Oct 24Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Comedy in the face of the sword of Damocles

Mr Hilter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlmGknvr_Pg

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Oct 24Liked by Michael Ruhlman

It takes a turn around 1:25

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author

monty python never gets old.

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Oct 24Liked by Michael Ruhlman

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Oct 24Liked by Michael Ruhlman

This never gets old 🙏🏽

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Oct 24Liked by Michael Ruhlman

I know the Pegu Club but haven't had it - must fix that! And thanks for the cast iron diffuser tip - we have an inexpensive cooktop so it only goes so low. Thx for the re-read.

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One thing I always struggle with when making a sauce with ground meat is getting the meat to break up finely enough. Any suggestions? I've had some success employing a potato masher in the pan but still end up with big chunks. Or in this recipe, does the long cooking help it break apart?

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author

just have to be diligent. long cooking helps too.

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Oct 23Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Always a great read. Bolognese! Sounds great. Will make it whenever the temperatures drop in Houston. Making rillettes du porc this week just because. 🇫🇷 They keep in the fridge. Keep writing. 👍

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author

enjoy the rillettes. properly sealed with fat they should last several weeks in fridge.

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Oct 23Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Superb. Thank you

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Oct 23Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Great idea to re-post this one, because the cast iron skillet "flame tamer" thing is GENIUS. Thank you! Can't wait to try the Pegu--perfect combo of ingredients for my taste. And, finally, I've been recommending my favorite summer read to everyone -- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. (It was made into an hbo series, but haven't seen it.) My local library has staff recs like at the bookstores and I loved the description they wrote so took a chance, even though it had the Sci Fi label. Tore through it in a couple days -- terrific read!

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ann read it and loved it. on my list

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Oct 23Liked by Michael Ruhlman

"Even the cats were throwing up" - such a universally useful statement. Thanks!

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Oct 24Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Dogs and cats living together - mass pukesteria!

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Oct 23Liked by Michael Ruhlman

Count me as another person influenced by Tracy Kidder. I read "Soul of a New Machine" before college and decided I wanted to do that too. I majored in electrical engineering and spent a career working in digital design. To cap it off, I met one of the engineers profiled in the book who was working at my first company after college.

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