Food Safety

How much would you like to know about the animal that may be contributing a roast to your dinner?  Would you like to meet in "person"? Probably not (though some people would). Would you like to see its photo? Maybe not. But what if, by scanning the bar code on the package, you could learn this type of information: where the animal was raised, what hormones or antibiotics (if any) it was treated with, what vaccines were administered, what type of diet it was fed, and how old it was when slaughtered? 

“If I could pick only one new cooking method out of this entire book for you to try, sous vide would be it, hands down.” 

Strong words from Jeff Potter in his indispensable Cooking for Geeks.  If you're unfamiliar with the term “sous vide” (French for “under vacuum” and pronounced “Sue Veed”), you're far from alone; because the process involves a fair amount of time and some specialized equipment, its popularity in the home has been limited since its introduction to the culinary world in the 1970's.  But its use in many high-end gourmet restaurants and the publicity given to its strong advocates like Douglas Baldwin, author of Sous Vide for the Home Cook, have increased its visibility to the point where it bears some scrutiny, so let's start with the basic question...