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I was @ Tj's this AM. I noted a pile of tote bags https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/trick-or-treat-mini-canvas-totes-081415 I dont know when they appeared , but no one was buying. those other ones created a stampede , and sold out briskly. Odd. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPocGAQDdP_/ https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/trader-joes-halloween-tote-bags/3961309/

Bahn Mi sandwiches were requested for dinner today. I like when I don't have to figure out what to have for dinner.

I'm interested in something like this to get the seeds out of blueberries and some other fruits. But, I'm looking for something in a lower price range. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Oh my! I could gobble that up very inelegantly right this minute and I just had lunch! Carbonara is probably my favourite pasta. I limit myself to a couple of times a year at home but it is also my test dish at an Italian restaurant that I haven't been to. I don't order if it says bacon - I will give it a chance with prosciutto and if it's guanciale, I'm getting it. A local place does a great one using guanciale - it's served with a raw yolk on top.

Carbonara from Six Seasons of Pasta by Joshua McFadden I read that today is National Pasta Day here in the US so I thought I’d celebrate with this decadent treat. I really like this method for carbonara, specifically tempering the eggs gently in the pan after the guanciale is cooked and before adding the pasta. I usually temper the eggs in a bowl placed over the pasta pot but using the pan seems more efficient. I also like the tongue-tingling amount of black pepper. I read somewhere that spaghettoni was the best pasta for carbonara so that’s what I used and it is pretty good. Apparently, World Pasta Day is right around the corner on Oct 25 so expect to see more from this book then!

Bought a few of these to have for quick breakfast or light lunch. This flavor was Bacon, Potatoes and Cheddar. The bacon and cheese came thru flavor-wise. The potatoes were disappointing as they have no browning on them. This is a shelf product to which you add an egg (or 2). I used 2 eggs and added a few grinds of black pepper after microwaving (about 90 seconds total). I wouldn't eat this everyday (or even every week) but I like having a really fast option for a meal when on the run. We are in midst of some medical appts. and home maintenance and often want something fast, relatively light with no clean-up.

Maybe the recently purchased Duke’s was on sale because it’s been hanging out on the shelf for a while, mayo season is over and they need the shelf space for pumpkin pie filling. In any case, you’re potentially comparing products within their manufacturer's recommended “use by” dates. Unless you wait another 10 years 🙃

It looks delicious. Please, do you have a link for this?

Pullman loaf, mini sized. This is a 4” square and I used a small volume of sourdough discard hamburger bun recipe from amybakesbread. I’ve made her discard sourdough dinner rolls which were delicious, so I’m hoping this will be the same.

@ElsieD good points. Im pleased you tried.

I'm sorry to tell you this as I know you are very fond of the IP method, but for me, using the stove top method is much more efficient. It's sort of set it and forget it type of thing. Now, I had 6 batches so it was picking the bones out 6 times, putting the meat through a food mill 6 times and IPing 12 times versus picking the bones out once and putting the meat through a food mill to extract any remaining stock once. So yes, it was interesting but for me, I'll be sticking with the stove top method. I will say that the stock produced by your method was excellent and I'd give the same score to that produced by both methods.

@Smithy sure Duke's ( recently purchased ) has a use by date of 5/24/26 Aldi brand ( 9 +++ months on my shelf , at least , if not more ) has a use by date of 4/4/26 . that's quite a difference , but then again , not sure what that means. it at least means Im not in any hurry to try them , freshly opened , any time soon. ' twang ' is a mystery flavor for me . but Ive got in now !

@rotuts, I'm sorry but I'm not tracking your point #2. I realize I'm not @gfweb (nor do I object to Twang) but I'm curious what you're getting at here. Please explain?

Last nights dinner and todays lunch. Okra based gumbo with smoked turkey, Conecuh sausage, shrimp and blue crabs.

Easy meal for busy day! Black bean garlic beef & bell peppers. Tossed in remains of a zucchini too. Made my old restaurant's Sweet & Sour Spareribs (#13) for our garden club potluck. Many of the members are old enough to be former customers of our restaurant Soo's. They went over well! The ribs are dunked in egg wash then coated with cracker crumbs, Deep fried ribs are delicious fresh out of the oil. Simmered in water, vinegar, sugar, ketsup = Sweet & Sour. Hubby's plate at home, eaten with Beef & Shanghai Bok Choy and Jasmine rice

I learned that in Turkey. Any offal gets a generous amount of cumin powder, whether you grill it or fry it in butter. Try it and let me know what you think 🙂

this is new to me : its from Wisconsin I will age it in a local Cave, i.e. a cabinet in the kitchen so MC doesn't get to interested in it if left on the counter for a week or so. will report when ready . Tj's has a camembert that is fantastic , from FR of course but though I might try this

@gfweb of note 1 ) of note 2 ) the Aldi may has been on the shelf for ' quite some time ' probably less than a year , say 9 months the Dukes is ' fresh ' from S&S note the use by dates .

@Dr. Teeth ' lettuce ? '

@ElsieD did you find the iPot repeat method ' interesting ? '

Grilled blackened salmon on a toasted croissant with tartar sauce and arugula.

I don't notice this difference with freshly opened jars, though I haven't tried comparing freshly opened jars side by side. What I have noticed, and it probably goes to the same point, is that Duke's sets up if I keep the jar past its recommended date. I know this from having stocked up on it once, some years back. When I got around to opening the final jar, perhaps a year (but not two) old), the contents hadn't dried out but had jelled or congealed in a way that it had surface cracks. Most peculiar. I couldn't taste the difference, but texture was different. I've never seen a jar of Hellman's do that, but I don't think I've ever opened a jar of Hellman's that I'd kept around that long.

Bought 2 lbs of lettuce linguini yesterday. In the DC suburbs

"Twang" instead of tang will put me off Dukes forever.

I rarely use mayonnaise and have never tasted Duke's, but can get Hellman's here. Never have bought it here, though I did in London once or twice. I only use mayo occasionally if I make a potato salad and always make my own which has three advantages. 1) I make only as much as I need for that dish, so I don't need to worry about a jar going past its use by date. 2) It's easier than going shopping. 3) It tastes better (if I say so myself). Kewpie is by far the widest available here but it is foul, especially the sweet one.