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Elsie, did you ever report back on this particular Panetonne? If you did, I missed it. How were the strawberries and white chocolate with that?

I was on my own for dinner tonight; it's so windy and cool that I chose to stay in. My neighbors, hardier than I, ate outside but kept to themselves except for pleasant visits during the day. I had given him some of my homemade salsa yesterday, but have no idea whether they've opened and tried it yet. I dithered over how to cook the superburger I'd thawed, intending to cook it, two days ago. Finally I decided on Papa's pan in the oven, in hopes that the burger would cook nicely without spattering all over the kitchen. I still had to turn on the exhaust fan and ceiling fan, to keep the smoke / CO2 alarm from going off, but they shuffled enough air to calm the alarms quickly. This unglamorous shot shows the raw burger, on the left, and the finished burger, on the right. I flipped the pan once, over the sink, and didn't make too much of a mess. This even less glamorous shot shows dinner. A sublime salad and a ridiculous burger before I slathered it with mayonnaise. I really didn't want all the burger trimmings (bun, lettuce, tomato, pickle). A good food stylist would have, oh, put the burger atop the salad and drizzled the whole thing with some lovely sauce. I've looked around the Princessmobile. Can't find a food stylist anywhere! For the record, that method of cooking the burger in Papa's pan in the oven (at around 400, maybe 450F) worked pretty well. Not as well as over a campfire, but better than in a stovetop skillet.

If you can source it, try Cambodian Kampot pepper. It's delicious. Edited to add link: https://www.amazon.com/SaltsUp-KAMPOT-pepper-tellicherry-peppercorns/dp/B0BGLZGKG3/

Geat variety: https://spicetrekkers.com/shop/peppers

I ended up refrigerating the cassoulet overnight.

i also like these peppercorns. Ive been using them for years. and yes , I buy the largest bag.

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A quick snacky lunch. The other day, I picked up a container of peach chipotle salsa and a bag of lime chips from Aldi. Both quite decent so I cubed up some raw ahi tuna and a ripe avocado, tossed that with the salsa and a good squeeze of lime juice

This is also a copy of Hemingway's hamburger with some expanded information. i tried this version a few years ago. It was good. There were images including the original image but they didn't copy. Matt Moore • September 10, 2019 • Last updated: June 4, 2021 How to Make Ernest Hemingway’s Favorite Hamburger Ernest Hemingway had a huge appetite for life. Whether pounding away at his typewriter, deep sea fishing off the Florida Keys, hunting from the mountains of the American West to the savannas of Africa, or issuing journalistic dispatches and even running his own reconnaissance patrols on the frontlines of war, he had a outsized hunger for a wide range of interests — and that included food itself. Hemingway’s intimate connection to his food started early in his childhood. When he was just a young boy, his father introduced him to the pursuits of hunting and fishing, as well as their ethics: Ernest had to eat whatever he killed. For most sportsmen, such a rule is practical (and often delicious), especially when the game consists of rabbits, venison, elk, and fowl, all of which Ernest consumed with gusto; he had a particularly punctilious recipe for campfire-cooked trout. Yet he kept his father’s rule concerning less common and conveniently cooked game as well, consuming everything from porcupine to snake to lion. Though Papa found his solace in the wild, he also enjoyed the culinary comforts of civilization — like dining out and sipping a nice wine or refreshing daiquiri. His posthumous masterpiece, A Moveable Feast (1964), showcases Ernest’s appreciation for describing his meals. I remember serving up this specific quote to my wife, to get her to come around to the joy of oysters: As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans. And while he wasn’t overly domestic, Hemingway sometimes cooked at home for himself and for others; as a war correspondent, he was known to fry up a pancake breakfast on a portable stove in his hotel room and invite his fellow journalists to partake. Most frequently though, he had his household staff cook his meals, based on recipes he had first meticulously taste-tested and formulated himself. A batch of these re-surfaced a decade ago, when in 2009 a trove of digitized documents made their way into the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. Most of these documents came from Hemingway’s time in Cuba, a roughly twenty-year period where he produced some of his literary bests, including For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. While the majority of the details in this archival material were mundane, there was one particular document, made viral by The Paris Review, that captured even my attention: the recipe for Papa’s favorite hamburger. I’ve long been a burger purist. My philosophy has been well documented: use the best meat you can find, with a nice ratio of fat to meat, and season it with salt and pepper — nothing else. Gently mound the burger into a loose patty, and cook it up in a cast-iron pan to develop a nice char, with a medium-rare center. So I must say that I was a bit taken aback by Hemingway’s instructions when it came to preparing his hamburgers: “ground beef, onions, garlic, India relish, and capers, cooked so the edges are crispy but the center red and juicy.” Though the later cooking technique seemed on point, I felt awash in a slew of additional ingredients, some of which I naively deemed to be unnecessary. Nevertheless, if there is one man who perhaps deserves an immense amount of trust, it is Hemingway himself. So I set about to re-create his recipe, exactly as it was written, ingredients, instructions, and all. I inevitably hit some same snags in resurrecting this three-quarters-of-a-century-old burger formulation, however. One of the Spice Islands seasonings has since gone kaput. And India relish? I checked my local store and online, and while it’s possible to source, it’s not easy. With my beers cold in the fridge and my wife hankering for this burger, I thought it best to find the right substitute (included below). I felt less guilty about not following the recipe to a T, as Hemingway himself, or perhaps a family member, includes a slew of other ingredients scattered on the page. What resulted was honestly one of the best burgers I’ve had in my life. I’m not just saying that. Hell, my wife told me it was bar-none the best burger she’s ever had. The seasoned meat, when cooked exactly as described, provides a savory umami bomb of complexity, and the drippings of the burger absorbed into the bun, making condiments entirely unnecessary. I can see why a man so well-traveled, indulged, and imbibed, would go out of his way to create such a pleasure. And like most of his work, I’m simply glad he took the time to record it for others. The recipe is quoted in its exact form below, and I added a few substitution notes after that. How to Make Papa’s Favorite Hamburger From experimenting, Papa’s Favorite Hamburger. There is no reason why a fried hamburger has to turn out gray, greasy, paper-thin and tasteless. You can add all sorts of goodies and flavors to the ground beef — minced mushrooms, cocktail sauce, minced garlic and onion, chopped almonds, a big dollop of Piccalilli, or whatever your eye lights on. Papa prefers this combination. Ingredients I’m showing you all the ingredients here together so you can see them at a glance. But as you’ll see from the instructions, you add them to the meat in different steps when making the recipe. 1 lb. ground lean beef 2 cloves, minced garlic 2 little green onions, finely chopped 1 heaping teaspoon, India relish 2 tablespoons, capers 1 heaping teaspoon, Spice Islands Sage Spice Islands Beau Monde Seasoning — ½ teaspoon Spice Islands Mei Yen Powder — ½ teaspoon 1 egg, beaten in a cup with a fork About one-third cup dry red or white wine 1 tablespoon cooking oil Directions Break up the meat with a fork and scatter the garlic, onion, and dry seasonings over it, then mix them into the meat with a fork or your fingers. Let the bowl of meat sit out of the icebox for ten or fifteen minutes while you set the table and make the salad. Add the relish, capers, everything else including wine and let the meat sit, quietly marinating, for another ten minutes if possible. Now make four fat, juicy patties with your hands. The patties should be an inch thick, and soft in texture but not runny. Have the oil in your frying-pan hot but not smoking when you drop in the patties and then turn the heat down and fry the burgers about four minutes. Take the pan off the burner and turn the heat high again. Flip the burgers over, put the pan back on the hot fire, then after one minute, turn the heat down again and cook another three minutes. Both sides of the burgers should be crispy brown and the middle pink and juicy. Substitution Notes/Changes Spice Islands discontinued its Mei Yen Powder several years ago. I substituted with 1 tsp. soy sauce, ½ tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp sugar, combined and added into the meat mixture. The other Spice Islands seasonings are still available. The Beau Monde is a unique blend, but the sage can be substituted with any other good quality sage. India Relish. You can indeed still get this online, but often in bulk and usually for a pretty penny (for a jar of relish). The taste is described best as right down the middle, not too sour or sweet. I’m personally a dill relish guy, so I just substituted with my favorite dill relish and the result was spectacular.

Singapore style head-less fish head curry.

If I read it aright, you just have to provide them with an email address. They'll start sending you email and of course you can cancel any time. I don't think it's an account where they charge you, as in a subscription. (I'm subscribed to their newsletters but not to the paper, either online or on paper.)

Have to create an account to redeem the free article.

My favorite peppercorns. I buy the large bags.

Afternoon Tea in London

My last purchase of peppercorns was also from Amazon - from The Spice Lab - they were good, same variety. I just ordered these from Penzey's to give them a try.

@Smithy Wow , thanks for that ! Im not that big a fan of S.B ., it can be quite nice. but II like the idea of minerally . Ill look for it , tomorrow at my local TJ's thanks P.S : I called , they have it but tomorrow , no booze until Noon , go figure. so they put two bottles aside , tues , or if I get a real thirst , tomorrow @ 12:01 PM

Around 10 years ago I bought some tellicherry peppercorns on Amazon that were amazing. Spicy, floral, pungent, 3-dimensional lingering flavor. After that pound ran out, I looked again, couldn't find the same brand, and tried another that looked similar. It tasted like ... plain old boring pepper. I've tried a few others in the ensuing years; some were better than others, but nothing great. What have I been missing? What's available that you love?

My San Diego friends introduced me to this crisp, minerally Sauvignon Blanc that they'd gotten at Costco. They bought several bottles on my behalf, and later I found the same wine at a Trader Joe's and stocked up again. I hope I'll be able to find it in Duluth.

@ElsieD Excellent. split the difference : take 1/2 of your bags out @36 , the the other 1/2 @ 48 . both will be tasty .

@Maison Rustique, thanks for that! We've been to a HyVee or two in past years, I think in Iowa. I agree that they're wonderful stores. As for Asian stores near the metro Kansas City area: that sounds like fun, but I'd have to be a lot closer to the metro area and not pulling the Princessmobile. It's confession time: even though I made it into and out of the L.A. Basin with the Princessmobile, the idea of towing it through major metropolitan areas -- even on freeways -- still gives me the heebie-jeebies. There's a sweet spot for me that I'm still trying to learn to predict: which routes and times will have good roads but not too much traffic. The other day, on my way here, I took a series of county and state highways in order to avoid the Oklahoma City metro area. I got off onto the streets of a small town, thanks to conflicting GPS information and missing several turns. "Turn left on Main Street" and "Turn Right on Main Street" from 2 different voices is not something one wants to hear! My darling still could top it with one of his early trucking experiences in his 20's: somehow, he got going the wrong way on a one way street on Manhattan Island! Fortunately, it was the middle of the night. Fortunately, the police were helpful. Fortunately, the population of this country was less than half what it is now and traffic was never as heavy. But still...! It was quite the adventure, and he loved telling the story. It looks like a lot of people are clearing out today. I suppose, for those who don't have far to go, making a break for home would make sense. I think I'll have a spot of lunch: some of last night's ribs, I think. It's nice to have electricity so I can use the microwave oven.

Thanks, @rotuts. Those pieces of meat are already swimming and I'm loathe to take them out. They were fresh, no expiry date noted. I've sous vided those cuts before but i neglected to note the times, hence my post. This time i'll make a note. If anyone has had the experience of good results at 36 hours for both, or a mealy roast in the case of the shoulder please chime in.

@ElsieD I think that temp and time would work very well. what's your reasoning for 36 H on the shanks ? because they are boneless ? in my past experience w beef @ 48 H , a few times I got ' mealy ' results. this was discussed here , in the distant past. Id still use those times , but consider not letting the beef sit in the refrigerator too long. and if the meat is at a discount due to pending expiration then less time. Im just guessing on the ' mealy ' issue. pls consider posting pics of the meat , in the wrapper is fine and then your results. Tasty its going to be .

I picked up a beef shoulder roast and some boneless beef shanks yesterday and want to sous vide them. I'm thinking shoulder for 48 hours and the beef shanks for 36 hours at 133F. Does this sound about right?

Well, Liberty, MO. I didn't realize Cosentino's had any stores that far into Kansas. My sister is in Topeka and they don't have them there. And I'm not sure of locations in Kansas, but I was thinking of HyVee. The store very near my house is huge and wonderful. As you near Kansas City metro, there are many Asian markets that you might enjoy browsing. Just not sure how your route is taking you--when the storms pass. Pretty sure they are supposed to be here through the day/evening.

<Cue Allan Sherman, singing "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah"> I decided to stay here in order to sit out, rather than drive through, expected rainy weather. Now that it's actually here, I'm wondering if I could have stayed ahead of it! But this is a nice place, and the die is cast, so I'll just plan on rainy-day activities. I'm glad I did my running around before the rain hit. I've never seen the campground this full, but my darling and I never were here -- or any other developed campground -- on a holiday weekend. Yesterday and the day before, it was lush, green and mostly sunny. The green spaces have been filled with people playing: disk golf, baseball or other forms of catch, volleyball (one man holding a toddler in one arm and making excellent hits with the other!) and other activities. Kids learning to bicycle or ride on scooters. Folks out on the lake, fishing or simply paddling and enjoying the sunshine. Folks fishing from the shore. Some sites have elaborate cooking setups. Some spaces have 3 trailers set up, with long picnic tables and multiple gas griddles. The cooking smells have been wonderful. I, having planned to only be here a couple of days, didn't bother pulling out the camp stove. I planned to use the campfire setup instead. And on 2 nights I've gotten a fire going, with one of my darling's superburgers thawed, only to have my kind neighbor come across the way with surplus food from their dinner! The first night it was breaded and fried catfish and hush puppies, with a nonsweet tartar sauce. Delicious. He showed me a picture of the catfish he catches and keeps. I think he said it's yellow catfish, as opposed to the channel catfish. He showed me a picture. Those things are huge! 30 pounds is a small one. He likes to go out and fish in the local streams after the rains, because the rain washes nutrients into the streams and the "cats" swim upstream to feed, then are stopped by the dams. I learned a bit about catfish from my neighbor, and why they may or may not be good eating. @Shelby often showcases fried catfish and makes it look good. The first time I ate catfish it was at a restaurant, and it was the last time I tried it for years. Nasty, muddy flavor. Tasted like a muddy bottom feeder and I couldn't see the attraction. Eventually I tried it again and found it wasn't necessarily bad. According to my neighbor, one has to clean the catfish carefully and remove not only the interrnal organs but also the dark meat surrounding the body cavity; that dark meat contains fats that will cause an off-flavor to the cooking oil. He says he still gets about 20 pounds of meat from a 40-pound catfish. Yesterday I built a fire again, had it going, and my neighbor came over with more food! He'd cooked an entire rack of ribs, and beans, and a potato dish, and it was just him and his wife. (Their kids had already gone home.) Again, delicious. He came over after I'd finished eating, while his wife was off at the shower, and we shared some wine and conversation. Maybe I'll get to that burger tonight, but it will have to be inside cooking I'm sure. Only one party was disappointed by yesterday's dinner.