Jensen

The texture is surprising; they're very soft to chew but still firm enough that they don't feel slimy in the mouth. I did two eight hour poaches and I could still taste a hint of bitterness in the rind. I'm not sure whether it's enough to make me want to poach them for another 8 hours though. They didn't get served as dessert because they look a little dodgy. They're just not attractive. My big question though is what am I going to do with the syrup. What a great bonus to making this recipe!

I'm making Meyer lemon confit as I write this; it should be ready for tomorrow night's dessert. Will report back...

I was intrigued by the video as well and might be trying it with some Meyer lemons tomorrow. No idea re: the storage question but he did say that the blanching was to remove the bitterness from the pith. I didn't think they were double-blanched though, just that you needed to bring the water to boil again before blanching the next batch. I guess I'll have to watch the video again <!!!>.

Croquettes. Hmmppphhhh. When this topic first came up, I sniffed. I made croquettes in Grade 8 Home Ec, along with Spanish rice and cinnamon toast. Oh, and tea. Must not forget the "how to brew tea" lesson! So, my first swipe at the croquette pinata was an attempt at making fresh corn croquettes. I thought these would be a great riff on corn fritters. <ahem> And they very well might have been, had they not melted away into crepe-like tentacles in the pan. Tonight I thought I'd take another kick at the can. (Hey, I'm nothing if not a great source for folksy clichés.) I tried for some chicken croquettes, using tinned chicken, sautéed onions, and peas. I made my white sauce using 4 T of butter, 6 T of flour, and 1.5 cups of milk. Then I chilled it. After chilling, I put the other ingredients (chicken, onions, and peas) in a bowl with some seasonings and then added in only enough of the white sauce until it was a thick mixture. Back into the fridge for some more chilling. Before frying, I formed the croquettes, coated them in panko, and then put them back in the fridge for more chilling. Despite all this care and chilling, some of the damn things STILL fell apart in the pan. This never happened in Grade 8. Oh what I would give for that Grade 8 Home Ec recipe....

A few comments before my "I will"s ... Prasantin...convenience store nachos? you mean the ones in the heated incubator with the cheese sauce? For shame, girl! (Ignore this if those particular nachos weren't available in your part of Canada) Daniel Rogov...I think the 18 oyster limit is extreme. Why not ease into this thing and go with 24? Teri Everitt...you are my hero. Wow. I'm humbled by your post but I'd like to suggest trying lemon or maybe cucumber slices in Gordie's water. GordonCooks...PM me. (Okay, just kidding with that one.) C. sapidus...might I suggest either of Jonathan Safran Foer's novels? And now my "I will's"... I will eat more reasonable portion sizes. I will make bread more often. I will find a job. Hey, I got my work permit! I will learn how to "hold my tongue" in email. (Okay, not food related but very important nonetheless.) I will teach some cooking basics to the Spawn. I will read "The River Cottage Meat Book" (especially if Santa brings it, as I've asked him to do).

My god, Marlene...that pud is AMAZING!!!!! I'm thinking I should have packed myself in Mr. B's luggage!

I read a headline yesterday that the farm bill had passed. I'll have to check it out (my connection was intermittent yesterday so not much surfing got done at all).

Wow. Just seeing the pictures make me feel good...like there is hope. Thanks for sharing them.

I have a few questions for you... * Is Mark a Gemini? I only ask because his chili ingredient layout was so symmetrical. * What street is the Philly cheesesteak place on? Riley sent me some doggy ESP messages; he thinks he looks quite dapper in his smoking jacket.

Woo-hoo! A local blog!

These are old photos but it just occurred to me that these are a sort of "cabbage roll": And inside the cabbage: To make them, I lined custard cups with lightly-steamed savoy cabbage, then filled with minced chicken breast meat mixed with chopped water chestnuts and seasoned with white pepper and sesame oil. The cups were then steamed until done. Asian cabbage rolls?

I think satsumas are a type of mandarin orange. Tangerines are always labelled as 'tangerines' and never as a type of orange so maybe it's a different species of citrus tree? I did some taste comparisons last year at Auburn's Mountain Mandarin Festival (oh look, it's this weekend!). The farms contributing to the festival are located at different elevations in the foothills, with associated soil differences and temperature differences. It was interesting to note the differences in taste; I found my favourites all came from around Newcastle (lower elevation and slightly warmer).

Well, having just yesterday received Mr. Baggins in the mail, I could make an educated guess but I think that might be cheating a wee bit. I really had to ponder where to take Mr. B for his photo shoot. There are several landmarks in Sacramento which would make for nice pictures...the Capitol, the Tower Bridge, the Governator. Then I considered that I don't really live in Sacramento; I live in a small, unincorporated area of Sacramento County called Fair Oaks. Those who live in the area know what Fair Oaks is famous for... Feral chickens!!! Yes, those are probably two words you never expected to see together but Fair Oaks Village is home to a large community of feral chickens. We even have an annual Chicken Festival. And so yesterday afternoon, Mr. B, the Spawn, and I went off to the Village park for our photo opportunity... There were many more chickens in the field when we were there, one of which chased the Spawn around for a wee bit. There's nothing quite as humourous as seeing a five pound chicken chasing a 5'10" Amazon... This handsome lad was particularly amenable to having his picture taken. And so, after his brief visit to sunny California, Mr. B will be winging his way to the true north, strong and free!

You need to warn people that chicken adobo is like crack. Once you've tasted it, you're hooked...

Klary, what additional ingredients to you put in your farrotto? Farro is one of my favourite grains and I've got about 300g in the cupboard at this very moment (it's not easy to find here). Usually, I cook it in chicken broth and add sauteed onions, chopped spinach, and oregano. Tracey, I feel your pain. We had to turn on the furnace this morning.