Jensen

When I used challah it was fine...the end texture was similar to the cake bits in trifle. Not slimy or anything but definitely "moist".

I think you all need to break out your John Thorne books and re-read them. Isn't that what he celebrates?

That's it...in my next life, I want to come back as one of your cats. Great blog, TFT... and special thanks to lambfries for the Photoshop lesson on creating food porn. I've got just the photo to try it out on.

Our tables (kitchen and dining room) were purchased from a company in Oregon that produces "ready to finish" wood furniture. It's made almost entirely out of alder (a scrap wood from the logging industry). It's not as soft as pine and is hard enough to withstand most wear and tear. When we ordered our kitchen table, we wanted a smaller top than normal on a pedastal base (or pedestal...neither look right to me at the moment; must need another beer!). At that time, we were able to order the base and the top separately, pretty much guaranteeing that we'd get exactly what we wanted. The company who did all this was, at one time, called Whittier (Furniture? Wood Furniture? something like that). However, I know that they had another line out under a different name so they might have discontinued the "Whittier" name altogether. It's probably worth a google search to find out though. Edited to add that it's also sold under the name "John Greenleaf".

That is exactly what I mean. Thank you! Do you know what it is called in English? My German neighbour and the fellow at the German Metzgerei thought I meant Tartare but my friend in Germany said it wasn't the same thing.

This is, without a doubt, my favourite type of breakfast: Brötchen; frische Käse, Hackenpieter (spelling?), and more. And definitely lots of good European coffee.

Or mandatory hazard pay for employees of those establishments that allow smoking. Then, as the pro-smoking folk say, the decision could be left up to the owners. I wonder how many would be so quick to maintain their smoking sections if it meant their HR costs would double.

I made a summer pudding last weekend, using challah bread (cut into strips rather than just with the crust trimmed), raspberries, and plums off my tree. That's the beauty of summer pudding...you are supposed to use what is local and abundant as long as it produces enough juice. I served mine at the whippet races on Saturday and only one other person there (the Englishwoman) knew what it was. Despite that, it was the first empty plate on the lunch table (although I was the only person that put cream on mine, everyone else ate it "naked"). (Edited to remove extraneous paranthesis.)

Well, obviously they don't work or there wouldn't be support for a change to more comprehensive restrictions! You smokers have had the air, so to speak, for the past 100 years or so. Now it's our turn. Come back in 2105 and we can talk about it being your turn again...

The only thing that bans are doing is shifting the "balance of power" from the smokers to the non-smokers. For years and years, non-smokers have had to put up with second-hand smoke (no matter how many air recovery systems are installed, the smoke and odour still goes everywhere). Now the shoe is on the other foot...the smokers can put up with a little inconvenience and step outside for their fag. I moved from one non-smoking area (Vancouver) to another (California) and I love it. Long live the smoking bans!

Did you guys get rain last week? Our cherry vendor won't be back after last Saturday because the rain we had earlier in the week ended their season. Lots of stone fruit available in the markets out here in Sacto. Some new (for me) veggies I picked up on Saturday were bitter melon greens and amaranth. I also got some Romano beans, which were a nice trip down memory lane for me. I'd forgotten how good green beans could be.

I don't know why they're called "dry ribs" either...all I know is that is how they appear on the appie menus (or as "dry garlic ribs"). It's probably because there is no sauce.

The hamburger patties sold by my local Costco have this very feature built-in. I always thought that it was an artifact of some extrusion process but, obviously, they have been channelling Snowangel (to all of our benefit!).

I don't think so. If I remember my childhood bean-eating, scarlet runners are very, very red with black speckles. (Although, we ate scarlet runners fresh--and boiled to death--not dried.) Cranberry beans are white and red speckled.

After making the pan bagnat up there ^, I started pounding out the skinless, boneless breasts before marinating and grilling. With the thinner meat, you really just toss it around on the grate for a wee bit before it's done. There's no chance for it to dry out (unless you forget it about it and turn it into charcoal) and there's no chance to undercook it either (my favourite mistake to make). Try it! You'll like it!

Marlene's query inspired me to take a bunch of ribs out the freezer for dinner tonight and the Spouse let me document his process to share with you all. He cooked them tonight on the grill but normally they'd be done in an 425 F oven. First, you season the ribs: When he first started making these, he'd use salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Every once in a while he tries something different and, for the past little while, he's been using paprika and Montreal Steak seasoning. After about 30 minutes or so, the ribs are turned: In total, they're cooked for 50 minutes in the oven. (This can vary wildly if you use the grill though. Tonight, they took over an hour.) Here's what they look like close-up and personal... When they're all done, he will move them all to one end of the pan and then prop that end up. (In other words, he drains all the fat off.) Then, they go into a bowl and are tossed with some kosher salt. And here they are on the plate: And there they are...dry ribs!

They do cook differently when they've been cut. They end up being slightly drier than ribs cooked in a rack (in a good way though). Also, the salt must go on after they're cooked, not before. I learned that one the hard way. If you put it on before, they really dry out and are tough.

Both you and your wife will be in my thoughts in the weeks to come. You've got a long road ahead of you but you will make it!

My first time making larb: I've heard larb is a many splendoured thing and so I'm going to try making it from emu meat too. Obviously, I'm hooked.

These are anything but tough. No, they're not the "fall apart if you look at them" type of rib but I think they're more like what Marlene is looking for. Of course, I'm assuming that Marlene is after the type of rib that used to be available in Chinese restaurants years ago and then expanded to the "appie menus" of places. Given Dave's response, I wonder if they aren't a Canadian phenomenon. (Or, Marlene could be talking about something entirely different... )

I'm not going to put this in RecipeGullet because I'm not 100% sure on the steps, etc.,. This is one of the Spouse's signature dishes. I've made them a few times though and here's the general description. (I would confirm but he's not home at the moment.) 1. Preheat oven to 425F (or 400 or 450? This is one of the questions I have to ask him every single time. A hot oven, at any rate.) 2. Cut your slab into individual ribs and put them on a foil-covered baking sheet. 3. Season with freshly ground pepper and garlic powder. 4. Bake for an hour (or maybe 45 minutes? no, an hour sounds more familiar.) 5. Remove from oven and put ribs in a large bowl. Season with kosher salt. 6. Serve.

Wednesday night I had chipotle chicken meatloaf: The meatloaf ingredients are: 1/2 cup finely minced onion 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, minced 4 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs, minced 1 egg 1.5 tsp. chipotle chile sauce 1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs salt and pepper to taste I cooked it on the grill, since there was no way in hell I was going to turn the oven on! It was accompanied by salsa, a zucchini gratin (also cooked on the grill), refried beans, and tortillas. If I make this again (and it was very well-received so I'm pretty sure I will be), I think I'll use chopped chipotles instead of the bottled sauce. The chipotle flavour kind of got lost. Last night, I was going to make chicken larb but, as I've never had larb before, I decided to go out to a Thai restaurant and see what the real stuff should taste like. Then, when I make it myself, I'll at least have a benchmark...

I love cranberry beans, can buy them at my local farmer's market, and almost always have some on hand. Here are some ideas for you: * Ham and Cranberry Bean soup * Anti-Cassoulet * A healthier version of the Anti-Cassoulet

Did you flip it? Charcoal or gas? Please talk more about the grilling meatloaf. ← Well, I said I cooked it on the grill, not that I grilled it. It's a gas grill, which I heated on high to clean the grate. Once that was done, I turned all burners (we have three) down to low and let the temperature stabilise. It ended up being around 450 F. The meatloaf itself was cooked in a loaf pan. As you can see in the photo, the loaf pan was on racks on a baking sheet. I had initially planned to just cook it "free-form" right on the baking sheet but then, when I decided to make the gratin as well, I went with the loaf pan. Less mess and all that.

Okay, here's one for the meatloaf contingent... Chipotle chicken meatloaf, topped with Jaymes' salsa (now that is a recipe that needs to be in Recipe Gullet!) and served with Therese's squash gratin, refried beans, and tortillas. And, yes, I cooked the meatloaf on the grill!