Malawry

I stopped by Candy Kitchen while tooling around Frederick this afternoon. I tried several different of the chocolates and, frankly, wasn't that impressed. They were too sweet and the chocolate sides were rather thick and clumsy--as was the decor on the decorated pieces. They are very low-priced and very kid-friendly as candies go. I did like the fresh fillings--the coconut cream dark chocolate was particularly tasty, and the raspberry gel had a real fruit flavor. The chocolates are made at the other Candy Kitchen location in Waynesboro, PA, which has apparently been in operation for over 100 years. They sell fudge (which I did not sample since it is normally too sweet and milky for me), some pate a fruit, much of the Stonewall Kitchen line of condiments, some sugar-free chocolates, and a few random novelties (Jelly Belly jelly beans, licorice laces, etc). There were chocolate dog bones (labeled "not for dogs!") and chocolate-dipped rice krispie treats on sticks near the register. It's very friendly and probably fulfills your childhood fantasies of a chocolate shop--I was a little disappointed with my adult palate was all.

Fifi, I have a very large heavy pot that I've filled with gumbo before. The key is to be sure you can reach the bottom and sides easily with a stirring implement so nothing scorches. (I slightly scorched the big batch I made for my 30th birthday party on the bottom, mostly because I was using a wafer-thin pot.) You can also do the roux and trinity in a smaller pot so they're easier to control, and then transfer them to a large heavy pot for making the rest of the gumbo if you're gunshy. I've done it both ways. I've made 4 gallons of gumbo at a clip and, to my taste, they're as good as a regular batch would be. But then, I admit I'm not a gumbo connoisseur like some of ya'll are. So YMMV and all that. Snowangel, I've considered it, but I already have a lot of batch recipes in the freezer 'cause I wanted a single serving! I'll get around to gumbo when it gets colder I'm sure--I'd rather not have an entire chest freezer full of food languishing until the baby appears in early spring 2006.

Marlene, did you put the fish on the basket and then lower the basket into the oil? Looking at the size of your fryer, next time I'd do just one piece of fish at a time so there's more wiggle room. Lower the basket and then gently drop one piece of fish into the oil. You can shake the basket or use a metal offset spatula at the bottom to prevent the fish from sticking. The exterior of the batter should set fairly quickly so you only have to be vigilant for a few seconds. I actually thought the fish looked pretty good despite your sticking issue. What batter did you end up using? As for the pie: was there any cornstarch in the filling? Juicier berries tend to need some to reduce the soupy factor. Also some pies don't fully set up until cooled.

I once worked in a restaurant where the garde-manger lunch lady made the most amazing tuna salad for family meal. We were using the bits and scraps of fresh tuna from the hot line--whatever got trimmed off, plus whatever was getting too old to sell (I think we froze that stuff until we had enough for family meal). She'd roast it in the oven and then chop it down with celery, carrot, plenty of red onion, and a couple of peeled diced granny smith apples. Add homemade mayo and a touch of sharp dijon. The apple added a slightly tart crisp component that really made the salad. I happen to be most fond of tuna melts on dark bread with raisins and nuts in it. Rye is a close second. I'm normally a stickler for gruyere cheese, but can also see the horseradish cheese you mention. My problem with tuna melts is, I love lots of crunchy fresh lettuce (butter or lollarossa) and some sliced red onion on my sandwich. So I normally toast the bread instead of melting the cheese on hot tuna.

Gumbo scales up great! Plus it usually freezes well, so leftovers aren't an issue. I normally make pretty huge batches. I made it at the sorority a couple times when I was working there as a chef and the girls loved it--both as part of a New Orleans-themed dinner, and then later as a soup of the day. I have been craving gumbo, in part because of the recent events, but I'm reluctant to make it because my digestion is so strange these days. I can eat something once with great enthusiasm but then I'm done with it completely these days--not good with something like gumbo that I normally make in huge batches.

I don't own any plastic or melamine bowls. I feel they're hard to keep clean. I own a set of nesting glass bowls from Williams-Sonoma--they're great in that I have every size I need, but I don't like that they have a ridge on the inside near the top where the rim is attached. IMO, bowls should have completely smooth seamless interiors to keep them easily clean. I use them anyway, along with a set of stainless professional cheap foodservice metal bowls. The metals are great, I even bake Jaymes' caramel popcorn in them or put them over direct heat for hollandaise and whatnot. I just don't like working with acidic foods in them, and I wouldn't put them on the table (I do put the glass ones out for family eating).

An Orly batter forms a fairly thick, puffy coating for something like fish that needs to be protected from the high heat of the fryer. It's also delicious from that yeast. We used it with cod at the school I went to, but I'm sure it'll work well with halibut too. Don't forget the vinegar or lemon or tartar sauce on top! Wondra is great, but IMO it's not enough if you want to deep-fry the fish as for fish and chips. It's perfect for flouring pan-fried fish, but you need more of a coating if you want your fish to stand up to being deep-fried. I've used Wondra as step 1 of a three-part breading (Wondra, then egg wash, then seasoned breadcrumbs) and used that for deep-frying though.

Marlene, an Orly-style batter is also delicious for fried firm-fleshed fish (like halibut.) Here's my recipe: 12oz sifted flour Pinch of salt ½ oz dry yeast 2c tepid water Sift flour and salt into bowl. Make a well. Cream yeast into water and add to well. Incorporate until batter is a smooth paste. Let sit at least 45 minutes before using to proof.

Thanks for the wonderful photos and report, Faboo. I just moved to nearby Jefferson County, WV and find myself in Frederick often. (I'll be there even more next year, when I start teaching recreational classes at Frederick Community College.) Please let us know where else to go in town--I knew about Zest, but most of the rest of town seems to be filled with Olive Perkins Brewery Waffle Evans Barrel type places.

Orly batter Orly batter is a classic French-style way of battering your fish or whatnot for deep frying. This forms an airy, puffy, crisp batter--not what you want if you like bare minimal type breading on your food. (For that, just dust with Wondra and go.) The batter coats fish thoroughly and protects it from drying out in the high heat of a deep-fat fryer. Plus, it doesn't suck. 12 oz sifted flour Pinch of salt ½ oz dry yeast 2 c tepid water Sift flour and salt into bowl. Make a well. Cream yeast into water and add to well. Incorporate until batter is a smooth paste. Let sit at least 45 minutes before using to proof. Keywords: Main Dish, Seafood, Easy, Dinner, French ( RG1408 )

Thanks for the update, Dinwiddie. I'll try to get there this week!

I'm not sure a jelly made only with the peels will have much flavor. I remember reading a James Beard essay on apple jelly once but I'm pretty sure he used the whole fruit. I have added apple peels to other jellies and jams for the additional pectin before, so I'd certainly save some for that purpose.

Dude, the only one in Raleigh seems to be a kiosk in the airport.

OTOH, it was strange for me to follow so many recipes this weekend. They were mostly Dave's recipes and I felt an obligation to make them as he intended, so I actually measured and added in the sequence he specified. The hush puppies always take a recipe, as do all breadlike goods, but I rarely cook anything nonpastrylike while following a recipe.

The only way to get unpasteurized milk in Maryland legally is to own a cow yourself, unfortunately. There are cooperative arrangements through which people go in together on a "share" of a cow and then share the milk it produces, but such arrangements are hard to find and regarded as of shady legality by the authorities. A search on washingtonpost.com should turn up an article on the subject that ran about 3 years ago--you'd have to pay as it's archived or look for it at a library, but it may be helpful. Some homebrew supply shops sell some cheesemaking supplies as well, or may have ideas on where to buy them. Check this page out for a few Maryland brew supply houses: http://www.beerinfo.com/vlib/homebrew.html The TPSS coop is generally pretty responsive to requests. I belonged there until I moved out of the community this summer. The response may be slow, but it exists. Try leaving a note in the suggestion box--I managed to get them to carry Ride-On bus passes that way.

I grew up drinking Cheerwine. I stopped drinking it when I left North Carolina to move to the Washington area after college. Then, a few years later, I picked up a can while visiting my folks in Greensboro and drank it. I nearly spat it out--it tasted like nonmedicated carbonated cough syrup to me! Haven't had it since. Just a warning for those of you considering extreme machinations to get your mitts on some (I'm pretty sure Cheerwine is only distributed in North Carolina).

Ladies and gentlemen, Dave the Cook's Barbequed Shrimp, New Orleans style. All that diced butter Jason photographed? That went into the shrimp. This makes a very, very saucy dish.

I've put the hush puppy recipe into RecipeGullet for interested parties. They don't suck, as we say. I'm home and feeling refreshed after a nap and a dinner of leftover Q and slaw. I had a great time this weekend--I especially can't say enough about the fabulous kitchen crew Jason snapped above (Heather, Dave, Marlene and Janet). Special thanks to Dean and Marcella and family for the wonderful Southern hospitality. (I think my favorite quote from this weekend was Marcella saying authoritatively, "Tomboys are PRINCESSES" when some kids were asking what a tomboy was.) BTW, for all future Baby Jones fans...Baby Jones really likes BBQ.

Vidalia Hush Puppies Serves 8 as Side. These hush puppies were developed by Malawry for her culinary school final. They appear at each Varmint's Pig Picking event, as they are a classic side dish for North Carolina-style barbeque. 3 cups self-rising white cornmeal (available in the baking aisle of most large supermarkets) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 diced small Vidalia onion 1 tablespoon sugar 2 cups buttermilk 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat Sea salt to taste Combine dry ingredients and onions. Form a well in the center. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl and pour into the well. Stir until flours are just moistened. Heat a deep-fat fryer or large pot of vegetable oil to 340 degrees. Drop batter into fat from a large spoon, or scoop batter using an ice-cream scooper. Fry for about 1.5 minutes per side, turning when golden brown. Remove from fryer and drain on paper towels; sprinkle with salt and serve while hot. Keywords: Side, Intermediate, Barbeque, American, Deep Fryer, Bread ( RG1403 )

We're all too busy cooking to be posting, Zilla--you'll have to make do with Jason's photos for now. The slaw, potato salad and squash casserole are coming together nicely. Collards are underway. Brunswick stew is complete (YES!). Most of my MEP for hushpuppies is done, I'm just waiting for bacon fat to render. And I just heard something about bourbon pecan squares showing up...I better go investigate!

Thanks to all for the recommendations on mac and cheese. I ended up visiting Poole's with my friend for lunch. They actually have two iterations of macaroni and cheese on their menu, a side dish of regular stovetop (not baked) mac and an "ultimate" version loaded with several extra types of cheese, fresh spinach, and other goodies. Our server told us that those choosing the ultimate "should not be afraid of cheese." It sounds good but also like not what I was in the mood for, so I stuck with the ordinary sort as a side order. I chased it with a vegetable and onion dip plate. The restaurant is adorable, outfitted with an old-fashioned luncheonette curved counter hugged with round red stools. And the service is very friendly. The side-order mac and cheese is delicious, clearly housemade with care and attention, neither too cheesy nor too rich nor too mild. Just right for the stovetop variety. I cleaned my plate.

You guys are getting up-to-the-second updates here. Senor Perlow has been dutifully snapping and uploading photos as things happen from his nest near the Varmint Family Kitchen. Snowangel, I was wearing a red shirt and a bright blue apron today. I decided to call it a night a little early and head back to the hotel to give me and the future baby some rest. I had a great time cooking all day though--special thanks to Marlene, Dave the Cook and JAZ for extraordinary kitchen camaraderie while we muddled through the planning and execution of tonight's staff meal and tomorrow's multiple side dishes. I'm pleased to report that the VD Stew is only about an hour from completion at this point. Ya'll come hungry.

Yes, it is. Varmint let us take a peek through it this morning. There's also a recipe for the honeysuckle sorbet in there! Definitely on my to-buy list. I loved the place as soon as I saw the chef was wearing a Piggly Wiggly t-shirt.

I'm leaving in about 15 minutes--car's all packed and everything. Hopefully I'll be able to buy gas easily along I-95! See ya'll soon.

Raleigh folks, what's the gas situation like there? I've read that stations as far north as Charlotte had to close yesterday due to lack of supplies. I'm trying to assess where and when to fuel up. I'm looking to borrow my husband's hybrid vehicle instead of driving the non-hybrid I just bought since the gas savings will be significant.