Raoul Duke

Snadra - the cool whip is used for holiday desserts when all the ammo is hidden and the in-laws won't leave.

I'm stoked, pick up tomato, cuke, zucchini & pepper starts at the farmers market tomorrow.

Tomato plants in March? Them suckers are just gonna croak. You southern locale folks are exempt.

I'd start looking for grapes sourced from dry farmed, head pruned vines. Dusi vineyard comes to mind. Alcohol content will be an issue but not as significant as the rush by winemakers to produce overly fruity, heavy on the palate zins. Almost Syrah like in mouthfeel. This is my experience so take it with a grain of salt. Ridge is good and I believe sources grape from the Dusi's. Tasting will tell all, more is better or at least until your teeth are purple. The Turley wines are from head pruned, dry farmed vines at the old Pesenti vineyard. The Paso Robles and Lodi appelations are prodcuing some good stuff.

It's called respect, something a lot of folks seem to lack the capacity, for in the world.

There is a farm, Rinconada Dairy http://www.rinconadadairy.com/ In Santa Margarita near San Luis Obispo, that raises and makes sheeps milk cheese, organically. They also have raised chickens, some good looking hens for Clark @ American Flatbread in Los Alamos. I don't think it's a regular endeavor but contact wouldn't hurt and, you may like the cheese for the restaurant.

I'd second Teardrop Lounge for a civilized adult beverage. Nostrana was worth the trip for some nice Italian inspired food and Lucca for brunch was good especially the Panettone bread (made in house) french toast.

My range is backed with s/s that is in front of tile. The s/s isn't that hard to clean, I expect it's easier that tile when it has grease bonded to the tiles by the heat from the range. It will be the grout that may be difficult to clean. The shelf is convienent but the underside collects some grease and can be a PITA to clean. I'd do s/s again. The picture, assuming it came out OK, shows just how much junk one can collect on, or near a range.

I use the liquid for cooking beans, pinto's, black, poquitos, etc.. and freeze what I don't use for future beans. You can't eat too many beans.

Why not Sa Pa? We thought it rural but interesting along with Sa Ba. Of course this was in '98.

This works only if you oven gets to 500 degrees. Craig Claiborne, The NY Times cookbook. S&P, lightly flour fat side, cook fat side up. Place roast in a shallow roasting pan, oven heated to 500 degrees. Two ribs/4.5-5 pounds cook for 25-30 mins. leave in oven for about 2 hours or oven is lukewarm. Ends will be medium/med rare, going to rare on the center. I use coarse Hawaiian red salt and course ground pepper. Sounds questionable, works great. Save the fat for Yorkshire Pudding.

For a more historical take on the olive in America try "The Olive in California, History of an Immigrant Tree", by Judith M. Taylor, M.D. Available from Ten Speed Press or the UC Davis book store. And for those of you interested in tasting local olive oils on the central coast of California, drop me a PM and I'll direct you to some growers/producers, including myself. Or just come and visit the farm and learn about what is involved in producing olive oil and taste, taste, taste. Buona Salute!

The radiation and/or radon levels won't bother you if you wear your pyramid shaped tin foil hat.

Slow cooking that chuck roast, and shredding it, for use in enchiladas' and tacos always works for us.

Well the entire time in Portland was great. A number of places to eat very well. Lunch at Kenny & Zukes (home cured/smoked pastrami), cocktails at Teardrop Lounge, dinner at Veritable Quandry and of course dinner at Nostrana. Starters of the house charcuterie platter and the scamorza cheese with shiitakes accompanied by a very tasty rustic bread. The wood oven pizza was done perfectly with a nice char on the edges and bottom, perfect manicotti stuffed w/chicken and fontina cheese. Friends made a seafood paella one night as well. Happened upon a friend who is an olive oil provider to the NW at the PSU farmers market, and generally had a great time. Wouldn't hesitate a return trip or a strong recommendation for folks who like to eat. Thanks for the recs.

Thanx for the insight. We'll be trying it next weekend. Since I'm hauling up a load of wine to consume over the weekend, how's their corkage fees and service? Do they decant?

Any comments on your dining experience at Nostrana in Portland?

It seems to me it should be an educational process rather than a regulated effort, teaching kids about dietary options. Should we make Home Economics part of a required curriculum? Why is sustainability taught to 4-H students and not every student? Shouldn't children learn not only where food comes from but how it's processed, harvested and prepared. It breaks the chain of dependency if you shop and cook for yourself.

I wasn't suggesting treating any fruit juice like that, just olive oil. I indicated it was a stone fruit not a nut oil, as someone had suggested in earlier posts. Olive oil producers worldwide often refer to it as juice.

Recycle a dark green, 750ml wine bottle and add a vacuum stopper instead of the tin can. Less space in the reefer and smaller bottle/quantities reduces oxidation. If you like Morrocan oil read this and question why you pay taxes: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F09%2F18%2FMNTA1KSF5N.DTL

Storing it in the refrig has no effect on flavor, it will solidify but room temp heat will resolve that. Remember it is a stone fruit (not a nut oil) so what you have is fresh fruit juice in a bottle, treat it as such. Minimize conact with light, heat and oxygen. I store +/-200 gallons in 55 gallon barrels lined with double plastic food grade bags and filled with Argon to reduce the oxygen content. Placed in a cold room <60 degrees it will exhibit some solidifying durine the cold months. The flavor changes do occur but under these conditions it takes months, not weeks. Maximum storage until used 2 years and that's stretching it. If you buy off the shelf be sure the bottle is a dark color, and avoid cork closures. Look for a harvest date not a use by date.

I've been using a ThermoTech TT1610, infared for 2+ years primarily for a wood fired oven. Accurate and reliable. High and low temp alarm set, laser indication, backlight, C or F, data store/recal function, low battery indicator, external K-type thermocouple measurement, lit LCD display. K-type range 58F-482, IR 76F-1652, adjustable emissivity setup. It maybe too much but I like having options available. Unfortunately it doesn't pour wine.

This past week one of the local Paso Robles markets had been offering Hatch chiles for $.97 cents/pound. Sold by the pound or 35# burlap sack full. They also provide free roasting in the parking lot which is a great marketing tool. What's available in your area?

Nice price on the fresh mozz. How does it do on you pizza? Is a little wetter than the store stuff and, if it is, do you drain it? Here's the weekend pizza, quatro fromage with prosciutto on half.

Question for all of you who disdain the need to use ingredients from an ocean away. Where is your olive oil coming from? Italy? Spain? Tunisia? Argentina? California? Pluto? My Bulls**t detector went off when I read that the age of an oven or the number of pizza's produced, in that oven, influeneces the taste. I can see an experienced pizzaiolo being important.