chromedome

I had deadlines on Easter weekend, so we had our belated dinner last night. A duck (sheet pan method) with caramelized parsnips - only a few left now from last autumn's harvest - carrots, roasted asparagus and (of course) duck fat-roasted potatoes. No photos, but I'll be taking my cousin's online introductory course soon (he's a pro photographer and teaches regular classes when he's not working) and may actually stir myself to start taking food pics.

My parents' FoodSaver came to me when my father died a few years ago. I don't use it a lot, but I *do* use it pretty consistently. For soups and such, I'll often freeze them in a container and then vac-seal them once they're frozen (to save space, extend storage life, and get my containers back into circulation). I also take meats, fish, poultry etc out of their styrofoam trays and vac-seal them for the freezer. Chamber sealers do things a FoodSaver can't, I guess, but it's certainly all I need at present. If this one crapped out, I'd probably buy another.

One of our granddaughter's favorite things is eggs that are "dyed 'n' fried." First, separate the egg. Next, choose a food coloring (this is the fun part, for little ones) and put a few drops into the egg white. Whisk the white with the food coloring until it's evenly dispersed, then pour it into a preheated skillet. Once it begins to set, tip the yolk back into place. Voila! A bright red/blue/green/yellow/whatever egg. Perfect to go with that green ham...

Rob (Gfron) has more experience of running a restaurant than I have, but I've closed a couple...for what that's worth. I think everybody who has posted upthread has amply made the point that it's a very, very risky time to launch a restaurant venture. There's likely to be room in the market for "early mover advantage" once things loosen back up, so there's that on the positive side of the ledger. Much of the former competition for your diner's dollar will have collapsed, and people certainly *will* tire of the fast-food chains before this is all over, and even if the numbers are smaller than they were pre-COVID there'll be less competition to divide up that dollar. So for the survivors (and gutsy new ventures) the metaphorical pie may well prove big enough. That in no way invalidates anything that's been said above. Deep pockets are essential, and Rob's recommendation of a full years' operating expenses in the bank on Day One is probably the best advice you'll get (lack of capital is what scuppered my two establishments). If you *do* opt to move forward, nail down every conceivable advantage you can get on your lease (or is it a purchase?) of the current diner. Most of the value of such a business applies only if it's a "going concern," which is no longer the case. Remember, the industry-wide average is 5-8% retained earnings, so every dollar you save up front on your fixed costs is like $90+ in revenue.

For the benefit of any Canadian peeps who have access to one, Bulk Barn has yeast. You're limited to a pre-measured 1 cup, but that's certainly enough to be going on with.

I use ham broth in a "summer borscht" I learned from my ex's grandmother: add new baby potatoes, beet/turnip tops or other early greens, and a big handful of fresh dill. Serve with a splash of buttermilk. I *do* make ham gravy, which ordinarily goes with my ham meal (duh) but is also great with biscuits, mashed potatoes and suchlike. You can also use it in smaller quantities to lend flavor to the bechamel in casseroles, or as a subtle flavoring element in savory baked goods.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/katedingwall/2020/04/13/canadian-restaurant-industry-covid19/#54beff4e42a8

Stackability. Plays hell with the whole "remove top and bottom and flatten can" thing, of course.

A look at some of the things they have to think about on the industry/regulatory side. It's Canada-specific, but similar discussions will be taking place in other countries as well. https://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/shockproofing-canada-empty-grocer-shelves-dont-signal-food-security-issues-but-there-are-challenges-looming

Ours was Eggs Bennie with chard and pan-fried potatoes, just because neither of us was up for much fuss yesterday (I've got deadlines...). The intended duck will happen at some point over the next few days, instead.

Took a look at my garden plot today. Still too early for anything to go into the ground, but my garlic is up.

As a longtime Linux user who has installed Windows on a couple of computers this past week (for various reasons) it's hard not to insert some snark here. But yes, sadly, that's still often the case as the personal-computer era sits well into its fifth decade (depending which starting point you choose...).

You can absolutely, positively get a starter going with commercial yeast. I've done so on a few occasions, when I had the time and inclination to indulge in experimentation. Over time your native local wild yeasts will indeed invade and colonize and crowd out the commercial yeasts. In the interim you've got something usable. The flavor won't be as complex as a sourdough with some years on it, but it's better than just a plain, quick-risen loaf. ...and infinitely better than no bread at all.

We had a similar dish at the restaurant where I worked when going to culinary school. One of my GF's favorites (it's on tap for tonight's dinner, in fact) is the cheese-filled Ukrainian equivalent. We bake ours under a creamy sauce, rather than frying them. It's rather rich (as you'd imagine) but tasty. I've seen cheese-filled strudels done in much the same way, also.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/04/the-chemistry-of-cold-brew-coffee-is-so-hot-right-now/

The variety sold then was "Gros Michel," or "Big Mike." It suffered an apocalyptic collapse due to some pathogen or other, which caused the industry as a whole to swing to Cavendish. They're preparing for the same scenario now, though I haven't been keeping a close eye on the current contenders.

Mostly at the supermarket. The big brand here is Robin Hood, which despite the shared associations isn't as "artisanal" as KAF. There are other brands with some market presence as well, like Dover and Five Roses and a couple of others that escape my recollection at the moment. Brody's for self-rising flour.

Yeah, smoke or a marinade should help mask any off-flavors. If it was vacuum-sealed, they shouldn't be too obtrusive.

The rest I'll leave to your judgement, but as long as it has stayed frozen food safety is not an issue. The question is more one of quality and taste.

Perspective is a marvelous thing. We've quite enjoyed getting up to that temperature a few times in the past week, and celebrated with light, summery meals. Saw my first new blossoms of the spring yesterday (what more prosaic souls would describe as "weeds"). Also, while the lawns hereabouts are still in their winter drab, fresh green shoots - currently just a haze of green - are on the verge of asserting themselves and doubtless will do so over the next few days.

Yes, I've always considered that "high road" approach to be the mark of an intelligently-run company. Apparently a significant percentage of the returns Rubbermaid receives are actually not Rubbermaid products. I don't know if they still do this, but for years their response was to send back an actual Rubbermaid product as a (free!) replacement for the competitor's product, along with a friendly note along the lines of "the one you sent us wasn't actually our product, but we sent you one of ours anyway so you can see for yourself the difference in quality."

It's hard to know for sure without having fingers in your dough, but I'd guess that either a) it's too soft; or b) hadn't rested for long enough before you rolled it. As for the clamp, I've used various tricks to "McGyver" mine over the years but the simplest thing was usually to switch to my table.

When my kids tried the ol' "I'm no good at this," I assured them we had all the time in the world and would just keep trying until they got good at it...and then it would be their sibling's turn to learn. That gave them an "out," and an incentive (out-centive?). Not universally applicable, of course.

Another cheese from the same producer has been added to the recall. https://inspection.gc.ca/food-recall-warnings-and-allergy-alerts/2020-04-05/eng/1586117185359/1586117191185?utm_source=r_listserv

In my tired brain, "mais chulpa" is oddly like "mea culpa." I do not see or imply any significance to that...it just amuses me.