chromedome

In Nova Scotia, one artisan raw-milk cheese producer has a blue called "Dragon's Breath" in honor of its funk. It's very good.

So...I'm hoping/assuming the name doesn't mean it smells like an old pair of clogs...

I was at Superstore this evening, and every available staffer - including the resident Registered Dietician - was filling orders for pickup.

Those are always on hand.

That's one of my childhood treats, right there. Mom used plain ol' white bread, either her own or locally-baked Busy Bee (now defunct) or Ben's Holsum (like Farmer's Dairy milk, it was a source of nostalgia while I lived out west) and either Cheez Whiz or processed slices (the former was the default IIRC, probably because it was more economical).

I made that at the place I used to be chef in Edmonton. I had to work a bit to get people to try it the first time, but by then I had built a pretty good level of trust with the regulars (and after long years in retail, I'd gotten pretty persuasive). It rapidly became a staple on our soup-of-the-day rotation, which frequently made for a (pleasurable) surprise for African students/immigrants in the area. Hmmm. I haven't had that in years, but I do have both thighs and sweet potato on hand at the moment. I could probably manage fufu if I really wanted to, but somehow seldom do...

It gets plenty of mentions in Homer, IIRC.

All this talk of barley reminds me that I have a truly absurd quantity of it to use up...perhaps 10 lbs (don't ask, it was a gift). I'll have to give this some thought. (ETA: Having said that, I suddenly NEEDED TO KNOW...so I got out the bag and weighed it, and it's just past 9 1/2 pounds left. So I was pretty close.)

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/alcohol-made-from-milk

It's a good feeling when the young 'uns develop a passion for something that's also good for them. One of our granddaughters insists on me making Brussels sprouts when she's here for a visit. Another is a fiend for kale, chard and any other kind of cooked greens. She loves to help me pick them from my garden (conveniently situated at their home out in the country).

I love the cover. My apartment block is on a hillside that once would have been homesteaded; among the apple trees growing untended all around me is one that produces small, beautiful apples with a bright pink interior like those. They're slightly tannic for eating out of hand (I suspect they were originally intended as cider apples) but lent a delicate rose hue to my applesauce this past fall.

It looks startlingly like poutine, to these Canadian eyes.

Nope. Also the wingtips, if they're still in situ when purchased.

Yeah...I'll be foregoing my monthly visits to my mom and daughter in NS, because both provinces have declared states of emergency now. I'd have to self-quarantine for 14 days on each side of the interprovincial border. Not gonna happen. I know you'll have the option of routing your return to avoid any such lockdowns (there's a narrow isthmus and only a couple of roads joining NS and NB, so it's easy to close down) but still, sooner is better than later.

They aren't sold in Canada directly, but according to the company some online vendors will ship 'em here.

Not nearly as exciting, where I am. My "garden tour" would show the last couple inches of melting snow, with mud and a few green shoots beneath. Here where I live (my garden is outside the city, about 40 minutes by hwy and ferry) the snow is gone and grass is starting to grow. Saw my first caterpillar and a couple of flies yesterday. It's rare that "real" spring arrives in close conjunction with "calendar" spring (usually March feels more like "late winter") but this year that's how it worked out.

I buy the compressed "brick" of frozen, chopped spinach, which is something of a staple at our house. There are two small blocks in each package, each of which is roughly the equivalent of a bag of fresh spinach and suitable for a meal for the two of us. They sell for $2 at Superstore or $1 at No Frills, so I usually keep 3 or 4 in my freezer. I buy other frozen veg as circumstances suggest (I won't say "dictate"). I like some better than others, but regardless...they're good backup for when the fresh stuff is in short supply or when external factors mean I can't reliably use up fresh stuff in a timely fashion.

The logistics are often hard to organize, but I always try to find a spot where my lettuce gets morning sun and afternoon shade. It seems to help (though NB certainly doesn't get as hot as Kansas, I'm sure...). Also planting at frequent intervals, so you always have some coming along when the earlier batch bolts, is helpful.

Doesn't have to be either/or. I'd totally eat eggplant and blood sausage together. In fact, now that it's in my head, I can pretty much guarantee it's going to happen at some point.

I've seen that complaint a lot on sports sites...

Can't answer for masks, but gloves (once they've left the box) are exactly as clean as one's hand. You have to wash hands or put on fresh gloves, with equal frequency. Sobey's is having everyone wash every 15 minutes, which is probably as good as or better than providing gloves (which, of course, the immunocompromised and healthcare workers have greater need of). Presumably, they'll also open some Lubriderm in the staff room so everyone's hands won't crack and fall off.

At my local Sobey's just now, they had a portable hand-washing station (the kind you see at festivals and farmer's markets) set up in the foyer, where a young staffer was energetically sanitizing cart handles. The large self-serve hand sanitizer dispenser was also well-filled, and prominently displayed.

..and let's not forget "ethical." Apparently Wired took a look at those questions a few days ago: https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-food-delivery-gig-economy/

Well, it's almost enough for a nice pot of garlic soup...

We may have arrived at a point where it makes sense to revive this concept. Pandemic or no pandemic, delivery services are now so commonplace that there's a case to be made.