chromedome

Had this last weekend, while one of our channels was marathoning the Star Wars movies. Regrettably, the name and label were the most interesting things about it. It was...okay, but underwhelming. Basically a generic mainstream beer with a side of bitterness. The hops weren't overwhelming, but neither did they add anything else.

Fresh yogurt cheese should be low in fat (and definitely sodium) compared to conventional cheeses, and can be made as flavorful as one wishes by varying the seasonings. Pastrygirl's suggestion of using a stronger cheese more or less as a concentrated "cheese flavoring" is a good one.

I hear you, on all counts. That was actually the clinching reason I finally yielded to IP fever, back in the autumn, but I haven't tried it yet (have not used my IP at all for months, as far as that goes).

I forgot to post this at the time (I was getting ready to move) but newly-eligible Moosehead, via its small-batch brewery, brought home some hardware in the craft beer categories at the Canadian Brewing Awards this year. https://huddle.today/these-four-n-b-breweries-won-awards-at-canadian-craft-beer-awards/

It's a factor, certainly, though there are many others. As for that, the dairy industry has pushed back against sodas and other sweetened beverages with its earnest boosting of chocolate milk, and against the various sports beverages with protein-enhanced "recovery drinks" of its own. It's still an uphill battle, though. I only keep fluid milk in the house because I use a splash (1/4 cup or so) in my morning oatmeal, and it goes into my daily-use sandwich bread. Otherwise it would only get used on the now-infrequent occasions when I bake desserts, typically at the holidays. Cream and dairy products *other* than fluid milk, now...those we go through a lot of. My GF does the keto thing for extended periods, which means a lot of heavy cream, sour cream, cheeses, etc, and I generally keep yogurt on hand as well for various purposes. Milk as a beverage doesn't do it for me, though. ETA: Wait, that's not quite right. We have grandkids who visit regularly, and they're keen on a glass of milk or a bowl of cereal occasionally, so I'd probably still keep at least a litre in the fridge for them. The 8 yo in particular is a fan of cold cereal, typically drenched in 2 cups or so of milk (of which about 1 1/2 cups go down the drain afterward, which grates on my frugal sensibilities immoderately, but so be it...).

Over in the Manitoulin thread, there was a brief digression - prompted by talk of the duties on some rather nice blue cheeses that crossed the border with the Ladies Who Lunch - of dairy products, and the dairy industry in general. One point I'd mentioned in passing was how the dairy industry had successfully cranked up cheese consumption as a way to compensate for the decline in milk-drinking. This morning I came across a related article on one of the tech sites I visit regularly, and thought I'd post it here rather than revive an off-topic side discussion on the Manitoulin thread. https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/got-lattes-dairy-groups-back-coffee-bars-in-schools-to-boost-milk-sales/ It's worth pointing out that the decline of milk as a beverage is not the only issue involved, and a lot of other societal factors play into it (to pick just one example, cold cereal for breakfast is also something younger consumers have shown little interest in, which has a knock-on effect on milk sales). I hadn't really thought of it before, but now I wonder just how much the rise of Starbucks and other latte-driven chains impacted the dairy industry? I have to believe the picture would be much bleaker without the vendors of "coffee-flavored milk."

Listeria in Donge brand raw-milk cheese, at present the Coulommiers only. So far the recall's limited to Quebec. https://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-07-02/eng/1562123202740/1562123205334

They're not uncommon, at least not in my neck of the woods. You'll see those as well as whole and half shoulders (whole are relatively rare, and tend to crop up as occasional specials). I have one in my freezer at the moment, in fact, which will probably go for chili verde some day soon.

The "7-bone" is often sold up here as a pork "shoulder steak." Not as tender as the sirloin but fattier, and both are good when grilled. I'd lean toward the sirloin if I was doing a stir-fry or something like that. Bear in mind that pork is usually the "cheap meat" up here, the way chicken is Stateside, so that's probably why these are cuts you don't see much south of the border.

It's not about those, at least not in the fashion they've been imposed on other products/countries. It's more about differing approaches to the dairy market. Canada limits dairy production, which means our homegrown dairy industry provides an actual living to those who engage in it. The downside is that a) imported dairy products are sharply restricted, and b) costs for consumers are relatively high. In the US, dairy is part of a large system of interlocking subsidies. Dairy farmers' cattle provide an outlet for some of the vast US overproduction of grain, which in turn leads to a huge surplus of dairy products (Google how much US cheese consumption has increased over the last four decades...go on, do it...). Much of the acrimony around the recent trade negotiations between Canada and the US revolved around the question of dairy, with the US seeking greater access to the Canadian market for some of its below-cost overproduction while the Canadian industry, for its part, argued that it would be the death of domestic production. I don't think the scenario is quite as linear as the homegrown dairymen would like us to believe, but certainly there's a case to be made. We also adhere to different standards up here. It's been a while since I've written about it (and therefore since I've researched the variance in our respective production criteria) but IIRC recombinant bovine growth hormone is permitted in the US but banned in Canada, and there are some differences in allowable husbandry practices as well. Not necessarily better/worse, you understand, but different. It's a complicated topic, which (like so many others) tends to get shortened down to opinions that can be expressed in a tweet (or perhaps a bumper sticker).

Over the course of the month, despite the aftermath of moving, I've managed to catch enough windows of passable weather to finally get my garden in. The last things went in just yesterday, which is very late indeed even by local standards. I went with store-bought transplants for the longer-season items (tomatoes, cukes, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc) and direct-seeded my usual overload of greens (kale, collards, chard, beets - I count those as greens, primarily - spinach, lettuces, etc).

For a balanced look from the other side of the table, here's a recent article from a high-profile industry publication: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/delivery-dilemma-rages-restaurants

He's generous of his time, in that way. I split my training between NSCC in Halifax and NAIT in Edmonton, after moving for family reasons, and he came to both schools during my time there (to speak to the students, and also to judge student competitions).

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-island-chef-order-of-canada-2019-1.5192773

NP. https://spicetrekkers.com/news/gaspé-spices-pourquoi-pas

Son of a gun. I've certainly hacked down my fair share of alder over the years, without knowing the catkins were edible. Mind you, Spicetrekkers' own page explains that there was no established tradition of using them culinarily, so I suppose I could be excused for not knowing this.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/06/27/735429939/couscous-a-symbol-of-harmony-in-northwest-africa-a-region-of-clashes

That's more or less how it works in my neck of the woods as well, though the taxonomy is always tricky.

Sounds like my kind of book.

The late 50s were an interesting time in the UK, as the gaudy butterfly of "Cool Britannia" began to emerge from its grey cocoon of postwar austerity. The popular series "Call the Midwife" is set during that interval, and is fascinating to watch (not having been there, I can't answer for how well they captured the feel of the era). There's an unconventional film musical from 1986 called "Absolute Beginners" that's set a bit later, in the early 60s, and is well worth seeing. "A Private Function," set a bit earlier during the postwar rationing, is a minor classic (it stars Michael Palin and the always-wonderful Maggie Smith, and brings us back more or less on topic because it revolves largely around pork).

I will point out that British Columbia, where Okanagancook lives, has a large Indo-Canadian population (even by Canadian standards, and Canadians with roots in the subcontinent make up a substantial part of our population). Finding these cool things in secondhand stores is probably a bit more likely in BC than elsewhere, but you never know your luck. I have one in much the same style as Sartoric, but the handle of mine was cast as part of the pan (ie, all in one piece rather than attached separately). I found it in a second-hand shop in a semi-rural area of Nova Scotia, where such things are decidedly less common.

Makes sense. Sriracha mayo's been around for a while now, I guess they're looking for something more novel.

My ex-wife, well into adulthood, was miffed that the dog's name often came out before hers in similar circumstances (despite her being the eldest child).

Some places sell bag openers like this, but with a sharper point (I couldn't find the right image): A former co-worker of mine (a prep cook) used that to "unzip" them quickly.

The recall on this mysterious treat has just been extended to Alberta as well. http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-06-21/eng/1561158555168/1561158555414