chromedome

I actually found myself in our local Sobey's last night during the "sensory shopping" hour (not intentionally, I'd just gotten back from out-of-province and needed a few things). It took me longer than it really should have to realize what was going on (in my defense, I'd been driving most of the preceding three days) but once I did, I quite enjoyed it. It was rather relaxing.

For our friends in Ontario: Dom Reserve brand hot-smoked salmon, potential listeria. http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-05-05/eng/1557104244672/1557104247484

I tend to think of it as an oversized herring, which is close enough as a culinary comparison (I've never looked up where it belongs taxonomically). Yeah, they're bony SOBs but tasty enough as far as that goes, if you've got the patience (or fishmonger) to debone them. My dad was a big fan of the roe, so that was a frequent springtime dish for us (my mom wouldn't touch the stuff). I loved shad season as a kid, because they were the largest fish I had the opportunity to catch back then. I liked trout better, but shad were more exciting.

This one's been updated to broaden the scope of the recall. It's now "possibly national." http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-05-04/eng/1557028707615/1557028708635

I don't know if it's national or just a test in our region, but the Sobey's chain (one of the two main Canadian supermarkets) has begun offering "sensory shopping" for those with autism or other sensitivities. Once or twice a week the lights are dimmed, the sound system muted, and noisy activities (cart collection, shelf-stocking, etc) are put on hold. It's not something I'd plan a shopping trip around (not most days, anyway) but I can see how it would be a boon for anyone who needs it.

Well, as a general principle that's hard to argue against. Realistically, the number of recalls relative to the volume of manufactured food is pretty low. I don't eat a lot of processed foods in the normal run of things*, but the odds aren't bad when I do. (*That being said, a lot of my sweetie's favorite comfort foods include canned cream of mushroom soup and suchlike, so I eat 'em more than I used to...but still not much)

This one's been in the news already, but it may affect some of us here. Glass fragments in some PC brand and Black Label sauces from the Loblaw's stores. http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-05-03/eng/1556928121801/1556928124049

That one's been broadened since my original post. http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-05-03/eng/1556930092557/1556930092812

Well, it's a start. You can always add croutons to the salad or much on some crackers and cheese afterwards. Or mop up the extra sauce with half a loaf of crusty bread. My GF gets a hankering for lobster periodically, and I try to save the shells for stock. Shrimp shells, as well. I'm actually not especially fond of lobster, but I do love me some shell stock. Good stuff.

Spoken like a true pragmatist.

I would guess the point is an extra few $$ at the bottom of your cheque, when it comes.

If anyone's bought cheese in Quebec recently, Le Pic brand's Saint-Felicien cheese is being recalled for potential E.coli contamination. http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-04-29/eng/1556588698919/1556588701350

I have the same book. It's a cute pic.

Equally disruptive, I'm sure.

In my 1990 edition, it's "Braised New Potatoes and Carrots with Dill."

Yesterday morning, as I blearily started a pot of steel-cut oats, I reached into my cupboard for the cinnamon (I like a whiff of cinnamon in my oatmeal). What I actually came out with, and sprinkled into the pot, was seasoned salt. Fortunately I recognized what I'd done and immediately dumped the pot and rinsed the oats, so there was no harm done. This did, however, illustrate why I normally cook my oats ahead of time.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/24/farmers-save-earths-soil-conservation-agriculture?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I grow them for the greens. They're the first thing I get from my garden in the spring (well...after the chives, anyway). For cooking purposes, think of the roots as delicate young white turnips and treat them accordingly. They're pretty much interchangeable.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/04/27/716849557/why-a-classic-levantine-dish-is-sailing-from-canada-to-syrian-refugee-camps

I can keep mine on the counter year-round, without it getting too hard or too soft (or at most, too soft only for a few days of the year). Hot toast and soft butter works for me. The odd time when I find an empty butter dish just as my toast pops (grrrr*), I'll pull it from the fridge and cut it thinly, and let it sit on top of my toast for a few moments to soften. As long as the bread is free of deep holes, I may even put it on top of the toaster to soak up that residual heat. (*This happens because of visiting grandkids, or more accurately because of their parents. Said parents are also prone to the "milk back in the fridge with two tablespoons left in the bottom" gaffe, and the ever-popular "box of crackers or cereal back in the cupboard with LITERALLY 2 PIECES LEFT.")

Yeah, no biscuits at McD's. OTOH, I'm pretty sure the Southern locations don't get McLobster. So, you know... I'm personally all over the biscuits and sausage gravy, fwiw. But I'm not fat-phobic, as so many are.

I like sausage gravy, but I don't want to be around you when you're bringing it up. (...sorry...)

Truthfully, I'd never heard of them until I resumed hanging out here in my late 40s.

That's fascinating, and never would have occurred to me. My culinary interest in sous vide remains minimal (ducks, runs) but I could see myself eventually picking one up for this kind of use. (After which, of course, it would probably see occasional kitchen duty as well...)

I've seen numerous articles and studies about its use in geriatric nutrition. Because it's not perceived the way normal seasonings are, it's exempt from the broad deadening of taste that occurs in the elderly. A lot of facilities are now using it judiciously as a way to make food more interesting to seniors, and encourage them to eat adequately.