chromedome

We're just going out to the local buffet, because my sweetie's taking her monthly sabbatical from the keto diet and that's what she's been craving. We're doing the smoked-salmon variation on eggs benny for brunch, though. She and her (now-) ex used to come to my restaurant for it, back in the day, and now it's one of our go-to dishes for special occasions. Back then I made it with house-cured gravlax, instead, but curing a whole fillet for just the two of us would be just a titch extravagant.

As for prevention, take your skillet from the burner for a minute or two before adding the garlic and wine. If the fat's not screaming-hot when you add your liquids, the effect is seriously muted. A spatter screen is always useful in those scenarios as well.

It occurs to me belatedly that these two examples are about the polar opposite of "inexplicable."

My ex was working at the concession stand of our local cinema when she became pregnant with our daughter. She experienced very, very bad morning sickness (basically, "trimester sickness") and rapidly got to the point of tossing her cookies as soon as she caught that first whiff of popcorn. Needless to say, a) the job came to an abrupt end; and b) she couldn't handle the sight or smell of popcorn for years afterward. She did eventually get over that conditioning, but it took a long time. My mom had a similar experience with a nurse bringing her a cup of tea "to settle her nerves" immediately after giving birth to me. My mom was never a tea-drinker in the first place, but she dutifully took a sip and promptly vomited all over herself and the nurse. That was 55 years ago, and the smell of tea still makes her queasy.

Ontario and Quebec residents...products from Betty Bakery and Nancy's Fancy bakery may contain mouse droppings. Ew. http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-02-09/eng/1549743046390/1549743046640

There's a historic echo there of an exchange that supposedly transpired between Careme and the Prince Regent of the UK, later King George IV. The future king told Careme something to the effect that "I'll get fat if you keep cooking like this." Careme, who already felt underappreciated in England, snapped that "stimulating your highness' appetite is my job, controlling it is yours." He left shortly thereafter.

LOL A few years ago a deer got into the legislature buildings here and caused quite a stir. I can only imagine that monkeys would be a good deal more disruptive.

Jean Beliveau won a total of 17 Stanley Cup rings, 10 as a player and 7 during his time in the front office. That's fair-to-middlin'. Scotty Bowman wasn't a player, but won 9 as a coach (with three different teams!) and 5 more as a front office guy.

I don't use cream at all in mine, for that exact reason. It adds richness, but mutes flavour. I also find most recipes over-thickened, to my taste. Of course, I hail from Atlantic Canada, which (as we like to joke) is where New Englanders learned to make chowder. (Not offered as any sort of serious historical commentary, or to start a turf war, it's just part of the local humour)

I work from home and she's been upgrading her schooling from home, so we already spend the vast majority of our time together. Admittedly, it's easier to carve out a quiet corner in a big ramshackle house than a (relatively) small RV. I say relatively, because as I told my mom "some of those places were basically your apartment on wheels, except with a fireplace and better appliances." If it starts to look like a serious option, I'll definitely seize on the opportunity to benefit from your experience.

I was actually thinking about you the other day. My GF and I hit the annual RV show here in town, and sussed out a bit of "Princess style" for ourselves. Not that we're looking to take up a peripatetic lifestyle ourselves just yet, but we're seriously over-housed at the moment and planning to find lesser accommodations this spring. One option that's on the table is parking a used RV at her parents' property and living in it for a year or so, while we save our pennies for a down payment on a house.

My GF's dad, a retired air force technician, has been occupying himself for the past two winters by building an Arduino/GPS-based autopilot for his sailboat. It's a remarkably versatile platform. (He may never finish it, and may not be able to sail his boat anymore by the time it's done, but that's not the point...)

This would have been a viable option as well (anyone else here grow up with that show?)... PS: The museum looks like a blast for anyone who appreciates a bit of kitsch in their kitchen.

The pitcher plant is Newfoundland's official flower. Which, I suppose, tells you everything you need to know about the province's population of stinging and biting insects.

Yeah, that. A combi version of Oster's french-door model would be just fine for me.

My old GE electric knife with the wall-mount had the yellow and brown *and* avocado, so it would work with any kitchen decor.

I once (as a joke) did moose curry over couscous for Canada Day, so why not?

Probably not doing anything special at all, though I do plan to watch at least part of the game. It's not a *really* major event, you understand, like the Grey Cup or the Labor Day grudge matches between Edmonton/Calgary and Hamilton/Toronto. (ducks and runs) Truthfully I was more invested in Arsenal vs. Man City earlier today, though I'm intrigued by a) the classic youth vs. experience narrative; and b) the symmetry of Brady coming up against the Rams again in the late days of his career.

Today's gem from Facebook: "If pigs could fly...imagine how good their wings would taste!"

For printed out recipes, I'll tape them to the inside of the cupboard door and open the door when I need to refer to it. Not ideal, but sometimes it's my best option.

Host's note: this post, and the ensuing conversation, were moved from the Food Funnies topic. Not so much a "funny" as a (facepalm) "Why did I never think of this...?"

Truthfully, I don't remember if I went that far. I was already baking my own bread by the late 70s, so I had the option, but if so the intervening 40 years have blotted it from my recollection.

I remember seeing it as far back as the late 1970s. It was explained to me as an adaptation of an Indonesian ingredient (the rice flour) to the colonizers' home-style bread, because the crust of a regular loaf just wouldn't stay crisp in the tropical heat and humidity. That's utterly uncorroborated and offered without warranty on my part, but I suppose it's as plausible an explanation as any.

Kind of a Hobson's choice, really..."Do I freeze my butt outside for the next few minutes, or stay in here where it's warm but then smell it all night while I'm trying to sleep...?"

Sounds much like the paternal side of my family (the Newfoundland side). Though fishing was the mainstay there, and logging in the winter, everybody had a pretty substantial garden that contributed mightily to the family diet. Foraged fruit and berries were important too. For the record, I'm a couple of years older and can remember several years of sketchy or no indoor plumbing. The outhouse - and worse, the pot under the bed - are both pretty clear memories. For rural Atlantic Canadians, that's pretty common. There is a large family in Nova Scotia whose surname is Outhouse, and I've often reflected how unfortunate it is that they'd live in a place where their namesake is still a living reality.