chromedome

Money quote: https://www.gq.com/story/how-marion-nestle-changed-the-way-we-talk-about-food

There's a recall on several sandwiches sold at Circle K/Couche Tard, for listeria. They're only *known* to have been sold in Quebec (and frankly, I suspect gas-station sandwiches aren't especially a weakness for most of us) but may have been distributed elsewhere. https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/food-recall-warning-certain-circle-k-couche-tard-brand-sandwiches-recalled-due?utm_source=gc-notify&utm_medium=email&utm_content=en&utm_campaign=hc-sc-rsa-22-23&

I can't answer for what JNW gets in New Jersey, but up here the frozen fillets sold at the supermarket almost invariably meet the "half-inch or less" criterion. Life is filled with compromises...

I've done it at restaurants. It works well enough with smaller, thinner pieces of fish (say, half-inch or less). The key is that your deep-frying setup must have enough oil for the temperature to stay up where it belongs as you add the fish. Batter the fish while it's still hard-frozen, so the batter will cling to it like a kid's tongue to a flagpole. Otherwise, as Liuzhou says, it won't adhere. When you put it into the oil, the batter will set fairly quickly into its final shape. It'll cook slightly longer than usual, but with thin pieces that's still not terribly long.

I guess I made out like a bandit. Bought mine (14.5 lbs) right from the farmer's door for $47. Supermarket birds are a bit less, I guess, but really...what kind of meat can you get right now for $3.25/lb? I'm certainly not going to quibble.

My (local free-range) turkey is spatchcocked and dry-brined, and waiting in the refrigerator until tomorrow. The neck, back and wingtips have been roasted for a bit of stock. Apple pie (apples from the tree in our yard) and pumpkin cheesecake w. gingersnap crust (special request) are baked and cooling. Tomorrow I'll do a batch of pan rolls and a dish of stuffing/dressing, a dish of cabbage au gratin (another request), brussels sprouts cooked low and slow with onions in a cast-iron skillet, and round it out with a delicata squash, mashed potatoes (from our garden), a mess o' greens (ditto) and lots of green and yellow beans (also from the garden). Probably some carrots in there somewhere, too (because holiday feasts at my place skew heavily toward "veggiepalooza").

It's a 12-pack for $15. Still not negligible, if you fill your freezer with fish and game, but not nearly as big a pill to swallow.

This one has been expanded and now includes some cheddar as well. https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/certain-nature-s-best-brand-and-zavat-chalav-brand-cheese-products-recalled-due?utm_source=gc-notify&utm_medium=email&utm_content=en&utm_campaign=hc-sc-rsa-22-23&

Nice. Now's the time to stock up on that kind of stuff, I guess, because a lot of it is going for dirt-cheap prices at estate sales (nobody wants granny's china anymore). In another 15-20 years, when tons of it has gone (sadly) to landfill, the pendulum will swing back and the hip young whatever-generation-after-Z kids will be buying it and driving the price back up.

There's a mozzarella recall (small-brand) affecting Ontario and Quebec. https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/certain-nature-s-best-brand-and-zavat-chalav-brand-mozzarella-cheese-products-recalled?utm_source=gc-notify&utm_medium=email&utm_content=en&utm_campaign=hc-sc-rsa-22-23&

Their site says they're working on an induction-friendly unit, and bluntly confesses that on conventional electric stoves they're a pot like any other.

That was pretty much my thought. A look into any baseboard heater will tell you that vanes are excellent at emitting heat, so it seems logical enough that they'd do equally well at absorbing heat. Their site claims heavy usage by some big chains, which presumably would have done the testing before committing to a significant purchase.

I tripped across a pot design I was unfamiliar with, while researching an article this morning. I'm not especially interested (it seems they're made for gas, which I don't have) but I'm curious whether anyone here has hands-on experience (separating hype from actuality is always difficult, otherwise). https://turbopot.com/

Though we should all "remove the yoke" occasionally.

I dehydrate a lot of apple rings at this time of the year, and can a lot of applesauce (neither of which require freezer space). There are apple chutneys too, I suppose, and apple butter. I'm sure others have more/better ideas.

Not sure about that, but Leucoagaricus leucothites - a widespread edible that grows in grassy areas - is a near-ringer for Amanita virosa, the Destroying Angel. Needless to say, despite its edibility, L. leucothites is universally described as a mushroom for experts only.

There's also "cross rib."

Those life-cycle analyses have been done, and favor the plant-based product.* I'm working right now, and haven't the time to dig out those references, but can do so later if you're interested. *Except when funded by the meat industry

Anything that stays frozen will be safe to eat indefinitely. Whether it's pleasant to eat is the larger question. If it remains well sealed, and there's no visible freezer burn, it should be fine. If you know from the start that it's something you don't use frequently, over-bagging it in a freezer bag (rather than solely relying on the original packaging) will extend its life even further.

Oyster lovers, several brands are being recalled for salmonella. At this point they're only *known* to have been sold in Quebec and Ontario, but they may have been distributed elsewhere. https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/various-brands-oysters-recalled-oyster-kings-inc-due-salmonella?utm_source=gc-notify&utm_medium=email&utm_content=en&utm_campaign=hc-sc-rsa-22-23&

I'm picking up a grow kit for pink oysters from a local supplier shortly. Curious to hear what you think of them.