Smithy

Welcome! It sounds like you'll fit right in! We have a number of other hunters and fisherfolk here, as well as would-be hunters and fisherfolk who love to read about it. It's also good to see more gluten-free folks joining in. I am lucky enough not to need GF food, but a number of our members do -- and my daughter in law is one of them, always on the search for good recipes or substitutes. Given how long you've lurked, you probably have a clear idea of where and how to post -- but if you have questions, feel free to contact a host (I am one) by Personal Messenger. Raspberries and strawberries I know and love, but what are haskaps?

https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2024/04/14

My sister is considering a countertop oven. Based on your experiences, I've told her that the Tovala is worth looking at. Thanks for your reports! Keep them coming, please!

What an interesting question! Truth to tell, I've never tried it so I can't comment (yet). I'll have to try some and see what I've been missing.

I'm afraid our Easter dinner was a bust. My husband has been (badly) under the weather for a couple of months, and it's affected his appetite and my energy. Nonetheless I tried to do a nice pork tenderloin...and did the poor thing a disservice. Milk Street had a schnitzel recipe for pork tenderloin medallions, of all things, and I considered it then rejected the idea. I also saw some delightful-looking recipes for pork curries. But no, in the end I tried adapting an old favorite treatment of pork shoulder. What the heck: nothing ventured, nothing gained. I seasoned the tenderloin, then tried to brown it in a Dutch oven. It didn't brown well, but I was trying not to overcook it. At least I got it started. Then I removed it, browned and partially cooked baby potatoes (cut in half) until they were well on their way. Put the tenderloin pieces back in the pot, slathered the whole thing with Lipton's Recipe Secrets (fka Lipton's Onion Soup mix). Gave it a bit of time steaming, then finished in the oven. As I said, it was a disservice to the pork. See the top half of this collage to see how it turned out to be much more like pulled pork. The potatoes were the star of the show, and we'll be enjoying them! These photos are of the leftovers. They're better warm. The asparagus was pretty good, somewhere in the middle of the good / not so good continuum. Barely cooked, then tossed with toasted alnuts and a browned butter / vinegar sauce. No pictures. So...yes, it was Easter dinner but I'm glad we didn't have guests. Now I'm going to have to figure out how to do pulled pork, to finish up that meat!

I loved this bit:

I'm looking forward to this vicarious trip! It's been years since I was in Healdsburg and surrounds, and even longer since I ate anywhere in San Francisco. Keep it coming, and thanks! Oh...if there's a typical salad dressing with the salads you showed, what is it? I'm thinking of the very first one, with avocado, at Chez Panisse Cafe. ...and I envy you the aroma of citrus blossoms, and the sight of those lovely camellias!

I've never had tupelo honey, so can't comment on that. However, I will note that given your location there should be plenty of unadulterated locally produced honeys: whether from citrus, clover, or other local crops. In my current location it's pretty easy to come by Sonoran Desert honey. Although you're several hundred miles away, I wouldn't be surprised to see it in some of your local stores. And yes, it's mild stuff, with good flavor. Are the farmers' markets up and running in your area yet?

If you aren't sure about refrigerator shelf life, what about freezing those sambals in appropriate portion sizes?

@Shelby, I'm so sorry for your news. @Ann_T, thanks for the tips. Is it my imagination, or is there a sudden interest in grilled sandwiches? I see them from @Shelby, @Maison Rustique, @rotuts and others, and see new inspiration for my new panini press. 🙂

Life brought all my time for and interest in cooking to a screeching halt for around a month, but now that the dust is starting to settle I have some preliminary results to share. I also have a wealth of recipes and cookbooks from which to choose, when things get even calmer. I tried grilling slices of eggplant that had been brushed with olive oil, as the preliminary step to making eggplant parmesan. It appears I didn't get any "after" pictures, which is too bad. They took on light grill marks and a pretty golden brown color. Unfortunately the eggplant came out so tough that the entire assemblage needed a knife for every bite. Was it because of the grilling method? I don't know. It could also have been because by that time the eggplants were at least a month old! I'll try the technique again later, with fresh eggplant, and report back. Pressed sandwiches have been a fairly regular occurrence. When I had some interest in and time for cooking again, I bought a selection of sliced meats and cheeses. The results have ranged from Reuben to grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm finding I like my homemade sauerkraut added after grilling to my sandwich. Again, there aren't any detailed pictures of the innards but here's a composite of one pair of sandwiches. I do have to flip them, despite having grill shapes on both top and bottom plates, to get good grill marks. The top plate doesn't seem to get as hot as the bottom plate. So far we're very pleased with the results, basic as they are.

I've recently begun using my e-cookbooks more than before, and I have a question. In Kindle, isn't it possible to highlight and comment on (annotate for personal use) a book? I thought it was. It may depend on the platform in use; I'm using an Android-based tablet with the Kindle app. A related issue, which I've had regarding print cookbooks as well, is how to keep track of a recipe that I decide is my quintessential, platonic ideal, I-never-want-to-mess-with-another-version favorite. Most recently it's Balaboosta's Tangy Tabbouleh, which I may get around to posting about elsewhere. I'd like to flag it as a favorite, either in the Kindle app if I can search on "favorites" or somewhere else that I can find it. What have I done with my "all-time favorites" list? I don't know. It isn't in any of my cloud drives. It might be on a Post-It note on the refrigerator at home. It might be on an old computer. Wherever it is, I can't find it. Maybe EatYourBooks has potential for such a list.

Thanks to a discussion on a Modernist Bread cooking course, and the New York Times, I've discovered that Patagonia -- that outdoor gear company with high quality and ethical practices -- has gotten into sustainable foods. A New York Times article here (unlocked) begins with a discussion about the Modernist Bread course, but also includes a discussion about Patagonia's move into pasta made with regenerative grains. They also sell seafood. For more information on their products and philosophy, see their web site. Has anyone tried their stuff yet? I think I'll give it a go when I'm in a better position to try it. I'm away from home and overloaded with food already at the moment, but their pasta sounds especially interesting.

Aha, here's the answer: the course is free, although it references the (not free!) book, and it's availabl through August. NYT article (should be unlocked and free)

I'd like to know the answer, too. There's not a chance I can start something like that course right now, but maybe later, when things slow down (if they ever do) I'd like to give it a whirl.