Smithy

That's amazing! I assumed they were Legos. 🙂 Nice job on the cake.

I really wish we had a "rolling eyes" or else "hold your nose" emoji!

My neighbor down the road, an organic farmer, has finished up her season and had a bunch of these wonderful tomatoes available. I've forgotten the variety. They're savory, with a bit of tomato tartness and sweetness. I haven't been up for canning, so decided to cut them into chunks (without peeling -- sorry, @Shelby), toss with olive oil and a bit of salt, and roast down into a sauce or topping. I sliced one baking pan's worth also, with something like lasagna or eggplant parmegiana in mind. So far, so good.... Then, as so often happens these days, I got sidetracked. Oops. The uncharred bits are good, and now currently residing in a container in the refrigerator. The very crispy bits, along with the oil-soaked parchment paper, went into the evening fire. I'm glad I didn't do this with the entire batch! I'll try again when I have more time to give it my undivided attention. I'm not sure when that will be. Maybe cooking the remainder down into a sauce atop the stove will be a better option after all.

@Shel_B, as and if you experiment with mustard-making, this post on making mustard may be of some use to you. The eGCI (eGullet Culinary Institute) is, alas, consigned to the "fridge" but this particular course on making your own condiments is still good.

Quick and dirty dinner, mostly because I'd done all the vegetable roasting a couple of days ago. Roasted vegetables (red bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, onions) are smothering a smoked duck breast WAY past its prime, fished out of the freezer this morning. Once everything was sufficiently seared / heated, I added a package of already-cooked jasmine rice along with some water, let it all steam, then let the steam off. Garnished with roasted peanuts; stirred and ate. I really wasn't sure how that duck breast would do. I had bought it in anticipation of some use or other last summer, eventually given up the idea and stuffed it into the freezer. By then I'd already lost some other purchases from that favorite shop to age and mold. The duck seems to have survived the long wait and freezing. Dinner, "plated" and then sauced with a balsamic vinaigrette: There's at least another serving there.

Grilled cheese, tomato and bacon sandwich, thanks to my panini press. The bacon had been cooked on said press some weeks before, then stored in the freezer. Lettuce and sauerkraut were added after the sandwich had been pressed and heated to the point of melty cheese and browned ridges. By that time, some of the cheese had oozed out (as you can see) but most was still inside the sandwich. Here's what passes for a money shot, given my life these days: A year ago I'd never have guessed this would be a filling -- almost overly filling -- meal. I've learned that a small dinner, slowly cooked and eaten, is more than plenty. And I'm down 25 pounds because (mostly) of that change.

Could it have been this one by @HungryChris? Or at least based on it? Or this one by @RWood?

Over in the Trader Joe's topic, @rotuts celebrated the arrival of this year's California walnuts. That reminded me of family lore. I grew up on a California citrus ranch, but there were plenty of walnuts in the same area. We took them for granted. We knew deciduous from evergreen. We knew crops. We knew seasons. One year, my cousin from southern Florida visited while on leave from the Navy. He must have been in his early 20's at the time, but it was his first time away from his subtropical home in the winter. We were driving along a country road. It was lined with dormant walnut groves. He groused: "Why doesn't someone cut down all those old dead trees?" Lordy, I hope I was kind at the time...but I was in my mid-teens. We've stayed on good terms anyway.

Please report back after you've done them: what you did, how well they turned out!

There's a very nice review of the book in today's L.A. Times food newsletter: https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2024-10-13/the-bean-book-steve-sando-rancho-gordo-cooking-editorial?fbclid=IwY2xjawF4_lpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfr16-c4BCMiw6iIo1PQP1KuU6tKTTnTqmS5qIIMVDxEV85gY3ySOjphqQ_aem_0R-2y_eG-FfxKDE5PVw8PA

I had a houseful of family/company last weekend. When they left they willingly took the things they'd eat but I wouldn't, but that still left a LOT of food here. Last night the crudites had to go; I'm tired of chewing on a bowlful of raw cauliflower, broccoli, carrots (etc) and they weren't going to last much longer. Sheet pan dinner to the rescue! I cut it all into bite-sized pieces, added a few chunks of pancetta and a half sausage I found in the freezer. Tossed all with olive oil, yogurt, turmeric, cumin and a bit of salt, and stuck it in the oven until it was the right golden brown. It needed more sauce at the table. I was out of yogurt and couldn't be bothered to make tahini sauce at the time. After I shot the photo I added sour cream. It tasted good, but I'll spare you the photo. Trust me, some things taste better than they look - and sour cream mixed into that bowl of goodness is one of 'em.

Could you have ordered hazelnut ice cream instead of vanilla, or else asked them to leave out the Kahlua? (I realize that last might not be possible, since they may make the affogato ahead. Or maybe alterations are frowned upon there.) At any rate, it all looks delicious and wonderful. I'm intrigued by the watermelon with the tuna tartare. It seems as though watermelon is working its way into more savory applications -- watermelon and feta salad is another example -- than it used to. How did you like the combination?

That. Is. Gorgeous. Would you give a bit more detail please about the method? Time, temperature for both stages of the cooking?

I did a double-take when I saw your photo above, and had to go reread the text. Do tell more, please! (Or have you already posted about them in the Gardening topic somewhere?) What are they like? They're darned cute-looking in the picture. 🙂

The difference between roasting and baking is a perennial question! About a year ago it was discussed here and our own @blue_dolphin was good enough to provide a link to a discussion about it in a Master Class, "Learn the Difference Between Roasting and Baking in the Oven". As to parallels, if any, to sous vide vs. turbo sous vide...well, I'm staying out of that one. 🙂