Smithy

Heidi's right, it's a plastic honey bottle. So no honey-coated shards of glass, but lots of honey-coated melted plastic all over the rack and oven bottom might have been as bad. So glad I caught it in time!

I'd have been tempted to just sell the trailer as-is, or at least buy a new oven!

Here's my near-miss contribution to the topic. I will never again turn on the oven without double-checking its contents first. The honey had crystallized and was inside for gentle warming by the pilot light. Fortunately I remembered before the oven had reached its full 350F.

Filo wrapped around leftover chili. Now there's a concept I could have done without.

I'm surprised too. I had forgotte Fleischman's margarine! I don't think I ever knew that Planter's and Royal were under the Fleischman's umbrella. The mega-corporation model must be older than I thought. Isn't is funny how the photography and food styling date pictures? I know we've commented on this before but it's still striking to me.

..... Here's why I've been wondering about the ZIP code. This pamphlet has been in my cousin's collection for who-knows-how-long: since it was first published. JoNorvelleWalker's information puts it at or after 1963, but I know that the Sunnyside Packing Company is no longer at that Fresno location. Their web site says they opened their Selma plant, its current location, in 1978. I think the pamphlet's styling puts it more in the 1960's. My cousin lent the pamphlet to me a couple of times to make copies. Once I scanned it in its entirety; once I only shot the recipes, cover and overleaf. The snippets are all I can find right now. The persimmon cookies were a Smith-clan staple during the holiday season. We never had a persimmon tree, but neighbors did. Mother got lots of persimmons from them, and rewarded them with her Christmas cookie trays that included persimmon cookies.

Thank you for that. I've been trying to use the presence or absence of a ZIP code to establish publication dates, but didn't have the history (or the original of the acronym) right. Gotta love the librarians!

That's a good thing about the Princessmobile: a gas oven. I love having a pilot light to keep the chamber just a bit warm! I was surprised when I discovered that my best friend's new gas oven does not have a pilot light. Some modern foolishness about efficiency, I suppose. Made it tough to proof bread at her place when it was cold.

I wonder whether the CSO could reheat the leftovers in such a way that the tots would recrisp. We had 3 containers of leftovers in sealed containers in the refrigerator (down to 2 now) and of course the tots are soggy. Since the CSO is somewhere between 1 and 2 kilomiles away I'll have to try it some other time. Maybe someone else can try reheating such a dish and report back?

Poppy seeds! That sounds like a nice addition.

Spring may be starting to spring. How much is due to the rain we don't know, but it certainly can't hurt. We spotted a few ocotillos beginning to bloom. These plants bloom in the spring even when it's too dry to produce leaves, in a symbiotic dance with the northward hummingbird migration. So is this one blooming because of the rain, or the season? Will it produce leaves this year? We hope so. We've been puzzling over whether certain of the plants whose leaves seem withered will start afresh with new leaves, or simply rehydrate the existing ones. Today we have reason to think the velvet mallows, at least, will do both. Look! Those big fat leaves are rehydrating! And glory be, here's the first blossom we've seen this year! (Sorry the pic is out of focus.) Last night I tried a recipe out of @JAZ's Dutch Oven Dinners (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) that I've had bookmarked for a while: Chili-Cheese-Tater Tot Casserole. I love Tater Tots. I don't often indulge in them, but this looked like a winner. I admit that I had a "what was I thinking?" moment after I'd begun. I hate frying inside. It makes a mess, it's difficult to get the odors out afterward, and all too often I don't control the temperature well enough. By that time I was committed, and I didn't want to move outside to the cold campstove, so I soldiered on. The reward was that as the tots cooled and drained I could snitch a few as cook's treats. I had purchased a can of pinto beans for the occasion. Thanks to our discussion upthread I paid careful attention to the labels. No sugar here! After the tots are fried and draining on paper (next time I'll try baking them) you brown the burger, add onion and jalapeno and cook more; add spices; add the drained beans and diced tomatoes. She does a good job of describing the timing in the recipe. (She also says that if you have a favorite chili recipe to do that instead as long as it isn't soupy.) Top with shredded cheese and then tots. Bake until tots are browned and cheese melted. I had already browned the tots, but they didn't overcook. Serve and enjoy. This recipe is absolutely a keeper! I liked her chili very much, and so did my darling despite his having his own pet recipe. It was gratifying to see the way the stuff set up in the pot, although we didn't give it enough time to set up fully before we were digging in. The cleanup wasn't even bad, despite my whingeing about frying inside. But next time I'll try baking to see how that works.

I've been experimenting with making granola at home. I've written about my efforts elsewhere, but today I thought to look for a dedicated topic. Here it is! Time to give it a bump. I tried a New York Times recipe for Olive Oil Granola with Dried Apricots and Pistachios, thanks to a suggestion from @heidih, that uses olive oil rather than butter as the fat. I was surprised at how the rather strong olive oil aroma and taste mellowed during the baking process. Aside from that I was also surprised at how serious a mistake it is to add the dried fruit BEFORE baking. At the begining of this very old topic, @helenjp refers to not wanting nut-and-bolt type objects in that cereal. I think I know what she meant. Last year was my very first attempt at making granola, based on my best friend's recipe: 1 cup of oats, 1 Tbsp honey and 1 Tbsp safflower oil, some sunflower seeds. Bake at 350F for 8 - 10 minutes. Add toasted nuts afterward if desired. Very different than the NYT recipe above, except for the use of oil instead of butter. How had I forgotten that her recipe also uses oil? My mind, how I miss it. It seems everyone has a favorite granola recipe, and the recipes and methods all seem pretty forgiving. That is, they're forgiving if you don't accidentally include chunks of pecan shell as I did last year, or add the dried fruit before cooking as I did this year. @kayb added her standard recipe here, but may be willing to post it again. What are your preferences for granola? Super- or barely-sweet? With or without coconut? Large clumps or small? Got any troubleshooting tips or major failure stories? (@Kim Shook got help for making non-clumpy granola more clumpy here: How can I fix my granola to make it clumpier?) Feel free to post your favorite recipes here, or better still in RecipeGullet.

A TALE OF TWO GRANOLAS Well, the title is about as dramatic as it gets. Got your attention, didn't it? I finally got around to making granola. I made one batch of what's actually an oatmeal crumble intended as a dessert base. I discovered last year that it's pretty good over yogurt. I also tried, more or less, the granola recipe @heidih recommended here. I say "more or less" because I took extreme liberties with the recipe. I had pistachios, for once, but no dried apricots or cinnamon(!) or coconut flakes. I'm not overly fond of maple flavor, except in very small doses, so I combined maple syrup and honey for the sweetener. Despite the liberties the original recipe taught me a few things. I was surprised at how much the olive oil flavor mellowed out after the granola was baked. Before it went into the oven I was none too impressed with the aroma or flavor of the mixture. I used dried cranberries for the dried fruit portion. Looking back at the recipe, I see that it says to add the dried fruit AFTER the baking. So that's where I went wrong! The fruit, and maybe something else, are almost toothbreakingly hard until the granola soaks in milk for a while. I'll make it again, paying closer attention to the dried fruit question. My darling quite likes it. He uses almond milk with his breakfast fruit and cereal, so he's in no danger of needing emergency dentistry. Funny, the textural difference isn't as clear in these photos as it is in real life. The oatmeal crumble has no fruit. I prefer it on my yogurt. It may survive long enough for a dessert, but don't hold your breath.

Thanks so much for posting this, and please thank your husband for being such a good sport about it! I've gone back to the beginning, found a couple of answers and a new question. So now I think I understand the "hut" vs. "crib hut" distinction. Can you / does he talk about the logistics of this food? Does it all come in at the same time as the new crews, or are there intermediate deliveries? That seems like a staggering amount of planning to me, but it can't be any different than what has to happen aboard a ship. Have you found out yet what happens to the garbage? That's a lot of plastic waste. If they're like my former mining company, they won't be interested in hauling the waste back. Local landfill? Incinerator?

I made it in to Yuma yesterday and had a chance to check out the Farmers' Market that's attempting to grow in the parking lot of a shopping center. It used to be in the old historic downtown area, and was a happy find for me last year. This year the downtown gatherings are still closed due to the pandemic, but the mall parking lot seems to be spread out enough to be safe. The market is still struggling for its footing. A couple of weeks ago one vendor had a largish stall with produce; this week there was no fresh produce. There was one vendor selling "exotic jerky"; another sold CBD products; a third stall featured some sort of clothing articles; and this gentleman was selling locally-produced fine (I hope) olive oils and vinegars. I actually bought some of his product when I was there 2 weeks ago, but that was for gifts. This time, I treated myself. I still haven't opened it. I think I'll need to make some good crusty bread for it. I suspect some of it will be drizzled on chicken or fish as it's cooking. I'll report back when I open it. In the meantime, suggestions are welcome. My errands took me past the taqueria I mentioned before, so I indulged in a pair of tacos al gubernador. They were still 2 for $5, a heck of a bargain, and the two women who work the place are pleasant. The woman who took my order (and money) was good enough to coach me on how to say 'gubernador' properly, after I stumbled over it and asked for the pronunciation. Oh, that chipotle mayonnaise is good stuff. I got an extra container as a spare. It's in the refrigerator now.

Ah! Foot in lower left. Aha! I was too mesmerized by the food to spot it. Thanks.

Sorry, I've looked repeatedly and still don't know what you mean here. I suspect another Yank vs. Oz language discrepancy, but it could be my terminal dumbness first thing in the morning. Please explain? That roast thing looked pretty good, actually. It's his own personal crib, right? Or does he have to share?

I've never tried TJ's labneh, but I'm with Heidi: that seems awfully short. The labneh I buy at a Middle Eastern market is comparable to sour cream or yogurt in my experience.

That looks like my kind of 'cue. Delicious!

The Stormwater Jamabalaya Boudin was a bust in more ways than one, but the day before...well, that was a keeper. "Make some room in the freezer!" he demanded requested, "we need room for some of the chili leftovers!" Well, okay. I pulled out 2 chicken thighs and 2 containers of stuff preserved at home and brought along for the ride. (The hot peppers were purchased in an excess of summer farm stand enthusiasm. Then I had to do something with them....) Next: what to do with these ingredients? I wanted to include some fingerling potatoes that were getting a bit long in their baby teeth. I wanted something green, and broccoli seemed like a good idea. How did I want to cook these? Instant Pot or stove top? I thought of two cookbooks by @JAZ that are loaded with bookmarks, delicious-looking recipes and, in one case, my notes: The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook for Two (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) and Dutch Oven Dinners (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). (Full disclosure: JAZ is a member and manager of eGullet, and these books were recompense to me for testing some of her recipes.) Like all of her books that I own, they are clearly written, easy to follow, and enticingly photographed. They draw from a wide range of ingredients and cuisines. Neither book had quite the combination of ingredients I was looking for, but both provided plenty of inspiration. The timing seemed too tricky for the Instant Pot, given the respective cooking times for chicken, potatoes and broccoli. I was afraid I'd overcook something with repeated repressurizations. I dug more deeply into the Dutch Oven cookbook. (Incidentally, it was published in 2020 and has a charming dedication: "To Dave, who made sheltering in place enjoyable.") I saw nothing quite like what I wanted to do, but good guidance on rough timing and sequencing. I think it's safe to say that dinner that night was my own creation, but it was plenty well-informed by Janet's books. I owe her thanks for getting me off my Dutch Oven Duff. For once, I kept notes as I went along. Maybe I'll be able to recreate it. Far too many of my creations end up in my personal Journal of Irreproducible Results. I don't usually write out the steps for a dish unless someone asks, but I'm afraid I'll lose the notes. Suggestions and questions are welcome. 2 chicken thighs, dusted liberally with paprika and smoked paprika about a dozen fingerling potatoes, halved 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup slow-roasted plum tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (label shows how roasted; technique loosely based on @ElainaA's recipe here) 1 branch broccoli, stalk peeled, crown and stalk cut into bite-sized pieces about 1/4 cup slow-roasted and peeled hot peppers, roughly chopped (same roasting technique) 1/2 cup finely diced onion Brown thighs in a light film of olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat, then set aside on the cutting board. Add a small amount more olive oil to the residual chicken fat; brown the potatoes; add onion and cook, stirring, just until the onion is soft. Add chicken broth, stir, and cover the pot. Cook about 5 minutes until potatoes are beginning to soften. Return chicken thighs to pot; add tomatoes and peppers. Bring to almost boiling, cover, lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Cook, covered, until chicken is almost done. (This took about 13 minutes, according to my notes.) Add broccoli and cook, covered, until broccoli is tender but still bright green, about another 5 minutes. Remove the cover and allow the sauce to cook down slightly. The ingredients and interim steps: The one-pot dinner in the pot: I haven't decided what to call this yet, but at the table we referred to it as Sneaky Pete Heat chicken. The peppers' heat kept creeping up on us and the crescendo was a bit higher than we'd have liked. We liked the overall flavors, though: chickeny, surprisingly sweet because of the tomatoes, with perfectly-done potatoes and broccoli. Next time I'll use only half of the hot peppers. I'll also bone the chicken to make it easier to eat. The skin was flabby (no surprise there) but we like even flabby chicken skin so I'll probably keep that. Four chicken thighs would have worked fine here; we had leftovers for everything except the chicken. What do you think? Got any name suggestions?

I think the cover is very appealing! That's always been a favorite style of mine. I like that little header, "Fish aren't so dumb -- they eat very well" as a reason to think of seafood as healthful. Sole Josephine gives me pause, however. Have you ever tried that recipe? I'm none too sure about the combination of fried (okay, breaded and sauteed) bananas and fish. Maybe I'm just short on imagination.

Thanks for the tutorial, @Shelby! I'll know better next time. Maybe. More information or comments on boudin are welcome, of course! Right now, however, I want to note a trailer refinement we made yesterday for those who consider the trailering life. Way back here, I wrote about upgrades to our rear screen doors. The clear vinyl covering from the screens, once removed to allow air in, wouldn't stretch back to quite fit the space. There were always wind gaps, and adjusting air flow through the back doors was dificult. We replaced the vinyl with polycarbonate panels cut to fit. They adhere to the original door screen frames with VelcroTM, as the original vinyl covers had. We purchased and installed the VelcroTM after getting the polycarbonate cut to fit. Well, they most of the time stick to the screen frames. I've written at least once recently about an almighty crash in which a panel or three has blown out and dropped to the floor. No damage so far, though it scares the heck out of anyone in the room. We think there must be different sizes or grades of VelcroTM: larger hooks and loops, or smaller hooks and loops, and that they need to be matched properly. There appears to be a mismatch between what we put on the window panes and what was already on the screen frames. Either that, or the hooks are already getting loose. The upshot is that panels have been falling out more frequently. My darling got the bright idea to install storm window hooks. It looks good, and nothing will fall out anymore. I made a padded folding set of sleeves for window panels when they aren't in place. They had too many sharp edges to leave them lying around loose, and we don't want the polycarbonate to scratch someone or get scratched. I'd been using pillowcases before now. We figure with all this engineering and modification, we should make a killing selling modification kits! 😀

Can't help you with regard to the lard, but here are a couple of larding needles that seem similar to what @andiesenji linked to earlier. I hope she chimes in here with up-to-date recommendations. This larding needle (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) from Metaltex is 20 cm long. This larding needle (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) from Siltox is vague about precise dimensions but costs a few dollars less. Both appear to have plungers - I think - that she talked about. I'm not sure how the others are supposed to work!

So, does it hold its shape after cooking, if you don't have a blowout? Or do you slice into it and have all that filling spill out onto the plate and contents?

How do you serve it? What foods do you serve with it, if anything?