Smithy

One of the many things I love about eGullet is how much I learn. I think I'm up to 50 zillion lessons by now. Last year I learned about microwaving bacon (roughly here) and tried it for myself, with a lot of good guidance from folks who were happy to comment. I just finished a package of thin-cut bacon by microwaving it to perfection. Perfection, I tell you! Can you see how that delicate little thing is standing straight out from my hand? It all went into yet another broccoli salad. In addition to the bacon I finished a jar of mayonnaise (there's a backup in the cupboard) and the broccoli and cauliflower I'd cut up a few days ago. Glad I bought more barberries the other day when we were in Tucson; I'm not in danger of running out any time soon.

For those who don't know @Jaymes' recipe, here it is in the Favorite blender recipes topic: Jaymes' salsa. It's probably in a few other places, but doesn't seem to be in RecipeGullet. Yet. (Hint, hint. )

For anyone else interested in the great "what makes it a taco?" question, I recommend this topic: Tacos--Cook-Off 39. I should have known there would be a Cook-Off for them! In it I see hard shells, soft shells, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, and even a few other wraps used. Maybe it's time to bump that topic back up? There are a lot of good ideas in it! So: going back to my original question, I probably misunderstood them in the KCRW Good Food episode. Food wrapped in open (not sealed) tortilla = taco. Food wrapped firmly in tortilla, sealed at both ends so you can stuff it in your lunchbox for later = burro or burrito. There's an art to wrapping those tortillas firmly enough to hold together (Borderland Cafe in Columbus does it well) but I tend to overfill them. That's a story for another time.

Any idea why not? Is pork difficult to find there?

This bit made me laugh... ...and this bit is sad... This is where the rubber hits the road for me: As for the rest of it - as @blue_dolphin notes, maybe the "authentic" restaurants don't offer them? I'd only go to a Taco Bell or Taco John's (etc.) under duress, but when I can control the filling I think the crunch is nice. I don't think I ever saw a hard-shell (formed, fried) taco among the drool-worthy posts by @BonVivant during his recent trip to Baja California. Since his posts are scattered through the dinner and lunch topics, I haven't looked through them all, but this one was more or less typical.

This is the part that made me go "huh"!

For @suzilightning and anyone else pining for spring, here are some shots from today's walk. By the time we got back from the walk, the wind had come up. It's supposed to be windy all week, but we think that these high New Mexico elevations, with mountains around, are prone to windy conditions anyway. The flags snapped and shuddered and stood nearly straight as though starched, for most of the day. A couple of dust devils came through as well. We took a direct hit from one, and the dust layer (on the floors, the table, the counter) was impressive. Grr. The camp stove was not blown over, but we were surprised at that, given the way the trailer shook. Back by popular demand: another round of tacos. The wind died enough in the evening that I could brown and season the meat outside on the camp stove. Everything else was chopped or grated while I waited for the wind to die. I am having to rethink my abhorrence of packaged spice mixes; my DIL is the one who used this so casually and put me onto it. Having tried it (once at her place, twice at ours now) I have to admit that it's easy and delicious. It will probably become a staple around our house. My darling still confuses tacos with burritos with enchiladas, and I may not have made it any simpler thanks to a KCRW Good Food podcast some years ago. If I understood that podcast correctly, any time a tortilla is wrapped around something it's a taco. Doesn't have to be a crispy open corn tortilla like these. It can be a fully sealed and soft flour tortilla around something - what I'd call a burrito, unless it's in a baking dish with sauce, in which case it's a smothered burrito. A taco can also be a soft corn tortilla wrapped around something. Maybe it can even be in a baking dish, with sauce, what I would call an enchilada. Is there really a good definition of "taco"? Has the usage and definition changed over the last decade or so? Is there a hierarchy, so that burritos and enchiladas are a subset of tacos? Enquiring minds want to know.

I grew up in a basic meat-and-potatoes household. With rare exceptions dinner involved meat, starch, vegetables and fruit, with some sort of dessert (ice cream, if nothing else) later in the evening. Potatoes were the usual starch, but if Mom was making something with gravy we might have rice instead. Spaghetti and meatballs was a counterexample, but even with pasta there was meat. (I still remember when Hamburger Helper hit the markets. Something new to do with pasta and ground beef!) It wasn't until I was out on my own that things like salad for dinner made it into my consciousness. I think Mom tried that a few times, but although Dad always appreciated Mom's cooking he still felt the dinner was wanting without conspicuous meat. Yep. Conditioning.

Thanks for that (disappointing) news. We had only heard / read the incomplete statement. We were considering staying at one of those parks, at least for a night, on our way through Texas. If the distancing during registration can be accomplished - for instance, by doing everything online - then camping seems to us to be pretty safe. Everyone's feeling their way along on this, though. I don't envy the Parks and Recreation Departments, trying to work out what's right and safe. Last night I managed to finish the phyllo dough, pancetta from home, a jar of Trader Joe's sundried tomatoes, and a jar of TJ's grilled artichoke hearts that have all been taking up freezer and fridge space. Shredded parmesan cheese and half an onion went into this too. The flavors were good. The crust was crisp, although slightly overdone in the middle because I had the rack too low. My darling said it was good, but admitted that a voice in the back of his mind kept shrieking "whERRE'S THE BEEF!?" I guess there wasn't enough pancetta for him to notice it.

New scenery, new vegetation and a new state. Well, it isn't new to us because we've been this way before, but we're one state closer to home. The New Mexico State Parks are all closed, so Columbus and Pancho Villa State Park were out of the question. The private campground where we've stayed before is still open, and with a full sewer hookup and 50A electricity it's a reasonably good place to shelter for a few days. It's nice to see different flowers. Yesterday's road food was a quite satisfactory, quite ordinary, and quite unphotographed mix of chopped asparagus and tomatoes, along with crackers, cheese and hard-boiled eggs. Some of the stopworthy sights along the way were the picnic spot near where Geronimo surrendered... ...and the Historical Marker noting the earlier position of an intermediate airport. The sign says that building foundations are still visible, along with a red arrow pointing toward El Paso. This marker is within walking distance of our campground. We haven't found the airport remnants yet. The little town of Rodeo appeared unchanged when we went through. Very little seemed to be open, just as last year. We expected restaurants to be closed because of the pandemic, but the Rodeo Tavern, about which much was written last year, seems never to have opened despite last year's promises to the contrary. The Rodeo Cafe and Grocery Store also seems unchanged since last year, right down to the signs. We had found fresh sweet corn at our last grocery stop in Tucson. Corn on the cob is probably my darling's favorite vegetable, and I can tolerate it when it's good. To celebrate, we had superburgers. I even pulled out the stops and put mine on a burger bun, with mayo, mustard, pickles and lettuce (as all burgers should have, IMO). We were quite full after that dinner, and have agreed that future superburgers don't need to be so, well, supersized. I just realized how immense that burger looks! That plate-covering burger is covering a salad plate, not a dinner plate! Still, a 7-ounce burger is more than either of us needs, if we have good accompaniments.

If your Mom doesn' want them, you could consider doing something else with those beans and see how they come out: for instance, make a dip with them, make a savory bean dish, or use them in soup. I'm with you on baked beans -- way too sweet for me! I finally figured out that I don't dislike beans, as such, as soon as I tried some without the molasses (etc) that are typical of Boston Baked Beans.

...or crowder peas, which (according to this article) are not the same thing?

Yesterday's shopping expedition was mostly a success. We got what we needed, and then some. We don't yet need more cleaning or hygienic supplies, but given the rising demand for them I'm on the lookout. Couldn't find any. No gloves or masks could be found. Very few were on the customers, either - and that makes us wonder: what's everyone doing with all this protective gear that goes flying off the shelves? We wore (homemade) masks and I wore gloves. We saw very few other people wearing either. Store personnel who would normally wear gloves - say, in the deli department - were doing so, as did checkout clerks. In 3 stores, I don't think we saw a single mask on store personnel. Since we had to be out and about, we went back to Babylon Market (I told you we probably would) to get more of the cheese. This sign was new since our last visit: I didn't see any gaps in their offerings, except a few spices. In addition to the cheese I found some other items that seemed worth exploring or replenishing. I think I've used the last of the "leg meat" (boneless, skinless) purchased in January in Calipatria. It's been frozen all this time, but had a strong smell - not rotten, but as though it had been sitting around a bit too long. Marinades and grilling are good for that sort of thing. We both like broccoli and cauliflower, but they are huge space-hogs in the refrigerator until cut into smaller chunks. When we got home I spent some time at that chore, then used some to make salad. Dinner: using the grill once more before we pack up to move again. Leftover pita. Tzatziki. Broccoli salad.

I'd dial down the sweet bits, too. (Her recipe lost me on the maple syrup and coconut flakes, but that's just me.) The oat crumble I made was originally for a dessert, so it's a bit sweeter than I'd make it for cereal. Still, it doesn't overwhelm the yogurt. I disliked granola for years until learning that it didn't have to be as sweet as it usually is. I think muesli when I was traveling overseas was the first cold cereal I liked as an adult. Even so, when I got back to the USA I found I couldn't get its equivalent.

It still is, on my screen. Must be another of those Amazon whims, or a Canadian vs. USA thing.

It was originally to be the base for the panna cotta I wrote about back here. The recipe came from a class I took last fall, what seems a lifetime ago now. 3/4c each A/P flour and brown sugar; 1/4 t each kosher salt and baking soda; 1/4 lb butter; 1/2 c oats. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and soda; cut in the butter until the mixture makes pea-sized clumps; mix in oats; spread in pan. Bake at 300F until golden brown. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container. The first time I tried it it didn't come out crisp enough, but it's been so long now that I don't remember where I went wrong. I probably didn't bake it long enough. This batch is delightfully crispy and not too sweet. It'll be a decent substitution for granola, until I use it up; then I'll make granola again.

Just for a change of pace: breakfast this morning. I like yogurt. I really do. I like avocado. But even that combination gets old after a while. Today, as an experiment, I added tomatoes, olives and oat crumble. Pretty darned good, and more filling than the usual. The "more filling" part is important because, believe it or not, we actually need to go to town today. The driving force is a vital prescription refill that's already waiting for us. (Thanks to our rambles, I have a dozen different pharmacy numbers in as many towns stored in my phone...oh, the signs of age!) But of course, since we're going to town we'll just "pick up a few more things" as well. Better to do so on a full stomach.

My darling's former wife claimed the oil was to keep any leftover pasta from sticking together. I know that one's been discussed (and disputed) here. Somewhere. Your explanation makes more sense. I use one of those spillstopper silicone lids to prevent boilover. Kuhn Rikon Kochblume works well, for example, although there are cheaper versions now. If a touch of oil prevents boilover, that's a lot cheaper and more sustainable than silicone!

It's the same brand (California Olive Ranch, "Destination Series") but the brand itself doesn't always seem consistent. That's an interesting thought. I haven't liked the flavor of this olive oil as much as usual. So far - and this may have to wait until I get home - I have a few controlled experiments to do, don't I? Keeping everything else constant except the olive oil; keeping everything constant except salting (or not) the water*; how long to sweat the garlic; whether to add other ingredients to give it a kick. Keeping everything the same except the pasta shape. My darling ate the leftovers this afternoon for lunch, so there's none left for further analysis. I showed him! I found a piece of pita that did split properly, all the way, and had a couple of pork roast sandwiches. Seen on our afternoon walk: *I know this question generates strong opinions. This is the only topic devoted to the issue that I've been able to find, but I'm sure there was a heated debate - measurements and all - in another topic some years back. I'll try it for myself to see what we think.

That could be. I'm going to scandalize you and some other readers by confessing that I never salt the pasta water (I know, I know ) but not doing so may be more of an issue with the thicker pasta strands.

Spiny though it is, this is a pretty good place to be sheltering for a while. We need to move toward home, but the weather there is still forbidding and at present we can't move much farther east without hitting bad storms. We'll be here a few more days, counting our blessings and pondering culinary mysteries. It's strange how some dishes, no matter how simple, refuse to be repeatable for me. I think the ability to refine, define and make repeatable a particular dish must be a skill that separates the pros from the hacks. I am no pro. Years ago I came up with a simple shrimp/pasta meal that we dubbed "Shrimp Bolivar" for the location where I first tried it. It's based on pasta aglio e olio. The additions usually are shrimp and Parmesan cheese. How difficult could it be to reproduce? But it's never the same twice. Even when I faithfully follow the notes I made after a particularly successful iteration, it doesn't come out the same. Last night's version had some admitted changes. Asparagus is not usually part of this, nor are pine nuts. But I wanted crunch and we needed to use that asparagus. It was good, but bland. We spent the entire dinner trying to work out what it needed to spice it up. Tabasco came closest for him, but wasn't quite right. (I thought it a horrid combination.) Tajin seasoning came closer for me, along with salt and pepper. Our best guess as to the blandness is that I cooked the garlic too long to keep any of its oomph. This garlic is powerful stuff, and getting more powerful as it ages, as my tzatziki attests. But I may have overdone the garlic-sweating last night. Maybe the simple fact that I used linguini this time, rather than capellini as last time, changed the balance of flavors and textures drastically. Maybe this is the sort of dish that depends utterly on the quality of the ingredients. What do you think?

Thanks for this recommendation. I've been looking at their ads, but in no position to buy from them yet. Come May, I hope the story will be different.

Here's an upsetting article from The Guardian: large-scale farms geared for bulk shipments (restaurant supply, for instance) can't get their produce to the smaller markets and users where they're desperately needed. The crops and milk are going to waste instead. I see the logistical and packaging problems involved, thanks to the article, but it seems to me that this tragedy should be surmountable somehow. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/09/us-coronavirus-outbreak-agriculture-food-supply-waste

Last night's pork roast dinner was a treat. We went the lazy route with frozen corn, but even that was good.

If you like the aesthetics of wood over plastic, you might consider a cutting board by Epicurean. They are guaranteed dishwasher-proof and easy on knives. They are also considerably more expensive than bamboo or poly, I fear, unless you can find them on sale someplace. Disclaimer: I have some and have run them through the dishwasher, but haven't had them long enough to know how well they hold up over time.