Smithy

I'm not usually big on buying packages of prepared vegetables, but I have made an exception for green beans. Green Giant seems to do a nice job on them. I'm working my way through the latest bag. There's little to do with them except rinse, do minimal trimming, and cut to appropriate size. That was the source of last night's green beans. Tonight I did more and incorporated some of the roasted red peppers in olive oil.. (..from fall 2018 ...all this time in the freezer!) Today's foraged wild onion greens went in, and as a flavor balance I added juice from my preserved lemons. Pretty darned good.

Here's another attempt. Any better?

Yes on the answer, and I admit the earlier pictures aren't as high quality... not (she said defensively) because of my photography but because of the printing on the caps! Those pics were the best I could do. Lone Star really needs to hire Shelby for their artwork. If there aren't any cogent questions or guesses in the next day or so I'll start putting out hints...like what a particular symbol means. If anyone's interested, that is.

Leftovers tonight. I may or may not get around to posting a picture of dinner. In the meantime, here's tonight's rebus. I think it's easier than the previous two. (Since I didn't figure those two out until this afternoon, I figure they're harder. It's all relative! 😆)

When we're in this area, we -- that is, I -- buy Lone Star Beer in bottles. It really isn't my normal sort of beer: not a very good lager in my opinion - but inside each bottle cap is a rebus. I can't resist. Here are two from last night.

Llano, Texas: a small and interesting town in the heart of the Hill Country. Every year when we arrive after months of living in a desert climate, I'm surprised anew at how lush, green and humid it is here. The flowers are almost entirely different than what we've been seeing. One of the reasons we like it here is that the City has an RV park right on the Llano River. The wading can be good, and there's always something interesting going on. These days it's dredging the river, because the river provides the city's drinking water and the impoundment has been getting shallower by the year. The City of Llano is 5 years into a 10-year contract for the purpose. Unfortunately a severe flood in the fall of 2018 undid much of their good work (and destroyed this park) so a lot of progress was undone. Another reason we love Llano is the Texas barbecue available. One of our favorite places is closed because the owners retired and sold a year or so ago -- I heard last year they were relieved to be done with the business, and I'll bet they're ecstatic now! However, there's still our other favorite, Cooper's Old-Time Barbecue. When we come to Llano we figure there will be little cooking and a lot of takeout, out of sheer gluttony. This year we also figure we're doing our civic duty, helping them stay afloat. That's our story, and we're sticking to it. They've worked out a way to do takeout safely. In two nights here, we haven't had to text our presence because someone spotted us coming in. They take the order, and a little while later come out with the bags and a credit card reader. We put the card in the reader, the waiter hands it back wrapped in the receipt. The waiter never handles the card. Portions are generous as always, and the free sides are plentiful if you ask. I'm in pinto bean heaven: pinto beans for breakfast! Gussied up with their barbecue sauce and some (quite unnecessary, but oh so tasty) sour cream. Burrp. Dinner our first night here was beef ribs. I also got potato salad (not free), and free bbq sauce and beans. These ribs are immense; in fact, we weren't able to finish what we'd bought. Last night we went for brisket. This time we got cole slaw for him, potato salad for me, more beans and sauce, and pickles and onions. I didn't ask for jalapenos (theirs are reliably VERY hot) or bread, but they gave it to us anyway. We couldn't finish this either, and didn't expect to. It was very, very good. I cooked green beans as a nod to some sort of green vegetables; he had cole slaw. As much as we want to go back tonight and keep stocking up, we'll probably work on leftovers tonight. If I get enterprising (more enterprising than I've been so far today) I'll work some of them into a pasta or potato dish of some sort. I have some extra incentive; along the river I found some sort of wild allium. Pretty good flavor, just begging to be added to food. I harvested a handful.

So do I! They look beautiful! I'll be making buns in the next few days. Thought I had the recipe all picked out, but now you're making me wonder about changing my mind...

Jicama, perhaps?

We spent 2 long days driving, and have made our last (anticipated) full set-up until we get home. I seem to have forgotten to take pictures of our sandwiches and road food (tomatoes, asparagus, crackers, cheese, and so on) but it wasn't really as interesting as the sights along the way. I have never seen El Paso's freeways so empty. El Paso is usually an occasion for me to put my head down and read, lest I upset my darling with gasps of "look out!" and "what is that driver doing?!" every 15 seconds. This time, I was in a better position to appreciate the architecture and decorations of the freeway. We spent a night at Kent, Texas. This little ghost town near the Davis Mountains once had a school, at least 1 gas station, a post office, and a number of residents. There are still ranchers around, and railroad work staged from the lot where we stayed for the night. We were well out of the way. The nearby houses are a reminder of how quickly life can turn. Who knows the stories this house could tell? The setting sun evoked the miles we have to go. We had leftovers that night -- I've already forgotten what, since we had a fair amount stashed. It could have been more of the ceviche. Incidentally, the jalapenos and toasted corn helped the dish a lot. It still is clearly not my darling's favorite dish, but he liked it better and I thought it a treat. As I said, we've set up for a few days in a favorite spot. Here's a preview:

Well...that was exciting. I have avocados, limes, shrimp-that-I've-been-hoarding, the last of the Campari tomatoes, a couple of jalapenos, some red onion. Everything I need to make ceviche. I dug into the pantry and found the mais cancha that I'd bought for Peruvian-style ceviche, keeping in mind our earlier discussion about wanting a bit of crunch. I remembered my teacher in Duluth saying that the little corn thingies need to be toasted to develop crunch and flavor. Sure enough, that's what it says on the back of the package. Put a bit of oil in a skillet, it says. Toast the kernels to the desired doneness, continually stirring to prevent burning, it says. I did not know that the stuff would pop! And oh, how it popped! (Who would pop corn in a skillet, I ask you?) Bits of oversized corn kept leaping out of the skillet: onto the stove, onto the floor, onto my shirt, very occasionally back into the pan. I had no time to dig out the spatter screen, and wasn't sure I could be coordinated enough to juggle the skillet with that screen in place. Finally I turned off the fire and removed the skillet from the stove so it could pop over the sink. The floor was a sight to behold by the time I was done. This doesn't do it justice, but I was too traumatized to try for a better photo. The worst part is, I'm none too impressed with the flavor of these things. They're better than when they came out of the package. That isn't saying much. The proof will be in the ceviche, I suppose. Don't ever toast dried corn in a skillet.

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.