Smithy

Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning... Yesterday's dawn wasn't so much dire as it was beautiful, but we knew the wind was likely to come up - and that rain might even arrive. I went to town to do laundry and pick up a couple of items we'd missed during our last shopping expedition. I also wanted to see how the Yuma Queen International Market was faring, and whether they had barberries. I discovered and wrote with great enthusiasm about this place last year, when it had just opened. I dunno. Maybe it's just that it was mid-afternoon there, but the place seemed much less stocked than before and it was hours before closing time. They had rearranged things somewhat. I found our favorite Egyptian cheese, although we didn't need any. The clerk who knew what she was doing had never heard of barberries, and was none the wiser when I mentioned "zereshk" instead. I looked around and couldn't find any. They still have a pretty good selection of spices - not only Middle Eastern but also Indian - and teas. I've never seen whole mace before yesterday. It's interesting that ground mace is much redder than the whole lace. The Clerk Who Knew What She Was Doing was rushing around trying to get out the door to her afternoon job, and the young man whom she left in charge was clearly new. I had ordered a gyro, and she relayed the order to him as she headed out, all apologies and rush. I had a LOT of time to peruse the shelves and refrigerator case while I waited...and waited...and waited for that sandwich. Some other customers came in, looking to buy dolmas. I waited more while the young man searched fruitlessly and finally called the Clerk Who Knew What She Was Doing on her cell phone. The store had run out. No wonder he couldn't find them! I perused the meat and bakery displays. I thought about also buying some baklava and kunafah, but by the time the young man was finished with my order I just wanted to pay and leave. I had asked for hummus also, and he'd scraped the last of the batch into a container for me while waiting for a balky grill. He was very apologetic about the delay ("grill not working properly," he said; I suspect it had been turned off) and gave me a small discount for my inconvenience. The sorriest part of the whole experience is that the gyro wasn't very good. I liked the tzatziki sauce he supplied, but didn't finish the meat. So...I dunno. Maybe the place will survive, but if yesterday's experience is typical I doubt that it will. Dinner last night was deliberately uncomplicated, since I came home late in the afternoon. Much of the bacon went into a broccoli salad with barberries and toasted pepitas in place of raisins and walnuts. It was a gracious plenty of a meal! (Sorry the upper-left picture is so fuzzy. I liked the geometry of the salad before it was mixed, but apparently the camera didn't focus as well as I'd thought.)

My DH wanted to convert this camp stove to propane so we wouldn't be carrying white gas, but so far I've resisted. I think most camp stoves made these days are built for propane, but I'm a traditionalist when it comes to inherited gear. I have acceded to leaving the old Coleman white gas lantern at home in favor of a propane-burning Coleman lantern. It puts out at least as much light and is quieter. Cash flow can certainly be an issue, but I hope you're able soon to hit the road! I've done the primitive camping thing, and it has its advantages. There are things one can see and do when traveling lightly that can't be done when there's a lot of gear (and a large trailer). Smaller vehicles can still carry a lot of gear and get places we can't. However, there is a limit to the amount of space and gear I'm willing to give up for months on end! I'll admire from afar the adventurers who backpack the Appalachian Trail all in one go, or ski across Antarctica. My ambition to ski the John Muir Trail died a quiet death after several long-weekend winter camping ski expeditions....

In Minnesota at least, hunting shacks and ice-fishing houses can be quite elaborately set up. No doubt it's the same (except for the ice houses) farther south as well. Those propane heaters are fine implements. Shelby, I really need to take frying lessons from you. Your fried foods always look so much better than mine!

Please alleviate my ignorance. How/why does one rake a pancake? Or, for that matter, a crêpe?

Remember these stuffed jalapeños? They have been nagging me for a few days. I don't know why the idea of whipping egg whites to a soft-peak consistency as part of the coating had me buffaloed. Maybe - probably - it was because I'd have to dig out my egg beater or else spend long minutes whipping by hand. I know people used to do that, even more recently than Julia Child. I didn't want to do it. Was that it? I don't know...but those darned stuffed peppers accused me every time I opened the refrigerator door. I got out my wand mixer. (I admit: this is not physical exertion.) I whipped the egg whites that had been travelling in our freezer and recently thawed. I rolled the peppers in the egg whites, then in masa. I set them aside for frying. Before I continued, I started another project: fry bacon to a nice crispness so it can be used in a broccoli salad - and perhaps a German potato salad. I love having an outdoor stove for frying! The first batch of bacon was more than a bit too crisp. I was out of practice gauging the temperature. I got it right in the end, and Quality Control (on both our parts) hid most of the evidence. By the time more than a half-pound of bacon had been fried, there was a generous amount of hot fat. I augmented it with peanut oil to fry the jalapeños. We ate. Ah-HOOAH! It needed sour cream to tame it. I've read that jalapeños can be unpredictable in their heat levels. These were hot. That stuff that looks like wadded-up tissue paper, or perhaps dielectric grease, was sour cream. Sorry about the picture! Dinner tonight was the last of the Thanksgiving prime rib (at which we've steadily picked away since then) chopped, warmed slowly in olive oil, then mixed with balsamic and tamer vinegars and tossed onto a green salad. After the salad was ready except for the dressing, we sat outside and watched the sky. We saw a fireball change from pencil-thin meteor-white, to a broader blue base, to red before it vanished. A few seconds later we heard a double WHUMP from its disintegration. What a gift!

I echo the others: this is supposed to be fun! and of course your hunters will feel as though you've rolled out the red blaze orange camo carpet for them. I like that Muffaletta Cheesecake very much! Judging by the paucity of leftovers when I made it, I'd say my dinner guests have felt the same!

I've seen boiled peanuts for sale in convenience stores in the south, always in slow cookers. However, I've no idea how they were prepared. Sorry!

I need a "pea-green with envy" emoji.

The windmill clearly wasn't the only thing I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten the award, too. Thanks for straightening me out!

At last!! It feels like the wait has been interminable! Do they hunt deer from the same shack that you showed us yesterday, or is that strictly for the waterfowl? I assume they stand-hunt, especially since Chum is going along. I want some of that chili. I just finished the last of a much-too-large batch of pinto beans, with chopped onion and grated cheese. It was pretty heavy for brunch, and it was nowhere near as pretty as your chili.

@Shelby, I wish I had your artistic gift! Your "only a half hour to spare" chalkboard is something that would take me hours and hours...and still wouldn't look as good! The pizza looks excellent as well.

That is...striking. I can't decide whether it looks like some gorgeous sunflower sculpture or a pile of pollywogs wiggling frantically away from where they were dropped.

I don't think we do, yet.* I learned about the River Road series here, I think from Best American Regional Cookbooks, but it isn't quite the same thing. I picked up a Lutheran Church cookbook from a yard sale in Duluth a few years ago, expecting to find the names of friends, but never recognized anyone. It is amusing to see all the Mrs. Husband's Name recipes. *Hint, hint...anyone?

I wouldn't describe it as a kid's book, although it's told from a kid's point of view. Like To Kill a Mockingbird (also told from a child's point of view) it deals with some heavy issues and adult themes. I'll have to reread it, though: I don't remember the windmill! @Okanagancook, thanks for the documentation and the air fryer comment. Now I'm sorry I don't have my air fryer with me! It's good to know those don't have to be oil-fried. @heidih, I think that business about the motion makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the visual. It reminds me of the verbal-visuals I've read about women kneading pasta dough.

Ooops. I baked bread yesterday. While the oven was preheating, I remembered - just a bit too late - that I keep the Tucson starter at the back of the stove to get a little heat from the pilot light. I cooked part of the starter! Fortunately, I also had a larger container back there for building my first batch of bread from the Tucson colony. It hadn't overheated yet, so I was able to discard what you see above.

Do get that book out, and check it out! Maybe we can explore it together, in a "Cooking from..." type topic.

I'm not in a position to watch it right now, so I have a question: why the "final" table? The title made me think it might be someone's dying request. Apparently that isn't the case.

Thanks so much for the link to the spring roll recipe. You saved yourself many requests (or one, supported by many "likes" ) by doing so. Right now I'm on another kick altogether, but now you have me inspired to try spring rolls - maybe when I'm in a position for a group cooking project! Like the others, I'm delighted to see this blog opening again. It's always interesting, and I love to see what you do with the game. It's wonderful to see a working windmill be put to its intended use. We pass so many during our drives that are missing blades or are otherwise clearly remains of an older time. They seem to me to be elegant and useful, and I hate to see them die of neglect. That venison roast and the chili look delicious! Thanks for including information about time and temperature on the sous vide. I have read that it isn't wise to put salt on meat before the sous vide cook, because it gives the meat a "cured" taste. Is that only for longer cooks, or does that not match your experience?

By the way, that link of @Darienne's led me down a fine rabbit hole to Yet Another Cookbook that I bought in anticipation of this trip. "Seasoned With Sun: Recipes from the Corner of Texas and Old Mexico" is a cookbook by the Junior League of El Paso, Inc. and it has an interesting selection of recipes. There's a Chile Relleno Souffle, a Green Chile Pie, and - yes - a Chilie (sic) Relleno Casserole, compliments of Old El Paso Company, that is the inspiration for the recipe in Darienne's link. There are numerous recipes for Chiles Rellenos, enchiladas, tamales, salsas...and that's just in the "Mexican" section. The main part of the book is broken into the usual: Soups and Sandwiches, Entrees and so on. I am looking forward to trying "Chile en Escabeche" / "Cured Chile", which is a pickle. I thought of @Shelby when I looked at the Entree section: sure, there are plenty of chicken, beef and ham recipes, but there are also Glazed Duck with Plum Sauce, Dove Casserole, Fried Quail with Cream Gravy, Quail with Wine Sauce, and Pheasant with Brandy Cream Sauce. There are a couple of venison recipes as well. I don't have ready access to the wild birds or game any more, but if I did, I'd be trying these.

@Shelby, I've had that same casserole recipe bookmarked. Thanks for the reminder! When you order the fresh Hatch chiles, do they come really fresh - and then you have to roast and peel and seed them?

I like chiles rellenos. I really do. I want to learn to make them. So with that in mind, and spurred by some philanthropic project to boot, I bought this book some time last year: It sounds like a neat deal: mix up a stuffing, prepare the chiles, fill them, batter and coat them, fry them, eat them. No, wait. That already sounds like too many steps. Nonetheless, today was the day to start. I was on a trailer-cleaning binge, and the cleaning extended to the refrigerator. The stuffing incuded, in stages: chunks of white bread from a recipe test back in October (scary that it hadn't molded yet) chopped scallions hamburger pulled out of the freezer and mixed in at least a cup of cherry tomatoes, roasted and covered in olive oil, per @ElainaA's recipe (and no, @Shelby, the tomatoes were not peeled ) chopped celery - another bag gone from the 'fridge'! a peeled, seeded and chopped Hatch chile spices such as cumin, oregano and a bit of chili powder the last bits of Fagundes Farms' Hanford Jack - San Joaquin and Hanford Jack - Smoked Jalapeno cheeses with us (Ignore the lower right picture until later.) I got the stuffing mixed. I started preparing the chiles. I had a number of jalapenos, a couple of poblanos, and a couple of red (ripe) bell peppers. I've never bothered to peel bell peppers, but my book assured me that the poblanos and jalapenos needed to be peeled. I fired up the outside stove, blistered those babies, put 'em in a covered bowl, and went for a walk. I came back. Those peppers were staring at me from beneath the bowl cover. I peeled and seeded them. I stuffed them. I realized that (a) there were more peppers than we could possibly eat in one night and (b) I didn't want to mess with mixing a batter, firing up the outside stove and frying those things. The jalapenos went into a container for tomorrow (that's the lower right picture, two photos above). The bells and poblanos went into the oven. When they came out, we ate. Filling was runny. It needed rice (my preference) or orzo (his) to absorb more of the juices. I didn't have enough bread in the mixture. Nonetheless, it was good. Maybe tomorrow I'll have the gumption to batter and fry those jalapenos.

The Sonoran sourdough starter is alive and well. In this collage, the left-hand photo was just after refreshing and the right-hand photo was only 4 hours afterward. I put the "TUC" label on the container, with the bottom of the label at the top level of the starter, just after I took the photo on the left. In these pictures, the left-hand photo is of the newly-refreshed starter and the right-hand photo is of the discard. I think I'll mix some bread with it tomorrow.

I can't say anything about differences in quality, but I can tell you that Le Creuset was saying not to use metal utensils, at least as early as 2004.

I caved on that one too. My solace is that I bought it the first day Toliver pointed it out, so kayb's comment is more confirmation than enabling.

Thanks! I guess in this one way, I am a traditionalist. That green bean treatment has been one of our family holiday fixtures for as long as I can remember. My grandmother used one of her Wearever aluminum pots for it, and simmered those beans for hours. I have that pot set, although it isn't along with us in the trailer.