Smithy

I had a pleasant surprise for last night's dinner. Back before we left home, I had cooked too much rice for some dinner dish. I put the leftover rice (jasmine) into a Food Saver bag and vacuum-packed it. As I watched the rice being crushed together in that vacuum I wondered whether it would be any good later, but went ahead and froze it. If nothing else, I could use it as a starchy thickener. Yesterday was the moment of truth. Out from the freezer came these four packages. (Ignore the lemon juice, that's for today.) I chopped up a red bell pepper and some mushrooms, sweated them until soft, added the sausage, cooked until it was mostly done. When I opened that package and started pouring the cooked rice in, it fluffed out as though I had just cooked it! The broth tied everything together. We had had some discussion about whether to chop the sausage or leave it whole, so I did some of both. We liked each version, but I think the cut bits browned better. Dinner, before going into the bowls (because those pictures are rubbish): I'm very pleased to learn this trick for the rice. Too bad I didn't pack the Food Saver.

Isn't that the truth! At least, it is for me as well. Your kitchen looks great. Thanks for showing us the finished result. I may be able to take an idea or two away, lest my husband reorganize our kitchen.

Congrats to the hunters! In the meantime, that dinner looks wonderful - as does all your cookery. Do you have a place to buy those frog legs, or are those caught and butchered from your back 40? I've eaten frog legs but never tried to prepare them myself. They just chirp and croak and shrill and clack at us from our pond in the summer, safe from predation unless kingfishers eat them.

I like @Robb Walsh's writing. Thanks for that link.

@heidih, I love the turn of phrase "Tetris-skilled only" to describe accessibility in a storage box! @FauxPas, we do have a cast iron griddle - the kind that's flat on one side and ridged on the other - that I bought after breaking 2 or 3 baking stones in our various trailer ovens. That's one of the things we managed to forget at home. Last year my various attempts at baking bread on it tended to overcook the base when I set the bread directly on it. That didn't stop me from trying again, this time with a cast iron pan. I think I get better results when the pan and the bread don't connect and the bread goes on a center rack, farther from the fire. By "better" mean I can get good oven spring without overcooking the bottom of the loaf. I'm not sure why; maybe someone else has some ideas. The baking stones I've seen are all too big for this oven, but that discussion on the CSO topic has me thinking there might be hope for a small enough stone after all. Would a baking stone, with its porous surface, be less vicious than cast iron? I suspect it might.

Campfire cookery has begun - and bread baking, not over the campfire. I've cleared another package out of the freezer. My darling's daughter recommended this particular cut and treatment from her favorite butcher, so we bought a package when we visited last. She grills it. I grilled it, more or less: I gave it open campfire flame on the grate until it was seared, then wrapped in foil for ease of maneuvering to a cooler section of the fire. These bacon ends and pieces (double hickory-smoked, very thick cut) also came from home, from *our* favorite meat market. They found their way into both the green beans and the potatoes with onions. The potatoes, onions and bacon, seasoned with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and wetted with a bit of oil to improve initial heat conduction, went into two foil pouches. The green beans went into Papa's Pan. The lot went onto the grate over the fire, and we sat or stood by - juggling packages and adjusting the flame to maintain the correct sizzling sounds, and drinking beer. Eventually it was finished cooking, and into the trailer came the works. The beans were a bit more cooked than I'd have liked. We were concerned that the meat also might have been overdone, despite careful poking with a thermometer. Nope, we were pretty happy with the results. The next evening, nothing would do but my darling had to cut up the leftover meat, mix it with the already-cooked potatoes, and crisp them up in a pan over the fire to make hash. Earlier in the day, nothing would do but I had to bake bread, for the first time in months. I need to review my notes on regulating temperature in this oven, however: That truncated shape you see isn't due to having sliced the bread in half; it's because the bottom was charred into a black Frisbee due to the cast iron that began the baking. I cut it before taking the pictures. The flavor's good, though. Dinner didn't make the photo cut. Hash isn't especially photogenic. Breakfast this morning, however, is better: toasted herb sourdough bread, with some of those lebnah balls and avocado, and pears on the side. Life's good!

Thank you for the reminder of Andiesenji's Creamsicle Cookies, Toliver. They're going on my baking list.

I don't need a cast iron comal OR a 10.5" cast iron baking pan that would fit in my CSO if I had one. I don't need either, but I sure am tempted to buy one or both. On a related note: if you look at the cast iron comal on Amazon, you'll see that it's filed under Department: "unisex-adult".

Let's see...drive to Yuma, take a flight to Duluth, drive home, grab my huntin' gear, drive back to the airport, fly to Kansas City, rent a car and drive to your place. Think I could make it before the season ended? I really want to share those lovely meals!

I'll add that if someone can post an Arabic-style pickle and explain why it isn't the same as an Indian-style pickle, I'd love to see it. I don't know what distinguishes one from the other. I suspect that there are at least half a dozen different Arabic-style pickles, depending on the country of origin. it's probably the same for the Indian-style pickle.

A package of once-freshly-caught fish gone. I will not admit to their age. I was inspired to try beer-batter frying, and had the chance to do it without making a frightful mess. Success! I'll have to try this again, even if I have to buy more fish to do it. I'll just have to be sure not to put said fish into the freezer when I get it.

This could go as easily into the Freezer Cleanout Challenge topic or a "fear of frying" topic, if we had one, but since I've mentioned Kilt Lifter Ale I'll note that it made its way into a beer batter for some ancient fish. Those frozen filets of northern pike ("pickerel" to our Canadian friends) have been taking up space in a freezer for far too long. They came with us. I mixed up a beer batter with the aforementioned Kilt Lifter, girded my loins and fired up the camp stove. Frying isn't so messy outside. Dinner: a nicely browned set of filets. The money shot: Flaky, juicy and delicious. Hey, maybe this isn't so bad after all!

The differences are noticeable, and it isn't a silly question at all. I remember my dismay at getting a daylight-temp light for the hallway and being dismayed at how blue it seemed. That said, I can't remember what we settled on for the kitchen. Bright white, I think, but we have dimmers. When I'm working in the kitchen I want it BRIGHT - my husband jokes about the operating room - but when I'm done we dim the lights to a softer level. Do not omit the dimmer switches, and make sure your LED lights are compatible. The do-it-yourself hardware stores like Lowe's, Home Depot and (our local favorite) Menard's should have displays so you can check them out.

Everything inside those cardboard boxes is wrapped in butcher paper (there may be some plastic instead) and frozen in individual packages. The multi-content boxes are a bit like the old-style grab bags, though: when they're under other boxes, it's difficult or impossible to pull them out. I had to keep fishing to get what I wanted to look at. Imagine wanting some crayfish tail meat and coming out with a python sirloin instead.

Tucson, part the nth: Thanks to FauxPas, we've discovered another expensive and tempting food store: Dickman's Meat and Deli. There are actually two of these shops now. The original, near downtown, was quite close to our normal route on our big day of shopping; however, thanks to the vaguaries of my internet search we didn't discover that until we were a few blocks past the store in question. Rather than backtrack a mile we went to the other one...about 15 miles away. Well, we'd never been up Oracle Road before, and saw new areas. At last, we arrived - having taken one false turn and having to do a U-Turn in the approach to the Oracle parking ramp. It's an old-fashioned meat market with knowledgeable butchers and a well-stocked meat counter. The proprietor seems to be a displaced Wisconsonite, judging by the Green Bay Packers memorabilia festooning the walls. We perused their meat counter for a prime rib and didn't see any. Other meats looked good - there are two propriety cuts that aroused my curiosity - but we were hoping to get a prime-grade prime rib for Thanksgiving. I have to give their salespeople credit for hustle: one overheard us marveling at the lack of prime rib as we wandered the aisles of preserves and condiments, and he said "Oh, we have them, but we custom cut them. How much were you looking for?" Before we knew it he was off cutting, without our having had a chance to look the meat over or check its price. We looked at the freezers while we waited. They have an astonishing array of game, seafood and exotic meat. Here's a small sample: They also have a deli. We ordered Italian sub sandwiches and ate them there while we took the place in. In the interest of balanced reporting I'll note that my darling (who was hangry before we ever arrived, thanks in part to the unexpected and unreasonably long drive) thought his was just so-so. I thought mine was delicious: juicy meats, good bread, and a nice touch of Italian dressing. I, on the other hand, didn't much like their pasta salad, and my darling happily scarfed down both our servings. Of such balance is a marriage made. I really wanted to pick up a few packages of frozen meats - it's been ages since I could find duck or rabbit - but the prime rib foreclosed on that idea. I hope, by the time we head back, there will be room in the trailer and the budget.

What a very nice set of finds, Porthos! Your daughter and her family are fortunate to have you looking out for them!

There's a huge difference between a Polish dog and the standard hot dog. We aren't Costco members, but you have my sympathies!

I tried it at least once, and have tried it over an open campfire more then once. I don't recall having problems with an overly ashy taste, but I have often had problems with the whole darned thing collapsing so much that there was only a crispy shell! Heat too high, or cooked too long, I figured. If you laid the eggplant on the bare coals, I'd suggest putting it in a pan on the coals next time and elevating it slightly. If you don't want to dirty a pan in the ash, you could make a bowl of that foil. Sorry, I can't guarantee that this will appease your ancestors, since I'm speculating.

That pork roast looks like it will be wonderful. We do something similar in our crock pot, but have never tried adding soy sauce. It's something to consider. Regarding olive oil in mayonnaise: I've tried it a few times and found it to be bitter, even in small amounts. Harold McGee gave a good explanation for that in the Harvard/edX cooking class I took a few years ago. It had to do with breaking up certain compounds in the oil as it was emulsified, and producing a bitter taste. I don't remember more than that; maybe another reader here can speak up.

That is a heck of a deal, and I wouldn't have wanted to resist that! Maybe I can manage a first-Saturday sale event sometime. I'd probably find myself changing out the dinnerware! (Yes, my mug is that same almost-a-pint size.) Interesting that the Ahwanee dishes are so large and heavy, but at that lodge I can see how it would fit and I too would find that bit of history irresistable. I don't know whether they still use that line. My cousin and his wife used to go to their Christmas dinner - a wonderful luxury, from what they told me - but they haven't gone in years and wouldn't be able to shed light on it. Maybe someone else knows whether the china changed when the name changed? For those who might like to know more about the history of the Ahwahnee / Majestic Yosemite Hotel and see some gorgeous architecture, Smithsonian Magazine discusses its history and various refurbishments. On a less sunny note, The New York Times posted an eye-opening opinion piece that uses the name change to the Majestic Yosemite Hotel as a springboard to discuss other names assigned to this and other parks. The issues raised are unrelated to food, restaurants or other topics within the scope of these forums, so I won't try to post a link. If anyone wants to read some sordid history, go look for "Goodbye, Yosemite. Hello, What?" on the NYT's web site. We finished the main part of the Thanksgiving prime rib last night, this being our third meal from it. The ribs remain for another time. I tried the Hasselback Potato Gratin again, with some changes: larger slices, Yukon Gold potatoes instead of russets, considerably more seasoning and cheese, a bit longer cook time. It was better. I liked the way it came out of the baking dish in distinct potato slices, probably because they aren't as starchy as russets. There was way too much of the cream/cheese mixture, so I have the remainder in the refrigerator. I have an idea about using it in the next couple of days. When we went to town a couple of days ago for groceries, I scored a bag of small Bartlett pears. I usually ignore pears in the store; all too often they are mealy and insipid disappointments. This bag looked good.... ...and the first one, at least is the quintessence of pearness: juicy, flavorful, firm without being woody. I tried half of it over my yoghurt, but think it's better on its own. It's a grey day today: overcast, with a bit of wind, and blessedly cool. I think it's supposed to get up into the 70's today. That makes one of us happy! I think I'll be able to bake bread. I have work to do also, but may be able to post more about Tucson later today.

I've lost track, Kerry. Which oven do you have there for baking? That crust looks terrific.

I know exactly what you mean about those gloomy days when the sky is low and grey, and the wind is picking up ... and hoping for a really good snow. I hope you'll post photos if you get it. Thanks for the mayonnaise procedure. I've tried it, gotten it, sworn I wouldn't go back to commercial mayo...and then lost the mojo countless times. It may be that I like that special something in commercial mayo, but mostly I think it's because I don't get the proper consistency. With your tutorial (and thanks also to Kim Shook) I'll give it another (heh) whirl. Happens I emptied a jar of mayo just yesterday, so now is a good time to try. You are making such good use of your Cuisinart Steam Oven! Keep those photos coming!

Self-restraint after the Thanksgiving excesses? :

Hey, I'm pretty sure we have the same Christmas glassware! But mine is at home and out of reach. Enjoy some extra usage on my behalf!

I first discovered Mimbreño dinnerware last April, during a trip through New Mexico. This enchanting dinnerware was originally designed for and used by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad on their passenger trains, in the days when the Fred Harvey Company was running their food service. The designs are based on artwork of the ancient tribes from Mimbres Valley. There's a more thorough writeup on it here, but I have to give credit/blame to @FauxPas for alerting me to the existence of a Tucson pottery place that now makes it. They even have sales! We took a trip one day to the factory. H.F. Coors (established by the younger son of Adolph Coors) is an intriguing place, starting with the old pottery-making equipment out front. The factory is clearly quite large, but the shop is compact and densely stocked. H.F. Coors makes much more china than the Mimbreño pattern with which I was so taken. While I've been drooling online over the stuff I've spotted a couple of other patterns that I also liked, one of which is a close match to some of my serving dishes at home. I went to the shop for one platter - but - well, maybe I knew I was going to go away with two. The smaller one, on the right, is part of the Mimbreño pattern set and is for the trailer. The Mimbreño set has an intriguing variety of patterns: interesting birds, fishes, geometric patterns. (The full lineup is here.) I'd love to acquire place settings of this china for the trailer. It's quite sturdy - according to this article, one sales person used to throw it on the floor to demonstrate how it doesn't readily break. The china is also oven- and microwave-safe, and they claim it can go from the refrigerator to the oven to the table without trouble. Despite its attractiveness and utility I decided I'd done my bank account enough damage for one day. Besides, we really are already well equipped with dishes. A serving platter: okay; service for 4 - well, probably not. At least not all at once. They sell factory tours, and I hope we'll be able to schedule one sometime. The kicker is that the minimum group size is 5, and it can only happen, by appointment, on Tuesdays. It will take some coordinating to make it happen. My darling, knowing how taken I had been with the stuff, made a surprise return visit the next day and bought me an early Christmas present.