Smithy

Yesterday, while I was out grocery shopping, this caught my eye: Huh. The ingredients included seaweed, mushroom, sugar, agar-agar, sesame seed, sesame oil, kikurage, vinegar, salt and pepper. What the heck. I took a flyer on it. I seem to have forgotten to take a picture of the contents without the cover atop it. Sorry about that. The dressing was nice: tangy, slightly sweet but also tart. I was surprised at the overall texture, though: the greens were long and skinny, like noodles, and slippery enough that I suspect they're supposed to be slurped like noodles. It was tasty enough, but I don't think I've found a new food love.

Yes, those spice blends I showed above came from Spice Trekkers. I'm just now getting around to doing something with them.

I finally got around to trying one of these blends, after stowing them in the cabinet and leaving home for 5 months. I'm here to report that the Peri-Peri Blend is tasty but HOT even in small doses. See here for more information about how I used it.

This seems as good a topic as any to post about my latest bean cookery. I grabbed a package of Rancho Gordo beans -- Domingo Rojo, I think -- and loaded them into the Instant Pot after the usual rinsing and checking for debris. I was too darned lazy to go through the rigmarole of chopping and sauteeing onions or celery, but I did finally open a can of spice mix that I bought way back here from Spice Trekkers. I gave those spices a bit of a pounding, then loaded them into a cheesecloth bag so they'd be easy to fish out later. I also added a few bay leaves from the freezer. Then, away I went to do other chores while the beans cooked. I used the pressure cooking function, gave 'em about 45 minutes. Came back, checked, decided they needed more time, added more water, pressure cooked again. The finished product is more of a soup or stew than simply beans that can be added to another dish, but that's all right in this case. I haven't felt much like eating lately anyway, and in a desperate moment a cup of this stuff is an adequate lunch. Here it is: top view, and side view so you can see just how stiff it is out of the refrigerator. But. Those spices are hot! I only put a tablespoon's worth into the pot with a pound of beans. I still need sour cream to tone it down so I can taste the other flavors. So buyer beware on this particular spice blend!

Are yaks raised for specific purposes (meat vs. dairy vs. working) or are the meat yaks typically used as working animals until they're old and tough, then slaughtered when they're of no further working use? How does the meat compare to, say, beef or sheep? And are there dedicated dairy yak breeds, the way there are dairy cows vs. meat cows?

This copy is Copyright 1965 by Farm Journal, Inc. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 65-16174 Although there is a list of credits for the full-color photographs I don't see any credits for authors or testers beyond their "test kitchen" and "home testers". I will include a charming quote from the forward: I've included a copy of the title page, partly so the full title and subtitle can be seen, and partly for sentimental reasons. I guess I'm only the second owner of this book. I should also note that I misnamed the asparagus pie in my original post about this book. It's "Farmhouse Asparagus Pie" with no mention of cheese in the title, although the recipe does include cheese.

Now you're cookin'!

@JoNorvelleWalker, I can't help either way. I will note that anything, chopped finely enough, can be gummed into submission. I'll also note that I'd love to see more activity and use on this new appliance.

Yes, absolutely to the use while you move it! Let us know about the frozen waffles. It's decades since I had one, and my head is stuck on "toaster".

I unpacked the rest of my recent cookbook haul today. It included several gems that I may or may not use, depending on my cooking style going forward...although in truth, that really applied to my past cooking style variations as well. 🙂 My darling and I experimented with making sausage for a while, and even had a vertical smoker. Eventually we reached the point where it was easier to buy someone else's. However, Bruce Aidell has good-looking recipes and we've liked some of his commercially produced sausages. Two more books in the "Best of the Best" series. I like this series very much. My cousin was an outstanding baker, and this book has a ribbon at what may have been one of her favorite recipes: an asparagus and cheese pie. Of course there are sweet pies in here, but there are plenty of savory pies as well. Note the spelling on the cover of this baking book. The book is copyrighted 1963, although this copy is from the 18th printing, 1976. I don't remember the word being spelled "cooky" when I was growing up. Finally, here's another hyper-regional cookbook, from the city near where my cousins lived from the 1960's on:

I totally get what you're saying about one person paying and then having everyone else Venmo (or whatever) pay that person their share. But lemme ask you this: is cash so much a thing of the past that it simply isn't considered there? Or would it be as annoying to the bar staff to pay each round with cash as it is to use electronic payment for each round? (I'm going to guess 'yes' because change has to be made...but I'm still asking.)

Truly, I'm simply using it for a small griddle or shallow skillet. I've grilled sandwiches on it, although I prefer my panini press for that purpose. I've cooked bacon on it, to pretty good success using the ridged plate. I've done a quick (again, shallow) stir-fry of chopped ingredients. I haven't tried smashing burgers on it but I'm sure it would work. I'm sure that making potato pancakes would also work, though I'm only thinking of that now after I've finished my last batch of mashed potatoes. Regular pancakes would also work. Stirring up ingredients for, oh, a Philly cheesesteak would work. It has a smaller footprint than most of my skillets, and it presumably uses less electricity than my electric range, and I can put it conveniently atop my kitchen island, under bright lights, as long as I don't need a range hood. (Or I can move it outside, onto my deck, to fry bacon, and hope the crows don't come raid me.) An additional bonus is that the little plate insert is easier to wash than any of my skillets. There's nothing earth-shattering or life-changing about it in my context. It's a small, easily portable, convenient griddle/skillet. That's why I said I'm glad I didn't pay full price. If I did much hotel or dorm living it would be massively useful. In my case, it's a $40 toy. (But I'd still spring for the 3-pan combo package if they offered it. The deep-bowl pan and the 6-holer look especially useful to me.)

I've really gotten out of touch on this topic. As with @AlaMoi, the last few times I've gone to a bar it's been in connection with waiting on a seat at the restaurant. The bar tab has been transferred to the restaurant side. As to simply going to a bar and running a tab...well, my experiences go back so far that bartenders trusted patrons to pay and didn't bother holding credit cards. No doubt the smaller town experience is different than big-city experience, too.

😄

I mentioned here that my sister had been saving cookbooks for me from the collection of a dear departed cousin, who was an outstanding cook and avid book collector. There were far too many books to ship, so she delivered them when we could get together in April. Here's about half the stash she delivered, in no particular order: Seafood, which made a lot of sense for my California cousins and may not make much sense for me...but that's okay, I have 'em now. A celebrity chef: A sampling of ethnic cuisines: Baking, and nostalgic desserts: I've very much liked another book by Jane Butel: Finally, a couple of "local cookery" cookbooks. The first is a Junior League book, which comes as high recommendation for me: The other is a 2012 production by the Fresno Bee, the local newspaper where my cousins lived. This little magazine may have the most promise for immediate use, given the season. These recipes come from local businesses. These should give me a good boot to the backside to get cooking again!

I would too, although I'll note that yesterday when I started this topic I was looking at 3 pint-sized containers of cooked beans! 😄 They didn't suit either, at the time. I'm glad they work for Katie and her husband.

I just pulled my corned beef after an additional 12 hours at 140F. More tender texture than this morning. Good flavor. Hands-down better than its mate, that I hadn't frozen and that I didn't sous vide, but I do think age (keeping the other brisket cold but not frozen) has a lot to do with that. Howsomever...I'd have liked the meat a bit warmer. It appears that 140F, or maybe 135 by the time I sat down, isn't hot enough to suit me. Maybe it needed a quick microwave treatment? You can see in the photo that the fat still has a bit of a milky appearance. I wouldn't want it fully rendered, but a bit more transparent than here. There's a lot of the brisket left. I'll be able to experiment with a bit of warming to see what happens.

I'm not sure what you mean in this second sentence. The meat itself is drier? Drier than what? Since I think you're saying it seems a bit moister than without the brining?

To answer your first paragraph's questions: I can't shed any light on either of those models. They claim to be able to come apart so you aren't committed to the V-shape, which I'd find quite annoying. I personally use Microplanes like @blue_dolphin's, a box grater, or a Moulinex. I assume storage is the reason you want something flat. In that case, I'd go with either the Microplanes or an old-fashioned flat hand grater like this one (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) which would store quite easily. Friends of mine still use that style and I find it works well.

Well, for what it's worth I got up and out the door for morning exercise today, came back with some ambition, and dealt with some of the produce in my refrigerator. I now have a batch of Easy Asian Slaw, along with more shredded cabbage and special dressing, made. It remains to be seen whether it will be yet another thing cluttering up the refrigerator or something I'll turn to, but I've dealt with that head of cabbage that's been lurking for weeks. I bought it after my last visit to my best friend's place SIX WEEKS AGO, when I noted that this was a delicious salad that I'd be making again and again. Ha. The trick for today may have been doing the work in the morning rather than waiting until afternoon lethargy could set in. Or maybe I'm just getting a reprieve. Maybe the sight of last night's Strawberry Moon (the farthest south for years, it barely cleared the trees here) reminded me that there are sources of wonder in the world still. Who knows? But keep those ideas coming, folks. Crackers and cheese, yes...although it isn't a good idea for the long run.

I have a preliminary report on the corned beef brisket (point cut) that I started here at 140F and a 36 hour target. I pulled it at about 36-1/2 hours and let it cool at room temperature, still sealed, until I woke up enough to deal with it. Then, curiosity got the better of me. How is the flavor? How is the texture? Even though it's not my normal breakfast time or routine, I opened the package and cut a bite. Hmm. Definitely tastes better than the corned beef brisket I cooked last Sunday, which had been kept refrigerated but not frozen, and which had been simmered with potatoes per our usual tradition. The saltiness and heat of the spice packet is pronounced. I suppose that makes sense, since I wrapped the packet with the brisket and there's little chance of the seasonings to be diluted. I've never tried soaking a CBB to remove salt, as @rotuts is wont to do. I'm not sure I object to the salt content. The texture is quite firm, not at all like the "perfect for shredding" ad on the original wrapping. That's fine with me. I don't generally like having meat fall apart for shredding, and don't want it that way for this CBB. Nonetheless, it's chewier than I'd expected and perhaps more than I'd like. I've put it back (in its bag) in the 140F bath for the rest of the day, so I can test it at dinnertimes and see whether I can detect a change in texture from this morning.

I jsut realized that I've never knowingly eaten a snail, unless you want to count conch. Even then, it was a restaurant's treatment and not mine. How does one cook those snails? Steam? Boil? Bake? And how is the meat extracted from them? Some sort of pick, like a crabmeat pick?

Those are gorgeous! Thanks for the reminder that cooking apricots intensifies their flavor. I'd forgotten that, even though I've used that trick on other stone fruits.

I believe I just coined that term. Culinary Ennui is the exact equivalent of looking at one's wardrobe and thinking "I don't have a thing to wear!" And it's just as ridiculous. I mean, look at this refrigerator! The freezer compartment is similarly packed. There's another refrigerator / freezer combo and a separate small freezer in the garage. They're all packed. It's an embarrassment of riches, and I know I'm very fortunate to have this wealth. Still...I just spent a preposterous amount of time thinking that I'm hungry and need to eat something, and not being able to think of a thing I wanted to eat. Coooked beans? No. A sandwich of some sort? No. Green bean salad? Cole slaw? Too much work to make. Some, maybe most, of this Culinary Ennui is due to personal issues that are affecting my mood and energy. I have a singular lack of ambition despite oodles of things I need to be doing. But is that all it is? I dunno. I just know I need to do something about it. There's no point in having all this food if I don't want to eat it. So I've thrown together a green salad to provide some sustenance while I contemplate this issue and toss it out for discussion. What do you do when none of your food options appeals? This is related to, but not quite the same as, Help! I've lost my cooking mojo and I want it back! except in the sense that I'm the only person cooking or eating in this household.

Thanks, @blue_dolphin and @KennethT. I can definitely see the advantage of giving this a quick sear, for that Maillard reaction and the extra flavor it imparts, as well as to improve its appearance. (That pale damp surface doesn't look very attractive, does it? ) In this case, odds are I'll be slicing it for sandwiches or cutting it into finer pieces to add to a sauce, so it may not matter as much. Over on the Dinner topic I'm seeing a lot of good-looking curries!