Smithy

Does it need to be boiled for sterilization purposes, or does that do something to the texture?

You two are troopers. I note the prevalence of the term "mob scene" and wonder whether I'd be willing/able to put up with that. It depends on the motivation, of course. Thanks for showing the city at night, when those lights really come into their own, and thanks for taking us on this tour. Regarding the lack of herbs used in the food so far: would you say that this food was more bland than you found in and around Saigon?

Now that I've taken to making my own yogurt with some confidence, I'm looking for a way to strain all of it (1/2 gallon initial liquid) at once. None of my fine-screen strainers has enough capacity to do that. My colanders could handle it, but their holes are quite large and I use them too often to want to take one out of commission for an entire 24-hour period. I've seen "yogurt makers" that are essentially a nested fine-screen sieve and bowl. I could have sworn I'd seen a picture of yogurt strainer in these forums recently (@kayb, was that you?) but my searches are coming up empty. I can simply buy another colander, one that will nest conveniently into one of my mixing bowls, and line it with cheesecloth. I wonder, however, whether there's an optimal shape, construction material and size. Is a dedicated set worthwhile? This Euro-Cuisine GY50 Greek Yogurt Maker on Amazon looked about right at $15 yesterday, but while I dithered over whether it was too much a single-use item it vanished from Amazon's shelves. It's now only available through a third-party seller - and at (to me) mystifyingly high prices. Recommendations, anyone?

If it's really $149, I'd go instead for the 900W unit that's both Bluetooth and WiFi that rotuts mentioned, for $129 today. If you can get that 800W BT unit for $99, then that sounds like a good deal. I use the WiFi, but rotuts is right that you need a router to make that work.

Some of the deals do change during the day, from what I can see: they don't all seem to start or end at the same time. (I may be confusing the earlier deals, running up to the big event, with today's offerings.) Strangely, I'm having more trouble navigating them this year than last - or maybe I misremember that my biggest loot was purchased from eGullet links. I don't need another Instant Pot (I really don't, nor am I tempted) but if I did, I'd look hard at the 8 qt Instant Pot (mentioned above) for $89.99 today.

That food looks wonderful. I had to look up Ndjuja, and That Fount Of All Knowledge </tongue in cheek> came up with 'Nduja instead. Is that what was in your pasta? Glorious photos, all around. Many thanks!

To the best of my knowledge, fatteh/fatta/fattah (depends on the transliteration) means "broken" and is named for the chunks of bread that go into one layer. (It's another of those good uses for stale bread.) Now that I've gone back into my books, I see that I do have a "fatteh hummus bi laban" that is chickpeas with yogurt - along the lines of Shain's recipe. I need to dive into that book again! You can see one of my attempts at a chicken-based fatteh here, with some very good constructive commentary afterward. I made it more difficult than necessary, something at which I'm exceptionally good.

That's different than the fattehs I've seen in Egypt, which have meat and seem more like evening meals. Thanks for ths idea, @shain.

That folding grater looks like a good piece of equipment for our trailer, or for similarly compact situations. Please let us know how well it works, when you get to trying it out. Does the selected grate lock in place, as with a folding knife, or does it swing freely?

No wonder you were excited! What a great haul! Were these cookbooks all remainders? Is that red thing an egg separator? I like the textiles, too. Tea towels? Is the backdrop also a purchase, or something I haven't noticed before now?

Is the small red thing in the bag also a bowl?

The Big House Wines are fairly common in my neck of the woods, but I'm not sure I've seen those cans. I'll be interested to know the assessment of the canned wines.

Weaving the toast slices is a nicely decorative touch.

Well, it looks good. I hope it tasted as good as it looks.

That rack of lamb is indeed drool-worthy, and inspires envy. I think, however, the bread got short shrift. Please tell more about it! Ciabatta? Did you make it there? I want that bread, with or without the lamb.

I hadn't realized it's already in the San Joaquin Valley. Bad news, indeed.

If anything convinces me to find/make the space for a CSO, it will be pictures like this.

@FrogPrincesse, congratulations from me also on finishing the course. Although I didn't stay with it this time around, I want to assure you that the second half of the class was also quite engrossing my first time through. I encourage you to make the time, if possible!

That's not a bad idea. I've been using my Recipe Box on their web site to collect recipes from all over. Maybe it's time to establish a backup.

@JoNorvelleWalker, I don't understand the assertion that you need a specific sign-in for the cooking site. If you have Times access via a subscription, you should have access to the news and the food without a special user name and password. A few months ago I was terribly frustrated with the Times app on my tablet (or was it my cell phone?) and deleted it in a fit of pique, then gave it a horrid review in the Google Play Store. Within hours a Times person had responded in public, asking me to contact them. By the time it was all done they had reviewed my subscription and improved my access for all features from all devices, and I haven't had a lick of trouble since. If you're having trouble with access, I recommend you contact them. Like kayb, I'm already a subscriber, delighted to be so, and planning to continue as long as I can afford it. Like Anna N, I'm not sure I would pay $60/year for the privilege of access to their cooking material alone. None of my print magazine subscriptions is so expensive.

@newchef, this may be an obvious point but I'll make it in case you haven't thought of it: I find that portioning dishes with liquids or sauces into the bag, then freezing the bag, and THEN vacuum sealing makes all the difference between a mess and a good seal. @Lisa Shock, is there anything special that needs to be done with the cooked beans before freezing and vacuum-packing them? I know that cooked potatoes must be mashed before freezing to avoid the weird texture you describe, and I wonder whether there are similar things needed for beans: for instance, freezing with the pot liquor or making sure they're well-drained. I may be able to use this trick in the next couple of days, in preparation for a trip.

I'm afraid I'm in the "too many books" camp, and that blog post has me nailed. Her first rule made me laugh with rueful self-recognition: "Don't open the book. Once you open the book - you are screwed - that looks good, I'll make that some day...". That is exactly what happens to me every time I start to cull. I just made my annual Friends of the Library donation and sent a couple dozen cookbooks, along with even more non-cookbooks, to find new homes and make a few bucks for the library. There are at least 5 books still on my shelf that I opened, looked at, thought "oh yeah, I wanted to make that!" and put back. This time around I marked the recipes. I am getting better, however, at using the "let this book go free so somebody else can enjoy it" attitude.

What are the white streaks in the horse salami? Horse fat?

That protein looks unfortunately similar to some overcooked pork we had a couple of weeks ago. There wasn't a bit of fat in that cut, and by the time it had been cooked it had the consistency of cotton. I'm impressed with the rice wine. Last year when I spent several days at the hospital, the food was surprisingly good and could be selected from the menu. (I've forgotten the specific dishes, or I'd elaborate.) However, there was no wine or beer to be had. I was met with amused smiles when I mentioned that shortcoming. :-D

I use it over pasta, with and without a protein such as chicken or lamb. I also use it to fill out/spice up pilafs with said proteins. I think I've even used it with chicken and no rice or pasta.