Smithy

I seem to be an outlier regarding the V-slicer design. I tried one (by OXO, I think) and found that the apex made a pinch point right at the thickest part of the vegetable in question. Things jammed there. I took it back. The single angled blade makes the most sense to me. Can't comment on the Bron or Benriner, either one.

What a great story, @HungryChris - how nice to see the holiday spirit brought into the work place! @liuzhou, I've never seen peppercorns so fresh that they were still on the branch. Thanks especially for that photo, and for the happy story.

@Jon Savage and other respondents, the entire duck idea was rejected by this group, but I'm grateful for the information. I'll serve duck at another time, with another crowd, and be pleased to have these guidelines.

I love the pull out pantry! It was massively useful - as in a wonderful use of a narrow space - back when I had one.

I had to go back and re-find the original reference to catfish in this context, so I could get the "invisible leftover" reference. Glad I did.

Hello, Skyclad, and welcome to eGullet! I can't answer your question, but if nobody comes along quickly to help, you may find the answer in this topic on Making Limoncello.

Not just from hard boiled eggs! Do not cook eggs in the microwave unless the yolk is thoroughly scrambled/whipped/beaten (choose your method) to eliminate air pockets. Some of our favorite family lore is about how Dad learned that the hard way. One egg exploded inside the microwave; the other waited until his guest began to eat it. :-D

@Shelby, that might be almost the right era for those spoons. @IowaDee, you're very close. I took a break from the desert and drove to San Diego to visit my best friend and part of her family. She and her husband recently returned from a career overseas and I am delighted to have them back in the country. (I had hoped to arrive in time to scoop up my friend and her son, if he was interested, and get to @FrogPrincesse's daughter's Christmas market, but I didn't arrive with enough time or energy to make the drive to the other end of San Diego.) One of the weekend's festivities was the annual party for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. It's a pot luck lunch, a fundraiser, and a chance for the Peace Corps folks to make plans for the next year. The lunch was an excellent feast, and I wish I'd taken photos. Many people brought foods from the countries where they had served. My friend's son, just back from Senegal, brought an excellent mafé and there was at least one more peanut stew; there were South American foods and Indian foods and foods from various parts of the South Pacific. The fundraiser was a silent auction. People could bid on trips, restaurant or zoo tickets, or various items: clothing, basketry, gift baskets, pottery, and so on...some new, some donated from people's households as they downsized. Those of you who have been reading along know that I'm a sucker for gadgetry and cookware. I perused the tables, saw some major bargains, thought "it's for a good cause!" and bid. Some items I bid on because they were appealing and I couldn't stand to see them orphaned with no bids. Some items I truly wanted, and watched to see if I was outbid. When the time came, I found that I'd won the bids on: A Christmas basket that included a bottle of wine, carefully wrapped (we drank it at my friends' house, and I left the basket with them); Some fun Egyptian mugs that I would never have bought in Egypt for myself; A small but heavy wooden spice grinder and spice box ("Oh, Nance," exclaimed my friend, "if we'd known you'd want that we'd have given it to you instead of donating it!") and A beautifully basketed collection titled "Let's Cook!" I left this basket behind too, and my friends will use it or give it away. Look at what-all was included! The colored stripey things at the upper left are place mats made of fine wooden sticks, the kind that roll up easily. I couldn't resist. All that stuff - and a Guatemalan handbag, not shown - set me back $38. As I was paying at the checkout table, a woman came up, spotted the "Let's Cook!" basket and said, "Oh, good! I was hoping somebody would give that a good home. I've had those salad servers since my Peace Corp stint in Romania, in the early '60's. I thought it was time to let somebody else enjoy them." My friend's husband is only semi-retired, and was away during most of my visit. I stayed an extra day in order to see him. Bless him, he brought a gift! I'm not sure what the binding agent is other than honey, but these are sweet, crunchy, nutty, delicious little bites of sesame seeds and nuts. Lovely stuff.

There are other campsites nearby that have been in use over the years. This one isn't right for our rig, but is good for tent campers. We've never seen anyone in it, but there's a rotting lawn chair, some nice logs suitable for supports of some kind, an old fire ring with weeds growing up through it, and stones moved around to give a landscaping effect. I spotted a small shopping basket just at the edge of the clearing, went to investigate, and found this: Cool, huh? It's larger than any of my clay cookware; I think it would accommodate 2 chickens. I considered giving it a home. Would somebody be back for it? Then I realized that the base is cracked. It's still the right size to fit in our fire ring. I've been wishing I had something that needed a slow roast in the embers: eggplant, for instance. I don't. We'll be moving in a couple of days. I've left it in place for someone else to use, if they wish. If it's still here next time we come, I'll put more creative thought into using it.

We've been out in the desert for a couple of weeks, finally in an area where we can have campfires when it isn't too windy. We've had a few wind storms (it's blowing again right now, but supposed to grow quieter this evening) but also some beautiful weather. There's an art to building a fire ring suitable for cooking something more than hot dogs on sticks, and my darling is pretty good at it. The main tricks are to build the ring with an opening so wood can be added after the grate is down, to have the grate support at the right height above the fire, and to have a level top so the grate can be level. I've seen manufactured rings that allow the grate height to be adjustable. We aren't quite that enterprising; we simply adjust the fuel instead. One of his favorites is hash: potatoes, onions, and some sort of sausage. I think this particular sausage was a leftover from Louisiana. (Yes, we still have some!) I prefer fireside salads, when possible. This one had potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus and seasoned chicken, all cooked in a grill wok then tossed over fresh spinach. A lemon and garlic vinaigrette completed the ensemble. There's a story behind the new salad servers. I'll tell it in another post.

Arthritis is indeed awful. I don't suffer from it, but some of my family members do. After my father passed away, my mother, sister and I took to doing a "Ladies' Weekend Out" to someplace my mother wanted to see. As her mobility and energy decreased we began to consider renting an RV that would accommodate her needs and shorten the distance from restaurant to bedroom. As it happened, her final illness came before we had the opportunity to try a road trip in an RV together - but I know the possibilities are there. As the Baby Boomers continue to age and retire, I suspect the opportunities will improve. Traveling allows one to see interesting sites. This is a little exercise area at a truck stop in Gila Bend, Arizona, where we stopped to fuel up and eat. I don't remember what we ate. Probably sandwiches.

Welcome, Bryce! You'll find a lot of like minds around here - from those who enjoy figuring out the whys and wherefores to those who simply want to appreciate the results. I assume you've started diving into the forums already. If you have any questions about where to find things or how to post, feel free to ask a host privately by PM (Personal Messenger) or publicly in the Moderation and Policy Discussion forum. Have you taken any steps into the Modernist Cuisine world yet - for instance, acquired equipment? Books?

Thanks so much for this photo! I really wanted to see your booth, and I'll bet I'm not the only one. The copper jelly pot is a nice touch. Did you feel like you had to watch it carefully to make sure it didn't walk away?

@Shelby, we've never had trouble finding that size prime rib at (a) a butcher's willing to cut one for us or (b) the meat section of a good grocery store, again willing to cut it if necessary. Have you asked? I agree that a pre-cooked prime rib, unless it's from a good smokehouse , is a travesty.

Funny, I'd forgotten all about that approach. I did it a few times, inspired by excellent meals at Lawry's Prime Rib Restaurant back in my L.A. days. The salt collects the juices and turns into a hard crust that seasons the exterior of the meat. It probably also affects the heat propagation through the roast. I remember it being delicious. I'm not sure it would be any better than my current approach of seasoning the exterior, searing it and then cooking the roast at high heat until the interior is 110 or so: What does the Oregonian article say about the salt crust, the method and its benefits? I might try that again for a comparison.

Will you be able to vent to the outside? I think this is critical for odor and grease control regardless of the heat source.

This is basically it. We have a cutting board rigged to act as extra counter space, but it extends the peninsula so much (over the trash bin at the lower right) that I've taken it down for the nonce to give us more room. I'll cheerfully show other shots (even of open drawers and cupboards) if anyone's interested. I don't think I've shown the 'dining room' (also known as a spare bedroom, or a garage, depending on how it's set up at the time) but the light's too bad right now. I'll have to look around online and see what "Tiny House" ideas I might be able to steal. Thanks for that.

I think rental is an excellent idea. There are least two RV rental companies whose rentals I see frequently on the road. I've never investigated their pricing, though. I am terrible at planning for meals more than a day in advance. The pantry and refrigerator are well-stocked to the point of being overstocked, but that doesn't stop us from picking up new odds and ends anyway. We like testing out the local specialty foods (fresh seafood on the Gulf, locally produced sausages in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, 'cue in Texas) and almost always overbuy. I still have scallops, catfish and shrimp in the freezer even though we left the Gulf behind before Thanksgiving. We may manage to stick to meal plans about half the time. On travel days we plan in the morning what to cook that night, and let it thaw during the day. Those are always easy meals, because by the time we're set up I'm not likely to want to do anything fancy. A package of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, with one of the cherished sausages chopped up into it, is an example. When we're stationary and the weather behaves as forecast I'm more likely to be able to plan: if we know it's going to be cool and windy then I can plan for a cozy warm-oven or warm-stove meal. We've had a lot of those lately, and it's given me the opportunity to use up odds and ends. On a recent cool, windy day I decided on stuffed baked squash. We still had a couple of carnival squash that needed to be cooked before they died. We had chorizo and corn in the freezer. I had leftover red pepper sauce from making crawfish (shrimp) samosas from Acorns & Cattails, @gfron1's book. There was cheese. We traded 4 containers of bits-and-pieces for 2 containers of leftovers. This was more or less planned, although of my own design. On another windy, cool day I set out to try a book I picked up last spring. The Border Cookbook is an interesting read and has lovely-looking recipes, but for some reason I haven't actually tried to cook from it. I picked a recipe that would use some chicken and peppers, and another for Mexican red rice. First check: all I had was carnaroli rice! I've used up all my basmati, and I only packed 2 types of rice. My careful plans quickly turned into a very loose riff - following the recipe the way, say, a cross-country ATV ride would compare to a AAA planned route. The Jamisons probably wouldn't recognize their instructions. Still, it was good - and emptied some more cupboard stock. I still can't find any extra space. It must be around here somewhere.

I had to drop out for a bit and deal with Life issues - those things that happen whether you're traveling or not, but can be even more inconvenient when you're away from normal Home Turf. I am thrilled to see the questions and interest! Most of the questions have been aptly addressed already, but I can add a few comments. As @kayb noted, there is an extensive network of horse-trailering campers. We spent time last spring camped next to such a rig. I hadn't realized before then that horse trailers could also have living facilities, but this one did. We saw our neighbors in the evening, either attending to their horses or sitting outside after dinner, but during a week's stay we saw them only once during the day when they were giving the horses a rest. We have seen many campgrounds with special camping areas for horse folks...but as kayb notes: We have both ridden and enjoyed it, but are not horse owners ourselves. I'm happy with the idea of finding a riding stable occasionally. Regarding the issue of rig configuration and kitchen size, let me tell the evolution of our setup. (This story may already have been told, but it was many posts ago.) A year or two before my husband retired, he bought a used camper that rode on the back of our pickup. The camper had a small kitchen, a bed over the cab, a dinette table that could convert to another bed, and a small bathroom with a toilet and sink and a shower head. We camped in that and I cooked well in that kitchen, but as often as not I set up an outdoor kitchen with the venerable Coleman stove I'd inherited from my family, a small barbecue grill and a lantern. That arrangement worked quite well for our summer camping trips that lasted a week or three. It was especially good for letting us go along backwoods dirt roads and get close to good fishing lakes. After our first trek across the US (Los Angeles to Duluth in 7 fun-filled days and 6 dark nights!) we agreed that we liked the travel well enough to pursue it for longer stretches when possible, but we wanted more room. We began the search. We already had a good tow vehicle, so the question of RV (van/motorhome) vs. trailer didn't come up at the time. By the time we found something with a kitchen that I considered suitable for weeks or months on the road, we were up to a 37' used 5th-wheel trailer. (That's 3 trailers ago now.) I admit it freely: I don't seem to be as willing as @Nancy in Pátzcuaro to put up with very limited space. The price we pay is that our larger rigs won't go places that the smaller ones will. Nancy, I do hope you'll post about your adventures next time you bring out the RV - and @quiet1, if you join the club I hope you'll post about it too! We have looked over the years at RV's. An advantage that hasn't been mentioned is that if one person takes a hankering for a sandwich or a nap while on the road, most RV's allow access to a kitchen or couch without having to stop the vehicle. (Not all do, however; you have to look at how they're set up when their glides are pulled in.) Most larger RV's that we see are towing a small vehicle for easy mobility while camped. We think our current arrangement has more space and mobility for less money overall, but the equation may change with the size of the motorhome or van, so that a small RV would involve less capital outlay than a small tow vehicle and trailer. @quiet1, mobility can be an issue. My mother, in her final years, was barely able to get up the steps of our last trailer. The steps of this one would defeat her utterly. We do have to consider the weather when we decide to leave for the day. If we're someplace with electricity we can leave the air conditioner running for the comfort of our 4-footed family. Right now we aren't, but it isn't terribly hot. A trailer doesn't heat up (or cool down) as quickly as a car, so our gang stays comfortable with the right combination of vents and shades. One of the nice things about travel is seeing how the country changes. Consider the lush greenery of Avery Island, above. Now consider the transition from east to west, as we moved through Texas and New Mexico, and into Tucson, Arizona: We pulled into a favorite park for a couple of days. Tucson is a good place to restock on groceries, and we always love to visit the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. So far we've learned something new at every visit. Consider this item: We ate lunch at their Ironwood Grill. The restaurants have been remodeled and are under new management. I thought they were good last year, but there seems to be more emphasis on local and sustainable food sources than before. I discovered, too late, that they offered tamales and interesting salads featuring local foods. I might have gone for one of those, but I'd already opted for my favorite: a green chili burger. My darling had a brisket sandwich. Brisket was a surprise in that country. The meat was very tender and juicy, but we weren't crazy about the too-sweet sauce that bathed the brisket. (That yellow stuff is mustard for his fries.) We met a couple of park volunteers who were great fun, and invited them over for dinner and a thoroughly enjoyable evening of conversation. I don't have pictures of that dinner, but in this kitchen - using great care sequencing, and using a lot of time - I concocted oven-roasted pork steaks, pan-grilled potatoes, a salad with a variety of dressings (everyone chose the Caesar dressing from this recipe) and fresh bread. They brought beer and wine: a sampler of Alaska Brewery beers, Ghost Pines Red Blend, and a Bota Box blend titled RedVolution. Here's the after-the-fact evidence, for reference for others of you who enjoy complex, dryish, inexpensive red wines. The wine bottle had a very cool a wiggle-picture advert on a loop around its neck. A good time was had by all.

I bought a vacuum-packer last summer and have been amazed at how ridiculously fun it is to vacuum-pack things. Who knew? It certainly added to our freezer load, and hence our waistlines. Welcome back, Ben. Here's hoping we see you around a lot: first as an enabled, and then - if you really have a lot of fun - joining the ranks of enablers. If you have any questions about forum changes since you were last here, feel free to PM a host or to ask in the Moderation and Policy Discussion forum.

Thanks for that recommendation, kayb. We didn't get that way this time around, but we have taken 55 in the past. I'll add Middendorf's to our stop list. I hope you recover soon!

That can cooker looks huge: 5 or 10 gallons' worth. Why such a large vessel? Do I spy some fry pans on that back wall also, to the leftof the can cooker? It looks like a good All-Clad stainless skillet near the lower left of the board. I see what you mean about a nice fatty doe. Do you use the fat for anything?

Hmm, no more deer photos for the day. I hope the hunters aren't regretting that they passed up those shots this morning. By now you're all probably stupefied with a fabulous pasta dinner. Incidentally, I wish I'd had such a photo tutorial the first time I shot a deer. My hunting buddies were nowhere around. I had seen the process in previous years but never done it myself. I worked at one end until I ran out of ideas, then worked at the other, then back again. I kept wondering where the heck the hearts and lungs were, until I realized that the diaphragm was blocking my view of those organs.

Thank you, Okanagancook! I'm glad to see that recipe. I suspect I'll have access to okra again in the next few months. This sounds very good. Susan, how nice to see you here! I have often wondered - and I am not the only one - how you're doing and whether The Cabin is still in your lives. (I know I speak for more than just myself when I say I'd love to see cabin updates again - hint, hint. ) Yes, I'm retired from my full-time job and we spend the winters on the road...but still live in Duluth during the summer months. We have generally gone home for a month in the winter as well - without the trailer - but haven't decided whether we'll do that this year.

Those are darling! It's a good thing I don't live near you. I'd lose all hope of maintaining a decent weight.