Smithy

That looks and sounds like an excellent dish. Thank you for the tutorial!

The macrons are a joy to look at, simply for their color. On the breakfast platter there appear to be 3 meats, with 2 placed between the Lurpak butter (nice to see a familiar friend) and the cheese slices. One is roughly the color of smoked salmon. Is that it? What about the other? Is good coffee available there, or is it more of a tea-drinking society?

I think your discussion about dual fuel is directed to Alex, but I'll clarify in case I'm mistaken: the Samsung dual oven I discussed above is dual only in the sense of becoming one or two oven chambers. It is strictly a gas oven and range.

What fun! Please tell more about the fried cheese app. Do you know what kind of cheese? What sort of coating did it have? eta: How was the calamari?

I tagged along with my best friend and her husband earlier this year while they shopped for a new oven and range. This Samsung Flex Duo Oven gave me a serious case case of oven envy. I bought the electric version of this 6 years ago when we remodeled our kitchen. I have liked the double oven arrangement, because within limits you can run the two compartments at different temperatures; on the other hand, you can remove the divider and operate the oven as a single standard-sized oven. This new iteration is a significant improvement over mine in two ways: first, the obvious advantage is that it's gas; second; the door now is articulated so that you can just open the top half if you wish. (The middle hinge is operated by a special latch built into the door handle; it's easy to operate but doesn't seem likely to be operated by accident.) Mine has a single door, so you lose heat to both compartments when you just want to check the upper compartment. The range looks like it would be easy to clean and control; it includes a good low-heat simmering burner and a high-heat burner of impressive BTU's. The grate includes a removable wok cradle to hold a round-bottomed wok over the burner. My friends couldn't see themselves using the double oven option, so saved around $1000 by buying the single-chamber version of this unit. They've had their new kitchen for less than a month, but so far they are delighted with their purchase.

Le trou Normand* as an offering at McD's? Now there's a concept! *"The Norman hole"

Do keep in mind liuzhou's comment above, that he has no trouble with tomatoes in his hand-operated blender. If "around town" doesn't help you, Amazon probably will. Good luck!

That truly explains everything. Reminds me of language lessons my pub mates used to give me, trying to teach me how to talk proper in York. We had a fine time of it.

Readers may also enjoy checking out this 2005 foodblog for more Derby ideas: eG Foodblog: zilla369 - Derby Eats, Derby Week: Louisville, KY

No. I put them into a small casserole dish that was set atop the trivet. (I had rinsed them before cutting, so there was a very small amount of water clinging to the skins - a trivial contribution of liquid, I think.) The instruction booklet said to add "at least 1 cup of water" for steaming vegetables, so I added 1 cup to the bottom of the stainless steel insert. That was enough to cover the bottom of the insert but not enough to submerge the trivet. Further information, though you didn't ask: the booklet said to cook the chunks of potato from 7 to 9 minutes with quick release. I split the difference at 8 minutes. For this purpose, using red (waxy) potatoes that would be cooked again later, 7 minutes might have been adequate.

My day is complete; I've learned something new. Now I'll just have to find the wine and try some.

Over in the Dinner topic, @BonVivant posted an image of a Riesling labeled "Brut". Now that sounds like something I'd like to try - but I've never seen it. The cork in the image suggests that it's a sparkling wine. Is it?

@BonVivant, you post some fine-looking meals, and drinks to go with them. What sort of seasonings go into the Saumagen?

After months of not having access to my Instant Pot, I was glad to have it for a curried vegetable and pork dinner last night. We had a bag of mixed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) that needed a bit of trimming to cut into smaller pieces, several tomatoes getting ready to go south, and a surfeit of potatoes. We had a single large pork steak. ("What do you plan to eat?" asked my darling, who is of the meat-centric persuasion.) I cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and pressure-cooked them for 8 minutes using the bowl-within-a-bowl method. During that time I cut the tomatoes and pork into bite-sized chunks, finely diced an onion, and seasoned the meat with a mixture of Madras curry powder and additional turmeric, cumin and ground ginger. After the potatoes came out, it was time to saute. Half the onions went in to sweat, and then the meat went in. (I suppose I needed to review the directions better: only after the saute was midway did I re-learn that "HOT" means it's ready, not that it's overheating. I'd have preferred for the meat to be more brown.) After the meat had begun to to warm and lose its pink edges, I added the mixed vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes and remaining onions, along with a can of coconut milk and about 1/3 of that can's worth of water. I locked the lid, and set the pot to a short soup/stew cycle. The soup/stew setting took forever to begin counting: some 10 to 15 minutes, I think, but after that it went on its merry 20 minute way as I went mine - setting the table, giving a countdown to dinner, and cleaning the few prep dishes. Here's the result. The top view is in the Instant Pot; the bottom is one serving. This was pretty good for winging it with unfamiliar equipment. It was too watery - that 1/3 can of water was unnecessary - and even the 20-minute soup/stew cycle overcooked the vegetables a bit. Iraqi flat bread did a fine job of soaking up the juices. Nobody felt deprived over the small amount of meat. Everyone was delighted at the small number of dishes that needed to be cleaned up. I'll be refining this idea.

I love the light in the dining room - and all the counter space in the kitchen. It looks like a wonderful place to work and relax!

Similar hand-operated blenders are available on Amazon. I bought this one in 2014 and it's still going strong, but its current version seems to be unjustifiably expensive. Hand-operated blenders that look like liuzhou's show up on the same page.

If only we'd known! I'll keep that in mind for future trips.

We had an eggplant taking up space in the refrigerator. There were potatoes and onions in the overhead baskets. There were tomatoes in the on-counter baskets. What to do with all that stuff? The potatoes and onions could be fine until we get home, but the rest would not last. I began thawing the last package of beef chorizo from Arizona, set a pot of water with lemon juice to boil, and went to work slicing. A trick I've picked up from Charmaine Solomon's Complete Vegetarian Cookbook is to boil sliced or cubed eggplant in water, with lemon juice if I remember it, instead of microwaving, frying or broiling those pieces. I agree with her that the boiled eggplant is sweeter and silkier than by those other methods. My only difficulty is getting it drained thoroughly afterward. I haven't quite got that down yet. This time I counted on that liquid to help cook the potatoes. I layered very thin slices of potato, onion, and tomato with the boiled and drained eggplant and the chorizo. I added a bit of half and half to help provide something for the potatoes to start cooking. The whole thing went into the oven for a good long bake. It's getting cool, and the hot oven helps warm the trailer. We went for a walk, exploring the park and enjoying being near a river after the deserts' aridity. When the potatoes were done I removed the lid, added cheese, and put the dish back in the oven until we were ready to eat. This was a gratifying dinner: easy, cheap, and good enough to our tastes that I'll do it again. If I'm feeding people who don't like hot seasonings then a less spicy meat would be appropriate. I'd like to work out a way to have less liquid in the finished product. The next morning we loaded the trailer and hit the road again. We won't unpack the back area (the "dining room") until we get home now, so our living space is cut roughly in half. We drove into Iowa and stayed at a casino that has a huge RV park. The first time we stayed here it was Terrible's Casino (named for its association with Terrible Herbst Oil, a Nevada-based company) and the camping fee was $20/night for water, electricity and sewer. Campers got a rebate in the form of a $10 chit for gambling tokens. In this new incarnation as the Lakeside Casino the rebate has been eliminated. $20 for water, 50A electricity and sewer is still a bargain. The scenery around the park is entertaining, too. We did a minimalist setup, walked, relaxed, and went to the casino for dinner. They had an all-you-can-eat buffet for around $20/person. After we'd ordered away from the buffet I was almost sorry for not accepting its invitation to gluttony. There were 3 or 4 kinds of beef steak; pork steaks, chops and roast; ribs, chicken, spring rolls, tamales, taco and burrito fixings, stir-fried vegetables, steamed vegetables, salads, potatoes of several types, rice...and a glorious dessert table. If we'd paid the money we would have felt obligated to take a bit of everything. Our choices were more pragmatic and less expensive: Barbecue bacon cheese burger, with crispy onions strings (and, alas, soggy french fries) for him. The burger was huge: with two beef patties, he almost regretted ordering it. It was good, though, and the onion strings were delicious and delicately crisp. We'd have been pleased to be able to take home a bag of those. I'd be pleased to know how to make them. I ordered an Awesome Chicken Sandwich, our bartender's favorite, and it was well named. The chicken breast was perfectly fried: crispy without being dried out, and nicely seasoned. Chipotle mayonnaise was the dressing. Generous amounts of tomato, onion, dill pickle and peppery baby greens (arugula?) were the perfect accompaniment. My fries were also soggy. That made it easier not to eat them all. We learned an interesting fact about Iowa's casino bar rules. Our bartender was ovewhelmed with work and finally got help behind the counter. When my darling asked for a second beer, the new man said, "I'll have to check with her to see if it's been 20 minutes yet." We puzzled over his statement until he came back with the beer and explained. In Iowa, casinos may not serve alcoholic beverages to customers at a rate faster than one every 20 minutes! We can see some logic behind it; no doubt there have been lawsuits to recoup gambling losses based on the accusation of casino-encouraged inebriation. Nonetheless, the impulse to test the logic was irresistible. "What happens if someone orders a double every 20 minutes?" my darling challenged. "We can't serve doubles at all, sir," was the response. "What happens if someone orders a beer every 20 minutes for 24 hours?" I rolled my eyes. I don't remember the answer.

I think you're safe staying away from an avocado topping with this bread pudding; to me it doesn't sound like a good combination. If you want fruit, would ripe mangoes be a possibility? What about shredded coconut? I personally detest coconut, but it's a popular flavor for many people. I think a nut topping of some sort would taste better than the fruit topping. Something like the almond topping you're trying to work out in the Almond Paste Topping topic might be very good. Finally, I think you could consider a simple crumb topping (often called "streusel"). Here are some topics to give you ideas: Streusel problems (don't let the title scare you; there are a lot of good recipes and suggestions in there) How do you make a better coffee cake crumb topping?

Suddenly, I'm very glad I have the Wi-Fi version.

I never purchased that book, but I looked through it many times in bookstores. First of all, I think "Manifold Destiny" is one of the all-time best American pun titles. Second, I loved that it gave cooking times in miles instead of hours and minutes.

Toto, I've a feeling we're in Kansas. We've been in the state a few days, at a couple of different parks. We left New Mexico last Sunday and headed northeast, clipping the corners of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, making it a 4-state drive day. We stayed one night at a fishing lake, and ate leftovers. The next day we drove northeast again and passed through Liberal: the self-proclaimed home of Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz. We found an Army Corps of Engineers campground between Wichita and Topeka, and pulled in. This campground isn't technically open yet, but they're getting it ready and the gates were open. We were welcome to stay at no charge, and since we're self-contained it was a welcome bargain. The woods are green and the flowers are budding. We've traded desert color for midwestern spring flowers, and as we go north the seasons will roll back even further. We ate leftovers from the freezer one night - chili, I think. Dinner last night was the leftover chili cheese fries and brussels sprouts; his was accompanied by toast. I also set some cranberry beans to cook. The finished product is unlovely, but aren't the raw beans beautiful? I haven't decided on tonight's dinner but it will be the last time we eat in our 'dining room' until we get home. Starting tomorrow we'll be driving each day, and it isn't worth unpacking the back room so we have a dining room. Our goal is to be home on Saturday, after the current snow(!)storm clears and before the next one hits. It isn't the weather we'd hoped for our homecoming, but our schedule is set.

Photos here will be welcome if you can manage, Chris. It looks like a fun place for vicarious shopping.

You've seen these pictures already, but I'll show a composite again as a refresher. We looked at that trailer tongue protruding from a concrete foundation, and the building apparently built around a trailer, and decided that we had to ask about the structure. Besides, we were jonesing for 'cue. We climbed the steps and went inside. Yep, it's a concession trailer with a building around it! When they opened for business on 2 September 2016, it was just the trailer. (It's still taxed as a concession trailer. I assume that's an advantage over being taxed as a restaurant.) The young man greeted us cheerily and invited us to look around and have a seat: there are three tables of varying sizes, and extra chairs for people to sit as they wait for their take-out orders. What would we like to eat? We learned about the brisket. It's cooked on the premises every day, mixed with his and his wife's own sauce of melted butter, herbs, salt and pepper (and vinegar?) and rewarmed upon demand. Barbecue sauce of their own devising is served with it. The meat is usually dipped in the sauce when served, but we could have the sauce on the side. We could buy brisket sandwiches, or buy brisket by the pound to take home. Take a close look at this menu. Build your own burrito! Pick your meat, pick your additions - what kind of cheese, chili, other fillers. Brisket in a burrito? I'd never had that. While we were looking over the menu the owner chatted on. He was a merry man, full of jokes and stories. He had been in the U.S. Navy, first on a destroyer and then on an aircraft carrier. While we were chatting another customer came in, and the talk came round to military service experience. Then it came back to food, sort of. "Do you know what a MOAB is?" he asked us. I thought quickly. I was fairly sure he was punning on, but not directly referring to, the military ordinance currently going by that nickname. "Mother Of All Burritos?" I guessed. He laughed. I had guessed correctly. This particular burrito involved 5 extra-large tortillas overlapping each other to make a long wrap, some of each meat, some of each filling, and so on. If I recall correctly, it had weighed 5 pounds. He's considered putting something like that up on the menu, but decided against it. How would he charge for that? How many people would be needed to order one? I'd expected us to order brisket sandwiches for lunch, but my darling surprised me. "Let's get brisket to go for dinner tonight, and some chili cheese fries to tide us over until then." I was quietly dismayed. I have never, ever liked chili cheese fries. The cognitive dissonance of putting something heavy and gooey over long, thin fried potatoes is just too great to sound appealing. Then again, I haven't had chili cheese fries since I was about 8 years old, at an age when I didn't like chili under any circumstance. Maybe I'd been missing something. The proprietor assured us that he and his wife make the fries fresh with each order, make the chili on the premises, and offer a choice of cheese. I considered ordering regular fries for myself, but decided to keep an open mind. We placed our order, and he began adding up the charges. "Is either of you a veteran?" My darling is. "Well, that's a 10% discount!" The young man and his wife believe strongly that Service personnel (including domestic service people like firefighters and peace officers), who have given to their country, deserve something in return. Then he handed my darling a permanent marker. "The only condition is that you sign our wall." My darling signed. More customers came in. One warned us that the food was plentiful. A burger from this place was a four-hour affair, and he was still full from yesterday's experience. "I'll be eating lightly today!" Our brisket came before the chili cheese fries. The conversation was fun while we waited. Eventually, our chili cheese fries arrived. We boggled and goggled. If you are grossed out by fats and carbs, look away. Now. This was a paean to glorious excess. In my mind, the only thing wrong with it was - well, everything about its dietary implications. The chili was tangy - a little sweet, with a little bite, but not too much of either. The cheeses (I had asked for both cheddar and jack) were melted just the right amount, and a nice counterbalance to the chili flavor. I decided that my cognitive dissonance could be overcome. Everything about this was delicious, if you aren't horrified by fat and carbs. While we gamely struggled with our "light lunch", the owner expounded on the fries. He said that he or his wife cuts the potato when an order comes, not a moment before. They only use Idaho Russet potatoes. No other potato has the right starch content. Judging by the size of this order, I'd say they must use "jumbo baker" sized Idaho Russets. When people ask for crispy fries, he said, he warns them that the fries will turn black. Apparently the owners don't rinse the surface starch off or mess around with double frying or other steps that have been discussed in these forums to produce crispy golden fries. On the other hand, this is honest potato - not the extruded stuff so common in fast food joints. Eventually, we gave up the struggle and saved the rest for later. About half the order of chili cheese fries remained. I was very glad I hadn't ordered plain fries for myself. We bundled it all up, thanked them, wished them well, and went home. Not shown: the almost-pint of barbecue sauce, and a separate container of pickles and onion slices. This is the sort of place I would expect to have featured on Jane and Michael Stern's Road Food series. The food was good and excessively plentiful, the people are friendly, and the place is conveniently located on U.S. Highway 54 - a highway with enough traffic to support business but not so heavily traveled as an Interstate Freeway with its frequent fast-food-chain joints. It's inexpensive. The entire bill, with our 10% discount, was $15. We hope they do well, but we fear that they undercharge. Clearly, they're enjoying themselves. We wish them the best of luck.

In addition to Amazon, most kitchen stores I've seen now carry the silicone lids. I think Bed, Bath and Beyond carries them as well.