Smithy

You lost me at the peas, but I agree that the blanquette as prescribed sounds like a snowy winter's nightmare. (Is there any chance the word 'blanquette' refers to whiteness, or is 'blanc' a false cognate?) This is good reading, and I enjoy the laughs as well as the insights. 'Poor workmen blame their tools in French as well as English', indeed!

Asparagus.

There is also the latent heat of condensation to be considered when comparing steam to boiling water. It's a factor in burns. Would it not also be a factor in steaming vs. boiling potatoes?

Welcome, Melisande. Can you tell more about the food technology in which you specialize? I imagine the term "food technology" can mean anything from special breeding techniques and/or genetic manipulation to modernist cookery equipment. I'm curious about where you fit in. Do you like to cook for yourself? If so, what sort of food and how do you like to cook it?

Did you order your chiles from the Hatch Chile store again this year? I think a lot of us would be pleased to read about this year's party.

@HungryChris, I followed your link, thinking "oh good, this is a place we MUST visit next time we're in Louisiana, even if it's hundreds of miles out of the way!" I had forgotten that you are in Italy at present. I'll just have to suffer the pangs of envy.

That's a fun video. I wish he'd included a recipe for that Caprese torte.

Thanks for those video links. I must say the first one that @Shel_B linked to was more entertaining than the video in @btbyrd's link, but that second video almost convinces me to buy a siphon! Approximately how long will the fizzed fruit last before it outgases? Does it revert to its original texture at that point, or go limp?

Well, it looks pretty (except the croutons).

The food scene so far doesn't seem impressive! I hope it improves for you.

I didn't know about the freeze-and-store trick; thanks for that. Please elaborate on the green tomato relish. Dad reminisced fondly about the "chow chow" using green tomatoes that his mother would make toward the end of the season. By that time Nana was long passed, so I could never ask her about it. References to chow chow in, say, The Joy of Cooking haven't sounded like the same thing. Your green tomato relish just might be it, since you and she hail from the same part of the country.

What sort of sauce would be favored for cavatelli, ProfessionalHobbit? Asked another way: what would be the application for this particular dough and shape?

I think your basic idea is a good one. The slow cooker can maintain a low temperature, but all of mine at "high" are hot enough to boil water...that is, something slightly over 212F. I'd go for 200F if the oven control dial goes that low; otherwise I'd use the lowest possible setting. A heavy pot (hence the Dutch oven, or a clay pot) will help smooth any temperature fluctuations.

@shain, very cool banana photo. Please continue the photos as it grows; I'd love to see the process.

A lot of cities now have edible plants as ornamentation; fruit trees and herbs line the sidewalks and walkways of places I've visited. @Wayne, might that be an option for you? @gfron1, is that a possibility for you in St. Louis, or are you looking for wilder areas? If I recall correctly, you were recently in the Los Angeles area taking a course related to this.

Their new web site has the advert as a banner across the top, and I've followed the link to check it out. It does look interesting. It's expensive, of course, but that's me being a tightwad, and expense is a relative thing. For instance, 2 meals for 2 people in my test scenario came out to $61: $29 for oven-roasted chicken shawarma and $32 for glazed salmon. The photos, of course, look wonderful. I'm pretty sure I could do either of those for less money, but I'm pretty sure either would cost more at a restaurant around here. I may try it; if so, I'll post back here. I hope someone tries it out and reports here!

Mouse melons! What are those like? Do you eat them whole, like kumquats or grapes?

As someone who got an extensive sneak-peek at the book* I want to confirm that the book is not specific to a given region. Some of the recipes are specific to items he foraged in his own area, but many focus on foods that can be foraged (or farmed or hunted) in very different parts of the world, and the ethics are universal. It's also fun to read. *Like Shalmanese, I appreciated the shout out.

I thought you already had a buyer. Did that fall through, or is it just taking more time than expected? Many congratulations on the publication of the book! It's been a long time in the development. I can hardly wait to hold the finished product in person!

Welcome! What sort of food do you like? Do you like to cook it, or do you prefer to eat other people's cooking?

Hmm, in that case maybe a better option would be plain fries with a dipping sauce. Not what they're after, of course, but it sounds more manageable.

That food looks spectacular. I can understand wanting to try a new restaurant, but Winslow's Tavern doesn't look like a hardship!

Thanks for that link. I guess that explains the name! Too bad their execution - at least, for those you tried - is as bad as their grasp of geography. (The San Joaquin Valley isn't over there. ) Still, I think I'd like to try something with the flavors described by @blue_dolphin from the Gilroy paper's article.

I'm with you on the fried garlic (if that's how they did it) as well as the likely non-provenance of the garlic.

Let's hope Gilroy's reputation doesn't suffer from those fries. I wonder whether McD's thought that attaching the Garlic Capital's name would somehow make the fries better?