Smithy

There are a lot of items I'd like to ask about or comment on, but I'll settle for two right now: Did anyone give a reason for whisking the egg yolks in a figure 8 instead of a circle, other than "we've always done it this way"? If so, what is it? Did you manage to catch the person who switched his plate with yours in class? Thanks so much for posting these entries.

I've seen Ghost Pines wines at the store, but never tried one. Now I will. Thanks, @JoNorvelleWalker.

It's quite a few years since I last got there, but I've had some delightful dinners at Bombay House. The food was excellent, and the price was modest. I also liked that the place was staffed by family members, and tips were shared throughout the operation: the cook got his share.

Thank you for a wonderful and entertaining trip!

All 7 courses look divine, and I wish I'd been there to share it with you. The pickled strawberry sorbet palate cleanser is a puzzle that I hope you can clarify. Could you tell it was pickled? That sounds like salty or vinegary strawberry, yet you say it was the essence of strawberry flavor. I'd like to know more about it.

Is the mystery item a cradle? It doesn't look it would cradle securely, but it would rock very nicely indeed.

Uncooked rice is a wonderul desiccant. I've saved more than one bit of damp electronics this way: turn it off (if it's still running), remove the battery, plop into a bag of dry rice, seal, leave alone for 24 - 48 hours. If she hasn't already done something along those lines, I recommend she do so asap.

My garden sorrel is French sorrel, rumex scutatus. Compare its photo in this Wikipedia article to the photo in the above-linked Wikipedia article for Common or Garden sorrel (rumex acetosa) to see the difference in leaf shape: the French sorrel has leaves with angular bases, and the Common sorrel leaves are more rounded. Based on their botanical names they seem to be fairly closely related. Wood sorrel seems to have shamrock-style leaves instead, and is an oxalis of some type. Everything I've been able to find says that the oxalis and the rumex aren't closely related, but they both have relatively high oxalic acid content to provide that sour flavor we love. Hmm, I wonder whether that purple shamrock oxalis I have growing in a pot would make a nice salad addition? One web site says it's toxic to pets but they don't bother it. I haven't found anything to suggest that any of the oxalis are toxic to humans, unless the oxalic acid is eaten in too high amounts.

An organic farmer friend told me years ago that I needn't bother trying to cultivate French sorrel because I could just go out in our woods and pick wood sorrel for the same purpose. I cultivate the French sorrel anyway for convenience; this year it's going very well, some years not so much. It does very well with fish and with chicken, or just as an interesting addition to a green salad. Wood sorrel might be a good substitute when we're traveling, and be a good foraging exercise. Thanks for the reminder.

Do you suppose the 'droit' exercise was too simple for adults but would have been appropriate to the high school students? It does sound too ridiculously simple for words.

No picture of the cod tongues? Or is that the bottom photo? The miniature fishing village is amazing!

Thanks for that link, @Lisa Shock. I have no interest in bidding, but the listing is entertaining to read. There's quite a lot of history in it.

Less peeling required!

Sorry, did you explain what "Newfoundland dressing" is and I missed it? I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around dressing and gravy together. The fish and chips look tasty. Those tarts look a treat!

I think you'll need to take some photos and show us the results! I've never cooked from any of her books, but 1000 Foods to Eat Before You Die looks like an interesting read.

Click here for ElsieD's travel foodblog: A good scoff, cod tongues, toutons and tea on The Rock aka Newfoundland.

You may be right. It's hard to know, without the body language, whether he meant it to be bullying. Given the ladies in question who did see the body language (based on their screen personae, since I've never met them in person), I suspect the body language was ambiguous or benign.

I'm giving myself about as much time to think as you had - that is, very little time, to avoid the benefits of hindsight. I think I'd have done the same as you: polite thanks, then hoping he'd go away. If he didn't, I would have looked for a polite way to say, in effect, 'thank you for the instruction; I'll try it that way; if I try it but prefer it my way will you please not take offense?' (Translation: 'I'll try it your way, but otherwise please buzz off'.) I doubt I could bring myself to tell him, the proprietor, that his well-meaning behavior would probably keep me from coming back...although he needs to hear it from someone. What a shame!

OKay, folks! Sometime later today, ElsieD should be opening the foodblog. Whether she'll have time or inclination to post here before then I don't know. At this point before a trip our household is usually in an uproar with last-minute preparations, but she may be better organized. Here's the last teaser photo, or maybe I should call it an appetizer: Roadside art. I"ll post a link to the blog when it opens.

I like the swan simile! I've marveled at the organization and artistry of well-catered affairs I've attended. Thanks for showing a bit of what it takes. All those plates, neatly decorated and awaiting the next step, are a good illustration.

I am a negligent gardener: bung stuff into pots wherever I can, weed it irregularly, water it faithfully, and support our local farmers. Nonetheless there's a bit of a payoff. This leggy thing is actually two indeterminate cherry tomatoes sharing a whiskey-barrel pot with a giant sorrel plant, and the fruits are starting to ripen. I had a pre-walk snack this morning. Can you see all the green tomatoes in the background? It's about time to start trimming blossoms, since summer is getting along.

Marinated eggplant, in the jar. I just had some with my lunch sandwich. I don't think I'll have to worry about keeping it past its expiration date; it won't last that long. This is good stuff! Thanks for the link, @Shelby!

You're guessing correctly! Here's the other photo she sent me of that area: I'll save the final photo for later.

Nice to see you back here, @chromedome.

It really does depend on one's risk tolerance and the presumed health of the intended eaters' immune systems. I've been told by thrifty people who suffered salmonella poisoning that they'll throw food away before risking that again! Given that botulism is worse than salmonella, I won't scoff at caution.