Smithy

My sister-in-law is an excellent cook who no longer enjoys cooking. She spent too many years having to cook for family to enjoy it now; consequently she cooks and eats with a minimum of fuss but gets excellent results anyway. I could and should learn some of her lessons on how to do simple but good food. For starters, she does her food prep in the late afternoon, an hour or two before she begins cooking dinner. Then there is time to visit and enjoy a before-dinner drink before firing up the grill. We ate very well, with considerably less mess and hoopla than I tend to generate. For some reason, probably related to the non-hoopla, I have no photos. There was crab-stuffed salmon (from Sam's Club) one night and grilled shrimp another. She did lovely composed Caprese salads one night that were works of art, but I cannot find the picture I was sure I'd taken. We went through two, count 'em two rotisserie chickens that did yeomen's work as lunch, sandwich meats and dinner. We took advantage as she usually does of the proximity and convenience of good grocery stores with excellent deli counters. We drove off to the Farmers' Market one day. During those market days the community square is blocked off from traffic of any sort and the nearest block's parking is reserved for golf carts, the main mode of transportation in The Villages. We perused the stalls and made some purchases. I picked up tomatoes, potatoes, onions and a jar of olive salad with a nice chili kick. None of the prices was high, but the only price I remember is the $2 pineapple (quite ripe) that I purchased. The Farmers' Market involved more than food. There were jewelry vendors there (my SIL picked up some bling) and a fair-market vendor of basketry from Uganda. I did not need a basket. I love baskets. I had left my Zimbabwean basket, last year's purchase, at home. I bought a basket that will be excellent for bread but will spend the rest of its time hanging on the wall. We then moved on to a regular - that is, fixed in place with regular hours - shop that sells infused olive oils and vinegars. I had a specific desire for basil-infused oil for some dish I want to prepare. I didn't find any I liked, but I found plenty else: Gravenstein Apple White Balsamic Vinegar, Toasted Almond Oil, Mandarin (orange)-infused Olive Oil and a marvelous Dill-Infused Olive Oil that will be killer on potatoes or fish. The vinegar is a lovely blend of tart and sweet: the best blend of really good apple cider vinegar and a nice light white vinegar. I could have sworn I'd come away with equal quantities of oil and vinegar, but it appears I was wrong. In its own manicured way, this huge conglomerate of communities has lovely scenery and diverse wildlife, especially birds. During our bicycle rides we encountered the resident sandhill cranes more than once. They weren't terribly shy. "Just remember," said my darling, "that we're on bicycles. If one of them chooses to peck your eyes out you're on our own." At the end of the week we headed north again. At the outskirts of The Villages there are horse-training areas and polo grounds, but it wasn't until we were well away from the area and into a less-regulated community that we saw this: On the way north to our camping place for the night, we stopped at a fish market and picked up shrimp, grouper and oysters. That night it was shrimp tempura. I hate frying. This was darned good. So much for uncomplicated, no-mess cookery.

I thought the 'gator was middling: maybe worth trying again, but not worth seeking out. The batter layer was crispy and good but didn't mask the flavor of the meat, which is (IMO) how the coating should be in fried food. The meat was mild and firm without being chewy. I can't describe the flavor except to say that it was mild, savory, and unlike anything else I've tasted. This was my second time trying alligator. The first time I bought some at a seafood market. I don't remember how I cooked it - probably a skillet saute - but I thought it mealy and flavorless and my darling thought it tough and flavorless. I ordered it at R.J. Gator's on the assumption that they'd be able to show it to its best advantage. It that's as good as it gets, I'd neither avoid nor pursue it.I think wild game needs special knowledge and handling, and farmed 'wild game' may be just as tricky. I've had wonderful bear and moose despite the fisheye many people give the concept. I once had potted beaver tail (of all things) put up by one of the most unlikely gourmet cooks I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. (This gentleman once got up at a public meeting about a proposed industrial plant expansion. He had worked there back in the days before any air scrubbers and described the dying trees of those early days. As a result of the air scrubbers that had been installed, the vegetation was thriving again and the forest was populated by "the tastiest-looking gray squirrels I've ever seen!" Bless him, he knew how to cook.) I had never known beaver tail was edible. This was delicious.

Thanks, that helps a lot.

Thanks for the Crepes, thank you for your kind words - and for your help on the test forums as well! We're in Mississippi now, getting ready to move westward and drive through the (predicted) driving rain. I'm finishing up a bottle of a local beer: Mystery Romp, brewed by the Crooked Letter Brewing Company in Ocean Springs, MS. I confess, I got it as much for the label and the clever writeup on the box as for its promising components, and it's a good thing the box is entertaining. (My darling commented that to him it's a mystery romp when we switch sides of the bed.) The blend of mocha and porter just doesn't work all that well here. Curiously, he thinks it tastes heavily of chocolate mixed into porter while I think it tastes like coffee dumped into a can of beer. Still, it's drinkable for a 6-pack's worth, stretched out over several days. We have hopscotched through Alabama, Florida and now Mississippi, dodging rain (or being drenched) and visiting family for several days in The Villages, "Florida's Friendliest Hometown". Over the next few posts, which may not come in a timely manner, I'll write about our food and meanderings. In the meantime, here are a few teaser photos from our stay at The Villages: Market Night Happy Hour stand With 2-for-1 drink prices during Happy Hour, this was $7 worth: and they do have beautiful landscaping and views: The night shot was the view just outside R.J. Gator's, where one night I had fried alligator and a large dinner salad: The others at our table had fish and chips, or fried fish, and their dinners' photos came out even more poorly than mine. It might have had to do with Happy Hour.

The advantage to RecipeGullet is its searchability - by recipe title, tag, topic or author. It's harder to find a recipe when it's buried in the Dinner topic or some other topic that doesn't pertain to a specific food. On the other hand, recipes posted in those topics allow discussion and questions. I'm with you: I'd like to see comments allowed on RecipeGullet. The ratings are of less value to me - but, as noted in earlier posts, this crew is astute enough that I'd place more value on ratings as long as they included reviews and member names.

I definitely want to try this. I have a cooler full of winter squash and need to work my way through them. I love the idea of the sweet/hot chile jelly with it! Too bad that we're so far apart; I'd cheerfully swap you a butternut squash for a jar of that jelly. One question about your gratin, before I make a stupid mistake by guessing wrong, about these instructions: "Fresh tomato sauce, thinly sliced butternut squash cooked until just tender, fontina or gruyere, thyme--no sugar, no maple syrup, no cream or milk, just squash, tomatoes and cheese, baked just to melt the cheese." Is it really a 2-step process, then? Slice and bake the squash, then assemble it with the rest of the ingredients and bake long enough to melt the cheese? Do you drain the squash? Bake it covered or uncovered?

I wish I could, but I don't remember the chemistry behind it. I am providing the concise summary of the reason behind the elaborate water treatment needed for my former employer's power house. The process began with very clean water, filtered it further, de-ionized it and then added certain carefully selected ionic compounds to prevent corrosion of the boiler tubes. If more thorough information comes back to me I'll PM you (and anyone else who asks) with more information. I was very surprised to learn that water can be too pure to be good for equipment such as boilers!

If the water is too pure it will have a corrosive effect on the pipes, given enough time. I wouldn't expect bottled distilled water or filtered water to be that pure, but truly de-ionized water would be. Do you suppose they're just erring on the side of caution?

I think I have an "Amber Cup" or two stashed away as well! The seller couldn't remember the variety, but it looks much the same. I'll be interested in your report, David.

MelissaH, if you like making stuffed pasta the squash can make a good filler. I found it a bit sweet on its own, but spiced with a bit of sausage or ham, it's good. It's even better with sage butter. :-)

Very cool indeed! I think the countertops are going to look wonderful, and I'm impressed by your ingenuity on ways to save money! How will your penny/nickel tiles be sealed? Are you going to encase them in acrylic? Yes, do please keep posting on this topic!

How do they (supposedly) soften the water? Do they have on-board ion exchange systems, or is there another mechanism? AFAIK a filter by itself won't do the job. Water hardness and pH are definite factors in dish detergent requirements. I've been interested (and surprised) over the years at how much the water's essential properties influenced my needs for cleaning agents.

Lisa, can you elaborate on this, please?

So there I was one evening, washing dinner dishes, and I noticed a small gap between the sink and the counter at the right rear corner. How odd. I finished the dishes, went off to bed and mentioned it to my darling the next day. "I have visions of the sink dropping right down into the cabinet with a load of wash water," I said. "Oh, don't be silly," said he. "They can't do that; they're supported by a flange." It was a small gap. Perhaps we was right. The next night, washing up after dinner, there was a CLUNK and the sink slipped considerably deeper at the corner. Water didn't quite start splashing down into the kitchen island below, but I wasted no time finishing the dishes and emptying the sink. I didn't take time to take a shot of the entire perilous setup, but here's a closeup of the view after I got it empty: I emptied the cabinet under the sink. For the life of me I couldn't see what was holding the sink up except for one bent clip and some peeled-away caulking. I parked the large cutting board atop the gap. It sticks out at the corners in a perfect booby-trap for the unsuspecting person blundering toward the coffee maker in the morning. I opted for the lesser danger of annoying my darling in the middle of the night and warned him not to use the sink and to be careful of the cutting board. I doubt he slept well that night. Early the next morning, we investigated. It was almost as bad as I'd thought the night before. See that red circle? There used to be a clip there. There was another at one end. That's it: that's what had been holding the sink up under this fancy counter. That, and the plumbing. The good news was that we hadn't planned to move that day. More good news was that the plumbing wasn't damaged. We decided that we needed bacon and eggs to fortify ourselves before a trip to the hardware store. Town and the hardware store were far enough away that we stopped for groceries also. The Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain has expanded beautifully since its early days, if this store is any indicator. The aisles were wide and well-stocked, with a huge variety of good foods. We thought we didn't need much - which meant we came away with 2 full grocery bags. For some reason I didn't take photos inside the store, but it was a beaut. On the way out we spotted a small place that looked like it was on fire. It was close to the pickup, so we investigated. Ribs! It was a rib joint, and the smoke was from the smoker! We bought dinner, although it was still well before noon. Dinner that night was toothsome. Delicious. The ribs were perfect. We weren't supposed to be doing this so early in our trip! But we'd earned it. And the sink is repaired.

Shelby, thanks. :-) We don't seem to have brought any cold weather down here (the other half would be unhappy if we had) but we've brought entirely too much rain. It's been days since we saw the sun! May I send the rain your way? SLB and Porthos, thanks for your suggestions. My usual idea of a hot breakfast is more along the lines of bacon-and-eggs, a rare indulgence these days. Beans might be a good choice. I have never been an oatmeal fan, and my tolerance for cold cereal extends about enough to put a little crunch on the fruit salad. It never seems to last, though: I'm hungry 2 hours later. A couple of days ago we decided we had easily earned that indulgent bacon-and-eggs breakfast. We followed it up with ribs for dinner, and something equally self-indulgent for lunch. Here, in case I run out of internet coverage again, is a teaser:

I love this approach! However, in previous years I've been flummoxed by the gracious responses to such gifts, all of which were variations on 'thank you very much, what do I do with it?' . Do you include recipes, approaches, writeups? How do you reassure your recipients that you're giving them a fun gift?

Well, we're away. Or off. Or both. For the past week we've been reeling the seasons backward, from Minnesota's near-winter bare trees, no-need-to-mow, no-more-leaves-to-fall, no-snow-yet brown-and-grey woods, back through a colorful early fall in Illinois. Now we're south of the Mason-Dixon line, back into what feels like summer: swatting mosquitoes and sweltering in the humid heat, for heaven's sake, in November! We drove long and hard the first day, and covered a little over 400 miles. That may not sound like by American freeway standards, but if you're towing a large trailer and considering wind resistance you keep your speed to around 55 mph and figure you're a rolling speed bump. That first day we broke nearly every food vow we've made recently, eating heavily-processed meats and fatty cheeses in sandwiches that were hastily thrown together and eaten. It's mobile comfort food. Our first night's stop was a Wal-Mart parking lot. Wal-Mart has a clever attitude toward truckers and RV-ers: you can stay for free (at most, not all Wal-Marts). I'm sure they know that they'll be getting business, as they did with us. That evening we walked over to check for food and pick up things we'd managed to miss during the packing-up. We were not tempted by any of their deli offerings, but we spent plenty of other money. Dinner was a slight concession to the day's overindulgences: The next morning, before we headed out, I had time to put together the next week's fruit salad, using our purchases of the night before. This, along with cereal, is our standard breakfast. I'm not much of a cereal fan but have been exploring the possibilities lately, with a nod to the idea of increasing my whole-grain intake. We're all about convenience and speed on travel days, and have things packed for that purpose. Toward that end I'd picked up some individually-packed frozen fish filets, and one evening we tried those. 4 oz of fish never sounds like much, but with the addition of green beans, potatoes and (gasp) bacon we were quite well satisfied. We may not be eating as well as we will later, but *that* is steam. I like hot dishes to be hot. Once the temperature got back above 60F during the day my darling was willing to slow down a bit, and it gave me a bit more time to cook. One evening's dinner in northern Mississippi was stuffed squash; I've posted more about it on the eG Cook-Off #71: Winter Squash topic. Next up: adventures in mobile kitchen repair.

Last night I had time to stuff and cook carnival squash for a one-pot dinner. Here are most of the elements: The squash, ground turkey, onion, garlic, oven-roasted tomatoes in olive oil, and cheese. Grated parmesan is shown in the photo, but I also used small dices of mozzarella. The turkey...ah now, I thought I had chorizo or spicy Italian sausage, but I didn't. I seasoned the turkey heavily with a generous amount of Italian spices, hot paprika, smoked paprika, and a touch of garlic salt. The diced onion, diced tomatoes, some garlic and bread crumbs all went together into the squash cavities. This is the first time I've tried microwaving the squash to get it going, and I think it was a good idea...as in, I should have done it more to hustle things along given the hour. The squash shows a bit of softening in this pre-roast photo, but I should have cooked it maybe 20 minutes instead of the 10 I gave it. All told it took the stuffed squash about an hour at 415F (according to the convection oven setting, which may be way off) before it was fully cooked, and at some point I turned the heat down to keep from overcooking the meat. The cheese topping went on when everything was nearly done, then returned to the oven until everything was really done: Ready to serve. The camera card filled up before I could take a picture of the resulting layers, but the mix is very pretty when you cut into the squash, and the flavors were excellent.

I agree with you on that one, but the comments are very funny!

Last night I split and stuffed a Carnival squash for dinner. That post will come later. My question is whether I missed a chance with the squash seeds. Could I toast them and use them as a substitute for pepitas? That salsa recipe sounds good.

In my limited experience at quicker ravioli - say, with a roller attachment to my pasta maker - I've had problems with the filling getting squeezed in the wrong places and preventing a good seal. It may well be operator error (as in, newbie technique) but I've been afraid to try a ravioli rolling pin for the same reason. There must be a trick to it that I don't know. If you get one, please post about how well it works.

This has been a wonderful tour! Thank you all for sharing it with us!

I can't comment on the sous vide time and temperature, but here's my thought: if you're worried about overcooking the meat during the cheese-melting stage (and I think I would be), try cooking the meat just a little less: until it's almost done, but not quite, and let the chicken finish cooking while the cheese is melting. What do you think?

Not that I'm likely to have access to sea cucumbers, but what is the treatment involved in "Job's Tears Sea Cucumber"? There's an advertising campaign here for a chain of chicken-sandwich restaurants in which cows scrawl awkwardly on billboards, writing things like 'eat mor chickun'. When I told my darling about the "Blossom's Riches" content, he said that dish would provide further incentive.

I'm considering it. Maybe it will be my request for a Very Cool Christmas Present this year. The problem is that I don't want to have to start the generator to use it, and that would eliminate its utility during maybe half of our travels.On the other hand, it could occupy the space presently used by our small Crock Pot™, couldn't it? Am I correct in thinking it would do all that the current slow-cooker does, and then some?