Smithy

I've used them. I like them. I have sets for wide-mouth and regular-mouth Mason jars. I think they work well. One word of caution: they do allow "burping" out the pipe top, and some liquid as well as gas may escape. To be safe, put your fermentation jars in some sort of containment. Here's what I did last February. Edited to add: I too like the ability to ferment in small batches. Quart-sized jars work well for me. Note however that there are also half-gallon and gallon Mason jars with the same top size, and the Pickle Pipes will work on them as well.

...so Charlie thought it was good, but not AS good as its predecessor? Makes life easier for you!

Is it salvageable?

I don't think I knew this. I have a houseful of people coming next weekend. I may try this trick for some meal -- maybe prep it this week. I'm not sure whether there are any turmeric-haters in this crowd, so I'd just try a small batch.

There's a good article about Steve Sando, aka @rancho_gordo, and his new bean cookbook, in the Press Democrat. Here's the link.

I haven't been to Capitol Reef, except to fly over it. I'll have to remedy that. The National Park says, on their website: What got my attention about the orchards was this National Public Radio article about the orchards: Heirloom fruit varieties could help in protecting against climate change Speaking as someone who grew up with apricot and strawberry varieties that have all but died off in California, I am always pleased to learn about efforts to preserve or revive older fruit varieties.

@rotuts, we'd be a good pair for cleaning it all up. I have always (yes, even as a child) found peanut butter and jelly to be revolting, although a couple of the offerings above did look innovative enough to appeal to me. Pistachios, on the other hand? I'll take 'em!

... whereas now I wonder whether they can be fixed at all, short of gutting or demolishing the building, then rebuilding. I doubt Boar's Head will do that. That's quite an article. Thanks, @FrogPrincesse.

Sometime in the late 1980's I asked a butcher in Duluth, Minnesota for a tri-tip. He looked at me quizzically: "Are you from California?" That's how localized the cut was at the time. Now, tri-tip is readily available in Minnesota...but I can believe that it still hasn't reached your part of the continent.

@rotuts, thanks to you I tried mayonnaise on both the inside and outside of my grilled sandwich last night. The contents, aside from mayo and mustard (inside) were a good cheddar; some sliced and roasted summer squash seasoned with dill and salt and olive oil before roasting; thin slices of salami; and lettuce and sauerkraut after cooking. My photo isn't as nice as yours (couldn't get the phone to focus), but the sandwich was pretty tasty. I think perhaps having mayonnaise on the outer surface made it brown a bit more. The coating might have been a bit more firm, but I think it was also a bit more greasy than if I'd used butter only. More studies will be needed. 🙂

That's it! Many thanks, the word gap has been driving me crazy. 😀

I think it all sounds delicious! My take might be to chop the peppers and garlic more finely than the pancetta so there was a textural difference in the finished pasta, but that may not be what you're after. Let us know the final result!

Yesterday I had occasion to be back at the Bent Paddle Brewery for a couple of hours. You can see photos of the exterior in the post above. This time, the food truck parked outside was from Oasis Del Norte. Oasis Del Norte began with the food truck, and I was unimpressed the first time I tried it a year ago. I don't remember what I had: one of their taco offerings, perhaps. I haven't bothered with them since then, but they were there and I was hungry. There's a lot to choose from. I decided on a Super Torta. What kind of meat did I want in it, they asked? I dithered, and finally decided. Here were my choices: Carnitas it was. Maybe it's time to revive this topic and try some of the many recipes we have in RecipeGullet. I really didn't know what to expect from a Super Torta. This is what I got: The bread is very soft -- one of those super soft Mexican rolls I see in the grocery stores. (Ooh, what IS that name?) The filling packed it and overflowed: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and onions, avocado, pickled jalapeno with a nice but not-too-strong kick, and of course the shredded pork itself. The pork was juicy, and the sandwich very, very messy. I'll be back. I'm glad I tried them again. Maybe I'll hie off to their restaurant at some point.

@rotuts, I'm so glad to see your success and delight! I'm also glad I wasn't aware of your question until after you'd gone ahead with your sandwich. I've used olive oil a couple of times, then given up on that and gone to butter. I've never tried mayonnaise on the outside of the sandwich. Now I know that also can be done, and tasty. Your first sandwich looks delicious!

What do they taste like? Do you use them regularly?

That looks wonderful, and many thanks for the link! This is exactly the sort of thing I'd like to be doing...if I start, or plan, well enough in advance.

I keep telling myself, but apparently still haven't learned, that I really have to have my dinner prep done by mid-afternoon, or it will all go to pieces. In Hangry Mode. Therefore, I have vegetables that need slicing and roasting; burger thawing; herbs awaiting treatment for tabbouli and several sauces and salads; freshly cooked garbanzos awaiting hummus; a fresh ear of corn that I didn't ask for but a friend gave me...but when I actually had time to start cooking dinner I was already hangry. I mean hangry. Actually, I mean hangry. I am very, very glad that I already had salad greens and salad dressing prepped. Some grated cheese, pieces of smoked salmon, chunks of tomato and avocado, and other accoutrements did the trick. Here's dinner, before I tossed the salad and ate. Maybe now I can get to the washing, chopping and roasting for the next set of home convenience foods.

The "bread roll" you see in the photo above is still in its wrapping, in our bread box, apparently unchanged since I brought it home in February. Maybe it's a little harder to the touch. @MaryIsobel, I hope they didn't serve you anything like that! It sounds as though Starbucks and visitors kept you well fed.

Do you take anything off it except the silicone ring?

I do that a lot: write it down and hope to recreate it, and thanks to eGullet I can include photos too. They usually aren't as photogenic as yours, though. 🙂 Is that a puff pastry crust, or something else? I have an unruly package of phyllo dough, bought by mistake, begging to be used up.

None of that looks as over-the-top as the Minnesota State Fair stuff, but I agree, @rotuts: it all looks good and fun.

Welcome to eGullet, @LD-NL! You'll find lots of friendly and helpful people here, and your story sounds like you'll fit right in. If you have questions about how the forums work, or where to post something, feel free to ask a host by PM (Personal Messenger). If you have doubts about where to post something, please don't ask or apologize in the post. If necessary, we'll move it to the appropriate place and, assuming we've had enough coffee to be alert, leave a pointer to the new position. 🙂 I wish I'd been enterprising enough as a small child to be interested in cooking. Actually, I did enjoy cake decorating but it took me years of adulthood to develop any other culinary interests. Do you remember what cooking book you got as your gift for passing your primary school tests?

Like @andiesenji before me, I'm bumping this up because I'm now seeing firsthand the importance of water temperature when brewing coffee. I'm visiting my best friends. We all normally live near sea level. We use slightly different equipment and slightly different coffees, but have very similar tastes in our coffee flavor and strength. Normally we're happy with each other's coffee. Here, we're using the same coffee (trading off types), same equipment. Good water. None of us is satisfied with it: too weak, cools off too quickly. Well, you know what? We're at 8900' above sea level, and the water isn't getting hot enough for a good brew! Those of you who routinely measure and control the water temperature may laugh at me for only just experiencing this -- but now I get the idea. 🙂

This may be too late to do you any good, but I'll throw in my two cents' worth anyway. If the chicken were already cooked (you mention sous vide) and then you used the finest dice grid on the Vidalia Chop Wizard, I'd expect it to be fine. Now that I've posted an opinion (late) and you've no doubt already made your choice, what did you do and how did it work?

Welcome, John! Do you share in any of the cooking duties around the house? Who cooks, and what do they cook? What do you like to eat?