Smithy

Aha, here's the answer: the course is free, although it references the (not free!) book, and it's availabl through August. NYT article (should be unlocked and free)

I'd like to know the answer, too. There's not a chance I can start something like that course right now, but maybe later, when things slow down (if they ever do) I'd like to give it a whirl.

I was getting a propane bottle filled, and a gentleman pulled up with one of his own to be filled. While he waited his turn, he offered me 2 huge heads of lettuce! He also had a bag of 5, already planned, for the propane salesman. They were beautiful, plump heads of iceberg. From his own garden? From some farmer's field that this gentleman picks? From the box I spotted along the freeway the next day, having apparently fallen off a truck? i don't know. I didn't care; they were freely offered and accepted, and they were beautiful. Alas, they're still sitting in the refrigerator. It's been a hectic few weeks. I hope I can figure out ways to put them to good use in a few more days.

"Sloppy Joes". I know, everyone's supposed to love those, especially kids. I've never liked the name, even as a kid, and I've never liked the seasonings.

Unintentionally funny, but that didn't stop those of us in line from smiling quietly without making jokes at someone else's expense. Seen at a rehab hospital yesterday, which incidentally has pretty good food.

Thanks!

Oh, @blue_dolphin, that's hilarious! Thanks for taking one for the team. 🙂

@Kerala, that looks wonderful. Thanks for the recommendation. For anyone in the U.S. Amazon market interested in the book, it comes in two formats: Flavours of the Spice Coast, in paperback (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) and Kindle format (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

I have an unreasonable dislike of the word "smoothie". I'm fine with a "shake" or "blended drink" but for some reason "smoothie" sounds ridiculous, demeaning, childish and loathsome. Would I refuse one if offered? No, but I'd never ask for one. And yes, I know it's ridiculous of me but the very word turns me right off. Is that the sort of thing you mean?

@AlaMoi gave good information above about smoke points, and raised a good question about how hot you really want your oil to be. In my inexpert experience, oil must be at least 350F to do a decent job of frying most things I fry, which is rarely. I probably fry at more like 375. If the oil has too low a smoke point, it'll smoke and break down, and make strange flavors and possibly catch fire. That's bad. OTOH I rarely fry at very high temperatures (450F for instance) because things cook too quickly and are likely to char. My only other comment is that I generally use peanut oil or soybean oil for frying, when I do it, and olive oil or occasionally avocado oil for salad dressings. Canola oil has a very healthful fat content, but I don't like the fishy flavor it develops when I cook with it. Olive oil is as good from a health standpoint, or at least good enough for me.

That's how it works in Northeastern Minnesota. I think it's a Scandanavian thing: pickled herring at every buffet and salad bar. I've never thought about trying to pickle it myself! I'd try @Baron d'Apcher's version in a heartbeat, if I were nearby! It's beautiful!

Great label!

I have a minibottle of cinnamon-flavored whisky, which is pretty good in a strange way if you're in the mood. I've been wondering what sort of thing I could use it on to flambé and make a complementary sauce. Any ideas?

Well, I haven't had any more time to try out the panini press or do much cooking, beyond dinner salads. Today I was treated to this pre-sunrise sun show this morning (2 different exposures): I took the opportunity yesterday to go back to Shawarma Vibes, first described in this post. This time I took time to photograph some of the wonderful wall art. I particularly like the one on the right, below: Others: I ordered the Shawarmaholic platter: chicken and beef shawarma atop a bed of rice, with fattoush salad, hummus, tahineh, garlic sauce, and a pita: It's a LOT of food. The rice and meat were delicious: The fattoush was pretty good. In all honesty, I prefer my own salad dressing, garlic sauce and tahineh...in fact, I had to ask what the reddish stuff was (their version of tahineh). The garlic sauce was essentially mayonnaise with garlic stirred in: at that point, it really is affected by the quality of the mayo and the garlic. Meh. Not shown: their stellar lentil soup. This time I remembered to ask about the soup base. It's a vegetable base. Their pita chips are great, too. I also brought home a small serving of tabbouli, since I haven't had time to make my own. Again, it isn't bad -- but I like mine better when I have time to make it. So...I'd still recommend this place to anyone looking for Middle Eastern food around Yuma, but maybe I have it out of my system for a while. Besides, I'll be eating on this particular meal for quite some time.

Nice find, and nice save!

Although you've already placed your order, here's the information you asked for about my panini press. It doesn't have the adjustable height for plates as in the one you originally linked (and presumably bought). The top plate "floats" in the sense that the lid comes up and down as necessary and the top plate pivots to parallel the bottom plate. (BTW it is NOT clever to start warming the press before making sure that the literature and cleaning tool are not being stored between the plates! Ask me how I know.) Mine opens out completely flat so that both sides can be used at the same time. Both plates are reversible, so you can have 2 ridged plates, 2 flat plates, or one of each.

I'm glad you like it! According to this article and many others (all of which may be quoting the same source, of course) Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, developed in 1925. I have to admit I don't like it. It is very distinctive, and the wines I've had containing it have had an unpleasant (to me) aroma. The article I've linked to says that Pinotage got a bad rap but it's time to give it another try. Good for you for trying it!

I'm afraid the only way I'd try to talk you out of it would be to urge you to get something with some temperature control! My unit has grill temperature controls and I'm looking forward to trying them, although I've no experience yet to see whether I actually use those controls. One thing that's very nice about this unit it that it locks and can be stored upright. Mine has no such latch, and needs to sit level (currently it's doing that on the floor) until I come up with a strap to tie it all together. The adjustable thickness looks great. I also like the idea of grill marks on both sides of the panini, but that's just me....

When my best friend and I launched off on a European 3-month tour in 1980, we had done our best to prepare. I'd been studying German; she'd been studying French; we'd both had years of exposure to and classes in Spanish. That didn't help much in The Netherlands. Dutch may look and sound rather like German, but it isn't enough like German to get around -- and at that time, at least, WWII was much too recent for the adults to want to hear German. We did our best. I remember using a phrasebook in a grocery store to try to find butter, only to be told by a kind woman who spoke English that I'd just asked for a jar of lard. We were determined to live on $20/day each, which was possible given a bit of thrift (and youth hostels). One afternoon, somewhere in some park in Holland, a food stand caught our attention. I walked up to the counter, looked at the menu, read it from the right-hand side. There was something inexpensive - maybe it only cost a Guilder - and the word looked familiar. I did my best to pronounce the word loudly and clearly, and handed over my money. The vendor gave me a funny look, then took my money and reached into a jar. My lunch that day was a giant dill pickle. 🙂

I don't think I've ever had canned tamales! Am I correct in assuming that they don't have the corn husk wrapper? Are they just the meat/whatever filling, surrounded by the masa? Already cooked, but no longer in the wrapper?

My best friend and I have been discussing spoilage and what causes it. I know we're trying to suppress the spoilage bacteria (in this case with salt) so that the lactobacteria, acetobacteria, and other good bacteria can thrive and change the pH to suit...but what are those spoilage bacteria and why do they take off instead? i'm sure Sandor Katz gets into the nitty gritty of it but I haven't gotten that deeply into the reading. I used to make kraut in larger crocks. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Right now I'm liking the idea of smaller batches. After I get the salt percentage dialed in I'll be able to experiment with different types and combinations of ferments without putting a huge amount of produce and effort into any one project.

Got some favorite combinations? Tips, like "don't put thick slabs of cheese in the sandwich and then cook without looking"? Do you butter (or oil) the outer surfaces of the paninis, or grill the sandwich without fat on the outside?

Here it is in action. Before: After:

Let the discussions begin!

Over here I've told the story of finding a Cuisinart Panini Press / Grill / Griddle at a thrift shop for $8. I've always wanted a panini press. I love paninis, but have been too cheap to shell out $70 - $100 for something that could be (almost) duplicated with a griddle pan, a hot stove and a weight. Last night I tried mine out for the first time, to comic effect. I made a frightful mess, but we both thought the results were delicious. Now I'm eager to learn how to use it properly. Shredded cheese vs. sliced. Monitor the operation so nothing gets overcooked. I have access to panini recipes. Several people have reported using their presses for things like roasting peppers, or making quesadillas. I'm sure burgers could be cooked on this thing to great effect. But I'll also bet there are loads of recipes and procedures from experienced panini press users that I haven't thought of. We have a very old topic on what type/brand to buy but no discussion that I can find about actually using one. So...those of you who have a panini press / grill: what are your favorite things to do with it? Got any special tips or precautions? I already have one cautionary tale: don't fire yours up until you're sure there are no papers or tools stored between the plates. 🙂