Smithy

It looks great, Shelby! (I love that watermelon bowl!)

The placards for selecting seafood and meat look like something more stores should use to educate customers. I can't make out enough to see whether they convey good and useful information, however, or are just overly-precious marketing ploys. What was your take on them?

How about a rough recipe, or description? Maybe one of us with local rhubarb can try it.

I have a nectarine/amaretto ice cream base chilling in the refrigerator, to be churned later today - or tomorrow if we opt for a long bicycle ride today. Ribs from the smoker, waiting to be gently warmed. No big party planned, but it's nice to finally celebrate summer!

I've been seeing rhubarb in our local grocery stores. Tomorrow I'm hitting the farmers' market to see whether the locals are offering it. Then I'll have to start choosing among all the offerings here. To date, my most pleasant experience with rhubarb has been in the company of strawberries (in a pie), or in my friend's excellent rhubarb crumble. I look forward to trying it as a compote or a pork sauce.

Welcome, Mauricio! We're glad to have you here. We look forward to hearing more about your ventures and adventures, whether in modernist cuisine or the more mundane aspects of cookery.

What glorious photos. I'm sure it isn't as good as being there in the flesh, but it's a nice treat for the rest of us. Thank you!

It does look good. I've had braised hocks before but never by spit-roasting. However, I found a blog post that says there are 2 ways to prepare Munich Schweinshaxe: either braised in sauerkraut, or seasoned and left to dry in the refrigerator to get that tight skin, then spit-roasted. This blogger chose the second method. The pictures include one of two hocks on a rotisserie spit. I haven't tried this recipe, but I must say the finished product looks delectable. Here's a link to the blog post in question: http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2010/09/schweinshaxe-spatzle-und-rotkohl-pork-knuckle-spatzle-and-red-cabbage/. boudin noir, if you try it, please let us know back here how it came out!

I have the same question that Shel_B has. In addition, I'll note that pork shank (in my experience) generally wants long, slow low cooking - preferably in a moist environment. A braise is a good way to go, for example. I'm not sure that a rotisserie would give you that, although I'm no expert on the topic.

Welcome back, minas6907! Those chocolates are beautiful. If I were in the same room with them, I doubt I could avoid any of them; they're beautiful and tempting both with and without the luster dust. Congratulations! May your ceremony, and the subsequent marriage, be joyous.

I agree with Lisa with respect to the oven camera. The camera idea makes a lot of sense; however, my industrial experience (in hot, dusty environments), coupled with kitchen disasters, suggests a need for a really bombproof lens and imaging system that can be cleaned easily. I'd hate to have the whole camera system die because of grease spattering in the oven. I'd hate even more to think of the costs of servicing or repairing such an item. I *have* noticed the wild temperature swings to which Myrhvold's article alludes. Convection in my fancy new oven helps; baking stones on upper and lower racks help more; the combination of convection AND oven stones (top and bottom) is best. Nonetheless the temperature fluctuates with the thermocouple's on/off cycle, and I lose at least 10F when I open the door. It would be very nice to have an oven that avoids those problems. The hot-air curtain to prevent the temperature drop when one opens the door makes theoretical sense. They'll have to work out a way to prevent burns before it comes to fruition in the consumer world. Do we have any beta-test volunteers?

It is beautiful. I wonder if it's somebody's one-off pottery experiment, given that it has no markings? No way to know, I suppose. It looks very well-made.

I have a scissor type like yours, andiesenji. I agree that it's good for a few cherries or olives but a pain for many. I have a hopper-and-plunger type for large jobs. It works well, but it's plastic (not what boilsover wanted) so I haven't posted a photo.

Kim Shook, what effect does the marinade have on your London Broil meat? It looks great. It reminds me of an old favorite that goes by the name of "West Coast Flank Steak".

I'm not a beet expert, but I suspect that the closed environment of the Breville helped trap moisture, with the result that a little steaming took place even without the deliberate steaming of your 'Steam Boy'. The Weber has more air passing through. Here are a couple of ideas: 1. Precook the beets slightly in the microwave, as you noted you usually do (but did not need to with the Cuisinart or the Breville) with a little water to get them started with steam; 2. Cover the beets with foil before putting that tray on the Weber, so the moisture stays trapped inside. Those are just guesses. Good luck! I love the idea of slightly smoky beets from the grill.

Did the Anova survive?

Welcome back, hummingbirdkiss! Here are a few topics about mochi. Congratulations on your (son's) great find! "Making Mocho & Ozoni" has a great tutorial, with pictures: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/80453-making-mochi-ozoni/ "Local-style Mochi" refers to regional variations: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/34410-local-style-mochi/ "Mochi" also appears in the Japan - Cooking and Baking subforum: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/16333-mochi/ Have fun with your new toy and your grandchildren, and do let us see some of the results. :-)

I've seen a few of those rain cisterns; that's a great idea. Friends around here are more likely to adapt used 55-gallon drums (that previously held something nontoxic, of course) and tuck them at strategic points under their rain gutters. It's probably less expensive, and easier for a small plot of land. Haresfur, was that an expensive installation? I've heard of newer houses that deliberately direct the grey water out to the lawn and only send the black water to the septic system. I think it isn't approved in a lot of areas in the USA, unfortunately. It does require more awareness on the part of the homeowner about what goes down the drain, and which household chemicals to use.

Wow! That's brilliant! What does the inscription say? The many years,...? Eh? I hope he appreciated it!

"You're using too much water, Ruthie." My mother heard that admonition often as a new bride, when she'd moved from her parents' home in Florida to her in-laws' home in California. Her new parents-in-law, my grandparents, had grown up pumping and hauling water on farms; although their house by that time had running water, it was an arid climate and the old discipline remained. Mama, of course, had never had to think about saving water, coming as she did from a coastal Florida town, but she learned. My sister and I were taught in turn to treat water with respect; water in central California was scarce and precious even then. At this moment in northern Minnesota, yet another thunderstorm is barreling past the house. Our weather was cold and snowy earlier this year and now it's cool and rainy. Lake Superior is back up above normal seasonal levels (after roughly a decade of being low). Much of the state of Minnesota is either flooded or in danger of being flooded, to the ruination of many farmers' crops. It's difficult to remember droughts and water conservation at a time like this, but I know other parts of the country - the American Southwest in particular - still don't have enough water. I also know that our groundwater needs a lot of recharging. When I think about conserving water and I'm not being lazy, I work to reduce the amount that I use. For instance, I'll fill a large bowl with water and rinse several sets of greens in it, giving them only a quick final rinse in a colander with fresh water to make sure the last bits of grit are gone. I've taken to steaming eggs and vegetables more often than boiling, partly because I like the results but also partly because it uses less water. I cook pasta in less water than I used to. During our trailer travels I often reuse cooking water: for instance, boil potatoes for dinner and then use the remaining hot water for eggs, or for dishwashing water. Do you think about water use and water savings in your cooking or gardening? If so, what do you do?

How much difference does the humidity make when weighing flour, and how should one compensate for it? Is it just a matter of 'feel' for the dough that one develops with experience?

Why does the thunderstorm matter? Do you know?

I do miss the variety and quality of produce that's available in California, especially at this time of year, and most especially given the cold wet spring/summer we're having in Minnesota. Shelby, I feel your pain! Thanks for the information about the date/apricot salad. The apricots in your market photo didn't look as wonderful as the peaches or berries. Did you have to choose carefully to get good ones?

Is that hot plate an induction model? I think the carrot ribbon method is brilliant!

Is there some sort of modernist puff pastry that could be used to get that outer crunch? Perhaps the assembly could be cut and placed onto diamonds of flat savory flaky pastry, or into edible cups: baked tartlet shells, mini-phyllo cups, or tortilla cups, depending on the flavors used in the foam. That would make it finger food. I had been thinking along the lines of curry puff flavors (Kim has me going on curried shrimp), or ceviche flavors, until I looked at that second link. That's a beautiful gel, and the ginger-citrus flavors sound excellent.