Smithy

This was the precise purpose of http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-French-Cooking-Set/dp/0307593525/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395597268&sr=1-2&keywords=mastering+the+art+of+french+cooking/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-French-Cooking-Set/dp/0307593525/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395597268&sr=1-2&keywords=mastering+the+art+of+french+cooking&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20">Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle. I know Julia and Jacques were mentioned earlier, but I'm surprised I haven't seen this masterwork named thus far. Have I missed something?

Those are impressive and inspiring links, paulraphael. Thanks for posting them. It's clear that the knife blade is making contact with the cutting board, at least in the two videos I watched. (So far I've seen the chive and the potato videos.) Would you classify the contact in these videos as the delicate touch instead of the aggressive touch?

I have two: the cheapo kind that cost only a few bucks at your basic Oriental grocery store, and one that I picked up at, er, Sur La Table (I think) or Crate & Barrel many years ago. I picked up the second one because it was more sturdily built and slightly larger, so it would accommodate more material without spillage when being removed from the pan. They both work the same way, and work satisfactorily. The cheap one has lost a flap (fin?) and allows the occasional brussels sprout to fall through the resulting crevice. I still find myself using that one more often than the other, sturdier fold-up steamer because of size considerations. As it turns out, the larger basket is about an inch larger in diameter than my most-used pot, and the telescoping handle, when collapsed, is still about an inch too high to fit under the lid on the second-most-used pot. Make sure you measure the diameter and depth of the pots you'll be using before you make your purchase.

That sounds interesting. What kind of dressing did she use? Was it sweet, tart, vinegary, eggy? What other ingredients were in it, along with the cabbage, raisins and mandarins?

I keep hearing about the tastiness of ox tail, but being disappointed. We can find it in our butcher shops. It seems to go stringy all too quickly, without contributing much flavor.

I wouldn't have thought of crushed roasted almonds in hummus, but I will now. That sounds very good.

I've never tried it, but it doesn't look like a sauce that would break, or otherwise suffer in texture, from freezing and then reheating. I'd go for it.

I tried this over fish and asparagus a few nights ago, and was delighted with the results. As Shel_B notes above, the lemon zest adds an extra brightness that I hadn't considered before in the sauce context.

Tamarind slaw dressing! I love tamarind, but hadn't thought about this use. Care to share your recipe, Lisa?

Citrus-based gelatin (using packets - I use Knox, but I don't know what else is easily available) is another great way to use the bounty. When I've had an excess, I've juiced a LOT of mandarins, minneolas, oranges, lemons, or a mixture to provide the liquid base for the gelatin mix, then added my choice of chopped fruits for an excellent gelatin-based dessert. It may be a lot of work to squeeze all that citrus, but the final product keeps well and tastes wonderful. It also helps preserve the fresh fruit that's encased in the gelatin. Another trick is to juice the citrus and freeze the juices, as heidih noted above. I've read of cooking the juices down and freezing the concentrated results, but I've had mixed results (at best) with that approach. I'm guessing that the oranges are navel oranges, instead of valencias, given the season. One thing I'd like to point out is that navel orange juice has an enzyme that turns the juice bitter about 1/2 hour after the juice is squeezed or the orange is cut, if theyr'e left at room temperature. Harold McGee notes in his book,http://www.amazon.com/On-Food-Cooking-Science-Kitchen/dp/0684800012/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1394688706&sr=8-1/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=http://www.amazon.com/On-Food-Cooking-Science-Kitchen/dp/0684800012/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1394688706&sr=8-1&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20"> On Food and Cooking, that the enzyme is deactivated by heat. I've found that a certain amount of pineapple also deactivates the enzyme. I've had great luck with high-heat roasting of chicken in citrus juice that included navel orange juice, but bitter (heh) disappointments when I tried to concentrate navel orange juice down by slow cooking.

No, I wish I'd caught that before! I was thinking about how the food processor does some things better than a blender, and a blender would be even worse at this creaming task than the food processor, and that neither is as good as a mixer. Meanwhile, my fingers just shortened the whole train of thought to something altogether unintended. Sorry!

I'd use the plastic blade, but in my experience (having gone without a stand mixer for some time also) the food processor doesn't do as good a job of aerating the mix as a blender; the creamed butter and sugar just didn't get as creamy. Edited to note: I wrote "blender" when I meant "mixer". Sorry! Blender would be even worse than food processor; mixer is best.

That's interesting and useful information, Annabelle. I've bought the occasional gallon bottle of distilled water for under a dollar, but I don't recall running across the smaller drink bottles for the price you describe. On the other hand, I haven't shopped for them. I tend to buy a bottle under duress at the airport or at a gas station, then keep refilling it for weeks until it's too grody to use. Those tend to run $1 - $1.50 for a 12-oz bottle.

One of my favorite newspaper columnists coined the phrase "as dumb as bottled water". I use that expression quite often. We in the United States complain about the price of gasoline or diesel, and yet many people cheerfully pay much more per gallon for their bottles of water. On the other hand, I've been in some countries where one shouldn't trust the water, and then those bottles of water are precious. I do wish there were some system for collection the empties, though. The sight of empty plastic bottles cluttering a marina, or the desert, is distressing.

I think it's better to oil, then heat, instead of heating first. You'll be more likely to get even coating. As for treating the outside: I can't see a reason not to do so, but why bother?

I'm another fan of Wright's bacon, when we find it on our travels. Nice flavor, nicely balanced, and their "bacon ends and pieces" boxes fit our bill nicely. I don't know how widespread Cloverdale is; it may be an upper Midwest thing, but it's another favorite. Tastes like bacon. Hickory smoke, not maple, not too sweet for my tastes. I'm not much for the sugary sweetness of maple curing, nor even (in this context) apple.

I think that as a final note it's only fair to let my darling show off his culinary style. I noted above that he does 1 - 2 meals per week; once in a while he does 3 of our meals, but only if he has leftovers upon which to rely. We eat well regardless of who cooks; it's just that I like to putz around in the kitchen and he doesn't. Tonight's meal will be pork roast with potatoes and sauerkraut, done in the crockpot. The prep is already done: He's put a lily pad on the crockpot and put the whole assembly into the microwave for, oh, long enough to get the potatoes started. After that step, this pork roast will be seasoned and put atop the potatoes; the crockpot will be turned on (high for long enough to heat the assembly, but low after an hour or two) and left until the pork is nearly done. Then the sauerkraut will be added to allow at least an hour's worth of melding. There will be one cooking vessel - two if you count the lid - and our plates, flatware and glasses to wash tonight. He insists that I tell you that if he were eating alone he'd eat it directly from the crock. I married Mr. Simplicity. Thanks so much for coming along with me this week, and for all the great compliments, comments and questions! I had a lot of fun doing this, thanks to all of you. Cheers!

I wish *I'd* thought of that.

Tonight was the annual airport Christmas party. "But wait," you may say, "Christmas is over!" Yes, but we do love celebrations and there are only so many weekends in December, and with many families busy with multiple careers, some organizations have opted to have their parties in January instead. Frankly, it may also be a way to help fend off the post-holiday slump, when the days are short and nights are dark and all is cold. It's still a couple of weeks to Groundhog Day, that halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and while the light is visibly gaining ground it's still a slow process. The party was catered at Blackwoods Grill and Bar, a local restaurant chain of 3 that specializes in wood-fired meats and very nice pastas. The buffet line included green salad, green beans, fresh hot rolls, mashed garlic potatoes (with skin on), Swedish meatballs, crusty parmesan chicken, prime rib with a pepper sauce. I missed out on dessert but it looked like cheesecakes of some sort. I snapped a few surreptitious phone photos, but they'd be an insult to the quality of the meal. My darling won a door prize. I shall enjoy it.

I'm very glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading along!That's a good opening to note that I'll be wrapping this up sometime tomorrow, Sunday...probably right after my darling demonstrates his cooking style. Before I sign off, are there any other questions or comments? Have I left something unaddressed...other than the dog and the remaining cat :-) ?

The have a cafe that also sells some bread in the Anaheim Downtown Disney. Eaten there a few times. Food is reasonably good - not great - but I will eat there again. Their bread is sometimes to be found in our local Costcos.I'd love to be able to turn out bread like that. Got a way to go, though.

This one uses a double leaf, like a newly germinating seedling.

Maybe it hasn't been an issue because the full name is "The Whole Foods Coop". Cooperatives have been a big deal in northern Minnesota for a long time, and this particular cooperative easily predates the grocery chain.

What's the story, rotuts? I have her cookbook but don't remember any sort of story in there.

I made 2 more stops, and have photos of one of them. Mount Royal Fine Foods raised the bar for all the other grocery stores when it came into town. My darling prefers not to shop there when he can help it, because its selection of fine fresh foods is irresistable to me; I like to shop there for precisely the same reason. Their aisles are broad, their produce and meat are fresh, and their people are attentive and helpful. Last fall I accidentally left a package of fish behind. The next day when I couldn't find the fish, I called. They'd been waiting for me. The fish had accidentally been put into someone else's bag. That person had returned the fish (welcome to Duluth), and they'd set it aside for me in cold storage. They have some of the best fried chicken in town. In addition to the rotisserie they have a wood-fired oven in which they'll cook your personal pizzas or flatbread sandwiches while you wait. They have the most extensive delicatessen counters of any of the stores here in town. You can taste any of their meats or cheese before buying. None of the charcuterie is made in-house, but Boar's Head is usually a good brand. Their cheese selection is apparently what made Northern Waters Smokehaus decide to cut back on its cheese offerings. i didn't get a picture of the cheese counter, but it's huge. Produce: I'm more likely to find something unusual like Meyer lemons here than anywhere else in town. What really gets me is their fish and seafood area. It's all good, it's all fresh, and they always tell its source. If you want wild-caught, you can have it; if farmed Vietnamese shrimp doesn't bother you, you can get that too. Their meat counter is similarly good. I like giving my red-meat business to Old World Meats whenever possible, but Mt. Royal is also staffed with knowledgeable, helpful people. I found pig's feet there yesterday! They also offer convenience foods of prepared meats ready to be cooked. (Old World Meats also has such offerings.) They offer a variety of upscale dairy products and a bakery area with gorgeous cakes (sorry, no photos) and good bread. La Brea Bakery has offerings here. One of the many wonderful things about shopping here is that they watch the line length at the checkout counters. If the lines are getting long they'll call for another checker to come help. It's rare to be in line behind more than 2 people. Someone bags the groceries, and there's a drive-up area outside where someone will load your groceries into the car while you loaf in heated comfort. The guys who load the car are, happily, not worried about dogs. It can be startling to open a hatchback and be greeted by a 70-pound Siberian Husky.