Smithy

That would require a very small radio transmitter that could withstand the temperatures of the oven (or grill, or whatever) without failure. Pretty space age stuff. I'll be interested to hear if such is available.

I too am glad to be enrolled! So far it has been a good review of math (easy) and chemistry (seriously arcane) for me. Everyone's mileage wll vary, of course. I think I'll learn a lot.

Lovely, all of it. I grew up with a walnut-eating dog. She was quite skilled at cracking the shells and delicately extracting all the meats.

Do you and Linda feel more like ex-pats (and, if so, ex-which countries?) or locals? When I lived (for a few months, not years) in Yorkshire I engaged in a lot of good-natured marvelling over the politics and foods of our respective countries. Perhaps if I'd stayed the strangeness would have subsided, and perhaps not. What has been your experience of acceptance in food, customs and politics - particularly since you are in what George Bernard Shaw might have described as a mixed marriage - or at least, one divided by a common language? :-)

Excellent story so far. My heart almost stopped when you said you'd continue in French. I'm glad you were joking!

Your post sounds interesting, but I'm a bit confused. Dressing made with yeast? Tannin-garlic dressing? Could you give more information, please?

So, Shel...are you having fun yet? :-) I haven't seen you express interest in something like a dehydrator, but given the produce in your area I'll throw that out for consideration. With regard to the copper pan (I'm almost sorry to bring it up): remind us what kind of heat source you have? If electric coils or radiant heat, the copper may not make much of a difference except looking pretty. If you're using flame, which has nearly instant variability, then copper may make some sense.

Yes, thank you. If I get around to my attempt tomorrow, I'll report back.

You probably mean Grand Rapids, Michigan, since that's the larger and better-known of the towns. However, there is also a Grand Rapids, Minnesota. There may even be other heartland Grand Rapidses. Which state will you be visiting?

It seems to me that scallops cook so quickly that a quick sear is enough. What does the sous vide do for them that the quick sear doesn't? Those look lovely and tasty, by the way.

I am really enjoying this ongoing adventure. DH has been to Manitoulin Island, but I haven't. I think I'll have to fix that.

I have some bodaciously huge intact kale leaves and I'm going to try the roasting idea myself. Do you have any lessons so far that you'd care to share?

You mention copper pots but not copper bowls. Julia Child and Lynne Rosetto Kasper, among others, insist that you'll only get the best whipped eggs (for a souffle, for instance) by whipping them in copper. Would that appeal? I have no suggestions for make or model. As opposed to a sauce pan, what about a stock pot? I'd suggest nothing smaller than 8 quarts, and perhaps going up to 12. Again, no help on type. I adore my Revere Ware aluminum-disk pots for their styling and functionality, but that particular model is no longer made. Partially-clad stock pots (going up the side) or aluminum disk bottoms carry the heat where you need them. Another thought with regard to stock pots is to get one with a pasta insert for easy rescue and drainage. What a fun problem to have!

I'm afraid that that's pretty off topic, but via PM perhaps. Its a big question with no simple or short answer. Sorry. Perhaps you could work in small snippets about changes as they relate to food: availability, whether modern agriculture has selected for more sturdy and less tasty produce, influence of immigrants, changes toward or away from meat, whether the EU has really helped to protect certain artisan foods and whether it makes a difference in daily life. I don't mean to be asking for essays, but I too am interested. FWIW my food blog (admittedly 8 years ago) discussed changes in my area, and nobody complained.Edited for clarity.

I'm intrigued with the idea of an entire Sunday afternoon spent over lunch. Clearly there were breaks; I assume there was a lot of good conversation. But what else, if anything? Walks, games of Scrabble or tennis? Or is the pace over there such that y'all could linger for that many hours over good food and good conversation? The papillon cheese above has a rounded wedgy shape that makes me think of butterflies. Is that a trademark for them, or just an accident of the cut and the photo?

Cut into rings (or semicircles so the cleaning can be done first), tossed with a little olive oil, seared in a hot pan then cooked to softness with garlic, maybe some onion, maybe chunks of our bratwurst du jour. Maybe served with rice or pasta. The possibilities are varied and good. I love the fact that the delicata skin is edible.

I wonder how it is that I've never picked up on your engineer's sense of humor before? Si lly me. I'm with Anna N on wondering where you grew up and whether it's an accidental or deliberate oversight. Do the bakers make more bread for market day than on other days? Are their regular shops (boulangeries?) closed on market day, or would one find the shop open and stocked as normal on a market day?

Oh, those look good. Is the recipe available online? Otherwise, which of her books is it from? (Yes, I remember Monica.)

"Haggis with a whiskey based Cumberland type sauce"? I'll take just a bowl of the sauce, please. As for your Nanna's "ambrosial Bacon and Onion pudding made in a cloth".... Do you have that recipe? Gawd that sounds good. Amen! Also, what are clootie dumplings?

I too want to know about the mortar and pestle sets, and what look like salad bowls with servers. Are those olive wood?

You are far more peripatetic than I've been. I think this is going to be wonderful! Thanks for laying out the ground rules at the outset. I already have a question that I hope isn't off-topic: what languages do you speak? Which, if any, did you study in school before starting to travel? How has your exposure to new countries changed your sense of what constitutes good food, good cookery, good food ethics? Okay, that's more than one question. I expect that the last will unfold during the course of the blog, if you care to address it.

This is interesting reading. I love, love, love olives and want to try out some of these methods. Unfortunately I'm the only one in this household who even likes olives, so at present I find it more practical to concentrate on sauerkraut and search the grocery stores for different varieties and cures of olives. To those of you who are curing your own olives, or posted here in the past, thanks for the vicarious experience! Please keep going on this!

I'll go look again. Thanks for that information.

I haven't seen Ferran Adria yet, and I'm into the review work (waiting for the labs to come back up to view). Could it be you're thinking of Jose Andres in one of the two introductory videos? Or am I missing a video yet?

I adore tempura. Yours looks wonderful!