Smithy

I loved this bit:

I'm looking forward to this vicarious trip! It's been years since I was in Healdsburg and surrounds, and even longer since I ate anywhere in San Francisco. Keep it coming, and thanks! Oh...if there's a typical salad dressing with the salads you showed, what is it? I'm thinking of the very first one, with avocado, at Chez Panisse Cafe. ...and I envy you the aroma of citrus blossoms, and the sight of those lovely camellias!

I've never had tupelo honey, so can't comment on that. However, I will note that given your location there should be plenty of unadulterated locally produced honeys: whether from citrus, clover, or other local crops. In my current location it's pretty easy to come by Sonoran Desert honey. Although you're several hundred miles away, I wouldn't be surprised to see it in some of your local stores. And yes, it's mild stuff, with good flavor. Are the farmers' markets up and running in your area yet?

If you aren't sure about refrigerator shelf life, what about freezing those sambals in appropriate portion sizes?

@Shelby, I'm so sorry for your news. @Ann_T, thanks for the tips. Is it my imagination, or is there a sudden interest in grilled sandwiches? I see them from @Shelby, @Maison Rustique, @rotuts and others, and see new inspiration for my new panini press. 🙂

Life brought all my time for and interest in cooking to a screeching halt for around a month, but now that the dust is starting to settle I have some preliminary results to share. I also have a wealth of recipes and cookbooks from which to choose, when things get even calmer. I tried grilling slices of eggplant that had been brushed with olive oil, as the preliminary step to making eggplant parmesan. It appears I didn't get any "after" pictures, which is too bad. They took on light grill marks and a pretty golden brown color. Unfortunately the eggplant came out so tough that the entire assemblage needed a knife for every bite. Was it because of the grilling method? I don't know. It could also have been because by that time the eggplants were at least a month old! I'll try the technique again later, with fresh eggplant, and report back. Pressed sandwiches have been a fairly regular occurrence. When I had some interest in and time for cooking again, I bought a selection of sliced meats and cheeses. The results have ranged from Reuben to grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm finding I like my homemade sauerkraut added after grilling to my sandwich. Again, there aren't any detailed pictures of the innards but here's a composite of one pair of sandwiches. I do have to flip them, despite having grill shapes on both top and bottom plates, to get good grill marks. The top plate doesn't seem to get as hot as the bottom plate. So far we're very pleased with the results, basic as they are.

I've recently begun using my e-cookbooks more than before, and I have a question. In Kindle, isn't it possible to highlight and comment on (annotate for personal use) a book? I thought it was. It may depend on the platform in use; I'm using an Android-based tablet with the Kindle app. A related issue, which I've had regarding print cookbooks as well, is how to keep track of a recipe that I decide is my quintessential, platonic ideal, I-never-want-to-mess-with-another-version favorite. Most recently it's Balaboosta's Tangy Tabbouleh, which I may get around to posting about elsewhere. I'd like to flag it as a favorite, either in the Kindle app if I can search on "favorites" or somewhere else that I can find it. What have I done with my "all-time favorites" list? I don't know. It isn't in any of my cloud drives. It might be on a Post-It note on the refrigerator at home. It might be on an old computer. Wherever it is, I can't find it. Maybe EatYourBooks has potential for such a list.

Thanks to a discussion on a Modernist Bread cooking course, and the New York Times, I've discovered that Patagonia -- that outdoor gear company with high quality and ethical practices -- has gotten into sustainable foods. A New York Times article here (unlocked) begins with a discussion about the Modernist Bread course, but also includes a discussion about Patagonia's move into pasta made with regenerative grains. They also sell seafood. For more information on their products and philosophy, see their web site. Has anyone tried their stuff yet? I think I'll give it a go when I'm in a better position to try it. I'm away from home and overloaded with food already at the moment, but their pasta sounds especially interesting.

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!