Smithy

They're long gone here. I am continually amazed at how different our weather is from the rest of the country's.

More sweet rolls from a can: our household tests continue. Although I wrote here about getting a better product with the Rhodes AnyTime! brand, I returned to the Pillsbury whomp biscuits this time because of a sale. I bought several varieties. This was the first time trying the orange rolls in my adult llife. They cooked up beautifully. I think I'm finally getting the correct pan and oven figured out. My husband, who until recently disclaimed having a sweet tooth, thinks they're great. I don't think he's met a sweet roll he doesn't like since he gave his sweet tooth free rein. I think the icing is not as tooth-achingly sweet as the sweet rolls with cream cheese icing, or the caramel rolls that we've tried. That said, there's a flavor that I can't quite identify that I find objectionable. I can best describe it as powdery. Is it the rolls, the icing, or both? It might be simply that, having had yeasted rolls (with thanks to @ElsieD for pointing out the difference here) I don't like the taste of the baking powder leavening. The texture is fine, though.

Are you asking for an online calculator to help you estimate the nutritional information, or something that will generate the label you need? Or both?

I"m not sure I've ever seen wine in cans. Is this common in Germany?

That's actually what I have, but couldn't remember the model. I guess I could have looked at the label! I had one of those measuring cups that purported to show weights of dry items. It looked like a neat idea, but as you say it was basically useless. Its saving grace was the standard volumetric markings, but I aleady had enough of those types of measures. I gave it away.

I know you've gotten some helpful advice already, but if you're interested in maybe making an upgrade to your kitchen equipment I'd recommend something like this Oxo set of graduated angled measuring cups (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). i have the smallest, which comes to 1/4 cup and measures in tablespoons and ounces on 1 side, and ml on the other side. I also have this conical 2-cup measuring beaker (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) which measures in ml, tsp, T, oz and cups. It gets at least as much use as the angled measuring cup; maybe more.

Good point about the strong flavors. Since the other member of my household flinches at the thought of deer meat, larb seems to be indicated! 🙂 What's the difference between the Northern Thai version and the Isaan version? Got recipes, or proportions?

Thanks for the reminder! I've eaten larb recently (I wrote about it here) and acquired a restaurant-portion recipe for that restaurant's version, but not gotten round to making it for myself lately. I must remedy that. As it happens, I have a surfeit of ground meat from a daughter-in-law's recent visit. It's labeled as beef but may be venison; I haven't looked yet. I wonder how venison larb would taste?

Without wanting to detract from the solemn nature of this topic, I want to call out a particularly fine turn of phrase from Kerry's post: That graphic inelegance has to be one of the best compliments I've ever read. If Anna's reading over our shoulders, I'm sure she's cracking up!

I've missed Anna terribly since she dropped out of sight here, and I'm heartbroken at the thought that I'll never have more of her words to read than I already do. Funny (wickedly so) - yes. Wildly intelligent and witty - yes. Endlessly curious - yes. And generous of spirit - yes. Anna was all that and more, and she soldiered on despite increasing challenges as her health failed. Kerry, thank you for a wonderful tribute, with all those links to help us find her writing and enjoy the foods she enjoyed (or laugh at the foods she hated). I'll enjoy revisiting her posts and looking for something to cook in her honor. The first thing that comes to mind, though I won't be making it in the near future, is souvlaki. She saved me from a "severe" lapse in 2020: I was getting ready to cook souvlaki but had forgotten about tzatziki to go with it! I can still hear her saying "sheesh" at my oversight. 😄

I never could cotton to Mrs. Dash or any of the other alternative seasonings, but I do adore Spike on a few things -- avocado being one of them. You're right that @Ann_T might like it for her reduced-sodium dietary changes, depending on how much sodium is still too much. Thanks for the reminder!

Thank you for this recipe! I just unearthed some frozen, cooked giant white beans (RG Royal Coronas, perhaps) from the freezer. This looks like an excellent use for them.

A perfect avocado, mashed onto sourdough bread, with lemon juice and a sprinkle of Spike. Covered with hummus and a tomato slice. Why, you may ask, would one take a beautiful avocado and bury it under all that other stuff? Answer: because the other stuff needed to be used up. It was delicious.

No doubt it's good, but it contains flour. I made this for someone with Celiac disease. This was my first taste of Basque cheesecake, so I have no basis for comparison. Everyone liked it. I liked it less than other cheesecakes, but that's because I'm not crazy about caramel -- and that's the whole point of the burnt topping!

Lotion chops?

Thanks very much for that link, and your blog comment about leaving out the sugar because you prefer it more savory. I think that's the way I'll try it. Question: by "prepared mustard" do you have a general type in mind? The turmeric-heavy yellow ballpark mustard so common in the USA? Dijon? Horseradish mustard? What's your preferred type?

Luann (comic strip) today with a flavor combination some will find irresistible: https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2023/10/08

Family visited today and I made a Basque-style Burnt Cheesecake for the first time. The entire family loves cheesecake, but one member is savagely gluten-intolerant. The 4-Ingredient Basque Cheesecake from Kirbie's Cravings popped up on my newsfeed a few days ago and looked like a perfect thing to try. It has eggs, cream, sugar and cream cheese, and no crust. Her instructions are pretty clear, right down to why you have to line the springform pan with ONE piece of parchment paper (the batter is very runny) and a description of what the edges and interior would be like when it was cooked. I may have overdone the top slightly... ...but nobody else seemed to notice. The very center was runny like a very soft cheese, even after a few hours' cooling outside (it's that time of year again) but the sides were set and firm. The pronounced caramel flavor reminded me of dulce de leche. There was competition for the leftovers!

Let me help in your search: I think Kerry is referring to @paulraphael and his discussions.

I just read AB's recipe. It says that as soon as the curd is put into a clean container you should put plastic wrap directly on the curd. I don't see a reason given, but I wonder whether it's to prevent that foam, caused by -- I dunno, separation of some sort? I'm just guessing. Did you put the plastic wrap atop the curd as the recipe says to do?

Actually, such a Cook-off already exists. It would be lovely to see it revived. Jump on in, folks! Edited to add: there are delicious ideas and photos in that topic. 🙂

I'm not sure I've ever had wahoo but I'd have to try it just for the name. 🙂 The food looks wonderful. I'd adore shrimp tempura like that, but I'd also adore pasta diablo with either the lobster or shrimp. Your photo of the "outdoor living room" reminds me of a place I stayed on Manisota Key (Florida Gulf Coast, near Tampa) for a couple of weeks. It had the same arrangement although the balcony was screened to keep the bugs out. It was marvelous, having that view and the doors slid wide open for the sound and smell. It was especially luxurious considering that it was bitter cold in Minnesota at that time! We cooked out or ate in as the mood took us, and there was always fresh shrimp or fish available within a block's walk. You're bringing back happy memories!

@KennethT asks a good question! Thanks for bringing us along. I'm with you on the "nightmare scenario" of a crowded beach, and the delight of an empty beach. The scenery and food all look wonderful. Do you know what sort of oil they use for frying the fish? More descriptions of flavor, texture, etc. would be welcome. What language(s) do you communicate in with your hosts and elsewhere during your travels there?

@ElsieD, I'll give a partial answer in case @Shelby is already collapsed asleep. I can't say how much they weigh, because birds are remarkably light for their size, but in terms of size most doves are larger than robins, blackbirds and blue jays but smaller than pigeons. Any further discussion about the birds in the wild belongs elsewhere, but I suspect Shelby will weigh in with how many mouthfuls each dove represents. I remember that when I was little, Dad and his buddies would go dove hunting. I don't remember how Mom cooked the birds, but I think each one was smaller than a thigh from one of today's supermarket chickens. ( @Shelby, please correct the record if I'm wrong!)

In my ramblings around Tucson with mi esposo y mis amigos I've hit on some wonderful places. I don't get as much opportunity as I did a few years ago. Still...if you've a mind to post about your restaurant finds in the regional Southwest & Western United States: Dining forum, I think a lot of us would love to read about them. Does Middle Eastern food turn your crank? If so, I highly recommend the Babylon Market and Deli. They have tables inside and out, and also offer take-out. I also highly recommend Bianchi's Italian Restaurant. I have only eaten dinner there but their salad and the lasagna special were the stuff of (wonderful) dreams, and they open at 11 a.m.