Smithy

You know exactly my mixed feelings! When we get home we're always amazed and pleased at how much more room we have. We're relieved to be done with the long-haul driving that we're doing now. On the other hand, the weather isn't as nice at home (yet) as it has been farther south, and we'll have slop and rain and possibly snow still to deal with. We've stayed south an extra week or so before, but this year we have reasons to be home in the first few days of May. It's warm enough now that we won't have to worry about winterizing the trailer, but our road may be too sloppy to get the trailer home. We've arranged with a friend who has room, pavement and electricity to leave the trailer with him until we get a chance to scout things out. This will mean a certain amount of inconvenient schlepping: load the pickup with stuff, take it home, come back for more. We'll be able to leave the refrigerator and freezer loaded for the moment, since there will be electrical power. The preferred and usual method is to park the trailer in the driveway and unload directly into the house. Like you, I always clean it thoroughly before we put it away. It needs a bit of help when we start loading in the fall, but not much. I'd love to be able to do camping in the mountains during the summer. We've gone to Minnesota National Forest campgrounds for a week or two, where the paddling and cycling are beautiful, but not out of state and into the heights. There's always too much fun around our own home, and to be honest I'm reluctant to miss anything since we're gone for 6 months during the winter.

No, they're cut into small slices. Dave the Cook posted a photo here that looks more like what I'd like to replicate. He was even good enough to include a link to a RecipeGullet version, so now I'll have 2 to try! I bought another of those potato casseroles from Miiller's and it's in the freezer, so I'll be able to refer back to it at some point.

2017 Duvel: Tales from the Fragrant Harbour

We're getting enough open space in the refrigerator that I found a forgotten batch of hummus! It made a nice supplement to a perfect avocado half for this morning's breakfast. Yesterday was a reminder of what Tolkien said in The Hobbit: adventures are not all ponies and May-sunshine. It was supposed to be an easy day's travel: only a couple hundred miles to go, and against our usual procedures we actually had a reservation. It's a really good thing that both those things were true. (We have the idea that we're getting the Princessmobile home just in time.) I had mentioned a drooping belly liner the evening, and that I thought it was getting worse. (The belly liner, for those of you who don't know, is a plasticized corrugated sheet that protects the underside of the trailer's plumbing, wiring and tanks from road damage.) He denies my having mentioned it at all until 2 nights ago; I think I mentioned it 2 weeks ago, but there you are: he lay awake fretting over it all night, and was tired before he even started driving. We spent the calm hours of the morning investigating, finding water pooled and causing the droopage (where is THAT coming from??) and then trying to get the water out. I'm the only one limber enough to get under the trailer and get back up. I drilled a few drain holes and only got a little water, then pushed up on the sags and got more out the sides. Only got splashed once. By the time we'd done what we could, the (in)famous Kansas wind had come up again. We had The Devil's own time holding doors open long enough to load things into the back room. However, that wind was good news for our drive, and helped push us all the way to southern Iowa, where the flag was still essentially starched. We ate at their renovated and renamed Westlake Bar and Grill. It's nearly unrecognizable from our last visit. Last spring it was a huge disappointment and we almost ate in the Princessmobile rather than give them another chance. In pre-pandemic years the place was really jumping, and I'm sure they're struggling to find ways to rebuild the business. The beer taps are impressive. The interior is quite nice, and spacious. It seems odd, however, without the massive buffet setup that they used to have. Check out the back wall of TV screens. Every one is tuned to a different channel, and they're all muted. I asked the greeter whether people specified a remote speaker for the channel of choice. She smiled and said it was "more of an art installation". In other words, no. I ordered fish and chips; my darling ordered one of their special burgers. We were both happy with our choices. We may go back and eat there again tonight. We have to go back at least briefly, because for some reason the tip portion of my credit card payment didn't ring through. Our server will be back tonight, and we want to make sure she gets that well-earned tip.

The chuck roast I mentioned a few posts ago came out quite well. Yes, I probably had something else in mind for it and yes, I get tired of having to do the same treatments all the time -- but there's something to be said for a Sure Thing. The next day we cycled, walked, enjoyed the scenery... and enjoyed one last meal in the fully-opened Princessmobile. This was the last of the Cooper's ribs, and some of their beans, and cole slaw to our individual preferences. (He'd eaten his earlier.) The meat was rich and fatty and almost as delicious as on the first night - and I think we're finally burned out on it. I remember the Cooper's Pit guys commenting to me that they had no standard of comparison for their 'cue vs. other joints' 'cue, because the last thing they wanted to eat on their days off was barbecue. I get it. This last day was the only calm day we had in Kansas. Gorgeous, even a bit warm! I suppose it's a bit like northern Minnesota: if you love a place, you'll put up with a lot of crap for the sake of those beautiful days. Come to think of it, that applies to people too.

Port and starboard?

@Dave the Cook, that post took me down memory lane. Thanks for the link to the 2005 blog and the recipe! Great fun to review. So...I can't help "laughing" in my response, but I wish I could also have given a "thanks". Here it is, in verbal rather than emoji form. Less mashing next time, check. Different masher next time (neither of you mentioned that equipment), check. "10 Half-steps to Hell", well, I'll try to stick to the path.

One place to consider starting, for those of you trying to decide, is with the Cumin-Scented Carrots. It's ridiculously easy and very, very good. I'm not a big fan of carrots but these I'd eat any day. Here they are, finished but still in the pot: I wrote more about the recipe here. My only cautionary notes are to use good ingredients (as always) and to cook them shortly before you want to eat. I held them in a warm oven for several hours, and the poor things were shriveled by dinner time. They were still tasty, but I wouldn't want to show you what they looked like then.

I'm still impressed at how quickly it's coming together! It's also looking beautiful - no surprise there, I'd expect nothing less of you - but the speed is amazing. When we redid our kitchen 10 years ago or so, the contractor estimated it would take about 3 weeks. In fact it took more nearly 3 months. A lot of that had to do with his juggling projects and being unpredictable with his schedule, rather than any snags in the work. I finally withheld the last $600 payment until he came back with the remaining electrical outlet cover. He'd ordered the wrong configuration, and then when he finally got it he kept "forgetting" to come back with it. Withholding that last payment did the trick.

Thank you! Without having tried it (yet) this looks very much like what I had and would like to achieve. The potatoes, as I remember them, were firmer than but not quite as fluffy as baked potatoes. They certainly weren't crisp like fries, but they weren't as cohesive as slices of potato dauphinoise. I know that isn't much of a description, but it's all I can remember from that last casserole.

We have a beef chuck roast cooking that I Absolutely Had To Buy back in Yuma at Fry's. I'm sure I had a specific purpose for it, but predictably enough it's now roasting on a bed of potatoes, with carrots, and covered with Lipton's Onion Soup mix per my darling's standard formula. Whatever I had planned back then will have to wait for beef at a later time. One of the charms of this place is an oxbow lake that is heavily populated with turtles. As one walks or cycles along the lakeside path, there's "SPLASH!" after "SPLASH!" as the turtles who've been sunning themselves decide to hide in the water. This particular log had over a dozen turtles on it when I first arrived. One monster reptilian had a tail as long as my forearm and as thick as my wrist. It never resurfaced as I sat there, although some of its compatriates (family members?) did. I could see it lurking just below the water's surface, but then someone else came along the path and scared those wary turtles back into hiding. No kidding, there were over a dozen turtles aiming for this single log, ranging from a few inches to a couple of feet in length. But this post isn't really about turtle soup, which I've been told can be delicious but would be beyond my knowledge and strictly forbidden (I think) in this park. Maybe there's a turtle season in Kansas, I don't know. What I want to talk about now, and get ideas for, is duplicating a baked potato casserole from Miiller's in Llano -- or maybe even making a better version. I liked it so much that I bought another freezer container of it before we left Llano. From reading the label, I get the idea that the basic elements are baked potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and mayonnaise along with seasonings. Of course there are stabilizers and gum additives. I may have missed a few elements in the label, since they list every single subingredient (the contents of the mayonnaise, for instance). I think it's pretty good stuff. I think I should be able to make it. A recipe from @JAZ's Super-Easy Instant Pot Cookbook (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) for Cheesy Smashed Red Potatoes may point me in the right direction, but the recipe was problematic for reasons I speculated about in this post. So: if you were to make a baked potato casserole with bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream and cheddar cheese, how would you go about it?

I have several of Janet's cookbooks and am charmed by every one of her dedications!

It depends on the circumstances. I would cook them anyway, unless the materials for braising were super high-priced or special and difficult to come by. Freezer burn is distasteful if you can taste it, but it isn't dangerous. I taste it much more readily than my husband, so he's been happy (or at least happier) with meals I'd prepared and found too freezer-burned. And yes, I think braising is the way to go. Make an excellent sauce!

That's on our list too! But maybe not tomorrow.

Blustery, windy and cool again yesterday and today. The temperature was in the mid-40's this morning, and has finally gotten up to 60F. The wind is coming from the exact opposite direction as in my last weather-complaint post, but it's just as strong. We can't tell whether the campground is clearing out according to schedule or early because of the weather. Our next-site neighbors abruptly cleared out this morning while I was out walking the dog. My darling said they just threw everything willy-nilly into the pickup and trailer, and that included a generously-sized pile of campfire wood. They cleared out in just over an hour. At least it's sunny now. The redbuds are blooming and beautiful... ...although the sycamore trees aren't even thinking about coming out of hibernation yet. Last night the wind died enough that he could cook his beloved hash on the camp stove, outside. (Actually, the sausage at lower left is a summer sausage from Miiller's in Llano that I chopped up last night for road snacks. The Zatarain's went into the hash.) Interestingly, he wasn't as set on getting the potatoes so crisp they were nearly charred. We both thought this was some of his best hash yet. I just finished cooking and eating a serving of Spicy Chickpeas with Sundried Tomatoes and Olives, from Janet Zimmerman's latest cookbook. It's delicious! I'm glad I made a full batch rather than cutting it down for the IP Mini. I posted more detail about it in the topic devoted to that book.

Spicy Chickpeas with Sundried Tomatoes and Olives My, oh my. My, my, my - another winner! This one has been on my list to try for quite some time, and is the main reason I cooked chickpeas in the IP for want of canned. Here's the setup: cooked chickpeas, diced (fire-roasted) canned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, vegetable broth (I subbed chicken broth), chopped onion, minced garlic, harissa, kalamata olives, and spinach. It's supposed to be fresh baby spinach. I didn't have any, and used cooked frozen spinach instead. That harissa, by the way, has been sitting in the Princessmobile's cupboard for quite some time. I'm glad I finally opened it. Bung everything but the harissa, spinach and olives into the IP and pressure cook it. Quick-release; add the remaining ingredients and simmer (on the saute function) until the spinach is wilted. In this case the spinach had to be cooked until it was thawed. Adjust the seasonings and serve. In the collage below, starting at the upper left and going clockwise: everything into the pot (note that one container of cooked chickpeas was still frozen) prior to pressure cooking an image of the quick-release process for those interested -- can you see the steam? It's a bit intimidating until one gets used to it after pressure cooking and before the final ingredients are added (note that the frozen chickpeas thawed just fine) ready to serve You all know I'm no food stylist so I'll spare you the picture of the served dish in this post. This might have looked better if I'd started with fresh spinach, but I'm not sure since the spinach is supposed to wilt anyway. That harissa is wonderful, and I ended up doubling the quantity to get a citrusy kick of heat. Now I'll have another condiment cluttering up the refrigerator, but I think it'll be a lot easier to use than the sriracha we carry around. My husband isn't a fan of olives, particularly, but I think he's going to like this too. He's certainly enjoying the smells. The kalamatas add just the right salty note. Incidentally, I made the full batch in the 3-quart pot, with no problems. This one didn't need to be scaled down.

...and I didn't help, with my introduction to this topic. Thank you and @JAZ for setting the record straight.

I do, but not in the same place or format. I hope someone else will answer.

I picked it up somewhere, can't remember where, sorry. It probably has a proper name, or at least a trademark, that I've forgotten.

So glad to see it all coming together, and quickly by my standards!

I'm going to move to a dish that's a bit of a head-scratcher: Cheesy Smashed Red Potatoes. I ask you: what's not to love about potatoes, cheese and cream? We loved the flavor but not the texture. The recipe notes that red potatoes aren't really suited for mashing because they can easily become gluey, but with light smashing into cream and cheese they make an "easy rustic accompaniment" to grilled or roasted meats. The ingredients are red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks; heavy cream; shredded cheddar; salt, pepper, water (for the pressure-cooking step) and sliced scallions. I can see a few places this recipe may have gone wrong for me. I didn't have heavy cream; I used half-and-half instead. I used the entire recipe in a 3-quart pot, possibly crowding the ingredients, rather than halving the ingredients. Hey, the spuds seemed to fit comfortably into a steamer basket in that pot. Why cut the recipe down? I don't have a potato masher. I used the up-and-down action of an X-bar intended to break up sausage as it cooks in a skillet. The flavors were delightful, but the potatoes were without question gummy/gluey. Did I use too much stuff so it couldn't be broken gently in my little 3-quart pot? Did I use the wrong smashing implement? Was it a problem to use half-and-half rather than heavy cream? I hope to hear from @JAZ or @Dave the Cook as to what might have gone wrong. I think the larger question is: why bother doing this with red potatoes? Would other potatoes have done a better job with this sort of flavor combination? This is an especially important question in light of a casserole I'd like to reproduce. Sorry for the crummy photo, but this is the best I could do.

I have it, but haven't managed to cook much from it for the same reasons I listed above. I can say, however, that the lemon curd is KILLER and is my go-to recipe from now on. I'll be in a position to cook from that book in a few weeks.

Dave, thanks for that note. I didn't think to mention it because I usually make quiche without a crust anyway. I wonder whether a satisfactorily crisp crust could be developed / invented / found by you creative types. As I remember them, the crusts in cheesecakes I've made in the IP have been quite nice. A standard cheesecake crust would be too sweet for quiche, but perhaps use a cracker crust and leave out the sugar? It might be a starting point. The cheesecakes I've made in the IP are this New York Cheesecake from @Tropicalsenior and this Muffuletta Cheesecake that @Shelby put us onto several years ago. The second one uses butter crackers as the crumb base.

I know I've posted this breakfast dozens of times. There's nothing new about it. Still...a truly ripe, flavorful avocado is something to be celebrated, isn't it? This one is perfect.

Sorry! I won't post another GIF.