Smithy

Truly, it's been a labor of love and a glimpse into a country and its regions that many of us on this forum are unlikely to experience firsthand. And if I, personally, am ever offered "dragon and phoenix" I'll jump at the chance! Thank you.

Do you peel them after roasting?

Mega-kudos to you! I like the photos, but I'm just a piker. This "like" and comment, given its source? Major!

I cut a couple of slices from that sous-vided corned beef last night, something around 3/8" thick (not that I was measuring) and wedged them between a couple of slices of bread, along with cheese and condiments, for a Reuben sandwich. I didn't bother taking a picture last night -- everyone's seen my grilled sandwiches already -- but it was pretty good. I learned a couple of things, though. 1. A proper Reuben needs thinner slices. These were single slices, laid next to each other to cover the bread. Thinner slices, piled atop each other, would have had a nicer mouth-feel. 2. Before I tried this corned beef, I tried the one I'd written about here, that had been sitting in its original package for a couple of months past its best-by date. I really don't like it. As a matter of fact, even the dog didn't like it! So...these things do have a shelf life more or less in line with the label. (I also think for my tastes the brand isn't the best, but now I know that timing matters.)

Let's revive this topic about culinary growth and learning! @Duvel's recent adventures in Austria, and specifically Tyrol (or Tirol, to him), reminds me of a "my first" treat. My best friend and I backpacked around Europe in the summer of 1980, and made friends with a woman about our age during a stay at a youth hostel. She invited us to her family's inn for a few days. Schlickeralm, well up into the Alps, was at that time of year a green and pastoral delight. I don't remember where-all Angelika took us during our stay; I don't even remember much about what we ate. Except breakfast. They had their own cows, which produced their own milk and no doubt cheese. I had never had fresh, unpasteurized, unseparated milk before. What a revelation! I'm not usually a milk-drinker, but this stuff was delicious. Creamy. Warm. Flavorful. Wonderful on müsli. Wonderful on its own. Whenever I think of fresh milk, I think of those green, green meadows, lovely mountains, and that rich sunshine and even richer milk. What a happy memory. 🙂

Today, David made me laugh aloud. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you his essay: The Mohel of Mollusks I wish I could write like that. I'll have to check his blog more often!

Hello and welcome! That's a lovely photo you've put up there. We have Help articles, and at the bottom of this post you'll find a link to the answer to your question. That said, you can always ask a host (I am one) by Personal Messenger when you have a question about how to do things or where to post. While I was writing this, @pastrygirl beat me to the punch (thanks, pastrygirl!) but I'm still going to point out the existence of the Help articles. You can reach them at the top of any pages, where there's a tab that reads "Help".

Very cleverly written, @liuzhou. Thanks for the giggles!

@rotuts well yes to the S.F. Bay Area vibe. When I was growing up, that was upscale. In fact, when someone said they were going to "The City", they meant San Francisco. If they were going to Los Angeles or its environs, they said they were going "Down South". It might have been my sister, who lived a year or three in Sunnyvale after getting married, who put me onto the Sunset cookbooks. She cranked out some very nice meals during those early years. (She still does. It just doesn't seem so exotic now.)

Out here in the Minnesota woods, I keep thinking about all the bears that are now out of hibernation. It's difficult enough to keep them away without wearing an attractant!

Yes, and our perception of it -- in central California -- was that it was very upscale. Our wealthier neighbors subscribed to it, but my parents didn't. Later, after I'd left the area, I came to really love the magazine. It catered to the California Dream.

@chromedome, thanks for that. I'll admit that, although I could get the broad outlines of what you wrote, I went for more specific information (rather than derail this topic) to an online search for some of your terms. Which led to an AI answer....which, I suppose, illustrates some of your points! 😆

Time to bump this up again, and let everyone vent afresh (and perhaps with new terms). My news feed threw me this good-looking idea for a salmon version of club salad from Half-Baked Harvest. My teeth are still on edge from what feels like a sugar high. The idea looks like a good one, and I own one of HBH's cookbooks...but why must the writers use "yummy" so often? Why must they chirp on with things like this: and/or "it's so easy!" and "I have this on repeat every week!" The Kitchn is just as bad. I've pretty much stopped reading them because Every. Single. Title. (well, maybe every other title) has a formula: dishname and parenthetical augmentation: "___dishname___ (It's so good I'll be doing it again and again!)" "___dishname___ (It's so easy we'll make it every week!)" or some such variant. I swear their headlines are written by algorithm. Is "overused trope" a redundant phrase?

@RWood, thanks for that. The instructions are clear and I like the way you've laid out that recipe. I don't think I've ever put dill in my spanikopita before; I can imagine that making a difference. Question: why 1# 4oz of spinach? Is that the usual size of a package?

I love spanikopita. Since this is your favorite version, is this a recipe you can share?

Let's hope not!

You did indeed say that. Thanks for the polite reiteration. And thanks also to @rotuts and @liuzhou for their insights. I've learned something today!

That looks a lot like what I had. Can you shed any light on what type of seaweed? Or maybe someone else can, from the photo.

@liuzhou, the other thing that struck me as odd, once I looked up "kikurage", was that they listed mushroom and kikurage at different points in the ingredient list. What else struck you as odd with the ingredients?

No, it didn't specify the type of seaweed. I was expecting something with branches or joints. I wonder if baby kelp is eaten this way?

Yesterday, while I was out grocery shopping, this caught my eye: Huh. The ingredients included seaweed, mushroom, sugar, agar-agar, sesame seed, sesame oil, kikurage, vinegar, salt and pepper. What the heck. I took a flyer on it. I seem to have forgotten to take a picture of the contents without the cover atop it. Sorry about that. The dressing was nice: tangy, slightly sweet but also tart. I was surprised at the overall texture, though: the greens were long and skinny, like noodles, and slippery enough that I suspect they're supposed to be slurped like noodles. It was tasty enough, but I don't think I've found a new food love.

Yes, those spice blends I showed above came from Spice Trekkers. I'm just now getting around to doing something with them.

I finally got around to trying one of these blends, after stowing them in the cabinet and leaving home for 5 months. I'm here to report that the Peri-Peri Blend is tasty but HOT even in small doses. See here for more information about how I used it.

This seems as good a topic as any to post about my latest bean cookery. I grabbed a package of Rancho Gordo beans -- Domingo Rojo, I think -- and loaded them into the Instant Pot after the usual rinsing and checking for debris. I was too darned lazy to go through the rigmarole of chopping and sauteeing onions or celery, but I did finally open a can of spice mix that I bought way back here from Spice Trekkers. I gave those spices a bit of a pounding, then loaded them into a cheesecloth bag so they'd be easy to fish out later. I also added a few bay leaves from the freezer. Then, away I went to do other chores while the beans cooked. I used the pressure cooking function, gave 'em about 45 minutes. Came back, checked, decided they needed more time, added more water, pressure cooked again. The finished product is more of a soup or stew than simply beans that can be added to another dish, but that's all right in this case. I haven't felt much like eating lately anyway, and in a desperate moment a cup of this stuff is an adequate lunch. Here it is: top view, and side view so you can see just how stiff it is out of the refrigerator. But. Those spices are hot! I only put a tablespoon's worth into the pot with a pound of beans. I still need sour cream to tone it down so I can taste the other flavors. So buyer beware on this particular spice blend!

Are yaks raised for specific purposes (meat vs. dairy vs. working) or are the meat yaks typically used as working animals until they're old and tough, then slaughtered when they're of no further working use? How does the meat compare to, say, beef or sheep? And are there dedicated dairy yak breeds, the way there are dairy cows vs. meat cows?