Smithy
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Posts posted by Smithy
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Over here there's a discussion about plastic clamshells and plastic waste in general: how to avoid it, whether to avoid it, what to do instead. I'm writing about a related problem: what should we use to store produce for best refrigerator life and quality?
My best friend is not prone to overbuying produce, but she does like to have a variety of fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator in small quantities. She does not like to waste food. She lives in San Diego. Now that the plastic produce bags ubiquitous in most of the USA have disappeared from California grocery stores, she's looking for good solutions to the produce storage question. For example: she used to wash lettuce, wrap it in a cotton towel, and put that in a plastic produce bag and into the refrigerator. It would last for a week or two until it was used up. She'd keep the sturdy vegetables, like carrots, celery and broccoli, in the plastic bags in which she'd bought them until they were used up. And so on.
The California grocery stores now only provide compostable produce bags. As noted here, the bags don't keep the produce nearly as long or as well. Now the question is: what to do instead? What qualities are needed for a good storage solution?
1. She doesn't want to buy plastic storage bags (Glad, Zip-lok, etc).
2. In her household, containers of water with vegetables stored in them (celery, green onions, herbs) are an invitation to disaster in the refrigerator.
3. She wants some sort of flexible bag material to envelop said vegetables, for storage in the crisper drawer. She doesn't want a bunch of glass (or hard plastic) containers.
4. She can sew.
That leads to the question: what exactly is it that made those plastic bags so good for produce storage? Was it their ability to cut off oxygen? Moisture? Something else? More to the point, what's a good substitute?
Right now she's looking at rip-stop style nylon, that we all use(d) for backpacking stuff sacks. It's flexible, washable, and helps cut off oxygen. But is that what's really needed? What materials, or material characteristics, do we need as a substitute for those wasteful plastic produce bags?
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1 hour ago, C. sapidus said:
The issue with TSP and scallops is it causes them to retain water. This works against a good sear.
Look for “dry packed” scallops to avoid excess water.
Thank you. So why are they exposed to / packed with TSP in the first place? Fattens them up for a better weight?
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I still hope @Paul Bacino weighs in with why his shrimp didn't have TSP: how he knew it didn't, and why it might have in the first place.
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5 hours ago, Smithy said:
Sorry, please translate TSP in this context? I know it can't be "teaspoon" or "trisodium phosphate"....
5 hours ago, DesertTinker said:Probably referring to STTP.
4 hours ago, Shel_B said:Tri Sodium Phosphate, perhaps.
Until now, I had no idea that what I think of as a cleaning agent was used as a food additive. I stand educated.
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1 hour ago, Paul Bacino said:
NO TSP added---cooked on beef tallow
Sorry, please translate TSP in this context? I know it can't be "teaspoon" or "trisodium phosphate"....
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That's a striking color contrast! I'd only heard before of red snapper. Thank you.
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17 minutes ago, KennethT said:
This looks a lot better (to me) than what we call "chicken salad" here in the US, which is basically chicken bound together with a thick mayo glop.
1 minute ago, liuzhou said:Yes. Very different.
It all looks good. What is the wrapper?
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I went ahead with the panade. I started it even though I wasn't hungry, then while I was cooking I ate a bunch of salami because I was hungry.
But. Now I've finished the bread cubes, sliced onion, sliced red bell pepper, kale, some spinach, a couple of mushrooms, and a chunk of applewood-smoked Gruyere that's been riding with me since before I left home. There are a bunch of plastic containers out of the refrigerator and cleaned.
Of course I had to do a taste test, though I wasn't hungry. Pretty darned good, and I'll have several meals out of the deal. Those meals, of course, will go into the plastic containers I just washed.
Can't have open space in the refrigerator now, can I? 😀
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No need to drive anywhere today. It was pleasant outside for a walk this morning, but now the wind has come up again...just as gusty, and just as dusty as yesterday and the day before. It's a good day to work on the taxes I've promised myself I'd do.
Well, I've hit a wall. Time to eat. What to make, what to make? Those potatoes I rescued are still waiting on the counter to be cooked. Do I want to make potato salad? No. Do I want a sandwich? No. I finished the last of the Sopa de Lima last night. I don't feel like starting tonight's planned panade yet.
I really, really like the salad dressing and salad recipe, give or take minor ingredient adjustments, from this article: Don't feel like cooking? Try this easy and savory Antipasti Salad.
Okay, salad dressing was already on my to-do list today.
Before dressing (and before I thought to clean the phone lens), here's what I had:
After tossing, serving and dressing (and cleaning the lens):
It's now 2:30 pm. Will I feel like cooking that panade this evening? I dunno yet. I do know that I'll have to clear the "desk" of all this paper and do something else more entertaining. Otherwise I'll start the comfort-food noshing. Look out, chocolate Easter bunnies!
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10 hours ago, liuzhou said:
"whole wheat sourdough Rubon country bread multi-grain French old bread German sourdough bread"
That's quite the title! More words than in the ingredient list? 😄
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2 hours ago, C. sapidus said:
"Grilled" eggplant: Slashes stuffed with garlic, rosemary, S&P, and copious amounts of olive oil. A favorite that I haven't made for a long while.
It's quite a while since I did that too, but I've always liked it. Yours looks excellent.
Why did you put "grilled" in quotation marks?
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19 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:
Unless there is a very special reason besides "authenticity" for using this product, I would rather substitute an on-hand pepper.
Thanks. I'll keep that in mind for the future.
But...
My particular recipe was provided by a chef who served in the Peace Corps in Peru (I'm not sure when). She was good enough to provide the recipe for the stew she made that I liked very much. In her notes she says that it must be this particular pepper to taste right. Granted, I couldn't find the brand of paste she uses, but when I make and post about this recipe I think I owe it to her to follow her instructions as closely as possible.
Later, I'm sure I'll be taking liberties as I always do. 🙂
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Not much to report on the culinary front from yesterday. I made a chicken salad (heavy on the chicken and mayo, lighter on the capers, and that's it) and turned it into an open-faced sandwich of sorts. I ate chunks of cheese, and melted cheese atop bread. (I really do wish I'd packed the toaster, but I didn't want to dirty up a skillet or Papa's pan.) I finally finished the panade from what, last week? It really holds up well. I'm glad I have all the elements with which to make another one soon.
It wasn't a nice day to be outside, nor had it been on the previous day. For two days straight, the wind blew so hard that the local flags seemed starched
and we were sandblasted every time we crossed a street in line with the sand dunes.
Still, I had to go out. It was Old Farts Day at the local Fry's: 10% discount on everything, for senior citizens, on the first Wednesday of the month.
Know what? I have too much food already. You probably won't be surprised at that. So household cleaning items, pet supplies, coffee and half-and-half constituted my shopping. It still added up. Pet food and treats are expensive!
I've already shown you some of that Fry's. But going back to last week, I see I haven't shown you the local Albertson's or the Oriental Gift Shop next to the laundromat I use. Sit back and enjoy the show. If there's something you want to know more about, or get a better peek at, ask away.
First, the Oriental Gift Shop. I've posted about it in years past. They have a lot of fun decorations in the window
and even more inside. If I were inclined toward redecorating, I'd probably spend a bundle in here.
I actually had a goal: to see whether they carry the Aji Amarillo paste I wanted, since @C. sapidus had found some at H-Mart. This store is a lot smaller than H-Mart, of course, but it was worth looking while the washing machines ran.
They have a dizzying array of noodles, sauces, beans, spices, vinegars. Canned and fermented eggs. There's a refrigerator section that I didn't even photograph, but it's full of interesting foods too. I still have some of their kimchi from last year. No Peruvian chili pastes, though they had plenty of Chinese and Indian chili pastes. And curry sauces. Have a look!
(I love those little parasols. I didn't buy any, though.)
I went out empty-handed. On the way out I admired the elaborate sculpture/fountain by the door. Unfortunately this is only a still photo. It had quite a few moving parts: spinning wheels and balls, with changing light colors and moving bubbles. You'll have to use your imagination.
When the laundry was done I went to Albertson's for something...now I've forgotten what. I know I looked for the Aji Amarillo paste there too, without success. I want to show you some of the meat and seafood offerings!
That's right. A whole, wild-caught (now frozen and dead) octopus. I wasn't tempted.
I thought this pompano was interesting, but didn't buy it either. I'm amazed at what can be found here in Yuma! Granted, we aren't far from the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Cortez, but it still isn't like being at a port for easy access.
After all that, I went to the Post Office and picked up my package:
Very securely wrapped, with triple wrappings of bubble packing. I'd worried that my paste, having zinged around the country for weeks, would have been damaged. Nope. Excellent condition. Based on this experience, I'd buy from this company again -- if I like the paste.
I haven't gotten far enough to decide on that yet.
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Congratulations on your thrift and creativity, @Maison Rustique! Nice "save" on the strata!
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5 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:
Can you label it or tag it?
Yes, once I've reconfirmed it. The handles outside are only listed as "grey" (well, "gray") vs. "black" without even being listed as 1 or 2 although the tank gauges inside are numbered. I've established which handle goes to which tank, and labeled accordingly. When I've reconfirmed which tank # is the kitchen then I'll finish the labeling.
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57 minutes ago, FauxPas said:
It's the Keurig frother, as I had a store credit there.
Keurig has a storefront? I had no idea!
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Last night's dinner seemed like a good idea...get some stuff out of the refrigerator and freezer, and use it before it goes off. I also thought it would be a relatively easy "set it and forget it" type of meal while I took care of bills.
That's two jalapenos with some of my Egyptian feta creamy cheese; a mushroom, and delicate little asparagus spears, all wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon.
Well, it looked good! Pretty bland, though. It needed some sort of kick. I expected the salt from the cheese, and the spice from the jalapenos, and the bacon itself to do something. All bland. Oh, well. Can't win 'em all.
In the midst of washing dishes, I discovered that the kitchen sink had stopped draining. The holding tank that's been registering as full for a couple of days finally was! I went out and pulled the dump handle -- it really is handy to be hooked up to a sewer connection -- and made a mental note that now at least I know which tank is which.
If only I could remember now which one it was! 😉
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1 minute ago, BeeZee said:
I can't say that food, per se, gave me comfort. It was the heartfelt effort of loved ones/friends making the effort more than anything. However, Mom's homemade chicken soup with noodles is good for the soul, and easy on a stomach that isn't really asking to do any heavy lifting.
I was just posting about soups and stews when this popped up! We're on the same page. When it's cold, and the weather as dreary as my mood, I also find soups or stews to be easy comforts as these things go...and as BeeZee points out, easy on the stomach. Easy to eat just a few spoonsful and then save the rest for later. And easy for family to bring, even if they can't duplicate Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup.
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I totally lost my appetite also, beginning with when my husband was ailing and then continuing after he died. I found that convenience was the key. I ate a lot of hummus and tabbouli, which were easy to make and lasted well. I usually ate them scooped into tortilla chips. I also bought a rotisserie chicken from time to time and feasted on that. I was lucky in that I had concerned friends but only one came by with food -- a quiche. It was delicious. She was funny and rather apologetic about it: "Now I understand why people bring food," she said. "You want to do something to help but you don't know what, so you bring food!" Still, it took me about a week to eat it.
Getting back to the original question:
11 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:What foods comfort you during a loss?
I think the real problem is that they don't. At most they can serve as a distraction. My wonderul favorite aunt might have disagreed with me. She gained a lot of weight with her favorite comfort food -- a whole pint of her favorite ice cream, while watching TV! -- after her husband, one of my favorite uncles, died. But that came back to bite her, because of course she never lost that weight again. And as astute as she was about many things, I suspect she was distracting rather than comforting herself. If I'm going for the distraction I'll do wine, but I know that's no better for me than ice cream!
So, knowing that your family wants to do something for you and won't take "no" for an answer, I suggest you ask for things that will keep well in the refrigerator (or freezer) and reheat easily. Think of the grocery money you'll save later! My own personal favorites are chicken and pasta with something salty or savory. If I'm in a mood to mess around in the kitchen and be distracted that way, I'll do something with those that takes time. If I'm not, or if I have friends helping, I'll ask for something easy. I personally would not be above asking someone to drive to the nearest KFC and bring a bucket of mashed potatoes and gravy, but it might depend on how far they had to drive. 🙂
Edited to add: toast with melted cheese, or else a grilled cheese sandwich with some meat along with the cheese, is another easy dish that goes well for me. I've found that one grilled sandwich can provide 2 meals. And yes, to me it's comforting despite what I've just written above.
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Thanks, @FrogPrincesse. I've passed your information along.
So the lemon bars were more of a success than I'd expected, but I learned a number of lessons on what not to do next time. First, the summary: the flavor of both the crust and the lemon filling / topping were good. I took the extra step of straining the custard before setting it in to bake, so I didn't have the lemon zest interfering with the smooth custard texture.
The custard was a bit bubbly, and not the bright yellow I'd have expected: it was more of a dirty daffodil color. I don't know why, but those bubbles probably had something to do with it. Did I overwhisk the filling? I dunno. So between that color and the extra-thick crust, which incidentally was a bit too brown around the edge, the entire assembly didn't look very promising when it came out of the oven.
This morning when I pulled it from the refrigerator the custard had cracked! I pressed down on it with a spatula to try to mend those cracks, and saw that the yellow became more intense. That's why I suspect I'd simply aerated the thing too much in the first place.
With that very firm and very thick crust, I worried that I really would need the parchment sling that I overlooked, in order to get the stuff out of the pan in one piece. I worked all around the edge with a knife, and then started cutting portions in order to get it out of the pan in serving-sized pieces. This is where the Quality Control taste tests began, of course.
The lemon layer didn't adhere very well to the pecan crust layer, as you can see in the lower right of the photo above. Still. That lemon filling is quite lemony and delicious. The pecan crust is pretty good too.
This was one of several desserts at a potluck party I attended today. I came back with only a few pieces left. I'll keep some, but as with my previous desserts try to foist most of it off on my landlords and neighbors.
And in case you need a refresher, this was a NYTimes recipe for Lemon Bars with Pecan Crust, by Lisa Donovan.
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On 3/8/2025 at 12:54 PM, FrogPrincesse said:
Nice to see Bread & Cie make an appearance! They are one of the reasons I have “survived” all these years in the US .
I don’t know if you are familiar with their history. They celebrated the 30th year of the bakery last year. There are more bakery options these days, but they were bread pioneers in San Diego, for sure.
I am sharing here if you would like to learn more!
https://breadandcie.com/about-us/an-interview-with-our-founder/
I'm going back a bit here.
My best friend, who lives in San Diego, just got back from a trip so I told her about the bread I'd bought and your comments about that bakery. She's delighted that their stuff is in a nearby grocery store, but wonders if you have recommendations on the "more bakery options these days".
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On 11/28/2018 at 8:47 PM, cdh said:
So this kickstarter did meet its goals... and I was a backer. I'll be fascinated to see what my $250 buys me. Just a pot with a magnetic stirring functionality will be pretty cool. I hope they figure out a way to make the deep fry function workable by adding a spigot to drain oil. I'll post updates if/when there is news.
@cdh, I was looking for kickstarter campaign discussions and stumbled over this. Your link has disappeared, so I've no idea what the product was called but your description still looks interesting. Did yours ever arrive? What did you think of it?
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Well, it looks okay -- paler than I'd expected. When I make lemon curd or a lemon meringue pie the filling is brighter yellow. The proof will be in the pudding, though!
Most of the little divots are from my poking to see if it was firm enough to remove from the oven. The one in the upper right is self-made. I'll be curious to see what happened there.
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It's now in the oven. I see, now that it's too late, that I was supposed to not only grease the pan (which I did) but also put down a piece of parchment to use as a sling to lift it later! Ah well, it'll be an adventure. One instruction the recipe doesn't include but I did anyway was to strain the custard as I poured it atop the crust. In general, I don't like the texture of lemon zest. Maybe if I used a finer grater I wouldn't mind, but my microplane leaves detectable strips. The batter tastes good, though.
On to my next batch of cleanup! Look at the garbage bag!
(Okay, the watermelon rinds are from lunch, and the water bottles are to keep from dehydrating.)
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Camping, Princess Style
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
<Cue Don Henley>
Nobody on the road...
Nobody on the beach...
"Boys of Summer" is one of my favorite songs, and it echoes through my head every time I go for a walk here. It's the reverse situation, of course: the place is emptying out for the summer.
A few hardy souls stay here year-round, but my hosts/landlords will be leaving in early May. By that time the snow should have melted in Minnesota, where they're headed.
The owners of my favorite house here left this morning for their home in Washington.
I'm not sure what to make of this place. It has a healthy raised-bed garden. As you can see, the tomatoes are done already but there're some good-looking vegetables and greens. I'm not sure whether these homeowners are still around, but I think they've gone for the season.
This morning it was mashed avocado on sourdough bread, with a sprinkling of lemon and Spike. Chased by a mixture of kefir and juice.
Yesterday as part of my effort to cut down on deli meats and cheeses in the refrigerator, I had this "wrap" for lunch. Not shown: Triscuits for crunch.
Dinner last night was slightly more interesting, but also less successful. I'll give it its own post.