Smithy

I had no idea about that trend. Thanks for the information, unwlecome as it is.

Right now I wish there was a double-funny belly-laugh emoji. One guffaw isn't enough.

Damn. The pub where I worked one summer, which had been in business since at least 1644, is also gone.

Enablers, indeed. I just placed my first order, to include those prawns.

This is the place where you chat about yourself, tell us what you like to cook and/or eat, where you live (if you want to say) and so on, so we can welcome you. Welcome! What's for dinner at your place today?

I think it's an entertaining article. I'd heard of perhaps half of the books, and I have (or have had) a few of them. The writer writes with a panache that I particularly enjoy. Unlikely as it may seem, the 1963 book by Robert Carrier, Great Dishes of the World (eG-friendly Amazon.com link), especially catches my eye. I love that "historical" stuff that overlaps my time on this earth, and I may have to go seek out a copy for the sheer fun of reading it. My question is, what the heck are those things on pedestals in the accompanying photo? They look like frosted bicycle seats.

Looking on the bright side: can you tell us more about the quince "spoon sweets" atop the yogurt in that last picture? I'd like to know how that quince was prepared. It looks more like strips of jellied fruit than chopped or stewed preserves.

*Bump* I've never been a fan of cole slaw. The stuff I grew up with was sweet and gloppy, and for some reason sweet and gloppy has rarely or never fit with vegetables for me. Later I learned that cole slaw doesn't have to be sweet and gloppy; some can taste pretty good. Still. The original knee-jerk distrust of the stuff has kept me from exploring it much. My husband buys the sweet 'n' gloppy stuff he loves and I leave it alone. Fast forward to this summer, and for some reason the idea of crunchy, juicy slaw has been on my mind. I finally got round to trying the first of several slaw recipes from the June/July issue (No. 159) of Fine Cooking Magazine. (Yes, I can be slow about these things.) First attempt: a riff on their "Taco Slaw" -- p. 64 if you have access to the magazine, or a partial link here. I started with a bag of prepared coleslaw mix. The dressing: the juice of half a lime (maybe more, to taste); salt and pepper to taste; mayonnaise to taste; chopped cilantro. My proportions were roughly that half lime's worth of juice, about 1/2 tsp salt; no pepper; 2 - 3 Tbsp Duke's mayo; nearly a cup of chopped cilantro (stems and all). Cole slaw, where have you been all my life?! I can't stop eating the stuff. So far I've been eating it straight but it would make a fine taco topping. My husband took a bite, said "too salty" and went back to his sweet gloppy stuff. Fine with me! It eliminates the competition. I've had vinegar slaws before and liked them well enough. The Cole Slaw topic elsewhere in these forums has good recipes. @kayb posted a recipe for her Jail Slaw that I quite like. But for right now, I intend to keep eating this tangy, tart, not-gloppy "Taco Slaw". Eventually I'll try their other recipes: Broccoli Slaw; Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint; their take on Vinegar Slaw. Has any one else been experimenting with new slaw recipes?

The kitchen looks wonderful! Sorry your shoulder and arm are messed up, glad you're recovering. The work and planning y'all put into the kitchen has really paid off.

That looks delicious. If you haven't already shared your recipe and technique, please consider adding it to our corned beef topic so we can all try it out. @Wait. Wot, same goes for you.

This. I spent my first couple of decades in central and southern California, and never saw or tasted rhubarb. I'm not sure I even knew it was edible! When I moved to northern Minnesota I learned otherwise. It likes the conditions here, too. @liuzhou, please see if you can get that rhubarb-ginger jam recipe. @David Ross, I think you've determined the dessert for my next dinner party!

Thermoworks is having a Father's Day promotion right now. It may be limited to current customers (I'm not sure) but I just gt 10% off for some replacement probes and no-touch fever thermometers using this one-time code: TW-CAP-T6S2T Incidentally, their no-touch forehead thermometers are on overstock blowout for $29, down from $69. I wouldn't have listed them here except for the Father's Day promotion, but it's a good deal. The Father's Day promotional code goes until June 20 and applies to the entire order. I resisted buying the timers and sensors I wanted, but got extra probes for my existing equipment because they do tend to break or wear out.

I didn't know that saganaki referred to the serving dish. That explains a lot of my confusion in past years. But it looks as though the dish containing the shrimp doesn't have handles, as such, whereas the dish containing the razor clams does. Does that mean the term "saganaki" has evolved to a broader meaning than its original? I hadn't heard about the legendary quality of Greek honey. Now I want some! I'm looking forward to this, too. I was in Greece once, years ago, loved it but have never yet made it back. Blog on, please!

When we installed granite counters in our kitchen we were warned that hot pots might affect the high polish by producing very small surface cracks. I've never been interested in testing it, so I always use a trivet or towel under heavy, hot pots. I would not hesitate to pour fudge on it for chilling and tempering, though, if I did that sort of thing.

Did it survive?

The above-mentioned Rodney Scott's World of BBQ: Every Day is a Good Day (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) is fun to read. I haven't cooked from it yet, but there are some good-looking recipes I want to try. He prefaces the book with stories of his growing up, his family, and his coming into and developing the business. Every recipe I've looked at has a little story about how it was invented or whom it was named for. He gives detailed instructions on how to build a proper BBQ pit (using firebrick) and how to roast a whole hog. I might fantasize about doing that, but think it's unlikely I'll ever do so. He also talks about cooking over smaller units, and that's where the value will be to me. A clever and attractive cover isn't a good reason for buying a book, but I like this design: the subtitle is printed in glossy finish whereas the rest of the cover is matte finish. You have to tilt the book slightly to see the subtitle.

Good luck on your exam! I add my welcome to the rest of the welcomes you've already received. If you have any questions about how to use the forums, or where to post something when you have time, feel free to ask a host by PM.

Your method is nearly like mine, which I picked up from Paula @Wolfert some years ago. The main difference is that I usually roast a chicken atop those half-buried baby spuds. The juices flavor the potatoes and soak into the salt for a fairly easy cleanup. (It's delicious, but does seem wasteful on two counts: no juices to save for later purposes, and all that salt goes into the garbage afterward. OTOH the salt prevents juices from burning and allows high-heat roasting without making a mess.) I use clay pots, but if I didn't have clay I would use Corningware or a ceramic baking dish. I know you've already placed your enamelware order, but I wanted to weigh in for future readers.

This must be it... The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). The Amazon page has a good excerpt.

Yes, I was straining it to Greek yogurt consistency. I'll try making it your way and see how I like it. I never could figure out why the taste was so unsatisfactory in mine. I suspect it has to do with the temperature and/or time I gave it in the Instant Pot.

Thanks for this. I went through a period of making my own yogurt using an Instant Pot instead of the method you describe above. I finally stopped because (a) I didn't like the flavor as well and it didn't seem to matter which milk or yogurt I used as starter and (b) I got tired of trying to use all the whey, or of the guilt of throwing it away! How much whey do you end up with using your method?

I don't know whether it's due to my Google news feed's tuning or a broader media push, but I'm seeing a lot of hype about Rodney Scott's World of BBQ (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). Leite's Culinaria discussed its recipe for Rodney Scott's Whole BBQ Chicken in my newsfeed today (the chicken is spatchcocked, and the recipe looks good). The book looks enticing. I don't need any more cookbooks, even for BBQ! But I may have to buy this one anyway. Maybe I can talk my library into getting it first. eta: they do! I'll be picking it up in a couple of days.

It really was a Deal of the Day. Price has gone back up to $139.99.

The Instant Pot Ultra 60 6-quart pot (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) is on sale today for $69.99 at Amazon. They're listing as the Deal of the Day, so I may be posting in the last few hours of this deal. Still, it's a good price. I have an Ultra and a Duo and I prefer the Ultra.

I too grew up with walnuts. They were all around us! I now find them to carry a bitter element that I don't remember from my childhood years. I suspect it's my taste buds rather than the crop. Toasting them seems to help develop the sweetness that I remember. Pecans and almonds have that sweetness without any help.