petite tête de chou

My market sells packages of turkey parts that I have used in the past for making gravy. I either roast them in the oven or on the stove top with onions, celery, carrots and herbs. Either way has given me lots of caramelized goodies for gravy making. And since I usually make a Thanksgiving-type of meal a few times a year (one of my husbands favorites) I usually have turkey stock in the freezer which I think is key to a good gravy.

Oregon is mostly known for its watery denizens (salmon, crabs, clams etc.), berries (blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, marionberry etc.), nuts (esp. the hazelnut/filbert), beef, ales (Bridgeport comes to mind), coffee/espresso consumption and finally, pinot noir. Edited to add mushrooms, too. We have lots and lots of mushrooms!

Yikes and whoops! I meant to say 275. Boy, that would've been one tough breast, huh? I brined it for a few hours then let it dry out a bit in the refrigerator. Rubbed it real good with lots of pepper and called it good. I didn't want to to add too much in the way of seasonings because I wanted to see how the smoked meat tasted au natural. Very moist except for the parts without the skin. I can wait to try out beef, pork and salmon. Smoked salmon, mmmm.

The turkey breast after about 5 hours. It was pretty good. I think that it will make great sandwiches but I'm less sure about pairing it as I did with other "traditional" Thanksgiving fare- cornbread stuffing, mashed russets/sweet potatoes, gravy, salad etc. But I love knowing that I can actually smoke something. Bring on the butts n- briskets!

The turkey breast after a few hours on the grill at about 375. The skin was actually missing (!) from the top part when I opened the bag.

I'll add my two cents. On my cheapie propane grill (three burners) I put a bunch of soaked hickory chips in a double foil "pan" over the "high" burner and a triple foil water pan underneath the two off burners with the brined, six lb., spice/herb rubbed on top. Man, I hope that makes sense. I only have the themometer on that's in the center of the grill hood that I've kept at 225-300 and it seems to be doing it's smoking type of thing. We shall see.

Couldn't do it. Too..Paris Hilton-ish.

#2. I'm already pretty savvy with the calorie and nutrient content of my meals.

If my husband and I take a trip to the coast and stay in a cabin with a kitchen I usually bring my just-sharpened chefs knife, pepper/salt mill, a few sprigs of thyme from my garden, a head of garlic and extra-virgin olive oil. I actually like using the different utensils, cookware, plates, etc. that the cabin provides. It adds something quirky, charming and *different* to the experience. While he investigates the cabins goodies I usually trundle off to the local market, taking my sweet time picking up beverages, dairy, dried meats, fruit and flowers!

You'll have to wait until you have a beer belly. ← Well, a beer belly, cottage cheese thighs and a chicken neck sound like a meal to me!

Whadda sucker! Don't be such a cream-puff!! Yer a noodle-head!

It might be an interesting gift to the Scorpio in your life. They like creepy things. Or at least this Scorpio does. While I have no interest in drinking it, it would be a neato Halloween table decoration.

I've always loved black licorice. Baskin and Robbins used to have a licorice ice-cream that was almost a true black but apparently it's been replaced with something called Licorice Voo-Doo which has vanilla swirls. The original flavor used to turn my mouth a ghastly, brain-eating zombie grey, I loved it!

Banana ice-cream. Mmmm.

Daniel, I say go, because when you're there...you're family.

Blue cheese!

So THIS is how the beautiful people live! A wonderful blog, indeed. Thanks.

For the most part, genetically engineered food.

To me it's always meant either plain cream cheese or cream cheese with stuff added to it. I've never heard anyone ask for it at the counter, either. I wonder if this isn't a west/east coast thing? Also, why "shmear?" Why not "smear?"

Screamingly painful hot sauce and about a half head of some kind of lettuce. Every day. It used to be three triple shot, non-fat lattes, half a pack of smokes and about 4-6 pints of ale but then, I turned the corner on 30 and saw 40 looming in the distance. Time to clean up my act, just a bit.

I don't hide food either. But my biggest temptations at the moment are white-flour tortillas charred on the burner, rubbed with butter and sprinkled with salt. I could eat at least three in one sitting. And, as always, bbq potato chips. I only bring them in the house about three times a year because I will eat the whole, huge, gnarly bag. Ice-cream is awfully good but it has too much calcium and vitamin d for me to consider it a completely "bad" thing.

There's some pretty good looking recipes here.

My nanny used to simmer a whole tongue with pickling spices to make Monte Cristo sandwiches with. She would pack the meat onto slices of rye bread with dark mustard, dip in a fairly thick batter and shallow fry them.

One large cocktail with two straws for sharing.

Why not? I've seen chocolate-caramel covered green apples for sale in the autumn.