phlfour

Tomorrow is a big day for me, everyone, as after two years on crutches, I am taking final delivery of my artificial leg. When a cook loses a leg it is like discovering the kitchen has run out of fresh herbs with which to finish a dish. However life doesn't stop living and a cook doesn't stop cooking. This titanium appendage is like discovering the pantry is full of dried herbs! The dishes will be different...more slow cooking techniques and a slower pace to life but the results can certainly be tasty and very rewarding. Play the ball where it lies and cook with what you have is my credo, now. P

Here is Grandma Hilda's use for all the **** rhubarb, as she would put it. Rhubarb Sauce 2 pounds rhubarb stalks (washed, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces) 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon orange zest 1/4 cup sherry 1/4 cup water Put the rhubarb into a sturdy saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon and orange zest, sherry and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat...cool and reserve, refrigerated. PL

That burrata sounds yummy...

Regarding "homemade Campbell's soup", as a teen working the only job available in Eastern South Dakota in the winter (40 below zero) I got hired on the night shift of a Frigo cheese factory in Big Stone (nice name, huh?) Minnesota. Being very broke and hungry, I didn't have a bowel movement for the first 3 weeks ha ha, but I digress, any wheels of cheese that hit the floor were thrown in a large bin which was collected monthly by the Campbell's Co. Don't know the final use of them, but can imagine. Very impressive wild game menu...How do you get the snails from a pheasant? I cooked a couple, yesterday in the true ESD tradition...braised, slowly in mushroom and cream of chicken soup for 4 hours with lots of bacon and caramelized onions. Having harvested hundreds of pheasants throughout my life and also using the farm raised ones in the restaurant, I've come to the conclusion that the meat is akin to cooking a greyhound racing dog. A wild pheasant can run at 30 mph and thus has no fat and lots of muscle...so braising is about the only choice...but to contradict myself, which I seem to do a lot, I've also had some success by cooking only a few seconds as you would with squid...either really quick or really low and slow. I inadvertantly thawed 3 wild ducks and am going to cook duck and beans later this week. Wild duck is a tricky bird...not much fat and a very strong flavor. If I had some cheesecloth I would use the recipe I wrote for Canada's goose in my new book. Basically, wrap the goose in bacon fat saturated cheese cloth and bake as normal...but no cheesecloth so I'm going to remove all the meat, brown and bake with some frozen pintos that I cooked last month, probably with a Southwestern nuance. I'm becoming an expert on cooking with "government commodities" which are mostly carbs...cheapest food to give us disabled folks..ha ha. Morlatr, P

Two things you don't want to see created....sausage and legislation Ben Franklin

MANY CHINS...A CHINESE VILLAGE

It's nice that we flyover areas get some attention. I have recently completed a contemporary regional cookbook (Eastern South Dakota) which accompanies a food themed novel. I do agree that farm ladies are often too tired to be creative, also the taciturn nature of the area does not yield many discussions of their dishes. But for me, the real indigenous ingredient of the area is wild game. Pheasants, Canada's geese, venison, bison and even rabbits bring out the best in any High Plains cook. Also the inclusion of homemade Campbell's soup is many a cooks secret. P

A very nice article...still, cooking wild duck offers many other concerns and flavors. Is there anyone with special knowledge? P

I am a new member from the West (Colorado). We try to make New York style pizza here, but due to the altitude and it's effect on yeast, no real effort is rewarded. Any suggestions? P