NancyH

THAT. Does not make me hungry.

I had a piece of hog like that once; I cut the hair out and lost a lot of skin. What my chef friends told me to do (too late) was indeed to use a cooking torch to burn the hair off. Iwatani makes a good one, but if you need it quickly, head to restaurant supply!

We freeze them when our garden overflows. They do lose their texture, though they continue to taste good.

You're so lucky - we usually don't get edible Flowering Chives until July. They go well in almost any stir fry (just remember to reduce the regular garlic to compensate). I unfortunately copied the attached stir fry recipe into a Word document, so I can't attribute it, but it looks like a way to solo the chives most nicely. Also, I know you said you're dumpling-ed out, but the attached recipe from Cooking Channel offers a unique approach to texturing the dumplings. The tahini in the dipping sauce is like Chinese sesame paste (probably interchangeable with it). Enjoy!

I am having Euell Gibbons flashbacks (and hearing Richard Dawson say, "Hickory nuts can be fun;" you had to grow up in the 70s) Actually, I'm thinking this preparation method might work better with Grape Nuts than uncooked oatmeal.

Anna N - Nyafat is sort of like vegetarian schmaltz. It was made with hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which ensured that it was Kosher for Passover and parve, meaning acceptable to use with either meat or dairy. That aspect is also what killed it, when the US government restricted transfats. My mother used the onion flavored version to fry her matzoh brei; before I fully embraced pork fat, I used it for that and fried rice. It gave a unique texture and taste to things. So far, the best substitute I've come up with is coconut oil infused with fresh onions, but so long as that last jar holds out,

I am working slowly through my last jar of Onion Nyafat. I had bought a case of them right before Rokeach discontinued them in 2008, from a supermarket having a "going out of business" sale. 2 of the jars went rancid before I could open them and got pitched. Once this last one is gone, it's gone. Matzoh Brei may never be the same for me!

What is TSP?

When in doubt, throw it out. Your toilet will thank you.

Tampopo is back, and in 4k! Don't know when the disk will come out, but it's touring art houses around the country right now and we saw it Saturday. Almost all of the scenes deleted in the VHS/DVD versions past are back (except for two around the businessmens' French lunch), and the sub titles have been updated. Great to see an old friend back! Restored Tampopo trailer.

Sorry this took so long. Easier to post a link to my Flickr account than to repaste all the pictures here - my album includes meals out and some playing we did after we got home. We had a marvelous time - it was great to finally get out and socialize and cook. Thank you thank you to Tammy for putting this all together!

Just booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express West for Friday and Saturday! Looking forward to joining in!

Hoping to attend. My husband Bob is recovering from spinal surgery, and I am being prepped for a hip replacement, but it may all work out. Interested in recommendations for nearby hotels, preferably 3 star or better.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Love this, Mitch, thanks for posting!