Jaymes

I think we've had other threads about container gardening (because I recall having typed out much of this before), so you might want to do a search... But here are some of my experiences: I lived in a condo in Texas with a small balcony facing west. I had a very active garden out there. The first year, I grew two patio tomatoes and, having had great luck, the next year, tried a regular, large variety. I think they were Early Girl, or some other such regular-sized tomatoes. I planted them two to one large cooler, and they worked just fine. One thing I learned about tomatoes. Everybody says that they stop setting when the temperature reaches 90 (or something like that). Mine stopped setting pretty early, so I consulted a friend that's a master gardener. He told me that it's not when the ambient temperature reaches 90; but rather, when the temperature of the roots reach 90, so that the key is to keep the roots cool as long as possible. When you've planted your tomatoes in the ground, one way you do that is to water not so often, but very very deeply, so that the roots go down as far as possible, and keep the topsoil well mulched, thereby keeping the roots cooler. In my case, I had my tomato plants in those black plastic pots from the nursery, so, on my western-facing balcony in Texas, the sun was baking that black plastic and everything in it, and my plants stopped setting long before everybody else's. I tried to think what to do, and somehow had a brilliant inspiration. I went to the store and got some of those large, cheap white styrofoam coolers. Turned them upside down, took a screwdriver and poked some drainage holes, and planted my tomatoes in those, using the lids as drainage trays. To my utter amazement, not only did my tomatoes begin setting again, but that row of white styrofoam coolers even looked good. I'd thought they would look really 'poor white trashy,' but instead they looked kind of like expensive concrete planters. (Well, except for the one that said "Bud Light," which I quickly got rid of.) I didn't have a magnolia tree, but I had a Meyer's Lemon, which I put in a very large pot. It looked terrific there, very Mediterranean, and gave me lots of lemons. So I'd think if you got a nice big tree pot, your magnolia would do good as well. Other things I had terrific luck with were herbs, chives, cucumbers, squash, jalapenos, green peppers (the thing to do with these is only buy ONE plant because they ARE prolific, and you won't need more than one, but do get at least one because they are pretty, and easy, and bear lots, and it's encouraging, if nothing else). I did strawberries in a strawberry pot, and my advice there is to get a really large one. I had two small ones and although they did work and I got lots of strawberries, would be much less hassle with one large one. Had decided to do that next year, but then I moved. My thinking on the 'salad greens' is that it depends upon what you're talking about. If it's lettuce, it might not grow well because of the heat in Georgia. In Texas anyway, it's a fall and winter plant, as I finally had to admit. And also, heads of lettuce take up a lot of space, and you eat a lot of them. I gave up on that and wouldn't advise it. One thing I would remind you is the importance of feeding the plants. When they're in pots, the water leaches the nutrients from the soil pretty quickly. Although frankly, overall I really found very few limits on what I could grow in my little garden in the sky. I bought some books, and tried whatever hit my fancy. And, especially after I got on to the styrofoam cooler thing, I had terrific luck, and enjoyed it immensely.

If he has "lived and sailed in Panama" for a long time, he'll fondly remember the Balboa Yacht Club which, sadly, is no longer there, having burnt down a few years back. It was an absolute world-class, slightly seedy bar that sat at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, watching as the entire population of the planet eventually sailed past. It was open to the sea, with a few ceiling fans that did little but slightly disturb the perpetually humid, tropical air, and a bulletin board where people would post messages -- sometimes looking for friends and relatives, sometimes just saying hi to this or that traveler, sometimes asking for crew hands to hire on, either for a trip through the canal, or maybe to Fiji or some other exotic port. It would have done Sydney Greenstreet proud. If you mention it to su novio, I'll bet his eyes glaze over and he'll get a faraway look. I know I do. But in so far as the food goes, for starters, I'd suggest you order ceviche at every opportunity (which will be every opportunity). The food of Panama is not particularly spicy. More similar to what you'd think of in Spain. There is lots of rice and tomatoes and chicken, fresh fruit, plenty of fish such as bonita, corvina. Also, because they imported a great many Chinese to work on the canal, the Chinese food is exceptionally good. There are several threads on eG about Panamian cuisine, including one with contributions from a food writer based there. Perhaps we should reconvene this discussion over there.

Actually, I have thought about that while mulling over the (to me) puzzle of the blandness of Belize's food and wondering if the hundred years of British occupation had anything to do with it. Many things that figure prominently in Belizian cuisine are imported tinned items: evaporated milk, tinned peas, and the like. Things that foreigners might prefer. Obviously, I'm just thinking out loud here, but decided that in the case of Hong Kong (China), and India, they were large countries with extremely well-developed cuisines when the British arrived. Not sure that either is the case with the relatively small British Honduras. Clearly, I don't know and am just guessing, but it seems to be one explanation.

Yes, and I've always found that quite puzzling because they are located in a part of the world famous for delicious, spicy, inventive cuisine. Do you suppose it's because they were occupied by the British for a hundred years? ← Worse than Belize -- according to my paramour -- is the cuisine of Panama, where we will be heading immediately after Belize, with a single connecting day in San Salvador... Will make for some interesting dining! Not sure who your paramour is, or why he thinks that, but I lived in Panama for four years, and I loved the food there. I've only visited Belize, but I've been quite a number of times, and while there, felt I'd kill for the cuisine of Panama.

If you're a golfer, I think the North Pole golf course is a must. A total cow (well, Moose, actually) pasture, but its the northernmost golf course in the world. You're right....it's the northernmost PERMANENT golf course in the world. You really can't count Nome and the Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic course, since it comes and goes.

Also in Fairbanks is the small, but excellent, museum at UAF. It's well-worth the 45 minutes or so it'll take you to get through it and I highly recommend it. And if you have time, the Riverboat Discovery is definitely an interesting trip. Again, touristy, but fascinating. Another fun stop is the Farthest-North Harley Outpost. If you've got any friends that ride Harleys, take them back a cute T-shirt. I sent them to all my nephews and nieces for the several years we were there. How long are you going to be in Fairbanks? I've got more.

Other folks have mentioned the big resorts. That brings to mind several Alaska-review type shows. At Denali Resorts, it's called Cabin Nite. In Fairbanks, there are two -- the Malemute Saloon at Ester, and the show at the Palace Saloon in Alaska Land. Of these, the Malemute Saloon and the Palace Saloon are the best. You'll enjoy either one of them. If you go to the Malemute, don't miss the short film about the northern lights. It's the second-best thing to seeing them in person. Which, since you're there in the summer, you won't.

Yes, and I've always found that quite puzzling because they are located in a part of the world famous for delicious, spicy, inventive cuisine. Do you suppose it's because they were occupied by the British for a hundred years?

I'm assuming you already have your copy of the Milepost. Nobody drives Alaskan highways without it, and neither should you. In it, you will find ads for plenty of places along that route. But here are some good options that come immediately to mind: In Anchorage, do as the locals do and stop by the New Sagaya Market, to pick up stuff to go. You can have a fine picnic along the way. Or, take the spur into Talkeetna. It's only about 15 miles or so off of the Parks Highway, and this historic and quaint little town is the jumping-off point (perhaps "staging point" is a better choice of words) for folks climbing Denali, as well as tourists arranging for helicopter or other flightseeing trips around the mountain, or river rafting, or hiking, or a myriad of other options. There is always an interesting, eclectic and international collection of thrill-seekers, artists, craftspeople, adventurers, prospectors and panners, climbers, rescuers, journalists, photographers, naturalists, backpackers, locals, characters and other assorted nuts, reprobates and riffraff hanging around. You can eat at one of the several funky little cafes. In particular, I remember pretty good lunches at the Wildflower Cafe, and great breakfasts at the Talkeetna Roadhouse (be sure to eat sourdough pancakes at least once during your visit). Or, farther up the Parks Highway, you can take in a legendary Alaskan roadhouse: Before the George Parks Highway was built in 1971, the Halfway Inn was an overnight stop on the sled dog trail that carried mail -- and everybody and everything else -- on its way north or south. The Halfway Inn was called that because it was halfway between the river towns of Nenana and Fairbanks. Years passed. The Parks Highway was built, and this tall, skinny guy named Richard bought the Halfway Inn. Richard's nickname, probably inevitably, was 'Skinny Dick.' So now, it's Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn. And their logo is, well, two polar bears doin' it. If you have any tasteless friends, you can pick up some tasteless souvenirs here that proudly display their tasteless logo. And while you're at it, you can say 'Hi' to Skinny, and buy some burgers and beer. In Fairbanks, do go to the Chena Pump House. Sit out on the deck and watch the day float lazily by. And I like the Salmon Bake in Fairbanks, too. Yes, it's touristy, and the sides are truly crappy, but the salmon and, especially, the halibut are to die for. When we lived there, we ate at the Salmon Bake at least once a week during those endless summer days. With three hungry teenagers that filled up on the all-you-can-eat salmon and halibut, I can tell you that they didn't make any money off of us. And when I close my eyes and dream of Alaska, I always find myself biting into one of those fluffy pillows of snow-white, deep-fried halibut. Heaven.

For some reason, can't get the website to load on my laptop. Does anyone know the list of participants this year?

Wish I could join you in Omaha. I used to live there, you know. I'd be up for some liver dumpling soup and czech goulash at the Bohemian Cafe. And wonder if the restaurant at the Blackstone Hotel is still around. I'd really give a lot to have another Reuben Sandwich at the place that invented it.

Joiei -- what kind of flans did you make at Ocean Reef? Just basic, or flavored, with condensed milk or what.

Thanks for reminding me about this great thread on flan. The May issue of Bon Appetit has a recipe that looks as intriguing as any I've ever seen: Tangerine-Honey Flan with Grapefruit Segments. It is a basic recipe, but adds honey, tangerine zest (which you strain before baking), and 1 cup fresh tangerine juice. And then you garnish with pink grapefruit segments. It sounds positively sublime to me, and the photos of it are gorgeous. I'd think the piquant grapefruit would marry perfectly with the sweet richness of the flan. If anyone would like more info, pm me.

The current thread on chicken salads reminded me of this one. Several absolutely wonderful recipes here, and with summer coming, thought I'd bump it up.

A good method for cooking summer squash (that doesn't include tomatoes) is this fine, and typical, old southern recipe: Creamed squash. Take as many yellow squash as you think you'll eat. Peel and cube. Put in a saucepan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Add no water (the squash has enough liquid). Put it on low heat and leave it until the squash has released its juices, and is very tender. Remove lid, and boil until the squash is falling apart, and most of the liquid is gone. Add generous amounts of butter and heavy cream, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until squash has the consistancy of loose mashed potatoes.

And Little Rock is one of the few places in the world where you can buy Xanath, a Mexican vanilla liqueur, and one of my very favorite things on the planet. It's available at Colonial Wine & Spirits. I've been looking for it everywhere, since first discovering it in Mexico. Finally, I found that Colonial had it, and drove the three hours down there, and bought two cases. It's particularly good over ice cream. And in coffee. And combined with tequila. And mixed with cream over ice. Yum.

In my experience, although similar, dulce de leche is not the same thing. Dulce de leche is a pourable caramel. The popular leche quemada is a creamy candy. It's actually very similar to the kind of pralines that you get in the US south. Google recipes for Mexican "milk candy" and see what you get. And look at recipes for pralines, as well. That should give you a good sampling of things to try.

A note -- The last time I was in Nuevo Progreso, there had been a change in the parking procedures at Arturo's. It seems that they have tired of people parking in their lot filling it up, and then going shopping. Around lunchtime, folks would arrive at Arturo's for lunch, only to discover no parking space available. So now you cannot park there until 11am, when the restaurant opens. The same policy applies -- spend at least $10 in the restaurant, or pay $10 for parking.

I think a lot of Arturo's is in what you order. They make an effort for "fine dining." Some of what I've had there is exceptional; some is just so so. The main thing is that it's got great restrooms, so it's a wonderful spot to kind of base your explorations out of. The "taco stand" street is at the same corner where Arturo's is. That is definitely better for Mexican stuff like tacos. They're famous for their frog legs, which I've never tried. But I adore the mixed Sangria, and the seafood Campechana cocktail, and the bean soup, among other things. And last time I was there, about a month ago, I got a snapper dish that was absolutely delicious. Can't remember the name of it but when I asked the waiter why there was no snapper Veracruzana on the menu, he pointed at whatever it was and said, "That's practically the same thing and if you like Veracruzana, you'll like that." And he was right...I really did.

Well, I just couldn't resist this thread, being an old linguistics major who actually tries to teach English to people who were not raised speaking this devilish language when I'm not teaching the much more reasonable Spanish. I just had to check with my buddy Dick M., former office-mate and retired senior linguist for the software company we used to work at. (Okay, "at which we used to work.") Here's his take on it: "Ah, another earth-shaking linguistic issue whose resolution which will doubtless influence generations to come. My own intuitions on the matter are that the article can be used when the substance in question is usually conveyed to the end-user in a standard, relatively small container of some sort whose size more-or-less defines one "dose." The article then actually modifies the understood and omitted container. Thus, you can get a (cup of) coffee or tea, a (glass of) lemonade, a (shot of) whiskey, a (bottle/can of) soda, beer, etc.--even an ice cream (normally cone, maybe dish, but definitely not pint, quart, etc.) But you can't get *a rice, *a soup, *a spaghetti, etc. [note: the asterisks denote incorrect grammar] "That's my not-well-thought-out, off-the-top-of-the-head, response. Probably I'm wrong, but whatever the case, I have an opinion. Shoot me down if you can." What I'm seeing develop here is a picture of Owen preparing to have coffee - lots of it, which is logical. In his travels he will, also logically, be spending time with others who drink entire pots of the stuff - coffee. As opposed to one normal human having a coffee - in a cup, not a pot. Kinda reminds me of the difference between "un pez" - one fish still swimming in the sea - and "pescado" - a mess o' fish piled up in the fish market. Okay, back to coffee, no matter what the quantity or countability. Lonnie ← Going on this theory, I should ask my guest if she'd like "a water." I suspect she'd fear I was getting ready to sprinkle her.

Yes, but at Kreuz, there are bottles of Tabasco, or Tapatio, or other similar hot sauce on every table. And they are drizzled liberally over the meat with each bite. And don't forget to have a side of pickled jalapenos. So whatever you serve, it'll have to stand up to some heat. (Maybe you could try two or three of the suggestions, and get back with us as to what worked best.)

I'd suggest you also have some beer iced down in the fridge. You know, just in case.

You don't really need to add any lime, or lemon or other acid. The tomatillos are tangy enough. But you do need to cook them -- stewing (as in the recipe above is most common) or grilling or smoking or roasting over an open wood fire (which probably tastes best and is worth the extra trouble if you're making it for a special occasion), or something.

I agree that Herdez is the best of the packaged brands. But, as others have said, it's pretty easy to make your own. You do have to have access to tomatillos, though. Here's a fairly typical recipe. Salsa Verde 1 tsp or so cooking oil (just enough to cover botton of saucepan) or melted lard 6 or so whole tomatillos, paper skins removed jalapeños, or other chile peppers, to desired "pica," stems removed chicken broth just barely to cover Put the oil into a saucepan. Then add the tomatillos and chiles, and enough chicken broth to barely cover. Bring to boil and cook just till tomatillos are soft (not too long, don't want them "mushy"). Put tomatillos and peppers (do not discard cooking liquid) into blender or food processor along with: 2 small cloves garlic 1 tsp salt 1/4 cup chopped onion "handful" cilantro Blend in food processor very well; most people prefer a smooth salsa verde. Add cooking liquid to reach desired "sauce" consistancy...it should be fairly liquid, but flavorful and not "watered-down" tasting, so use your own judgment. There are variations of this -- like roasting everything, tomatillos, peppers, onions, garlic, etc., instead of boiling, etc., and using different kinds of chiles, serranos, etc., but this is the quickest, easiest, most basic and typical way that the average cook, who's just trying to get dinner on the table, makes this popular salsa (it's a must for chilaquiles, for example). If you don't have good chicken broth on hand, most Mexican cooks use water and a Mexican brand of powdered chicken broth.

Thanks for that terrific post. I am going to be staying at my daughter's house and 'dogsitting' for a month. It'll be just the two of us....a bouncy golden retriever and a less-bouncy me. I envision visiting all of these places and will dutifully report back at every step. Where exactly in Essex MA should I try those fried clams?