Nancy in Pátzcuaro

I have a rosemary bush that has gotten enormous. It's healthy, vigorous, and taking over a section of the garden. It stands about 5 feet tall and at least that much around. I know I should cut it back but what should I do with the cuttings? I don't see any point in drying it since I have access to the fresh stuff, and I don't think it would work well in a vinegar, which is what I've done with excess herbs in the past. But we're talking about a very large amount and it would be nice to be able to use at least some of it. Any ideas?

I recently posted about how México is starting to enforce the restriction on those of us over 60 entering stores such as Costco, Walmart and Home Depot. We went to Costco in Morelia today and can report that, at least here, Costco is letting everyone in. Yes, we have to have our temperature taken, and we get a squirt of hand sanitizer before we enter, which is the same as it always has been. So we were able to shop normally. I have no idea if this will remain the same or whether governmental pressure will force the big-box stores here to comply. In the meantime, at least in Michoacán, we are free to shop to our heart's content.

Here in México we're hearing rumors that the government is about to enforce a rule from several months ago, that prohibits anyone over 60 from going out. Stores like Costco, Home Depot, Wal-Mart are not allowing anyone over 60 in their stores. Dunno how they can tell one's age, but that's what seems to be happening. This is a problem for people who might need to go out to shop for, you know, food. Because we have to restock after several weeks at the beach--dogfood, wine, big packs of Romaine lettuce, toilet paper--this is something we need to know about. The small abarrotes (corner stores) will always be available, but for major shopping we depend on the big-box stores. We're leaving the beach in a couple of days, so we'll test how this will impact us. Stay tuned--

Potatoes. Onions release too much juice (and tears as a result).

In the US there's Seed Savers Exchange. I first joined in the mid-80s, when it was simply a bunch of people exchanging seeds person-to-person. There was a simple printed catalog--not quite mimeographed, but close--with people describing what seeds they had and what they were looking for in exchange. Now SSE is a commercial enterprise, but they still specialize in non-hybrid, open pollinated, "heirloom" seeds. Their mandate is to rescue the varieties that have been ignored by the big seed companies. They're based in Decorah, Iowa, where they refresh their varieties by growing them out every few years to keep the supply viable. I admire that dedication to maintaining a large inventory of varieties to avoid a potential future disaster when the commercial varieties fail for some reason. Besides, where else can you find seeds for Kellogg's Breakfast or Aunt Ruby's German Green tomatoes? Admittedly, this is a commercial business but their philosophy is the same as all groups that call for access to viable seeds for gardeners everywhere. The big seed companies left behind the old varieties--you know, the ones that actually taste good--in favor of larger production, easier transport, and disease/insect protection. And in the process Early Girl, which used to be a good-tasting tomato, became just as tasteless as all the rest.

Having just made a rye loaf, I realized that I forgot to mention that my recipe calls for a Tbs. of molasses as the sweetener. This is for 3 cups of flour--2 white bread flour and 1 rye. I also include caraway seeds because I like them. Rye makes a compact loaf, ideal for slicing thinly and slathering with butter and then topped with thinly sliced radishes. I could make a meal from that!

That is disgusting. No other way to describe it. First you have 2 big slabs of Spam, which right off the top is suspect, and then it's topped with what looks like a layer of charcoal. Visually it's gag-worthy.

I'm late to this discussion, but I have a few thoughts about boosting the flavor of rye bread. First, using very fresh rye flour makes a difference. I buy rye flour from a baking supply company in Morelia, and I must say that the aroma of rye coming from a freshly-opened bag is remarkable. Now, I don't always get flour from a bag opened in front of me, but as a rule the flours of all kinds tend to be fresher. This shop supplies most, if not all, of the bakeries in Morelia (of which there are too many to count), so the turnover is faster. I also store it in my second fridge because I typically buy 2 or 3 kilos at a time. Second, for some reason a scant 1/4 tsp. of ground allspice does something to augment the rye flavor. If I forget it when making a rye loaf it's obvious. There's a little something that's missing in the flavor. Try it--see if you like it.

Try putting a couple of big scoops of yogurt on a full bowl of fruit, giving it a sprinkle of chia seeds and then topping with a lot of granola. That's been our go-to breakfast for many years. Granted, we have access to a lot of good fruit here, but we did it even in the US. Strawberries, kiwi, grapes and pineapples are always available. Try that before you give up on yogurt.

I'm with you on cereal hating. The only time I eat it is in one of those motel breakfast rooms, and then I choose Raisin Bran as the least objectionable.

I was surprised to see that slab of tropical wood. It's huanacastle (also parota, depending on where you live) from a magnificent tree that grows in the jungle along the coast. We have a dining room table from that wood. You can choose either a horizontal slab (round) or vertical, like in the photo. I'll bet our table cost a whole lot less than this one! Twenty thousand pesos, as I recall, which included the base and delivery from the coast. Less than $1,000 US at the time. Weighs a ton--took 6 guys to haul it up our stairs. We gave them good tips and beer. That being said, I found the placement of the slab to be a little clunky. Not well integrated into the overall design. As if someone said, "We need something to warm up this space." I would have preferred to put the slab on the island rather than sticking it off to the side where it seems an afterthought. Does anyone cook in that kitchen? Somehow I don't think so. I'm with dcarch on this one--tear it out and make it into someplace you'd want to be.

Oh my--piecaken is evil! But who's counting?

Thanksgiving at the beach! Friends have a lovely villa on the beach in Nayarit, México, where we made T-Day dinner. There were 7 of us, so I made gravy and dressing (onions, celery, portobello mushrooms, oven-toasted bread chunks, chicken broth, sage, thyme, garlic, etc.) and roasted a couple of boneless turkey breasts on top. There were also sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, cranberries, red wine, prosecco and pumpkin pie. I have to say, this was the first Thanksgiving dinner I cooked while barefoot. Right now I'm listening to the surf as the tide is coming in. As a friend says, this doesn't suck too much.

After I read your tale of woe about the road surfaces, I took out our road atlas and saw that there's really no easy way to get through Oklahoma without going through Oklahoma City. Not if you want to stay on the Interstates. I guess you want to get south as quickly as possible, and avoiding cold weather sounds like the imperative. But you're past that now and you'll only have to worry about it on the way back to Minnesota!

Smithy, I'm glad to see you're back on the road again. We didn't go north this past summer, for obvious reasons, and I really miss it. (I find myself obsessively reading Campendium's reports every day, but for the sake of my mental health I have to stop doing that!) Can't blame you for leaving when the temperature gets that low. I am hopeful that we will be able to get the Pleasure-Way out of storage next summer. In the meantime life here in Pátzcuaro is pleasant albeit slightly dull, and the weather can't be beat. 70s during the day, 50s at night, doors and windows open. We're heading to the beach with friends who have a house in Nayrarit for Thanksgiving; normally we have a huge party with as many as 60 folks, but of course not this year. Safe travels, and I hope your trailer repairs don't get you down.

All I know is that at one time when I was having serious stomach issues congee (plain, or maybe with a little sugar) was all I could eat. Even though I recall those days with a shudder, I sometimes crave congee--the plain stuff, with no toppings. Soothing and sits on your stomach quite peacefully.

Just to update, these are even better than the recipe sounds! We absolutely devoured them. I used a combination of chile perón (our local chile, known elsewhere are chile manzana) and poblano. Thanks for this great recipe.

The upper photo are chanterelles/girolles. I don't know what the mushrooms in the lower photo are. The frilly edge bothers me since chanterelles have edges that turn under. The stem length also bothers me. Take a spore print and look it up in a good guidebook. Using the Latin names prevents a lot of misunderstanding.

I like the Satchel Paige quote: "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" It's the kind of question you should ask yourself every year, on your birthday. (Though I have a friend who says that she has a "birthmonth" which means she gets to celebrate all month. Sounds good to me!)

I second the recommendation to plant a dwarf lemon in a large pot. We have a mandarina that has produced dozens of fruits on a plant less than 5 feet tall. Another advantage is that you can put the pot anywhere you want, in full sun, once you get it where you want (they're too heavy to move around). Be careful not to overwater--we killed a lemon that way.

That's going to move to the top of my list of future baking projects. Thanks--sounds downright yummy.

Aw--you're killin' me! We haven't experienced "mushroom greed" in a long time, when you pick more than you have time or energy to process. It's so much fun, going around with your knife and basket, but then when you get home you're confronted with the results of your excess! It's a great thing to experience, isn't it? We haven't had success in Colorado lately (and this year we didn't go north at all) that we've had in the past. All our favorite foraging places have suffered from drought, and a dead forest isn't the best place to look for mushrooms. I still have half a gallon jar of dry porcini (and it takes a darned good recipe for me to use any) and some frozen chanterelles, but we haven't replenished our supply. Someday--

As to grocery chains, I grew up with King Soopers (Kroger) and Safeway. Albertsons was a distant third, mostly because the store was in a different part of town that I didn't often get to. Lucky's Markets, which originated in Boulder (CO), had at one time almost 80 stores, but as is so common in business they expanded too aggressively and in the past year or so have had to declare bankruptcy and close most of their stores. I think the only 2 left in Colorado are the north Boulder store and the one in Fort Collins. Too bad, because they had an amazing deli department, and made some of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. Made their own cheese and dangerously good cookies. I confess I didn't get too far into the store in Longmont because I was seduced by the pizza and the wonderful offerings in the deli. I expect the rest of the store was pretty straightforward.

I'm late to this rodeo, but I wanted to comment about Andie's post describing the sweet potato ("camote" in Spanish) vendor's technique of spearing a camote, dusting it with sugar and then toasting it to melt the sugar. Sounds yummy. I have heard camote vendors all over México--I say "heard" because they use a small wagon with a wood fire roasting the camotes, which produces steam that he uses to announce his presence. There's a whistle on the chimney and when he gets to a neighborhood he opens a valve to activate the whistle. You can hear it for blocks! There is even a scene in "Roma" of a guy on the street with the same set-up. The camotes are served with a generous drizzle of sweetened condensed milk. I've heard this unmistakable sound in México City (Condessa), Guanajuato, Queretaro and here in Pátzcuaro. This is the beginning of the season for camotes. We have 3 colors--orange, white, and god help us, purple. We tried one of the purple ones, and other than the bright color we thought it was forgettable. Not much flavor, oddly enough. But the mercado is full of big piles of camotes. They're available year round but are especially abundant in the fall.

We have a very old Revere Ware kettle--I can't remember when I first got it as a present from my mom. I think it was when I first set up house for myself in the mid-70s--that's how old it is. Still whistles like a steam engine. Not as sexy as some kettles (if a kettle could be sexy) but gets the job done. It sits unobtrusively on the stove, unnoticed until needed.