gfron1

I'm in the midst of another research trip. Last night I went to a presentation by Chef Erin Rowe who is exploring foodways in the region, and we were joined by an Ozark foraging friends of mine, Rachaelle Elizabeth (Once Upon A Weed). We're all working on related aspects, but all a bit different, so the idea exchange is really helpful. One of my questions is how lard was handled in the old days - meaning, after you've rendered it, and once you've used it once, then what? Was it left to sit in a dedicated cast iron? Was it strained into a container? Was it stored at room temp, root cellar, ? Surely it was repeatedly used so did flavors transfer or was there a chicken lard, cattfish lard and fried fruit pie lard? That's the kind of stuff we're sorting through.

Have you tried Chef Rubber, AUI or other pastry distributors who might have them in a warehouse somewhere?

HERE's and interview I did with one of our oldest, most listened to talk stations. My research is congealing in a way that I'm getting closer to saying what I want/need to say about the project. I come in about halfway through.

Did you happen to catch the article on cannelé in the most recent Toothache magazine? Kriss Harvey compared 3 techniques, different ingredients and showed all the variations. Interesting article. Yours look perfect.

Well its way too late for that I scarfed them down...and not because they are that good. They have the texture of those dry peanut butter cheese crackers that you get at the gas station. The flavor was sweet and salty, sort of umami meets a light sweetness. I would not get them again except for shock value.

At this point in the calendar you can sit tight. If you follow this thread you'll know when momentum is building. I'm still trying to lock in the 2nd master class...I really want a skill-based workshop, and when I do that's when I think most people will jump in and start registering. You can split the registration up however....but again I don't expect to have many until March or even April.

My two favorite are still Art of Eating and Gastronomica. These two slide in between your descritions. Both are long-form magazine/journal type publications. Both are extremely in-depth, culturally wide-spanning publications. If you want beyond the mainstream you won't find better IMO.

Same as last year ($175). The registration links have the details.

[Hold my beer...] Flaming hot chicken wings Oreos from China. Got them for Christmas.

Yes they bake longer. The mats provide a layer of insulation.

Assuming you regularly double check your Delta 2 and are sure you were at working temp, and your room is at an acceptable temperature, then the only answer cold be what Kerry said. I suspect that possibly your cocoa butter layer was very thin and you were just above working temp and/or the room was warm enough to pull the chocolate out of temper enough to melt the cocoa butter. Regardless for cocoa butter to run something is too warm.

And just this morning I got my first pre-Civil War notes: The reference material is Cynthia R. Price, “Patterns of Cultural Behavior and Intra-Site Distributions of Faunal Remains at the Widow Harris Site,” Historical Archaeology 19, no. 2 (1985), 40-56. Pr1985a So, what do I see in here that's of interest? This is my first sighting of Spicewood, which I'll have to confirm is what we now call Spicebush. That's good, because we use a lot of it. Sarvis Berries are aka Service Berries which is already on our list. The drying process and use of pumpkins is interesting. And the use of song birds. Not sure how I will or can use that but noted.

I'll look up Crooked Creek. And @catservant, this again is one of those things where we can use modern knowledge with a classic ingredient to bring it to contemporary tastes. I'm already working on ways to tone it down or highlight flavors within. Stay tuned. I think by High South they mean the northern edge of what is traditionally considered South. I think they want to secede from The Ozarks by joining The South, but I won't hear of it! The Ozarks are something to be celebrated, and if you dig deep enough you can find the uniquenesses that should lead the charge! And, I'm assuming I'll be going right through Jonesboro as I head from LR to I-55 to head back up. That would be on Friday the 18th. ETA: This from Crooked Creek's facebook page:

@catservant These are the stories that I love hearing. I'm heading your way in a couple of weeks to source sorghum. I'll be starting the trip over in Bentonville for a High South dinner/discussion. And these are the distinctions that I"m trying to tease out. Every detail i find I ask myself again - What is Ozark cuisine? How is it distinct from Southern cuisine or Appalachian cuisine? And now I'm chewing on the implications of the modern term "High South Cuisine."

(Note to mods, I'm posting this here instead of Food Media or another forum since its mostly of interest to the pastry geeks) Anyone who remembers the old Tish Boyle magazines from 15 years ago or so (Pastry Arts & Design and its predecessor) will want to grab this one year free subscription HERE

I do and its on my short list. My concern has always been if the flimsy polycarb would be durable enough, and seeing his poor shine (he loved it, I only saw the sheen and waves) did not give me confidence.

Not sure if anyone follows this guy, but It came up as a suggested video for me and was actually a lot of fun. He tempers sous vide (12/15/18), then creates a custom polycarb bar form with a vacuum forming machine (12/22/18). HERE {As time passes you'll need to go to his posts from late December, 2018.}

Yes and the Ozark version Bittersweet.

Thank you so much for sharing this Kay. I know you're in AR now, but where were you raised? Asking because your experiences sound very similar to all the info I'm gathering. The only thing you mentioned that stood out as something unusual is catching bream. No one has mentioned that yet.

and my favorite - Hoosier sugar cream

Different beast. I've now got dozens of old recipes for it and it was a late winter dessert that took the vinegar that was used/created to preserve fruit, after the fruit had been consumed, and then turned into a pie filling with the help of corn starch. Also called Transparent pie, Clear Pie, Water Pie. All are the same or of the same mindset of - what can I make for dessert in February when I have nothing left.

The Cherokee called them suicide plants. I've yet to find a ripe fruit. It may be the most elusive of all of my forage.

That's what I thought too. There's depth in that text that even my sous missed at first read such as time of year that things were specifically served and the cookedness of the cobbler. I loved that it was first hand knowledge that was first time around AND a re-vist with the back to the land movement of the 70s.

You know that I am doing a lot of book research, but I'm also doing first person interviews as well as asking my contacts to interview their family members, which many are embracing as an opportunity to let their elderly family share family lore. Here is one I got yesterday that is so amazing.

Welcome to the forum Shavonda! What country are you in? I'd love to see a pic of your kitchen - especially your oven/stove. A very small, but important detail that I always suggest - in most cases of baking cookies and cakes, stop mixing the moment things come together and no more. Bread is different because you need to develop the gluten. As you found, yeast is not the answer. I would think that when it comes to bread having the right amount of liquid to dry ingredients is important as is being patient. Let the bread proof to the proper level before baking. Also, not fully knowing your setup, have you done any baking in your rice cooker (assuming you have one)? I am fascinated by this technique but have no experience myself.