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@liuzhou Nice array pf dishes. Now I have tofu skin on my long lost - have not had it in too long. Perhaps you have answered this before, but with that many dishes and ?# guests, what happens to the leftovers? Are they left or taken home?

Just clear your cookies after you are done. SOP

The seafood and the sunsets!!! Looking forward to the next trip. You are in good company with the hot sauce in your bag - the Clintons https://time.com/4297996/hillary-clinton-hot-sauce/

I did have ants enter once during extreme drought. May happen again as California situation worsens.

Never an open package and I have excellent ears. Found the ground squirrel entry point in garage, Through the screen of an open window over workbench. Bizarrely brought ranges in and carefully eat leaving peels. A comfort zone? Did it on some plush old carpet.

I walk into my bedroom for pans, various dry food goods, tomatoes etc. I do generally remember why. Luckily no critter has come around and munched. Living in the wild...

WCK (Jose Andres) just posted a quote from him "food may not solve the world's problems but its a start"

Really ripe apricots are a treasure. My friend and I went to an estate sale once and there was an ancient tree - the kids let us pick - the car smelled incredibly sensuous. I caved to a Tuscan style cantaloupe today. From Dulcinea Farms in Fresno, Ca. I put it in my room as stepmom intensely squeezes fruit to check for ripeness. I will sleep with the perfume before I cut into it tomorrow - quite large for $3 per melon. https://www.dulcinea.com/

She and I live in the largest food producing state in the country https://blog.aghires.com/california-largest-food-producer-u-s/

Those corn dogs look wonderfully crunchy. Your method?

Ha you have just masterminded a new income stream for @Shelby and Ronnie - a dude ranch sort of thing but on a Kansas farm and hunting/fishing grounds with cooking lessons included. barn can be converted to guest housing. Barn cats a friendly bonus.

Ooh my favorite front porch Halloween thing - the witches cauldron with dry ice. As to your fish and your DH's fried mindset. You'll just have to visit @Shelby next travel time with her locally caught fried fish suppers - he may never leave The fish you got - I hope you experiment with different preps. "A Whole New World"

This is one of the best pieces of food writing I've read in a while. I like Bill Esparza. I respect that he, throughout, credited the farm workers who supply our food with so little recognition, Like Anthony Bourdain often mentioned the kitchen workers. I don't eat a lot of meat but he took me right there to the smells and sensations. https://la.eater.com/22421212/california-barbacoa-mexican-tacos-los-angeles-bay-area-central-coast

Oh you! @blue_dolphin I just said in another topic I am not a fruit eater but I miss my plums and nectarines and peaches. Tree ripened, low watered stone fruit I do love. The problem is when you've had the best, settling sucks. Cue David Masumoto's "Epitaph for a Peach"

We used o hang them in old pantyhose cradles. Keeps the bugs out of the down side. Wonder as you do.

That cod looks incredibly succulent. I've never done or eaten fish with a bean puree. Must expand my horizons. At our usual beach rental there are strings also for nesting birds on the dunes. I am always both pleased and amazed that people respect the caution.

Wow impressive, That is quite a big haul. Looking forward to seeing your preps on Dinner & Lunch.

Diana Kennedy's Oaxaca al Gusto? It is a beautiful (heavy in weight) book. More inspirational than to cook from for me, We almost had her here for a Q & A back then with valiant efforts by @rancho_gordo but she is a stubborn lady who'd had a bad interview elsewhere. I applaud your fostering of the cooking interest.

Oh and salsa and guac don't need an M & P He might enjoy this ovie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWYj8gVdgZU

Based n what you know or surmise I'd still go with the Thai granite. The Japanese ridged one for sesame seeds is a specialty thing, and salsas and guacamole don't need ridges. It is really more your upper body and the pushing and sliding motion that creates pastes or blends Unless working with hard ingredients to make spice pastes like Robin describes here https://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2008/04/the-balinese-da.html - in my opinion you don't need roughed up surface. The inside of granite one not hy*per smooth, you can feel rough on your finger but not ridges. not a big ticket item so I would just get him a general purpose one and let him play. I can't reach mine (stuck behind lawn tractor w flat tire) but like this one but mine is taller - one in middle https://forums.egullet.org/topic/19519-mortar-and-pestle-–-the-topic/?do=findComment&comment=2073443 't

Oh and we have a few topics here https://forums.egullet.org/topic/19519-mortar-and-pestle-–-the-topic/ https://forums.egullet.org/topic/46965-mortar-pestle-best-material/

The big ones ARE heavy so on-line with free shipping I relegated my molcajete to use as an attractive way to display avocados and citrus in the kitchen. For actual pounding and grinding, pastes I like my big Thai granite one. I got it at Home Goods or TJ Max years ago. So cheap my sister got one and schlepped it back to Sydney. I may have had a touristy Mexican one ex brought back from Cabo - but I did all the seasoning prep tricks and it still had residue.

To me rock shrimp are more chewy lobster like and spots sweet shrimp essence. That said I've only had processed frozen rock shrimp versus spots from the tank at ocean adjacent fish market.

Just showed up. It is lovely. Oddly the toaster oven I ordered first has arrival "by 10pm today". As much as I complain about backup beepers they do let you know a truck has arrived and turning around in driveway.

@Duvel You are possibly nudging me to SV with that veal breast prep. Of course veal here is a non starter most places. It has been years since I had it.