patris

Whoops - posted my RSVP before I noticed we were already on the list!

No allergies here, but I am a vegetarian (lacto-ovo).

So sorry for your loss. Some United Ways will act as a sort of broker between a donor of items and the agencies that can put them to best use. You might consider calling the United Way in Orange County, CA to see if they offer this kind of assistance.

That seems a great solution!

As nothing but a fierce hobbyist, the gift certificate would also be my preferred option.

My sister Chris and I are confirmed (no Morato for us; we'll be coming up on Friday) - looking forward to meeting everyone!

My sister and I are both trying to make up our minds (and I just found out I will need to spring for a new roof on the house this year, which... expensive) and wanted to get a sense of non-hotel costs. If I recall from previous events, the workshop fee is in the $150 neighborhood, right? And Saturday dinner is organized separately? The exchange rate helps quite a bit, but it's good to know the scope of it before we confirm.

I'm thinking about joining the fun this year, along with my sister. She's still making up her mind (she's never done any of this stuff before and while it's interesting to her, she's afraid she'll feel out of place. I keep telling her it's a no-pressure thing with all sorts of nice people!) and there's an outside chance a work trip will prevent me from coming, so I guess please put us down as tentative. I hope it works out!

Thank you so much, pbear - that is exactly the kind of information I tried and failed to find. I thought I was safe, but wasn't in the mood to kneel at the porcelain altar all night if I was wrong. And thank you, rancho_gordo, for the technique notes. Now that I know what's what, it's time to place an order on your website and make something wonderful!

Thanks - I ended up binning the soup after all. Part of it was to go to an elderly aunt who will be checking out of the hospital this week, and I couldn't take the risk.

It's a coolish day here in Buffalo and I decided a nice big pot of bean and barley soup would hit the spot. I chucked sautéed aromatics, roasted tomatoes, veg stock, herbs and a dried 14-bean mix (Wegmans organic), unsoaked, into my crockpot and let it cook away on low all day (9 hours and counting now) I added the barley a little while ago and noticed the beans were still quite tough, so I did a little googling. Much to my horror, I learned that red kidney beans, which are the first ingredient in my bean mix, are loaded with a toxin - phytohemagglutinin - which causes intestinal distress and which is killed by a soak and a boil pre-cooking. This toxin is more potent when the beans are cooked at temps of 80C, but I can't find any info about temps between 80 and 100. My soup registered 92C before I turned it up to high in hopes of getting a boil on for an hour or so, but I figured I would ask here - should I chuck the whole pot, or do you think it will be safe after it boils for a bit?

If you used processed American cheese slices and bread & butter pickles you get the perfect stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth sandwich treat... Heavens. It would have to be dill pickles for me (can't stand the sweet ones), but I'm drooling here.

Cheese and pickle and mayo? On white bread? I think you have just changed my life.

Melt them with some butter and make upmarket rice cereal treats?

Those look like "Florida Avocados" - at least that's what my markets call them. They lack the creaminess and full flavor of a Haas, and have a wateriness that I find unpleasant. I suspect that's because they are significantly lower in fat than a Haas.

I'm so happy you two are sharing this month with us! There must be something in the water up there; the no-sugar Impossible Pie sounded familiar, so I looked back at your Manitoulin travelogue from last year:

Probably just a milk glass...

Wegmans in Buffalo has it for $24.99/lb - I have never had it but it was so beautiful in the case that I picked up a small filet (1/3 lb.) this morning to give it a try. I'll probably just cook it in a saute pan and have it over a bed of greens with a little olive oil and lemon.

I thought Kim lived in Virginia?

Sing it, sister. Nary a hunk of meat gets cooked in my house without a sprinkling of Accent with the salt and pepper.

That is not only my favorite reusable container, it also contains some of my favorite contents.

I know nothing about photography at all, but I like the way you have plated your products! Here is a link to an interesting idea - a cheapo DIY macro box that looks like it could be very helpful with lighting challenges. I keep meaning to make one for myself, but never get around to it.

What about Nature's Miracle or one of the other enzymatic pet stain cleaners?

Bleargh - that all sounds awful! A couple of years ago I took on the task of ensuring my family had an adequate supply of appropriately ripened Limberger for my dad's memorial celebration (we gorged ourselves on all his favorite foods - that was one of them). No matter how impermeable the packaging seemed (several layers of vacuum sealing, inside tinfoil, inside an airtight container), or often I changed it that cheese was a ...presence in my house long after the event. Unfortunately I didn't think about using a glass jar to contain it until everything was all over.

Not sure how we are coming home - we'll get in the car, set the GPS for Buffalo so we can have dinner with Patris Well you certainly have given me quite the task - finding a resto that can compete with all the great stuff you've already enjoyed!