FauxPas

Yeah, they call it 'massive' overcharging. Wow. Those are strong words. So are these:

Yay, one of my favourite summer-time events! Is everybody and everything in one car? I bet it's pretty well loaded up! The weather forecast doesn't look too bad, hope it stays that way or improves. And I hope the residents of Manitoulin are not too accident-prone, so that Kerry isn't too busy at the hospital/clinic.

Deryn and MSRadell, I completely agree with you about the water/ice dispenser. My LG fridge is French doors over freezer - it's a nice model - but no dispenser. I have an ice-maker in the freezer, which does take up some space in there, but I can live with that as the freezer drawers are fairly spacious (and since I hate manually filling ice-cube trays). dcarch, I see your point. I suspect a hunter would be better off with a separate freezer. I could see the flexibility of this one being useful for holidays and special events - needing either extra fridge or freezer space before Thanksgiving or Christmas or a dinner party, for example. Or at different times of year - right now I have a hard time finding room for produce in my fridge some days. At other times of year, I am likely to have more frozen items. But I wouldn't pay the extra $$$ for it, at this point!

Wow Baselerd, everything on those two plates looks so incredibly delicious!

Ha, string cheese is one of the things I always pack in a cooler for road trips. Along with peeled hard-boiled eggs and apples/pears, maybe carrots. Sometimes the BabyBel cheeses. My husband does more of the driving, so I can open the packaging and pass it to him.

I've seen the Frigidaire upright freezer which can convert to all-fridge from all-freezer, which I thought was pretty cool if you have the space for an extra fridge/freezer. But I haven't seen this Samsung before, which looks like a standard fridge over freezer in some ways but has French doors both top and bottom and one section can convert between freezer and refrigerator. The MSRP is quite high, though at $3,999! Certainly, if you have the space, it would probably make more sense to have an extra fridge or freezer. But if you live in a condo or something and really want more flexibility, this adaptable fridge might be kind of cool. I like the temperature range that you can set.

I think there are two roads to go on this one (ha, bad pun!) One is the fine old tradition of travelling with food for the road. Pack up a cooler with food that is perhaps healthier and easier to eat than any road diner fare. Often, you plan to stop and take a break and then break open the cooler. Many times, it is your excuse to stop. But then people eat food, while driving, that is awkward or hot or has a potential to spill and that turns them into dangerous drivers. Work clothes + meeting + drippy burger or breakfast sandwich = distracted Combine it with a cell phone and it's really kind of insane. I've seen people doing that - eating + talking/texting + rushing So, not sure what the topic is really about, Shel. Personally, I wish we would be less distracted when we are driving. Though I have to say that we do some road trips where we plan for some munchies, but we aren't rushed and don't eat anything too awkward.

I am not sure if you are interested in a braised (roasted) cabbage, but I have made this recipe a few times and adore it. I have even served it for a dinner party and people loved it. From Molly Stevens book, All About Braising. Recipe is called World's Best Braised Cabbage. The one thing I change is to add more stock! At least 1 cup, maybe more, depending on size of cabbage and amount of carrots. And maybe a bit less oil. http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/11/worlds-best-braised-cabbage-2.html However, my apologies if you are looking for straight roasted cabbage w/o added braising liquid.

Those look amazing - so light and crisp. Do you use any kind of sauce or just eat them as they are?

Tonight I used some of the local new potatoes to make Buvette's warm crushed potatoes with anchovy, garlic and sherry vinegar. It was a slightly cooler day than yesterday, so I made tomato confit this afternoon for topping. Originally inspired by this thread. The potatoes were almost the star of the show, but I also made salt & pepper chicken wings in the Cuisinart - the steam-bake does them so wonderfully that I don't even bother with oil anymore. My husband likes them crisp so I leave them in for awhile. Added some fresh carrots, lightly steamed.

Heh. I would have gone for blue but green is my husband's favourite colour - I'm hoping to get him more interested in cooking.

I ordered one of these also (green). What colour did you get? What do you mean by "that foamy tape" for SV??

Ravioli like this, Franci? It sounds lovely. I'd like to grow borage again, just for its colour, but I'd love to try the ravioli, though I might use a different sauce. What types of sauces do they Ligurians use? I am so looking forward to hearing about your courgettes trombettes and hope you will share some pics!!!

It's rare to get such a true blue in flowers, isn't it? And the borage plant is so lovely, always filled with happy bees.

Wow, those blossoms look stunning. And look at all the lovely things coming from your garden. I adore borage.

Okanagancook, I hope you will share some pics of your potato dishes! And yes, I think there is a word like that! Maybe potato-ey?

Dinner tonight seemed like a lot of food, even though we skipped lunch. It was good though, and allowed me to use up some stuff and clear out some space. Super simple salad with Persian cukes, yellow pepper and fresh cheese. Pesto pasta to use up a bit of a leggy basil plant. The berries are coming fast and furious these days! Fresh local raspberries, and reading the Jacques Pépin thread, I was reminded of his raspberry tart. This was a very rustic version of his (he uses a ruler and knife to make everything perfectly even) and makes his own pastry. I cheated and used frozen puff pastry that I had in the freezer. It was still delicious, hard to beat fresh berries at this time of year! We had a smidge of ice cream on the side.

This link reminded me of a Pépin raspberry tart, which I (very) roughly duplicated for dinner tonight. It's on the dinner thread.

I think it was this one, rotuts:

Ha, I love the term 'planned-over!' Like leftovers, only intentionally? I did the same with some potatoes from last night's dinner. Basted eggs on whole wheat toast, bacon, potatoes, watermelon. This was my husband's plate. I had the same, but less. I don't usually do much cooking for breakfast, so this was a bit of a weekend treat.

My husband has been a bit under the weather, so I made him his fave grilled cheese and tomato sandwich (no pics, it disappeared too fast). But he still had room for dessert. Funny how you crave things when you don't feel well. He wanted DQ ice cream (milk?). I had some lovely fresh cherries and blueberries, so that became the best part of dinner.

Thanks, Anna! I will check that one out, also.

I revived a "Homemade Crackers" thread and added the Raincoast Crisps to it.

I love Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps but the price, not so much! I think it's about time I tried making some. I found a recipe at the kitchn. And Anna N suggested this one. Anyone else made these or similar crisps/crackers?

Thanks, Shelby! The crackers are Raincoast Crisps, made in Vancouver, BC (well, Richmond - just outside of Vancouver). There are a few different varieties, these ones were cranberry and hazelnut. I love them but they are pricey so I keep meaning to try making my own. Here is a recipe for one make-at-home version that I should try: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-harvest-crackers-with-cranberries-pecans-amp-rosemary-recipes-from-the-kitchn-197627 Has anyone else made these or similar?